Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-11

INHABIT A COUNTRY THAT RE-
MINDS ONE OF PALESTINE.
Discoveries Made on the Summit Of the
Of the Village Of the Sky.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

railroad, now the California line. OF the
Santa Fee system. is the station of Laguna
where travellers may stop over one or two
days and get a good idea OF the Pueblo
Indians the most striking figures in Amer
lean ethnology and one of the most inter-
esting people In the world, whether you
Judge them physically or mentally: They
are very different from the northern no
madic tribes; they will remind you Of the
Egyptians and the Syrians by many strik-
ing resemblances. There is nothing in all
the rest OF the world much like Pales-
tine In the topography, the atmosphere the
appearance Of the people, their methods of
agriculture and their habits Of life as the
PuebIos of New Mexico and Arizona. Even
the blankets they weave and the decora-
lions on their pottery; the way they pillow
and plant the ground. constantly remind
you of Nazareth and Bethlehem, and the
towns of Samaria. All desert countries are
alike; the same environment develops the
same characters and customs; and while
there is no relationship between Palestine
and New Mexico, the atmosphere, the CHI
mate the SOIL the rocks, the sand, the
rainless skies. the scarcity of water, and
the same necessities call for the same pro-
visions and arrangements. Similar resem-
blances may be found among the desert
tribes Of South America, for the same rea-
sons. Ethnologists and archaeologists who
have studied the communities of the Asian,
African and the American deserts deny all
relationship or prehistoric communication
between the jewellers in the sand, and at
tribute the resemblance In their customs
and conditions TO the fact that they have
had the same obstacles to overcome and
the same necessities to provide for.
Characteristics of Laguna.
The pueblo Of Laguna is only short
walk from the railway station OF the same
name, and a traveller may see it thoroughly
by stopping over one train. 1t has the gen.
eral characteristics OF all the pueblos and
is one of the largest, having a population
OF 1896; but. being SO easy of access, the
people have come in contact with the out
side world more than their neighbors and
have abandoned many of their ancient GUS
toms They are more modernized and pro-
gressive. They use modern methods and
tools: and many of the young men are per-
manently employed by the railway company
on the roadbed and in the shops. They
stationed at various points between Albu-
querque and Los Angeles and are employed
as stationary engineers machnists, car in
spectors, helpers. switchmen. brakemen,
cleaners and in various other capacities.
Their agent reported to the Secretary of
the Interior that Laguna Indians received a
total of $42,O43 from the Santa Fe road IN
wages last year. Thus you will realize that
they are not the real thing that they
have lost their ancient color, and you must
go further away from the railway and
from civilizing influences to find it.
The Lagunas take more kindly to schools
and modern medical science than any of the
other pueblos. and their agent reports that
they nearly all Protestants, having been
converted from Catholicism by Presbyterian
missionaries. The rest of the pueblos are
Catholic. The Indian women surround the
trains as soon as they stop at Laguna Of
fering pottery and bead work for sale, and
they sometimes have blankets of excellent
quality and artistic design, which they sell
"a n nurar hon nlaar md <,y~
similar articles at the curio stores. The
people of the village are accustomed to
having strangers visit them and are very
hospita BILE. Several Of the women and men
were educated at Carlisle and other eastern
schools and talk English perfectly
They are always glad to strangers ana
invite them into their homes with genuine
hospitality.
Influence Of the Desert.
The atmosphere and the loneliness of the
desert promotes contemplation and devel-
ops the serious side of character. There is
little humor in rainless lands 1t is difficult
to joke or think of anything funny in a
country without water. Such conditions
encourage introspecton and reflection and
develop patience, conservatism, self-conf-
dence and self-control, which are the char
acterstics of the Pueblo Indians, like all
desert races. The Pueblo system of govern
ment might have been modelled on the
McsdiC pidIl HSiT idWS might nave Deen
taken from the book of Leviticus. 1t is a
singular fact that all religions originated in
deserts and were thought out In the midst
of burning sands
The Pueblo has two re!igions-he is first
a agan, with all kinds of gods and a the
ology similar to that of the ancient Phoe-
cicians; and has accepted the doctrines of
the Roman Catholic Church and has been
baptized In that communion for several
generations. Nor do his two religions in
n
nary manner. The closest resemblance be-
tween New Mexico and the Holy Land is
found in the ancient methods of irrigati
which were in use here when the Spaniards
came In l54O, and are still almost a dupli-
cate Of those found in GalIlee Samaria and
around Damascus.
The station agent at Laguna and a trader
X s. Marmon, can accommodate small par
ties OF travellers and provide them with
guides and transportation to Acoma. next
to Moki and Zuni. the most interesting OF
all the pueblos. 1t is hot and dusty drive
OF twenty miles, but, by starting early, can
be made in day. Lunch will be provl4ed
by Mr. Marmon. and those who go must be
sure to take bottled water with them, be-
cause there is nothing to drink on the way.
The Road to Acoma.
The road winds around through a river
bottom which is dry $50 days in the year
and during the other fifteen days is de-
structive torrent The rainfall is limited
not more than twelve inches in q year-but
1t often comes In one dose, and the hills
whose surface is as hard as the rocks shed
the water like roofs, and the coolies carry
1t into the sandy bed as fast it falls: so
that an hour after storm commences the
river banks will be full There are two or
three springs and pools. but they are far
apart. Water is the most precious possess
sion to be found in this country and the
experience Of ages has taught the Indians
to get along very well with little of It,
The Acoma village numbering 737 people
by the last census has a reservation of
95.791 acres which they hold in common,
but not more than per cent of 1t is suita-
BILE for agricultural purposes. They culti-
vate 1t In a simple, primitive way just as
their ancestors have done for centuries,
and manage to raise enough to feed them
selves and their children. They have herds
Of cattle fiocks of sheep and a good many
horses. and they sell their wool and beef
to the traders at LaRuna and elsewhere
along the railroad. Acoma Is sample of
nineteen villages whose 5000 inha bitants
have a total of S93, 100 acres, most of it
very poor land. dry and arid. fit only for
grazing. and poor grazing at that. with oc-
casionaly a small valley which can be irri-
gated. Nevertheless, some of them are
quite well off, Dona Marcelina Abieta, an
l,,oa tod Ip1J 80 VcIo L.