The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-05-14
MEDICINE BLUFF.

mense hill which. by trlangulation.
effected during the winter campaign
OF 1668-69 by the engineer officer at.
tached 70 General Sherldan's head
quarters IL $40 feet high. At lite
base there Is clear running river or
properly brook--for 1t is only about
20 feet wide. The shape which the
/ stream assumes ut the Immediate foot
OF the mountain Is that OF crescent,
forming quite large pool or basin.
Medicine bluff has OF course. lost
much OF its prestige among the In
diitsA for the reason that since the ex-
tinction OF the buffalo and other large
game the tribes have been scattered,
being generally pretty closely con-
fined 10 the reservations and the su.
perstitions or Mt least many Of them.
having passed gradually out OF the re-
T, membrance OF the new generations
, known only to the few old warriors
/ left. m a.
| The savage like the white man. in
his disappointments and miseries
sometimes resorts to suicide as cure
all for and end all OF LIES burdens.
Among the powerful Comanches Med.
icine Bluff was. for an unknown per.
iod, one OF their famous places like
the Vendome Column In Paris. from
which to terminate an unsatisfactory
and miserable existence. The Bluff
was also rendezvous for the youn o.
warriors. who were TO GO for the first
time In battle with the tried soldier,
|, OF the tribe to propitiate the Great
Spirit
The sun In that nation as in the old
tribe OF Natchez symbolized their god.
For three consecutive mornings the
youthful aspirant for military honors
was obliged to go to the highest point
Of the great hill. where armed with
his buffalo hide. and alone. he was
with the utmost reverence to present
the front OF his shield to the rising
sun as its rays gilded the rocky crags
OF the mountain. assuming the atti-
tude OF warrior in the heat OF battle.
The stream which flows so pictures.
quely at the base OF the isolated
mountain is called by the Indians
! Medicine Bluff Creek; the hill above
it Medicine Bluff. From the time
when the memory OF the various tribes
.runneth not to the contrary Medi-
cine Bluff has been q prominent and
sacred spot In the traditions and
/, legitimate history OF the many nations
OF savages, but especially In that OF
the Comanches and Wichitas. It was
a sort OF Our Lady OF Lourdes" place.
where the sick were cured in the most
miraculous manner after they had
been gwen up by the celebrated
doctors OF the tribe. II the party
afflicted had never seriously grieved
the Great Spirltsthe cure was rs sud-
den as marvellous; II the sick who
were carried to the top OF the bluff by
their friends had at any time offended
the Great Spirit they died ut once. the
wolves devoured their flesh. and their
bones were transported to the Land
of Terrors. Sometimes. when tho
individual taken up to invoke the aid
OF the Indian god had lived m
exemplary life instead OF being cured
OF his feshly ills he or she was trans
lated. like Elisha OF old. to the happy
hunting grounds.
The Comanches declared that a
night the Great Spirit frequently rested
on the top Of the mountain. and when
that occurred the whole region to the
verge OF the horizon was lighted up
, with strange glow. resembling that
emanating from an immense prilirie-
fire reflected upon the clouds. The
Indians also claimed that no dew or
rain ever fell upon the extreme sum-
nit OF the bluff. where the sick were
TO lie and wait for the manifestation
OF the Mnnitou; nor did the wind blow
there so that IL was calm spot com.
prising all the essentials to q speedy
recovery.
A story told to many OF us during
the campaign referred TO- by one OF
the oldest OF the Comanches. the old
est Indian I have ever seen. Little
Beaver. OF the Osages is very inter
esting. showing to what m art the de-
spised savage OF thirty years ago re-
duced story telling. The dried-up old
warrior prefaced his tale by stating
that he was 80 aged that he was
brother OF the highest peak OF the
Wichita mountains. at tho foot Of
Which, VIC WOW CdhiPCA VII - WIN DO-
oember night In 1868. Here isthe
story:
So many years ago that It seemed
like dream even TO the narrator. the
Comanches were tho greatest tribe on
earth. Their warriors were as numer-
Gus NJ herd OF buffalo on the Arkau-
J sas in the fall They were more cum
ming than the coyote. Their herd Of
ponies contained 70 many animals--all
fine and fat---that no man could count
Thorn In year. All the other In
dams OF the plains and mountains
feared and trenbled ut the name OF
Comanche.
| In the tribe rs IL ever the casa
there were two warriors who excelled
all the others in their prowess. One
was young and the other middle aged.
/ They were very jealous OF each other
each constantly attempting some deed
Of daring at which. It was hoped the
rival would balk One fall whom the
Indian summer made the air redolent
with the sweet perfume Of Thousands
u a. Mowers and the mountains were