The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-17

ancient beams are painted with the
figures which the Indians put on their
pottery. Probably 1000 persons have
been buried in the churchyard. The
Pueblos bury without collins, opening
the old graves and tossing the bones
into heap to make room for the
new occupant Bitterly colo
storms sweep over this land
in winter. Then the poor little
babies die like flies, and are wrapped
in their tiny blankets and laid away
with never a prayer or song over
them. The PUEBLO woman is exceed
ingly fond of her children, but she has
no idea of properly caring for them:
The national government, under the
efficient supervision of Miss Estella
Reel of Wyoming, national superin-
tendent of Indian schools, is conduct
ing day schools in many of the pue-
bios. The teacher lives at the pueblo.
and besides giving the children reg
ular instruction. she cooks and serves
a free hot lunch to them each day
But there is no compulsory educational
law, and the children go to school or
not as they please. When their great
dances are on the school has often not
a pupil for days at time.
Philomena keeps her house very
clean. She sweeps 1t every day on her
knees with a short-handled broom. and
she is graceful even at this back
breaking operation Then she vets
down the floor to prevent its returning
to its original dust. She keeps all her
cooking in the back room. and in the
front one is a clean. pleasant sitting
room. There is a constant stream OF
company, for they are sociable peo-
pie. The pottery bin Is in the lightest
corner, and here Philomena makes pots
and cups and jugs exactly as primitive
women made them when she origi-
mated this oldest of the arts.
These people are well housed but
not we'll fed. They had an abundance
of little crusty brown loaves Of bread
baked in the outdoor oven, which was
very good. and they had coffee. which
was very bad but there is seldom any
meat. They never sit down for a good
family meal together. but squat in re-
lays on the floor in front of the fire.
place, a great round platter of loaves
in the center and a steaming cup of
coffee in front of each. They eat
much less than white man, yet their
endurance is much greater.
From the fireplace in every room the
pinon logs send forth their peculiarly
bright, beautiful light. and keep the
air sweet. Philomena has a cook
stove, but she seems to regard 1t as
an ornament. and does all her cooking
at the fireplace. The water of the
PUEBLO is its one Objectionable feature.
1t comes from two wells, which have
been in use since the conquest; and
one of them is near the Old graveyard.
They have tables and a bed, but eat
and sleep on the floor The only piece
of furniture they use is the one chair,
which is a rocker, and whenever I en-
tered the room the occupant, whether
man or woman, would gravely rise and
offer 1t to me.
Juan has little farm, hardly larger
than good sized garden, just outside
the village. Sometimes he goes away
and works on the railroad or in the
turquoise mines a while. Philomena
gets an occasional dime for her pot
terry. Still, ! hardly see how they
manage to live.
The dances are the great occasions
of their lives. The women dance as
we'll as the men, though in a much
more sedate fashion. They wear all
the brilliant garments they can put
on, but there is nothing at all i'm
modest in the ceremony.
I am not quite sure that I want
Philomena to get thoroughly civilized.
She might make better coffee, but I
doubt if she would be so kind to wan
dering pencil pushers. She might lose
a good deal that makes her fascinating
now; and it is doubtful if she would
be any happier.
Minnie ]. Reynolds.