The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-11-01
HISTORY AND SUPERSTDTDOMS
OF MEDICINE WHEEL ARE TOLD

the mystery or medicine which en-
shrouds it. The outer circle of stones
is considered the rim of the wheel,
the central circle its hub, and the
lines of stones running from the in
ner to the outer circle is not complete,
for on its easterly side the rim of the
wheel is interrupted for about two
and a half feet, and this interruption
furnishes an entrance or gateway in
to the circle. The opening actually
faces a little south of east.
"That in ancient times it was a
place of resort for great numbers of
people is clearly indicated by a very
old and worn travois trail, visible at
a distance of two or three miles, looks
like a broad white wagon road run
ming from the lower foothills up over
the side of the Medicine mountain,
passing along over it's whole length,
and descending on the other side to
a narrow saddle which it crosses and
then climbs again to the flat where
the medicine Wheel is built. On this
travels trail, there are no signs of re-
cent use; yet it is apparent that in
times past multitudes of people must
have passed yer it. Under the stones
of n of the spokes a recently
found beads which have been pro-
nounced Venetian beads of the fiji
teenth century.
Legends Told.
among the Crows and other local
Indians, various stories are told about
certain mythical people who live I'M
der the ground and pass between
their home and the upper air through
deep pit, or cave, formed by a great
crack in the limestone to the west of
the Medicine Wheel. Other Indian
legends, which sound like fiction, are
that the Medicine Wheel was built
by the Sheep Eaters, and that the %
represent the 28 tribes of
Sheep Eaters. The Sheep Eaters are
said to have been a group of the
Shoshoni, named such because they
subsisted chiefly as a group and have
been absorbed by the Bannocks.
"Some Indians say that the wheel
IS the plan of an old-time Cheyenne
medicine lodge. The outer circle of
stones represents the wall of the
they say; the lines leading to-
ward the center, the rafters, and the
small circle in the center of the large
me, from which the spokes radiate,
representing the center pole of the
odge. They add that the building
the northwest of the entrance and
the circle is the altar"
Panorama Visible
From Medicine mountain, just
bove Medicine Wheel, a panorama of
.nexcelled mountain scenery rivaling
ven that of the celebrated Grand
of Colorado is revealed to the
p%ectator. From this point he can
ee the country for a radius of $50
lilies in all four directions. He can
ook down into a canyon 500 feet
than any view in the Grand
anyon.
From this vantage point the spec
ator can see every town in the Big
[orn basin from T~hermopolis to Cody
nd across to the edge of Yellowstone 8,
ark. He can see the first, second
nd third ranges of the Continental
From this point Wind River noun
lin, Absaraka mountains, Pryor
fountains and the Owl mountains
re easily visible. So are also DEVILS
anyon, Big Horn canyon, Billings,
lie Soap Creek oil wells, L~odgegrass
eek, Wolf mountains, Clouds peak, {
lie Black mountains and Little Big :
.orn (the stream on which the Gus ;
fight took place.. The Big Horn :
yer and its tributaries for 100 miles c
re also clearly visible from Medi- r
ne mountain. .