The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-01-23

the mountains he passes along. Ihey are
not, as generally supposed, the smoke from
campfireS, but are the Signals sent rum
one part of the country to another telling Oh
the advent and passage of strangers Inc
traveller may be assured that he takes no
camp by surprise for they have all been au-
vised of his coming and can tell eXactLy
when he will arrive at the encampmeat.
l once asked an Apache to show me ing
different ways of making smoke slgnals.
He gathered 4 lot of dry grass ana lalo l.
in a pile and then placed near IL apoul
three times much green grass ana leaves
Going to patch of pinon pine trees Hedi
by he secured two bundles of WOOD. one
bundle contained dry wood and the otner
was composed of pitch pine knots Iakihg
off his Blanket and leggings, ne searcheu
about among the rocks and found two SUIT
able pieces of flint. He had matches Out
wished to show me how it could De zone
when a man was almost destitute IakinS
some dry grass cnd pitch pine splinters ne
carefully struck his fints until spark lg-
nted the infiammable substance ana
small blaze appeared Gradually be lea
this blaze with the dray grass untll coh-
siderable fire burning, sending up d
thin column of blue smoke that coulu
scarcely be seen except by those VINO might
be watching for such a sigma.
When the column had satisfied MN ne
threw a bunch of the green grass upon me .
fire, almost choking it out. The result
was seen in a dense column OF gray h9i
white smoke that rose high in the all. he
ting this burn for some minutes II chahseu
again to the thin blue column, ana liieh ne
added the dry wood that he had plouSn'
from the pinon grove. which sent up d reu-
IRISH brown column that was mlnBieu "iN
almost pure white. Now taking some mo-
of the green grass with his pitch pine "oou
he produced a smoke that was pei
black and dense. rising in a column NO.
could be seen for miles. Having thuS Sho"i
the different colors, he took his leSSlhe'
and began tanning the smoke cauSIls II %
veer and perform peculiar indescrioapie .!
rationS. When the variations had pceh
made in sufficient number he dropped the
leggings and took up his blanket -Ilolulh5
it by the upper corners, he deluy coEe,oN
the fire, completely checking the shioh0-
BY holding the edges to the Brouhu nc IN
prisoned considerable quantity OIL the
smoke and then suddenly released 1t ny
quickly withdrawing the blanket Iheh ne
as suddenly checked it again, anu ~ ie-
peated the operation several tlihe9' 9't'9
the smoke up in little balloon Shapeu clo"'9,
sometimes making them large anu Lax "p'A'
and then making them small and 50 close
together that they had the appearance %
a string of black beads as they rose lnlo
the air He now changed the course oil the
balloons and sent one this way and the next
that until il looked as if he had SeFei't
fires going at once. From the olte lh
counted more than twenty signals from 'h1
different colors and shapes
in addition to the various forms resume"
from the manipulation of the single coiui''h
of smoke. signals are made by increasing
the number of columns with their reia0l'e
locations For instance, the ApacHt9 H'N'
a signal TO announce the return Oh ~"
cessful war party. When the returhlhs W."
ricrs reach a given point IN SlSiit % tiV
lage the smukem&ker sends up ms Slsh"l9'
For each scalp a column aScehuS' anu 1Dl
each death in the party variation is Hlaue
i'm tho shane of the column. HE ApdtHe9
use the grass and weed as before s'"'ON ~
indicate the various meanings Oh ClV lii0
sage but there Is always pIeFio"9 81
rangement as TO meanings before S't'i Ems
an a new expedition. The permanent 9-s
,ale are used for communicating camp news
from one village to another SINGLE lo"9
continued column OF smoke lndlcd'c9 tii'1
the camp is about to be ho'Su ~ Ol
quarters Should two continuous cOiu"i
ascend il would indicate to all o.heI mem
tar. of the tribe that safety ana quieI
raiy,,ed and no change was 10 ldhe "a
80 Snould three columns, nO"eNe D~
sent up ali Indians in the Nlc4tloy "0ai
derstand that an enemy W" t"1i me Nun
ann shouId there be need OIL hdst5 ~ ~ ,cnre
her of columns would DE increased, the . l
columns there We're lhe i'o'S
p Sp1',l. signalling is common with All u,neS
of Indians, and i'll every trlpe WI ,,,,,,'
! am acquainted there are seVeral lileil VIZ
have received their names rom NC" +t
,1artncss in the manipulation OF the hiIdhof
Pc t.n,,c. cuch names as Little Smoke,
-, snake Smoke Maker and SMOKER d.
,1,roon in all tribes, and IN one H1S'aHOe
knew of a Ute who was calleo Urea 2''i9i
Maker His fame extended peS hi' w,
tribe which is something rare ioi GA
dian. ..,. 49,, tho ,oost
sl-iIIruI in the manipulation OF their SMOKE
SIGNALS but some of the plains lhu!"i9 nov
become exceedingly expert, TINS peii'S
neciaIIy so with the colnanches. All'ohS 'AG
Sioux and Cheyennes smoke slbN''N-i' 90 -
reached a high degree of accuracy 'l'i" 1t
ms been found that there is never Il move
rnent of either the police or the Solulel' -,
that country that IS not trlhSIllltCeu III
over the reservation unless lhe HloNe'ie"I
is made with the greatest secrecy anu at
might Among the Crows ana <AiChtiS3S
the use of signals is not SO common puc
they have the regular signal men VINO
transmit message and orders from the
chiefs to subordinateS.
While smoke signals are in most general
,sa they are not the only means of commu-
nication known to the Indians. Fire, OF
course is the only instrument that can be
used by night, but the Indian use aust
water, trees, his own members ana ms
clothing as well as his horse and himself,
are essential to their welfare. Fire signals
are only used in times of war, or upon ths
return of a party that has long been absent.
In addition to torches which are swung
about much after the manner of the
SIGNALING done in civilized armies, the
Indians make use of fire arrows which are
made by fastening pitch, or some other IN
fammable substance, to the arrow heads.
The ordinary arrow signals are to warn the
tribe of the approach of an enemy or to
announce an attack to be made. One ar
row means that an enemy is near; a second
arrow denotes danger: the third That the
danger is great. Should two be sent up at
once it tells that an attack is to be made
II three go together the attack viii be
made soon and when four are shot at once
it is the signal that the attack is to be
made at once. These arrows are always
sent in the direction in which the attack
is TO be made.
What might he termed Il twin brother
to a fire signal is the use of mirrors. While
the army of the border has made much use
of Photograph signals the Indians have
established Il code with flashes Of light from
a small mirror held in the hand that is
simply marvellous in it's completeness and
simplicity. I saw a drill of more than 4
hundred mounted Comanches once that
would have put to shame the brilliant work
of Il crack corps, and every command was
,;,ex. ctr fRlf ca