The Portland daily press., 1892-05-28
THE CHAMPION IRRIGAToR.
A California Medicine Man Who Called
Down Rain to Order.
rGnecial Correspondence


Down Rain to Order.
Especial Correspondence
SAN JOSE, Cal, May 21.-Mr. S. A.
Bishop who is one of the leading citi-
zens Of San Jose, tells rainmaking
story that leaves away behind all the re-
suits of kites and balloons and dynamite
and secret chemicals. Mr.. Bishops repu-
tation for truth and veracity is of the
best, and, moreover, he refers for con-
Srmation to General E. F. Beale, now
Of Washington, who was then superin-
tendent of Indian affairs in California,
and was present at the reservation dur
ing the marvellous happenings of which
Mr.. Bishop tells. Mr.. Bishop does not
believe in the miraculous, and he has no
explanation to make of the things that
occurred, unless they were mere coin
cidences.
Sin that case" he says, mature went
away out of her way to produce an aw-
full lot of the most astounding coinci-
dences ever saw"
1t was in 1851, and Mr.. Bishop had
charge of an Indian reservation at Te-
jon pass, in the southern end of the San
Joaquin valley. The crops were about
to be ruined by severe spring drought,
and he set the Indians to digging irri-
eating bitches. They told him there
was medicine man who was also
rain god up in the mountains who could
make rain whenever he wanted to, and
that if they might send for him there
would be no need of digging bitches.
They were so persistent about it that
finally, as the easiest means of preserv-
ing peace and discipline, the rain god
was sent for.
He came and brought all his hill tribe
with him. The reservation Indians had
sent word of the mighty mans coming
to all the surrounding tribes, and not
less than 10000 Indians were there to
welcome him. He looked as if he might
be even older than the hills he came
from. He had an enormous head, set
upon little, shriveled up body, which
was supported by pipestem legs. His
hair was perfectly white and stood
straight out from his head on all sides,
while his face was ugly enough to bring
cloud over summer landscape.
1t required the carcasses of nearly
hundred bullocks to satisfy the hunger
of the Indian horde, and after the feast
the great chief announced that he was
ready to begin operations. He hid him
self in a grove, whence he could be
heard jabbering wildly. In few min
utes clouds began to gather rapidly, then
few drops of rain came pattering down,
and in less than an hour furious thun-
derstorm was raging and the rain fall
ing in torrents. The rain continued for
ten days, until the plains were Doggy
and the cattle could scarcely move about
without getting znired. This was in
July, time of year when even a slight
| sprinkle of rain in that region would be
wonderful. Mr.. Bishop was amazed,
but the Indians all wore an it's-just-what-
unexpected manner, and one of the
chiefs said to him:
"What would be the use of having
| rain god if he couldn't bring rain?"
During the summer and fall the white
| haired old rainmaker announced many
times that it was going to rain, and then
hid himself in the grove and iabbered.
And his prophecy never once missed fire.
During the harvest Mr.. Bishop had
difficulty with the old medicine man,
and attempted to enforce his authority
by physical means. The old fellow
rushed at him with knife and was
promptly knocked down.
The whole tribe made a rush for
Bishop, who sprang on his horse and
fed for his life. The rain god drew
himself up, tossed his arms and began
shouting his peculiar incarnation. Clouds
rapidly covered the sky and before
Bishop could reach the reservation build
ings hailstones as big as walnuts were
pelting him furiously. He was glad to
get under a roof and nurse his bruises.
Horses and cattle stampeded and the
whole crop would have been ruined if
the storm had lasted more than a few
| minutes.
After that Mr.. Bishop treated the rain
god with respect until he and his tribe
returned to their home in the mountains.
F. F. Z,