Tombstone epitaph., 1919-09-07
GREATEST DRUNK IN HISTORY OF ALCOHOLISM IS STAGED
 BY PAPA6o INDIAN TRIBE


 PHOENIX, Sept. 2.-wha; is said 10 have been the bigses; drunk. the most comprehensive jag in the history of alcoholism il tGe United States has jus, been pulled of in the Papa go country. The whole tribe was Ii pp. That was probably what gave the impression of the northern lights of the aurora Boreal.s few days ago. Ba. j; vas only a drunk and the extra ordinary dimensions 0: i; was due 10 g miscalculliion technically called miscue The drunk itsel: was pre- ordained. l. had i;s roots in religion and superstition. !; was an annual ri;e. l. Will be repeated. though rot or quite such a scale. in spite of all the prohibition legislation in Arizona.
 The drunk happened. and consid- ering the size Q: i; and all the cir cumstances. the use Of happened" is advised. on the Papago reservation. q, one of the central villages about 4J miles south of Casa Grande That vast stretch of country is a terra in- cogni.a ]; is the only frontier left in ne United States. IL abounds in mystery Those who stay there sho-. time are overcome by nervous ness whl1h soon gives place 10 dread ? h:5h becomes more an dmore defn- i;e end dread r.ae2s into a panic anI a getaway
 There are strange things there: tc- instance. cave whose walls are GOV cred with hiarog!yphios unlike any ever seen ia North America There are many skeletons there in strange dresses There Is one. that of wo- nlaa win ,ong yellow hair The In dans say heir fathers and their ia,  :hers sroN no more about these pee pie than .hey do themselves: the hie- oe.yphics and the skeletons were ,here generations ago Ethnologists have found resemblance of the skulls in ;ha, cave to those Of eastern As:a:.cs.
 B1: nothing herein has anything to do with ,he big drank which recently r1arred he reign e; Arizona law and wartime p-oh.h;:.aZ Perhaps the papagUs did not know about the Ari- 1ona law If they had ever heard O! he war and war tine prohibition ina, 1ey n.sh. have had reason to sup pose ;hat tte war was ove-. ,ha; ,he a-ay Lad aeca demobi-ized Ba: per ssrs :hey Gid not care tinker's con .inenta! They would not anyhow le. The ioc.:shuess Of the whites iater,e-e win the.- religious ceremonies and iu th2: they seemed 10 have the sane tion c: inc United States constitution thoaEn ihey d:d 20; really need fl.
 The Pa?sgos have fiesta every year The rites prescribe tha. t shaI, he closed with drunk: just 9 mod. Crats. though. Tie liquor used is g kind of wine tha; grows cn top of inc giant cactus. Usually only enougn wine is made for decent tribal iab The TiIes require that all o: the wine shall Ire drunk during the fiesta: ,ha' rot drop shall survive the c!osins night. Ina; is an obviously wise pro 7iy:Sn-
 This year they made entirely to, much wine and that was the miscaI cllatipn 10 which reference has beer made. Du! the rite was compiled witt no. uTJD remained the morning a. ter inc closing night. Aat in in, ! morning and long into the next da, ! the landscape for miles and miles va. dotted with prostrate Papagos. The only animate human being was the trader at The central village. As he locked over the scene of desola;ior he was never before so lonely. T. va. as if the human race had vanished al but him. He was inclined to threw up his job with all the opportunitie. il offered for profiiteering.
 The Indians lay thickest about ;he trading post in the immediate vicinit; of the automobile of the trader. They had removed the cushions to the ground and were using them for head rests. their legs radiating to all point. |, of the commas like the rays of the