Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-11

Zona Is a little Navajo girl who
loves animals. Mr.. Crandall, superin-
tendent Of the Indian school at Santa
Fe, where iona is being taught do
nestle science and the arts Of civil
zation, told us that she made friends
with all the beasts and fowls and in
sects on the place; that she seemed to
have a hypnotic influence over horses,
cows, chickens and other living crea-
lures; that she handled snakes with
out fear or harm and carries beetles
around in her pockets; she was fair
ly crazy he said, for the company Of
1.-THE brute creation. And yet, he told
us, the child had never owned a pet.
She has always been compelled to
love and coddle other peoples animals.
iona Is eight years old, a sturdy,
square-built, earnest little girl, who
steps firmly in her coarse little shoes
and wears a big blue sunbonnet that
almost hides her face. Her eyes are
big and round and brown, her skin is
darker than people consider good
taste, and her fingers were very dirty
when we saw her, because the matron
said she had been digging in the dirt
for bugs-a habit they have not been
able to break her of. Little girls as a
rule do not care for bugs, but Zona
prefers them as playmates. She Is
one Of two hundred and fifty Indian
girls who attend this school, and they
have games like other children. They
play with dolls and romp or the
grounds, build playhouses and do al
most everything that girls of their age
do. Children are pretty nearly all
alike--be they white, black or red
all but iona. She never plays with
the other children, but spends her
time with the animals about the farm
and wishing for a pet of her own.
When ] asked her what kind of a
pet she preferred, she blushed and
whispered softly:
"A dog or a goat!'
When we drove back to town Tracy
J Simpson Of Chicago, a young mar OF
great energy and determination, start
ed on a relentless hunt for a dog and
had quite an interesting experience.
It Is always his desire to succeed, and
on this occasion he was more deter
mined than usual. He was bound to
get a pup Of some kind for iona,
whether he bought. begged or stole 1t.
He met some boys on the plaza and
inquired II they knew Of anyone who
had a dog for sale. They treated him
| with scorn. He went to the hotel,
with no better results; he inquired at
several stores and stopped in at a
newspaper office to examine the adver-
tisments. but all in vain. Nobody had
dogs to sell or give away. Then he
/! determined to kidnap one, and. OF
course ran straight up against a
policeman. That suggested a possible
| alliance, offensive and defensive, and
in a diplomatic name he began to
inquire as to the number and character
| Of the dogs In the city OF Santa 'Fe.
| The policeman Immediately confessed
that he was not posted on the subject
and disclosed the fact that the town
marshal performed the duties OF pound
master and was authorized to seize.
restrain and, IL necessary, exterminate
all offensive members of the dog per.
suasion In Santa r. Mr.. Simpson In.
auired where that important official
could be found and, overtaking him.
entered into negotiations for the only
dog in the pound. 1t was a mongrel
cur-a maverick-and a stranger In
town. The marshal did not know
where he came from. or why he had
come to Santa Fe. but offered to sell
him for 50. Mr.. simpson thought that
was too much and proposed fifty cents
for the animal. After prolonged ne
gotiations a compromise was reached
Mr.. Simpson paid the marshal a dollar
and walked off with the dog. which he
carried to the Indian school and pre-
scented to iona. The young woman
was overcome with joy. She could
scarcely realize her own happiness.
The next morning Superintendent
Crandall telephoned that IONA was the
happiest girl in New Mexico; that she
had washed the and combed It's
hair. had slept with IL, taken 1t TO the
breakfast table in the morning. and
had named II santa Fe Curtis"
WILLIAM L. CURTIS.