Bisbee daily review., 1903-07-19

The women work in the field. make the i rude pottery which is sold to the tour ist. and attend to the primitive house hold duties. In the olden times they made pottery. black as ebony, hard and glistening. but it is now lost art, as is also that of dyeing their work with fadeless colors Specimens of this ancient work are yet found in the ruins of former pueblos, apparently as fresh and perfect as when it came from the hands of the old-time holders of the clay, but the secret of this perfection has been lost, possibly forever. The writer was shown some specimens of black ware recently made by one of the oldest women of the tribe, but, while much better than that usually made now, it lacked the beauty of the old work. This pottery is made from fire clay found here, and is baked in an open fire of what the trappers and explorers of the plains called "bois de vache." Most of this pottery is made in February and March, months when the Indians can do no work on their lands. and, having consumed their winter provisions. are usually in rather impecunious circumstances.
 1 Their council chamber is circular adobe building. with neither door nor window. A ladder leads to the fiat rock and there is found an opening i through which entrance is had No ! urh -f, s1 mitted within it's precincts. What strange rites and ceremonies, if any, are practiced there, what survivals of the beliefs and customs of a cult which has now but a shadowy existence, no one seems to know. For three days each year they hold a secret dance. in the night time, and during that period ! none but Indians are allowed in the village. At most of their dances, how ever. spectators are permitted to be present. There, to the beating of their native drums, and clad, some times, in only breech-clout. at others, as in the Green Corn Dance, in fantas- tic garbs of fox and other skins, they whoop and yell and dance themselves Into strange fervor.
 Live Mainly on Bresa.
 Their food is mainly bread-baked in the mud ovens, shaped like an old fashioned bee hive. and built in front of every house-beans and coffee Their craving for meat, mutton especially. is very strong, although bu. | few are able to gratify it as they would wish. During the harvest time, in July and August, as many as 200 or 300 sheep will be slaughtered in the viii lage. The flesh is hung up and dried in the sun. When some one gets money enough to go out to the focks and buy a sheep, an envious crowd watches him bring in his prize. Ton would be surprised to hear their re- marks. They are absolutely wolfsh in their craving for meat. Evidently times are hard just now, for before only one house was there a sheepskin stretched. evidence that mutton feast was being held inside.
 They are quiet folk, little given to disorder, though intemperance is their great fault. Grapes are grown here, and every year from 200 to 300 barrels of native wine are made. This is con sumed in the village, and is their prin- ciple tipple, as they do not seem to care much for whisky, beer or other American beverages. But, while they seldom quarrel with outsiders, they sometimes fight among themselves. especially when drinking at their dances. From one old adobe there came sounds of sorrow and weeping, for young man stabbed at dance the previous Sunday was nearing tke dark gates of the hereafter.
 There is little, if any, progress here. To all practical intents and purposes these people are about where their an 1 cestors were whose pueblo crowned the mesa few miles away, the site of the old round council chamber and The old folks strive to keep the young ones back. They govern themselves, are not considered an actual part of the population of the territory, pay no taxes and do not vote. They have a sort of tribal court, which regulates and decides their local affairs. This body got hard jolt recently. One of the tribe rented his house to a white man. He was tried by the council and imprisoned. American friends sued out writ of habeas, corpus and got him released. He then brought suit for false imprisonment and recov- cred s200 damages, which the pueblo had to pay. This opened the eyes of the Indians as to the vigorous action of the American law and their inability to gainsay its action. They will pro- ceed more carefully hereafter, but meanwhile the offender is an outcast, ostracised and despised.
 There is a government school here, with about forty scholars, and the children are taught English. One black-haired, beady-eyed little urchin had evidently learned rapidly. for he held out his hand and said Give me fl cents" When the Santa Fe trains stop at the station, just at the edge of | :