The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-04-23
Zuni Girl and Child.

on my mind of it's remoteness and in.
accessibility. l was scarcely able, fol
the moment, to believe that this vii
lage in the valley was really the scene
OF his exciting discoveries.
We passed by a ruined town on the
right; and, farther on, a high mesa,
almost as inaccessible as the enchant-
ed mesa at Acoma, was pointed out to
me as the site of ancient Zuni. In
fact, the whole land, from Zuni to So
zorro is full of these dead cities.
While it is probably true that there
never was an immense number of peo-
pie living in any of these valleys: still,
one cannot but feel that a busy and
numerous population has been at work
here for centuries struggling against
drought and savage n%eighbors, patient,
primitive.
AS we approached the town it looked
silent, deserted. There were few peo-
pie or animals to be seen.
Zuni sits beside a shallow river,
which crawls silently over the sand
like a fattened serpent. We crossed
the stream and drew up at a long,
low building, built of stone. conform
Ing In general type, to the Pueblo az
chitecture. This was the Heminway
headquarters wherein Gushing and his
successors lived and worked during
their studies and excavations. 1t is
occupied at present by Mr.. d. d. era
ham, the trader. who welcomed us at
the door and made US comfortable for
the night. The thunderstorm doomed
around the cliffs, but did not cover the
village, and the sun sank in a most
gorgeous and splendid illumination Of
clouds.
Mr.. Graham explained to us the con-
dition of affairs. The people were all
at their summer villages, Nutrid, Oio,
Caliente and elsewhere, and only a
Few OF the women and half a dozen
old men remained in town. He walked
with us Over to the village after sup
per and showed us the doors sealed I'D
and the windows plastered over
closed as If for a lifetime. The bridge
which crosses the river is a primitive
affair at best, but the city council has
taken the planks up for fear they
might get washed away during their
absence and it was rather skittish
crossing. l saw several women come
down to the bank, roll up their leg
gins and wade across, rather than
trust to the bridge.
The village, as it stands, covers
about ten acres, and is built in the
usual manner of a pueblo, one story
above another, the roof of n serving
as the d%ooryard of the one above. etc.
There are a little plaza and a ruined
church near it, and a minute grave.
yard, where the people are buried so
thlckly every burial eXhumeS half a
dozen others. The men lie all Oh one
side, the women on the other.
One curious development, which
did not see at the other pueblos, was
the plat Of tiny gardens south of the
buildings. Each little garden was
surrounded by a mud wall. and was
laid out in little square beds a foot or
two in diameter, each bed with a tiny
dixie around it. These gardens of on
ions, chile and beans, We're watered
by the women, who carried water
from the river on their heads In great
jars. There were dozens of these lit
tie toy gardens, lying wall to wall,
each carefully closed up with a gate
made of sticks and cobblestones-an
elaborate contr;vance, which must
take half an hours time 10 put up or
let down.
They're an Industrious people" said
the trader. "Of course. they cling to