Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-06-13
INDIAN CHIEFS
SOLEMN PRAYER
Jim Pine, Aged 100, Casting Arms
Aloft, InvokeS Great Spirits
Protection OF Guests.
VILLAGE IS PURIFIED BY FIRE
Whole Tribe Deserts Spot Lest Evil
Spirit Which Led to Murder
May Possess Them.

just as the sun was rising out Of the
eastern desert down in San Bernardlno
county in southern California a few
days ago. Jim Pine, chieftain OF the
| Chlmehuovi Indians, tall straight,
| athletic parsonage over 100 years OF
age stood out apart from the respectful
members OF his tribe. and graphically
casting his arms In the air, first TO the
east, then toward the south, then to-
ward the west and lastly toward the
north. in his native language called
upon the Great Spirit TO guard and
| protect his visiting white guests. in
their journey through this desolate
land.
The guests stood by and watched the
remarkable performance They con-
sisted OF Miss Maud Russell secretary
OF william y. Johnston's Indian office
In Salt Lake; Miss Arnold, superlntend-
ent of several Indian agencies In
California; indian supt. sullivan
and others.
Miss Russell has just returned from
a visit 10 her cactus farm" at Twenty
nine Palms an oasis e5 miles from
Blenning, a station on the Southern
Pacific railroad
That prayer OF old Chief Jim Pine
was one OF the most Impressive things
ever witnessed" says Miss Russell
Those Indians are intensely interest
ing.
while on my journey down there.
the trail taken by Willie Boy, the young
Indian whose remarkable triple muir
der last September was the unusual
topic for days. was pointed out 10 me.
You remember the dispatches were full
| of the romantic story, How Willie Boy
| murdered Nike Bonlface, father OF the
| beautiful young lolita, for interfering
.NW T.NV seHl .aff
| the willing captive maiden into the
| mountains OF southern California,
| where he was pursued: finally murder
| ing his sweetheart to save her from
| capture and after shooting several or
| his pursuers and killing their horses
| under them, in desperation turned his
| gun on himself and with the last re-
| naming cartridge blew out his own
| life.
| Shortly after this triple murder
| had stirred the ChimehueY tribe 10
| the depths, solemn funeral rites took
| place at Twenty-Five Palms. their In
dian village Of huts and tents. Every
thing belonging TO the three
dead Indians was destroyed by
fire; the huts. hunting para
| phernalia, blankets, horses and
| all-everything was burned. After this
solemn performance. the entire tribe
deserted the village, going to Mission
| creek, another Indian reservation
some distance away. where they VIII
reside until time has purified the CON
taminRted village and the Great Spirit
has driven out the evil spirits. Tha
will be next December, when the
whole tribe will go trailing back tc
Twenty-nine Palms. But until then
not one OF those Indians dare ap
proach the place lest the evil one
who got into Willie Boy Nigh
possess him and cause him to com
lN..Wa Il AEk
"Twenty-nlne Palms Is an oasis II
a desert. There are fine howinI
springs affording sufficient water t'
give the Indians a good irrigatint
stream with the aid of which the!
grow considerable garden truck. Wher
| i was there a few days ago there
were only about a dozen OF TN
original 29 great palm trees LEFT
| Mercilesa axmen had cut down tn
beautiful trees for timber.
Another unusual thing occurred
down among the Chimehuevis Few
years agso." continued Miss Russell. =
shrewd old Indian called Anejan
dro some way or other got hold OF
| childs book in English containinI
stories from the Bible, an account o
| the flood and other interesting cpl
stories. And what did old Allejandr'
do but found religion of his owl
among his people with that book a
the basis, and the Indians fiocked Il
him in such numbers. and the ney
| religion created so much stir ana DIS
turbance among the tribes that ALE
tandro and his book had to be take
in hand and the new religion broker
up.
Most of the indians down there ar
of the Catholic faith their ancestor
having been converted years ago b
the Franciscan fathers, who bull
those remarkable old missile
churches which today prove one o
the most attractive features OF Cali
fornia.
"My Cactus farm? II is looking I'm
as any desert you ever saw. II
| only about a mile from Twenty-Nin
Palms. The well IL down 81 feet, an
no water. As their are wells all owe
that part ] hope In time to be sue
| cessful, and create another liul
| oasis in the desert.
There is now n small mining MI
, AT Twenty-nine Palms and I hear
| very little but mines talked anon
the white people down there. The pro
curing OF we'll water In recent years
making Il possible for prospectors I
20 into that country now. MY farr
is not very far from Col Kit Carson
gold find mentioned In The News re
| Gently"