The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-06-21

u
OF the Sioux. From this article we
quote the following: When all bad
assembled and the medicine-men had
set the date for tho beginning Of the
great dance dedicated TO the sun. the
'sun-polc' was selected. A handsome
young pine or fir. forty or nifty feet
high, with the straightest and most uni
formly tapering trunk that could be
found within n reasonable distance.
Was chosen. The selection Is always
made by some old woman. generally
the oldest one In the camp, IL there 10
any way Of determining, who leads .
number OF niaidens gaily dressed In tho
beautiful beaded buckskin gowns they
wear on state = occasiops;, the part OF
the maiden y is 10 strip the tree OF lie
limbs AS high as possible without fell
ing It. Woe to the girl who claims to
be a maiden. and joins the procession
the old squaw forms. against whose
claims any reputable warrior or squaw
may publicly proclaim. Her punish-
ment Is swift aud sure. and her degrA-
dation more cruel than interesting.
THE selection of the tree Is the only
special feature OF the first days cels-
bration. After il has been stripped Of
its branches nearly TO the top. the
brushwood and trees for considerable
distance about II are removed, and 10
Is left standing for the ceremony OF the
second day.
Long before sunrise the eager par
tcipants In the next great step were
preparing themselves for the ordeal
and a quarter of an hour before the sun
rose above the broken hills OF white
clay long line of naked young war
riors. in gorgeous war-paint aud feath-
ers, with rifles. bows and arrows. and
war-lances In hand, faced the east and
the sun-pole. which was from i've to
six hundred yards away. Ordinarily
this group of warriors number from
fifty To possibly two hundred men. An
interpreter near me estimated tho line
l beheld as from thousand To twelve
hundred strong. Not far away. on
high hill overlooking the barbsric
scene, was an old warrior. medicine
man of the tribe. think. whose solemn
duty Ii was 10 announce by shout
that could be heard by every one Of
the expectant throng the exact moment
when the tip OF the morning sun APP
peared above the eastern hills. Per-
feet quiet rested upon the line OF young
warriors and upon the great throng OF
savage spectators that blocked the
green hills overlooking the arena. Sud-
denly the old warrior. who had been
kneeling on one knee. with his extend
ed palm shading his scraggy eyebrows.
arose To his full height. and in slow
digniiied manner waved his blanketed
Hss.h IA h.. "a.
warriors who were still unmounted
now jumped hurriedly upon their
ponies; the broken. wayering line
rapidly took on more regular appear
ance; and then the old man. who had
gathered himself for the great effort,
hurled forth yell hat could be heard
10 the uttermost nmits Of the great
throng. The morning sun had sent It's
commands 10 its warriors on earth TO
charge.
The shout from the hill was re-
echoed by the thousand men In the
valley; II was caught up by the spec
tators on the hills as the line OF war
riors hurled themselves forward to-
ward the sun-pole. the objective Of
every armed end naked savage In the
yelling line. AS they conyerged to-
wards II the slower ponies dropped
out. and the weaker ones were crushed
TO the rear. Nearer and nearer they
came, the line now becoming massed
until IL was but a surging crowd OF
plunging horses and yelling. gesticu-
lating riders. When the bsading war;
riors had reached point within y hun
dred yards of the sun-pole. sharp re-
port Of rifles sounded along the line.
and moment later the rushing mass
was sheet of flame. aud the rattle Of
rifle shots was like the rapid beat OF Q
drum resounding among the hiils-
die, and not unfrequently falls dead
from the saddle. lie Is more accom-
plished with the lasso than the cowboy,
aud no vacquero Is considered thor
oughly competent lasso-thrower, or
roper, unless he can catch horse run
ming AT its utmost speed by any one OF
its four feet, or it's two front OF hind
feet. Merely 10 be able to throw
lasso over the horses head Ia no quali-
iication for "A yacquero. Then. too, an
efficient yacquero understands thor
oughly the art OF braiding horse-hair
or raw hide and making therefrom
brides. riding whips or ''querts," and
iassos or larIsts. Every portion of his
large and heavily-rigged saddle has its
proper Spanish name. which IL un-
known to the ordinary cowboy OF the
present day. although some years since.
when Southerners were engaged ex-
clusively In that business. most OF those
were familiar with the Spanish name
Of each portion or section OF the saddle.
a. Al. a h.
tween the vacquero and cowboy 10 THAI
A.. S.~..... =. ....sl.vo1 awnlttaiualH