The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-01-28

the finest of some II very good
BUILDINGS. but there was some
thing inconorouS in watching
these 240 smileless Indians file IN,
dressed in white mems uniforms,
in white mems buildings to enjoy
white mems custom. 1t was a re-
violation to see their dark faces,
carver like images, break into
broad gentle smiles when Santa
Claus arrived with a great clattcl
and din. To a man like Mr..
Sta who knows and is known
and trusted by the Navaios SO
much, these ten years in which the
Indian is forced into school APP
pears to be a great waste. The
school fits the Indian in absolute
ly no way of earning his living
he is even ignorant of his fathers
art of weaving. He returns to his
tribe, a sort of outcaSt not con-
tent with the hogan, and yet hat
ing the white mans house. In the
end, he or she revertS to the blan-
kct, the hogan and the medicine
man, refusing to speak the English
language and booming a shiftlss
herder.
Mr.. Stables gave a dinner party
to the "Four Hundred" on Dec
ember Goth. Yes, the social elect,
his neighbors. I'm other words,
the Indians from the reservation.
! Unfortunately it was a cold driz-
zlir~ day and man of the invited
guests could not come so far.
Many of them who did come, mad
no moccasins, but plodded throu h
the half frozen mud with sacks
tied around their feet The old
braves, keen-eyed and wizened,
wore their black shining hair tied
hack in a knot with a white cord,
and yer wrapped in beautiful
blankets while pieces Of turquoise
dangled from their ears. A large
number of the young bucks wore
their hair in p long bob, and their
sadly depleted suits were decorat-
ed with bri"ht kerchiefs of cheap
silk tied about the collar.
Fat Fanny was Mistress of Ger.
emonies. while her lesser spouse
squatted by the fire. Her mighty
frame was covered by a magnii-
cient blanket, and over her am~le
frontier were spread beautiful
necklaces. while her cars and
bands wefc decorated similarly.
When she ate, she too s0uatted in
the mud, grunting with pleasure,
now and then contributing to
Mr.. Staples conversation with his
strange speaking quests. And she
and her husband are COLLEGE grad
yates of the Indian college, who
have returned to their hogan.
their 1n~-""c and their medicine
mon.
Now and then | caught a
glimpse of a really beautiful little
Indian maiden running around in
Il sodden blanket and a handsome
boy. straight and 1.-the, listening
eagerly to the soft low intonation
Of his fathers tongue. Thew we're
The few rare r~enlications of the old
race.
When they at last departed in
the drizzlc and mud, some of them
were gruntir~ with the pleasure of
filled bellies, but others were st0i-
cal and silent. Each brave had re-
ceived a cigar, each s0aw a loaf of
bread and a bag of nuts and can
dy. | wish you could have watched
them with me, as laden with their
"Keesmus' gift the filed away
to their sQualid poverty. Bitter
cold, creepin~ shadows, and still
the Peonlc of McSas ploddcd on.
New Years Eve, we went to d
rancher's dance at Crown POM,
onlv Is miles from Thorcau, which
is really nearby in New Mexico.
Everyone has his car, and a good
one at that. The tri" rough
Satan's Pass, a narrow twisting
canyon road of six miles, raised
more than one head of hair that
night. AT times it seemed as If
the great red mesas with their
strange fantaStical formations
reared up on all sides. There
would be a deft turn of the steer
ing gear, and then VIC would find
a narrow opening in the darkness.
Until that night, | had only seen
the cowboy at a distance; a
glimpse of a Sombrcro. a flash of
a kcrchief. a whirl of the lasso, a
cloud of dust, and that was all.
On this night, however, much to
my disappointment, tle" did not
wear their spurs, revolvers, OF
Kerchiefs at the dance. They were
tall, bronze, clear eyed fellows
who were dressed well. The one
local dance that the INDUCED in
was the Rye Waltz. In courtcsy
to the new preacher, the dancing
ceased early. at o|ne-thirt You
can Guess folks, how much more
thrilling this dance was than all
the college hops put together.
1t should have been tragic to
hcgin the New Year without snow
and nearly 1000 miles from homo,
but it is altogether too glorious in
this wonderful now country of oil
romances, with its vast desert and
sky, It's colorful meSaS and its faS-
chatting desert people. 1t is rath-
or COMMONPLACE to return to col
icge and city life, a bit different
from the old wild and woolcy
Southwest as conceived by the
Fasteners.
Here at Albuquerque, the roads
are quite dry again, the tennis
courts are in splendid condition
and horseback riding is greatly
Ii l. nlnar and cnnl