The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-15
INDIAN MEDICINE.
Curious Rite a. Praetieed by the
Siwash Tribe.

FROM the chicago Record.
William Kerr. a scotchman. who has
been here several years. and who. by
the way. married a sister Of Alexander
Graham Ben. the inventor Of the tele-
phone. told me OF a remarkable scene
he Witnessed when trying to settle n ST.
was strike on the Yakima river. He was
In charge Of the great Mckee ranch. when.
following the example OF the pale-faces.
detachment from a tribe OF Indians
that had come over from British Column
bia, struck for higher wages. So-Happy.
the chief and Columbia Jack. a sort OF
sub-chief. We're the leaders IN the trouble,
and these unostentatious children OF nat
ure demanded IS cents more per box for
picking hops than they had contracted
Tor, ana had gone into camp in the hop
field until their demands were complied
with.
MIR. Kerr dld not reach the camp until
after dark He found the Indians squat
ting around a strong fire light, quietly
discussing the issue and taking their Otlum
cum dig. Lying inside on a heap OF old
blankets. In the fun glare Of the tire. was
young sQuaw, evidently In great pain
while a hideOus Old medicine man, who
was said 10 be above - years OF age
knelt beside her. with his head bent to-
ward the earth. His eyes were deeply
sunken, and his tawny face was so wrin'
Killed. that Il looked as II It might have
been carved from walnut.
suddenly the old medicine man raised
himself ON his knees, turned toward the
sick squaw, and, In low monotone. be
gan chanting an Incarnation. When ID
came 10 the end OF a period the young
men took up the burden of the song In q
mournful chorus, beating time with sticks
on log, and swaying their bodies In
harmony with their melancholy rythm
Then TIE old medicine man began again
Again the young men raised the chorus
Each period of recitative lasted about
i've minutes. and there were six periods
And now the whole group seemed fro.
zen. As tribute TO the mesmeric pOwei
OF the rites" remarked Mr.. Kerr. 81 an
bound TO say that ] don't believe / coule
have moved had / tried The ancient
medicine man presently began 20 craN
slowly toward the recumbent aquaw
and, with hia eyes intently fixed upon hora
proceeded to knead her limbs In "a kind Of
savage massage. gradually working to.
ward her head The massage lasted about
ten minutes, ] should say, and was con.
Quoted with so much energy that tbs
poor aquaw must have ached all over
SO far as could be seen, however, sh,
ala not move a muscle.
1.-THE Idea seemed clearly to be that the
old man was squeezing something in her
body ana gradually driving Il towards
her head. When he got it there ne be-
came stlll more excited then stopping
suddenly he glued his lips 70 hers and
seemed struggling TO suck something
from her mouth. Evidently succeeding
he closed his lips, rose 10 his feet. formed
with his hands hollow box and. raising
them 10 his lips, elected into them what
ever Il was he had taken from his pa
TENTS mouth, and closed them firmly
He then plunged his hands into n large
buck OF water and worked them fran
Ideally, as II trying TO drown or purify
the evil he had captured.
when this was accomplished" contin.
ued Mr. Kerr, he stepped out OF the group
faced the north, raised his stil CLOSED
hands to his mouth, and blowing into
them with mad strength. tosses them opel
towards the sky and collapsed In a hear
on the ground, while the young mel
bursg into a long and evidently trlun.
phaYt chorus.
"Joining the chief, asked him what II
all meant. lie replied. Sick kloochman
mamook medicine a sick woman. We
have been trying to cure her)
" But do you really believe / asked
that this viii cure her?' 'I<ionass yaky
chaco klOshe. klonas wake. Tabeat kalS-
wa Boston medicine medicine man. per
haps Il will do good. perhaps not-all the
same as a white doctOr)
at occurred to me that few, II any
white doctors were possessed OF the nee
essary nerve 10 practice among the In
dams Some little time before they had
calmly killed one Of the medicine men be-
cause an undue proportion of his pa
TENTS died. The post should certainly
be an honorable and rcmunerative one"