The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-04-11
INDIANS AS HOUSE SERVANTS.
Nevada Town that Has Had Some Sue
cess with the Experiment.


Nevada Town that Has Had Some Sue
cess with the Experiment.
Carson, the capital of Nevada, Is
probably the only city in the country
where the "hlred girl is squaw. The
Eastern tourist Is apt to think that the
Western Indian is myth. At Denver
he will see him only at the annual fes-
tival. In New Mexico and Arizona he
will find him truly, but he Is the Pueblo
Indian living in his own ancient vii
lage. The Indian of the plains, the
hero of frontier romance, is secluded
on the reservation.
But at Carson he is an all-pervading
element of the landscape. In the noun
tains roundabout Carson live the rem
nants of three tribes. the Piutes. the
Washoes and the Shoshones. They are
not upon any reservation, nor do they
receive Government support. They
are absolutely free. left In possession
of these sterile uplands which the
white man does not want. Each day
companies of them come down into
Carson and, swathed in bright blan-
kets, sit playing Piute poker upon ev-
cry vacant lot. You will often see the
squaws sewing there also, making gar
ments Of Turkey red and other gor.
geous cottons. The pappooses play
about, the brilliant sun throws out the
flaming scarlet Of the blanket and the
rich coppery hues Of their skin. 1t is
all wildly picturesque.
Now. 1t is this picturesque parsonage,
male and female. who helps to solve
the servant girl problem in Carson.
Other help is scarce and high. and in
spite of the fact that neither buck nor
squaw can ever be pinned to regular
labor, their occasional services are well
come. To the Carson housewife every
buck Is Jim and every squaw is. Sally,
Sally opens the kitchen door without
the formality Of knock, and says:
"Mahaylle twoman), you want work
doneT' or. simply. "Me heap hogadi."
which signifies that she Is very hungry
and desires to work for a meal.
II you are an Eastern woman this is
apt to frighten you into fits the 6rst
time. and 1t is likewise terrifying to
look up and find bucks swarthy face
plastered against the outside of your
window pane. 1t takes a little while
for you to thoroughly learn that there
is nothing to be feared. But after a
bit you welcome Sally gladly and SET
her to scrubbing the 6oor or washing
dishes or clothes. Very rarely there is
a Sally who will come regularly for a
weekly wash day. But generally they
will work only when they are driven
by hunger. Sometimes Sally comes
shivering to the door In winter with a
baby under her blanket. She is heap
cold" and wants to toast herself and
the queer. silent little morsel of hu-
manlty on her back at the kitchen fire
They are often ragged and Insufficient
ly protected from the cold. Sometimes
Sally will bring an armful of baskets
to sell at your door. and then the East
ern woman welcomes her with Joy. fol
she knows she can pick up for few
cents baskets for which she must pay
dollars in the shops of Carson. The
housewife likes to get a Pmte Sally tC
work for her II she can. for she Is
cleaner and more Industrious and
adaptable than her sisters Of the
ShoshOnes and Washoes. When Jim Il
heap hogadi" be viii cut wood. NOV
the lawn and do other odd Jobs.
The Indians never stay In Carson
over night. aud no Eastern woman fails
TO look from her window at sunset and
watch them slowly making their way
along the trail In Indian ile. In and
out winds the long line. across the face
Of the darkenIng mountain. the last
sunbeams lighting up their harbariC
trappings. each Jim invariably with
bis own Sally the squaw always carry
Ing the pappoose but the buck some
times shOulderIng the stumbling tod