Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-03-03
DIR. AND MRS. Fl. III. SCOTT VISIT
THE GRANDSTAFFS
The Future of the NavajOs and the
Beautiful Rug Industry

l1NduClAul 1euE 11AAeASSAJ
At the suggestion of the editor of
the Democrat, Mr.. Ray Durbin, we
visited in Gallup, New Mexico, M.
James Grandstaff. He is govern
ment agent at the Southwestern
Range and Sheep Breeding Labora-
tory, in charge of wool research,
under the department of agricul-
ture. His wife is Helen Crisman
Grandstaff We visited them in
their beautiful home, 402 E. Green
street, on the hill above the COM
mercial part of the city. Mr.. Grand
staff conducts Investigations in wool
growing The great object in be-
ginning this work here in 1885 was
to develop a breed of sheep, need
ing little feed in winter, as hardy
and meeting other requirements as
well. Mr.. Grandstaff said THE OBJ
ject of the research work is to de-
velop a breed of sheep, suited to
the economic needs of the Navajo
Indians, with particular reference
to production woods possessing ply
steal properties suited for their
handicrafts, rs we'll as commercial
manufacturers and other users of
these wools'' A commercial wool,
a wool adapted for weaving the
Navajo rugs, and sheep with NUT
ton value is the project.
The first sheep in the reservation
were descendants of the Spanish
stock Of the sixteenth century, CEN
tering in Acoma, Zuni and other
pueblos. The wool deteriorated in
fneness and uniformity. Finally
our country began to take a prop
er interest in Indian welfare. Finer
strains were crossed. Ramboullet
blood from France was introduced
The result was a better commercial
wool, but it was spoiled for Weav-
ing, making rougher rugs and
blankets. Other strains are being
used now to correct this. Each
sheep at the experiment station has
his thumb print, as it were. Each Of
the $50 sheep has recorded about
ten cross sections of his wool, in
microscopical pictures, 500 times
the size of the original. These are
carefully filed.
Sheep and wool is the principal
industry of the Navajo people, a
race numbering $4,000, the largest
of all the Indian tribes. Without
it they could not subsist. Hence
the Importance of the weaving in
dustry, and the character of the
wool used and of improving the
old type of Navajo sheep. In 1884
the department of agriculture sent
DR.. Youngblood to make a survey
of conditions of the sheep, wool,
and weaving industries. He found
the rug industry had deteriorated
because of the wool used. There
was danger the art of weaving
would be lost. The Indian uses 10
to 20 percent of his wool in rugs,
which are picked up by tourists and
sold all over the states. The rest is
exchanged at the trading posts for
commodities. There is a period ear
ly in the year when the income of
the family is from wool, a second
period in the fall when the income
is from the sale of mutton lambs.
In the interim the squaw supports
the family. by making and selling
the beautiful and costly rugs and
blankets
We should have stated long be.
fore this, that the Grandstaffs,
these fine servants of the people.
who are doing such wonderful and
necessary piece of work for the
Navajos. and eventually for all who
are interested, especially the south
western areas of the states, are
themselves native born citizens OF
Bristol, Morgan county. All honor
to these members of our big Nor
gan county family.
Behold A Greater Than Mammoth
Cave Is Here
About 1900, Texas cowboy seek
ing for his cattle stumbled upon
one of the greatest wonders of the
world He saw what seemed to be
great columns of smoke arising
where man had never been before
He examined, and approaching near
enough saw millions of bats COM
ing from a cave. 1t is estimated
that three to five million bats live
in these subterranean recesses. 1t
takes a half hour for them to get to
the outer air. We met Jim White.
cordial, modest, gentle, courteous.
schooling in his life, who with an
old teakettle lamp had lived three
days and nights in this cavern, be-
fore he divulged its secrets to the
world.
We found that subterranean
beauty could be as wonderful as
that above the earth, and more
But to describe it-well
it is impossible, it is never to be
forgotten. never to be described
Justly. The largest cavern in the
world is found in the southeast cor
ner of New Mexico, running far un-
der the Guadalupe mountains. Rain
water contains carbon dioxide which
devours limestone. When the great
mountain up]ift laid open the
cracks in the limestone, sixty mil
lion years ago. the water from
above ate and eroded the soft lime