Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-05-19
RICH PUEBLOS.
INDIAN COLONIES
IN NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA.
They Own tho Best Lands and Fay
No Taxes - Following Quaint
Ancient Customs ms-Respect
for the Aged.

taxes, and vet they own the rich
est lands, aad some OF them rams With
the wealthicst men Of the Southwest.
These citizens are Pueblo Indians,
and a mighty interesting people they
are They live in their OWN villages,
which look more like forts or tene-
ments than anything else. govern
themselves without much interference
from the Unitet States authorities:
aud manage to get along very we'll de-
spite the fact that many of them,
while protesting Christianity, depend
more upon the old gods of their fore
ing, beliefs, superstltions and tradi
tions are but very little different from
those that the old Spaniards marvelled
at when they came into the country
from old Mexico toward the latter part
of the sixteenth century.
The nearest pueblo to Sante Fe IS
the Pueblo of Tesuque. 1t is about
nine miles distant. Tesuque is fiat
looking little place. 1t is not any
thing like rs large as Taos or Ideta, or
many of the other puehlos of New
Mexico. The rising generation has
succumbed somewhat to the advanced
ideas of the people of Sante Fe, aud
door in it on level with the ground
The houses are built on top of each
other, and where the whole affair is in
some places three and four stories
high, it looks from distance like a
giant flight Of steps. Nowadays one
can enter some of the houses on the
story along the ground through doors
cut in the Sides To enter most Of
| them, however, you have to climb up
| ladder to the second terrace. and
| then down into them through trap
holes In the roof. The roofs of the
| lower houses furnish sidewalks for
the families living one story nearer to
heaven.
| The houses are about ten feet high.
J In olden times it is said only the
women and children slept and lived in
| these houses. The men lived IN tne
| estufas. These estufas or council
rooms are great, round, low affairs.
They have no doors, but you have to
climb up ladder TO the top and de-
scend into them through trap doors
The interiors are plain. Sometimes
on the walls are sacred paintings an,l
drawings and antlers. For many years
the Pueblos have hal NOR. of family
life. the custom being introduced by
the Christian. according 10 the same
story. The respect OF the children
for their parents and the affection o.
man and wife for each other aal 20,
their children are delightful.
Zuni, in the far western part o. tn
country, has one sizstoried house
covering q vast territory and contsin
/ ing many rooms The Moqul town.
are three-storied All OF these town,
are extremely old, their grants dasins
back mostly to 1859, aud even ther
they had been In existence hundred.
o. years.
The government OF the Pueblo
Indians IS in the hanis of ii. caziqu,
or chief, war captain aod fiscal major
They are elected AMI have assistants
The village generally settles its o~I
quarrels. aud onc rsrelv or ,leve
hears of Indians coming into tn
Ta.ted States courts. W.tcac-a's
firmly believed in up t. tins day
/: Is generally accepted belle
now ;ha. the cliff dwellings,. ruins O
: which are - be touni .iroa ;ilosi
; the homes of yetnge o. the Pleo.os
The pueb.os themselves are li,.l
; more than forts. aai !. - believe
! TIA: II times o. extreme a.a-s. tn
; Indians del - the strong :o-:r-sse
tau: II tie cl.sa I.ere are soso
. ruins o. cl.E d=eiliays ba: ts~ a..e
, .-or Ssa.e Fe T..se l~eli,aS. ar.
Amos. Invariably prepared All hal
: bull, BY nature herself The -la
and sand followed on; the sofse
stratum @. sandstone hessepa ~
: ,ao.e sahs;.at,a. strata o. so.i.i .oc-
q ,has furnishing the aoor. sae ZOO. al
. back OF the fortress
The Indians hai then bas 10 bull