The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-29
Clever Indian Frauds
 That Trick Pale Face Tourists

same region that John D. Rockefeller, Jr., bought literally of stone metates. paint and condiment cups while he and his fathers party were in the Grand Canyon last March, only to heave the things in disgust out of the car window when a man who knew whereof he spoke told that the things had been made only last fall for tourist credulity. It Is a we'll known fact that so sagacious traveller and authority as Edward Everett Hale bought for a snug sum from dealer at Flagstaff, Ariz., several years ago, some bogus urns and oilas, which he cared to Boston. toying over the fact that he had secured Zuni handicraft contemporane- ous with Cortez and Pizamo.
 How many museums in Europe and America contain spurious specimens of the ancient American potter's art?' said ex-Governor Wallace of New Mexico, a little while ago. Oh, there are lots of them. dozen big college museums in the United States have pottery supposed to have come from the cliff dwellers of Colorado and New Mexico, but which really come from some squaws' hands in 6 New Mexico pueblo less than a dozen years ago.
 ''The fact Is, little pottery has been found in any cliff dwelling, and the few pieces that have been found were carried to the Smithsonian Institution or to the American Museum of Natural History in New York The cliff dwellings have been almost barren of relics of human habitation, so far as portable things are concerned, yet one will find all manner of clay artifacts, grass-woven sandals, metates, weapons of the chase, etc, in museums, and in costly private collec- tions of prehistoric interest. These are labeled as having come from cliff dwell- ings. They bear all the marks of great antiquity-the stains of time, the rude ness of construction, the dry battered aspect of centuries of disuse in an arid region; but the fact remains that many of them are the products of Indians liv- ing in the New Mexican and Arizona pueblos today.
 T have seen some famous Americans go back east from Santa Fe and Albu- querque carefully guarding a lot of red clay trumpery, happy in the faith that they had secured relics of southwestern civilization antedating the Christian era. have seen several prominent American ladies glow with pride over their shrewd- ness in buying for a mere song certain outlandish efflgies which had heen palm. ed off on them as booty from tomb of a savage king that lived thousands of years ago. I. have heard connoisseurs expatiate delightedly upon the marvellous coloring and handicraft of a crecked, hideous bowl, and point out how it show ed a master hand in catholicism in the Aztec civilization. All the while l had certain knowledge that the thing was not over three years from its makers hand foxy old squaw in either Tesuque or San Juan pueblo, in the Territory of New Mexico"
 The history of this latter-day counter feiting of artifacts of the ancient aborigi- nes dates from Frank Cushing's discove- ries of prehistoric civilization in the Zuni Indian country. and later among the buried Toltec Pompeiis in the deserts of Southern Arizona. The publication of Mir. Cushing's articles -in the Century Magazine twenty years ago and the des- criptions of the long buried highly orna- mented pottery and carefully executed utensils created wide interest in the Eastern States. The story of the won-- derfuI Zuni race. ages and ages, ago, was read and discussed in literary and scientific circles everywehre in the East Expeditions set out to dig and investigate other localities in the southwest, where communities had lived and vanished be- fore history was recorded People began to see new interest in anything of an aboriginal character, and the ruined
 
 romantic interest
 Tho Gushing exhibits of early Zuni wares and their famous old blue and dark red colorings were the envy of col lectors of pottery everywhere. Then came a zeal to have specimens of first Ameri- can ceramics in any collection Of any importance. Along with the Indian basket craze among the rich and artistic and with the zeal to possess some carvings and Navajo blankets, the craze for an- cient Indian pottery has been steadily spreading. While Indian basketry any blanket weaving are somewhat lost arts, the making of pottery is so slightly labo-' rious that the laziest Indians who know how have kept their hands skillful in the work.
 The Indian curio business sprang up and quickly prospered. Every Indian camp and pueblo far and wide was ransacked by buyers for curio stores, where the fast-sweling tide of tourists flowed. The tourists had read of the Zuni and other specimens of prehistoric art. Naturally there was a call for old aboriginal wares. The curio dealers saw that articles in their stocks in trade having connection with the mysterious and romantic life of the ancient cliff dwellers were things to conjure with Any and everything that