Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-21
FROM ZONE \ TO ZONE
A Horseback Expedition From Mex
leo to Patagonia.
SsxERS, INDIANS AND MORMONS
Scenes on a Journey Through New
~~ Mexico and Arizona. ,e,.-
INTERESTING NOTES EN- ROUTE


about some of the interesting things he saw
and heard en- route:
We arrived at Wingate after the
unpleasant journey across the noun
tains Of the Navajo reservations
This military post Is an oasis In
the desert. Here one meets with the COM
forts of modern civilization. There are
about five hundred men stationed here. one
troop Of cavalry and company of Indian
infantry. enlisted from the Navajo ana
Apache tribes. The experiment with IN
dams as soldiers has proved failure, great
difficulty being experienced in maintaining
discipline among them, the Indian never
having been accustomed to restraint. Once
an Indian soldier is punished. his term OF
service Is as good as over. for. after brood
Ing over his punishment for a short time, he
deserts. and once loose in his native noun
teins. II Is next to impossible to recapture
MN. On parade he makes an excellent
soldier. learning the evolutions quickly and
managing his horse with much more skill
than his white comrade. He takes great
pride in his dress and arms. which are al
ways In a state Of perfect cleanliness. They
ore always enlisted under American names.
the Indian names being found too long for
roll CALL During our stay at Fort Wingate
We met Lieut.. Brainard. the sole survivor
o. the three men who penetrated to the
highest latitude in the arctic circle, viz, "a
deg % min. He seems now little the worse
for his great trials, but informed me that
he has never recovered the perfect use Of
his eyesight, which he lost temporarily on
that expedition through snow blindness.
After resting here for several days we
once more struck into the wild country Iy-
Ing south. For ten days We wended our way
up mountain after mountain. but not Of the
bleak and desolate kind which lie to the
north. We looked forward with interest to
cur visit to the Zuni Indian town.
Among the Zunis.
While in the Zuni village We made in
Quiry into the customs Of these people, and
found that their moral condition was worse
than the animals that swarm over this sec
ton Of country. Their position as a tribe Is
peculiar; neither the United States authori-
ties nor those Of New Mexico take the
slightest interests N them. They are left
entirely upon their own resources to exc
out a miserable existence within q barren
waste by raising. = little corn and breeding
few goats and sheep. Harassed on one
side by their stronger neighbors. the Nava-
JOS. who steal their herds. and on the other
by the white n3an, who in the name Of
trade steals their crpps, they avail them
selves OF the only method Of retaliation
known to them, and steal In return. Liv-
Ing alone among these people. entirely I'M
protected. are heroic ladies'. who devote
their lives to retaining them. Finding
IT Impossible to succeed with the older por-
ton Of the Inhabitants. they have turned
their attention to the younger. and great
success have they met with. Taking chill
dren at an early age. they educate them
prising to find In this town children of the
age OF ten to thirteen speaking English per-
fectly. and when given a book. able to read
q page without an error. So soon as the
rla 1Aor-
come a marketable article and are sold by
their parents, and then their condition. 10
even worse than the girl who has had no
schooling. During the whole of our journey
We nave not found one missionary station.
The MOrMOns In Arizona.
start was made the next morning, and
soon We crossed the border Of New Mexico
and entered Arizona. Our first halt was
made in the little Mormon town of st.
Johns Here We had a fair example Of the
great industry Of this community. In the
center Of a great tract Of barren country
they have. by means Of irrigation bitches,
Of the bitches bringing the water from a
distance of thirty miles Here they raise
all kinds of grain and fruit. for they readily
find market at the military posts Of Win
gate and Apache. the cattle ranches also
looking 10 them for grain to feed stock
upon during the winter. The subject of
irrigation is the great question throughout
this country. for wherever water can be
grain or vegetable. With the aid of the
government, in the way of appropria tions
for irrigation purposes, millions Of acres of
the finest land could be brought under Gull
tivation. Rivers should be damned and
receivers made which in the wet season
would I'LL up with a good supply Of water,
After several days of journeyinU we
reached the White Mountain district fam
Gus on account Of the late Apache Indian
wars. A change here came over the coun-
try. Instead Of desert land, we had to
tr2vel over thickly wooded land Pine and
oak aborndsS The open spaces are covered
with beautiful grass, on which our stock
| nourished. Cool streams tore down the
mountain sides. When in camp in the
evening, guns and fishing rods were brought
into play. and trout and quail relished.
| Only one thing marred our almost perfect
| happiness, and that was an anticipation
| 1t was the road over the mountains In
| the center of these mountains, at the Juno
| ton Of the north and south forks Of the
White river. is Fort Apache, q paradise,
where we were again Hospitality received by
| the officers Of the regiment stationed there.
From Apache to Fort San Carlo, the Indian
| agency, the road was the most difficult we
| had as yet traveled-and by the kindness of
| the commanding officer at Apache we were
| accompanied by an Indian scout, a White
Mountain Apache, who, in six days. saw us
| at San Carlos. After a stay Of a few DAYS
at San Carlos we again proceeded on our
| journey along the ella river. In this dis
| trict we were Informed that rain had not
| fallen for three years.
The Apaches.
Before leaving the Apache country we
think 1t advisable to give In brief a few Of
the conditions that We find the Indians of
this section living under. The wisdom of
the Interior Department in having appoint
ed a military officer as Indian agent is here
demonstrated. The first effect has been to
| create a confidence in the man placed in
charge Of them. They respect a soldier
They fully appreciate the fact that they can
get justice from him. and are consequently
much easier to deal with. Under the agents
| instruction are numerous white farmers,
| whose sole duty iconsists In instructinE the
| Apache in farming, and so we'll have they
| succeeded that along the ella river from
| San Carlos to the border of the reservation
| fine farms abound. barley being the chief
grain grown. 1t is Bold by the Indians to
| the governments 1t is almost incredible
| that these warlike people, who hardly three
| years ago were the terror of the whole ter
| rtory Of Arizona, could in SO short q space
| of time be brought to the condition of
| peaceful farmers, but such Is the case. Dur
| Ing our journey through this country we
| saw many specimens of their beautiful bas-
ket work. some being SO finely made as to
| be able to hold water. The designs on them