The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-21
A LAND FULL OF CURlOSITIES,

ner and for reason that has never been |
satisfactorily explained TO tho white citizens
In that section.
II is dreary and dusty desert Rain sell
dom falls The surface Of the rround. a hard
clay that has been baking in tho sun Tor
centuries. is covered With broken lava aud
pumice stone which at some time Was dis
oharged from ore OF the great volcanoes
whose silent craters can be seen in the San
Bernardino mountains. This Is the ordinary
appearance OF the country for LEAGUES
around.
| You can travel an hour--or ter hours, for
tbat patter-in any direction away from the
river bed without seeing ANYTHING green or
any plant or thing OF life except cactus or
sage brush. Under the shadow Of group
/ Of mighty hills Ia a mesa or table land that
is almost level. and there, once year. upon
seine anniversary whose signihcanoe V not
understood and cannot be ascertained. tho IN
! d,ans OF the IIualapais tribe gather at nisn'
and rake the lava and puuiee stones Into
Ninrows some OF the winrows are two miles
long. They are regular In length and III IN
teryals and the average height Is ABOUT
twelve or fifteen inches. lust about the heisnt
Of winrow OF hay 1T by horserake IN
meadow.
The puaiapass are lazy bsgsars and down
In this climate there Is not much to eneour.
age them to work as long rs the government
gives them ratons. They are not savage, put
are disposed to be peaceful. The worst vices
they have are to gamble and set drunk ana
steal The thirst for whisky is Unsuitable VI
this dry atmosphere, and they have not a
clear comprehension Of the rights of property
Each family has little garden and hut
, built of clay ana brush. They spend but little
tire in culuvating the small crops they raise
but are usually found around the neighhorlns
, towns where they have a chance TO pifer ana
beg nrowater But at a certain period OF the
= year every Hualapais disappears from the WI
lagos and remains away for week or ten
days. During that time not a redskin belong
ing to that triec is seen anywhere
: It 10 then that they go down TO what white
r people call the happy hunting ground and
+ rake np the stones, men, women aud children
II engaging in the work. II Is a sort of religious
q ceremony that requires some publication OF
% preparation, and is followed by certain sacred
IL rites which no white man ever witnessed
u During the rest OF the year the indinn'
l. mover visit the place, AT least. II they d,
= they go In the night time when nobody car
lie see them But they regard It with grea
f. II or ask questions concerning the ceremony
rhe name "happy hunting ground" was ap
a, Piled by the white residents of the countr!
u for the lack Of a better name The Indian
l. give the place no designation. In fact. the
D. never mention It,
o. Major Powell and Prof McGee of tn
As bureau OF ethpolosy, who probably know NOR
n about the habits and customs and religion
II rites of the Southwestern Indians than an
to one else In this country, had never heard o
H. tho place until told them, and could civ
~ no explanation of the custom Major Powell
SO says he has never known OF ANYTHING Of th
be kind before in all OF his study OF India
Vt ceremonies; that it is entirely new 10 him,
us Prof. McGee says he once saw somethin
r. similar among the Indians OF sonora in oi
H. Mexico. where barriers OF loose stone wer
,ct built Oh the hillside around settlements fou
a. or Ave centuries ago for protection. lie sus
a gests that perhaps the Hualapals may hay
IN had similar custom III ancient times Wnio
* the present practice le Intended to CONNER
,ee crate. although he admits that this Is pul
,es speculation.
,o But you find ali sorts OF queer things COW
10 here. The first foreigner In this part OF u
country WAS Cabaza de Baca. spanis
knight. VINO started ilph Gpalh w. A''''|
he lost his course, and finally landed somewhel
the Cd the Gulf coast OF Texas lie stari'
Ige across tho country aud finally turned up
of the pueblo Of Pecos. where WIN ms
md companions. he made friends with the indial
by curing them of some disease when VI
ISL then epidemic in the pueblo.
'ou
He then went south%ard until he came
ha told the
extraordinary stories of his experience al
}. discoveries and started the yarn about :
seven cities of cibola. where, he said
streets were paved with silver, and the hui
hest vessels used by the inhabitants we
ut made of gold Another OF his yarns was tn
,lly at one time In his Journey be passed oV
an solid acres Of pearls. more than an army
ZEN, men could carry. that Elstened like miro
ms In the sun. These stores OF wealth, no
oke clarea were yalueess because the natives
the moi know TO what use TO put them
unit \
ill cAbaza's acres Of pearls were undonhte'
ght the bed OF gypsum In Donna Ana eonn
yer, Nav Mexico. on the San AuguFtin plan
rsts which is tho largest aud purest and the m
unioue in the world. San AuGuStin pia
THY stretch from north to south about $50 mi
ing and their breadth Is from thirty 10 ~
part miles cast and west,
de- Near White oaks. in Lincoln county Is
ired crater OF an ancient volcano, from "hipn
ad- Lava. like stream of water at one y
ohm flowed In southerly direction distance
his sixty or seventy miles. varying IN WI
n in from one-haif mile 70 three miles ~
olbt terminus OF this stream Of lava IS salt u
eed about one and half miles long ana
ace mile wide. and at the southern end o. the u
was Inc he'd of gypsum begins and fills what
oears to be the course Of another ancient n
o Of from Ave TO twenty miles in vidtF and
on miles in length
HAN It looks as II a stream OF the materials
ono which pearls are made had been poursa
hose of this lake and permanently ffozen
los f" gypsum Is az white as snow aud looks eNa
hoss line granulated sugar, II you should pu
on, on the breakfast table In sugar now
in front Of grocery store 10 a oarfei oe
would never know the difference until
came 10 taste II.
80 49,
noy Immediately adjoining IN WnaE sppss'
york be tho bed Of another river Is siin'isl
ntiae uosit OF soda. CARRYING about p per cen
800 .A...a, On ner cent OF gulphate OF