The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-22
DEATH OF POSITION
An American Fireworshiper and
His Dreams.
HIS TEMPLE IN ARIZONA
He Tried to Restore the Religious
Cult Of the Pima Indians, M
but Failed: a &,t,s23*a

From, The Journal B"rea". Roo'" sS' fos'
| Building, Warrington. -; Ayr &,s&
Washington, July 23--Charles D. Pos
tton, an ex-Indian agent, who died re-
Gently, was appointed by President Lin
coin, In consideration OF his military
service in the civil war, a superintendent
Of Indian affairs, with jurisdiction COW
| ering the most picturesque and interest
ing tribes Of the southwest. His more In
| innate acquaintance with the Pima In
dians. revealed to him the fact that they
were fire. -worshipers, with ritual which
linked them distinctly with the Parsees
of the orient. The discovery fell IN with
his mood, and, as he had been more or
| less of theosophist in religion, he set
about the task of restoring the splendors
Of the Parsee f1re-worship and establish
ing an American Sun n-cult by building a
! temple on high point near the town Of
Florence, Ariz., where he lived. .-..zs, j.. !.
American Fire Worship. II -
This hill-Poston's BUTTE as it has
| since been known-was a rare mine OF
archaeological relics and traces Its rock
| sides contained markings, corresponding
with the symbolic forms discovered on the
site Of the ancient home of the Chal-
deans; and 1t was necessary only to
scratch the surface of the earth to turn
up specimens of prehistoric pottery, DTS
of agate and turquoise and natural glass,
ETC., marking the spot as probably the site
| of an altar or some similar gathering
place of a strange people who had van
ished from the land. From the summit
moreover, could be obtained very hne
view Of that ruin Of unknown antiquity
the Casa Grande. To this point Poston
built wagon road from sFlorence; then
he set about his propaganda. - - y %..+
His purpose was first to interest the
Pimas in revival Of the true fire TWor-
ship Of their ancestors, and next to pro-
cure subscriptions from white proselytes
and labor from others who had no money
to give, and to raise temple entirely OF
material native to the region, and espec-
tally adapted to the semi i-barbaric char
acter of the enterprise. Among the 9TH
er features was to be group of mono
l1thic onyx pylons surrounding an altar
of the same substance, where hame
should be kept continually alight In hon
of of the sun-god. But the undertaking
failed. The age in which it was at
tempted was altogether too materialis-
tic to welcome anything Of the sort. The
Indians were illiterate and superstttious
and sluggishly content to dig meager
living out Of the soil, and not enough in
telligent whites could be made to see that
there was "anything in it, for them. Sc
Poston found himself old and poor with
out having begun to realize the most
fondly cherished dream of his prosper
Gus days..
The Ghost Of Ireteba. .
He used to visit Washington at rare
intervals during his later life, and the
newspaper correspondents have had many
talk with him about the beginnings OF
Arizona. He was the father Of the terri.
tory and its first delegate In congress
and had handled millions of dollars en-
trusted to him by eastern capitalists fol
!: the conduct of gold mining operations
But from these "Reminiscences his con
versation would always drift away, afteI
q little, to his experiences with the In
dians some Of which were highly anus
q ing. One story had to do with a fancy the
Indians OF the remote southwest used tC
u affects some OF them still, Its present
: form being an aversion to having theil
photographs taken lest it be an omen o
d death.
), ''Ireteba," said Poston, twas the great
chief Of the Mohaves. In gratitude fo1
successful prospector asked permission
to take the chief on a journey to Wash.
ington and give him good time. I con-
sented. 1 told the prospector to take
hin. to the first good photographer they
encountered and have an imperial por.
trait made of him in all his savage rega-
liza. When the photograph arrived I hat
it we'll framed and hung it in my office
supposing it would please the other In.
dians. To my astonishment one and al
grew morose as soon as they. looked al
1t, and went away without shaking my
hand. I questioned my interpreter abou
this. '."
"'The Indians think" he answered
! that the picture is the ghost of Ireteba
whom the white men must have killed
"'Nonsense!' I exclaimed. Tell then
Ireteba is having the time Of his life
and that will stay here as hostage til
he comes safely back
l although I generally enjoyed theil
: confidence, this assurance did not seen
, to impress them as had hoped. The,
/ remained gluna or furitive in their man
= ner, and I had to keep close eye OF
] them.
lone day, however, Ireteba turned up
r His white friend had bought him sui
3 Of clothes he had most admired on hi
: travels-a major generals uniform will
a big silk sash and epaulettes bi,
: enough to fry your dinner on. He wen
] first to his old abode, and then hurrie,
! to me in fiery state Of wrath, his swort
clanking on the ground and getting
kick at every step. He asked to have tn
tribe all called in, and announced tha
f he wanted to make a speech. I assume'
r that he had been watching congress an
+ flea So I hunnored him by sending TO
d the Indians, setting a packing box o.
v end and making it into pulpit by cover
a Ing 1t with bright-colored blanket.
9 ..... Ireteba's Protest. :, -
q ,"His speech, which was very fiery, an
: lasted two hours, turned out to be a.
y mere verbal skyrocketing but an i'm
q passioned protest GtZwas sointerpreted t.
9 me, and found that he was angry be
= cause the indians. having seen his Dor
: trait at the agency and thought it t.
4 be his ghost, had refused to believe tina
a | he was still living. but had gone to hi
: camp and divided his wives, horses, blan
- kets and other chattels among them, q
= | WAS their custom after the death of 4
- member Of the tribe. .... r, ...-
"'Helloi' said I to myself. In my wei
= meant ignorance I have got this chic
. into a bad scrape. Less. provocatton ha
often brought on an. Indian uprising.
:, must avert 1t at any cost
- " Then they left you no wife at all
I asked him. in a tone OF commiseration
: "'Yes,' he answered sullenly, Just on
little one. She was young and spr
enough to run away, and went back t
> her people. the Hua1apais.'
. ''I told Ireteba that would try to Sc
y him up in his housekeeping again. 8
: dispatched some Indian messenger
: with ponies to the Hualapais, and the
o soon returned, bringing a bright youn
squaw and her 5-year-old boy. Ireteb
: was still In an irritable mood, and til
squaw 1T was plain to see, was worna
OF spirit; 80 I made her some gifts q
4 ao1foo hondu Fond hfhar fri 1,aa