Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-01-26

secret society connected with it among
the Cheyennes. This society met in a
lodge outside the camp. If they lose
this holy bundle in war the whole
tribe will impoverish itself to get it
back. The tribal medicine Of the Nav
aJos was little squat stone figure
which they got from the Pueb-
los, as the Pueblos got it in
turn from the Aztecs or Toltecs. have
one of these original little Aztec figures
over two hundred and fifty years old
and yellow with age. The Apaehes
adopted it in turn from the Navajos. as
did also the Utes. The Arapahoes
wanted it and finally made war on the
Utes and got il. The Utes, when they
found their medicine was gone, pur-
sued and scattered them and killed the
warrior who had the medicine, but did
not recover the sacred medicine, which
he had hidden on finding himself
pressed. When tribe wants to get the
best of any other tribe it gets away its
medicine if it possibly can. The Osages
had stone similar to that of the Utes,
only smaller"
win you tell me-" l asked Of the
medicine man, "how you cure the sick?"
81 have in the first place band of old
women known as The Howlers,' who
drive out the evil spirits by their voice
They howl over the sick. II they can't
perform a cure l come. have tom
tom beaten over the head of the sick
This generally kills or cures. Some
times | order my patient removed into
the sweathouse. There perform mas
sage until all the rheumatism is taken
out of the joints. Scarlet fever
is sweated out by two blankets
boiled in hot water and wrapped
round the body and third wrapped dry
around them both. Fourteen hours of
sweat at an even temperature will
bring out all the scarlet fever I'll tell
you another wonderful cure for tuber-
culosis," said the medicine chief Take
two Spanish flies and put one on each
breast and let them bore right through
to the lining of the lung When the
aperture is made clap poultice on each
opening and you will get cupful of
corruption out of each lung. This is an
old Indian remedy, and when the chiefs
visited England long ago they told it
there to the doctors, who tried it sue
cessfully. In making medicine earth
or sands of different colors, ashes of
certain plants, bones, birds, animals,
reptiles and other ingredients are Sc
cured and mixed together in a shallow
dish and gently stirred with a stick
Indian mothers bear many children.
THE Indian woman is an easy moth
er. She goes 10 a thicket alone and re-
turns with the child in her arms
child is not weaned until another is
born"
Can you tell me of some Of the secret
signs which they blaze with when they
want to indicate danger?"
There are so many" said the med
icine man, that hardly know where
to begin.
"a sapling cut off to within three
feet of the ground with the bark peeled
and stone laid on top of it signifies
danger. A trunk with tomahawl1
sticking In 1t signifies war. attack and
revenge. A tomahawl1 or knife driven
into the ground signifies a declaration
of war"
What are totems and watous?"
"A totem is the coat of arms of each
individual. There may be Also such a
thing as national totem. A totem has
no connection whatever with the medi-
cine bag of the individual nor has it
necessarily any religious significance.
Can you explain to me the mysteri-
Gus secret which has always been per
fectly inexplicable to me how the In
dams carry off their dead2"
Il do not wonder that you should be
puzzled over such problem" said the
medicine man. II viii tell you. 1t is
a common belief among the Indians of
the plains that no warrior who has
been scalped ever lives again, bat is
condemned TO utter annihilation. This
is the reason why tine Indians try to
scalp every white man they can, SO as
to prevent his ever pursuing them
again in the happy hunting grounds be-
yond the grave For this reason the
instant an Indian falls he is seized and
carried off the field. The secret Of such
feat lies in the drill back Of it, The
rider is trained To stoop down from his
horse while lie Is at fun speed and picl,
up light objects lying IN the ground
Gradually heavier weights are selected
until at last few Indians reach state
Of such remarkable proficiency in this
art as to be able TO stoop down, and
picking up the body of the heaviest
man, swing it across their horses. War
rior are for warned 10 raise their arms
from the field if wounded or dying
This act is generally performed by two
Indians. Riding at fun speed neck to
necl, on either side of the FRUSTRATED
form, the riders stoop at the same in
slant, seize the wounded warrior and
with a double effort swing him up in
front Of one Of the riders, who scurries
off with him to safe cover or camp.
"In the drills tho picking and the
picked up take turns at playing dead
or wounded This is the reason why
in every engagement with the Indians
the significant words: Indian loss
unknown are the only report which
young heutenants thirstiug for glory
can mako with nothing to show for
their pains.