The midland journal., 1917-02-02
MADE INDIANS mad
SAVAGEs' STRONG OBJECTION TO
BEING PHOTOGRAPHED.
Woman Tells of Trip to Ancient City
Of Taos Which Seems to Have
Been Highly Exciting-Saw
Feast and Dance.

] During journey through the prac-
dcally unknown Southwest somebody
suggested that go to the ancient city
If Taos for the feast of San Geronimo,
Mrs. G. r. Miller writes in Leslie's.
You won't find photographing these
indians an easy job, but if you sue
iced you will get something interest
ng." Taos is the ancient pueblo
about eighty miles from Santa Fe, and
ceached by highway which is only a
trail over stony mesa.
Somebody called out that the dance
was at the south pueblo and there was
4 rush across the logs which served as
bridges over the little Stream which
runs through the reservation. There
We found perhaps hundred Indians
wrapped in white muslin robes and
carrying branches of trees in their
hands. They were making q weird
noise and limping up and down as they
marched around the pueblo. 1t was
strange scene. The movement of
their bodies was slight, but the ex-
preston on their faces and the low
cultural utterances showed suppressed
emotion, and suddenly directly in front
of where l was standing one of the
older warriors fell to the ground in
an epileptic fit. He was at once car
ried into the pueblo and the medicine
man summoned. The dancers, how
ever, were not disturbed and the un-
canny performance went on for Is
minutes longer.
This was merely the prologue to
the feast of the morrow. The foot
races were hotly contested by the
young braves of the two pueblos. The
participants were naked except for a
kilt about the loins' and were deco
rated with feathers in their hair, on
their arms and their ankles. The race
is run in peculiar fashion. When
the judges give the word two men dart
from the course nearest the pueblo and
run swiftly to the other end. The in
slant the leader reaches a certain
stone at the end of the course another
man of his clan takes up the race and
rusheS past him on the home stretch.
This is kept up until all the contest
ants have had trial-the final victory
being a victory for the clan and not
for the individual runner. The pu-
eblO winning the race is entitled to
keep the statue of st. Geronimo for
the following year.
Early in the afternoon the Indian
clowns, known as the delight makers,
rush suddenly from the pueblos. Their
faces and naked bodies are smeared
with paint and their hair entwined
with corn husks. Nothing is sacred to
their touch and they will steal fruit
from vendors wagon and perhaps
after taking mouthful spit it at some
visitor. They object to being photo
graphed, and when one saw me in the
act of taking his picture he came at
me with a rush, yelling in a savage
fashion. I was sitting on log, and
he sat down beside me so close that I
narrowly escaped falling off. He yelled
and gesticulated, but I sat perfectly
still and pretended not to see him. The
man who had sold me my permit came
up behind and said something. Finally
he left, but all during the afternoon
whenever I attempted to take pic
ture dirt was thrown at me and all
the curses known to their savage ira
ditions were wished on me. The de-
light makers beat tin pans at horses
and caused several runaways, and
frightened children almost into spasms.