The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-11-03
UNITED STATES SEEKS |
,TOGET RID OF HUERTAI
CASH PRIZES FOR
BLANKET MAKERS
Government Hopes to Stimulate
Famous Industry Among
Navajo Indians.

Washington, November Tho walls
OF tho office OF Indian Commissioners
cato Sells arc hung with pictures OF
famous Indians, and tho floors OF tho
entire Indian Bureau are covered with
Navajo blankets and rugs Tho com
missioner and his experts aro making
an effort 10 get moro money for tho
Navajo blankets for tho Indians who
make them.
or recent Years tho blanket output
mas brought to tho Navajo Indians of
New Mexico and Arixona between $780,
opn and 100000 annually. The aver
ag" pay per day received by tho wo
mon who make them is IL cents
The government has offered u priye
OF SlOo for tho best Navajo blanket
produced this year, ana other prizes
ranging downward from 800 have
been offered. Tho ain, is To cncour
age better art and workmanship Tho
market for the best class of blanket
is much better than that for tho cheap
est grades.
There is great demand for tho Ma
vajo saddle blanket" said Charles T..
Davis. One Of the field agents Of tho
Indian Burcau. Tho heat and nerspi
ration do not scald or blister the back
oi tn" horse II Il Navajo blanket is
used. The saddle blanket is two by
four feet The popular size OF blankets
Is five by seven feet. THO blankets
are used for bedspreads bathroom and
ballroom rugs, and by tho Indians to
wrap up with when it is cold 1t Is
not unusual to see an Indian wearing
n blanket that would bring $40 or $50
in tic New York market.
'fhe Navajo learned tho art OF
blanket making probably from tho
Hopi Indians. who arc descended from,
the old Aztocs OF Mexico. Tho Hopis
stu make some blankets but not in
great amounts
The Navajos average about so cents
n pound for the manufactured product.
Their high grad work commands
value OF the blanket depends largely
on the workmanship. To be the high
est grade the yarn and warp must
be handwoyen and or wool. Some In
dams have used cotton FOR the warps.
but the trade does not like that and
II IS being discontinued.
W Two Designs Alike.
The popular Colors are white. graz
ana black, the natural colors. III some
instances the black wool IS dyed To
give IL a better iustrc The gray IS
produced by mixture Of the white
and bluck woods. Great care and skill
are used ia mixing the two colors. Tor
much depends oH that; Il has much 10
do with iiXng tho value OF tho blanket.
The Indians arc beginning 10 use scales
10 s"l tNt mixture ilghl. some indian
blanket makers use anillinc colors. but
that Is departure from the ola cue
tom.
~ principal feature to be considered
in making a blanket for the market is
the design There must y" ali Indian
character in the design. No two de
signs arc exactly alike. This Is rule
81 tho Observation-Disclosures
A tradition among the Indians says
that the banklct industry WAS given TO
mother. vino was tho only perfect
that approaches perfection nobody
late The podmothcr. to whom such com
petition would bc unpleasant The az
cruec Navajo blanket weighs from
eight TO ten pounds
Tho Navajos use the wool .! the
old native sheep. which shears from
one-halt to three pounds. The iiucst
blankets come from selected wool,
which must he straight, dry ANA Il lit
tie coarse. Tho Witness Of the white
is ono OF the requisites OF good wool
Mcrino sheep wool will not do for
blankets. We are trying to Improve
tile Navajo sheep by crossing them on
Cotswold sheep
The Navajo blanket or rug viii out
last any Other blanket or rug on the
lnarit"t to-day. 1t Viii stand harder
usage and more cleaning"
The Navajo sheep is not lilSe other
sheep. The ram OF the old Navajo
stock has two. three or four sets OF
horns and his head is almost as horny
as that Of n deer.