The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1896-12-12
Chronicle % "a Spanish Wootya.l'.ii.
[Cont,nued from last weekly


[Connued from sstw weekly
The lodge Of mystery medicine lodge, as
the structure of the power invisible is usually
termed was the most picturesque pluce of an In
dian village as is the lofty spired churches in the
towns :nd cities of civilized men.
In all the numerous villages built from time to
time along the Upper Missouri by the Mandans
the Gros Ventres or the Arcarees, this was es
peciay true On the common in front Of the
medicine lodge sometime within its gloomy in
terror were the sacred stones from which agency
came delegated powers from the spirit land and
from whose poreless and Ainty substance the men
Of mystery belonging to the tribe, alone could in
terpret and make clear its meaning and its DESIRES
that the dutful and undutiful alike could wish to
know
In the early years of the present century trav-a
eers and fur traders among Indian nations or,
tribes of the far west regarded the Mandans as
the most elaborate in preparation as we'll as the.
most finished and methodical in program, and
moreover the most grotesque, most uncanny
and most wierd in appearance and barbarc display
in their great medicine and other tribel dauces.
of any of the wild people in the lands of the
buffalo. But on the writer's advent in the Indian
country in the carly sixties. learned from the
Sioux on the lower river that the achme Of mys
terry was in the medicine lodge OF the Arcarce.
that the medicine making priests of that tribe
could catch bullits their tongues could walk
with barred feet upon living Goals of fire and
burn; could Guido the agile otter in springing
from the river bank into the muddy, swirng
stream. and bring therefrom. ghtened in his drip
ping jaws. a huge fish. that the power Of his to-
tenn of mystery had enabled him to catch in his
i've in watery depths, with the same ease that
would have enabled him to have plucked posy
from the lowered plain.
But after occult familiarity wirh the sights wit
messed during this mystery making Of the Ar
ricaree medicine men or the dancing and ceremony
attendant upon the young fedgling's admittance
among the mystic group thenceforth known as a
warrior and a man, l could see but little that
would appoach even the ordinary slight of hand
performer. had seen the. confident young man,
after being rubbed down by this priest of mystery.
spring ninbly from among the group of candi-
dates for mans estate and a warriors plume. rush
to the river make the dive for the fish that his
''medicine" would give him, come back with a
dripping hide and woful face. sit down and cry.
in rceri,y, leio1e all thu audience.
Such scene as this had occurred in the africa
rec medicine lodge, at midnight hour in August,
1874. was pleased to control my own feelings,
but was mortified that my companion on this oc,
cason could not n,asque his features or restrain
his nirth. Had he done so, in all probabl;t,
need rot now record my companion as fifth v;ct,r.
in line of the dead-or drearier than of H.. 49,,
of that i'll fated crew of tie sranisb woas
yard.
When Gros Ventre Thompson and his Marin -
Morgan, Were strolling the prairies edoe On ~
Missouri, opposite the Fort Ber,hold Bad .nd l,
in April 1875, they came to little noll and -
on this heap of sand with his face to the sim ~,
the body of Chris Weaver Upon bis swollen
remains were the marks ola medicine" murder
and one of the last Of the many preceding i
that came from the Medicine Lodge of the wild
indians.