The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-08-20
INDIAN BUNCo sTIERFRs.
simple Gnmc- by witch the Unwnry Are
Rnhhrd ANN ny the Roch.Y Mountains.

| AJDUouERouE, Aug. 1O.-If any one wants
| to learn something Of the advancement made
| by the Indians in tho ways OF tho white man
| let him come to New Mexico with Abu1uer.
| que as starting point for his Investigations
| He will ind here Pueblo Indian girls and
women quite equal in their way to the most
artful bunco stccrer OF tho metropolis In
fact ono does not have to stop in New Mexico
| to see something o! thar doings. for they
| board every train that passes through this
| town and thsnumbcr ~ their Nictims Is legion
| The particular game Of he Pueblo girl ia the
| sale OF ancient Huni pottery. or pottery from
| prehistoric ruins and The methods OF the
swinde ARE models OF simplicity. The pas
| scnger as the train pulls up Mt II station secs
| N LOT OF nuecrly dressed fdlian girls climb on
tho train md invade the cars. Each one car
ries n basket, and each basket is full vt pots.
| lars bowls. &C.. made OF clay. but almost every
| article is too small for any practical use. Each
| one passing down the nislc ofrors her wares
! for sale as curiosities made Ivy her people. AMI
| the price OF each piece is but i've cents. Nntur
| ally there is n very good demand among last.
| ern pcople and. rs the little clay dishes are 4
Indian make the sale is Legitimate. But as
| the sales are made. tho girls manage to turn
| the thoughts OF the buyers to the crorkery
found among tho cliff dwellings or other ruins
This was made last week. one will say.
1T is not from the graves
The least chow OF interost In the remark
about pottery from the graves IL noted and
stimulated by the girl. and then she goes
away. She has none Of tho old pottery. but
her m other has n little piece or two. Soon the
mother comes in and goes to the one in
terested in ancient pottery. She. too. has a
basket with pots and bowls and jars. The
girls stun was clean and bright: that In the
| old equaw's basket is covered with dust. 1t is
handled with great care. and undue efforts to
clean it are resented on the plea that the stun
is fragile The old woman talks very
little English. but she gives the tender!oot
tho idea that tho ancient pottery is very
scarce. meantime she sizes UP the victim. SO
to speak in order to fix on price. II he looks
Ike a man OF small means he can buy piece
OF her muddy pottery for % cents. If he has
the air OF winning man who has struck it
ri III and is bound East to visit old friends the
price will run from 81 to So apiece.
To one who is familiar with the. pottery
found in the old graves the fraud is trans
Tine d soa ~ has ner n9
place for a tim to give it an earthly smell, and
Another trick worked on the white men by
the Indians is In game OF chance. some.
cards. hut the game, played is always one of
Indian invention. Az the trains arrive at sta
Indians is found engaged IN the game, Their
In the game both attract attention. and pas
senRers are sure to gather around, Immed-
who has POSED as spectator. begins to ,e1:
plain the game. but because or his broken
after looking over the shoulders Of various
| players or doing something else equally un-
players Is sure to win and syy Oilers to placs
| some OF the money Of the spectators where 1t
He will il put up anything from a nickel to a
dollar or more. and not few passengers chip
n n ten Gems or quarter lust to see how the
course the thing the aHSrter works into
capper being in no Disgrace with the passen-
gers. the one who won the pot viii offer to
Usually this winner is a half breed girl with
more or less comely features. and because the
smoking car she has no trouble bs in working
or ali the games work cd by the Indian bunco
there + m. Saay NINE
The tales of hidden and lost mines amon the
desert mountains Of New Mexico and Arizons
most OF them. while even the most skepticnl
faith Thai there are are great lodges Of gold ore
and wide placers of auriferous gravel in the
BY the people here than the Apostles Creed.
and much more talked about.
fat on his Enowedss lie He's needs " but a t Elm in
the way Of an QUILT small chunk Of ore
from so piace so vii vii S serve 'e aaniHaby Wiz
one Of these slowed IN the corner Of a red cot.
stranger who seems to have money. I'll, vic
tim found. the gold is exhibited in a way that
Of course and the greedy white man wants to
know where 1t came from.
is easyand simple The indian win n"i S taN
and the white man man suggests drink hopns
lowed another
Indian viii talk. He viii. he says. also show
stacks ike IT. or
that nt he Is paid well in advance nee, to 4" SO. .
could go into the mountains and gather up an
ounce sometimes a handful i; PROMISED pr
and sell The gold for the blankets. the gaudy
clothes, the guns; the pistols. tho knives, and
the wonderful deposit. However. the white
sonnet lines a hundred dollars worth Of stun
Then he agrees to meet the white man at u
spot agreed upon from which to start.
Usually he never goes near the place, but be-
ing Joker as we'll as bunco man. he does
Journey. 1t Is a night tourney Invariably. and
sne utmost ss1 SautGh necessary
reservation detect the invader. The victim is
sf to place and then
freedom than for some time. because the guide
says no danger need be apprehonded. lvrrid
wd on With ssr the 5
life. In former days 1t was a vain flight and
1t Is sometimes vain now; The guide, not only
into an ambush. In these days however, the
man Is usually allowed to escape. and cases
q second time. The guide has gone to him on
ms return to town and has told q plausible
for a second start. In these cases the victim
was simply abandoned at the, start or led into
ne reservation and then abandoned to ind
MS way out as best he could.
In any event 1t is an absolutely safe game.
unless the victim is handy with his gun.
There Is, at least. no appeal to the law. Tho
victim violptes the law himself at the start by
giving the Indian liquor to loosen his tongue
lie coaxes the Indian to do something con-
trary to the laws lfor mining on a reservation
Is unlawfull. and finally entcrs the reservation
contrary TO law, Besides. no white man IN
this country will ever ack nowlodg that he has
hucked against an Indians game and lost
fectly safe, and he knows 1t.