The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-07
INDIANS OF NEW MEXICO
QUEER CUSTOMS PRACTlCED BY
A PECULIAR PEOPLE,
Few Changes in Their Life Since
Prehistoric Times. Land Is
Held In Common by This
Peaceful Race.

Indian villages, called pueblos, where
the red-faced Americans live, almost
as their ancestors did hundreds of years
ago. The habits and customs of these
Indians are interesting, but most inter-
esting of all to the ordinary tenderfoot
from the lana where idolatry is looked
upon as dead and gone long ago are
the idols which are to be found con-
stantly in many of the pueblos.
One hears of the heather from Chi
ma and occasionally from the ends OF
the world of benighted men who are
idolatrous, but in New Mexico. within 3
days ride of New York City, are to be
found men and women who, it is claim
ed by many, are Christians, but who
not only make idols, but keep them in
their houses. Whether they worship
them or not is question which is
much discussed, and i looks very much
as if the testimony to the effect that
some of the Indians do worship their
idols Outweighs that to the contrary.
The idols of the Indians are most ridic-
ulOus looking concerns, and are source
of constant and varying amusement to
the fastener who loves to dig about in
old villages and museums.
The Indian pueblo nearest the city
of Sante Fe is the Tesuque pueblo, and
here man may buy whole bagful Of
gods, large and small, for dollar Or so.
| The indians are not very much in love
with their gods, for a hundred gods
may be made in an hour or 50 and ex-
changed easily for ready money.
The people of the Tesuque peublo
are not bad sort They live in COM
paratively wel-made houses, mostly OF
adobe clay. If you say GOOD day" to
them in Spanish they will repeat your
greeting if you remark to a gray old
buck, "Hello !" he and his little ones
will cry out, "HeIlo, boy Hello, boy y
There is no sense in being bashful when
surrounded by the squaws. They GER
tainly are not. The majority Of them
have no reason to be so their age and
ugliness are sufficient protection. But
among the women are to be found four
or five very pretty ones. These young
ladies are from fourteen to sixteen
wears of age. They are not very tall.
but their figures are good, and they are
as bright aud pretty as any OF the dar-
lines of New York, Philadelphia or
| Baltimore. 1t is true they are decided
brunettes. but then some men prefer
br,lnettes. Their features are regular
their ewes bright and flashing, and neY-
er dazed and heavy-looking from toe
much dancing or too many cups Of
tea.
Their teeth are white and regular
and there are not half dozen chunks
of gold and silver scattered about them
The girls do not lounge about in ham
mocks or read novels all day long
They Get out and rush about and play
with their brothers or help them al
work, and if they don't like what i:
said to them floor the young men with
= GOOD right-hander from the shoulder
Tt is difficult, in fact impossible t(
GET the Indians to talk about thel
traditions and superStitions. unless one
lives a great time among them. sever
al oen.lenen. in the intere5t of science
have lived among the Indians, but a:
.hev say very little in their writing
about the superstitious beliefs and th'
gods of the Indians, the chances ar'
that the Indians managed to keep thel
secrets to themselves. 1t is not pleas
ant to live among the Indians.
r There are very few Indians to b'
o found in the larger towns and cities o
o New Mexico and Arizona they prefe
n to keep to themselves. They live IL
@ their puebos Or villages in the house
; which were probably built hundreds o
o wears ago. The Indians have changes
) but little in the few hundreds OF year
r since the Spanish conquests. Thel
!. nueblos are built on almost the sam
stvle as those found by Cortez. Thel