Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-08-24
JOHN l.. COWAN
VISITING SANTA FE
Widely Known Feature Story Writer
Talks Interestingly Of His Recent
Trip Through Two Territories

Trip Through Two Territories
"Yes," said John l.. Cowan, the
eastern newspaper writer now stop
ping in Santa Fe, in reply to ques-
ton asked by a New Mexican repre-
sentative, this is great country.
! have just arrived in Santa Fe, after
covering $50 miles of western New
Mexico and eastern Arizona, by wa
gon, and every mile of the trip was
full Of interest.
Not the least interesting division
Of the journey was the 45-mile trip
from Gallup to Blackrock and Zuni. AT
Blackrock had the very great pleas
ure OF meeting Mr.. Newhall, Of Santa
Fe, under whose direction the great
Zuni dam has been built by the gov
ernment, for the irrigation Of the
lands of the Indians. The reservoir
las been completed at a cost of $685..
600. When full 1t will form an arti.
fetal lake 35 feet deep and square
mile in area. The ditch work Is pro.
ceeding rapidly, but even before its
completion some of the Indians are
making beginning at farming by ir.
rigation. The completion of the
ditch system will doubtless be fol
lowed by an attempt to induce the
Zuni Indians to accept individual allot
ments Of land and scatter their habi
tations, instead Of remaining huddled
in their great communal dwellings.
Not long before my arrival at
Blackrock, Mr.. Roberts large trading
store there was burned, entailing a
heavy loss. However, he had already
built new store close to the pueblo
and is doing business as usual. My.
self and family were royalty enter
tanned by Mr.. Kelsey, the Indian
trader at the pueblo, who occupies
the historic building erected by Frank
Gushing, when he lived among the
Zunis in the interest of science, for
the purpose Of studying their Ian
guage, customs and traditions.
AT the pueblo is located mission
of the Christian Reformed church
conducted by Rev. Fryling. Unfor
tunately he was not at home at the
time of my visit. ! am informed thai
he is engaged in the herculean labor
OF reducing the Zuni language tt
written form, for the purpose OF Civ
ing the Znnis the bible in their owr
tongue. Rev. Epp, the Baptist mis-
sionary at Oraibi, is doing the same
work for the Mold people; and Rev
Brink, of Tohatchi, is writing die
tionary and translating the Bible init
the Navajo vernacular. have in my
possession Il translation Of the BOOl
of Jonah in the Navajo language, ant
a hymn book printed in Navajo. Botf
were given me by Mr.. Bouma, super
intendent of the Rehoboth mission, 10
Gated near Gallup.
II have visited good many of the
lpueblos of New Mexico and Arizona
and expect to keep after them until
have visited them ALL Zuni is the larg
est, and in some respects Tie mos
primitive, owing to the distance o.
the pueblo from the railroad, and the
resulting fact that the people come
little in contact with the whites. The
government school at Blackrock is do
ing good work, and sufficient mum
Der of the people can speak ant
understand the English language tt
make the path Of the tourist easy
Sanitary conditions in the pueblo arr
Iunspeakable. Unquestionably tn,
Zunis are a remarkably hardy peo
pie, else they would all have beer
carried off by pestilence long ago.
i 1.-TWO or three miles from the pueb
10 is Tuyalone, or Thunder Mountain
on the summit of which is the shrine
of the Zuni war god and number 0
Interesting ruins. Twice during tn
period of Spanish occupation the Zu
lnis retired to this natural citidal ant
successfully resisted the Conquista
dores for considerable time. It il
an arduous climb to the top of Tuya
Ilone-but the labor is more than re
|paid.
/ From Gallup | went northwest
through Ganado and Keams canyon t
1.-THE Moki towns. At Walpi was for
tunate enough to fall in with E. A
Burbank, the famous artist, who ha
won deserved renown for the faith
full manner in which he has place.
the American Indians upon canvas
He has spent ten years among the In
dians, and has visited 113 differen
tribes. Domiciled with Mr.. Burbanl
at Walpi, is Howard Mccormick, Q
New York, well known magazin
illustrator, now in the employ O
Golfers Weekly.
yes, the object Of my trip was t
secure material for newspaper an
magazine work. The results of m
observations will appear shortly In
large number of publications, anon
them being the Santa Fe New Mex
lean"