Arizona silver belt., 1894-10-27
THE ALABAMA INDIANS.
Remnants of the Tribe Located in
 the State of Texas.
Engaged In Agriculture and Industrious Workers some Of the queer Customs sun In Vogue
 Among Them,

among Ihem
 
 The remnant of the Alabama tribe, which migrated to the Trinity river re- zion early In tho present century, is branch of the Creek nation, and is in- termixed with few Coshattas and Muscogees. They speak three differ cnt languages, all evidently dialects of the Creek, and most of them under stand the Mobile tongue, or seryite Choctaw, which like the French of Eu- rope, was the universal language among the tribes and their usual means of communication with the whites.
 The remnant of this race, says the Chicago Tribune, now numbers about hundred, Their crops are principally
 ultivated for their own use, rather
 han for sale. Indian corn is the irincipal, although many of them plant potatoes, and all of them vege- tables, and they usually fill their villages with fruit trees, During the season of cultivation they remain closely at home, working industrious ly, and hunting only at such times as they have leisure from their crops.
 But when everything has been gathered and housed, the last creviee If their granaries is closed to exclude light and air as a guard against weevil, then comes the return to Indian life and Indian enjoyment. They break up into hunting parties after the Arab fashion, taking with them their wives and children, their horses and tents, and household utensils. They seek the wild pine forests, away from the settle ments, and work their wayin the dense canebrakes along the rivers which white men rarely if ever penetrate. They soon iiU their camps with game, and alone with themselves and nature, ever safe from the intrusion of a supe- rior and conquering race, they enjoy the realization of Indian life as it was before the white man discovered their country. When weary of the chase, or satisfied with it's results, they return to their villages their horses ladenwith dried meat, deerslSins ro be dressed for he market, and bears oil in sltinS for their own use or for sale. These ex- eursions occupy their time until the season comes for repairing their fences and making ready for their crops, when they all return home cheerful and contentcd to begin the routine for another year.
 Like other Indians they have that fatal passion for ardent spirits which seems destined to be their cztcunina- tion Hut t is generally kept within bounds, as they do moi ,triull habitual- ly, A constitutional depression of spir- it's, to which they are peculiarly sub ject, or an overflow of social feeling on the reunion with friends returning from their hunting exeursioass usually leads to dcbauch One after auoth- CT is drewp in and the reyel sometimes extends over two or three days and nighss. When it is over they carefully cfTace Gu traces of their dissipation, dress Themselves handsomely, return to their usual aeocations, and for long time drink nothing Intoxicating.
 They havca wild, irregular code of Iueling of their own and are always -cady to throw away life on a point of lonor, and do it with coolncss and indifference whicl, would excite the hvy of white advocate of the code. fact, they do not seem to feel any hstinctiye dread of death They speak of it with as much indifference as of any future event and meet it apparent ly without fear or reluctance.
 When their crops are worked to q point of safety they are willing td help their white friends. At farms where they are kindly treated and where they find it agreeable to. stay they work at moderate wages, and during the cotton season give important aid Cotton picking is their favorite work. Their small hands and 1.-the and agile forms glide through the cotton without breaking or otherwise injuring it. As they pick by weight and are permitted to choose their own time of work. this leaves them that freedom of action they prize SO highly. They pick very neatly and carefully, attend strictly to the instructions of their employers, and in this, as in all their relations with the whites who treat them kindly, are uni formly desirous to please.
 Etiquette with them requires the wife to wait on the husband This rule is not allowed to bear heavily upon the woman, however. What time the hus- band can spare from his own peculiar duties is spent in sharing and tighten ing the labors of his wife. And some of them will not permit their wives to work at all