The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-18

and by them manufactured into buttons
and ornaments of various kinds. These
buttons passed current in the stores for
their weight in coin, and formed an ef-
fective medium OF exchange among tho
Indians themselves, as their value was
constant
The button really formed better circu-
lating medium than coin. To a people
who have no pockets In their clothing
they are far more convenient to handle
being attached to various articles of
clothing and equipment
The Navajos, like most primitive peo-
Pile, and some not so primitive, are much
addicted to gambling, and 1t is not un-
common to see dozen or more of them
| squattlng on the ground around a blanket
spread out for cloth, all intensely inter-
ested in the game. II run of i'll luck
exhausts the capital of a player he has
but to cut button off his moccaslon or
his Logging A player has been known
to carry on a game for thirty-six hours
continuously with the buttons which form
ed part OF his clothing when he com
menced. On the ground of convenience,
there is everything to be said for the but
ton, and but little. for the coin, from the
Navajo standpoint.
1t is hardly surprising, therefore, that of
the thousands of dollars that went into
the reservation in silver coin but little
came out. The parity of coin and buttons
was maintained by the law Of supply and
demand but finally the supply of buttons
became so great that the traders organ
lied against the Indians, and by a secret
agreement among themselves not to ac-
cept silver at its regularly established and
usual value, except In the form OF coin,
buttons were demonetized. The industry
has never recovered from the blow II then
received.
Time was, and that not long ago, when
ha NaMaff. ~ oh fro 900 n Gh0
worth of silver ornaments on his person,
and as the tribe numbers over 1900,
considerable quantity Of silver coin was
absorbed by IL. OF the many hundreds
Of pounds Of silver which have been
worked into buttons and other ornaments,
1t is doubtful whether single pound has
reached the tribe in any shape other than
coin, and all but minute percentage was
in American coin. At the present time
the clothing and personal ornaments OF
the average Navajo, exclusive of buttons,
would hardly be appraised at 80 cents.
What has become of all this silver is
problem; probably a large proportion of
it, in the form of silver riding brides, etc,
is in the hands OF the traders in pawn.
The Navajos have suffered cruelty from
the hard times. The removal of the duty
on wool practically destroyed half their
wealth at one blow. A sack Of wool for
which they formerly received $2S to SIS
practically nothing but wool to sell. They
are bearing up well, however. and al
though they have always been warriors
and robbers and since the American oc-
cupation OF the country have lived by
their focks and herds, they are now MAX
ing an earnest effort to become farmers.
one result Of the hard times has been the
rehabilitation OF the silver button The
traders have been compelled to accept but
tons at their coin weight or go out Of bus
mess. This was not accomplished all at
once, but gradually and through stress OF
necessity other silver ornaments have
shrunk in value, but why they should the
Indian cannot understand
on button values the Navajo stands firm;
he insists that the parity of coin and but
tons shall be maintained. II Is inconceiv-
able to him that Mutton made from dol
lar, and prehaps showing the face OF the
coin on It's reverse side. should not be
worth a dollar anywhere and at all times.
No amount OF talk will convince him that
II is or ever can be worth less, and he con-
tinues to have his silver dollars beaten up
into buttons. The traders are powerless.
for so long as the Indian is willing to re-
ceive back as a dollar the button which he
passes In for that amount the trader must
accept II or lose the trade.
The manufacture OF these buttons is a
very simple process. Those Of small size