Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-07-12

There is something Moorish. and de-
cidedly foreign, in the gentle chatty
murmur of the Taos tongue. as men.
women and children move hfther and
thither. This is the official language
of the pueblo-the Taos dialect, jeal-
ously guarded, confided so rarely to
strangers. far separated. But Taos is
somewhat polyglot; 1t speaks Indian,
IL speaks Spanish. and 1t speaks, to a
degree, English. Many of the boys
are sent to the school at Santa Fe,
where they learn English and where
they don coats and trousers. How
ever. after their return to their own
people they are given scant grace OF
two weeks by the elders, when they
must resume shirt and blanket and
moccasins and Taos speech or leave
the pueblo grounds. or dun adobe are
the two stately edifices of the pueblo.
one upon either side OF the Taos
creek, which flows sparkling and cold
out from the SHOWS of the sacred Taos
mountain to the northeast The hun
dreds of rooms with which the piles
are honeycombed are whitewashed
with the native gypsum. low-ceilinged.
cool In summer. warm in winter. ven
tilated by the deep easements which
are closed by only wooden shutters.
The furnishings are Of the simplest
a bench-like platform. over which Is
stretched cowhide, for the bed. a cor
ner fireplace as a stove, perhaps
stool Connected with the living-rooms
aries. with their boards Of wheat.
squash. red. white. and blue corn. and
peppers.
Grain Trodden Out.
The wheat has been trodden out, in
fashion OF Palestine, by cattle driven
around and around over It; 1t has
been winnowed by pouring IL from
vessel to vessel. that the wind might
blow away the chaff; and 1t will be
ground into meal by being grated be-
tween stones. The bread. in fiat
cakes. will be baked In conical cement
ovens.
Here in Taos pueblo are perhaps the
only stocks used today in America.
Relics of old Mexican days, they are
kept in the pueblo Jail, for tribal Of
tenders who deserve more than simple
confinement. For Taos makes its own
laws and deals it's own punishments.
1t Is a unity. like any other American
town-strange though. as a town. 1t
be. Its charter dates back to August,
1856. when by grant Of the Spanish
crown II became suZerain over a
Spanish square extending league In
all directions from the site Of the old
church tower. BY virtue of this char
ter and of possession 1t Is recognized
as a separate town and its populace
as American citizens-the strangest
citizens which the republic owns.
Citizens who vote not, save In their
own annual elections for governor OF
the pueblo; who have no flag except
the yellowed aspen boughs of their
| festival dances; who speak language
without a mate to II; who marry not
and give not in marriage. outside their
town limits; whose faith is the faith
uHaiteFea Vi ooV years. AWNING ""N
church nor preacher. but pipned In
definitely to the son of Montezuma for
whom every morn at sunrise white
robed sentinel watches from the roof
top.
Through spring and summer\ the
pueblo works in its fields. The Uni
ted States department OF agriculture
furnishes an agricultural agent. who
lives upon the grounds by suffrance
Of the pueblo and teaches the Taosans
how best to farm. But after the crops
are harvested. then Taos plays, In
succession Of feasts and dances which
lasts throughout the fall and winter
The first festival is that Of San Zero