Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13

sSdi RioDiD'y DelOre tne agents OF the Du-
reau are ready to make a satisfactory re-
port.
The Papago Indians live in southern
Arizona. Often they make foraging expe-
ditions into Mexico: and. in fact In the
Sense of settled habitation, they cannot be
sal. to live anywhere. They are the most
nomadtc of all the Indian tribes at present.
Something has been written about them
from time to time by Travellers and the
agents of the Indian office have made re-
ports on their condition. But beyond the
reports of these agents the government has
no official Information about the condition
of the tribe. The agents reports are nee
essarily ragged. Indian agents are not
sent to Arizona to write chronological es-
says.
The Papagoes were once tribe of from
1900 to 1900. The exact number Is not
known. The population of the tribe from a
remote period can only be estimated. And
the Indian Office Is not better Of today in
the matter Of knowledge of the tribes ex-
tent. The census agent would be at an ut
ter loss to come to q correct conclusion
about the PapaGocS. They are scattered
over so wide range of territory that 1t is
doubtful II even one Of their own number
could form a clear idea how many there
now are In the tribe. For many years, and
until a short time ago, they were carried
on the Indian reports, estimated at 5000.
one Of the recent reports gave an estimate
Of 5000. No one knows whether the Old
estimate or the new one Is correct. Only
few hundred of the Indians live On reserva-
lions and have settlement. The others
roam at large.
Not Reservation.
The Papa goes are wild in the sense that
they are uncivilzed. but not in the sense
that they are boodthirsty. They are a
very pes cefui people. and many of them as
sist their Indian neighaofs in harvesting
their grain. They take their pay in sup
plies, which they lay up for the winter sea-
son. But in the summer they live chiefly
on the fruit Of the cactus plant and wild
berries. 1t Is a wonder how they live at
ell. Some of those who lead a rowing life
own a few horses ard cattle. But the en-
tire number of cattle owned by those who
are not on reservations Is only 1000, and
the number Of domestic foYfs is $50.
Yet the Papago Indians receive no rations
from the government. They are actually
self-sUpporting, asking nothing of the gov
ernnent and receiving very little. There
are only $500 Indians in Arizona who re-
ceive ratiOns from the government to 25OO1
W no do not.
In the report of Indian industries made
up by the Indian bureau there is a big
blank opposite the names OF the Indians
who are not OH the Papago reservation.
SO far the official reports show. they do
70 labor. Yet they are capable of doing
their full share OF work. as the experiment
with few who are gathered together on
government reservation shows. There
from 800 to 800 Indians gathered on two
reservations, one near Tucson and one near
ella Bend, on the Southern Pacific railroad.
These communities are not models of their
kind. In fact, they are described as having
each about thirty miserable, squald adobe
houses. with not a drop of water within
many miles except what Is caught in pools
during the uncertain Arizona rainy season.
and In short time this water becomes
thick and vile. because the pools are the
common resort of the Indians, the cattle
and the swine. The pools soon dry and
then the Indians roam into the mountain
need most Is irrig Ltion to make their bar
rem land fertile, for that land now will not
furnish subsistence for a coyote or gopher
Partially Civilized.
But tho farmer in charge Of the San
Xavier reservation, which was set aside for
these Indians by orders of President Grant
just twenty years ago. says that the Papago
is, with but few exceptions an honest
Industrious, peaceable and self-supporting
Indian, whose principal occupation is the
cultivation Of the land on which he rails IS
for the greater part wheat, barley and corn:
but he also gives his attention more or less
to the raising of horses and cattle, and plies
a steady trade in wood, which commodity
he haults to and sells in the city Of Tue
son. All OF the Indians on this reservation
wear citizens dress. About three fourths of
the Indians on the reservation are Cath
olics and attend mass regularly every two
weeks They have had their children bap-
tized, and they bring In their dead neatly
prepared for burial in decent collins to the
church. whence the body Is taken to the
cemetery and buried under a wooden cross.
The women Of the reservation busy them
selves with pottery, particularly the eartheu
water jugs known among the Mexicans as
"ollas. There was great demand for
these 'olfas" at one time, because, like tine
water jugs of India, they We're porous and
there are Ice factories In Tucson and the
Ola Is no longer in general demand
There Is no such thing divorce in the
little colony. and the women of the Papa
their virtue.
In addition to their other occupations the
reservation Papagoes now have a trade In
German carp. which were introduced with
the assistance of the fish commission. and
which now supply food as well as an article
of commerce
There are few cases Of crime reported
from the Papago reservation. And, In fact.
In all things the reservation PapaSoes hsye
shown themselves to be capable Of taking
on fair degree of civilization. The Wild.
hess Of their tribal brothers Is all the more
surprising. 1t would certainly not seern 10
be the fault Of the Indians that they remain
In outer darkness. The trouble seems to he
that even the land near ella Bend. on
which some OF the Indians have done a
great deal of improvement, is not properly
secured to them, and the avarice of the
white man makes a greater clamor every
year for throwing open to settlement the
only lands which are easily susceptible of
irrigation. Thus the Indian feels little en-
couraged to make improvements. The gov
errment has been urged again and again to
make ailotments to all Of the Papagoes and
to assist them In lrrigating their lands.
Live Like Animals.
The Papagoes are members Of one of three
tribes which are under the control of the
Pima agency-the Pimas. the Maricopas and
the Papagoes. An agent at this agency, who
wrote to the Indian bureau about the condi-
ton OF these Indians not long ago, said that
the members Of these tribes had no idea
whence they came. but judging from their
manners and their customs he thought that
they were akin to the Zuni Indians OF New
Mexico They are surrounded by prehistoric
ruins the famous Casa Grande ruins being
the most interesting. but Of these the In