New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-12-30
OLD CURIO SHOP is
PLACE OF GREAT INTEREST

On San Francisco street in the city
of Santa Fe, there is located a store
which holds the honor of being one
of the oldest and most unique mer-
camille establishments in the United
States. 1t is known as "The Origin
al Old Curio Store" and is now own
ed and operated by ]. S. Candelario,
who states that the business was or
iginally started by one of his ancee-
tors way back in 1908, and is the
Oldest trading post at the end of the
Santa Fe Trail.
| AS one enters the store, which oc-
cupies an old adobe structure, built
many years ago it is noted that the
interior is much larger than would
be supposed from the outside, and 1t
is literally filled to overflowing with
such a galaxy of Indian goods, curios
and relics of the early days of Span
ish occupation as is seldom seen un-
der one roof.
On top of the said roof, at one OF
its front corners, and in plain view
of pedestrians passing up and down
San Francisco street, stands an old
Spanish Carreta, said to be the origi-
nal old cart which was captured from
the Spaniards in the sixteenth CEN
tury by the Tesuque Indians, who
kept it as a token of the great vic
tory until the Snazo family came into
power in 1856, when it was present.
ed to Mr.. Candelario's father.
Returning to the interior of the
store We find many articles of great
antiquity and historic interest and
value. In fact 3" partial list" OF
the curios, etc. contained in the
mammoth stock, contains the names
of close to 200 different articles from
Jumping Beans to Mastodon Bones
and from Bull Fight Handkerchiefs
to Navajo Blankets.
Il trade direct with the Indians"
remarked Mr.. Candelario to the State
Record representative, a few days
ago. These blankets" he continued
running his hand through a large
pile of beautiful Navajos and Chin
ayos, are among the most useful and
popular of the products of Indian
manufacture" THE Indian blan-
kets in my stock are all genuine, and
come from at least sixteen different
tribes.
Questioned further, he went on,
"The story of the making of the Ma
vajo, Balleta, Aztec, Chimayo, Hupai,
and Moqui blankets is most interest
ing. The Navajo blanket, for in
stance, is made a few miles from
Santa Fe. on the Navajo Reservation
by the Navajo squaws. Each Indian
family has for generations herded
small flock of sheep, some Indians
owning from a hundred to over
thousand sheep. After the wool is
sheared, the squaw takes 1t and
hangs 1t up to air and dry in the
sun, then cards and use the mala-
cate to spin it. After this wool is
cleaned and spun, she takes 1t to her
hogan (hut) where she builds her
simple loom by suspending two poles.
one at the top and the other at the
bottom lashed to the ground with
the warp drawn between them.
"A rough sketch of this blanket is
outlined in the sand, and with the
color schemes in her mind, she takes
some white wool and a small lot of
black wool and by carefully combing
them together makes the shade OF
grey.
Remember in a black-and-white
and grey blanket there is no dye, as
these are natural colors as they come
from a sleeps back.
THE designs in every Indian blan-
ket have a meaning. For instance:
Zig-zag lines indicate lightning. Rain
l.. lxxr fuht faQl 1tnn
in black. Red denotes warmth and
feeling.
"The Balleta blanket-the Queen
of blankets-is made in a similar
manner to the Navajo, only much
finer wool is used and therefore
much lighter in weight, making a
splendid floor rug or couch cover.
The weavers who make the Balleta
blankets are the most skillful OF all
the native weavers. The colors are
blended perfectly and so tightly is
the wool packed that 1t is water
tight and dust proof.
THE Chimayo blanket is also
made close to Santa Fe by a small
tribe, who have become expert in the
use of these old crude looms and
whose designs are entirely different
from the Navajo. Their blankets
make fine couch covers and throws.
1t Is not known where these people
learned their art-perhaps from the
Spanish.
When asked how to distinguish a
genuine Indian made blanket from
an imitation, Mr.. Candelario replied,
In every Indian blanket the designs
are straight through in the same
color in the same place. Take for
instance a white cross. 1t will ap-
pear in white on each side and in the
same place, while in machine made
blankets, the colors in the designs
are reversed. Machine made blank
cts are double faced. Indian blan-
kets are alike-no right and wrong
side. We guarantee each blanket We
send out to be genuine Indian man.
ufacture."
/ As the State Record man left the
store. Mr.. Candelario called his at
I tention to a large register near the
door. This book contains thousands
of signatures of persons who have
visited the store during the last fifty
years. including a great many dis
tinguished people, among them, the
late Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Prof.
Chas. Elliott, of Harvard University,
Ex-President VIM. H. Taft, and Will
liam Jennings Bryan.
Besides the signatures. the regis
ter contains several expressions OF
appreciation written by visitors to
the store.
W. n. Bird, of Dallas. Texas.
writes under date of Oct. IA, 1921:
I'VE have been in thirty-five states
and wish to say that this is the most
Interesting and really wonderful
curio store we have ever seen. II