Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-05
MEXICAN CAVE JEWELLERS
A Strange Race of People Graphically
Described.
Natives Who Do Not Gossip or Pay
Visits and Yet, Strange to
Say, Are Honest.

At special meeting of the Geographical
society held last night in Assembly Hall of
the Cosmos Club Mr.. Carl Lumholtz de-
livered an interesting and instructive stere-
opticon lecture on 1.-The Cliff Dwellers of
Mexico" Mr.. Lumhiltz is a Norwegian who
has spent the last three years among the
South Sea Islanders and the savages of
Mexico studying their ethics and customs.
In few appropriate words DIR. Magee
presented the speaker, who, by way of in
PRODUCTION. classified the savages of Mexico
into three tribes, the Tarahumari, the Tepe-
bruane and the Pimas, the first of which
We're dwelt upon especially.
These natives. he said, are mostly Chris
tians, but during the last few years there
has been a great decline toward barbarism,
there being now, out of the whole 81, 200,
as many as 5000 pagans.
1t is the opinion of most people, he said.
who are not familiar with these people
that their caves are burrowed out of the
cliffs by their own hands, but nature has
provided them with abodes in the sandstone.
which are their homes in winter, the only
artificial addition to these holes being stone
walls which they make themselves, build
ing them across the openings as barriers
against invasion by their neighbors. These
caves are the winter residences, small wood
en- huts being used outside In summer.
Not Gadders.
strange custom of these people. Mr..
Lumholtz said, is their reluctance to visit
and their lack of hospitality. 1t is con-
sidered a criminal offense, he said, for a
man to enter anothers house, even on a
friendly errand visit, and an insult for
one to take particular notice Of another's
abode. their conversations being carried on
at distance from their doorways. He went
on to describe the industry of the race,
stating that corn. pepper and tobacco are
their principal vegetable products. Their
method of fishing consists OF poisoning the
waters of their rivers with a bark, which
stuns the fish, but does not make them I'M
fit to eat AS is the custom of the North
American Indian, the women are the toll
ers, while the men merely have the eXecu-
tive cares of the family upon their Shout
ders, and even this responsibility does not
appear to be Of any great weight, since the
parents never correct their children, who
would consider any punishment declara-
ton OF a family revolution.
They Are Honest.
However, Mr.. I.umholtz said, honesty is
the motto of everyone of these strange peo-
pie, there being no stealing or cheating
among them. Their business transactions
are all by barter, money not being used as
a medium Of exchange.
The men are models Of physical develop
ment. often making trips of 500 miles in
five days. carrying messages 10 different
cities. The average life of a native is one
hundred years or over there being no wear
upon their physical systems, or worriment
on their minds. The women always pro-
pose matrimony, because they are the real
bone and sinew of the family
About fifty handsome slides were thrown
upon the screen, illustrating the caves
their inhabitants, and the various dances
or worship of the peculiar tribes. 4 love
song was also rendered in the native tongue
and accent.
The next meeting Of the society will be
held at the Cosmos Club, on Friday light
OF this week. when Mr.. Henry Gannett of
the geological survey will lecture on The
Statistics of Our Industry"
committee composed of Mr.. G. X. Gill
bert and Dr. David T. Day have arranged
an excursion to the Dismal Swamp of Vir-
ginia, on the Goth and 2lst of April. fo- the
members and friends of the society, which
will be largely attended