The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-07-14

our attention after @cttIn@ out Oh deck
80 t. speak turning out n1 our befth>)
vas Lag,tna This is Il small village
in New Mexico where we got our first
glimpse of Indians. 1t is the re>erva-
ton Of about 30 Puebios, = seml-cIv-
i!ized tribe who first inhabited New
Mexico. being found there wiier the
Spaniards invaded the country. IheF
have always been peaceable and
friendly and in appearance as well as
disposition differ from the ideal Indian
, Of the plains. Up to few years ago
there were about 5000 Indians here
but they have gone away and only
mere handful remain. There Is
school here supported by the Federal
Government and a white teacher Is
employed to instruct the children. On
the train with Us was lady who had
been engaged here as teacher for some
time and from her | learned many in
tercsting facts in regard to the his
tory, character and habits Of these
people. A number Of squaws (old
women and maidens) were at the sta
ton when the train stopped with all
kinds of trinkets to sell. These were
made of clay in the form OF animals,
birds, vases, pitchers, cups, &c., and
were the work Of their own hands.
Some of the articles were painted or
stained in different colors, this being
done with mixture Of water aud a
peculiar kind Of clay or the juice OF
herbs and roots which they find in the
| IL har
looking while a few Of the maidens
were more comely. They were short
in stature, with broad faces, prominent
cheek bones and low forehcads. Their
hair was jet black but very coarse.
They were clad in loose fitting dress
that reached just below the knees and
wore leggings of buckskin or coarse
cloth, with moccasins. Some of them
had a colored shawl or blanket wrapped
around their head and shoulders, and
all had the appearance Of being neat
and Clearly in their dress and habits.
The men cultivate the soil and l was
told many Of them are very good farm
ers, Industrious and entirely self-sup-
porting. l saw many Of them at work.
The children are apt and easy to learn.
They are remarkably docile and obedi-
ent both in the school room and to
their elders and parents, and such a
thing as corporal punishment is not in
flicted by these Indian mothers and
fathers upon their children. They are
very gentle and tender in their treat
ment of them and in this way rather
than by the power Of the birch rod they
exert the greatest influence over their
children, commanding the highest re-
spect and most implicit obedience.
On the back Of one of the women
was strapped pappoose, which re-
minded me very much of a terrapin by
its actions. 1t would poke it head out
and peep from behind the folds of it's
wraps, but as soon as one Of the pas
sengers would get near it back into its
hiding place it would go, its little eyes
fairly sparkling with wonder and fright.
When one Of the ladies gave it a couple
Of sugar cakes it reached its tiny hand
out and took them and then hid them
as if it was afraid they would be taken
away again. The old mother seemed
to appreciate the kindness shown the
child rs much as the baby did and it
was not long in demonstrating that it
knew what use to put the cakes to.
A few miles further on and we cross
the Continental Divide, 1851 feet
above sea level. OF the character and
nature Of this great watershed l need
not speak. That is familiar to all
students Of geography. A little to
the South Of us is Fort Wingate and
the Zuni Reservation. We begin now
to pass through the great lava beds
made memorable by the notorious
: Capt. Jack, Of the Modoc tribe,''
and his band of blood-thirsty red devils
by the fierce warfare they waged
several years ago, and which is remem-
bered by North Carolinians chiefly on
account Of the killing of Gen. Candy of
Constitution fame in this State. This
is remarkable phenomenon of nature
and can not be fully understood and
appreciated unless it is seen. At one
point for miles along the roadside were
immense masses Of volcanic matter
looking like great heaps of black rock
showing the presence Of iron and sui
phur indicating that in ages past this
had been the scene Of upheavals and
, commissions Of nature. Another pecu-
liar thing that l noticed was great
boulders of rock at intervals of every
few miles which rose abruptly out OF
the ground high above the surrounding
country, looking like vast Notifications
or forts. They were quite Symmetrical
, in shape some times with smooth sides
and fiat surfaces, then with Jagged
edges and cone shaped tops. At other
: places in these wide wastes of sand
, might be seen the beds of former
5 streams, the banks Of which were
. plainly marked. If anything were
needed to make the story of the flooG
believed trip through the extreme
Western part Of our Continent and q
: sight of these unmistakable evidences
, Of the fact that this country was once
: wholly under water. would be suffi
, cient.
We have now passed into Arizona
and it Is in this State principally thai
: these last formations of which | .peal
. are seen, though they begin back il
: New Mexico after crossing the Divide
Now we have plunged into the great
{ sand deserts and arid wastes, where
| tor hundreds of miles there is neither
\ water nor sheltering tree to break thu
e monotony Of the scene Nothing bu
| sand, sand, sand, with scattering
/ growth OF stubby sagebrush and soa]
> weed. Occasionally we pass her,
5 OF cattle that exc out miserable ex
a lStence i'll a way strange to me, tn
T dead carcasses that line the side O
the railroad telling of suffering ant
starvation to which they are reduced
/ When pasturage in the grazing countr,
L back from the road gets scarce thes
a cattle flock in droves to the railroa,
a III spite of the COW boys and stand list
i lessly and wistfully beside the tracl
p and die Of hunger and thirst, or ar
V run over and killed by the cars. Il