The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-07-08
SOME MAGICAL STONES.
CT ARMS VENERATED BY THE
CHEROKEE INDIANS.
Tho Wonderful Ulasuttl Stone Which
Must BE Fed on Fresh Blood Every
Week - The Medicine Mans
Trick Complete Failure.

Stones endowed with magic powers
have held an important place in the
worlds belief from the days OF the
oracular stone In the breastplate Of
the ancient Jewish high priest down
to the Lee penny and the murrain
stone OF modern times says the Phil.
adelphia Telegraph. The Cherokee
medicine men make use OF several
stone tallsmans commonly crystals
found among their native mountains
One is translucent purple stone
about an inch long, with a sharp
point. With this the conjurer claimed
to be able to find lost or stolen arti-
cles, or to tell the whereabouts Of
game in the mountains.
To test the matter coin was
thrown into the grass at random while
he was not looking, and he was told
the money was his II he could find it.
Procuring string about yard long
he tied one end around the middle Of
the stone. Then. holding the stone
suspended so as to swing freely he
set it whirling In q circle with q
stroke OF his finger, Mt the same time
recitlng In an undertone some secret
formula. The stone revolved rapid.
ly, then more and more slowly and
stopped with the point toward the
north He walked few feet further
in that direction gave the stone an
other whlrl and again repeated the
formula explaining that 1t had to be
done seven times, and that on the
seventh trial the stone would point to
the exact spot where the money was
lying.
Having gone through the whole
performance. he finally halted at the
wrong place. After hunting in the
grass for some time he was obliged to
give up. He declared that his fail
ure was due to the fact that the stone
was not fastened as 1t should have been.
The other Indians said that the stone
was all right but that the man was u
liar which was perfectly true and
that although pretty good doctor
he knew nothing OF magic They
asserted that In the hands OF certain
conjurers whom they named, the
charm never failed.
To obtain a knowledge Of future
events they use another tallsman.
They put 1t into bowl of water
where, according to u cir testimony
1t moves about on the surface follow
ing the direction OF knife In the
hand OF the conjurer who all the
time repeats his secret formula
Whipple describes that ceremony as
he witnessed 1t among the Western
Cherokees forty years ago The tai
isman was a small round piece OF very
dry bread.
The greatest OF all Cherokee tails
mans is the Ulasutti Oiterally trans
parent) stone. There Is no end L
the stories concerning this stone
which the Indians invariably speak o
in half-frightened manner rs chill
dred speak OF ghosts. They asser'
that it is magic scale from the head
OF a great horned serpent with body
as large rs tree trunk and two blaz.
ing coils Of fire for eyes which lived
ages ago and worked terrible destruc.
tion among the people until 1t was
killed by a famous magician. In the
encounter single drop OF the
serpents poisonous saliva fell upon
the head OF the slayer whose hair
was transformed into n mass Of with
ing snakes
The Indians describe 1t as triangu-
lar crystal fat on tho bottom and
tapering TO a point, and perfectly
transparent with the exception OF a
single red streak running through
the center from top to bottom 1t Ia
evidently beautiful specimen OF ru.
tile quartz 80 that the conjurer who
can obtain one outranks all his rivals.
The stone must be fed the Indians
say with tho blood OF small game
every seven days, rubbed over with
the blood OF the animal as soon as
killed. Twice year 1t demands the
blood OF deer or some other largo
animal. II is wrapped in whole
deerskin and kept In some secret cave
in the mountains Were the tribute
OF blood to be withheld or neglected.
the Ulasutti would issue from It's hid
ing place at night as a great blazing
ball OF fire and fly through the air TO
satisfy its appetite by drinking tho
life blood OF the conjurer
The original owner was afraid OF It
and he changed It's hiding place fire.
quently, 80 that the stone might not
be able TO find It's way out When he
died it was buried with him. as other
wise 1t would issue from les cave by
night like fiery meteor to search
for his tomb night after night for
seven years But II unable 10 find It's
owner, It would go back 10 sleep for
ever whore he had placed it.
As far back as 1862 Undertake
heard OF the stone. with the wonder
full story Of It's origin. He said that
1t was kept hid3en in some place
known only TO two women who re-
fused TO betray the secret Adalr the
celebrated trader, also speaks OF 1t a
few years later The conjurer refused
to let him see 1t for fear OF proiana-