Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-08-13
LARGE CROWD AT
SANTA CLARA
TO See Indian Dances--ceremonies
Were Well Worth Attending
Gable Locked in Car.

Santa Clara Pueblo was thronged
with visitors yesterday on the occa'
sion Of the annual tribal dances Of the
Indians. II Is estimated that several
thousand people from the surrounding
country were in the village to wit
ness the fantastic celebration which
marks the fiesta of Santa Clara. San.
ia Fe was largely represented among
the spectators as nearly four hundred
went from this city on the excursion
given under the auspices Of the Elks.
The special train which had been
chartered to transport the delegation
from here to the scene of festivities
consisted Of eight coaches and bag.
gage car and was drawn by two loco
motives. Santa Clara is o two hours
ride by train from this city, and it
was reached by the excursionists be.
fore the dance was begun. The spe.
cial train left here shortly after 8
O'Clock, in the morning, arriving about
10 O'Clock In Santa Clara. Returning
1t left the Indian village at 4:3O
O'Clock in the afternoon and two hours
later was in Santa Fe. The Santa
Clara Indians have been rehearsing
for their dances for several weeks
past, and went through the various in
tricate evolutions without a single
mistake. What was without doubt the
most popular dance of the day with
the spectators was the eagle dance.
Two Indians participated in this, all
decked out with eagle feathers. They
Wore head dresses made of the feath.
ers and also had string of them on
strap down each arm, which were so
ingenousualy fixed as to give the ap-
pearance of wings. Crouched low
and moving their arms as If flying, as
they circled around in the open space
In the center of the crowd they looked
like real eagles and it did not need
much OF a stretch of the imagination
to picture them actually soaring.
Large numbers took part in the 9th
er dances. The war dance proved a
great attraction to the visitors who
had never seen anything like it before
fhe Indians n their hideous war paint
gave not a few of the timid onIook.
ers who weres witnessing the dance for
the first time p creeping feeling. The
sun and corn dances completed the
program. During the afternoon re-.
lay foot race was run between teams
composed of Santa Clara, San Juan
and San Ildefonso Indians.
The Elks had greatsport arnong them.
selves on ths return trip. Some one
of the number conceived the idea of
putting his antlered friends on ice and
one by one they were forced to sit on
cake of ice until they promised to
De good Thomas p Gable. manager
Oh the Claire hotel. was one of the
rlngleaders. When it came his turn IN
take the ice treatment he could not
De found, and investigation disclosed
the fact that he had locked himself
up in a compartment of the baggage
car.
Mr.. Gable refused to come out from
his place of refuge and so his COM
rades decided to turn the joke on him
Upon the return of the train at the
depot they secured car locks and
Fastened all of the doors or the bag.
gage car. They determined to keer,
MIN prisoner in the car for couple
OF hours. Mr.. Gable succeeded in re-.
leasing himself half an hour after the
car was switched to a side track He
found crow bar in the car and pried
OF one Of the locks.
The Capital City band accompanied
the excursionists and furnished music
for the occasion. They led the crowd
up from the station and serenaded the
chief of the pueblo.
The Santa Feans were glad to get
back to this city, as the heat at the
village was quite oppressive