Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-01-20
AL8sKNS CEEElTroN-
IN iE-ezs--n-- ThouEh >,u-gs..l-
Startling Cerem ouF-

\ correspondent from this E4- %
lald writes IS foioWs-
\ few doors further on We belrt the
sound OF the beating STAFF Of the m0urn-
ers as they Kept time 20 their u0urnf1I
singing. We opened the door and en-
tered The room had been put in 0r,l-r
for tie occasion and hung sirh draper
les, the end opposite the door, where
the dead man was set up. being hung
with the American dlg. About tifty
Indians, men, women and children.
were seated around in the space be-
tween the tire and the counter or plat
form that runs all around the room.
clad in their best blankets and preserv-
ing a solemn decOrum- The covers had
been taken from the four gally painted
pillars or talem posts that stood az the
corners of the central square in the
TOom. The dead Indian set up on the
floor as if alive. was covered with a
blanket, except his head, which wore q
crown, and near by stood his mask and
some other fixtures. His face was
painted with red, and there was moth
ing CHASTITY or deaLhlike in It's look. We
remained for some time, and were kind
ly treated. l was told that the singing.
shaking of Tattles and beating of long
sticks on the floor continues all night,
and that when the time comes for crema-
ting the body is taken out through the
opening in the roOf-never through the
front dOOr-and carried to the funeral
pile. Although We were in attendance
next morning at ten O'Clock We were
too late 10 see the initial proceedings,
for we met the mOurners with their
long sticks returning from the fire, and
when we reached it, beyond the rancho
on the beach, the body was nearly con-
sumed. y pile of wood, large sticks
four or five feet long, had been laid up.
eOrn-cOb hOuse-wiSe, and a smaller pile
put inside, on which the body, wrapped
In its blanket, was laid. Logs were
then added, above the body, crossing
Others at the corners and lighted. y
very great heat was thus produced, and
a few Indians in attendance used long
poles 10 keep the burning sticks in place:
some women were seated in the grass
not far away. There was 10 OdOr. and
complete decOrum and decelcy 50 far as
behavior was concerned. Still, | be-
lieve, some combat the cremating Gus.
tom, which think worthy of perpetua-
tion. After the body is burnt, the
ashes are gathered and put in bcx or
trunk. and deposited with the personal
possessions II the tomb, which Is erect
ed over spot III their cemetery, and
consists of small, square wooden
house, the four sides of the roof running
up 10 q peak; these toy houses, six to
eight feet high, are gaily Tainted and
present a really picturesque appearance.
L tiled one day to make my way through
an old part Of the cemetery, but |
found myself in q regular jungle of
bushes and undergTowth, and could
make no heaGway. The Old dead houses
were falling into decay, and everything
inside them had been stolen or had per-
ished, and grass and weeds grew up in
side almost Tie k0use ra0fG- The
canoes Of the dead, that had been haul
ed up by the houses, had also r0tted:
ravens crOaked Oh all sideS-it was
am st dismal and funereal.