Semi-weekly herald., 1914-09-28
INDIAN FAIR AT SHIPROCK
PROVES TO BE SUCCESS

Iat
Pennington was deserted town
early Friday morning. Why? Be
cause every one who could get an
auto or conveyance of some kind was
en- route to the Shiprock fair. 1t was
late in the afternoon before the writ
er got away o'clock, but we found
the road in much better condition
than a year ago. While we had to
ford the La Plata two and half
miles out from town, there was very
little water in the stream, But it
viii soon make little difference wheth-
er there is much or little water as
a very substantial bridge is being
built across the La Plata on the Ship
rock road. Looks like it will with
stand any kind of flood. When we
passed, the contractor was just finish
T ing the approaches and by this time
we presume teams are able to cross.
This bridge has long been neces-
sity and will add much to the i'm
portance of Pennington as it will
permit trade from the south that W.
cut off during high water. The road
over the mesa was fine. In fact,
outside Of two or three places where
there is some sand, no trouble was ex-
perienced in making good time. The
steep and dangerous arroyo about
half way between the two places has
been bridged with a semblance of
permanency. This arroyo has been a
troublesome one to many. 1t was i'm
possible to go down fast, otherwise
there would be no machine or rig,
and many an auto has had to be pull
ed out by ncighboring teams. This
time we sped along over the spot at
15-mile jog. From the hogback
to Shiprock the road was in elegant
shape, trifle dusty, but one can
stand this. There were two places
where a roundabout road became
necessary during the summer months
owing to washouts in the deep adobe
soil on the main line, but these were
soon covered.
Arriving on the mesa between Ba-
ker's store and the agency about 6
!, o'clock we found ourselves enveloped
in sort of mist caused by the
tramping of horses over space a
mile long by half mile wide which
was literally covered with Indian wag-
ons having 1000 or more. The first
sight that greeted us was company
of 500 or more Indians on horseback
watching the outcome Of horse race,
while hundreds more stood on an adj
jacent bank A few minutes stop and
we are off for the agency, where we
arrived in few minutes and were
soon located for the night. Superin-
tendent Shelton had turned over q
portion of the girls dormitory to the
Durango ladies and in room of a
dozen beds there were just two left
for our women folks You know In
diam beds are individual and arranged
much like those in hospital, except
closer together. AS for ourselves we
were given tent on the mems side.
Supper and we are off for the audi
torium to attend the concert given by
the school. We wondered where the
boys and girls came from, ranging
in age from to 20 or more. And
we again wondered where all the
white people attending came from.
There were three or four hundred
white people packed in the building
besides the school children. The con-
cert wns surely pleasing surprise
to the visitors. The first number was
by about 100 of the larger Indian
boys and girls. The singing develop
ed several we'll trained and distinc-
tive voices which were made more
conspicuous later in solos, duets and
quartettes. The program consisted
= of dozen or more numbers and in
terest was manifested from start to
finish. The singing demonstrated that
the Indian voice can be cultivated as
well as American. And this reminds
us. who are really Americans. Ger
tainly the Indian has the first right
to the title.
From the concert we visited the
Indian camp ON the campus on the
edge Of the agency boundary. And
what a contrast. There the dusky
warriors VIC have read so much about
were gathered in clusters for mile
around as well as molly crowd sit
ting on the ground surrounding
ring where the parents of many of the
children in the concert gave little evil
dencc of civilization. In the ring an
old-fashioned Indian dance was in
progress, the participants keeping
step to the Indian sing song grunt
Among the Nayajoes the women have
no part in the dance. They can look
onsif they keep quiet. OF course this
custom is followed among most Indian
tribes. but with the Utes the women
furnish the music and once in while
sODe Of the kolaws snurt nround tho |,