The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-05-02
DEATH PRESENT
IN THIS DESERT
Lonely but Picturesque Stretch
Found in Arizona.
MANY VICTIMS OF THE SAND.
Indians Who Are Becoming Civilized and
Adopt ihs Garh and Habits
Of Wal.s Men.
MANY VICTIMS OF THE SAND.

the American desert Is disappearing
that IL never was much OF a desert any
way and that before long people will be
living in the middle Of IL and sitting un-
der vines and fig trees. says the Brook
lyn Eagle.
We know that land IN Colorado. which
zebulon Pike and Lieutenant Long de-
clared TO be unfit for human habltation,
Is now raising the hnest OF corn. pota-
toes melons, and theories, and heaIthiest
of tramps. and that thousands OF square
miles of other mountain states have been
redeemed by irrigation.
But when you go through the other
thousands OF miles that have not been
irrigated and that do not seem likely 10
get any irrigation I'm centuries 90 come
you have 10 confess humbly that there is
"a deal Of desert left.
Death stalks through the desert, yet
death Is clothed In beauty Thirst and
famine, scorching heat and bitter cold
follow in his train
The victim sinks 10 hls doom under "A
cloudIess sky, with a mockery OF cheer I'm
the col0rs Of the buttes and mesas, and
the drifting sands hair cover him, and
snarling coyotes quarrel over him, and
after a little there Is nothing 20 tell that
foot OF man ever pressed the spot where
he died
Yet the desert has its life and ifs
brightness and It's gayety Flowers bloom
there--the gorgeous blossoms OF the cac-
tus-and strange forms abound in those
same plants. The grisly sage covers vast
territories, and the greasewood and the
mesquite grow where little else takes
root. In the river bottoms there viii
sometimes be found willows and pros
pering cott0nwoods.
Indeed, your cottonwood is one OF the
thriftiest of trees, and Is one OF the first
TO be planted when start is made In the
redemption OF the desert.
And here is wild life. too. the inextermi-
able prairie dog. seemingly the tamest OF
creatures, yet one OF the hardest 10 know
10y close acquaintance; wolves. that prey
on the dogs; jack rabbits, great Of ear
and swift of foot; rattlesnakes, that fat
ten on young prairie dogs and occupy their
burrows small owls. and various crawl
ing things that sting and nip.
Now and again, away eff on the crest
of some ridge that divides the sand from
a place of green and water you may see
an antelope or a deer, but the huntsmen
are quick IN the chase. and these pretty
citizens will be eNterminated before long
Back i'm the hills where the gnarIy mes
likely 10 find mountain lion--not the
fierce creature described by Mr.. Roose-
yelts corps of press agents, but shy,
sinking cat that is willing TO let people
alone, unless she finds them meddling
with her cubs.
I'm South America this animal Is tame
and has been known 60 sport beside a
man on horseback i'm the pampas. Bears
are not often seen i'm the desert There
Is nothing to take them there. They wnnt
small game and honey and raspberries
THE DECLINE OF TOMBSTONE
The most deserted desert is that IN the
Southwest Arizona Is a desert territory,
with population OF 8iO00. Not only IL
Arizona sparse of population, but parts
of IL are losing what they had. Tomb.
stone. for example. which was a place
pi 10000 people few years ago is now
In it's decline and fall-off, because there
Is no demand for silver. and II was silver
that made Tombstone.
The man who made it. and was advised
10 take his tombstone with him (whenco
the nsmel took out 100000 from the J
hills, and the Indians never bothered him
or his partner. He is under his own
now.
Where certain rivers have been tanned
for irrigating purposes they have dried
lp below. so what is To he done about !
that? obviously the way H. to create |
near their sources. and en- |
courage "A better rainfall by tree plant |
ng.
Where the rivers have dwindled. tho \
population has to dwindle also, and there
ire indian traditions nrreabout that point I
% the anciant fertility OF regions that /
ire bare today.
The Indians are, alone Of men, familiar |
With the desert and go hithcr and yon |
lpon It. naked and uuafraid They have 4
m animal instinct that guides them To /
he springs and water holes and a tena-
ious memory for landmarks. such AS can |
'e likened only TO that of a Mississippi /
'ilot for the trees and bluffs and houses
le must steer by.
These Indians are seldom bcnighted at
distance from q spring or stream. and
'ou never hear OF their perishlng among
he sands except by the act Of some other
ndian or bad white man. Spittln' Bull. 4
- you see him I'm Arizona is a decent
ort ot chap but all the lawse OF the
iedes and Persians won't make the white
ontingent let him alone.
We do right enough 90 educate him.
mt we ought to make mis- education prof
table 20 himself and 10 us We ought l
o encourage him to keep on manufactur-
ng his baskets and pottery and blankets.
instead of instructing IN min teh arts OF
ana deviltry.
The desert has n variety of Indians.
paches, Nayajos, Supis, Walpis, Hopis
nd others. You hear OF Puhelos also
at pueblo means merely people, and ~
pplied to the Indians who live In towns
QUEER HOUSES or INDIANS.
Interesting places they live in. too 81
,ud towns with old Spanish missions
in tne middle and somc or
he houses accessible only through holes
the roof I'm order 90 get I'm you Climb
ladder outside and then go straight
own again
i suppose that originally there was
Dme reason FOR this fashion OF building
sanitary. defensive or something hut
he reason has been forgotten. and the
ldlan keeps on doing as his fathers did,
ist AZ the folk do IN Dahomey and Eng
md
Some or these clay villages are - like .
ne towns IN Palestine thai IN yuu shook
lem mp and got one into the place OF
ie other the people would never know
icy had been changed only they tell
e they have more fieos ga the Holy |
and
You know they End turQuoises ont her.
was said that Tiffany hsd ought the
tns - U, liza only d., fantf fI. N..