The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-16
'rhc Indian Rain GOD.
~ SOLOMON ". JEWEI
Concluded. !


the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada
range. at point known as Keeseville. |
The Medicine man or Rain God as he was
termed, held his tribe of savages near this |
and a ilume at considerable expense and |
trouble, by this settlement, for the express
purpose of conveying its waters on to the
gold beds to wash the sands to separate
from ores. 1t was in the summer, after
the "rainy season had passed. and no cx-
pectations OF another lisc of water in this
stream for several months to come. The |
fumes and dam aforesaid had given way
at many points, letting off tie water be-
fore in use; it sftcd through so much
that the work must be SUSPENDED Tor time.
1t so happened that this Indian who lad
made himself notorious as Rain God
among his and other tribes, by drawing on
the clouds for drafts Of water from time to
time, came into this young village, and
finding its citizens idle, in consequence of
the water fall and leakage in the dam, the
Rain God invited all those Interested per-
sons to come into his camp. He being sur
rounded by some twenty of his tribc,-all
of whom had implicit faith and confidence
in his miraculous power over the elements
of the skies Soon after all had gathered
in, the meeting was opened by the Rain
chief, who, in council; proposed to accept
| fxra1 Of, Ian yotc pI-
of -four, 100 pounds of sugur, and fifty
dollars in gold, us n compensation for wa
ter, as he would furnish them all they
would need TO carry on their business, and
be forthcoming inside of three days time.
He was asked, GLOW can you 10 it?'
"Me will go up the river, and make it
rain sufficiently to take down sediment
which will settle on the dam and numc and
stop the leakage and that he would have
to go of some ways on to favorable 10
cality and pour down the lain sufficient to
accomplish the job, and in three days they
would return and call for their pay. GAIL
right" responded the gold hunters, "you
make it rain enough 10 give us n good sup
ply of water and we, upon the honor of
"white man." will fork over all as you re-
qure.' So. without further parlcy the
J chief and his tribe departed, and leforc the
setting sun of the second day, loud peals
of thunder were heard, dark and porten-
, tous clouds began to gather around them;
, rain commenced to fall, quite soon the
stream was raised three inches with its
muddy water, the leakage was soon repair
G ed IN the dam and fiume, and the work
: men were again at work, washing out the
} 'dust" in good earnest within four days
5 after, as the contract was fultilled-the
Rain God and his posse all entered Kern
| vile, and demanded their pay, which was
as promptly refused, congratulatng the
q poor Indian, with the story, that they had
no power over the elements, etc. This
: happened in the mid summer of 1862 or
I 1858.
The miner was advised to stand up to his
G promise and word, 'if you WITHHOLD"
said the chief "me go up this river, cnce
more, and make big water come quick. In
five days me wash out your works clean /;
D there you see whiteman what poor Indian
|, do"
!, Finally the Rain God and his apostles in
7 attendance were obliged to leave without
any compensation. 10 and behold! on
v the eve Of the fifth day food commenced
Il to pour in upon the gold washers, which
u swept along all before it much to the en-
y tire loss of their enterprise, and TO their
u surprise and shame in their cndeavors to
J cheat the Indians.
's This portion Of the story was made known
= to the writer by the Hon w. w. Hudson,
= of Kern county, and to-day it stands as a
J. common household word among the in
J, habitants of that time.
IL Like many good prophets before his day
IL this chief died innoceItly. lie was cruelty
3; murdered in his own camps, within haliing
III distance OF the Kernville settlements. by q
l. band of intoxicated soldiers who on theiI
~ return from Owens river Indian raid, hay
y ing there gained no laurels, they fell upon
~ this camp and brutually slaughtered about
I, thirty like forocious wild beasts of the for
est
ie In the first book Of Kings, We read how
~ Elijah the prophet obtaineth rain; and in
the second book it tells us how he dvideth
~ the River JoIdon, and passed over on dry
~ land.
III But the ''man of Cod Elisha shut VI
10 the heavens, which caused n great famine
=, in that country, so severe that mothers
~ were compelled TO eat their own children
nc The Apostle James, in his cpistle. saws
" Elisha was subject to like passions as
a. u; we arc, and he prayed earnestly that il
Il, might not rain, and it rained not on the
aa' earth for three full years and six months.
IL In conclusion, the time is coming when
" man, through the spirit of man, drawing
', from the great fountain of light, will, in
", measure. at times, control the elements o
w. the skies to shower down the water as i
l'c shall be made.
y Benjamin Franklin was reproached ant
=, prosecuted for drawing lightning frou
~ the clouds. The United States Senate
10 "august body"-in Congress assembled
Nc abused and ridiculed Morse for claiming T.
=. harness and control the elements of lightn
u, ~ ing to send rapid messages from ona par
H. of the world to the other at will. Th
" boundary of all human knowledge is nc
30 yet reached although the hidden mysterie
tc We are advised not to look into or scare
49,. out.
Ny Rutland, Dec. II, 1874.
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