The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-17
COUNTING THE NAvAJOS.
DIR. Mary r. Harper's Experiences ns
Enumeration.

an Enumeration.
NEW YORK. Sept. 16.-Iu a letter to the
President of the Women's National In
dian Association. Dr. Mary Pradt Harper.
who was one of the census enumerators
among the Navajos, gives some of her ex-
perienccs. She says:
THE first few days my work was about
Fort Defiance. Ariz., SO | was able to get
in every night to comfortable quarters at
the agency. Then it was necessary to
take longer trips, and with schooiboy
interpreter set out one Monday morning.
That night l camped in a Navajo hogan,
or rather kin, which means house. My
hostess invited me to join the fa:niiy at
the evening meal. This consisted OF
stew of mutton, served in a granite uten-
sill of a kind not usually seen: native
bread, and coffee. My portion of the stew
was served to me in saucer; the rest OF
the family sat around, each dipping his
or her spoon into the utensil until it was
empty. The house was of stone, contain
ing one room, about fifteen by eighteen.
The two windows were rot made to open,
so when bedtime came and dozen ma
tives camped down on thein8sheepskins
the air was rather thick, as they per-
sisted in keeping the door closed.
in the morning the old squaw was up
early, and after performing her additions
in the frying pan proceeded to wash up
the dishes from the night before, and
finally to fry the mutton for breakfast
in the same pan. My appetite was rather
poor that morning. This family is con-
sidered very weH-to-do, and its stone
house is a mansion compared with the
ordinary brush or mud hogan or hut OF
the natives 1t is as scantily furnished
as one can imagine, there being neither
beds, chairs, tables, cook stove, nor any
of the articles considered necessary TO
the poorest household. A few sheepskins
and blankets, very meaSre supply OF
cooking utensils and dishes, few articles
of clothing hanging over pole suspended
from rafter, composed the household
goods. The fireplace, although rude, is
quite luxury, as the natives usually
make the fire on the earth floor. and the
| smoke escapes through the hole in the
! roof left for that purpose.
Next we we're located at the house
of half-blood, Henry Dodge, CT "Chee,
! probably the hest known and most inhu-
| entail member of the tribe. After a Few
| days in the vicinity 1 moved my supplies
| TO Moore's trading post From this point
| | was Obliged to go such long stances
| that 1t was economy OF time TO camp out.
| / had engaged a guide for this part OF
| my work-a regular savage, one wno
| knew the country and every trail through
| the mountains. He was blind IN one
eye, and could never have boasted OF
large amount of beauty at any time; his
| grizzled hair was tied in a knot with cot
] ton twine about his head he were
| black rag the remains of a silk hand
| kerchlef his shirt was OF gaudy calico;
his neither garments were cheap trousers
| OF American make and his feet were in
cased in the usual buckskin moccasins.
| Ny cavalier avantes rode ahead, ooca
| sionalIy locking back with h.dsous enc
| eyed grin intended for reassuring
| smile.
From sunrise until sunset we rode
| through mountain trails hunting f-r
| sheep camps, as in summer the Nayajos
drive their sheep up out Of the heated
| valleys into the cool mountain benches,
| where water is plentiful. | fourd my
gentle savage most helpful; by daylight
the horses were run in and fed, the FIRE
made, and my coffee boiling before had
emerged from my blankets l carried my
own coffee and some light provisions. but
1
noon and get some native bread and NUT
ton stewed or broiled on the coils.
Sometimes 1 slept out under the stars.
sometimes under rude shelter of brush
and poles at a sheep camp. 1t is not
| altogether pleasant TO sleep within few
feet of a flock of sheep and goats hud-
died close to the fire kept burning in
front of the shelter to scare away the
bears and wolves. Frequently my guide
tered no bears. 1t is not exactly agree
able to feel sheep ticks travelling across
your countenance. or to have sand rat
tie down from the open work roof upon
your head and sleeping In ones clothes
becomes monotonous: but one realizes
how very few our real necessaries are.
II had intended spending the last night
at Little Water School, as my work was
| in that direction at the last. But night
overlook US in the mountains, and we
were obliged to camp at sheep camp.
where we found an old man and two
young girls they pointed out hogan for
us 10 sleep in. 1t was a beautiful hogan.
built of peeled logs OF uniform size: was
pentagonal in shape and unusually large
and high. 1t was evidently medicine
lodge. Lifting the blanket which did duty
as door | discovered small fire burn
ing in the centre of the hogan and near
| IL
My guide soon replenished the fire and
| put on the coffee pot. The old man who
| owned the sheep brought US some native
bread in q basket OF Navajo make. and
| with some canned meat cur bill Of fare
| was complete. Presently another native
| appeared a visitor. One OF the girls
brought in several sheepskins for my bed.
| | rolled myself in a blanket and soon
| slept Old man number one. the visitor
and my guide all slept in the hogan also.
Almost before daylight my gentle saw
age was up and out after the horses, and
beft,ge sunrise had my coffee ready. He
brousst. me highly decorated bowl, such
as the natives use full of clear water.
and / made slight toilet. The native
whole wheat bread was rather hard, but
by soaking it in coffee it was possible to
| eat it. Reserving two Of the fiat cakes for
our dinner. we returned the basket to the
| owner and, learning that the trail to Little
| Water was rocky and steep and the dis
lance considerable / concluded to work
along toward Fort Defiance. and get in
there by night. We found the trail so
had that it was necessary often to get
down and lead the horses. Sometimes the
trail is a mere shelf. cliff above, gorge
below: a slip. a stumble and an accident
! is inevitable.
"By noon We were riding along the bank
of n deep arroga with stream tumbline
over the bottom. But as we travelled an
exit into another similar valley appeared.
and from that We rode into the big Deli
gpce Valley The steep. rocky walls of
one side of the beautiful Canyon BeuitO
were visible several miles away, and at its
mouth is located the Navajo Agency. Fort
Defiance | was glad to have path and