10 THE OMAHA DAILY IffiE : SUNDAY. IWHRUAIIY 12. 181)3 ) 8IXTRRN1 1 > A FA
AMERICAN SUN WORSHIPERS
Carious Pagan Thanksgiving Day Among
the Fuoblo Indians.
WITH A SUN DANCE AND A SACRED RACE
I'rlojbi of the Nun n Comedian * An
Jnolutcd Corner ot Now Mnxloo
Wlicro HUtccntli Ccntiirj
I.lfo HUH 1'rovalli.
If any glebe trotter with a hostile con
tempt for the now anJ the commonplace In
America Is pining for curious antiquities and
n brand now ssnsitlon , ha can bo accommo
dated without sailing angry seas or running
the gauntlet of hungry horJoa of foreigners.
All ho need do Is to board n palace car for
Now Mexico and take a whirl nmong the
sun worshipers who may bo found in the
land of sun , sand and solitude. ,
When Mark Twain wrot'o the story of a
modern Yankee at the court of King Arthur
the Ingenuity and fnnclfulncss of the Idea
were thought quite worthy the Inventive
jwwcrs of ii genius , but Mark's romance
is not in It , to use n street phrase ,
with the realities of lifo In the
Bouthwostcrn territory. A man may
take up his residence in a Pueblo
village remote from white settlements , and
ho will actually do that which Twain con
ceived in a facetious freak of his erratic
imagination. Tlmo will have boon turned
backward for his especial benefit about ono
inlllcnium. Ho will find himself among a
Kcntlo , hospitable people , who live the same
peaceful , uneventful lifo their forefathers
nro known to have lived when civilization
nnd history strayed across their path 850
years ago , nnd It Is probable that practically
the same mode of life has been followed for
1,000 years. This is not fancy , but fact.
And ono of the most curious things about
thosa strange and wonderful people is their
religion.
Nominally Christians , Kcully Pacnns.
When those Spanish conqulstadorcs were
lured by fabulous talcs of the golden wealth
of the sovcn cities of Clbola they came with
a sword in ono hand nnd the cross In the
other. They gave the peaceful natives their
choice of these. It was the ago of the inquisi
tion , nnd zealous padres , piously bent on
spreading the true faith among the heathen ,
accompanied explorer and marauder to tell
"tho glad tidings of great Joy. " But these
lioly .fathers were non persona grata to the
simple pagans.
And why not ? The rod men already had
Kods enough of their own. There was the
Sun Father , who each day drove away the
demon of darkness , who every year fought
nnd defeated the evil spirit that sent winter ,
nhd did ho not bless his children when good
with bountiful harvests ? And was there
not the gcntlo Moon Mother to intercede
with the father when ho became angry and
permitted the wicked spirit of the north to
freeze his people or the scorching fiend with
the hot breath of the south to bum their
crops ?
But those old fighting dons wcro qulto as
pious as the friars , if wo are to believe their
own statements , nnd so they religiously
slaughtered the weak aborigines until the
remnants were induced through these kind
ministrations nnd the grace of a loving God
to go through the forma of being christlan-
Nominally the Pueblos nro Catholics , but
their Christianity is scarcely skin deep , nnd
many a priest , if you can catoh him in the
mood , will frankly admit It. These Indians
nro sun worshipers and retain their ancient
rites nnd ceremonies. Many cf these arc
performed secretly in the chambers known
ns ostufas , which are sacredly guarded from
intrusion at such times. Pagan priests ,
. interdedcrs with sun , moonand lesior spirits ,
P. there nro in plenty , but the priests of the
L Vrliito man's religion uro not welcome in the
uurlr , mysterious estufas , many of which
nro under ground.
Going ; to the Run Festival.
One of the best places for studying the in
teresting customs of this ancient and won
derful people is nt Taos. This pueblo is
located in a little , out-of-the-way valley , hid
den among the Rocky mountains In northern
Wow Mexico. A short time ago It was sov-
cnty-flvo miles from n railroad , nnd only
accessible by tedious trails through winding
canons nnd over rugged mountains. NOA\ .
ono may como down from Denver by the
Denver & Rio Grande , see much of the grand
scenery of Colorado , nnd in the last sovcn
miles drop down into the canon of the Rio
Grande at the rate of 1,200 feet in
seven miles , during which ho is likely to slip
out to the rear platform , where ho may drop
off when t'io train goes over the prociplco ; or
ho may como up from the south by the Santa
Fo railroad , In which case ho may got n sur
feit Of antiquity in Santa Fo and view the
.black nnd x-ugged ma'Josty of the canon
Diablo. In cither event ho will bo landed at
Krobudo in the afternoon , still thirty-five
long miles from Taos.
Kmbudo Is down in the railroad time tables ,
nnd that is about as near ns it comes to being
on earth. Adlmluutlvo rod station house is
there to Keep the lonely water tank com
pany. A boyish oporatorls lord of nil ho sur
veys , but n lord reduced to the menial reali
ties of "baching1" Ho Is enclosed on bothsldes
by the towering cliffs of lava which form the
canon , and it doesn't require much Imagi
nation to think of him as living In the pit of
an expired hell , whore the meeting of the
two trains each day is an event with which
a.clrcus is not to bo compared.
Just beyond Is a creek disguised under
the name of the Rio Grande. Farther down
country it so far forgets Itself ns to got lost
in the sands , hut up here it brawls noisily
over n bottom paved with blocks of black
basalt , nnd it flows on ns everlastingly as the
eternal hills whoso rains nnd snows feed it.
Across the river Is a long , low ndobo , the
dominion of Uncle Sam's mall pouch nnd the
homo of the Mexican postmaster. This is
Kmbudo.Now
Now Mexico Impressions.
At the door of the postofllce stands a light
platform wagon attached to two of these
diminutive broncho ponies , whoso endurance
has so many surprises. That Is the stage ol
Rnmon Grlcijo & Co. Curiously enough , the
linn with the imposing name is composed of
Mexican boys , brothers , who carry a long
star route into the mountains , gathering
and delivering mall pouches at n number ol
llttlo settlements the way. Itamon is a
bright.iwell dressed young man , who speaks
English fluently , three facts worthy of no-
tlco in this land of ayer ( yesterday ) , where
the inhabitants of these Isolated hamlets
nro 800 years behind the ago. Ho displayed
n gcntlo courtesy , too , and the writer en
countered this sweet quality nmong most of
the Spanish descended inhabitants of the
southwest vjlth whom ho came in contact.
These people , by the way , are always sK > ken
of in that country ns Mexicans , in order to
distinguish them from the inhabitants of
northern blood who are known ns Americans
AVhon the invader of the past mounts that
stage ho bids farewell to the nineteenth
century. The first turn of the road around
H Jutting rook hides the railroad from view ,
sal ho 1ms plunged 100 yours into antiquity.
At two or thrco points the canyon widens
out enough to permit n few acres of rlvor
bottom , and he.ro several Mexican families
manage to keep body and soul together in
some mysterious manner that defies n north
ern understanding. Ono of these nlacltas is
watered by a community irrigating ditch
which wanders along the base of the cliff in
a desultory sort of way for three miles , II
Is a crude affair , but twenty weary years
were needed for its construction , and the
dozen llttlo luUches which draw their lifo
from it would mnko un insignificant farm in
cue of the prairie states. One of'Its bene
ficiaries was exempted from laboring on its
construction because ho contributed au iron
shovel for the work , t\jrtuuato man I but
what miserably Inadequate Implements the
other tools must have been.
l'lcturetiuo Moxlcitn Htiieo Driver.
Tbo only connecting link with the ago of
the locomotive and the telegraph is the
driver of the stngo , a Mexican lad , and tbo
only clothing in evidence on him is a pair ol
rusty overalls , a muslin shirt that tulghi
have been white once anil a sombroroon Inti
mate terms with the prevailing antiquity ,
Ills er \vaUt is girt with a ixmdbrous
bolt carrying u young rillo knowi
n Colt's 44 , a gun calculated to throw two
w Uirea shades of solaumity over the spirits
of n tenderfoot accustomed only to the pop
guns carried In the oast.
Ever nml anon the swarthy young follow
.urns his bright , black ayes on the passenger
n the roar scat nnd hitches up the halt to
iring the revolver within ready reach of hU
right hand , nnd If the traveler luis taken
much stock in the conventional greaser of
.ho stage this llttlo pantomime it altogether
tea frequent nnd suggestive for the comfort
of his thinking apparatus. As n matter of
fact the Iwy Is only concerned for the safety
of his mall , and ho doubtless has his sus-
ilclons of some of the innocent actions of his
passengers.
Clgnra and store clsrarottcs ho will accept
with a soft graclaa ( thanksnnd ) when these
glvo out ho will fold bits of brown paper or
corn husks lor Cigarettes of Ills own manu
facture , but ho cannot bo tempted into a
talkative mood. The solitude of the hills
nnd the mesas has fallen on him.
By all the traditions of the north ft Mex
ican driving n team should swear as volubly
and ns i picturesquely as n trooper or n plrato
( assuming that that overworked simile has
some meaning left in It ) , but this pcrvorso
descendant of Castllo does nothing of the
sort. Ho whistles to his steeds with a llttlo
chirp that would make n catbird think its
mate was in the neighborhood , nnd every
whistle is timed with a swish of the whip ,
which flirts a flock of dust from ono of the
horses. Not a blasphemous word is hoard in
all that thlrty-flvo miles , but n onroful cal
culation indicates that the horses were
switched 1,500 times without gaining n foot
ou their normal speed.
Tlmo Turin HucK Three Centurlot.
After monotonous leagues up the narrow
canyon of the Rio Grande nnd weary miles
across great mesas in the Rockies the wan
derer arrives nt Taos at 0 o'clock at night.
When ho wakes up in the morning ho is in anew
now world and beholds the aboriginal lifo of
the sixteenth century. Ho finds the natives
nro Indians , though somewhat smaller than
these of the north. The strongest and
strangest impression Is made by their
houses , two great community buildings. At
n distance they look like pyramids , and nearer
by they nro scon to bo terraced. There are
no doors nnd the entrances are through the
tops of the terraces , which are reached b > y ,
ladders. These stmngo buildings nro bull It
of mud , ono of them six and the other four
stories high , and in their mysterious depths
live 800 people.
Fortunate is the stranger who Is present
on San Geronlino ( Saint Jerome ) day , for
then ho may witness the sun festival , the
great event of all the year at the Pueblo do
Taos. Ho will sco some of the public cere
monies in the sun worship of these people ,
and ho will bo forcibly impressed with the
fact that they practice a paganism with so
muqh of refinement in Its simple faith and
rites as to challenge the tolerant respect of
the Christian.
San Gcronlmo day Is unaccompanied by
the hideous and cruel ceremonies which
mark the sun worship of other savage tribes.
It Is given up to praise , prayer and merry
making. It is , in fact , a thanksgiving day ,
and the Pueblo , being a farmer and a herder ,
naturally celebrates it after the crops have
been gathered. Ho is moved by the
same impulses which stirred the Pil
grim fathers , but the Pueblo has
the advantage of having had his thanksgiv
ing day ages before the Puritan thought of
it. The Christian says thanks and sings
praises to an unseen Father. The pagan
sings and dances nnd offers thanks to the
Sun ( who smiles benignly unon his children
from his scat in the heavens ) , because the
Sun is the Father of all spirits and gives
light nnd warmth , and because without his
favor vciretation would dlo nnd his people
suffer. The Christian relieves the solemnity
of his festival by eating a big dinner. The
pagan engages in sports for the amusement
of the entire community. When you como
to compare them , the heathen and the
civilized thanksgiving days are not so very
far apart after all.
Christian Preliminaries.
As already explained , Catholicism has a
nominal hold on the Pueblos. Wo see ono
ovldcnco of this in the naming of the annual
festival after a Catholic saint. The shrewd
padres have nlmcd to graft Christianity ou
the pagan stock. On the morning , of San
Gcrouimo day mass is said in the little
whitewashed adobe chapel , but It is notice
able that almost all of the attendants are
Mexican women , who have como in from the
surrounding country.
Outstdo the door stands a poor idiot , an
object of reverential respect among Indians ,
nnd suspended from his neck is n battered
boy's drum , n proud jtossesslon. When the
priest arrives the simple ono gives him the
Pueblo salute , bending low over the father's
hand nnd gently breathing upon it. At fre
quent intervals during the service ho pounds
away lustily at his old drum and ho awakes
an echo from the roof of the building , where
another Indian hammers out a discord by
striking the bell with a rock.
Meanwhile the Pueblos for whoso benefit
this mass Is said are busy elsewhere with
preparations for the religious ceremony which
engrosses their honest belief. The men are In
the subterranean cstufas dressing their bodies
nnd performing these secret rites and incan
tations which whlto men nro not permitted
to benold. The women nro in the labyrinths
of the great pyramids decking themselves
out In their finest apparel for the celebra
tion , for these Pueblos have Sunday clothes ,
and many of these are rich and handsome.
The mass is concluded byOW : ! , and then
occurs the procession of the saint , another
Christian interpolation. In the chapel uro
images of San Gorouimo. the Virgin Mary
nnd Christ on the cross. These are taken up
in mysterious awe by the women present.
Outside the door n piece of sheeting is raised
aloft on poles by four Inoians to form a can
opy that will protect the Images from the
heat of the sun. * The procession then moves
off towards n llttlo bower of green limbs
near the bigger pyramid , several hundred
feet distant. At the head of the company
marches the simple drummer , iwunding
away for door lifo on his snarcloss drum.
Then follow two Pueblos firing guns ns rapIdly -
Idly as they can bo loaded , which has some
unknown religious significance , and finally
como the women with the images. The
figures are installed in the Ixjwer. where
they can overlook the dnnco nnd the race ,
nnd then the real celebration of the day
bpglns.
On a polo perhaps forty foot high nro sus
pended u sheep , pieces of broad known ns
tortillas nnd little sacks filled with various
kinds of grain. These nro the fruits of the
field nnd nro thus hung up ns a thank offer
ing to the Sun Father , by whoso grace it was
posslblo to ralsa enough to supply the com
munity.
Dressing Tor Sun Worship.
By 10 o'clock the mule Pueblos are seen
emerging from holes in the ground , the
openings of their subterranean council cham
bers , and the women and children , decked
out in their brightest Sunday-go-to-meeting
robes and displaying sheepskin leggings us
whlto ns paper , iiock to the terraces of their
pyramid homo to witness the pagan ceremo
nies. The men went through mysterious
incantations in their underground cstufas ,
took off their ordinary clothing nnd arrayed
themselves to honor the Sun Father and to
pleiiso the esthetic taste of their race.
Ordinarily clothed well enough to pass
muster in a civilized community , they come
forth for the dnnco stripped to n breechclout -
clout , ono of these a luce curtain , another
u plcco of print with the picture of n stork
and many of them bits of gay calico. Some
have worked red ribbons or skeins of yellow
yarn into their long black hair. All are
painted , but , unlike the Indian of the north ,
the Pueblos evidently try to present a
pleasing rather than n hideous appearance.
Bomo are half white and some nro half blue ,
others are marked with geometric flguros
nnd some nro ono solid color , except nt the
front and roar boljw the throat , where a
Y-shaped pleco of flesh was untouched , Irre
sistibly recalling the cut of many fashionable
women's gowns.
A striking feature of the decoration of
these men Is the white , downy eagle feathers
which nro stuck to all parts of the body.
Many have their heads nearly hidden by
this snowy covering , while others outlined
the painted figures with bands of the soft
down. Therein lies a curious and interesting
fact.
fact.Tho
The feather is n symbol of prayer nmong
the Pueblos. The eagle soars toward the
Sun at will , and his soft whlto plumes float
upward On the brcozo like thoughts. The
Pueblo goes into the mountains when the
eagle Is breeding to take its young and keep
thorn in captivity for this great occasion ,
and when ho docks himself with these flut
tering feathers they nro equivalent to so
many prayers constantly ascending to the
Sun Fattier. Not an unpootlcal idea.
The Tuoblo Suit Uuuce.
The men from the two big community
buildings form in separate groups , shoulder
to shoulder , and ou an open space overlooked
by the Images , begin their danco. Two men
carry n black rawhide drum as big as a bar
rel , and n third thumps the tlmo with a cu
rious and ponderous drumstick.
The dauco Is a jerky lifting of the feet. At
the flame tlmo the dancers move along sldo <
ways , ono group to the right nnd the other
k > the left , which In tlmo brine ; thn two lines
toco to faco. As they dance they sing n
Pueblo anthem.
To the unltlatcd it sounds like ft meaning
less repetition of such simple sylablcs ns hi *
yo-ta-hu , but It Is In fact n song of pralso
tml thanksgiving to the Sun Father and a
supplication for thoconttnuanco of his favor.
It is not the hearse nnd discordant yelping
of the northern Indian , but rlsas nnd falls In
rythmical cadences and with an exactness ns
to tlmo that is surprising. Thcro nro no
cruel tortures or wild orgies In the sun wor
ship of these enlightened "savages , " mm
when ono understands the significance of
their actions ho will observe much of natural
beauty In the sentiments which inspire them.
After the dance comes the race. This hat
some religious significance , ns may bo said of
almost everything the Pueblo docs , nnd nt
the sitno tlmo It is Intended to furnish
amusement , to make the day ono of happy
Jollification. The track is u smooth strip of
? round stretching about 100 yards away from
the saint's bower. It is n common notion
that this contest Is to determine the gov
ernorship of the community. This is not
strictly true , but at Tuod the winners nro
supposed to have been favored by the Sun
Father , nnd that sentiment usually results
In giving the ofilco to the building whoso
runners appear to have n "pull" ( to use a bit
of our political language ) with the powers
above.
Each of the big buildings at Taos is repre
sented by an equal number of runners ,
usually about sixteen. After short speeches
by the governor nnd lieutenant governor ,
these parties nro so divided nnd
stationed that e.ich building will have one-
half of its runners nt the upper end of the
track and the rest at the opposite end.
Knee.
This race is n bit peculiar. Two men , ono
from each building , start from the saint's
bower at the signal , run to the other end and
stop. As they cross the fine , which Is
marked by a bush lying on the ground , two
runners In the lower group , who have been
swaying and straining in impotent nervous
ness , take up the race nnd nro relieved in
turn when they reach the upper end of the
course. When ono side gets n considerable
lead on the other the latter calls on Its fast
est runners , and it sometimes occurs that
one man is put in repeatedly to regain lost
ground.
The contestants at each end stand in a
row watching the track. In the middle are
the two runners who nro to take up the race
next , nnd behind each standsxne of the old
men of the tribe with n long eagle feather.
The ancient one touches the calves of the
young man repeatedly with this pinion nnd
mutters a charm praying the Father to glvo
the runner the speed of the Imperial bird.
At the ankles and wrists of the young men
nro bound feathers from the wing of the
caglo to glvo the wearer some of the powers
of flight possessed by the bird. Hero wo see
that the pagans of the now world draw
Inspirations from nature Just as the pagans
of the old world did when tholr mythology
evolved Mercury nnd his wings.
The simpleness of this people has n strik
ing example in the race. Runners often
take up the race when their colleagues lack
twenty or thirty feet of having finished.
This would not bo tolerated among the
whites , but there Is not oven a protest
among the Pueblos nnd ono party is as
likely to do it as the other , so thcro seems to
bo no organized design in it.
The track is kept clear by the old men.
who uro stationed at short distances up nnd
down both sides armed with green branches
intruders out of the way. The spectators
show much excitement and cheer tholr
favorites with cries of "Um-o-pah" ( hurry
up ) , but there Is no turbulence , and the con
test continues for an hour and a half or
moro , until the governor gives the signal to
stop.
.Sun 1'rlcsts n § Mirth Milkers.
Tills ends the morning exercises , nnd the
afternoon is given up to the chlffonctcs , who
offer a pantomimic performance that affords
the natives great amusement. The chlf-
fonotes fill the dual role of merry makers
and priests of the Sun. At the beginning of
the growing season it is their duty to pro-
pitiuto the Father with supplications and in
cantations , nnd at the great harvest festival
they entertain the people with clownish
antics , for the Pueblos think it their duty to
make merry , to glvo thelu God visible ovi-
duneo of their JoyoUs "appreciation Of his
goodness.
These pagan priests are also naked except
'fur u brcecn clout. Their bodies are circled
in black and white streaks like a zebra ,
while their faces are marked in similar cir
cles , which have the nose for their common
center. Braided in the hair above the oars
nro bunches of straws from the harvest
field. They carry on a Jabbering conversa
tion like the minstrel men of the stage and
get off rude Jokes that tickle the spectators
immensely.
If the onlookers crowd too closely they got
down on all fours and scratch in the sand ,
sending n cloud of dust flying into the eyes
of the bystanders. They squirm through the
dust on their bellies like reptiles. They
offer each other weeds ts cat , which are
sniffed at and refused with a grimnco of dis
dain. Articles in the hands of spectators
are snatched away , wandering dogs are
stealthily stalked and swung in the air by
the logs , and when tho. cowboys on their
ponies become too obtrusive they are scat
tered by a can or a broken bottle thrown Into
the air.
All this Is very rude comedy , but the man
who said the Indian never laughed ought to
sco him at this pantomime , which is us intel
ligible in its way as that of the whlto
"artist. " When the merry-makers get off
particularly good hits the women on the
terraces shower them with cakes.
In the course of their wanderings the chif-
fonotes finally reach the polo which still bears
the offerings to the Sun Father. Here ,
after another confab about how they shall
got the prize at the top of the pole , they go
through un exceedingly well acted piece of
mimicry. First they pick up flat stones and
pound away at the polo llko men chopping
down a tree. They give this up in well
feigned disgust , and after another confer
ence go back to their cstufa. They return
in a few minutes with bows made of twigs
and with n bundle of straws for arrows. A
vigorous attempt is inada to shoot down the
offering , and their failure is marked with
well simulated surprise , much to the amuse
ment of the native spectators.
Then they make a pretense of climbing the
polo , slipping down repeatedly after pro
gressing ten or fifteen or twenty feet.
Finally ono of them succeeds nnd lowers the
thank offerings by a rope. The priests
carry off their Booty , nnd the sun festival is
at an end.
end.Groat
Great ivcnt Tor All Classes.
San Geroulmo day is n great events for
Americans and Mexicans of northern Now
Mexico and southern Colorado as well as for
the Pueblos. It Is like a popular circus in
the north ) and the cowboys nnd miners and
ranchers for seventy-live miles around ride
In , sometimes to the number of 2,000. Dele
gations of Apaches nnd Utos. como 200 miles ,
pitch their tents a mile away and trade with
the visitors , selling their baskets , their buck-
shin shirts and even their moccasins to got
money for liquor. And yet everything is
moro orderly than it would bo in n civilized
community with such Jin occasion and crowd.
At the last celebration Senator Ed Wolcott
of Colorado nnd a party of eastern friends
were spectators.
The thoughtful reader must bo impressed
with the absence in the Pueblo ceremonies of
the cruel and disgusting practices common co
other nborigltues in their religious exercises ,
and that is typical of this race in other re-
spects. In this connection it may bo as well
to correct a mistaken notion nbout the I'u-
eblo. Ho is not an Aztco nnd has no part In
the Montezuma myth. Ho is not looking for
the coming ot that god and Uoos not keep n
sacred eternal Hits burning. All Unit sort of
rubbish makes rollshablo reading for the
credulous. But the ivnuntic nonsense about
Montezuma was borrowed- from Mexico nnd
fixed On the Pueblo years npo , probably to
make an interesting story , and it sticks thcro
in the popular mind , but the truth might as
well bo vindicated.
'When pain and anguish wrlpg the brow
A ministering angel thou" Bromo-Seltzer.
IViitchlni ; Tor u Clilimbk.
They were slolghrldlng and the olr-
cumatancos led her to Inquire :
"Goorgo , what makes you look at your
watch BO often ? "
"Suslo. " ho answered , "do you remember -
bor the tlmo wo wont slelphridlng and
had to walk sovoa mllod baclc homo
through u UiuwV"
"Yos , " she replied.
"Woll , Suslo , this isn't any watch. It's
a thermometer. "
Thcro can bo nothing moro tempting or
delicious to servo your guests with than
Cook's Extra Dry Champagne.
BLACK IHLE | INDIAN SCARE
How a Tonthrfoot Farnnr Stimpaihtl Wh
la Terror ,
MISUNDERSTOOD INDIAN SIGN UNGIMGE
( ] .JJt
Thought It n Warning of Impending Mis-
< ii cro An Uatiitcl Starof Djkoti
Ilfo Hiiiionnii nntl Pjttlistlo
Incidents ,
.
i 1-
When the cowboys attached to the Hum
phrey &Stcngcr outfit , which has the beef
contract for the Plus Utdgo Indian ngonoy ,
celebrated Ground Hog day by going over to
ono of the towns bordering on the reserva
tion , and , after accumulating J.igt of thu
typical cowboy kind , returning homo , and In
the excess of tholr bibulous exuberance
undertaking to induce the dignified Two
Sticks to do a ghost dance whllo the cheerful -
ful crack of the revolver did servlco In llou
of an orchestra , they were miking history ,
but they didn't know It. So far ns their 1111-
msillnto existence wai consented , they were
having a good tlmo , nnd that was
their main object. But Two Sticks ,
cross ns his names Indicates , came
Icicle with his sons and friends , and , worse
than the frontier -vhtsky which once in
duced Colonel Co Jy ( "Buffalo Bill" ) tostotl
his own saddle , they opened flro on the fes
tive cowboys with such deadly effect that
they were all killed. Then Two Sticks was
making history. On the next day , when
Captain Brown , In charge of the Pine Kldgo
agency , sent Sergeant Joe Bush nnd n squad
of twenty Indian police after Two Sticks
and his llttlo band of uvengers , some moro
history was made. Two of the sons were
killed , ns were also two others of the party ,
nnd Two Sticks was bidly wounded. The
ofllclal announcement from the agency that
no further trouble was expected , closed the
Interesting chapter of border annals.
Others of like Import will bo added In time.
But the affair brought up memories of ono
of the most humorous of all the various In
dian stampedes that are chronicled in the
unwritten history of the Black Hills coun
try. It was not without its tragic side ,
though it was so ludicrous that the sorrow
of the ono sad incident connected with it is
all but overshadowed in the general fun that
has been poked at the Hat Creole stampede
of 1838. The story has been handed around
among the old timers of the Black Hills for
the last five years , but has never been told
In print.
Ono morning in Juno. 1833 , a now settler ,
or tenderfoot farmer , Ilempslead by name ,
was cheerfully plowing the llttlo patch of
corn ho had put In for his proving-up crop on
his pro-cmptlon claim in the lower end of
Hat Creek valley. As lie came to the end of
the row nearest the trail ho was hailed by u
strapping big Sioux Indian , who sat astride
a little pony. Now , Hcmpstcad could talk
no Sioux , nnd the Indian could tnlK no Eng
lish ; so the ensuing conversation , while not
very wordy , was tf&cldcdly animated. Mr.
Indian , who Wa's ono of the big
men in the Wounded Knee ledge of the
Farmers Alliance , and therefore something
of a farmer himself , felt a kindly interest in
the welfare of the whlto man , and undertook
to talk crops to him in good farmer fashion.
But the whlto mhh'was not well up in the
work of the order a exemplified on the res
ervation , and when the Indian gave the
grand hailing sign , the pale face interpreted
it to mean some sorts of throat and governed
himself accordingly. ) ,
The moro the Indian undertook in the sign
language of the.plains to tell his white
brother about thu progress of crops on the
reservation , and \v\\t\t \ sort of corn did the
best , with an occasional side remark about
the prevailing low.pHces nnd the Inordinate
appetite of the 'corporations that were
grinding the lifdvAit'pf the farming classes ,
the moro the whUa'Vnafi ' concluded that his
last day had arrived. * 'Aiid-tho fact that the
Indian had no unns only tended to confirm
him in his notion of coming treachery.
Kinnlly , when Mrj Sioux lOld Mr. Hompstcad.
in the expressive language of the aborigine's
pantomime , how high his corn was
nud how many acres ho had in , with Just a
trifle of exultation in his tone , a great light
shone in on the befogged brain of the whlto
man and his heart gave a bound. The In
dian was friendly after all , and his errand
was ono of mercy. Ho had como to warn the
white settlers of the approach of the blood
iest massacre that ever stained Dakota soil
with human goro. "When the Indian pointed
out with a sweep of his arms the extent of
his acres , that meant that the whole coun
try was to bo ridded of the hated pale face ;
and when ho designated the number of weeks
his corn had been above ground that told
plainer than words that but two days would
elapse ere the fearful work began ; nnd ,
lastly , when the rod man undertook to con
voy an idea of the number of bushels ho
hoped to harvest , ho simply told how many
of the howling demons , nil eager to drink
ruddy gore , were coming at the end of the
fateful two days.
That settled it. When the Indian rode
along , unconscious of the havoc ho had sown ,
Hempstead unhitched his horses from the
corn plow , and started post haste for his
llttlo claim shanty. Thcro ho told his wife
of the impending disaster , and while she
hurriedly packed the little belongings of the
couplo. ready for instant flight , her husband
rode along nud alarmed his nearest neighbor.
In turn the latter passed the word of tno dis
covered plot to massacre , and before
noon the Indian's friendly chat had turned
into a thousand rumors , each more dreadful
than the other , and the troll along the Hat
Creek valley was nllvo with people , moving
toward Oolrichs , S. D. , where some sort of a
stand would bo made against the murderous
Sioux.
About that time the Anglo-AmorJcan
Packing company was running an abattoir
at Oelriehs , and the discarded internal econ
omies of the numerous fat beeves that died
there furnished a perpetual banquet for the
meek and lowly Indian , who esteems h's
tripe nil the moro delicious in the absence of
previous preparation. To this feast , so
bounteously spread , the denizens of Pine
Hidgo repaired botwcen issue days , and In n
never stinted gorge eked out the not too lib
eral rations served out by the government.
It was probably toward this goal the agri
cultural Indian was directing his way when
ho stopped to talk crops with the tenderfoot
fanner. So when later in the day the Indian
saw an unusual stir among the white settlers
tlors , ho concluded they \ycro seeking some
of his race for nets moro'or loss overt in con
nection with the feast at thq abattoir. It
might be they were after him , and in his
wisdom ho sought shelter in a draw , whore
ho was later dlscoyirbd by n white man who
was making his wiyVon foot to Oolrlchs.
The Indian suspected capture , the white
man ambush , and IjoAh ran.
In the meantlino'thanews spread like wlld-
flro. Some of the cUiwiis of Oolrlchs tele
graphed Governor Church at Bismarck to
send arms and inillfl'i.'to ' ' protect the settlors.
Governor Church } ur" sent message to
Colonel Thornby qf iis staff , who lived nt
Hermosa , to go at once to Oelriehs and tnko
what steps were nMsdyd , and to report to the
executive ofllco. ThWnby notified the gov
ernor of his startlhttjdnd took the train for
Oelriehs. Hero Jk9whero the elements
played a very impoi'JWnt part in the llttlo
affair. After thontralu hud crossed the
Chcyonuo rlvrr between Smithvillo and Buf-
fnlo Gap , the watWcamo up with one of
these sudden rushps.tihat river is noted for
and took out a portlrjit of the railroad bridge ,
cutting off coinurunicntion with the Hills
nnd valleys notthjIL'hen Bordeaux creek
did something it was'novor known to do be
fore or since , and wnshod out enough track
above Chadron to prevent the train going in
cither direction frpm Oolrlchs nnd com
pletely wrecking tho'tologrnph lino.
When Thornby loft Hnrmosa ho told his
errand , nnd soon well mounted couriers were
speeding down the thickly settled valleys
between the mountains nnd the Cheyenne
river , spreading the news nnd warning people -
plo to Itco the danger. By nightfall hun
dreds of happy homes had been deserted ,
and thousands of peaceful settlers were
wildly flying with their wives and children
toward the towns of the foothills , where
there would be numbers enough to chuck the
savages nnd thus secure safety.
Within twenty-four hours of the time the
Sioux farmer hod bragged about his coming
corn crop to his more enlightened , and moro
apprehensive , whlto brother , the poaca of a
prosperous region was destroyed , all occupa
tions were abandoned , and the only thought
was safety. Around Hopid City , which was
the largest town in the foothills , there were
camped upwards of n thousand farmcra.twith
their families. Volunteers were called for ,
nndrosponsos were prompt. All nrrangommiU
for Intelligent defense \vuro niado. and the
old-time Indian ilghtcra , whoso experience
went back to that fateful Juno day in ' 70 ,
prepared to got some of the vengeance of
which they were then balked.
Nothing was hoard from Oelriehs nnd the
conclusion wai that the town was be
leaguered. Men came down from the moun
tains , and after expressing surprise nt the
sudden congregation of the farmers , stayed
to help defend. For four days the suspense
was continued. Then came the news from
Oolrichs < that the exported attack had not
materialized and the fears were quieted.
And then catno the pathetic sldo of the
story. When the news was berne down the
valley of Spring creek It came to the doors of
ono. of the happiest homes in the Black
Hills country nnd found the husband nnd
fathornway. The wife , with the timidity
of refinement , gathered her niece , n young
lady of 18. and the school teacher , a girl of
17 , and with her thrco llltlo children started
in the night for Kipld City. The road lay
along the bank ot the crook , and
in ono part thcro was n danger
ous ford. DJVVU into this the fleeing
women drove , unaware that the sudden
freshet in the mountains had swollen the
crook to a raging torrent. In the wild rush
of waters the waeon was overturned and
only the mother and ono child gained the
bank again. In tholr ( light from n danger
that had no real existence the other four
found death In the swirling torrent.
When telegragh nnd railroad had boon
repaired the scare soon died out and people
laughed nt It except when they recalled the
awful struggle of the hapless women nnd
children in the night against the rushing
water of Spring creek. Some weeks later
Dick Ward , utioof the best known of western
plalnsmnn and scouts , met the Indian who
had talked crops to Hcmpstead. and in good
Sioux the Indian told Ward of his conversx-
tlonnnd inquired why the whlto men Ind
pursued htm.
All of which confirmed Dick in the view
that ho so frequently expresses to his inti
mates , that ' 'there's no good In n d d
tenderfoot , any w.xy you take him , nnd least
of nil in a tenderfoot farmer. "
A Hackcnsick , N. Y. , preacher declares
that hoax-en Is n material abode locxted "in
the star Alcyone. "
( I )
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The Paragon
Illbbon la durable , prolucos clean worlc , gives
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TELEPHONE 1571 17IJ FA HNAM sr
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A
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Is all it will cost you for a
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World's Fair ,
if you engage it
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EVERY CONVENIENCE ,
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The usual rates are $2 to $5 a
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A medical work that tells the r.iusej , describes
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COR. 12TH AHO HOWA33 in.
toItoonis nt tiK > per diy.
COHooma ntf.1.00 pur ( Inf.
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M Ilooms TIth ' Hath nt UP ! to II.5J per djr.
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to 23 , and hnvo thoni lilted with u nulr of hla ,
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