West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-12-06
CALIFORNIA LETTER.
Special correspondence OF the Argus
MARINE INDIAN SCHOOL.
Nov. II, 1894.


20 give your readers few items
that may interest them concerning
the Red Men.
! must first tell you that l put
out my washing and had 1t all on
the line in fine display early this
morning. This is my wash day,
Saturday, and | felt real proud Of
my job. don't believe there is
an Indian woman in this country
/ who can beat 1t. At least | do not
'ancy to have them try on my
| clothes, as starched white shirts are
unknown here. | get along very
we'll Just as had finished. an
Indian rode up and said Ponchn
Lomas wanted me to come to his
house. | got on the pony and we
/ loaped away to Poncha's. | found
that they had bought sewing
machine aud wanted me to show
them now TO operate it. Now
never worked with sewing machine
and was almost as ignorant as the
Indians, but must do something
or be considered mo good" SO
! got the instruction sheet and fol
lowed it and finally after many
awkward efforts | went through all
the operations Of fliing the bobbin,
threading the needle. adjusting the
shuttle, aud then scwed several
seams which they thought was pr
feet. | then had to show how to
e the hemmer, tucker. and all
the fancy fixtures which they will
never need to use in the world.
The Indian women thought | was
perfection on sewing machines and
expressed their thanks by mods of
the head and grunts.
As passed through their village
on my way back saw one woman
sitting fiat in the sand and with
wooden restle pounding muskitc
beans in Il wooden trough. This
= the way they grind them for
making bread or pone. The meal
looks something like corn meal.
| Another Squaw was mixing cake
in another trough, and on the roof
of the hut was complete loaf tax
ing in the sun. The loaf was abou'
two feet i'm diameter and one-and "a
half feet thick. The boy who came
after me. aud IS one OF my pupils.
went into the house and brought
me = piece Of bean clkc. 1t was
/ perfectly dry aud easily pulvcrized.
1t had pleasant 8wcetish taste and
is very nutritious. This bean
! grows IN abundance on small
thornY tree and Is the food FOR man
aud beast among the indians.
The Indians are getting to be
more free in trying to mike me
understand and to talk with me.
One WAS even kind enough to make
me present of IA fine bow and ar
row, which is a mark Of high honor
with them. Now, a lttle red paint
and few feathers and will be a
fnll nedged Indian. A feather has
peculiar charms 20 the Indians :;
some they believe will keep away
evil spirits, and the children will
always save a nice feather and wear
it in their hair or other parts Of
their body.
The Indians used TO stare at me
when first came, that seemed to
say, like the man who on going to
town first saw 4 woman with hoops /:
"Well by gosh, what one Will see
when be hns no gun" They used
90 come and stand outside the win
/ dow and stare at mo with gen
uine Puck expression. "What
fools thc5e mortMs be-" But be-
lieye can notice change for the
better and am in good hopes that
/ may meet their approval far
enough for them to think that
would te pretty good fellow If /
were only an lndisn They are
rcady to bring my mail from the
Office and get me to read aud write
letters for them. a teachers work
here has multiplicity Of side trucks
and switches. Tho teaching part
Us the minor.
These Indians arc Of The Cohuilla
tribe and are very little different
from what they were when the
Spaniards first conquered the
country They are lnzy and self
IsafieGod Tbo, a., NOT soc .v,,