New-York tribune., 1903-03-11
Ns 40 Wo'rt
NAVAJO WEATERS.
Exhibition of Blanket Making at
Teachers COLLEGE.

party oe Navajo Indians took possession Of
the EdocAdeoai Museum at Teachers College
blankets Ia the presence OF continual stream Of
rsatorS precisely they wove them in their
rr1niuVe dwellings one thousand years ago In an
that time, It appears. they have not been able TO
improve on their loom. and the only things they
owe 60 tae white man are the scissors WITH which
they cut the wool from the backs Of the sheep and
the combs with, which they card it
Ihey are also. unhAppily, beginning to the
white mans dyes but this Is being discouraged by
those who are trying to preserve the Navajo In
dustr1es, end In the blanket which was seen in
process Of construction at the exhibition yester-
day only the natural white and black woods were
used
The cardtng and spinning CT the wool were
shown. well as the weaving a primitive dis
tai which looked something Hike top with an.
sbnormally long handle being used. A number OF
finished blankets were also shown and although
the designs were geometF1c for the most part and
iuitia ted. they proved be full of meaning and
extremely interesting when explained by the
aEe1 OF the party, George h Pepper. os the
Museum OF Natural History. One figure used to
indicate bird was known to Be two thousand
wears old. Mr.. Pepper said. and often
Pueblo pottery. 81.
The first visitors to the exhibition were the chill
dren from the speyer school and they know all
What they 1S 81 Mr Pepper gave little tile, talk 10 to
the Urited States Government, recognizing the i'm
portance OF the industry. gave them thirty thou
sand sheep In earlier days still they ravelled out
q kind OF red cloth which they obtained from the
Spanish using the yarn thus obtained the woof
OF their rugs
There was silver beating announced.
owing to dangerous features OF the process.
blt the party exhibited many specimens of the
work in the form of endless chains and enormous
helts, and among them the most famous OF
Navajo silver heaters. PeShliki. which r. Navajo
for sitversnith. This man. Mr.. Pepper said is pos
sesse6 of remarkable originality. unusual thing
in a Navajo. The weaving yesterday was done by
Peshl;kis wife ard the carding by his niece while
three Of his children, fn gay attire like
their elders. added picturesoueness to the scene
The exhibit arranged py the Hyde exploring
expedition, Of which B; T Hyde, one Of the trus-
of the college, is the prime mover. Mr.. Hyde
organized this expedition a few years ago for the
purpose of investigating the history and industries
~ the Navajo Indians and of preserving their
His object the twofold one of anording the
indians q means Of self-support and Of giving to
the world the benefit of their beautiful work Tc
this end many such exhibits that Teach
e-s College yesterday have been gwen There is
vet however. demand for the best work the
Navsios capable Of doing. and Mr.. Hyde is
anxious to create The difficulty lies in the
costliness Of the work. the finest Navajo blankets
costing in the neighborhood of $50. while the crdi
rary Blankets sell for from S2n To $50
AS the party did not go TO Teachers College
Till the afternoon. instead of the morning.
announced. another exhibit will be given this
morning. On Thursday afternoon they will 70 to
Pratt institute