Show the old settler my ily dear san Jua ners 1 it wea a fourth of july celebia 1 tion lion contests and prizes a well prepared pie pared pro program ram a lovely day ai a big crowd ard and pe people ale came out with tall anticipations of a huge I 1 time things began to go off fine orations recitations declara tons J and ostentatious all bully when I 1 the contests began there was as i much blabbing and gabbing as if a lock flock of geese had just been turned out to feed bill had that gamey bald faced bay to run against henrys sorrel mare an and d jim thompson had his br brwn wn stallion which he had been grooming for the occasion since february and mrs brown had her blue mule which she knew could pass anything else in the valley if only sha had somebody who could I stop the tha blame thing once he got to going in high gear there were the footracer footraces foo foL traces the big tug of war the potato race an and d a long string of events the very reading of which caused ev mouth to water wate r in in i anticipation but that blabbing and that gabbing it developed to a alarming I 1 a r m i n g volume threatening pitch in the first horse race they jockeyed so long for advantage in starting that the two riders slid off their horses and began climb ing c en cn n each other when they were pulled apart each one hadi had pieces of the others countenance under his finger nails the big crowd took sides in this personal meeting of the jockeys and the blabbing and gabbing became furious and then nellie bowns blue mule after he had all but we won the race stopped dead across the thel track and new hostilities broke out over the he question cf f the prize prized after some of the crowd had said things at the top of their voices and began saying more things with their fists the celebration broke up hardly half finished and the celebrators celebratory went home some of them with black eyes I 1 there was fourth of july celebration at the two gray hills on the navajo reser reservation vatin they had a long program of athletic events and five hundred navajos cavajos were present they came in wagons on horses in cars and afoot they came smiling they brought their fast horses their foot racers their best looking babies for there was a baby show and a long list of prizes they had a squaw wood chop ping contest a melon eating contest a chicken pull and a big blanket exhibit navajos cavajos have a way of talking just loud enough t be heard and that is the way they all talked that day at two gray hills there was no loud nor unpleasant word all day and no decision was questioned for a minute some of the c cc looked like a tie but the decision settled the matter at once it was a perfect day it be fine my wife remarked as we went away in the evening if white people could learn to celebrate navajo style ALBERT R LYMAN |