Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-10
MEMORIAL

~ just lSSue0 ny president
wilson sets aside "a tract OF land in
central New Mexico for a national
monument. The tract is TO be known
ms the Bandeiicr Monument. To all
but a few Americans the name Of Ban
dclier means little or nothing. Yet
Anolph Iiandcli"r was ono OF our great
men. :, man whose career was as color
ful and adventurous as that Of some
medieval knicht-errnut a man who
ACCOMPLISHED things that are destined
TO live. who occupied unique place
as an American historian and an Amer
lean author.
Have you ever read novel called
The Delight-Makers" The chances
are that you have not. The book was
published tweuty-siX years ago. ran
through two small editions. and to-day.
is out Of print! II is practically i'm
p"ss'bi" to secure copy now Yet
THE Delight Makers" Is one Of tho
most remarkable contributions 70
American Notwithstanding less than
a romance whose scene ana plot are
laid III prc-Columbiau days who's"
characters are all Pueblo indlans They
are the only true ana lifa-lilic Amcrl-
can Indian characters IN literature.
They are drawn not from the imaE,
nation. but from flesh and blood. For
that was Bande!icr's great wor<-the
reconstruction Of vanished age by
study OF its living remnants In
his life scores OF times
Bandclicr laid the foundation for a
real history Of our Indian and Spanish
Southwest. He lived among the In
dianS for wears. leading their rude
life. sharing their good times and bad.
speaking their language. adopted by
them into their tribes. He had tho
mind Of a scholar and a scientist with
the temper Of pioneer.
lie Travelled on loot and horseback
western United states forty years ago.
when the Indians of that section were
still on the warpath. II" carried no
weapons but Il light stock q meter
long that was graduated for making
measurements. He WAS bcset repeat
cdly by hostile Indians, and once only
saved his life by playing on we'll
known Indian superstition and pre-
tending 10 be insane The Indians
have n supcrstitious fear OF Insanity.
and Will never harm a lunafiC.
Caught In Winter blizzard.
On another occasion he was strick-
eli with smallpox on one OF his soil
tary journeys and almost persisted.
Again he was caught In a winter biz
card on tho great plains Of Eastern
New Mexico. Two companions who
were with him succumhcd To the storm.
but Bandclicrs own physical strength
and determination pulled him through
after a ninety ride and a thirty
five-miic walk through deep SNOW. lie
went wherever there was a promise
Of finding something that could for
ward his work, regardless Of risk.
Danger from hOGtiic Indians, from
hunger or exposure had no terrors for
him. Ills one fear was OF thirst, the
relic Of stern experience when he
los, himself in the rocky watcrlcss
hill country OF New Mexico and wan
70 Iu,- l..D fvx Gtin
pursuing mocking mraCcs OF water
until he fell from his horse at the
point OF death, AT the last moment
his life was saved 10y party from
Santa Fc who had set out To look for
him.
The uniuue feature Of Bandelicr's
work was the method he employed. He
had the typical scientific temperament
exact. patient and careful, willing
to pay any price for truth. Eut he
believed that the truth was to be
found among the living Indians and
their communities, rs we'll as in old
ruins and dusty documents. SO he
went and lived among them. learned
their dialects and carefully collected
and collatcd their traditions and
stories. lie exploded score of cs-
tablishcd and erroneous beliefs by
this method
For instance. the tract just set aside
as inc t'a hntllcF .\ttlpndl monument
includes certain old cliff dwellings near
Santa Fc, ~ III. it WAS long believed
that the inhabitants of these caves
in the rock belonged to n race since
dead and vanished. Romantic tradi-
tion ascribcd all manner Of improb
able characteristics to these people.
BandelicI proved that the clif-dweli-
crs were simply the forcfathers of the
present Pueblo Indians. and very much
the same sort Of people. He CLEANED
his evidence while living in the puc-
bios Of Cochiti, OF Iuni and Islcta. He
was made a member Of the tribe at
Cochiti The scene OF his novel. The
Delight Makers" is laid in these old
cliff dwellings, and the characters are
drawn from real Isleta Indians. whom
he knew intimately.
Exploded Historical Myths.
in the same way all manner Of
myths relating t. life in the south
west before the landing Of Columbus
He laid the foundation for real his
tory of one Of the most romantic and
colorfut sections of tho United States
The work he did later in rcru aud
] Bolivia was OF the same nature. Isy
| living among the Indians there IL
| showed that many OF the accepted ro-
mantle notions OF the ancient Iucas
were founded on nothing more than
tho ina gination Of Indians and old
Spanish chroniclcrs. 1Ie did more than
| tear down accepted beliefs: he work cd
| until he found The truth TO put IL
| their places.
Tho importance of Bandclicrs con.
| tribution to the sciences Of history and
archaeology can hardly be ovcrcsti.