Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-01

iron and other metaliferous ores arr
circulated and believed. Then there
are a number of fertile valleys on the
reservation, with an abundance of wa
ter available for irrigation, and it Il
believed that certain sections are wei
adapted to dry farming.
The Navajo reservation was estab.
lished in 1867. but have since been very
greatly enlarged. 1t is estimated thai
at that time the tribe did not number
more than 10000 At present 1t Is be-
lieved that they number at least 2S,.
900, this being one Of the few tribes t
successfully withstand the contact with
civilization.
From 1850 until 1854 the Navajo.
were constantly on the warpath. Ir
1921 their country passed nominally
from the Jurisdiction Of Spain to tha
Of the newly established Mexican re-
public; and in 1886, by the fortunes o.
war;. it became a possession Of tht
United States. These changes were
matters of indifference, to the Nava'
jos, who pillaged Pueblo Indians, Mex
leans and American settlers with en-.
tire impartiality.
During the period from 1S49 to 1885,
the United States expended more thar
$4,000, 900 annually in warfare with tht
Navajos. Generals Candy, Garland
Sumner and others in turn marched
bravely forth to subjugate the Nava'
jos, and then marched dejectedly bacl
again.
In 1863 an expedition was organized
under Col Kit Carson. He knew the
Navajo country as no other white mil.
itary commander knew it, and, wha
| was Of equal Importance, he knew the
Navajos and their ways Of fighting
The leaders of the tribe were captured
and the warriors surrendered. In 1856:
and 1864 they were taken to Fort Sum.
ter, New Mexico. They were then per.
mitted to return to their old home
where they have remained ever since
They never again went on the war.
path.
For four years after the return Of
the Navajos from Fort Sumter the gov.
ernment distributed rations amonl
them, and also gave them large num-
ber of sheep, goats and horses. Then II
1894, their crops failed and large mum.
bers of their live stock died as the re.
suit Of the unprecedented drought, anG
the distribution Of rations again be.
came necessary. With these excep.
tions. the Navajos have always beer
self-supporting.
The Navajos are polygamists, two
wives being the common allotment, al.
though some have been known to have
twelve. The mother-in-law joke Of the
newspaper paragraphers Is no joke tc
the Navajo, but grim and ever-pres'
ent tragedy. 1t is believed that for a
brave to look upon the face Of his
mother-in-law would bring.a long train
of evils upon the entire family. If a
man has half dozen or more mothers
in-law, it is plain that some lively
lodging must be necessary to avoid
looking into the face of some one OF
them.
The Navajos do not dwell in fixed
and permanent habitations, like their
nearest neighbors, the Pueblos. Meth
er are they true nomads, wandering
aimlessly from place to place. Rather
they are Bedouins of the desert, NOV
ing only when necessary to obtain bet
ter .pasturage or a more abundant wa
ter supply for their fiocks and herds.
The Navajos are the least gregari-
Gus of American tribes, never forming
compact villages or congregating In
thickly settled communities.
1t may happen that a canyon having
an abundant water supply will contain
score Of fifty hogans Gas their rude
huts are called; but this is for the
sake of the water and not for compan-
ionship. 1t is estimated that from five
to six acres of the half desert are ne
cessary to the support of each Navajo
sheep. So the flocks are always on the
move and the family moves with them
In summer rude summer hogans are
constructed, consisting merely of en-
closures of brush or any other materi-
al that may be at hand. Such tempor-
ary habitations may be abandoned al
any moment without regret. AS winter
draws near the flocks are driven to-
ward sheltered canyons that give some
protection from the chilling blasts that
sweep the half desert in this high alti-
tude Here the winter hogan is built
or Of logs and the limbs of trees, bank
ed and covered with earth, with door
way open toward the east and a
smoke vent in the roof The same win
ter hogan may or may not be occupied
by the same family year after year;
but in either case the summer Journey
ings may extend over hundreds OF
miles. In spite of this eminomadic
manner of life, little agriculture is
practiced. In the spring, corn and
beans are planted in sandy washes and
other favorable locations, and at the
proper season the family returns for
the harvest. 1t is to the credit Of the
tribesmen thot no Navajo will steal the
crops another has planted.
In all the familys wanderings the
loom and distaff are carried along, and
at every camping place the industrious
squaws set up their looms and put In
most of the daylight hours at the most
important industry of the tribe-blan-