Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-07-25
INDIAN LABOR
IN GREAT DEMAND
In Sugar Beet Fields
of Arkansas
Valley.
500 YOUNG MEN EMPLOYED
From Pueblos and Reserva.
tons in New Mexico and
in Arizona


charge of the U. S. Indian Training
School in this city, has returned from
visit to the Arkansas Valley in the
vicinity of Rocky Ford in Colorado,
where large number of young In
dians are engaged in the sugar beet
fields and in the sugar factories OF
that section. Superintendent Crandall
enjoyed his visit there greatly, and
is particularly well pleased with the
good work and the proper behavior
of the New Mexico and Arizona In
dams employed there. There are
about 500 in all, 70 were there from
the Santa Fe Training School. Their
wages in the fields are Is cents per
hour. They board and lodge them.
selves. They live in tents and have
wood and water furnished them free.
Their boarding costs them about 20
cents per day and as they work from
ten to twelve hours per day, there
is a handsome surplus for them. In
the beet sugar factories, higher wages
are paid than in the fields. They are
divided into detachments of ten with
an overseer to each detachment. They
are docile, obedient, steady workers,
obey the foreman readily and give no
trouble. The managers of the beet
sugar factories and the farmers who
employ them, prefer them to white,
colored, or any other labor and can.
not get enough of them. The detach-
ment from the local school bears the
best reputation and is "on-top' in
work and behavior. The boys are
generally from sixteen to eighteen
years of age and but few are over
twenty.
By the first OF October, over 500
men will be employed for the "cam-
paign" by the factories and the mana
gers are endeavoring to get as many
Indians as they can possibly obtain.
There are factories now located at
Rocky Ford, Swink, Holley and Sugar
CITY TIE AREA in Sugar beSss has
greatly increased and the beet crop
is found very profitable for the farm.
ers in that vicinity. The irrigation
systems are very good, scientifically
laid out, properly maintained and the
water supply this year has been abun.
dant. A good many of the young In
dians, who are pupils at the school in
this city, in Albuquerque, at the diff
ferent Pueblos in this Territory and
Arizona, are expected to return home
within the next week. Many young
men who have finished their courses
at school, will remain TO do work In
the factories until the season closes.
Superintendent Crandall is proud oi
the fact that Indian labor in the sugar
beet fields both for field work and
in the factories, is in strong demand
and is considered the most reliable
and most satisfactory offered there tc
employers. The money earned by the
young men is not spent recklessly, but
is brought back to the schools and
to their homes and then Superintendent
Crandall and other officials in charge
at the several schools and pueblos
see to 1t that the money is used tc
the best advantage possible or placed
| in savings banks.
The Holley Construction Company
at HOlley and the American Refining
Company, Rocky Ford, as we'll as
the Havemeyer factory at Sugar City
cannot be supplied with the Indian
labor they desire
The canteloupe crop in the Arkansas
Valley this year will be great and the
canteloupes promise to be of a fine
variety. The harvest will be in full
blast about September list and prepa
rations for shipping many car loads
to the eastern states are going on
That section of Colorado looks very
prosperous and inviting. The pupils
| hioAAA tiiC iOtal nave
worked for the American Suger Re.
fining ompany.
A number of Moquis have returned
to their homes in Arizona. They arr
good workers and took with then
quite handsome sum of money Ii
savings. Shalako, Moqui chief, wa.
with his people for some time. Tht
old man is over eighty years of age,
but, nevertheless, went to work II
the fields to take home little none!
for his grandchildren. He also de.
sired to visit Ralph P. Collins, VIII
was at one time in charge OF the Mo
qui Pueblo, while in the Indian ser
vice. On the fourth of July last h,
ran race with several active youns
white men and won.
WOOL SECURING MILL
PLANNED FOR BELEN
.