davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
MIN NESOT NEWS.
Dltching Is Finished.

The contract let BY the State Drain
age commission for the compile ton of
the Middle river ditch in Marshall
county expired. The commission at
its last meeting set Nov. 10 as the date
when the work should be completed,
and aSletter from the contractor to Sec
rotary Lomen states that the work has
been executed according to agreement.
The completion of this ditch exhausts
the last appropriation of $50, 900 made
by the legislature of 1896 for state
bitches in the Red river valley, and
winds up the work of the commission
extending over a period of five years.
ALI told, the state has expended $3.50,
600. for drainage in the Red river val
ley. The Great Northern railway,
however, assisted in this work, and
900 of this amount was contributed
by the railroad company, and expend-
ed under the supervision of the state
commission. -
T AS result Of this large expenditure
the state has secured excellent system
of drainage in the valley, which has
been worth to the farmers many times
it's cost. The bitches cover an area of
III miles and benifit the following
counties tributary to the Red River of
OF the North: Kittson, Marshall, Polk,
Norman, Clay, Wilkin, Traverse and
Grant.
The 10 bitches completed by the COM
mission average in length about eight
miles, the longest being the Sand Hill
ditch, in Polk county, which is IS and
one-haf miles in length.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24


upon the altar, and at the same time
half the singing priests burst out into
a blood-curdling hair-raising shrek:
SOW! Ow! Ow! Owl" Again the
song began, soft and low; more snakes
were brought to be dipped; the song
increased in volume until it was again
a double forte; then the snakes we're
thrown upon the altar, while the hor-
rible yells again rent the air.
Half an hour later, imagine the
scene! The dark underground cham
Der was stiflingly hot; the smoke that
the priests bad made before the wash
ing began filled the eyes and the lungs;
the fetid odor of the reeking bodies of
these naked and perspiring Indians
mingled with the sickcning smell OF the
snakes: the half dark room added to the
horrors, and my surprise and alarm can
better be imagined than described
when l felt snakes crawling over my
feet, and up my legs. and at length
when suddenly discovered the head
Of a large rattlesnake on my lap, with
his body rapidly following!
The altar is somewhat different from
the antelope altar. which believe no
;aruera has ever photographed except
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

my own. The latter is a sand mosaic,
made Of different colored sands. repre-.
senting the zig-zags Of the lightning.
which is the sacred symbol Of the ante
lope order. Around it are the prayer
sticks. or bahos, and other ceremonial
paraphernalia. ,, x
Just as the sun is setting on the
evening the snakes are washed, the
open-air dance begins. Visitors. white
and red, are present; Mokis from the
other villages. Navajoes, Apaches, Yava
Supais. Hualapais, as well as white peo-
pie from the leading scientific societies
of the world, and those whom curiosity
has attracted hither. It is a motley
crowd. picturesque in it's commingling
of races and costumes.
AS soon as the circling is done the an
telope priests cline up" in front of the
''kisi, and then using their rattles
gently and rythmically, begin to chant
weird and thrilling song.
= When this is ended the snake priests
dramatically march from the xiva,
and circle before the kisi. Then, fac
ing the antelope priests, they line up,
and the two rows begin to sing anc rat
tie, moving back and forth. a step. with
slow and dignified movement, and with
a precision well-trained soldiers could
not excel. Then at given signal from
the chief snake priest, the line of
snake men split up into groups of three,
while the antelope priests continue the
song and the rafting.
Now begins the exciting, disgusting,
alarming and yet most fascinating part
of the ceremony. The first of the groups
of three slowly advances to the ksi.
One of the men kneels down and re-
ceives from the warrior priest who is
inside the kisi, writhing, wriggling
snake. This he Immediately places in
his mouth. the head to the left and the
remainder of the body to the right.
The second man of the group advar ces,
as this snake carrier rises to his teet,
and, placing one arm around the neck
CT his fellow carrier and "hugger," they
start to move around the circuit in
peculiar hopping fashion, with swing
and rhythmic movement that is equally
hard to describe or reproduce. The
third man of the group follows behind,
with his snake whip, and when the
carrier reaches a certain place and
throws the snake from his mouth this
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

gatherer must stoop down and pick
up the now angry and excited re, tile
Sometimes the creature, especially if a
RATHER, will coil up and show fight.
Then the snake whip comes into rcqui.
sition. Giving the coiled reptile a
'swipe" with the feathers, it imn.edi-
ately uncoils and seeks to escape. and.
no sooner is it in motion than the
gatherer rapidly seizes it and the excite.
! ment is over. While this has beet 90.
ing on the second group has received
it's snake and the third, and so on, until
all are supplied, and they, in turn. dis.
card their snake. The first group,
when its turn comes, receives another
snake, and thus the endless chain con.
tinues until all the snakes are given
out from the kisi.
When the gatherers find their hands
too full they give over some of the
reptiles to the antelope men, who still
remain in line singing. Thus, with
perfect dignity. earnestness, and with.
out confusion, the ceremony pro.
crosses. At this stage the chief snake
priest steps aside, describes a circle
upon the ground with the sacred meal
gives signal. and all the priests Of
both orders rush forward and throw
the snakes into the circle. Imagine the
writing, wriggling, hideous, rafting,
Missing mass. One priest sprinlxles the
snakes with meal, another with water,
the women come and cast all the meal
Out OF their baskets upon them, a brief
prayer is offered and in another mo.
1nent the snake priests dart down upo,
them grab as many as they can seize
and then dash down the steeD trail,
and, on reaching the valley, theve de.
post their hideous burdens, kneel rev.
erently and pray over them, and then
with equal speed spring back over the
trails to their respective kivas. Here
the snake priests drink large quantities
OF an emetic which has been specially
prepared, and those who are not ton
sensitive may witness the remarkable
sight OF 30 or more priests solemnlv
vomiting as a part of their religious
exercises. This painful duty over, the
priests descend to the privacy of their
kiva, where the women have already
brought large piles of piki, their wafer
bread; pikami, a kind of sweet meal
pudding, meat and other delicacies
upon which rich feast ia made, and
the ceremony conclud es.
"Are the dancers never bitten p
Very seldom. So seldom, indeed, that
those who have seen the dance often
are most chary in accepting the state
ments of those who say they have
seen some one bitten. But if such a
disaster should occur an antidote has
been prepared which, the Indians say.
is infallible. Are the fangs of the
snakes not removed?" Most certainly
not. This would be sacrilege of tho
worst kind, and having personally ex-
amined a rattlesnake at the close of
the ceremony and found his fangs and
poison glands all there and in active
operation, I can testify that no mutt
lation of the snakes takes place.
what is the secret of the Monks in
handling these poisonous reptiles with
out injury?" All! who can tell? AMI
Moh? g. WHARTON JAMES.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
AS USUAL, LOVE FOUND A WAY
Romance Begun in Germany Gull
inmates in n Chicago
Wedding.

Ethel SchWaan was romantic maid
en- of a dozen years in the little town of
Druisburg, Germany. There lived in
the town of Druisburg a young man
named Carl Redlinger. He was years
older than she, and he scarcely noticed
her, but she adored him. He was her
hero. When he came to America few
years ago she mourned long time in
secret. But the years passed and she
never heard from him, and then,
through the shiftings of fortune, she,
too, set sail for the United States.
This was year ago. All the way
over she had been thinking of her lost
hero. She wondered if he were still as.
good and noble as ever. She had heard
that he had settled in small town in
Illinois. but she didn't know where.
Then Miss Schwaan did some hard
thinking. She sat down and wrote
letter. addressing it to Carl Redlinger,
Elgin. On the outside of the. envelope
she wrote: "2lease return if not
called for in tea days." Then she wrote
another letter and addressed it to Carl
Redlinger, Bloomington, with the same
instructions on the enve lope. Every
day she wrote one or more of these let
ters, all addressed to Carl Redlinger
and each directed to different town.
Every day she got letter. back, and SO
the months went by, until one day
August Carl Redlinger walked into her
home at l39 Orchard street, Chicago.
The wedding that took place at the
Schwaan residence tells the rest of the
story, and the young couple left the
next morning for their farm at Rock
port, Ill. iAs. ~ r.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

During the last year more than 2, ouG
men were arrested ID Boston t.ur beat
ing their wives.
There Is not a state where the wife
can own penny of the family income,
unless she possesses property in he.
own right or earn wages outside of the
household. She is obliged to beg
money from her, husband. He gives"
it to her. She is dependent on his
bounty, notwithstanding the fact that
she does at least an equal share of the
work involved in the domestic partner
ship, bearing and rearing the children,
acting as housekeeper and household
drudge. This practice of putting the
woman in the place of beggar also
prevails in good" society. There is
nothing quite SO mean in this world
as a stingy husband. and there is no
joke about, the oft-quoted query:
What did you do with the rs cents
gave you week before last?''
1t will thus be seen that no matter
what their natural abilities may be.
nor how great and varied their edu-
cational requirements, women are
obliged to begin life at a disadvantage,
and to remain at disadvantage no
matter whether they be in the married
CT single state. 1t is all the more to
the credit of the women of the genera
ton just past and of the present gen.
Grafton that they have made such prog
ress.
Even now in 38 states women have
not equal rights with men even as to
the guardianship of their own chill
dren. The father has absolute control
over them and can take them away
from the mother if he chooses to do so.
The father may require his daughter
to go into saloons or other vile places
which are licensed or tolerated to sell
flowers or candies or whatever else a
girl may be able to sell, and has the
power to apprentice the boys to any
kind of trade that suits his fancy. The
mother has absolutely no voice in the
disposition or employment of her chill.
dren; that is. under the law. OF course,
women usually make themselves heard
and felt even in the homes of the most
tyrannical of men.
That women have made such progress
is all the more remarkable because they
are Disseminated against as to wages
No matter how willing they may be OF
how we'll they may work in factories OF
in business offices, doing the same kind
of work as men, and sometimes we'll.
nigh twice as much. they receive not
more than two-thirds and sometimes
rot more than one-half as much as mer
in the same factories and in the same
offices.
Moreover when women undertake tc
secure employment in the executive
departments at Washington they find
the same handicap in their way. The
writer knows individual instances, anc
could give the names of the clerks
where gentlemen are receiving $1,6OC
or $1,000 per annum; while in the same
room women are doing precisely the
same work, just as we'll, and more oil
it. and are receiving but 5000 per an
mum. It will thus be seen that even the
federal government discriminates
against women in the matter of wages.
A lady clerk in the department OF
state was recently complaining to d
senator because of the fact that she was
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
IMlOK I SNAKE DANCE.
Il Is Accompanied by Weird and
Disgusting Ceremonies.
It, wharton James Gives a Graphic
description OF an Indian Reli-
gious Feast That IL With
out am Equal.
Especial Arizona letter.

Snake Dancer" Yes! I'm India ?" No!
Where z" In the United States, the civ
lillzed, the progressive, the leader of ma
tons. Ride with me over the wild. san
dy. painted desert of Arizona. leaving
the Santa Fe line at Winslow. and fol-
lOO miles or so will show you desola-
ton as complete as it is wonderful, ere
we reach the three Mesas, or rocky
table lands upon which the seven Moki
villages are found. Three villages on
the first or east mesa, Tewa. Sichomavi
and Walpi; three Oh the second or mid
die mesa, Mashongnavi, Shimopavi and
Shipauluvi; one on the third or west
mesa, Oraibi. The Mokis pronounce it
Mo-ki-the short as in pity are peace
1ui people, as the name they give them
selves implies, viz: Hopituh, or peo-
pie of peace. But they have been sur
rounded for centuries by warlike.
thieving and numbering Navajoes,
Utes. Pintes and Apaches hence self
protection led them. centuries ago. to
build their villages on these almost in
accessible heights where defense was
easy anu assault Oy surprise almost lnl-
possible.
Every other year, in five of the vii
lagos, the sacred ceremonial called the
Snake Dance occurs. 1t is mainly a
prayer of Thanksgiving and for rain to
be given, that their otherwise barren
lands may be made fruitful and pro-
ductive.
The date is fixed by council of the
two organizations, clans or families
that alone perform the ceremonial
The antelope and the snake clans sole
~ decide when the observance shall be-
gin.
AT the appointed time the snake men
repair to their ''kiva," and the ante
lope men to theirs. These kivas are
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
News in Brief.

Lieutenant Vincent of the regular
army will open recruiting quarters at
Winona.
A threshing outfit broke through
bridge near St. Cloud and painfully
injured A. E. Pratt.
John Stanley, a machinist aged 6s
years was killed in a saloon row at
St. Paul
Fred Wixon, aged Is, was instantly
killed at Mankato by being squeezed
between a coal wagon and brick
building.
Cadet John E. Lewis of Minnesota, a
member of the first class at the naval
academy, Annapolis, stood second in
mathematics at the October examina-
ton. 20 fE*sEE%@5.
The schooner Roebling took out
cargo of grain from Duluth which is
equivalent to 252,OO bushels of wheat.
This is the best wheat carrying record
yet made on fresh water.
Lizzie Wethers, a colored woman
was convicted at Duluth of attempting
20 kill patrolman McKinnon.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

underground chambers, hewn out of
the solid rock, and are what might be
termed the secret lodge rooms of the
different orders.
There are three living white men who
have been admitted to the sacred mys-
teries of the kivas, and am fortunate
in having been one Of the three. Part
of these ceremonies consist in the
making of the affairs. the reciting of
prayers, singing, the making of bahos,
or prayer sticks, to be used in the
open ceremonies, all of which except
the first named are of little interest.
But the one ceremony of washing
the snakes is both exciting. thrilling
and unique.
Seated before large bowl of spe-
cially prepared water were three of
the chief priests of the snake order.
All around on the floor were the other
priests, over 30 in number, myself
surrounded by them. Before us, at
one end of the room, was the altar,
and behind several large ol]as or jars
filled with the snakes. When certain
prayers had been devoutly offered, two
priests took from the jars two snakes
each, which they Immediately handed
to two of the priests seated at the
bowl. At the same time all the other
priests began to sing. The song at
first was soft and gentle, but as the
snakes were dipped into the bowl again
and again it grew louder and more
fierce, u1itil, to my horror, the snakes
were thrown directly across the kiva
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
BEFORE THE CURTAIN.

Since 1859 Berlin has had $50 per-
fcrmances Of 'Lohengrin."
sandow, the strong man, is in train
ing to become bass singer.
Lille Langtry will not act this winter.
She has found that her racing stable
makes more money than her plays and
will devote her entire attention to it in
future. 1910,
The only theater in Santiago is now
! military barracks. but it is to be re-
stored to dramatic uses next winter.
Meanwhile q vaudeville show is given
n hall.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
1t Worried Him.

Mr.. Bloggs-You see, my dear, my
salary is small and am not able to save
much. am continually troubled with
the thought that if I should die sud-
denly 49,.
Mrs. Bloggs-Oh. don't bother about
that, Henry. You know I've got my old
black silk dress that's nearly as good
as new.-N. Y. World.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

frage AsSociation)
doing important work in an important
bureau of that great department., and
receiving less than tv:o-thirds as much
pay as men were receiving in the same
bureau for the same work. The sena-
tor REPLIED: "Women are not voters
and men are. Therefore men make
strong demands for such appointments
We are only able to retain women IN
office at all on the plea OF government
economy. because we can get their
services cheaper than the services of
MEL"
However, in spite of these and all
other handicaps and drawbacks, the
women of this republic are gradually
growing out of vassalage into practica!
independence. Many of them want the
privilege of voting; but that is another
story and will not be discussed by the
writer. SMITH u. Fry.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Lots Of SDuds.

Reports have been received from the
various parts of the state indicating
that the potato crop will be consider
able better than last year. The north
ern localities have improved consider
ably and the total crop will probably
be 100000 bushels, against 100000
last year. The demand in the eastern
markets has fallen off somewhat, and
although the shipments continue to be
fair to the east and south, the pros
poets are not particularly bright.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
PROGRESS o. WOMAN.
She Has Advanced Wonderfully
Within Fifty Years.
The so-Called Gentle Sex In Rapidly
sg~ Achieving Power in State and
National Politics and in
zs-- Business Life. ...
Especial Washington letter.

The members of the house of rep
resentatives for the Fifty-sixth con-
gress have been elected. All of
them are men. but. in. the cleo
ton of some of them women took part
at the polls. Nobody need be sur
prised to see women in congress one
of these days; and it may be that in
the elections of 1900 we will not only
find women on the stump, and women
ut the polls. but women running for
congress. and being elected as legisla-
tors. q 81 aE.t !
e. People do not generally realize how
rapidly women are achieving power in
our state and national politics. No.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Killed by a Careless Shot.

A shocking tragedy occurred at
Woods, seven miles north of Duluth,
when Vespasian Smith, 10 years old,
son of Frank B. Smith, a we'll known
druggist, was shot through the head
and instantly killed by unknown men.
Smith and Philip Hamp were out par
fridge hunting, and they spent the
night on a bed of boughs in the woods.
About o'clock in the morning Hamp
was aroused by shot and saw two
men running. Smith did not stir, and
Hamp found that he was dead, though
Hamp ran two miles for doctor and
ambulance. It is supposed that the
men fred at the reflection of their
headlights on Smiths glasses, or at the
eyes of his dog, which was lying near.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

"fou are not capable Of generous
impulse" said the scolding uncle.
what have you ever done for human
ity?"
1--WE attended four oyster suppers
given for charity this fall" exclaimed
the hayward nephew, burning with
righteous MISUNDERSTANDING Trib-
me
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Almost Cruel,

Alice-Isn't it too, bad! The romance
of my life has been shattered
Winifred-Oh, I'm so sorry! What's
happened? Have you and Charley quar-
relied?
Alice-No; but just as we had got
all ready to elope. papa and mamma
spoiled it all by deciding to give their
consent.-Chicago Daily News.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
FHument.

"Leonidas," exclaimed Mrs. Meek
ton, suddenly interrupting herself, do
you remember how this argument
started?"
Yes, Henrietta. You said that al
ways insisted OF arguing point and
I said that you did, and then the con-
versation gradually deveIoped.-
Washington Star.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Want to Borrow 1t.

Assistant State Dairy Commissioner
Lawrence has been requested by Hen
ry E. Alvord, chief of the dairy divi-
sion of the national agricultural de-
partment, to send him at once the APP
paratus used by the Minnesota dairy
inspectors in their field work. The APP
paratus is contained in small box and
is known as the preliminary test case.
By it's use authorizations can be detect
ed ninety-nine times in a hundred.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
A Great Deal Better

Married yet, old MANI"
mo, but I'm engaged, and that's a.
good as married"
Its better, if you only knew tn.
Y. Truth.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Chance to Get q Rest.

'Timmins, do you know anything
about iterature?"
NO"
know anything about art?"
"Nothing."
"Know anything about music?"
mot rap"
"Good! Come over to my room. pick
out pipe and let's enjoy ourseIves.-
Chicago Daily News.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

do you believe in the doctrine that
every man has his price?"
mo. Many an egotist has put his
price so high that he wouldn't be able
to get it if he lived thousand years"
Cleveland Leader.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

Jackson bless him! He
showed confidence in me when the
clouds were dark and threatening.
Wilson-Ih what way?
Jacksonville lent me an umbrella
Chicago Journal
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Wanted to BE sure.

Jones-Why are you praying for
rain? 49,
Brown had my roof fixed to-day.
and want to sec If it's all right be-
fore I pay for tn. Y. Truth.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24
Exnlained

Piper-say, Muggsy, watts a statu
quo, anyhow?
Muggsby Why. dat's when you've
got de jay down an are sittin' on him.
Philadelphia North American.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

"The idea Of sending children to bed
carly to punish 'em!" exclaimed ME-
Corntossel, who was discussing her city
relative. ''That amt amy way to
erect EN-"
"Of course II ain't," answered her
husband. IF you want to convince 'em
that you mean business, make EN- get
up an hour or 30 earlier in the morn
ing."-Washington Star.
The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-11-24

Tourist-Do you-aw-fellaws still
shoot men for wearing silk hats?
Pieface Johnson-Not Iess'n they
wears 'em with sack coats.-Cincinnati
ENQUIRER.