Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-17
THE CLIFF JEWELLERS.
Strange Peoples That Are Gathered
Within the Worlds Fair,

Of mechanical devices, all more or
less familiar to persons even ordinarily
well Informed the supply for the amuse-
ment of the masses is almost lmitless
at the great Worlds Fair now at the
height of it's beauty and impressiveness
In st. Louis. But nothing pleases the
intelligent visitor more than the
strange and wonderful peoples from
distant countries or remote parts Of
our own fair land whom the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition, as 1t is called
has gathered within the corporate con-
fines of the metropolis of the Missis-
| sippi Valley. The most interesting be-
cause the better known are the tribes
of North American Indians concerning
whom even the school books Of today
have little to say. yet a study of whom
will add considerable to anyone's stock
of general information. The . best Of
these purely human exhibits is to be
found at the Cliff Dwellers exhibit.
Not only are the people within that
great enclosure of rare and curious
origin, not only are their manners and
customs without a parallel in so-called
Indian lore, but they have without
much contact with the white man
learned the arts of peace to so fine an
extent that they are not only good
jewelers. and silversmiths. excellent
weavers of rare blankets for which they
design the strangest of patterns, but
they are fine actors, better dancers and
the best purveyors of the mysteries OF
sleight-of-hand now to be seen at the
Worlds Fair. At the Cliff Dwellers'
exhibit there are more than three hum
dred of these remarkable inhabitants
of the Painted Desert of the Colorado
River in Arizona and New Mexico.
They call their home the Painted Desert
because the earths of which the rocky
soil and the hills about them are COM
posed, have, under the action OF the
wind and the rain during thousands OF
years put on all the hues of the rain
bow. Despite the beauty of this color
scheme, the home of the Moki, the
Zuni and the Pueblo Indians, the
descendants of the ancient Ciih
Dwellers is a desert. These Indians
live in the clefts of the rocks, HUNDREDS
of feet above the surrounding country
and today occupy caverns that thou-
sands of years ago were the habitatioh
of the cave bear, the mountain lion,
the puma and the wolf. But the Ciih
Dwellers and their descendants were
always a peaceful people and 1t is per.
haps for this reason that they SUN
survive and with them their ancient
wonderful arts still flourish. Inc
most remarkable feature of their di-
versional exhibit Is their Snake Dance.
in which ten to twelve young men :"
strength and endurance
take part. This dance is an Invocation
to Gitche Manitou, their deity for rain'
During this wild terpsichorean orgy
the dancers charm rattlesnaKes'
cobras, gila monsters and the terror
Of mankind, the cobra di capeiia' "
hooded snake of the desert whose DIG
IS death to any white man In thirty SCI
,nds. The Moki and Zuni priests anu
snake dancers inoculate themseive'
With virus before entering upon W
lance only to be seen at the GIN
Dwellers' exhibit at the Worlds raa
md in this way alone are they ape !,
Withstand the consequences of SUI
len assault of these venomous rep.hs
Is the dancers carry them in tnsn
nnuths to the terror Of their WIZ
;Dectators. The Snake Dance az
Tiff Dwellers is today the one topic
discussion among the visitors to lA
-.,,t xxyorId,s Fair at CT Louis.