Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-06-27
SACRED TALISMANS.
CAREFULLY GUARDED STONES AMONG
THE cHERoXEEs.

Stone About which Iunuinssabls sta
ries Are Toid-it. owner.
Stones endowed with magic powers
have held an important place in tho
worlds belief from the days OF the
ofacular stone IN the breastplate Of the
ancient jewish high priest down to the
Lee penny and tho murran stone o.
modern times The Cherokee medicine
men make use Of several stnuo tails.
hinus' commonly crystals found among
thelr native mountains. ono Is q trans.
lucent purple stone about an inch long
with sharp point With this the con
lutcr claimed to DO able to lind lost OF
stolen articles, or 10 tell the where.
abouts Of game In the mountains.
10 test the matter a coin was thrown
into the grass at random while he was
not looking. and he was told the monou
was his II he could fnd II. Procuring
string about yard long he tied one
cud Of it around the middle Of the stone.
Then holding the stone suspended so as
t. swing freely, he sot 1t whirling IN. a
circle with n stroke Of his finger. ut the
same time rcciting IN ma uudcrtono some
secret formula The stone rvyulyod
rapidly, then moro aud more slowly
nnd 6ioppod with the point toward the
north. lie walked u few feet farther In
that direction, gave tho stone another
twirl, and again repeated tho formula
explaining that It must be- done seven
times. and that on the seventh tyial the
stone would point 10 tho exact spot
where the money was lying
Having gone through the whole per.
Torrance, he finally halted at the wrong
place. After hunting IN the grass for
some tino he was Obliged to give 1t MP
He declared that his failure was due 10
the fact that the stone was not fastened
rs IL should have bern The other In.
dams said that the stone wis all right
but that the man was liar. which was
perfectly true. and that, although u
pretty good doctor, he know nothing Of
magic. They assorted that IN the hands
Of certain coniurcr,, whom they mined.
the charm never failed
To obtain knowledge OF future
events they use another talismau. They
put 1t into bowl Of water, whore. nc.
cordiug 10 their testimony, II moves
about on the surface, following the IL.
rcction OF n knife IN the hand Of the con.
Jurcr, who all the time repeats his So
crit formula. Whipple dcscgbos that
ceremony N lac witnessed It among The
western Chcrokcos forty years ago.
The tallsnan WAS small round piece VI
very dry bread.
Tho greatest OF all Cherokee tnlimans
Is tile UlNutti literally Transparent
stone. There Is no end to the stories
concerning tllisstonc. which the Indian.
Invariably speak Of IN u half frightened
manner, us children speak OF ghosts.
They INSERT that u Is u magic scale from
tho head Of great horned serpent, with
a body Gs large MS tree trunk and two
blazing Goals Of fire for eyes. which
lived ages ago aud worked terrific dc.
siruction among the people m'.f It was
Killed by a famous magician. In tho
encounter "a 1lnglc drop OF the scrpont's
POISONOUS saliva fell upon the head OF
the slayer whose hair was TRANSFORMED
into mass of writing snakoA
The Indians describe It a. a triangular
crystal, HAT ON the bottom ana tnpvrinp
up to point md perfectly Transporter,
with the exception Of a single red streak
running through the center from top.to
bottom. II Is evidently a beautiful
specimen OF rutilegrugtz' 81 exceedingly
rare that tho coujUrcr who can obtain
one outranks all his riya's.
The stone must 30 ted, the indians
say, with the blood os small gamecvory
suyon days-rlhbod ovur with the blood
of the animal ~ soon ms lillod. Twic,
a year 1t demands tho blood OF % deer OF
some other large animal. II Is wrapped
IN whole dorr,kin and kept Ia som.
secret cave Ia thc mountains Were the
tribute Of blood 10 be withheld OF
neglected tho UiHsdth would issue from
It's hiding place at night rs u great blaz
ing ball Of tire, and fly through the ali
TO satisfy its appetite hy drinking Llt
hfeblood Of the conlnrcr
Tho original owner was nfraid OF H.
and he changed its hiding place fro
quoutly, 80 that the stone might not b,
able TO I'D its way out. Whom no died
1, was bl. with him, as otherwise II
would ISSUE from It's cave hy night lik,