Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
LAUNDRIES IN MARSH
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE Wa
SHOE INDIAN TRIBE.
Never Smile, Never Say THANK You" "
and Desert Their Parents Who
Are Too Old to Work.

place a water hole in the desert. After
the baths have put him back on his two
good legs he will be ready to agree with
the old Washoe, who said of It: when
God was making the sand and sage lie
sm!led-and. behold this valley!
Our forty-mile circle of greenery Is walled
In by volcanic mountains, with old Silver
Peak rearing above them until his white
head disappears In the clouds. The spring
across the road from the hotel Is full of
hot water that cures half the ills that flesh
is heir to. and steams Ike a kettle for
ever on the boil AS to the charm of
golden days and silver nights. of the ever
blue sky and sweet. ceaseless wind. not
even Washoe could put it in words. Ger
tainly not the Washoes who wander around
the valley today!
II the noble buck and beautiful squaw
ever really existed outside of book covers,
they have vanished from these mountains
and deserts of Nevada, leaving to repre-
sent them only SO many human cartoons.
There always exceptions. Minnie, the
laundress, is really pretty, and would be
civil If her sullen elders would allow
Moreover, Minnie Is industrious. She is in
the wash house, at the foot of the hotel
garden by sun-up, and works at her tubs
all day, while her MANNED husband, four
papooses and a stub-tailed dog wallow in
the grass outside. At dusk they go to their
house up the road-for Minnie has discarded
the wigwam of her fathers and owns a
shanty and a coal oil stove. So much for
progress. But Minnie has the one common
falling of her tribe. She Is not polite. The
other day dear Lady Bountifu at the
springs here. knowing the girls love for
tinery, bundled I'D one of her worn. but
pretty. silk dresses, and some odds and ends
of ribbons, and took them to the wash
house door Minnie ordered the bundle TO
be put the floor and then went on with
her rubbing.
Isn't she going to thank you?" 1 asked,
as We turned from the door.
'Oh. dear, no." was the reply. Indians
never do.
Minnie Woke Up.
Later 1 had pink something for Min
ME. l. too. was ordered to put it on the
floor.
Come and take IT and then say Thank
you 1 stipulated.
Minnie turned strange, unfathomable
eyes on me and muttered: Me no under
stand"
"All right" said 1. IF It isn't worth
thanks 1t isn't worth having
But / wasn't fairly outside before she
was at the door with outstretched hands
and a verbosity of English that would have
done credit to a diplomat.
A number of squaws-people around here
call them "Mahalas'-do their washing in
the marsh a little below. 1t Is a SIM
pie process. They dip the uretuins in a.
pool of warm water. beat 1t on fiat stones
and then rinse 1t in cool spring close by.
The younger women, with their red. green
or yellow head coverings, make picturesque
SpIasheS OF color among the tall green
reeds. but they answer your good morning
with as sullen a disregard as their elders
There are dull-skinned, sinuous snakes wig
cling In and out OF the reeds; but the
Mahalas do not mind them and under the
tTeacherouS. soil are caldrons of scaiding
water. but they never come to harm
we met two women plodding along in the
pot
handkerchiefs and one carried a papoose
In basket strapped to her back We asked
II We might have peep at the baby The
women looked black and muttered. but the
mother, hawing under the humaniZing
friendliness Of Lady BIS smile, stopped to
let her lift the red bandana that covered
the little ones face 1t was a hot day
but the sleeping papooSe was shrouded to
its chin in a heavy shawl and tied In with
leather thongs The basket had a project
ing top. and from its center dangied a new
Ter disk suspended by string l took it to
DE Catholc medal. but Lady b. knew bet
ter. IL was a saloon coin, stamped Good
Tor one drink" 1t was likely put there To
amuse the baby until needed for the pur-
pose for which it was made.
DESERVING Their Parents.
Lady B. was on the porch writing when
a passing buck intimated that he wanted
her Ink
'Ali right. get a bottle and I'll give you
some" she assented. with her always cheer
full readiness to oblige
You get bottle" said the Indian.
a man boarder slipped inside and secured
Wal. The Indian took the ink well and
would have emptied its entire contents
Hoid on" commanded the man boarder.
lou are leaving none for the lady"
The buck grunted and shutf1ed on-without
thanks-to return next day bringing a lot
OF bows and arrows with ink-stained de-
signs which he swore were burned in and
for which he charged eastern prices.
The only jolly Indian around here ia q
blind fellow. fat and hearty. who plays rag
time tunes on an old accordion. He Is al
ways smiling. He has learned to please.
The other day We came across an ancient
squaw who tottered so feeb1y that she
looked as though she would drop to pieces
II she let go her stick. Her face was az
brown and wrinkled as badly cured to-
bacco leaf, her eyes were bleared with the
general disease of her people, her rag-band-
agec feet were twisted like claws and the
bundle on her back represented every poor
thing she could call her own. She was
walking because she had no place TO rest
Her children had deserted her and she was
rree TO die wherever she might fall She
probably served her own mother the same
way Ii is the custom OF her tribe
When we spoke to her she whimpered:
Me hon-go-reei Me hon-go-ree
OF course. Lady B. fed her and gave her
money-for which she received no thanks
but that night we knew she was some where
alone In the desert.
we Know That the government Is doing
good work. but IL might help some IL the
people who organize things would get up
convention Of Indian women for the pro-
lection OF their kind. Not OF old women;
they are hopelessly lost. Not OF young
women; they are hopeessly Indifferent.
Take the middle-aged who are yet young
enough TO carry authority. but old enough
TO realize that their time to be deserted is
not so far away. 1t might be worth trying
Great Basketmakers.
Mahal1s old and young are as plentiful
here as the snakes. You find them both
on the road Sometimes they are squatting
alone or in groups In the hot sum- their CAV
frockS ana head coverings showing artis-
tically against the tawny sand Each will
be weaving basket. II you buy they talk
English. IL you simply want TO admire
their work they look stolid and mutter their
everlasting, me no understand"
The Indians OF Nevada weave exouIst,eIv
and Louisa Kaison. huge Mahala al Car
son City. who is called the Queen of Ras-
ketmakers. has recently completed a bas-
ket smaller than half-peck measure
which is valued at 81 500 Some Of the