Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-01-19
VERY QUEER INDIANS.
REMARKABLE Tribe SURROUND
60 BY = NATURAL WALL


ssSs fnterssfisg Facts About tho xav..
supsis They Live In stup~sds..
cs"yes In New Meriee-rp n..y re-
speets They Are Civilized.
Ben Wittick. . wen known ph.,to0-
rspher o. Aibuquerque. N, H., has been
visiting friends in Minneapolis, and TO
him The Minneapolis Journal Is indebt,
I'd Tor most interesting end accurate
account Of the Navs-Supais Of the Supai
canyon Some time ago he went 70 New
MEXICO, ssttLng Il Albuquerque. Being
man o. adventurous turn Of mind he
took trip mp the canyon and located
the tribe In the narrow. valley like IN
closure between the mighty walls q
the Supai canyon Sup&i il . name
which Mr.. Supai gave the canyon him
self after having made trip to the re-
gion.
On reaching the canyon be found the
Indians In the midst Of 4 maryelousIy
fertile valley. diminutiye az it il. where
Al sorts Of grains and fruits grow ii
rank profusiOn. where there are splendid
climatic influences nearly the twelve
month through. and where all that tends
70 build mp physical powers Is II hand
He made Investigations. too, into their
language. their rites and ceremonies.
their legends- and into all the phases Of
their present and past history possible,
and be ID confirmed in the belief that
they are in no way allied to the Aztecs
He says. on the contrary. that as far az
can be ascertained they are allied to the
Wallapai
| AN ISOLATED TRIBE
The tribe is most singular one. Their
valley home has on either side great
Lodges Of rocks running mp in benches
thousands of feet In the valley are
groves Of cottonwood trees. and iuxn-
RANT vegetation is seen on all sides.
There are about 245 or go in the tribe Of
the Supai They live absolutely alone.
They do not intermarry with other
tribes, neither do they mix with the scat
tering white people of the regions round
about When they are in need of forage
or food outside Of that which they can
get in their own ricn valley they sally
out. make their trades or purchases and
return home. They are monogamists
every man having one wife and no more.
They do not live in communal form
, either. but preserve the family in its in
tegrity. The men are little above the
average height. they are strong and
, active. and they are noted for their skill
; in climbing the mountains and in bring
, ing down the game they need They arr
very shy and suspicious of indians from
, careful and adroit means that whit
, man can approach them and gain an,
, information as to their life. The women
; are smaller in stature. very fond O
: adornment and given to fantastic deco
rations of their faces
The Supai indians appear to be ia
: above many other tribes IN morals
They look with scorn upon any one VIII
asks them questions as to their marie:
relations, holding that this is no one
business but their own, and the fact tina
the woman Of the tribe who goes wron
!. Is subjected to the most pronounce
neglect, and generally is put out Of tn
. way. is pretty good proof that they ar
!, possessed of sort of simple. heroic VII
tue.
: totally blind He believes this to B
: due to the splitting of the arrows whe
the bows were stretched too taut- Som
e of the women who would be seen sittln
barefooted in front of their thatche
T roof houses have the most peculiar b
toes that ever were seen on a human D
Z ing. The toes were not so very larg
u but they were of abnormal width at Il
II ends. In some cases the big toe woul
I be an inch and half broad at the en-
: and very fat and thin When NJ
8 wittick and his party entered the canye
L they found the Supai very gentle al
hospitable in their aboriginal way. b
n very reticent at the same time.
Proceeding down the canyon throus
: the fertile valley. along which was
d slender stream of never failing waite
the purest and sweetest in the land. TIL
d reached a magnificent waterfall, wne
1t the silver stream plunges over a pre-
nice PSI feet in height. and falling In
stream Of the rarest beauty down to
pool below. Cottonwood trees we
felled, lasheI together and a iadd
made in sections. the whole seventy-s
X feet long, and down this the explore
N climbed in their exit from the home
l. these strangely interesting semi-sava
rs folk. The beautiful stream has be
81 utilized by the Indians in irrigan
those portions of the valley that WI
~ sterile, and it appears that for centur
as they have known of this method of a
lg ing nature
Us Business Mems Writing Desks.
he Every man knows how dear to
| heart is that pet abomination of won