New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-18
INDIAN GHOSTS.
DEVIL PLACES" OF SOUTHERN CALL
FORNA-ANIMAL SUPEESTITIONS
BONE FOLK LORE GATHERED EY TIE BUREAU
OF ETHNOLOGY IN PUBLICATION
SOON TO BE ISSUED.

correspondence OF The Boston Transcript
Fifty miles to the southwest Of Tucson. Ariz..
Is a dreary region of desert-a rugged butte of
roughly conical shape rises abruptly from the
plain and points like finger toward the sky.
Here and there it's sides pitted with caverns.
and altogether its appearance is so weird that it
Is no wonder the Papago Indians Of the region
regard 1t with superstitious awe. 1t is called
Eattcsnake Rock, because the Ancient of all the
Rattesnakes makes his home inside OF it, This
fact is known positively. because he has been
seen many times. The butte is sacred place.
and nobody ventures near II under ordinary
circumstances: but candidates for aboriginal
diplomas" as medicine men sleep 10y it over
night. after fasting for a long time. and the big
serpent comes out and leads them into the
rock. where in an immense hollow chamber. all
eorts of potent things. such snakes skins.
birds claws etc, are hung up. The uses of
these for magical and curative purposes he
teaches to the novice who is thereafter
garded by his people graduated in the arts
of healing and sorcery.
THE FEAR OF SHADOWS.
On the field of the fight of Wounded Knee
there picked up an Indian baby not more
than three months Od-a little girl She
found strapped to the back of her dead mother.
who was shot in the massacre. General Colby
adopted the child. to whom the name Zintka
Ianuni U-ost Bird was given. and reared her as
his daughter. Although the little girl neither
knows nor remembers any conditions other than
those of civilization. she has evinced one very
notable inherited trait-namelv a fear of
shadows. She is greatly afraid even Of her
shadow and this would seem very surprising
were III not known tnat Indians. ike most other
SaVascs' regard shadow as the ghost OF the
person or other object 10y which it is thrown
The rules Of conduct by which savage must
govern his life are vastly more complex than
those which control civilized man. This is
because of the multitude of ghosts which
round him on every side. The civilized man
considers that he is doing what is required Of
him If he does not disturb the comfort of his
neighbors. but the Indian is obliged to behave
himself in satisfactory way in respect to
rocks. in respect to deer in respect to the sun
ana moon, and a1 minimum He has n
Infinite number Of neighbOrs all of whom are
none the less real to him because they are
phantonIs 10 US. For example a certain line of
conduct must be fulfilled by him in respect to
rabbits: otherwise he would not be able to catch
any rabbits. The Great Ancient of Rabbits per
mits some of his representatives. to be captured
only on the condition that certain forms shall
be carefully observed by the captors
HAUNTED PLACES
Every tribe of Indians has its ghost places "
devil places. which are haunted localities. In
the country of the Tularc Indians. in southern
California is enormous granite bow.der
which is believed to be inhabited by witches. II
is known Witch Rock. and nobody. least If
all children, ventures To approach il In the
lower part of ii is a curious opening, which has
the shape of a cavern. and here the witches are
supposed to dwell Not faf distant IS a pool
which il supposed TO be occupied by the devil.
The waters Of the pool are dark. being stained
with some vegetable matter. and close by is
mineral spring. which lends additional mystery.
That the devil does actually live in the pool is
Of the tribe has seen him. They go, "A number
Of them together. and hold each others hands
while they watch for him, and they never fail 20
see him in the water He is always there
watching for somebody TO come along to be
gObblcd up.
There does not to be any evidence 10
show that any monkey ever ghost. That
is because the monkey possesses no imagination.
Without Imagination there can be no ghost.
The man and the ghost must have begun to
exist in the world together, practically To the
primcval savage as to the Indian or to-day.
everything had its phantasmal essence so to
speak. and the essence was more important
than the external properties Of the object.
From this point of view thing has tangible
shell. but within it is contained a potency Of
spirit. This latter is the ghost. which is at lib
crty To leave the object when II wishes. or
course. the savage has a ghost Of his own, Of
which he is vaguely conscious.
AmOnG the most appalling spooks that haunt
the lrOquOs is a carnivorous ghost in the shape
of phantom. which repeats their words mock
ingly among the hills Particularly maleVolent
spirits are certain huge heads. without bodies.
that go flying about. their long hair serving
them in lieu of wings. The Indians generally
believe in supernatural beings corresponding 10
our fairies and COLLINS. which have local abid-
Ing places we'll recognized as such Thcy can
them the Little People,
Near the junction Of the Illinois ana MlSSiS-
sirpi rivers is great rock. on which Is carved "A
representation of a panther. Up to very re-
cent period and until the Indians were driven
out of that part of the country they made Sacrl-
fees regularly to this sculpturcd animal. bellev-
ing that the rock the home Of the Ancient
of all the PanthcrS. This custom Of theirs was
evidently very old. inasInuch as 1t is referred To
by Marquette.
THE ORIGIN OF NIAGARA FALLS.
Formerly there dwelt under Niagara Falls a
gigantic snake. which now and then would make
it's way 10 an Indian village IN the nclghbor-
g,Ii fS,if