The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1910-03-31

IN tina particular sec
uon OF the desert for
Indication OF race sui.
eide. With wives and children worth
l60-acre farms land their value guar.
anteed by the government lust like
silver certificates and banknotes).
these commodities are worth having
and the Navajo buck who has neither
10 husting for both. while he who has
n or both is hustling for more.
But the fact that a wife is worth
i6o acres Of land has boosted the
price Of wives 10 such an extent that
a poor man can hardly, II al all, raise
the wherewithal for the purchase OF
one. For the Navajos have bought
their wives since the beginning Of i'm
memorial tradition 80 paying the
squaw's father ia ponies. sheep. goats.
cattle. hides. wool. silver or any other
commodity acceptable 20 both buyer
and seller. Naturally the father Of a
manageable girl feels hat she is
worth 100 acres OF land 20 him. II
some brawny brave wants her he
must raise the ante. SO Il happens
that Uncle Sam has been a real bull
on tho squaw market. giving her a
higher valuation than was ever be-
fore dreamed Of by the warriors u
the southwest
So the poor but ambitious buck
finds Il dincult 20 better his condi
tion BY entering the state Of matri-
mopy as an Investment The price %
wives ia too high for any but the
wealthy 20 AFFORD such q luxury
A. might be anticipated. neither the
rich nor the poor OF the Navajoos are
~ ali pleased with tho rumors thR
have reached them OF the govern.
mCnt's ultimate intentions They are
well satisfied 20 take their land allot.
menta. but II any attempt IL made 20
compel them 10 live upon their lands
there will be trouble. They have been
accustomed 10 wandering wherever
the spirit moved them-driving their
nockB and herds before them and
stopping wherever water was abun.
dant and pasturage good To be cor
rallied In fenccd-in farms n com.
PEELED 90 live year after year In the
same place will prove in~tolcrabla To
con0ne a Navajo on a i60-acro farm
viii work "a great a hardship on him
as 20 shut a white man Up IN a six
by ton prison cell.
The Navajo reservation comprises
an area Of perhaps ib. 200. 600 acres
and estimates Of the number of
tr~ihcspcople vary all the way from
$4,000 to $4,000. Il might appear,
then. that their reservation was big
enough 90 give them all elbow room.
The Navsjos have never thought 20
aud pay not the slightest heed 90 res
oryation limits. without 30 much as
saying by your leave" they have Ia
ken possession Of the major part Of
tho reservations OF the iiopia OF Ari-
Tona and the Zunin Of New Mexico
Then they are scattered all over
southern Utah. southwestern Colorado
and the public lands Of northern New
Mexico and Arizona They occupy
an area larger than the entire state %
Pennsylvania and viii do a lot %
grumhling az any attempt 20 curtaii
their liberty OF movement OF course
they DO not need more than a small
fraction OF this land for the p~asturiug
OF their sheep, goats. cattle aud
horses; but they have alwaya been
semi-nomadic IN their habits. moving
TO a new location whenever they felt
like t.
In many ways the Navajo IL not a
bad fellow. Hts p~cculiautiea are
faults when Judged by the white mans
standards. But why should we pre-
sumo 70 measure the rcd mans oats
In our ~halfbushel basket Fol
thing. he knows no distinction OF
moum and taum and would rather
steal than buy from any person or Al
any time. Again. the truth Is not In
him: or. n Il Ia, Il Is 20 deeply buried
that Il never reaches the surface; and
ingmtitudc Is 30 universal that its
opposite IA lnooneeivable In the con.
duct OF a Navajo Then his weakness
for many wiyea may be counted
against him; but perhaps this should
be c%onHidorod lack OF wisdom rather
...r.l Iannn Twa urtVnn a Iha