Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-29

Their dwellings were made of the
same rock as the mesa, render
ing them practically invisible on he
wedge-like plateaus that We're inacces-
sible on two sides and fortified on the
others. Here they lived, multiplied
and died for centuries.
The question Of defense has been
paramount in the minds Of growing
generations, the constant 'ubject of
their oral traditions. and they have
huddled together promiscouously.
The cool weather, the winds blow
ing constantly over the mesa and the
high. rare atmosphere Of the deserc,
some 5000 feeet above the sea level
dried things and kept the Moki in
health under his natural conditions.
They wore little or no clothing ana
burned on their open hearths the
most offensive refuse. This was be-
fore the advent Of the white man.
White Man Brings Disease.
Now all thai IS changed. The white
man has brought disease. Since his
coming smallpox has more than nee
wrought terrible havoc among these
Indians. one can see even this day
the bones of its victims bleaching in
the deserc sunshine. The people were
too weakened and reduced by the
scourge to bury their dead. Since
the terrible epidemic of 1900 Vaccina-
ton has been introduced and the fear
NhfhA AAAh mi ~ quo AAAaNNh ia
their minds has prevented any fresh
outbreak.
Bronchitis, grippe and pneumonia
nOWVer, nave frequently attacked
tteaI. Sore eyes are 70 be found in
every family. For seventeen years
the government has annually ex-
pended large sums of money for the !
education of the Moki. W. less than )
per cent of them can speak English
with any intelligence. While it is well
enough to each them the rudiments
Of our language, the ordinary use ii
question of sanitation that should have
been paramount to all others.
In Orabi the sanitary condition is
appalling. Every imaginable kind OF
filth is swept into the streets. The
floors of the houses are of dirt, and
they become vile with refuse
a fresh layer of clay is spread over and
applied also to the walls. This consti-
tutes the only house cleaning.
Room Then Becomes Cellar.
When the fioor has been raised By
these additional layers until il is 50
near the ceiling that the room is un-
TO stand in a new house ~
built on top of the other n the
abandoned lower room becomes a cel-
lar, the dumping ground of all refuse.
process is repeated wear after
year, from generation to generation.
There is little or no ventilation
through the one door and single small
WINDOW. Onld and young. sick and
Wen, live. eat, and sleep together on
filthy rags in this pestilential atmOs-
phere. Years ago an open fire
"A crude chimney created a
and carried away the
miasma of these unwashed denizens.
A paternal government, however, has
induced the Moki to purchase. bv "a
work, the four-hole cook stove Of
civilization. +
Under the management of the Mokl
housewife the deadly fumes of this
have caused more sick
lure Of culture introduced among
gentle people. Excepting al
ways the fatal baking powder. which
.larVests its victims yearly among the
american red men with much more
certainty than the farmer harvests hLi
{
Slaughter Sheep In House.
Sheep are slaughtered in the house s
the blood mixes with the other :
1ft. Jerked mutton Is prepared by \
he simple method of hanging the {
Uncovered meat upon, the walls. Il
Owing TO the scarcity of frewOOd !
md the distance they have 10 go to I
.ecure 1t, as well as the difficulty - =
laultng II to the cliff, the refuse OF I
Is commonly used for fuel. I
This is for the interior of their dwell Y
ngs. !
MEANWHILE congress ginReriy makes I
preparations for spelling books e
nd arithmetics. But IN the sacr"d I
'kiva' the cypress fire burns bright !
'efore the and paintings and MAN t
ura"-the sun god-sits in the "obc' y
nd teaches his children 10 foster ,
g