The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-11

names. But every one of them has ar Indian name. which no white man ever hears.
 Oldest of the Churches.
 There is an old, old church at San H. defonso. one of the oldest now existing in New Mexico. far more ancient than San Miguel at Santa F'e, which is often called the oldest In America. priest comes only once or twice year. The interior is like a vault, long, narrow, dark and cold, with not even an adobe floor, and just loose dirt. There are no seats, and men and women occupy op- posite sides. The men all stand. but the women kneel. The stone walls are perfectly bare. High up toward the ceil- ing are little holes for windows. and in and out of these the birds fly during the ceremony. The ancient beams are painted with the figures which the Indians put on their pottery.
 Probably 5000 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. Bit terly cold 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 a song over thsm. The Pueblo woman is exceedingly fond of her chill dren, but she has no idea of properly car ing for them.
 The national government, under the efficient supervision of Miss Estelle Reel of Wyoming, National Superintendent of Indian Schools. Is conducting day school in many of the pueblos. The teacher lives at the pueblo, and, besides giv. ing the children regular instruction, she cooks and serves free hot lunch foi them each day. But there is no compul- sorry 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 a time.
 Philomena keeps her house very clean She sweeps it every day on her knees with a short-handled broom, and she Is graceful even at this back-breaking op- eration. Then she vets down the floor to prevent it's returning to it's original dust. She keeps all her cooking in the back room, and the front one is clean. pleas- ant sitting room. There is a constant stream of company, for they are so- ciable people The pottery bin is in the lightest corner. and here Philomens makes pots and cups and jugs exactly as primitive women made them when she originated this oldest of the arts. Homes and Food.
 These people are well housed, but not well fed. They had an abundance or ht tie crusty brown loaves of bread baked in the outdoor oven, which was yer! good. and they had coffee, which wa very bad, but there is seldom any meat They never sit down for a good family meal together, but squat in relays on tn floor in front of the fireplace. greai round platter of loaves in the centre ane 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 tn pinon logs send forth their peculiarl, bright. beautiful light. and keep the ali sweet. Philemena has cook stove. but she seems to regard it as an ornament and does all her cooking at the fireplace The water of the pueblo is its one ob wells, which have been in use since thu conquest, and one of them is near thu old graveyard. They have tables apd 7 bed, but cat and sleep on the floor. The only piece of furniture they use is th' ever I entered the room the occupant whether man or woman, would gravely rise and offer it to me.
 Juan has a little farm, hardly larger than a good-sized garden. just outsid the village. Sometimes he goes ava, and works on the railroad or in the tur quois mines a while. Philomena gets ar occasional dime for her pottery. Still, j hardly see how they manage to live.
 The dances are the great occasions oi their lives. The woman dance as well as the men, though in much more sedat' fashion. They wear all the brilliant gar. ments they can put on, but there :: nothing at all immodest in the ceremony I am not quite sure that want PhfIo mena to get thoroughly civilized. Sh' might make better coffee. but l doubt i she would be as kind to wandering pencil pushers. She might lose a good deal that doubtful if she would be any happier.