Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-04
Romance Of John Wesley Davis Scion Of One Of
the Proudest Families Of New York State
WEDSABEAUTIFUL MAIDEN OF THE LAGUNAS
Wealthy College Man Comes New Mexico Study Archaeology
and becomes Enamored Of the Charms Of an Indian Grl

and mesquite beans, but enough TO
keep the home in food and 70 barter
for a few household articles at the
trading post in the locality.
Antonio Oginez is known throughout
that part Of New Mexico as the father
Of the hanisomest, brightest children
in any Indian pueblo. They have each
had terms in the government school
at Phoenix and can speak good En-
glish, while the parents, like all their
neighbors, know only the Pueblo
tongue. Marcella Oginez has for sew
eral years been reckoned the prettiest
and most amiable Of the Oginez girls.
At the Phoenix school she was an un-
commonly prepossessing and adapt
able pupil. Her parents do not know
her age, but the baptismal record in
the Catholic mission church in Lagu-
ma makes her about seventeen this
summer.
Almost all the Pueblo women have
short, dumpy figures and coarse. black
hair. Marcella Oginez, however. is
tall, 1.-THE and has fine hair, as black
as the ravens wing. She has the
black eyes Of her race, but hers are
of the great, dreamy sort, with long.
silken eyelashes and finely curved eye
brows. She has the characteristic
high cheekbones Of the Indian, but
, her complexion is soft. olive brown.
Her cheeks are noticeably red and her
little mouth is perfect Cupid's bow.
As for teeth, why all Indians have
teeth that are the paleface's envy.
John Wesley Davis made Laguna
his headquarters for a few weeks, and
whenever he and his laborers came
in from the archaeological excavations
out in the country. He had room
at Santa Fe railroad section mans
house among the cottonwood trees
near the station. And, Of course, he
wandered over among the quaint hous
es and up and down the crooked
streets of the ancient people. There
were not seven white people within
forty miles, and not young white
man or woman comes that way fol
weeks at time.
Naturally, he sought compan!
amung the Indians who could speal
English, and he soon became acquaint
ed with the Oginez boys and girls. HI
found them of great service to his In
lvestigations in the prehistoric remains
all about. From the Indians he learn
ed many tribal legends, and thei
knowledge Of the Indian tongue AM
ways was a help in his study OF al
original customs.
j The handsome young white mar
who brought gifts Of tobacco and goo
things to eat, was welcome In ever
Indian mud house in the pueblo. Yer
soon the silent, swart-faced old Inc
ians saw that he preferred to dro
into the Oginez home oftener tina
anywhere else, and that he and MAJ
celia Oginez had much to talk an
laugh about
II Young Mr.. Davis rode horsebac
frequently over to Laguna where n
got his letters and bank drafts ser
, from New York. But he never cam
, to the pueblo that he did not straigh
way climb up the rocky mesa and wal
der up the lane-like thoroughfare
| the old mud house Of Antonio Ogine
Several times he took pretty MARCEL
| and her two big glum brothers q
j lon horseback over to see what he an
+. his hired workmen were doing in VI
] earthing relics of a pre-Colunbia
race. Dozens Of times when Dav
returned from a business trip to Alb
) querque he brought back bits Of jewe
!, Try and feminine hnery for Marcel
and her sisters and box Of tobace
! for the father.
Il No matter II old man Oglnez did nj
. know one word Of English from a
Z other. What IL the wrinkled OAR
skinned mother bent with toll wei
e about in garments that would NJ
; have been tolerated In any whi
D mans town? What II the Oginez hon
1 with its dirt floors It's beds Of blanke
} on the floors its doorless doors !
3 openings through the crumbling wal
I for windows and It's three miserab