The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-06-22

finger tips, which turn blue under the
nails. The Indian. full of the liquor
and under it's influence, is really about
half dead. The hands are ~lifelesS and
the circulation is low. From the best
information which cam be obtained the
heart runs as low as 81 pulSationS
per minute.
Finally by heroic work and after a
hard struggle the heart r~evives. the
%nulnbness passes away, and the Indian
staggers home.
Because of the Introduction of the
h Indians are divided into two fac
tons. Those who use the tea made
from the mescal claim membership in
the strange society, which they assert
is really a religious organization, and
that the tea is only used to bring
when the communicate is nearer the
happy hunting grounds and can see
and converse with friends, who have
long rested beneath the little wooden
houses which are scattered over the
great reservation, and which the In
dams call graves. 1t is further hoped
that if the indian is in special favor
with deity that "a Jesus will draw
the loud which hides his face and
allow the poor Indian to see it.
See Imaginary God.
1t was a strange tale which was
conveyed to the Winnebago Indians
with the mescal flower, a tale which
is a rival for Grecian mythology and
stories of the incarnation of deity,
which exists among the people of In
dia, hin and Thibet.
A certain god, the tale goes, blessed
the mescal and promised that whoever
made tea of the mescal bud and drank
of it should be rewarded with the sight
of the great divinity, who sails some
where in the clouds in a wizard ship
covered with snake skins
This divinity, according to the lead
ers of the society on the Winnebago
reservation, came one time and lived
among the tribes of the south. During
his residence on earth he instructed
the natives in the use of metals, dis
covered quicksilver and was a eceat
benefactor to the Indian nations. I'm
der him the earth teemed with fruits
and flowers without the pains of cul-
ture. An ear of indian corr was as
much as a single man could carry;
the fu-s, as they grew to cover the
bodies of animals, took Of their own
accord the rich dyes of the indian art.
The air was filled with intoxicating
birds.
Mescalites Held in Contempt.
This was the Jesus whom the Win
nebago Indians, after a long vigil and
under the strange influence of the
stepped mescal buds, hope to see and
feel near them, and perhaps to speak
to, while departed friends are supposed
to come back from the hunting ground
beyond and tell, them Of the beauties
Of another world where squaws. dogs
and bucks are admitted on equal
ground and free from trouble with
white men.
1t is the claim of the other faction
Of the Winnebago tribe. which has no
tolerance for the Mescal society, that
the mescal drinkers claim the drug is
used in religious ceremony simply as
4 ruse to make it difficult, IL not impos-
sible for the authorities to prohibit the
bringing of the buds to the reservation.
AS dense as an Indian may seem at
times, it is said that the members of
the Mescal society are conscious that
a man has a right to his own religious
belief and that he may worship a SUI
preme being as he pleases in his and
Of liberty whose holy. just and benef1-
cent law, recognizes no religion.
Call 1t a Religion.
With the end in view of making 1t im-
possible for the authorities to abolish
the latest intoxicant, the Mescal society
was formed, according to the enemies
of the society on the reservation.
But despite the claims Of pretense, the
society has grown, new converts COM
ing into it's fold every day to drink
OF the mescal tea and sup the dregs of
the cup of perdition. Even if it did be-
rim as a pretense, those of the faith
are now undoubtedly real believers.
They try to get US all to join the
mescal society,"" said Mary Rainbow,
an Indian girl at the agency, who has
done much to assist superintendent
McFattridge in securing information
about the society.
They claim we see the face of Jesus.
They claim friends oln to see them
toc many miles. First there was only