Arizona republican., 1913-08-23
Petitions for Rain symbol l. ized in Famous Snake Dance Held at Walpi Mesa With Ancient-Day Form and Ceremonial
COL. ROOSEVELT
 DISPLAYS INTEREST
He and His Party Are Sig nally Honored by Being Taken into Secret Cerc- monial of Washing and Blessing Snakes
BY LYLE ABBOTT.


 fulfilled on Wednesday the Hopi rain prayers were symbolized in the ia nous snake dance held at Walpi Mesa with all their form and ccre- noniaI of ancient days and was wit nessed by the largest crowd ever drawn to this savage supplication rite. Theodore Roosevelt the former big chief at Washington was honOrcd with the greatest mark of the Indians favor when he was taken into the khiva and allowed to witness tho washing and blessing of the rattle snakes used in the dance. With him were his sons, Archie and Quentin. and his nephew, Nicholas. making, now in all, six white men who have been thus signally honored by this strange tribe
 Roosevelt characterized the under ground ceremonies of the Hopi snake priests, as immensely more interest ing than those to which the public iI admitted. but he refused to allow any real facts of the ceremony to be used for publication, saving, that he respected the religious beliefs of In dians as he hoped they would re- spect those of the white man.
 A copious rain met Wednesdays
  just below Walpi Mesa and caused several hours delay and compelled the men of the party to exhibit all their fighting qualities to get through the deep treaCherous quicksand. Many cars. stuck in the washes were hauled cut by main force, as many as thirty men tailing on to the ropes
 Governor Hunt showed himself not merely a talker of good roads but he lit into the work with the rest of them and lugged huge rocks, carving brush and did his share on the rope erd. Good time was made withal and the wohle party arrived safely to swell the already large numbers of white visitors at the Mesa. The number of outsiders apprOXimated 500 and by actual count there were sixty-one cars from all northern points and Phoenix The most in teresting of the Indian dances Oc- cured just as it has for past hun dreds of years. prayer to the high gods for rains Thirty-two priests of which twenty were snake priests took part in the spectacle, handling in marvellous fashion full grown rattlcrs without fear or hurt
 From time to time the first ante
 
 Khiva and started their monotonous chant in front of the snake altar un- til the last rites of purification had been accomplished, the two thousand watchers from the tops of houses on the edge of the Mesa held their | breath with interest in the ceremon- | ies Three moving picture concerns were working and cameras appeared | literally by hundreds. Governor Hunt and the Roosevelt parties occupied l specially reserved, raised seats at the very edge of the dancing space and l were not the least interested of all | the thrOng.
 Colonel RooseveIts' comments were sAprt and concise but showed that he | had a deep and clear understanding of | the ceremony. His chief concern is | for the every day welfare of this most interesting tribe and he made several good recommendations about ] sanitation, but said he preferred to see the Indians remain on their Mesa tops, to seeing them transferred to | the lower levels, though more fertile fields can be found for them there. He was also interested in seeing the 1 traditions preserved.
 The news budget brought to Col | and myself was the first he had re- | ceiVed within q week and although
 he insisted on hearing all about the
 Mexican situation, the impeachment
 of Governor SulZer and other mat
 ters, he would not discuss them
 broadly. He said he was sorry for
 the trouble in New York state gov
 ernment and that United States in | tervention in Mexico would bring
 about a guerilla war but further thar } that he would not be quoted. H' wished also to remain silent abou his experiences down in the Khiva. The return of most of the motOrist! } made today to Flagstaff where is tn nearest wire end. The cars dribble' 5 in all afternoon bringing more thal
 their previous crowd.
 Colonel Roosevelt with his part 5 l left in Don Lorenzo HubbelS mach 9 ines for Ganado and Gallup the even = ing of the snake dance, planning { T go on thorugfi the night and con T tinue the journey until morning i f order to make the railroad. Colont
 Roosevelt with his party then zoe