Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-02-02
THE TWO TERRITORIES.
Pima indians Of Arizona and Their
Immediate Necessity,
NEW MEXICO AND ARIZONA.

W. EhhCA VI
missions in New Mexico and Arizona,
appeared in the New York Evangelist
a couple of weeks ~ II has been
most favorably received and a copy
placed in the hands Of every member OF
congress:
The ella River Indian reservation Is
situated In Pinal and Maricopa counties
in southern Arizona. II extends for q
distance OF fifty miles on both sides OF
the ella river and has a width Of from
ak to sixteen miles and consists OF 49,
100 acres.
The climate Is the very best. June,
July, August and September are ex-
ceedingly warm, but the heat IL not OPP
pressive as the atmosphere Is rare and
dry. The winter months are delightful.
there being practically no bad weather.
This reservation Is inhabited by the
Pimas. the PapaRoes and Maricopas.
These with the nomadlc Papogoes liy-
ing south OF the reservation. about 1000
of whom formerly got their bread from
the Pima reservation. number about
1900 souls.
From information obtained from the
best sources. the Pimas and Papagoes
belong TO the same tribe and came TO
this country about 900 years ago from
the Rio Grande valley where they were
probably one OF the numerous Pueblo
tribes. Tradition tells us hat they set
tied on the san Pedro and Santa Cruz
valleys and afterward went to the Salt
River and ella valleys and drove away
or exterminated Inc former inhabitants.
They have always been industrious and
successful farmers and irrigators. They
lived in small villages and farmed the
surrounding country. raising corn. cot
ton, beans. pumpkins and melons. They
hunted the wild sheep. deer. rabbits
and duails. and with the aid OF the
mesquit bean (the fruit of the c~actus),
the mescal and other herbs. they made
a comfortable living. They had neither
cattle nor horses IN those early days.
but were experts at irrigation and dug
their bitches with their famed baskets.
They planted their corn by making
holes in the ground with sticks and
covering 1t with their feet. Fine cot
ton blankets and fabrics were manu-.
featured by them. Their principal
weapons We're bows, arrows and war
clubs. Their axes and knives were
made Of stone.
About se~venty-hve a x two Pa
pagoes. who had learned the use OF
oXen for field work. and the raising OF
cattle in Sonoro, introduced cattle rails
ins and wheat culture among the Pr
mas.
About 100 years ago. the Maricopas
fleeing from the Yumas found refuge
and protection with the Pimas and
thus escaped determination. The Pr
mas have always been friendly TO the
whites and defended them from their
common enemy. the Apaches. They
boast hat as a tribe their hands were
never stained with a white mans blood.
When the United States soldiers were
engaged in subduing the Apaches the
Pimas We're their guides. scouts and
efficient allies, taking great pride In
marching under the stars and
Stripes" and so much was Colonel Ell
lott pleased with the services rendered
| that on his return eas he took a Pima
Indian. Lewis Marago, with him TO
show him the great east and acquire
the English language. which he did be
fore his return home.
During the past thlrty-ive years. un-
| der the auspices OF the government
and true mission work carried on chief
ly by our missionary. the Rev. Charles
| Cook, the Pimas have made great pro
gress In the arts OF civilization. Then
they a no schools or churches. now
| nearly 1000 children of the 1900 Pimas
and Maricopas attend school. nearly
1000 OF them are members OF the Pres
byterian church, their neathenish Gus
toms and evil habits are a thing OF
the past, old huts have given place to
decent homes, farming implements,
such as wagons. carriages and plows
are used and sewing machines are be-
ing rapidly introduced.
But in the midst Of this prosperity
and advancement a great calamity has
come upon this people. Agriculture
can be carried IN only by Irrigation
Nothing can be raised without It,
whilst with sufficient water a rotation
of crops can be secured with a yield OF
three times as much per acre as in
the east. The only source OF water sup
ply for such irrigation IL the ella riv-
er, but during the last twenty years
the Mormons and other whites. with
the Mexicans, have been settling above
the reservation and by taking out ditch
after ditch from this only source Of
supply, the Indians have been deprived
OF the water needed for irrigation and
to-day l and them on h very verge
Of starvation.
Travelling over this reservation from
the east end to the Phoenix q Marco
pa railroad, a distance OF thirty miles
/ find thirteen villages with popula'
tons as follows; Blackwater with 81
Hasan Kock with 800, S'Ouf Pack will
III, Sacaton with l54, Santa with 4ia
HlrI Chlrlie Chirck with 299, Lower Sto
toplck with $40, Babechril with 1875
Wakey with 26O. Sho-otk North witt
1913, Sho-otk South with 20, Shonnicl
South with 50 and Shonnlok North witt
81, or a total OF $50 families with a pop
ulation OF 1853 of whom 1,42s ar
males and LAPS females. OF these 43
= families have not raised anything dur
ing the past year, seven families hav
raised a full crop. seventeen have raise
three-fourths of a crop, thirty-nlne hav
raised one-half OF a crop. and ninety
: one families have raised from a slxt
to a fourth OF a crop.
Formerly the Indians living on wha
. IL known as ella Crossing lived cas-
; OF the Maricopa railroad where the
4 had an abundance OF land and waite
. but as they were deprived Of their SUI
ply they moved west. 1t is estimate
9 that 1000 Indians now living west
the Maricopa railroad, whene a Re
years ago they had an abundance (
seepage water, which has gradually d
q creased until at the present time the
Is not half enough to meet their n
cessities.
a What IL the only remedy for this co
dition OF AFFAIRS in Arizona?
No one can deny that the Pimi
have the first right TO the water ar
. that the government has neglected q
many years TO see that these RICH
were respected, Agent Hadlsy. in h
excellent report 10 the Indian depAr