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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1907)
TITE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JULY 21, 1P07. How he Union Pacific is Putting Aissouri River Iud to Practical I I11t.' lvn In V.a tk. : I 'ul,"c me l loon v I I'ai-IIU: legal department mar D X f in HU iniProsrmg. ir not a 111- trlcate, as any rniinn trt tilth iha "r Height tariff now in dispute. t-Xl time., the Msvollll rlv,.r hHS brought int., court the qucclon of who own., the farm. the men whoso land is r,n t.,p or the man who- land was on top before the river (tot In lis vagarious work? Jut at Hres-m. the In Pacific la b ,sy pm,IK on tom of It., shop grounds. tht,tv acres in xtent. a lay. r of real estate recovered from jfr,U' river whu.1, is to I... six r.-.-t In thick ness an. I of r ,.,al area. :;, six feet of noil thirty air.. In extent Is a prcttv r-ftlior-tablf farm, puprfially w!i.n It Is alji-r.-nt to tlm business portion of a crest city like rinia,:a. V,r thin i-.s.son the owner of the roal estate in South Dakota, pi lor to the time It started down stream, may spppnr and put in a claim for hi f.um. and. un der the law, ho would hn clearly cntltl'd to take I, Is properly v h. r- he finds It. Thia would make it a trltle awkward for I he r.nhv.m company, hut It ntlii s . ure hi- (Mnd the proposition that the claimant would have to Identify his real estate before tun court would permit bin, to enter upon It. It might bother bis somewhat to pick out the particular particles and specifically establish his ownership to each, so that maybe, inter all, the company Is safe in do liiK What II la. I'roccim Sni a rn One. It Is merely sucking the bottom out of the rlvir. or, rather, the mud out of the water, and using It r,,r filling on a pl. ee of low around. This Is not n especially novel proceeding, nlthoiiKh this Is the first tlm It has been practiced here. Til.- principle was long mt, adopted by the rnglnreis en gaged In constructing Jetties h( the Missis sippi delta. Pnwn there It was not so much question of building new ground as It was of u new channel, and the mini p imp' d tip was merely riirriod to n convenient d's lan. e and dumped ' Into the river again Where It could not be washed back Into the channel being prepared. When the Hanta Vis railroad was s. ekmg admission to San Francisco, It found Its cntian e blocked. and In order to tvciiie il ..pni kpuiiiiIs and terminal fa.'liiti -S a lew thousands acres of the bay were purchased, an. I then the pro cess of r.lllnn one part of the lay with sand pumped from mud her was resorted to. I'.y this means the Santa Ke has provided Itself with ample yard room In San Fran cisco. Alter I lie -ireat disaster at (ialveston It was decided to raise the entire town Kite s ane eleven feet, so that a repetition of th" tidal wave would be lrnMs.tble. This work wan also accomplished by pumping mud from the iulf of Mexico Inland and allowing the water to run bai k. In this way the rnn.it stupendous undertaking of the sort ever set ailo.it w i s in: lly and speedily fin ished. Kli . ,i liere the engineer has made tMe of the Kline expedient and always with Success. fpil of tli Missouri. The Missouri river Is admirably adapted to the purpose. Its bottom Is primarily of rock or haritnnn, whit h Is pearly the same, but over th'.s Is a deposit of silt varying from thirty to I'iO feet In depth, and which Is easily removed by pumping. If It were not no, In present conditions, the river carries sujh an Immense load of silt and ( unn V'T Hand in Its ordinary course that Just pump. the water would soon provide the led filling. The engineer In charge of government wort on the river esti mated that for the year 1301 the Missouri river moved more tons than all the rail roads In the I'nlted States combined twice over. That Is to nay, the amount of mud Sioux Indians Gather for a Pow Wow and the Forbidden Sun Dance AHI.Y In AdtII. 1907. at a council XT I of the chiefs of the Sioux In- I dians. it was decided to hold a last great meeting of tha Sioux tribes on July 4. ' The place selected for this assemblage was on the Uttla White river, near the Rosebud Agency, S. D. llajor Kelley, the Indian agent, consented to the celebration under condition that nona of the acts prohibited by the government were to bo carried out, and that this was to be the last gathering of this kind. Word went forth to the Santee, the Tankton, the Winnebago, the Pine Ridge, the Ixiwer Brule and the Rosebud Sioux that a great pow-wow and celebration would be held at the designated time and place, and that all of the traditions of the tribe would ba carried out. With tho usual speed of Indian communication, tha news was passed from camp to camp, and from tribe to tribe, and tha hustle and bus tle of preparation began. Tha squaws mada bead work, reed work, leather work and gay bonnets and dresses of feathers and fine furs, to be used In tha dances and traditions of the trlbas. Two weeks before the Fourth all was in readiness for the start and they commenced their long drive to-the grounds. On the night of tha td 10,0)10 Indiana wera encamped around the groat circle to ba used for exhibition purposes. Picture in your mind a circle ono and one-half miles in diameter and, closely sur rounding tha edgoa of the circle, side by aide, 4.0U0 tents and tepees, in many places Ujfht or tan deep; picture Inside of this cir cle at tha north, a half-mile circular race track; at the aouth a great yard, containing wild horses for tha bronco busting con teats, and cattla for tha roping contests, and in the center an allepttcal enclosure, 200 by 100 feat In axtent, surrounded by a ruda shad of boughs, with an opening at either side, and in the center tha sacred pole, which is to be used In the sun dance and "give-away" ceremony. In preparing for tha sun dane a youiuj virgin is selected by the women of the tribe, to have char4B of the proceedings. Before sunrise on the morning of the dance aha leads the way to the woods and selects a straight tree, six to eight Inches In dla meter and about twenty feet in height. Taxing a new axe, which has never been defiled by striking timber, she strikes tha first blow to fell the tree. A young brave then climbs the tree, cutting off the boughs as he ascends except the ones at the very , top. Any one wishing to enter the dance, ify may then throw him a lurlat of rawhide ' or braided hair, the end of which la at tached in the tree top, while the lower part la split and hangs down the pole. He then descends from the tree and it Is cut down, but It must never touch the ground froru the time It is chopped down until It la planted in the dance ling. This dance is for the fulfillment of vowa made to 'Uod. For example, an Indian'! child may be very elck and expected to. die. TUe Indian vows to his God that if he will spare the life of the child be will aacrlllee 2.0 piccea of his flesh from eoma, part of his body at the next sun dance. Or, if an Indian has a bitter enemy, whose life he seeks to take, he vows to his Uod t I that In case the dcd is accomplished he I will dance around the sacred pole a certain number of hours. The giving of gifts Is also a part of tha sua dunce. An Indian ho'isehnld will many times take to the sun dance all of their belongings and give them to their frlttuUa, Thia custom was to Illustrate carried hy the river amounted to Just little over twice as many tons moved on mile as the freight carried by the rail roads of the I'nlted States for the snnut year. This fjlvcs some Idea of the mighty work done hy this wonderful atrcaua. as Veil as of the amount of silt carried In suspension. A few years ago a test mada of water tnken from the mldehannel of tlx river near the Douglas street hrhhr allowed that about fioo pounds of mud pr I.omi gallons of water wan the proportion. This would make about one pound of mud, to forty gallons of water. So it Is ngt likely the I'nlon Pacific will run short of material, even If the bottom of the river doesn't hoi J out. It Is equally certuln that whatever bole Is made In the bottom by the removal of the C.WOOrt cubic yards of earth necessary to make the fill will aldo soon be redeposlted by the river, the ma terial being brought down as It has for ages from 'the ulluvlal plains between Omaha and the pass In the mountains from which the great river debouches. Itebiiildliitc the Shops. The remodeling and enlarging of th Vnlon Pucllle railroad shops in Omaha which has. been enrried on during tha last three years, has made necessary Borne extraordinary methods in raising the grade of the land upon which tha additions to the plant are being built. Ret ween the present shop buildings and the river lies a territory of about thirty ai res upon which there have been tracks formerly, but which Is about six feet below the level of the ground to the west. It was for the purpose of raising thia tract of land that the railroad company' let out a contract to a dredging company of Kansas City and the dredge has been at work since spring. The machine was brought up the river with the steamer Omuha, carrying a crcv of six men. Including a captain, fireman. the feeling of friendship and good will be tween one another, and at the tlmo when these dances were held every year re sulted In little loss to anyone, as If one did not receive as much as he gave at that time, he would probably do so at the next dance. At the hour when the dance is to be held the multitude assembles in and about the ring and the virgin announces that their God Is calling upon them to do acts of friendship and benevolence and to do acts of bravery and courage and endurance in fulfillment of rast vows. The givers of gifts then spread their gifts in the center of the ellipse and call upon their friends to come forward and receive them. Tha gifts consist of all kinds of bead work, leather work, furs, trunks full of gor geously colored cloth, horses and saddles and sometimes buggies and wagons. If the Indiun has vowed to sacrifice a certain number of pieces of flesh, the medi cine man of the tribe takes a sharp knife and cuts the required number of pieces from some portion of his body. If the vow was jo dance around the sacred pole, the medicine man cuts two silts from either breast and beneath each of the strips of akin so left he introduces one of the parts of a lariut that hangs from the pole. The Indian must then dance and Jump and heave upon this lariat untl the strips of flesh are torn out or until he faints from exhaustion, when the medicine "man cuta the flesh and lets the thongs out they must never be untied. At the last sun dance held in this territory one Ind'an danced for fifty houra without food er drink. On the morning of the Fourth, after the sacred pole was erected, an Indian attack on an Immigrant train was very realisti cally enacted. alow traveling train of Two Incidents i - -. . .. .rii"--' spiv t x i o ?. vw,a il -v r n . w i a. ..: w. . n i i ur b , i .----- . . -at. i . .' x .1 a . n. --Rai ".- yaj Kir- m a mmr m bp "a wmw ap A ma 1 ai . ."wm j-v j,--. - , SV8T i - . r CC .,nr V - - l7iiSMIsMI '' WI1 mm iiii 'II Hi.- . J l-v :' : vr 7.:-r;i Va-t,. 'I..., ' , . Ml WHOM SVIlKRia TUB DFJE1DQQ WORIffl. mmm engineer and three deck helpers. This force was increased to sixteen men when the work was begun, the extra men being immigrants was attacked by a band of 1.000 mounted braves in full war pa'nt, who were making sad havoc until they were put to flight by a force of Uncle Sam's Indiun police. The next on the pro gram wus the grand charge around the camp circle by perhaps 4.fK) mounted In dians, who made the hills ring with their war cries, as they charged- madly around the circle, a iVsdunco of four n:l!es. Tho thousands aFreinbled then began a movement toward the dancing ring, and the give-away ceremony began. This hail been in progress nearly an hour when tiie news reached Major K. Hey that they were conducting the forbidden sun dance and give-away. Major Kelley was soon on the ground with a force of Indian police and the crowd was ordered to .vacate tho dance ring, and the sacred pole was taken down. Chief Hollow Horn, the chl f in charge of the ceremonies, was ordered to strike camp and go home, and nut to re turn to the eelebrat'on under peri! of being placed In the guard house. This ar'used the ire of the old warriors, many of whom could boast of a score of scalps, and there was much talk of going on the warpath. Many of the old chiefs made eloq i vit speeches and pleaded earnestly with tin major to be permitted to carry on the dance, and were furious nt his refusal. Only the cool hpad. the steady nerve and the iron will of Major Kelley averted bloodshed. Finally seeing that It was use less to plead their ause longer the braves sullenly submitted to the inevitable 'The tears silently flowing down their stnlii cheeks. This enisode cloned the celebra tion for the older Ind'ans. Their hearts were no longer turned to the gladness and Joy of enacting the old traditions, but to the fact that never again could their be loved sun dance be given. There were .1 ' w Connected with the Unveiling of the Schiller Monument JUST AlJ THE YUIU RoPPED. a Via i1"'i1iHw imm V . . . -anV, "WTIERH THE PIPE DISCHARGES. used on land while the. silt which the dredge draws from the river 1b being distributed. still a few dissenters among them, but rea son finally prevailed. In the afternoon there were horse races, roping and broncho busting contests and at niaht a fino display of fireworks from the bills. After the fireworks display, walking around the circle one would come upon groups of 100 or more Indians surrounding a huge buss drum danclns to Its tum-tum-tum and croanlng In an und'soprnnble sing-song the sonss of their forefathers. There were about thirty of these groups around the camp, making altogether a wlerd and unearthly sjund. On Friday morning another council was held and it was decided to break camp the following day, thus cutting tho celebration down from two weeks to two days on account of the restrictions placed upon them. Oal two deaths occurred during the encamp ment. One from a young Indian bens dropped by his horse. Saturday evening they struck camp and started in all directions for their homes, thus ending tho lust great assemblage of the 8loux tribes. A. D. S. Dallas. S. D. Indian Helationahips. ' It would seem odd to have a half a dozen or more grandparents, but you would If you were an Italian. The father's brother and the mother's sister ur. not uncle and a lint,' but father and mother Instead. The father's sister and mother's brother yrc aunt and uncle. Your father's father's brother (your great-uncle)" would be your grandfa'her, his wife j'our Hrandmother. In like manner your mother's mother and her huKband would be your grandmother and grandfather. So if your father's father had several brothers and your mother's 4yV;,;v . . tv. . - M v' Yi .. , 'f..);,'' - - h 'i The pumps of the dredge when buuiC Into the river bottom bring up a line, muddy silt, which is run through pii.ua mother several sisters you would bo the richer In grandparents If you were a Sioux. Your father's brother's children and your mother's ulster's children would be your brother and sister, their children your sons und daughters, but yjur mother's brother's and your father's (sister's children your cousins, while their children in turn would be counted your nieces and nephews. In former days an Indian married his wife's sisters, too, und as father to all their children these children were In a sense brothers and sisters. In that way these Intricate connections existed. Now very few Indians do this, for civilization and Christianity have changed ull this. But most of tho middle-aged Indians of the present day arc children of men with sev Some Quaint A I.lva One at 102. REDITINO his years to the free use of whisky, beer und tobacco, Joseph Zcitlin of No. j:.6 Lexing ton aven'ie, Brooklyn, celebrated his lm'd birthday last week by Indulging In an extra allowance of drink and smukc. Mr. Zeitlln emphatically denied that drinking Is b;id for the health. Ho has not been under the Influence of liquor for many years, and yet he has not passed a day for more than fifty years without taking about ten drinks of wliinky or beer. Hn la string and vigorous, and yesterday went for a '"tig walk and played with his great-grandchildren. He appears to be from twenty to thirty years younger than he Is. His appetite Is good, and he said he B CHILLER. 8INQI.NQ MAIDKN'a. r, H,.." '-' - ,6 - . . . . . 'f.A 1 V-!i,V4.iV PIPE LINE Arr.OPfl THE HOTTOMS. extending cut across the land. The Ions mud puurs from the funnels and spread out over the surface of the ground, while the water eontnlned in it comets ' to tha top and Is drained off without dilh.i.Ti y. It Is estimated tha the capacity of too machines when running at full pressure is ever 1.50H cubic yards of dirt In u day. Even at this rule It will probably take the rest of the summer to make the thirty cros which Is being raised a level tract six feet higher than it now Is. It may be necessary to take from tbu river bed SfiO.OOO cubic yards of mud before the work Is nccoinpllshe.il. When It Is raised to the dctdrod level the land will be used partly, as before, for trackage and partly for building sites. A huge plant such as the I'nlon I'liciiU: shops grows so fast in capacity and extent that there will hn no trouble In finding use for all this land that can be made available. Work or Three Years. Not many Omaha, people are aware that during the last three years the entire con struction plant of the railroad has been so completely changed that hardly a de partment remains tha sumo. In the pres ent year ulone a new machine and erec tion shop, a boiler shop and several store buildings have been added. The old boiler shop has been remodeled Into a power housn, and a new smokestack, which towers to a height of 1100 feet and 6 Inches, was raised beside. Another fea ture of thin power house Is a coal trestle Which makes it possible to dump coal directly into tho bins from the cars. The new machine shop in 160x398 feet in ex tent, built of brick, steel and concrete, on a foundation of piling. Just north of It is the boiler shop, which Is almost as largo and of similar construction. Tho largest of all the buildings contemplated is the new car shop which is now being built. Tha passenger department, where eral wives. So the children in school now are related to a degree entirely too com plex a problem for their teachers. In ono of the government schools ono of the teachers. Ignorant of ull this, was consoling a llttlo girl who had lost her mother. "I have another mother," said tho child. The teacher was amazed until It was explained to her that the dead woman was, according to our way of count ing, only an aunt. Another teacher, ulso new, had a group of children out walking. They met a man In a wagon. "Who is that?" asked the teacher. "My father," spoke up one of the children. In a few moments a horseman passed them. "My father," said the same child. Although amazed, the 'teacher said nothing. and Curious Features of Life did not feel any older than he did twenty years ago. Born In I.odz, Poland, July 3, 1805, Mr. Zcitlin made a fortune as a manufacturer, and enmo to this country twenty-five years ago to spend ills last days with his daugh ter. His theory of eating and drinking is to take what he wants when he wants it. On some days he eats five or six ineal.r and on other days only one or two. He drinks on the same plan, taking whisky or beer whenever he feels inclined to do so, but varying the monotony by taking a few drinks of cordials or wine every day or two. He prefers strong Havana cigars and makes his own cigarettes. A l.lglituliiit Prank. Lightning played a prank at the Paducah J k i 1 . 4 '' jr . 1 the conches will he built, painted nnfl up holstered, will be l7Ky!4'J feel, while tin freliUit car portion will be a Ions, and 1.'9 feet in width building. Two other addi tional buildings, a paint and wheel shop nnd a paint store house, will soon be erected. Water, heating, fewer and pipe systems in tile yards are kept In a continual statu of rapid change when the building oper ation are so' heavy. They must bo kept lit working order till of the time whether the buildings Willi which they connect lire being used or remodeled, and yet tie whole sy.'tcin In constantly In use and nt no time has It been necessary to ceasu working on important const ruction of any kind because of changes which nre hom r made. The tracks as Well i.re constantly being torn up and moved. I hiring tho year lHOii over thirteen miles of tracks) were moved and a mile and a sixteenth, additional were laid. This includes only standard gauge trackage, however, anil the narrow gauge operations were as ex tensive. IMimt In Alnaji Ornnlnffi During the same year Were built nr office building, whore tho offices of tha mechanical departments aro housed, n blacksmith shop and an iron house, thn three covering a combined area of over 60,000 square feet. In tho oftlce bulldlnir are tha laboratories, where all chemical work necessary in construction is carried on. As It grows out toward tho river tho great car and locomotive building" plant will extend over the ground which the dredge Is now bringing up from tha bottom of tho river. In its present oozy conditions it does not look very solid, but it settles into the holes and packa dry into firm earth. If for no other rea son the Union Pacific should ho con gratulated for having found a practical use for Missouri river mud. until a third man appeared and was also) the child's father. Then the teacher be gan to doubt the child's veracity. Ia reality tho three men were brother; there fore, as one was the child's father, tha others wero, too. Not only are there the numerous bloodl relations, but adopted onea as well, and to adopt a man because he has dona you a favor la to adopt all his relations. "In-laws" and their many ciinneotlona are counted, too, the same of ono's "step relations." Do not attempt too far to count an In dian's relatives; you will be confronted, with a worse problem than "How old Id Ann?" Q. V. B. Flora, S. D. (Ky.) dry docks last Friday that almost caused a riot beside stunning four men. Dick Thompson, foreman; Louis Moss, Will Jordon and Tom Bass were working together. Jordoit called to Moss to help him and as he turned the holt of lightning struck the dry docks. Moss, who waa working with a brace and bit, was floored, by what he thought waa a blow In tha back. He sprang to his feet to hurl a ham mer at Jordon when he saw the latter sprawling unconscious over a beam he hail been sawing. Thompson and Pasa wera lying in a heap, and other workmen who noticed the confusion, rushed over to seize Moss, who to all appearances had laid out the whole crew with a hammer. It re quired several minutes to solve the puzzle. Squirrel W Ultra a. Snake The story of a buttle between a aqtrlrrel and a large blacksnaka is reported by John Withers, a prominent farmer, wlu lives north of Carrollton, Mo. Mr. Wlthera has some pet squirrels on his farm, ami a few days ago, when he went to feed them, he noticed a commotion going on in the squirrels' nest. In a few moments a red squirrel emerged from the hole la the tree, dragging a blacksnaka. Both were fighting desperately. Tha snake was at a disadvantage, however, for the arpilrrel had a strangle ho hi behind tha snake'a head und shook his unwleldry an tagonist much us a dog would a rut. The anake endavored to encircle the little squir rel with Its colls, but could not do so, and presently both the snake and squirrel fell to the ground, the squirrel still retaining Its hold on the snuku. Mr. Withers stepped up and the squirrel released Its hold and scampered hack up the tree. The snake, which measured pearly six fet in length, was nearly dead, atul was dispatched by Mr. Withers. Millions fur liahlea. "St my sons marry I will double their Incomes, and If they have children I will again Increase their Incomes and also provide that .h child shall have an es tate worth I2S0.0U0." This summary of a remarkable provision In the will of the late John H. Bletson, tho millionaire bat manufacturer arid philanthropist, was made 1 uhllc in Phila delphia. In brief, the will of the ug'l man practically makes eeiy chlhi. born to ids sons a baby." Having left about 7flO.0lrt, Mr. Ktitson was In a posi tion to make these provisions, if a normal number of children ure born to the sous.