Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-14

felt faint and unsteady. The appearance
of visions with closed eyes was very grad
ual At first there was merely a vague
play of light and shade. which suggested
pictures, but never made them. Then they
became distinct, but still indescribable-
mostly a vast field of golden jewels, stud
ded with red and green stones, ever chang
Ing All discomfort vanished except a
slight faintness and tremor of the hands,
which later on made it almost impossible
TO guide pen as l made notes of the ex-
pertinent. 1t was always possible, how
ever, with an effort to write with a pencil.
AS l wrote golden tone lay over the
paper, and the pencil seemed to write in
gold.
The visions never resembled familiar
objects. They were extremely definite. but
yet always novel. They were constantly
approaching, and yet constantly eluding
the substance of known things. 1 would
see thick, glorious fields of jewels, soli-
tary or clustered, sometimes brilliant and
sparkling, sometimes with a dull, rich
glow. Then they would spring up into
fower-like shapes beneath my gaze, and
then seem to turn into gorgeous butterfly
forms or endless folds of glistening, rides
cent, fibrous wings of wonderful insects,
while sometimes l seemed to be gazing Into
a vast hollow revolving vessel, on whose
polished concave mother-of-pearl surface
the hues were swiftly changing. 1 was
surprised not only at the enormous profu-
sion of the imagery presented to my gaze,
but still more by its variety Perpetually
some totally new kind of effect would ap-
pear in the field of vision. Sometimes there
was swift movement, sometimes dull SOM
Der richness of color, sometimes glitter and
sparkle, and once a startling rain of gold
that seemed to approach me. Most usually
there was combination of rich, sober
color with jewel-like points of brilliant hue.
Every color conceivable to me appeared at
some time or another. Sometimes all the
different varieties of one color, as of red
with scarlets, crimsons, pinks, would spring
up together or in quick succession.
Living Arabesques.
although the effects were novel, 1t fire.
quently happened, 1 have already men
toned that they vaguely recalled known
objects. Thus, once the objects presented
to me seemed to be made of exquisite porce-
lain; again they were like elaborate sweet
meats: again of a somewhat Maori style of
architecture, and the backgrounds OF the
pictures frequently recalled, both in form
and tone, the delicate architectural effects
as of lace carved in wood. On the whole,
l should say that the images were most
usually what might be called living ara
besques. The same image was frequently
repeated over a large part of the field, but
this refers more to form than to color, IN
respect to which there would still be all
sorts of delightful varieties, so that If, with
a certain uniformity, jewel-like flowers
were springing up and expanding all over
the field of vision, they would stu show
every variety of delicate tone and tint.
A Well-hUCWH fHSlISIl pOet, Niioii -.
Ellis induced also to try mescal, writes of
his experience thus: II saw the most de-
lightful dragons, putting out their breath
straight in front of them like rigid lines of
steam, and balancing white balls at the
end of their BREATH
While mescal seems to give the most
purely intellectual and least sensual intoXi-
cation produced by any narcotic, and ush-
ers the eater or drinker into the most lnno-
cent of the artificial paradises which drugs
procure, there seems to be no doubt that
its habitual use would be physically harm
full and mentally demoralizing. Most of
the scientists who have tested it concur IN
reporting that it caused headache, nausea,
temporary muscular paralysis, distress
about the heart and lungs and lingering
soreness about the. eyeballs.
Destroys the Faculties.
The government physicians at the Kiowa
and Wichita agencies in Oklahoma declare
that it not only makes physical wrecks of
the young male Indians in a short time,
rendering them prematurely aged and de-
crepit, but 1t destroys their mental facul-
ties as well, and those who become con-
frmed slaves to the habit it finally kills
with the same certainty that the opium
hasheesh, alcohol or absinthe habit Kills
the white man. Upon robust Indians OF
middle age it has fewer bad effects, phys1-
caliy, unless it is used for long period
but inasmuch as it is regarded by them
with superstitioGs reverence on account OF
its VlSlOn-prCuuclng powers, II proves q
serious obstacle in the way of their re-
ceiving and profiting by religious jnstruc-
tor. Incidentally, it also gives the Indians
strong Authorizations that influence their
daily conduct, frequently toward violence,
and on this account white settlers living in
their vicinity are alarmed for their own
safety.
The Indian bureau officials say that GER
tain medicine men among the CaddoeS,
small band on the Wichita reservation,
have been chiefly instrumental in spreading
the mescal craze, and have acted as inter-
nediaries between the Indians and the
Texas traders dealing in. the drug. From
the Wichitas, Kiowas, Comanches and
Apaches, on that same reservation, the
Pottawatomies and Osages find no great
trouble in obtaining the drug, while the
Cheyennes and Arapahoes get it direct
from traders across the Texas border, in
the panhandle. They are allotted Indians,
not residing a reservation, but owning
their lands in severaty.
The resources of the Osages, who are
p rhaps the wealthiest people per capita on
earth, will make it difficult to stamp out
the craze among them The regulation of
the Indian bureau forbidding the sale of
mescal (section $50, promulgated in 1891
has proven wholly Intellectual, but fortu-
nately the necessary legal machinery for
suDpressing the traffic is furnished By the
special act of Congress Of January 80, 1897,
which sweepingly prohibits the transfer, i'll
any manner, of any intoxicating liquor or
substance whatever to any Indian ward Of
the government or to any Indian allottee.