Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-05-10
sTRoUDsBURG, MONROE COUNTY Pa THURSDAY MAY TO- 1919

II .
until they have par,ak en- of their annual har-
vest or green.corn feast. This feast occurs on
that night Of The full moon nearest 10 the peri
cd when the corn becomes ripe /; and, by a
time -honored law of the nation, no man, wo-
man, or child is ever permitted, under penalty
of death, TO pluck single roasting ear So
rigldIy enforced is this law, ,ha, many Chero.
KEGS are known 10 have los. their lives for dis
The paugs o: hunger Eos nany days, even while
their fields were filled with corn, merely be-
cause The harvest moon had not yet arrived,
and they had moi parlaken of their annual Feast.
Ii full moon should occur only one week al
ter The corn has become suitable 10 pluck, the
Indians will not touch single ear unll the
mex, moon, even il il should then be so hard as
TO require pounding before being suitable for
food. Daring the npening period. the corn
fields are watched with most jealous care, and
the first stock that throws ou. IT'S sllken plume
is designated by distinguishing mark. In
assigning reasons for this peculiar care, The In
dams allege ,ha, until The harvest feast has la
ken place. The corn is exclusively The properly
of The Great Spirit, and ,ha, they are only ITS
appointed guardians and they also maintain
thai. when the corn is plucked before the ap,
pointed moon has arrived, The field which has
thus been lrespassed upon, is sure TO be pros
lrated by storm, or be afflicted by The ROT; and
wherefore i, is ,ha, they are always greatly
alarmed when they discoverthal cornheld has
been touched, as hey say, by The Evil one.
But The harvest moon Is now near al hand,
and the chiefs and medicine men have sum-
moned The people of the several villages to pre-
pare themselves for The au,umnal festival
Another spo. of ground is selected, and the
same sanc'ilyng ceremony is performed that
was performed IN The previous spring. The
most expert hunter IN each village has beeu
commissioned 10 obtain game. and while he is
engaged in the hum, The people of his village
are securing The blessing of the Great Spirit
by drinking, with many mystic ceremonies. The
liquid made from seven Of the mos, bier roots
10 be found among The mountains. OF all The
game which may be obtained by The hunters
not single animal is 10 be served up al the
feast whose bones have been broken or mulila-
led; nor shall rejected animal be brough, within
the magic circle, but shall he given 10 those ,o
The rihe who, by some misdeed have rendered
themselves unworthy 10 parake of the feast
The hunters are always compelled TO return
/ from lhe chase al The sunset hour and long be
fore they come in sigh, Of their village, they
invariably give shriIl whistle. as a signal o.
good lock, whereupon The villagers make ready
10 receive him with wild song OF welcome ant
rejoicing.
The pail of nigh, has once more settled upor
the earih the moon is in iis glory, the watch
! fire has been lighted within the magic circle
and the inhabitants of The valley are again as
sembled together in one great multitude. From
all the cornfelds in The valley, The magician'
have collected The marked ears of corn, and de
posted them in the kettles with the various
kinds Of game which may have been slaugh
tered, from The bear, the deer, and the turke,
TO The possum, The squirrel and the quail. 'fh'
entire nigh, is devoted to eating, and the feas
comes not 10 an end until all the food has beer
dispatched when, 10 answer 10 an appropriate
signal from the medicine men, the bones which
have been stripped Of their flesh. are collected
together and pounded 10 kind Of pow der. ant
scattered through the air. The seven days fol
lowing this feast, are devoted 10 dancing ant
carousng, and at ihe termination of ihis perio'
the inhabitants of the valley retire TO their var
ious villages, and proceed 10 gather in thei
crops of the swec, maize or Indian corn.
CuRIosITIEs OF THE EARTH.--At the cit,