Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-05-01
FIFTH LETTER FROM
JOSEPH MC|NTYRE
Col. r. M. White,
Mexico. Mo.

Dear Colonel
Ingleside Club, Phoenix, Ariz., April
81, 1919.-Yesterday was Easter Sum-
day and we spent it in a very unusual
way. Instead of going to church in
Phoenix where all the latest styles
in gowns and bonnets were no doubt
IN exhibition. We, Mrs. Mcintyre
and /, in company with Mr.. and Mrs
Frank Miller of Detroit, Michigan.
rode over on horseback to the Govern
ment Indian Agency near here, and
attended Easter services in the little
Indian church on the reservation.
While it may have been curiosity
which took us there, l trust that we
were in no way %irreverent in act OF
thought. There were about n hun
dred and twenty-five Indians present
and the entire services were conducted
by the Indians themselves. This par.
ticular church is Presbyterian and
for the last fourteen years has beer
under the supervision OF DR.. C. H. Ell
lis, who is supported by the West End
Presbyterian church of New York
City.
The services began at twelve O'Clock
and concluded at two. The first hour
was devoted to Sunday school which
&c attended by the old and young, al
in one class. The Sunday Schoo,
teacher was an Indian, and after hav.
ing read certain passages of scrip.
ture both in the Indian and English
language, he explained its meaning
by means of charts beginning with the
n of the Creation, then one showing
the first vegetable, animal and human
life on the earth, next came one Of
the Ark and the Rainbow, showing
the covenant against a second fiood
and then one of Abraham and Lot
Guarrelling over the division of stock
and pasture lands and next a chart
showing Jacob and his dream of the
mythical ladder reaching up from
earth to Heaven, etc.
The services proper were very much
the same as those of any Presbyter-
ian church. Songs were sung, some
in English and others in Indian dia-
lect, scripture was read at great
length, and then explained by the
minister in detail. The meeting wa
closed with prayer and song.
How much the Indians understood.
l don't know, but they seemed very at
tentive throughout the entire services,
Services are also held on Sunday
evening, but the attendance is usually
about seventy-fve. Since the mem
bership is less than three hundred
and all the young folks were away at
school, we figure this attendance about
as good as that of the white churches
with which we are familiar.
Here are some of the facts, we
learned about this agency. 1t is
known as the Salt River Agency, and
at present there are twelve hundred
Indians on it. Of this number three
hundred r Apaches, two hundred
Maricopas and seven hundred Pimas.
There are three churches, the Catholic
with three hundred members, the Nor
mons with about the same number
and the Presbyterian with six hundred.
At church the men all sit on one
side of the room and the women on
the other. Like some white people we
have known, the Indian is usually late
to church, and always give as his ex-
cuse the fact that the entire family
takes its weekly bath on Sunday
morning. Where the Indian is bap-
tized into Christianity he always
takes a Christian name and aban-
dons forever his heather name.
Whether he does this because he still
to some of his former beliefs,
and thus maintains as sort of DIR.
Jekyl and Mr.. Hyde existence, or be-
cause he thinks this change necessary
to make the rebirth complete, no one
seems to know.
There are fine government buildings
to accommodate the government of
ficials. These consist of the agent
in charge of the entire reservation;
IL