The sun., 1900-12-14
NAVAJO BIAEHE7S BOONTyG.
miners in tho Far North Give tho Indian
Industry New start.
From the 81, LOUIS Giobs-Dsr ,

From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat
Through the excessive demand by Alaska
miners for blankets Of extra ordinary warmth,
the native weavers Of the Navajo nation are
Jus, now in the enjoyment Of a thriving in
dustry. Tho peculiar hand-wrousht fabric
manufactured by the Indians In question
though hitherto widely celebrated as a curl
o.ity has never figured extensively as an
article Of commerce Bu- from present In
dications. unless Yankee, fl nsenulty, With
duco a machlns-rnade ruh.ttute az q conse-
quent. decrease IN cost. the future possibil-
ities for this unique commodity can hardly
The Navajo lndisns Occury a reservation
repre5enung, an area ot 5000. 600 acres OF
msnEeTs " is n'G IN many nOT fespects % one o lie
most highly civiiIzef AMONG the rsmalRlns
ohief pursuit /. stock raising. to which their
country. though largely Of a sterile char
a'e Is n st NJ ,s. "qS6SGa sb.ep
arc owned 10y the NavaJos, wh9 maintain them
EtnCiigaly, for tRe wool Which they make psss
In tho preparing tho. material and In the. con-
str.g,tion o. their fabrics. are e1ceedi1sly
cardcd j. spun by means Of spindle some
what resembling a hoy's tor. but much larger.
mo stem usually measuring about sixteen
le, INJECTED =" to ''He hardonins pfoc..s vRsh f
answers eyon, more erectuely than metal
tin. In SHINING the wool the Navajo woman
a9indie' Hoidnq the former in The the lex ieEt hand nd
Then. taking the uppcr end Of the imple-
Huge. :' i"F shS stands It vertically in the the centre
q wooden bowl. and, giving IL a shirl a.
BOY S w"Td ~ m hs top, proTe"df 70 drHw oYt& & her
prepared. though by no means as fine as that
spun by nor" modern processes. answers the
q'itr as wciI II not bottcT. '''''' ''''''''''
When a certain quantity Of the wool has
o,',o.ta o"% rcg,ion S yI 10 SEju 6jsc, ~ ~ we we
winding tho thread moro evenly.
=, The prevalent colors used by tho, Savaios
yellow Tho dyes for thee. are procured
n 4 variety Of vays but represent Vaiplv
ASu5 's GTeSar shades sSb fSn fscnr.t
strlrs Of spsni.h cochloal and other dyed
dinary indigo, specially prep,red. is slikewis'
extensively used Where black occurs it
is usually Tho natural wool Of the black sheen.
OF ric Southwes' produces tie vivid yellow
To which tho Navnios are 50 partial
T.e looms on which the blankets arc made
two beams, one susrcnded against p vertical
surface. Tho other fastened, near the ground,
from one to the Other. Rotvecn the double
Tarn rWo 70 ,,a, ,En Gr9iia arS r9cr3s. onengg
a short .tick about which the woo'len thread
j. wound In working ~" ,orera'cr sit' on
the ground and e. tho blanket Is woven
rolls II uhout the lower beam
Tho patterns generally Affected In these
blankets arc regular rooWefrioal figures
such ne diamonds, uvalS prd various striping-
OF late. however. other idc1s borrowed from
designs introduced hv the whites haV" been
incorporated in their wares ono Of tho
larCr'' COLLECTIONS of Navajo blankets known
is owned hv Indian Agcrt Blcvcr, ~ 'llr dis
trict in question, amung his srnCimens being
sono that eiyh fftv mounds zach Tho
value of a Navajo blanket f. Cerorallv osti-
mated according 70 it, weight This, until
within the past vcar, was NJ tho rate ~ si
tho pound, lN' ~ uro-"uf fIe price has ad-
vancoi 90 double THAI frur" The usual
weight of blanket T. unon' twenty mounds.
which ~ IN" cnrr\r qug'n,l"n would place
for Navajo blankets for -cy"ral rnonths ua,t
bv the miners ~ the Yukon and klpndike
districts far "yceods tho output. ther i'm
poryiousTrsS 60 tho cvfrcrT" cold Of tho
North being une0U1ilcd W. 1nv other fabric
known In addition to their groai warmth
thcy are practically inde-truCiihle inauv Of
them having been owned and constantly
used hv the Indians Tor centuries
Nh"r" tho Nsvaios Originally acquired
thoir weaving Process Vas never been den-
ritClv agreed upon. Certain minor indics-
'ipr- point - fhcir hsvi.r do'iNad tho nr,
centuries agO. from 'Ip N"vicons Rut this
t'a Indians tl"Wsolvs- e'rSruouslv deny
Tho history of fIc tribe. moreover shows
thqt ~ ro time In thc r. y did any aNllia,ipn
exist between iiS rp'uhDr- frd The Mcyicaug
On 7. . contrary, Up 'o H." middle Of tho clos
ing century tha most bi'fcr and inCessant wa
fare was wascd between the two races ali
prisoners when captured by either faction,
being subjected 10 slavery.