The sun., 1898-01-23
KEEPING sArAx IN MS CAVE.

KEEPING SATAN IN HIS CAVE.
| a Quecr Religious Ceremony or the Indians or
| OjinnIs. Mexico.
| From the ST. Louis Globe. Democrat.
PREsIpIo, Tox., Jan. TO- On the night of Jan.
25 OF each year great fires are Kept burning on
| both sides OF the two mountains that shut in
narrow valley In Mexico just opposite the little
town of Presidio. All night long, on tho rocky
trail leading TO tho summit of this mountain
| there is continuous procession OF devout
Mediterranean, women and children. They
| wend their way up to tho little chapel on the
| summit OF tho mountain, whero they give
| thanks to tho Almighty for the protection which
| ho has given them from tho devil, and then
| they march back to their homes in tho valley
As they pass the many burning heaps Of wood
each worshippcr throws on more fuel, chanting
| unintclliGibc words all tho whilc
This is one of the most peculiar religious cere
monies ever witnessed among tho McSicans or
Indians. 1t is strictly local celebration. 1t
has been witnessed by tho United States GUS
toms officers at Presilio. but, owing to tho rc
mote locality, few other Americans have ever
heard Of It.
On the Mexican bank OF tho Rio Grande, al
most opposite Pr esido, is situated tho town Of
Ojnaja which has population Of about 5000
people, the majority of whom own small tracts
Of land in tho rich valley Of the Concho River.
padre, wended his way northward from tho city
| desert country, but never wavered in his pur-
pose of finding n distant and likely spot where
he could establish u mission among the Indians.
| He struck the Concho River near tho head of
| Its course and followed the sparkling stream to
M sh wheH emps ppad into he hs ko Esnae
! spot where will make my home and serve God"
Tho site of Ojinaja was then occupied by an
| Indian village The padre was well received
| by tho savages. But the Indians refused to
accept the spiritual aid which he offered them.
did not, Try to force the religion which he
indians and learned their ways and traditions.
He discovered that they had many supersti, tC
on adens and deas
leader among the members Of the tribe. Ho
ward attempt to influence the Indians TO his
way Of thinking on religious matters. But all
by which he hoped to convert the whole tribe
According to the ;raditti9n., one e. be beautiful M m
the village and started on his usual louely walk
up the valley, He He was M gone s,a an hour or more re
and had chased his Satanic Majesty up one Of the
mountains and had him m imprisoned i'm IN a., cave
mand he urged the Indians to follow him up the
mountain and verify his statement. The In
with the excited padre at the head the long pro-
cession toiled It's way to the summit OF the high
Went along the padre, In in his his most impressive
manner gave & thrilling account OF In his expert,
Indians Is still embraced in the tradition and Is
about as follows:
Il was walking, up the valley, absorbed in
there saw great iron chain stretched across
tho valley from ono mountain to the other; In
s%ngns I back @ and e's 10 sooner one die dd get
sight of the devil than took my cross out OF the
r him. When the deT o eom
toward him with the cross in my hand ho
jumped from the chain and started to run away
from me. going as fast as lie could up the teep
him. followed swiftly after HIM and had al.
dragging the chain in after him Just as tho
the holo touched it with my cross and it sep.
arated from the chair; planted % s ny @ cross sI at
leave his prison as long as the cross remains"
The crowd of Indians wcrs greatly frightened
and impressed with the padres graphic descriP.
tion of his marvellous adventure, but their
cou age did not desert them, and they followed
him meekly up the mountain. When the srm-
@ be fsSa !nS Seard padre tH led the
Indians to the mouth of the cave where his
chains continued to issue from the cave. and
the Indians feared that the devil was about to
again come IOrtn ana destroy all OF tne1n DuU
the padre assured them that such a thing was
impossible as long as his cross remained.
The Indians were awestruck and ready to do
whatever might be the bidding of the padre.
The latter told the submissive savagcs that they
must Immediately gather stones and build
| chapel over the mouth of the cave so as to Keep
| the devil prisoner for all time to come. Tho
Indians obeyed this command with alacrity,
| and in short time the chapel. which still
| surmounts the summit of the mountain peak,
was erected. The Indians became dcvout be-
| levers in the Catholic religion, and the padre
built of tho largest missions in this part
| of,Mexico in this valley of the Rio Concho
This is the tradition, and there Is every prob
ability that it is the true story OF the building
Ojinaia. Tho faithful people of Ojinaja and
the surrounding country still believe that tho
devil Is conf1nedn great cave under the chapel:
and that he will be kept there until the end Of
| time II they keep the chapel In repair and do
no let the cross which rests thereon fall to the
ground. 1t is the firm belief of these people
The date Of the building OF this chapel is not
| known here. 1t i probable that the records OF
| the Church in Spain or the City Of Mexico CON
is E given therein It Is Claimed by son some p people
| here that 1t was built over two centuries ago.
while Others say that 1t was in the latter part Of
| the eighteenth century that 1t was erected: IL
| 10 a substantial stone structure and the front
| IL beautifully ornamented with carving which
| shows great skill and artistic ability In cxccu-
| ton. 1t must have required an immense
amount of labor to carry the big blocks of
| stone up the mountain and place them In
their positions in the walls of the little edifce.
One OF tho curiositcs that. may be seen In
| the church Is the link OF the iron chain which
| the worshippers claim was part of the devils
| swing, and was separated thcrefrom by the
! touch OF the good old PADRES cross. This chain
| link is well moulded, and II is hard to surmise
| how it came to be in this remote localit! gem
tuIy or more ago.
| COZ. SHFLY.