Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-07-03
GHOST DANCING.



from Kingman, through the fertile,
but uncultivated Wallapai valley, fol-
lowing around the easter base of the
silverribbed Cerbat range brought us
to the encampment Of the savage
hosts of fanatical worshippers of the
new, but now famous Indian Messiah.
At the mouth Of a short, rocky canyon,
protected from the winds by the rug
ged granite walls of the canyon and
a solitary butte, or peak, that stands,
sentinel like, just in front of its en-
trance, lie the wicklups of the four
hundred Wallapai Indians, who are
engaged in the weird, and to them ex-
citing 'ghost dance"
The huts of the savage campers are
scattered plcturesquely and without
regard for order around the more pre-
tentlous dwelling of his swarthy
majesty, Chief Surahm, the head war
chief of his tribe.
When informed that your correspon-
dent represented the Mohave Miner
and that his object was to tell through
its columns to the white people
throughout the country what Chief
Surahm and his people were doing
at their dance, the ambitious old saw
age cleared his brow of its accustomed
scowl. and with a smile welcomed the
scribe to his village. 81 am glad you
have come" he said, in broken En-
glish; ''for myself and my people have
been misrepresented and many lies
been told about us and our object by
unprincipled and designing people,
whose object is to get us into trouble
with the white people, so as to get us
arrested and put into military prison
or have us killed in battle. Now, l
will have a chance to tell my side of
the question to all the white people
and when they have heard both sides
then let them iupge. Tonight you
shall see the dance and will explain
to you all that any white man is per-
mitted to know of our dance, our reli-
gion and our hopes, Till then make
yourself at home with my people; they
will treat you Hospitality and kindly;
for you are our guest"
After picketing our ponies upon the
green and succulent grass with which
the valley is covered, we strolled about
through the village, conscious that we
we're the object of the gaze Of many a
pair Of itady, black eyes, peering at
us from the confusion of huts.
The young bucks were indulging in
ii series of horse races, and each sue
ceeding race-and they followed in
amazingly rapid succession--was greet,
ed with cheers and many demonstrations
Of excitement.
And so, with shouts Of laughter,
jests and that childlike appreciation of
everything that partakes of the nature
of sport that is known to the unfetter-
ed child of nature, alone the untutor-
ed savages whiled the hours away un-
til the sun had set. And then as
darkness began to fall, the everyday
llashy, though scanty, clothing was
exchanged for the white robes pres
cribed by the medicine men as a dane
ing costume; faces and hair were
painted white, forming the most
ghastly pictures conceivable. A fav-
orite mode of painting seemed to be to
paint the lips, nose eyes and hair
white leaving the rest of the face its
natural color, and no pen can paint
the sensations that such a combin-
alton Of swarthy skin and white clay
can produce upon the mind of one who
for the first time gazes upon such a
scene.
Gentle reader, sitting safely and
comfortably in your own home, can
you picture to your Imagination a
scene like this; Imagine a circular
piece Of ground one hundred feet in
diameter, enclosed by a fence, made
by putting poles and bushes into the
ground, and surrounded by the high
and rugged granite walls that reflect
in demoniacal fantasies the lurld
lights of half dozen fires that blaze
within the enclosure; while two hun
dred sayages clad in white robes with
fancy trimmings-faces and hair
painted white in whatever decorative
manner the savage mind suggests as
best calculated TO produce the most
weird and startling effects-move
slowly around In a circle keeping time
with wild chant chat swells and
falls, in barbaric cadence; while two
hundred more stand or crouch around
the fires, awaiting their turn to par
ticipate. can never forget the sem
sation produced upon my miAd as l
stood between two swarthy chiefs and
gazcd upon this scene. How can l
describe this new step of the ghost
dance? Ii is like military .''side to
the left" accompanied by an inde-
scribable movement Of the body. All
the dancers face toward the center
holding each others hands and all