Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-27

makes another. Her own tribe now
prefers blankets from American fac
tories about the home. They are not
art work but they are lighter in
weight and cheaper.
Almost every popular kind Of craft
work can be initiated. but the Navajo
blanket defies machinery. The colors
are used and dropped IN a fashion
that cannot be copied by weaving ma
chimes.
limitations EnsfIy Detected.
Such machine-nade limitations as
are on the market fall so far short or
the beauty Of the handmade articles
that they do not achieve ready sala-
limitations are easily detected. In a
genuine Navajo blanket the design
Ia exactly the same on both sides.
A pin stuck through will come out
on the other side AZ exactly the gams
color and place in the design.
| Though limitations are not numerous
the Government has taken precautions
against the sale ~ such articles for
genuine Navajo blankets. Every prod
uct Of the Indian weayer's loom "a
inspected and tagged before the trad
er can handle 81. The tag Is a pro-
lection TO both the weaver and ths
buyer.
Since weaving Is tho best thing that
the Navahos do, the Government en-
courages them 70 make a living "
their art. In the schools Indians who
are skilled weaverg are employed bY
the Government TO interest the chill
dren In blanket making and 20 teach
them the processes.
The weavers seem 70 lose noua II
their skin With the passing ~ genera
tions, and while Old blankets ars
sought by collectors the new ones. Il
we'll made, always End buyers. Like
r. hne violin. n good Navajo blanks.
increases in value with age. Colors
soften but do not fade. and the tight
ly woven fabric wears like !ron. Oh
woven strips that we're roughly used
az saddle blankets by the Indians have
! been found by collectors. and under
the CRIME tho colors were still clear,
Connoisseurs ecour the southwest
country, even an far sa Mexico. for
? old products of the Navajo loonns-
) Once. fine specimens could be bought
, from Indians Of various tribes all over
, New Mexico and Arizona But grad
, ually travellers have bought up the
, best Of these 70 that IN old blanket
Is considered a rare find.
Museums all over the country have
j. blankets that were bought for a few
!. dollars and that would now bring sew
u eral hundred. Az much az 81 900 =
paid for an unusual piece of work
valuable private collection "a own
y ed by Mrs. John A. Logan General
Logan collected blankets when Ans
:. specimens were easily available Cor
o the white man who could distinguish
u them. and his collection represents a
q long and active interest IN Esvaho
y weaving
: The General became fascinated h7
n the art ~ the Eavahos shortly after
y the Civil War. Later, ae Senator "a
Z was a member If the Indian Affairs
20 Committee. and made p number n
Y trips To the west 20 see that the In
I. dams were treated fairly by ther
a agents. on these trips hs continued
"a his practice OF buying blankets to en-
! courage the production of this beauti-
;. ful craft work. Old Chief .Jnseph and
:, other chiefs helped him 70 add TO his
:. collection. and Navajo Charhe. one of
the best blanket makers OF his tr.bs
and one of the comparatively Se7
70 male weavers, sold the General Some o.
10 his work.
y The Indians have never proated bI
ie this principle Of the increased value o
old blankets. Twenty dollars IN thi
sr hand means more to them than 3 poe
of sible hundred dollars a few years
es hence. So long as the white man pay.
le cash they are satisfied.