Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-13

west from Acoma. Laguna is on the
railway. and the Indians are at all the
trains in force selling fruits and pot
terry. Acoma has no such source of
revenue. The road to Acoma is sandy
and heavy and it takes nearly four
hours to make the drive. The mesa,
Encantada (enchantedD, is on the way.
1t is 400 to 500 feet high and Prof.
Hodge deemed it inaccessible and with
some parade brought a cannon and
shot rope over it and had himself
Indians readily climb it when willing
to make strenuous effort, so the
professor became the butt Of more or
less ridicule.
Acoma is on high mesa, 200 to 800
feet above the plain. The mesa is in
two parts and one of them has large
pool Of rain water which supplies the,
usual wants of the inhabitants. They
carry water on the heads of the women
and the backs of the men. The recent
rains had filled some dirty pools in the
pueblo streets and the women were
utilizing this water for plastering and
embarrassing their houses. They mix
ed the mortar in their hands and rubb-
ed it on the walls making them smooth
and strong and greatly improving their
appearance. On the outside was
embarrassing, and also, some on the
outside walls.
| found some women on the side of
part of the cliff chopping snow white
sandstone from the rock with axes
and this was afterward ground with
a pestle and in rock mortar in the
solid stone, and prepared for use.
Our driver, John. was Laguna In
dian, and had been educated at Car
to inspect it's internal arrangement.
We found Selenite windows in many of
Isle. We went into one of the houses
them. This is white gypsum-like sub
stance clear enough to let in much
light and resembles mica in appear
ance.
When looking in the house woman
of about thirty came in and aided the
old woman in charge by interpreting
for us. She was Carlisle student
and spoke English quite well. She had
been back from the school for several
years, and was married and had four
children. She had returned to the
aboriginal life and when spoke to her
of Carlisle she began to cry. There
was something pitiful about this re-
version to the old life after four years
in civilized comforts and conveniences.
There is large church with dwell
ling and cloisters attached on this high
rock. The church is in a very ruin
GUS state but is still in use. The water
comes through the roof, the mud and
stone walls are scaling off, and unless
some early repairs are made, it will
soon go to pieces, The houses are
three stories high and front to the
southeast and are built in terraces.
The first story is reached by a lad.
der and the party walls to the second
and third stories are arranged as
stairs.
The farms of these people are many
| miles away and the men go out there
to work, and build small mud and
brush huts to live in while raising their
crops. All the products are then car
ried to the top Of the high rock. This
method of life, is followed at most OF
the pueblos, and it appears TO me that
gradually the Ylife on the farm will
supplant the pueblo and people will
stay on the farm the year round. Some
am told, are already doing So These
/ people are small in stature, the mel
| being seldom much over five feet high
They have got cheerful strong face!
and are kind and obliging. The con
tact Of Indians who have been educat
ed at Santa Fe,sCarlisle and other in
\ In vi oil cnhnoIc to ,,,;,
to bear fruit in these settlements. W.
| drove back to Laguna in time to catcl
the train for Albuquerque where,
bath, good bed and an excellent din
ner made amends for the rough far
we had found in other places.
The pleasant tour, however, had t,
come to an end. Mr.. Lacey had to re
turn to enter on campaign. TIL,
other members of the party will hav
lasting remembrance OF the congress
man as a good fellow in camp.
When Major Lacey met Professo
Hewett just on the eve of starting OH
on the rough tour in the mountain
he saw before him an athlete and ex
pressed his surprise in this manner
Professor, ! am indeed glad to Sc,
| SuCu d uSdllu5 dAu oouuu lOOhluS Iudl
as you appear to be. All the time
have been worrying about you ant
that we would have to help an old
specialized professor through the noun
tains and that he would be an elephan
on our hands,"
That's just what had been think
ing about you, Mr. Lacey. I got tn,
impression that you were an old dys
peptic and that we would have to cal
ry you to a house and put you to be.
every night. Don't you worry abou
me, Mr.. Lacey. / will be right alon,
with you"
And so it turned out. The congress
man and the professor were at tn
head of the procession every hou
and each day, and were like boys o
frisky colts when the expedition dis
solved. Alvarado.
TO HELP FIGHT THE TRUSTS.
.