The Washington herald., 1908-07-12

from Arizona former resident OF New
England, Mrs. Laurena Thysing, who. for
nearly two years. has lived a picturesque
life in the Indian country OF Arizona,
where her husband. j. Theodore Thys.ag
whom she married as the result Of
romance begun IN the East nineteen years
ago, was a trader at a place called Bita-
hoochee, on lone road leading from Hol-
brook. on the Santa Fe Railroad to the
Navajo reservation, hfty-four miles north,
says the Boston Globe
/ Their married life was short. and Mrs.
/ Thysing returns a widow. after brief /
but happy experience such as falls TO
/ the lot Of few women IN this part OF the /
country.
Her husband died suddenly in their
Isolated home on the trail forty-fve miles /
from the town. last July.
Since then she has slowly adjusted /
herself TO the change IN her life, has 4
disposed Of the stock in the trading post /
has closed her Western home, temporari- |
ly. and is now back In Boston for briet
stay. bringing with her wealth Of SOU
venlrs CT her residence In the land Of the
Navajos
Mrs. Thysing first saw her husband in
1853 at the home OF friend in Massa-
chusetts He was a German by birth,
university graduate. a retired Indian
fighter who had served as a noncomm's- |
stoned officer in Uncle Sans army in the
Southwest, and trader in Arizona.
4 Romantic Marriage.
He was accomplished. student. lin
guist Of ability and a musician.
He sang Der Wacht am Rhein." which
made lasting impression on the mino
Of the woman who many years later was
to be his wife Their Impressions must
have been mutually lasting. for they
ripened by correspondence many years
later into love. and two years ago they
were married in Arizona
Mrs Thysing entered naturally into the
life Of the lonely tableland, 5000 feet
above sea level. Their nearest neighbor
was a mile and half away. and there
! was not a white mans house beyond for
, twenty-five miles toward the railroad.
Northward, up the road, nine miles
r away, lay the Navajo reservation, and al
Keams canyon the Moki school
e Thysing's house and store. built OF
5 stone. only one story high. Of several
I large. rough rooms. was a stopping place
for all who passed between the reserva-
) tion and the station on the railroad.
. II stands close up 10 the red buttes Of
I Bltachoochee Mountain: below It. toward
! HoIbrook the road runs over broken
5 country and through the Cottonwood
Wash
Tourists, cattlemen, Indians. went up
. and down the road. on ponies chiefly
but sometimes a party from the East
arrived in a blackboard. All were made
I welcome.
y Spoke Seven Languages.
1 MI Thysing loved 10 meet people from
: the outside world. He spoke seven Ian
= guages. including Greek and Navajo and
/. was a rare man IN such desert land
a An index OF the character and abilities
of this ex-sergeant Of cavalry. univer-
n slty graduate, ex-soldier Of fortune. is
l. AFFORDED by one fact-that he had
a planned. just before his death. TO accept
as inmates Of his house four college men
. from the East, 10 tutor them in Latin,
z Greek, and French, and teach them as
d tronomy!
o Life changed for the middle-aged trader
L at Btachoochee when he got his bride
from the East.
Descended from Vermont and New
Hampshire stock-her mother was born
on n farm near Vergennes, and she IN
Chlcago-she was a woman Of sound
sense. OF quick perception. Of genial and
volatile temperament She had been
Il welded and widowed. and knew some
r. thing OF life. and how 10 be happy.
For some years she had been employed
rs q nurse in Massachusetts, living NJ
Marion: and the change 10 the adven-
y turous life OF the West was most vel
" come 20 her.
II still sho drove into that bare. broken
land Of red stone, bunch grass, and sand
y. with misgiy tngs: she feared the Indians
"A she feared the loneliness Of the rocky
~ CANYONS ard the far-reaching mountain
A. tops rislrg above the stony buttes on
"a either hand.
\, II was all new and forbidding-untl II
4 became home.
le Made the Indians Her Friends.
y Then she soon made the Indians hel
le friends. She learned to shoot. and to ride
n a pony as well as any of them
- The Indian women understood and
i trusted neT. iNtg AANNN +ANA "''sN W
ne talking with them and giving them hints
as OF how TO live and keep themselves clean
es Up on the reservation Uncle Sam anC
IN the Missionaries made them do things they
IS didn't want to do Mrs. Thysing gave
le them hints on more practical things anC
told them about the great East, which tC
-. them was Washington, all of It.
Mrs. Thysiug studied and respected theN
religious customs, their domestic life, an(
AZ their arts. She trusted them with things
= they might steal, and, overcome by he
Vi confidence. they remained honest
AS result Of her friendship thel
brought her many examples of their arts
in weaving and silver. to trade or as gifts
When she came East her faithful serv
Is ant. who spoke little English. bewaile'
her departure for Washington" in wOfu
accents Of Navajo, and asked her for he
"a picture.
of Mrs Thysing had several boxes full o
gs examples of the Indian arts when she ar
o. rived in Boston. These are unpacked j
. the room on Beacon Hill she expects &
:. occupy while IN the city. and made dis
% play of them for the benefit Of he
friends.
ne Some Interesting Objects.
eu Among the most interesting things ar
silver bracelets, beads. buttons, and wris