The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-05-18

men to the Shoshonees' Agency. They left
month and half ago, to find out all
about it, but these two have not returned
yet.
1--WE are getting railroads all around us;
towns. too, all around US. l forget what
size of shoes you wear: let me know and
will send you pair by return mail. My
wife sends her regards to you and to your
family. Yours truly,
Z" GEORGE BENT.
"sP. S. The Cheyennes that came down
from the Pine Ridge agency told us great
news about the coming of Christ
This letter (Which is closely copied. ex-
cept the spelling in one or two instances,
is written on letter-paper, in a neat male
hand, and the composition, as can be seen,
is as good as that of most white mems let
tiers. When he was questioned about the
letter. Jules Semerole said:
THE rumor about Christ is not new.
The Indians believe he has come, and that
this Christ is now in the mountains of the
Big Horn, where he wants all the Indians
to come and join him. He will then put
the Indians behind him, and having all the
whites before him, will roll the woril over
on them (the whites) and destroy them.
This Christ is white man. The Indians
have told me all about him, and the Sho-
shonee Indians have seen him. He showed
His hands to the Indians, and his feet, and
they were marked with scars; he also has a
Indians to come to him, giving up all theis
firearms and using only bows and spears
He will then roll the world over on the
whites in case they abuse the Indians any
more. Where Christ now is, the sun comes
down very close to the EARTH and the ground
| is SO hot it burns their feet. There is nc
grass there, and all the Indians will have tC
come on foot
1.-The new Christ favors polygamy. but
that has always been a doctrine among the
Indians, but his teaching it is what leads
me to believe he is Mormon elder, seeking
prestige in his church. He gives the differ:
ent tribes figures for dance which l have
at home. This dance the Indians are to re-
peat four times in four moons. This is to
purify them for the new life. It takes four
days and four nights to get through with
the dance. Four piles of wood are made,
pointing to each point of the compass
around this large circle of earth similar
to that in a circus. The Indians gather
around the ring and watch the dance which
grows very spirited. The dance must be
continued and never stopped until it is fin
ished, and when one party tires they are re-
dance is continued until daylight the next
morning, and q peculiar feature of it is that
the spectators must not leave the circle un-
til the dance is ended.
1.-THE old Mormon proselyte works every
thing through mysteriousness and deceits.
left side, he finds no doubling Thomas who
insists on seeing it. He claims that when
he goes to sleep his soul goes to heaven,
and he takes messages with him and brings
back word to the living frinds of spirits
whom he saw, and claims to have daily
communication with the spirits.
'The ultimate result l believe to be fol
the benefit of the Mormon church unless
the impostor is exposed. He is said to be
eloquent, and is an able speaker. What
astonishes the Indians most is that some.
times the old fellow appears without any
hair on his head, and then again has fine
growth of snowy white hair, and always
wears long white beard. The
Indians don't understand wigs
| There is no badness among
Indians, never has been case known, and
the fact that this Christ can be bald or have
an abundant growth of hair at will. only in
creases their belief in his representatives
In all my experience in the west, extending
nearly over quarter Of a century, l have
never before seen anything like this hallu
cination among the Indians, and the excite
ment is becoming widespread. My inter-
prefer at Fort Custer is a white man named
Cecely, who has lived for many years among
the Indians and has an Indian wife.
asked him if there was any truth in thu
coming of Christ, and he said he thought il
was true and that Christ had really come
again. He said: Christ has told all tn
Indians that the people across the grea
ocean were their cousins, and that he coulG
walk on the water and not sink. He sale
he would teach the Indians how to walk OF
water; and one Indian said that he had seer
Christ walk out on a lake,"