The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-12-30
LETTER FROM ARIZONA.
A Southern Lady's Experience In
Teaching q. 8. Government School
In the Far west-Manners and Gus
toms OF the Red Man.

toms OF the Red Man.
CONTINUED FROM ISSUE DEC. 2ND.
The Moquis, or Mokis, and the Hopis
are one and the same tribe of Indians.
They used to be called the Moquis al
toyether, but of late years are frequent
IL known as Hopis, which lat
ter name they much prefer, as that
means NEW, and they say they are
new Indians now.
AS there were four or five other en-
ployees like myself, who had been
in the service but for q few months,
and consequently were entitled to only
about ten ,dsys' vacation, we decided
to take ours about the time of the
Snake Dances, when we could spend
the time with friends employed as
teachers in the day schools in the diff
ferent Indian villages, and thus have
an opportunity of witnessing these
dances.
So on the morning of the 18th of
August, six or eight of the teachers,
male and female, and member of the
staff of the st. Louis Globe Democrat,
after having rugged up two of the gov
ernment vehicles and packing every
available space with telescopes, dress
suit cases, band boxes, etc., struck out
for Palacco, an Indian village some
fifteen miles from Keams Canyon,
where one of the day schools Is estab-
lished. Although nearly the whole
distance was through: deep sand with
only occasiona ly tree in sight, the
drive was quite pleasant-much more
80 than we usually find 1t driving
along our wooded roads In South Caro-
lima at that season Of the year, as there
is almost always pretty strong breeze
stirring in this open country, and as q
protection against the hot sun, our
blacksmith had fitted up nice frame
for one brake and covered it with two
navy blue blankets.
Arriving at our destination about II
o'clock we found a number of other
parties who had gone into camp, but
we were met by the jolly principal oi
the school, his wife and the matrop
who gave us hearty welcome and as.
signed us quarters in their cottage
After refreshing ourselves we were In.
vited to psrtake Of a good substantial
dinnerImore like Southern cooking
than any I have eaten since I have
been out west, though these ladies are
from Michigan aud Oregon At meals
we met agreat many strangers, anC
whi e the most f;the visitors were
served with meals. only those wht
were from the sCanyon-our crowd
were furnished lodging. 1t seemed a.
If every class or phase! of society Wa
here represented. There were at leas
one. hundred white visitors at THE, tn
first dance, 'baillpg from almost ever,
section of the union, with one old pro
fessor from the University of Oxford
In England.
Among them were artists, photo
graphers, newspaper men, M. d., D
Ds., LIDS, professors of music, an,
various apologies, with agoodly numbe
Of tourists of the regulation stripe
men and women bent on seeing al
there was to be seen. Some of then
evidently possessed of more none
than self-respect-people who acted q
II they thought that because they wer
somewhat beyond the pale of civilizs
ton, they were privileged to out-d
the uncivilized Indian in dress an
!, manners.
;. These people had travelled over Ian
from the nearest railroad station, dil
! tahce of seventy-five or eighty miles
sleeping in wagons or out on tn
sand, and at very considerable e2
pense, just to witness this unique pei
formance and yet some of them wer
disposed to kick because the
were required to pay the Indians
dollar to witness it.
Heretofore it has been free, but thi
year the Snake men got after the II
, spector, who came out here fror
Washington this summer, to allo'
; them to charge all strange white vii
itors $1.0O to come into the village du
ing the progress of the dance, land do
lar extra from those having cameras
take views of the dance, but this di