Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-05

Ruth-darlingl Forgive me-
And although the notice was rather sud-
den, the wedding did take place on that
! bright New Years day, after all.
DINNER IN NEW MEXICO.
Strange and Interesting Scenes Witnessed
at a Railway Station.
! Clarence Pullen in Harper's Weekly.
One of the famous eating houses of the
where the train going south stops late in
the afternoon As the cars draw up at
| the station the long platform is thronged
with the people of the country of diverse
races. Rough miners in flannel and
heavy boots stand watching the train,
cowboys set off by sombreros and spurs
| swagger about the platform, and Spanish
Americans with swarthy faces and gleam-
| ing black eyes lounge against the ratings,
| looking impasslvely on the scene. Most
picturesque of all there gathered are the
descendants of the tribes akin to the
Toitecs and Aztecs, those migrating peo-
| piles whose first home was in vhe north
west, before they went south to ,colonize
the valleys of the Mexican plateau-the
Pueblo Indians from Santo Domingo and
San Filipe. They are quantity clad in
| their characteristic garh of leggings and
{ tunic, with blanket dress for the women,
| and sometimes for the men gaudy blan-
ket wrapped about the body. Some are
awaiting the train on the station plat
form, and others, belated, are seen rum
ming toward the cars, bearing on their
heads and backs the things they have to
trade They exhibit great variety of
pottery, in the shape of vessels of divers
sizes, sorts, and patterns O., decoration, and
many earthen idols of infinite 'ugliness
They offer for sale pieces of what the
! New Mexican curiosity dealers call smoky
topaz, which In reality is obsidian or,vol-
canic glass the material used by the
ancient Aztecs for cutting purposes, from
swords down to razors.
| About the train is acharacteristic colec-
tion of passengers. There are tourists,
European and American commercial tray
oilers, young n2en from the east going to
the southwest to try their for sunes, and
! perhaps in the rear car some families of
emigrants. Representing the territory are
merchants, miners, md ,cattle-men of
| American and Spanish descent,
while opposite the blond eastern lady, in
her dainty travelling habit may sit a dark
eyed oliyed tinted beauty with the blood of
| Aragon or CASTLE In her veins, and per-
| haps darker and not unbecoming tinge
rom Indian ancestor. Travelling theatrical
com panies, army officers and private SOL
diers on leave or on duty, and Indian dele
! cations going on or returning from
visit to the Great Father at Washington,
are current types in a SOUTHERN passenger
| train
| Almost without exception the passengers
are affable and disposed to conversation.
| Stiffness and reserve among fellow pass
engers by stage or rail vanish west of the
| unaredth meridian.
There is an excellent dinner, plentiful
and we'll served, at the pleasant and roomy
railroad restaurant, with so much time al
| lowed for the stay that the traveller, after
his ample and leisurely meal, is able to
walk ABOUT In this barbarously brilliant
scene, and make bargains with the brown
and worldly-wise sons and daughters of
the country for such of their wares as he
fancies. The Pueblo Indians hastes
toward any one whose eye they eaten. hold
up their goods, and address him in a
language mainly abort ginal, with perhaps
a few Spanish and American words inter
mingled; but the only part of the discourse
really understood on either side is the ex-
.temporized sign language. They ask sever
al prices, expecting to be beaten down to a
fair rate, and they seldom will let the pos
,sible, customer get away without col1sum-
mating trade Demure, swarthy Pueblo
children look on the transactions of their
elders with great interest, the larger girls
helping their mothers by carrying the very
young children in couch made by sling
ing shawl about their necks.
The Indian pottery is the ware most
purchased by the passengers. 1t is quaint
OF pattern, and, in its way, much of it
is really beautiful. The material of which
1t is made is a white or grayish-tinted clay
which the men bring to the women, who
are the pottery makers. The Indians
guard jealously the secret of the places
choicest kinds The hunter, prospector, or
railroad explorer coming suddenly up
on these natives engaged in digging
clay fer the purpose is likely to remember
| the terror and CONSERVATION which they
exhibit as they run toward him, warning
| him away.
The moulded pottery is buried in dry
sleeps dung, which is fred and thus it is
baked. The material used in making the
stripped designs, is a decoction from
certain green root which the Indians call
wake 1t is painted upon the vessel, and
in the baking it Turns black. The best
pottery is made by the Acoma, Zuni, and
| Cochiti Indians.
A gong clanks at the station, and those
| passengers who have not already returned
| to the cars discontinue their promenade,
or hastily conclude their bargains. The
| conductors cry rings cut, ''All aboard"
and the laggards enter the cars; out even
as the train moves slowly off the passen-
gers are still making last bargains from
the car platforms and through the windows
with the aborigines, who, at the fast-ap-
preaching disappearance of their possible
customers, are disposed at the last moment
to close bargains at almost any price. The
train gathers Roadway, the last Indian
vendor is passed, and soon the platform
with its semi-barbarie, party -colored as
' =. ia IL