Year: 1875

A Remnant OF the Aztec Race-An Indian
Tradition-Advances Ina Civilization.
Correspondence of the Daily Grsphic.l
FORT A. LINCOLN, d. T., July 90
About one hundred and twenty miles west
of Tucson, Arizona, is to be found a tribe,
or rather the remnant of once large and
powerful tribe, of Indians known as the
PimoS. They are large, finely formed
people, and have less of the Indian charac-
teristics about them than their Apache
brothers. They live in log and adobe
houses, cultivate the soil, have large cattle
herds, and pride themselves upon never
having shed the blood of white man. A
traveller passing through their villages
just before sunrise will find most of them
on top of their houses, waiting and watch
ing for the arrival of MonteZuma, who
they firmly believe will come some day
with the sun. They claim TO be descend
ants of the old AZtecs, and practice many
OF the forms of worship formerly observed
by them.


Arizona at some period long passed
by was thickly inhabited, for ruins of large
towns are found all over the Territory.
Broken pieces of pottery and other art
cles indicative of the peaceful and indus.
triOus character of the people cover the





Whether the powerful tribes from the
north forced the inhabitants to emigrate
to the south nearer the coast, or whether
their departure was cau-ed by changes
taking place in the cOnfiguratiOn of the
soil, are questions that have been pretty
thoroughly discussed. Ruins of towns
are found twenty and thirty miles from
the nearest water, when it is well known
that people on settling in new land al
ways build their houses near streams.
Changes are constantly taking place in the
rivers of Arizona, flowing as they do
through sandy soil, appearing and dis
appearing and finally losing themselves
entirely. Many cease to flow or alter
their course; others spring up in
the midst of dry desert land.
think it safe to say that this was one of
the great reasons which caused the coun-
try to be abandoned. The Pimos state
that in the old time an eagle appeared to
the people and informed them that they
must leave their towns and villages and
follow him, and where he would stop
there they must build their capital CITY ::
so every one in the land except one old
woman followed the eagle, who conducted
them down into what is now called Mexi-
co, and finally stopped near the present
City of Mexico; there the people settled.
What induced the old woman to remain
behind or what became of her the Indians
do not know. The Pimos Indians are no.
ted for their beautiful hair, which grows
to an immense length, and is taken great
care of. Naturally it is of brown color.
but they smear it with the gum of the
mesquite tree, then make huge coil of it
and plaster mud over it, which they allow
to remain week. The baked earth-fOr
it becomes as hard as rock almost in this
time-is then carefully washed out and
the hair is beautiful black color. The
dye lasts for quite long time and adds to
their appearance exceedingly. Their wO.
men take charge of all matters pertaining
to the household and the men work in the
fields, differing in this respect from other
Indians. They frequently form war par
ties for the purpose of fighting the Apa
ches, and endeavor to surprise their viii
lages during night time. Leaving their
ponies concealed in ravine near the VII
lage to be attacked, they creep so quietly
into il as not to awaken even the dogs
which swarm sbOut all Indian villages.
Two PimOs then go to every hut, one of
whom quietly goes inside, the other re-
naming outside but close by the entrance.
The one who has entered the hut then be-
gins the work of determination by strik
ing the sleeping Apaches on the head with
a wooden club which resembles gigantic
potatO-masher. Some of themshearing
the noise caused by the crushing bones
rush out of the door, hoping to escape in
that way, but they are met by the one
who has remained outside, armed with a
similar weapon, and who generally makes
short work of them. Should the Pimo
who has gone inside be in danger he backs
out, thus letting his friend know who
he is.


The farms of the Pimos are on the north
and south banks of the Gila River, near
their village. and, as they are we'll taken
care of, yield good harvests. Corn. wheat
melons, squashes, and other vegetables
are raised in great abundance, and what is
not required for home consumption is sold
at fair figures, though of course in busi-
ness matters they have to succumb to the
superior intellect of the white man, and
sometimes find themselves cheated. 1t
seems just as natural for white man to
cheat an Indian as for a duck to take to
water, and the white mans conscience is
never troubled by such transactions, for
he seems to consider the poor unfortunate
Indian his Legitimate plunder. OF course



after their welfare, which he generally
does, though making their welfare his
welfare.


Some years ago the Indian Department
sent an invoice of plows and other agri-
cultural implements to the agent for dis
tribution among the Indians, but as there
was settlement of whites and Mexicans
forming on the Gila River, fifteen or twen-
tv miles from the PimOs Agency and as
they were not very well supplied with
farming tools, the agent considerably sold
them the implements intended for the In
dams, and confented himself with thinking
the Indians could get along far better with
their old-fashioned tools. OF course he
turned over to the Indian Department the
results of the sale, as it is so like agents to
do such things. The Pimos are improv-
ing rapidly in the scale of civilization. and
are making earnest endeavors to become
people Of consequence, and even now are
far better citizens than the majority of
Mexicans who inhsbit the territory.