La Junta tribune., 1914-11-07
SOME WARM IN ARIZONA.
lers, Walter Dsbree Writes Intseest-
Ing Letter From Arilona-Tea
Cuttings Of Alfalfa Yearly.

Hrs. wafer DuDree, who. with her
husband. is now located at Yuma.
Ariz.. where Mr.. Dubree Is supertn-
lending the construction OF steel
bridge across the Colorado river for
Uncle Sam. writes entertainingly Of
ner experiences and observations In
that land Of the SUM-" where a
breeze ever warm from the blue
heaven rolls and the air Is laden
witt the perfume OF the myrtle and
rose--along with green beans, and
fresh corn and tomatoes In the mid
ole of winter. The letter follows:
We are now living at the Indian
school, across the Colorado river and
nall mile from Yuma. Arix. AS
the river is the boundary line we are
living In California. This school
used to be Old Fort Yuma. It is To-
Gated on a hill about three hundred
Seet higher than the river OF Yuma.
There are some sixteen buildings.
over one hundred Indian pupils, four
teachers. two matrons. a seamstress,
2 lady cook for the children. a dis.
ciplinarian. a doctor. nurse and
several workmen here.
We are boarding with the teachers
We all go In together and furnish
the provisions. and hire negro cook
(and she is a fine cook. tool, have
breakfast at 6:30 o'clock. dinner at
IL o'clock. and supper at $3.50
o'clock. Everything is high at Yu-
ma We are getting fresh veEe-
tables now--lettuce. green beans and
fresh corn and omatoes--instead Of
IN tin cans rs some Of our friends
predicted we would. The laundry
Tor the school is run by electricity,
also circular saw to cut the mes
quite wood. There Ii no coal here
abouts.
The Indian boys have good band.
They also play football. The clothes
Tor the pupils. including food and ev-
crything else. IL furnished by the
government. The Indian boys are
All taken over to Yuma every We'd
neday night to the picture show, and
every Friday night the older pupils
are given = dance in the assembly
room. and the younger ones have
games. Sundays they arc marched
over to church-either the Catholic
or Methodist. whichever they prefer.
These Indians are very bashful. but
big. strong and lazy.
Most Of the squaws 20 barefoot,
They all wear peculiar wrap. Il 10
seoensd o. each SHOULDER and flovs4
baek down 70 the bottom Of their
drees. Most Of these wraps arc
red. and some have lions. dogs and
other animals and fierce looking
things stamped on them. have
seen one or two made Of green CHI
M silk. but most Of them are NJ cal
leo. The women seldom wear any
thing on their heads. but carry all
sorts Of things. from babies to pro-
visions. in pouches. hanging down
their backs, These pouches arc sus-
pended from strap or cord that Ia
lied around their forchcads. The
men nearly all wear rag or ban
danna handkerchief around their
heads. Some tie ur their hair un-
Ter these. but most OF them let Il
hang down their backs. The gov
crnment reservation here consists Of
ill square miles and each Indian
10 given ten acres OF land. Some Of
the land II leased for four or five
years 70 white settlers.
This Il surely = place Of sleeping
porches. suppose they are very
essential when tho thermometer reg.
istsrs 1lS degrees in the shade IN
the summer time. The women new.
er think Of heating dish water or
water 70 wash Nth then. There had
been NO rain here since last Fcbru.
ary until few weeks before We ar
rived There have been three
showers since. II was 10: degrees
Ia the shade few days after we
came. but II cooler now.
Tho superintendent Of the school
took ~ for long auto ride one Sun
day afternoon. On this ride we saw
alfalfa growing tthcy claim 10 get
ten cuttings pcr year Of alfaifa).
green beans. umpkins. watcrmci.
ons. cane. cotton In bloom and young
date palms growing out In tho field.
Tals was under irrigation from one
Of u lmmsnse government roc.
laooeloa projects. Lemons. lia1ss.
oeaaooe, dates. DomegFaniess. gsaps
fpult an1 DoeSlmmons % lsfge q a..