Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-09-11
kL!NI INDIAN MAGIC.
AAPERFoRMANc THAT PUZZLES ALL
WHO WITNESS IT.
This Wonderful Feat Rivals tho Fa.
nous Mango Growing Trick of tho
ulndoos-scientists Are Unable 10
solve tho Mystery.

nous Mango Growing Trick of tho
nlndoos-scientists Arc Unable 10
solve tho Mystery.
Nearly everybody hns heard Of ana
wondered at tho mango growing trick
| Of the Hindoo. by which no makes a
seed sprout before the astonished eyes
Of the European and reach maturity in
| very short time.
But few nre aware that aIl equally
| amazing feat is regularly performed
by the Zuni Indians on this continent
Their medicine men ut the annual
'corn festival do stunt Of which no
satisfactory explanation has ever been
advanced. Scientists seeing II have
been made. as cowboy described 1t.
to ''look like 80 cents"
| Preparation is made for this cxtraor-
dinary Zuni performance by spreading
a large square OF clenn. yellowish saud
on the ground before the southern aper-
ture Of the medicine lodge. This sand
ID carefully s,noothed and packed SO
as to present hrm. level surface.
Around the edges Of the sand square
are then drawn. by means of q ceremo-
nial arrow. figures representing the
Great Spirit. the eaith the sun. the
( sky and the rain. There are also the
| symbols for corn nni for bountiful
harvest.
The indentadons made by the arrow
arc then fllcd in with pigments, the
clouds and sky with blue, the earth
with black and the harvest with
chrome yellow. The center Of the
square Is left vacant. When complet-
ed. this sand painting ia fine speci-
men Of barbaric nrt and Is far from
displeasing TO civilized eye
When the hour arrives. the officiating
medicine man takes his seut In the
opening of the lodge facing the sand
square. On his right ard left, extend
Ing out around the square, the chiefs
ing to rank. Whenall are In position, the
medicine man fills the ceremonial pipe
with tobacco, lights II and blows one
puff OF smoke to the east. one to the
west. one to the north. one to the south
aud two to the heavens. he then ad-
dresses those assembled, recounting the
religious history of the tribe, Its wan
derings and famine and the benevo-
Ience Of the Great Spirit in the past.
He closes with prayer for the contin-
nance of fatharly care.
Then he takes q grain Of corn from
the medicine bug Mt his waist, thrusts
the sacred arrow into the center OF the
sand square. withdraws II. drops the
grain into the opening and carefully
snooths Gown the sand. Resuming his
seat, all the assembled chiefs light their
pipes and smoke In silence.
II the Great Spirit condescends to an
swer the prayer Of the medicine man.
as generally happens. the grain of corn
will sprout and send forth shoot.
After an interval OF fifteen or twenty
minutes the sand seems disturbed at
the spot where the corn was buried.
Soon slender Light green blades of
eprouting corn nppenr above the sur
face. The plant rises naturally and
rapldly during the day.
BY tho next sunrise the silk and tas-
sci appear. By noon the ear and stalk
have reached full maturity.
Then ripcning begins. Finally tho
blades and husks turn yellow and rat
tie when they are shaken by the wind.
All this. mind you. has been done in
thirty-six hours.
On the morning Of the second day
the corn growing is complete. The
medicine man now addressed the
watchers. who in company have
watched" the plant grow, for 1t 10
never left alone. With appropriate GER
cmonics he symbolizes the harvest BY
stripping the ear Of its hus5s.
The corn he places in the medicine
bag for future ceremonies, while the
stalk is pulled up by the roots and
hung over the door Of the lodge. Tho
long vigil of the watchers Is now end
ed. and they seek III, n needed rest
: and food IN order to hc ready for the
rain dance on the following day.
Every white man witnessing one OF
these ceremonies is deeply mystihcd.
} Above all. he is filled with admiration
! for the old medicine man. So natural
and mysterious has Leen the process
that the spectator feels at times dis
posed to believe IN the presence of
some supernatural power.
Yet every sane person knows that
this performance has nothing unnat-
ural about 1t. No white man, however,
. has discovered the secret. The absence
of stage paraphernalia and the crude
l mechanical knowledge Of the Zunis
add to the mystery Of the whole thing.
z Various theories have been advanced
In explanation. One is that some
, shrewd old medicine man discovered
t by accident some peculiar natural
> chemical that has the power of forc-
ing the growth Of grain of corn and
that this secret has been handed down
8 from one generation Of priests to an
other.
Another favorite explanation is that
. by great skill the medicine man is able
Q to hypnotic the entire circle of spec
Tutors and so produce the result with
> out apparatus of any kind save a yell
3 low stalk Of corn from the last har-
| vest.
Others say the feat is accomplished
By elaborate machinery concealed in a
;, pit.
: But nobody knows exactly.-New
York Times.
}, Plays II Only Once.