The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-16
INDIAN RACES
OF TIE POEB.0S
Harvard Man Says as Runners
They Show Bad Form
RUN WITH MOUTHS OPEN
Way in Which the Relay Is
Used by the Natives.
RUN WITH MOUTHS OPEN

Pueblo Indians have gathered home their
annual harvests of mesquite beans and
wheat, have laid a store Of jerked
beef, and have provided grease roots
from the arid wastes for a winters fuel,
they have a week of athletic sports by
day and solemn dances by night. These
customs have come down from prehistoric
times. before Coronado and his conquista-
dores came marching this way in 1872
Every autumn "pale-faced people drive
New Mexico TO watch these picturesque
aboriginal functions in the neighboring
pueblos
Several miles west from Albuquerque is
the pueblo, Isleta. or several reasons, il
is one Of the most interesting Of the TWEEN
ty-two pueblos in New Mexico. 1t is the
most prosperous Indian community in the
vest; It IS the cleanest and most moral
of any pueblo; 1t is probably the second
Oldest continuously occupied town in the
Union and many OF the squat stone and
adobe mud hoes have been occupied with
never a day's intermission for over 300
years Thousands of travellers from Cali
Tornia have looked out upon Isleta, close
beside the railroad tracks. and have adj
and women in bright-coIored fabrics and
the trim gardens and the rich green aifal-
Il fields.
It was on a Saturday during the season
OF athletic sports that we visited Isleta.
All through the forenoon two professions,
one representing each side, marched
through the streets to beating of drums
and a weird sort OF chant Each side
carried its own banner small bur gaudy
piece Of red cloth. covered With various
geometrical designs and zigzag streaks OF
white lightning. ali done in white paint.
Early IN the afternoon the red athletes
retired to their respective quarters to be
groomed for the races. Our party guessed
that something interesting must be going
on IN a house that was surrounded by
great crowd OF Indian men and boys. So
We edged our way through them and
looked in at the open door. Stripped to
their loin clothes. the racers were in the
hands Of trainers, who rubbed and spat-
ted and pounded mem from neck TO toe,
and kneaded their muscles, and twisted
their skins, and worked their arms and
legs as thoroughly and as vigorously as
professional masseurs could have done.
After about two hours of this. the band
o. married men. dozen strong, headed
by their banner and drum and followed
by a retinue Of friends. small boys, and
dogs. which in every pueblo holds most
important place in its social life and its
history. moved TO the sstufa, where
IN Iseta is an isolated circular abode
house at the edge of the village
about fifteen feet high without doors and
windows. Entrsnce is over the top by lad
ders. In olden times the estufa had many
uses. most important of which were those
OF council chammber and temple 1t is
still the scene. in every village, of the
most secret rites Of the Indian religion
still secretly held and practiced notwith-
standing their outward adherence to
Christianity.
Mounted on the fat roof the benedicts,
90 rolling, monotonous drum-beat
chanted in the Pueblo tongue defiance of
their adversaries and challenge to combat
Then they disappeared in the depths Of
the estufa, whittier no white mans eye
might follow them. Immediately came the
bachelors in similar procession. Planting
their banner beside the other. in the same
weird chant they flung back the defiance
and acceoie-l 3. II, challenge. aud 4 IN dis
appeared below Inquiry among the IN
dams. some of whom sYoke a little En-
s,sh. did not jring much satisfaction to
our curiosity as 10 WIS; was going on
IN the estufa. But We concluded from
their hesitation and evasion and from
tn fact that the c.ovd ;hat ha3 citherto
constantly followed the runners went
AWAY al.d did not ever caagrcFate shout
IT,. massive wells Z tlt es--i'2 that
eosnc reBcious rites were being procuced
down in the dark. Windewloss chamber.
ne principal str Is had been SWEPT
clean and smooth 4 neLbiy sell made
1ees lb.e. and here p. eros began to
gs.htr Every house in lsleta MAS emp
trsd / its occupants and ner. women
children. and babies flled the Fat roofs
a.,c made solid wal, along brth sides
q the street And th4 view dow" tl4;
st-eCt va. somethias tc warm Inc co, HES
OF an artists heart. It was a riot Of
color. toned down BY its background Of
abode walls until II softened and blended
into a pleasing picture. utterly unlike
anything that could have been seen else
where in all the length and breadth Of
our country
Every woman in Isleta wore her best
thst day. Their snowwhite bucksSin moe
co. ms and leggins were fastened with s'i-
yer dollars and haIf-dolars. their arms
were covereS with su-sr Bracelets. ard
their necks with silver chains and beds.
Their dresses. knee-long were Of bright
red calico. for the most part ana half
covered by tiny white aprons. Their heads
and shoulders were wrapped in shaUis-
and such shawls, Some were fine black
Mexican mantHas. with deep silk fringes
and some were Navajo blankets Of many
colors-au bright red-and some were the
gay piaids OF frontier commerce and some
were Mexican shawls or green, red. pink
blue or purple. covered with heavy en-
eroidery in all colors OF the rainbow
Most of the men wore spotless white
shirts and across their shoulders they
carried Navajo blankets IN bright colors.
When the runners emerged from the
eetufa their sturdy legs were covered
from the knee down with zigzag patterns.
done IN white paint. and across each
bronze breast was painted a big white
cross. Most Of them wore only ioin cloths
though a few wore also scant white t:ous-
ers reaching to the knee. Each one had
The back part Of his long hair dOabied
and wrapped with strips OF red cloth. SO
that It hung below his neck in 8 sort