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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (May 9, 1901)
\ * * 8 The Conservative * time , the blanket was again removed and revealed the stalks several feet high , which bespoke a favorable growing season. Once more the blanket was re placed and the ceremony continueduntil , upon removing the blanket again , the full , ripe ear was revealed , growing on a fully matured stalk. The ear was plucked by the medicine-man and passed from hand to hand as others joined the dance ; great joy seemed manifest , as the ear was well-shaped and well- fined which gave them assurance of a bountiful harvest. Surely these dusky husbandmen had processes superior to their pale-faced followers ; now the farmer must trust to luck and the caprices of the elements , and risk his seed and year's labor before he knows the results to be obtained ; then , all was known before the seed was placed in the ground. Mr. North says he did not handle the ear , but he saw the corn planted , and witnessed its growth to maturity , and observed the ripened ear , all within two hour's time. He has no theory to pre sent , but lie thinks it very doubtful if the camera would reveal it in pictures. The feats of jugglery , practiced in India cannot be photographed , so competent authorities tell us ; if this be true it must partake of hypnotism , and , there fore , opens a new line of study for students of the American aborigine. One more feat which Mr. North has witnessed must certainly be an optical illusion of some sort , and seems to sub stantiate the hypnotic theory : A strong cord or rope was attached to an arrow , and the arrow placed to the bow-string and shot through the body of an Indian brave ; a warrior at each end of the cord , by jerking and pulling , made a " " of the brave "jumping-jack" perforated ; suspending him in air and cutting all manner of antics without a sign of pain or inconvenience from the victim. This was continued for some time , until one of the warriors dropped the end of the cord and the brave was released. He suffered no harm , and showed no signs of a wound from the arrow thrust , so it must have been an optical illusion. How it was done , where the art or skill to perform such feats came from , and how long they had been practiced , are mysteries. That such feats were commonly practiced by the Pawnees is a firmly-established fact , and it remains for students to give us a solution of the mysteries surrounding them. Mere in credulity does not answer the condition of this problem. According to the light we now have , we must acknowledge that the recent Indians are descendants from the aborigines , hero , in Nebraska , whatever * * " may be the theory of the mound-builders who once inhabited the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. The recent Pawnees , " as offspring of the aborigines , have re tained many , if not 'all , their ancient customs. Many of the customs prac ticed by the recent Pawnees can be traced to their contact' with the whites , but here we have feats of jugglery which no white man can perform. In THE CONSERVATIVE , some weeks ago , Mr. A. T. Richardson , who is one of the ablest students of Indian characteristics in the state , gave an account of the Indians' power to play a musical instrument rhich no white man can sound , and , also , told of two stones which an Indian could make luminous by rubbing , but which a white man could not effect. The list of real Indian arts is growing , and , through the medium of feats which we know were not learned from contact with the white .man , we may , in time , come to know the aborigine in his primi tive state. When that time comes we will be prepared to trace his wander ings and read his genealogy much more accurately than can be done today. If the aborigine practiced hypnotism , which seems evident , that fact alone places him on a high plane of intelli gence barbarians do not hypnotize. If the old settlers will assist in this re search , as Mr. North is doing , and each contribute his experience to the budget , and let it go on record , substantiated by eye-witnesses , much light may be thrown on the obscure history of these interest ing people , which will be invaluable to future students , when no eye-witnesses can be called to prove what , in their time , will become but "a creation of a diseased imagination. ' ' If you have reason to doubt anything written in these articles , over my name , please have no hesitation in making it known. I shall be only too glad to get truth and nothing but truth shall be re tained if I can help it. H. P. Coolidge , a tinner , working in Columbus , has of ten seen the feats , above mentioned , performed while he was in the government employ at the Pawnee reservation. He came to Nebraska in 1847 , and has been with the Indians of the Missouri valley for many years. He says he knew the Pawnees when they numbered several hundred thousand , and , he says , the small-pox epidemic of 1853 first weakened them until their enemies gained the ascendency over them. I shall give the readers of THE CON SERVATIVE a few legends , which I learned from these gentlemen , in time , but I wish these feats of jugglery , as repeated by eye-witnesses , to have a wide circulation , and , if there be others in the state who can add then : testimony as eye-witnesses , I should be pleased to hear from them , as I wish the matter settled beyond question , and a "source" of authority established for students to work from , in years to come , when we , of mortal clay , have ceased to study the American aborigine at longe range , but have gone hence to meet him in the happy hunting ground , whence none re turn to report their investigation even of so interesting a subject as the American aborigine. E. E. BLAOKMAN , Boca. , Neb. , April 27 , 1901. FROM A COSMOPOLITAN PATRON. EDITOR THE CONSERVATIVE : 1 am much obliged to you for sending me some extra copies of your issue for March 28th , in which you kindly pub lished my sonnet entitled "Wings. " I have already received several highly complimentary letters from literary friends , in praise of it. One ; also , from England and another from Germany. A Yale graduate on the staff of the Rocky Mountain News is even extravagant in his appreciation. After you receive this letter , please to change my address for the numbers of THE CONSERVATIVE to 1545 Ogden street , Denver , Colo. I am getting ready to leave Paris and slowly proceed to Japan , via the United States ; as my only daughter has succeeded in graduating with high honor at the Sorbonne , in the ancient and modern French course re cently opened to women. She is the first American woman to do this. She has , also , during the last whiter painted eight copies of old portraits ; hardly to be distinguished from the originals. Pardon me if my parental feelings impel me to say that I am proud of her. In reading over your CONSERVATIVE for March 28th , I was interested in the J article on page 2 , entitled "Bequests. " I fully agree with your views. But , perhaps , you will allow me a mild criti cism as to the use of one word. Ten lines from the bottom of the page occurs the phrase "enlightened selfishness. " I have long been accustomed to draw a distinction between "selfishness" and "self-interest. " Selfishness is a vice , because it does not pay attention to the rights of others. Self-interest is a virtue , because it is consistent with a careful regard for the rights and in terests of others. I believe , on con sideration , that you will see the pro priety of this discrimination. Your paper is a lively one ; works for the good of our fellow-men ; is on the right side ; and I read it always from end to end with admiration. EDWIN EMERSON , Sr. 2 Rue Cassini , Paris , April 22 , 1901. REPORT OF THE CONDITION OF THE NebrasKa City National BanK NEBRASKA CITY , NEB , , at the Close of Business on Wednesday , April 24,1001. RESOURCES. Loans $209,162.43 Overdrafts 180.66 U.S. Bonds 116,850.00 Other Bonds and Securities 21,104.54 Real Estate , Furniture and Fixtures 12,770 82 Cash Exchange and Due from Treas. U. S. 154,859.67 Total $604,89Ui ! ) LIABILITIES. Capital $100,000.00 Surplus and Profits 18,090 98 Circulation 100,000.00 Deposits 391,802.04 Total $604,893.02 DIRECTORS. W. L. WILSON , ROUT. LOUTON , President. Vice President. H. D. WILSON , Cashier. Rom. PAYNE. A , P. STAFFORD.
