Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-02

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this festival, 20 important In indian
life. There I q some Of the old In.
dams. almost as ignorant and super.
sutious as their ancestors were cen
turtles ago. An old indian missionary
told me some Of the 'stsaneest facts
about them. said he: DO you know
that many Of these Indians believe In
ghosts and apparitions, just as did
thar grandparents3 Though they talk
but little during the day. yet they hesi.
tate to 60 out at night because they
are afraid of the darkness. They al
ways whistle or sing to keep the spirits
from tearing them to pieces. Then
there is another popularity about them.
With all the advancement Of civiliza-
ton everywhere seen, many of these
Indians have never learned even the
commonest laws Of health. Thoy build
their adobe houses with no adequate
means Of ventilation. When they be-
come sick some Of them viii 90 to bed.
Then they will have erected tour posts
at the four corners Of the bed. In the
old Louis XIV style. I have e the
friends cover these posts over with
blankets and not leave one loophole for
the fresh air to get In. There the sick
man will lie and simply be smothered
to death. On account Of bad ventlla.
ton we ind that most of these Indians
die Of consumption, although these
mountains furnish the air which cures
the white men Of consumption when
they come here and live in the open"
These are only a few of many similar
statements made to me about the In
dams backwardness.
The Ignorance Of Indians.
Amazing Is the ignorance Of the In
dian. There In these festivals you see
the old men dancing In their bare feet
to the wailing songs of the old squaws.
the same kind Of dances their forefa-
theirs danced hfy. sixty. seventy, years
ago. Instead Of being men and won.
Gu they seem to be just little children.
As lambs they are led 70 the slaughter
by the sins OF the white man. The
Christian church must 60 In and put
her strong arm between these Indiens
and sin, ignorance ana superstition. 1t
must go In, else the Indian shall be
wiped of the face Of the eorth. The
reason the old western proverb There
Is no good Indian except a dead In
dian has such q universal acceptation
Is because the American Indian. unless
helped by tho Christian day school, the
Christian church and the Christian mis-
sionary, will be able to help him
self. The white mans sins will smite
the red man down before he has time
to open his eyes to see the white mans
virtues. God speed the arduous work
Of the American missionary for the
salvation of the red man and the red
woman. These poor aborigines are be-
ing tumbled Into drunlards' graves by
tho white mans whisky: they are be-
ing morally corrupted by :he white
mans licentiousness; they are being
ground down into misery and want by
the hell fires of the white mans gam.
bling passions, which nre destroying
their lives for this world and for the
next. 1t is impossible for some mer
to overcome some temptations in their
own strength.
But. thank God, the dangers ant
temptations that surround you aud M
are not insurmountable II we only cal
OH God for help. The true father places
his strong arm about his boys hear
when the surges OF temptation roll 1,
to submerge him. God the Father viii
throttle the Kissing throat of that dead
" serpent Of evil il we will only bel
him to rescue us. He will take ava.
that agonizing thirst for drink. YO'
know you have been fighting :: 70
years. Yes. he will make you pure II
mind and heart IL you only run to tn
cover of his wings. lie will lift yo'
up. as you would run to the rescue O
your boy when he Is confronting SOP
sudden and imminent danger. II yo'
will only call to him as your child call
to you: Help. father. Help! Help.
The Lord sends us trouble t develoI
us, never TO crush us. Those owe
whelming mountains OF trouble an
temptation that are rolled upon us d
not proceed from his hand. Thes
mountains. these insurmountable noun
tatns OF temptation, are everywher
around. Then 1t behooves us to sta
very close to the side Of that lovin
Father who Is always thinking an
planning for lis. Stay by the Lore
who will always protect us when it
necessary fo- us TO be spiritually pre-
tected.
The threatening dangers ahead in tn
Christians life are insignificant !
comparison to the peril from whic
Christ delivered him in the past. whe
he said to him. THY sins are forgive
thee" Those ahead may be compare
to the ship In the last thrOes Of the to1
nado. The cordagc is being stretche
to the utmost. The sails. like huge ba
looms filled with gas. are swelling lal
ger and larger, until they seem abov
to burst. The helmsmcn are clire1n
frantically to the wheel. The grea
beams and the planlis Of the hull ar
grooming, WHILE the huge waves tos
1t as a chip Is turned a somersault owe
the mill wheel. All is anxiety. Ib
pumps are at work. The danger !
great, but there is yet hope ahead
With a strong keel under him and tn
sails still holding 10 the masts, the Sc
captain has hope, no matter how lon
n,ou bo tIn chriak inv nf tho ourOc1V1Ol