The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-12
Indian Telegraphy.

1t is wonderful to what state of per-
lection the Indian has carried this simple
mode of telegraphing. Scattered over
great portion of the plains, from British
America in the north almost to the MeXi-
can border on the south, arc to be found
isolated hills, or as they are usually termed
"buttes," which can be seen distance of
from twenty TO more than fifty miles.
These peaks are selected as the Geographic
stations. by varying the number of smoke
different meanings are conveyed by the
messages. The most simple as well as
most easily varied mode, and resembling
somewhat the ordinary alphabet employed
in the magnetic telegraph, is arranged by
building small fire which is not allowed
to blaze then, by placing an armful of
partially green grass or weeds over the fire,
as if to smoother it, dense white smoke
is created, which ordinarily will ascend in
continuous vertical column for
hundreds of feet. This column
of smoke is to the Indian mode of
telegraphing what the current of electricity
is to the system employed by the white
man the alphabet, so far as it goes, is
almost identical, consisting rs it does of
long lines and short lines or dots. But
how formed? is perhaps the query OF the
reader BY the simplest of methods.
Having this current Of smoke established
the Indian operator simply takes his blan-
ket, and by spreading it over the email pile
of weeds OF grass from which the column
of smoke takes its source, aud properly
controlling the edges and corners of the
blanket, he confines the smoke, and is in
| this way able to retain it for several mo-
ments. BY rapidly displacing the blanket,
| the operator is enabled to cause q dense
volume of smoke to rise, the length or
| shortness of which, as well as the number
| and frequency of the columns, he can reg
ulate perfectly, simply by the proper use of
| the blanket. For the transmission of
brief messages, previously determined
| upon. no more simple method
could easily be adopted. As soon as the
| lookout near the village discerns the ap-
| proach in the distance of the expected war
party, the intelligence is at once published
| to the occupants of the village through the
| stentorian tones of the village crier, the
duties of which office are usually perform
| ed by some superanuated or deposed chief.
Runners mounted upon fleet ponies are at
| once despatched to meet the returning war
| riors and gather the particulars of the eX-
| pedition-whether successful or otherwise;
| whether they are returning laden with
scalps and plumber or empty handed. Have
| tucy DlOuSHt pIlSOlcIS anu Cuplulcu llpisch!
and are their own numbers unbroken, or
| do their losses exceed their gains These
and similar questions are speedily solyed,
when the runners hasten back to the vii
lage and announce the result, wlereupon
the occupants of the entire village, old and
| young, sally forth to meet the returning
warriors. If the latter have been success
full, and have suffered no loss, they become
/ the recipients of all the triumph
which barbarous and excited people
are capable of heaplng upon them. They
advance toward the village painted and
dressed in full war costume, singing their
war songs, discharging their firearm, and
uttering ever and anon the war whoop Pc
cullar to their tribe. Added to this, every
soul in the village capable of uttering Il
sound joins in the general rejoicing. and
for time the entire population is wild with
excitement If, however, instead of re-
turning in triumph, the war party has met
with disaster and suffered the loss of one
or more warriors, the scene witnessed upon
their arrival at the village is as boisterous
as the other, but even more horrible. The
party Is met as before by all the inhabitants
of the village, but in widely different
manner ip''ead of the shouts and songs
of victory " iuh greet the successful war.
riors, only the screams and walls OF an
afflicted people are to be heard. CUster',
"Ltfe on the Plains.