Imperial Valley press., 1924-09-04
BY MILTON MacKAYE
Omitted Press Staff Correspondeut

IL Omitted Press Staff correspondent
+ WASHINGTON, Sept. 4.-Amer-
lean explorers have found a race of
modern Amazons--a people where
/ the woman is the head of the fam
lily and ruler of the house.
They are the To-Runs, tribe of
/ Monogol descent which inhabits that
little known part of western China,
where are found the headwaters of
the Yellow river, ''the stream of
gold.
Reports of two explorers sent to
the region testify to the truth of the
stories brought out of Asia. The
explorers are Frederick R. Wulsin,
leader of an expedition sent by the
National Geographic society, and the
late William Woodville Rockhill,
who left record of the tribe to the
Smithsonian institution.
The customs of the To-Runs prove
that woman s invasion of industry,
her determination to "live her own
life" is not a development of mod
ern civilization. For among these
primitive peoples the weaker
sex" is emancipated to the point of
| domination of the male.
The To-Runs live in stfp of
wooded and hill country and Are an
agricultural and nomadic people.
! Their houses are made of timber and
mud and their industries are simple
and few. They make their own
/! clothes and the embroidered shoes
/ they wear. Both women and men
smoke herb resembling tobacco.
The tribe has its own language, but
it is not written and must be fur
ther studied before its sources can
be determined.
Mixture of Many Races
Scientists here believe the To-
Runs and associated tribes have
| been lost in the heart of Asia for
centuries and are curious mingling
of many races. By the character
istics of the peoples they are con
vineed that the Yellow river region
was one of the racial backgrounds
of the early Asiatic migrations.
Wilson, found the To-Runs after
establishing a headquarters more
than 900 miles from a railroad and
trip up the yellow river on RATS
of yak skins. They live north OF
the small Singing river.
Just how the women of the tribe
gained their. ascendency,, Wilson
had not yet. determined, but he and
his associates believe that a further
study of the tribal legends may
solve the riddle. #$#
He reports one astonishing female
trait, however. The Women pay no
attention to increasing years, we'd
come, in fact, the coming of old age.
Because they are not dependent
upon personal and physical charms
to maintains stheir hold upon the men
of the tribe, they refuse ito capitu-
late to time, he says, and, rather
turn the. years to their own advant-
age sF
The diaries of RockhiiI furnish
even more light upon the strange
Amazonian customs which prevail
in the, Yellow river country. Di- |
vorce and free 1oye are common, he
says, and some women refuse to |
marry at all. If they have suffi-
eient property, they may bring up
as many children as result from pass
ing attachments. Il
Many Uncles; Any Father !
RockhiH contends this custom is a.
result of natural conditions. In the |
To-Run section, agricultural land is
scarce, and few families can be |
raised. AS a result polyandry is
permitted and temporary marriages |
recognized whether they be for six
months, six weeks or six days.
The offspring of these marriages /
treat as father anyone whom their |
mothers teach them to recognize as |
such. Other husbands are the Gun [
clesv of the children. Family names !
are unknown, and the child is often
spoken of as the son or daughter |
of such and such woman.
The industrial domination of we
men, however, usually does not be- |
gin until after marriage. She is sold !
by her parents, but immediately !
upon entering the home of her hus-
band she no longer is the slave, but
the master.
No buying or selling is done ex.
cept by her, or with her consent.
She takes charge of the rude family
exchequer and all the affairs of the
household.
In some portions of the To'Run
country, the hat-choosing festival,
sexual rite, is permitted as it is
among many Moslem, Mongol, and
Tibetan tribes.