Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-03
it's, dignif1sd but courteous. hospltablo -
the extreme and very anxious to learn.
The Pueblo Indians.

inc extreme ana very 0nxlOu5 10 l08Ih
The Pueblo Indians.
''What Improvement has there been among
the Pueblo Indians? Are they growing In
wealth and increasing their Industries or
are they going Backward Have the at
tempts at Christianization or civilization
and the attention we have given them done
them any good?'
There is considerable Improvement In
their condition their habits, their morality
and their mode of living" answered the
governor. II am Of the opinion that their
number is not increasing, but Is decreasing.
You cannot get blood out of turnip, and
you cannot undo their peculiar customs in
few years because they have lived under
them for many centuries, and you cannot
within twenty years bring them up to our
standards and expect them to increase and
prosper. That they are better of material
~, mentally, physically and morally than
they were before Is true. That many of
their children are educated at government
training schools and day schools In their
pueblos is fact. and that this is elevating
them Is true. Nevertheless, the job of civil
tzfng the Pueblos according to our ideas and
standards Is very slow, and in many In
stances 1t kills. l estimate the number of
pueblo towns at nineteen and the number
Of inhabitants at about 5000.
They are not retrograding, but the i'm
provement is slow and there is much hope
for them. The children at the various
schools are generally found to be gentle.
docie and tractable. They are none too
bright. and 1t takes many years to drill an
average school education into them. There
are exceptions. however: there are a num-
Der of bright young men and women among
them now who are practically civilized &C
cording to American ideas and are striving
to attain a higher elevation. Upon the
whole, l should say that the Christianiza-
ton and civilization accorded them by our
government has done them good. Had 1t
not been for these two powerful agencies
believe they would have dwindied away
very rapidly and would be among the ex-
tinct races very soon. l believe that had 1t
not been for the care and watchful atten-
ton given them by the federal government
great numbers of them would have died of
disease, such as smallpox, dphtheria and
typhoid fever. From this fate the supervi-
sion, regula ton and care given them by OFF,
Gals of the government have saved them to
a great extent, although even now. under
the most careful rules and regulations, cpl
denies will appear and carry off the aged
and the children in too great numbers.
Territory's Increased Population.
"What is the increase of populate in the
territory?''
THE increase of population has beer
great. The census of 1900 gave us less than
100000 people. The latest and best esti-
mate obtainable gives us nearly 100000 We
polled at the election in November, 1904, a
total of 1907 votes out of a registered vote
of 81. i22 Many new towns have sprung up
since the census and many hamlets are now
found where at that time there was not a
house or even sheep camp The number
of children according to the school census
of 1904, is steadily on the increase. The
latest annual report of the superintendent
of public instruction shows 6S 400 children
of school age in the territory and 81, $50
rolled. We have found it necessary in the
past five years to create six new counties
and large number of precincts and school
districts. The number has increased by
% per cent.
Take it all in all, 1 do not hesitate to
claim for New Mexico about 100000 people
rather more than less-and these are people
either native born or who have come here to
make permanent homes. One thing to which
l desire to call your attention is the fact
that. according to the census of 1900, New
Mexico has the largest number of native
born citizens of any commonwealth In this
great country
New Mexico self-supporting.
us New Mexico self-supporting p asked.
1.-THE people of New Mexico, contrary to
all reports. are self-supporting,' said Gov.
Otero, with emphasis. 1.-THE flour. grocer
les, manufactured articles. furniture and
luxuries they import and purchase are paid
for with what they raise and produce
sheep. cattle, horses, goats, fruits. precious
and base metals, coal, wool. hides, pefts and
lumber. Whatever they import in the way
OF flour, groceries and the necessaries of
life they pay for. dollar for dollar. and give
the people from whom they purchase
handsome profit. That being the case, New
Mexico must be called supporting. and
more than self-supporting.
you know perfectly well that the beef
trust for instance, would not sell US
pound of meat Of any kind unless We paid
for it. The clothing and dry goods boots
and shoes, blankets, groceries, furniture ana
machinery and everything we import we
ut no nd "a
II not that we produced we could not pur-
chase The most philanthropic manufactur-
er in Yankeedom would not sell us suit of
clothing. a pair of blankets or pair of
baby shoes unless we had the money to
pay for them. Where does the money come
from?
1T comes from. the sale of our live stock,
our COAL our precious and base metals,
our woods hides, and on. Certainly we
get nothing on credit: we must pay for 1t
sooner or later. 1t is true that we have not
sufficient population to produce the flour.
groceries, alfalfa and supplies necessary 10
sustain US. When you remember that this
territory contains about 122,0O0 square
miles and only claim 100000 people IN
all, or about two and one-third people to
the square mile it will be plain to you
that there are many things that we cannot
as yet manufacture or raise; we have not
the heads nor the hands to do 1t with. Our
number Is small, but we produce enough
to exchange for the things we do not pro-
and a great many of our people have a sur
plus left. They not only have COM
potency, but a number of them are be-
coming rich Are we, therefore. self-sup-
porting or are we not? Your readers may
answer this question for themselves
Railway Development.
Tell me something about the railway de-
velopment of the territory a factor in
this problem
Railways are of the greatest Importance
in New Mexico. on account of the great
distances and vast stretches of land.
During the past five years something more
than 900 miles of railroad have been con-
structed and in actual operation to-
day. The entire mileage at this time
amounts to little 2,300 miles, and
there are now under construction about
$50 miles by the Denver and Rio Grande
railroad, the Eastern Railway of New Mexi-
co and the Albuquerque in central New
Mexico About 800 more miles are In con-
temptation, and l believe work on these
projects will commence before snow falls.
Railroads are absolutely necessary. We
could not have too many miles of them.
New Mexico will be one of the most i'm
1OylU q a n