Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-01-07

tcs," which can bo seen q distance y
from twenty to moro than fifty mild.
These peaks arc selected as tho tel
graphic stations. By varying tb
number Of the columns Of smoke di
fercnt meanings arc conveyed by "
messages.
| The most simple as well as MOI
easily varied mode, and resembling
somewhat tho ordinary alphabet, Gu
ployed in the magnetic telegraph, \
arranged by building small fl
which is not allowed to blaze thei
by placing an armful Of partially gree
grass or weeds over the fire, US if Il
smother il, dense whito smoke /
created, which ordinarily will aseen
ia a continuous vertical column 81
hundreds Of feet. This column D
smoke is 10 the Indian mode of teIe.
graphing what the current Of cleo
tricity is to the system employed by
the white man; the alphabet so far as
it goes is almost identical, consisting
as it does of long lines and short lines
or dots. But how formed ? is per.
haps the query of the reader. By the
simplest OF methods. Having bis cur.
rents Of smoke established, the Indian
operator simply takes his blanket and
by spreading it over tho small pile OF
weeds or grass from which the column
OF smoke takes it's source, and proper
ly controlling the edges and corners
of the blanket, be confines the smoke,
and is in this way able to retain it for
several moments. By rapidly dis
placing the blanket, tho operator is
enabled TO cause dense volume OF
smoke to rise, the length or shortness
of which. as well as the number and
frequency Of the column, he can rcgu-
late perfectly, simply by the proper
use of the blanket. For the trans
mission Of brief messages, previously
determined upon, no more simple
method could easily be adopted. AS
soon as the lookout near the village
discerns the approach in the distainco
of the expected war party, the intellii
gcnco is at once published to the oc-
cupants Hof the village through the
stentorian toncs of the village cricr,
the duties of which Office are usually
performed by some supcrannuated or
deposed chief. Runners mounted upon
fleet ponies are at once dispatched 10
NEE. thcreturning warriors and gather
the particulars OF tho expedition
whether successfulor otherwise;wheth-
er they are returning laden with scalps
and plunder or come emptyhanded
Have they brought prisoners and
captured horses and are their own
numbers unbroken, or do their losses
exceed their gains2 These and simi-
lar questions are speedily solved, when
the runners hasten back to tho village
and announce the result, whercupop
the occupants of the entire village, old
and young, sally forth to meet the re.
tnrning warriors. If the latter have
been successful and have suffered no
loss, they become the recipients Of all
the triumph which barbarous and
exciting people are capable OF heaping
upon them. They advance toward
tho village painted and dressed in full
war costume, singing their war songs,
discharging their firearms, and utter.
ing ever and anon tho war-whoop
peculiar TO their tribe. Added to this,
every soul in the village capable Of
uttcring a sound joins in the general
rejoicing, and for time the entire
population is wild with excitement.
If, however, instead of returning in
triumph, the war party has met with
disaster and suffered the loss OF one
or moro warriors, the scene witnessed
upon their arrival at the village is as
boistcrous as the other, but even moro
horrible. The party is met as before
by all tho Inhabitants of the village,
but in widely different manner; in
stead Of the shouts and songs of vic
tory which greet the successful war
riors, only the screams and walls OF
an afflicted people arc TO be heard !;
the war paint and bright colors give
way to u deep black with which all
The mourners-and friends of the fallen
warriors bcsmear the faces, while the
mombcrs Of the immediate family be-
gin hacking and scarifying their faces,
arms, and bodies with knives, and give
way to lamentations the most pierre.
ing and horrible in sound A not in
frequent mode of distiguring them
selves, and ono which | have often
seen, is for tho mourner, particularly
IL the one mourned is a wife or bus.
band, to cut Off tho first joint of the
little finger. This of course Is dono
without the slightest regard for the
rules of surgery, of which the Indians
generally are wofully ignorant. The
operation Is simply performed by Ia
king a knife, often of questionable
sharpness, and cutting through the
flesh and first Joint of tho little finger,
leaving no "aap' of flesh TO cover tho
exposed bone. AS a result,in healing,
the flesh withdraws from the mutt
lated portion of tho finger and usually
leaves nearly an inch OF bone exposed,
presenting Of course n most revolving
appearance. e' M iel~ al1f
Why will these scientific men
frighten us so ? They are continually