The Coconino sun., 1927-09-16
(BY DEL. !"

Very few white people have even
been permitted to enter the kiyas in
the various Hopi Indian villages dur
ing the ceremonies preceding the an
nual snake dances. 1t require unus-
ual influence and diplomacy and many
have asked in vain for the doubtful
privilege.
Teddy Roosevelt announced when
he emerged from one of the kivas that
he was the second white man ever to
have been in one That may have
been true as far as that particular
village was concerned, but without
doubt at least dozen white men had
been in some of the various kivas be-
fore that.
DR.. E. S. Miller of Flagstaff spent
several hours in the one at Shimo-
pivi 20 years ago. He went there
with Volz, then Indian trader at Can
yon Diablo, and Mrs. Volz, he and
Mrs. Volz driving to the Hopi villages
in a blackboard, Volz riding a horse.
Volz told the head priest of the snake
clan that Doc was a special represent
ative of the big white father at Wash
ington, sent to investigate the dances
and decide whether any heed SHOULD be
paid to the movement even then on
foot among misguided eastern med
dlers to put a stop to them.
The old priest listened to Volz, then
exclaimed: ''No, no, no." But while
he was speaking he looked at Doe and
let fly an unmistaakble wink.
Doc interpreted the wink to mean
a pickaninny might be in woodpile
somewhere around there. According
ly, when a short time later a dog fight
started in the end of the village farth-
est from the kiva, and all the Indians
ran there, Doc surmised that the old
priest had set the dogs at it, and
ducked down the ladder into the kiva.
The latter was about 30 feet across.
There was an old Indian in it. Doe
quietly squatted against the wall.
Presently the other members of the
snake clan came down the ladder.
They gathered around a huge bowl in
which was water and soap-weed. One
would pick up a snake, which was
passed from one to another, then thor
oughly washed with the soapy water,
the Indians meanwhile chanting. Then
the snake was passed back, hand to
hand, and laid on sand covered shelf
against the wall to dry off.
A young woman VINO isn't Scotch
asked the other night how much a
Scotchman would drink. Everybody
gave up, and she explained that he'd
drink "any given amount"
Mrs. Douglass S. Roome of Pasa-
dena, who with her sister, Mrs. Joe
Treat, also of that city, have been
visiting their old home in Sweden,
writes:
"A little incident from Potsdam,
Germany, which occurred while we
were viewing ex-Kaiser Wilhelm's
residence. In it there is a most huge
and unique room-one of the one hun
dred eighty-called the shell room
or 'grotto' It is finished entirely in
shell ornamentations and semi-pre-
cious stones. Imbedded in a column
like protuberance of the wall was
something with a mighty familiar
look, and I asked the guide: What is
that 2 and pointed at the object.
The stone that you see there, or
what you think is a stone" began
the guide very welghtlly, is really not
stone, but wood-wood turned into
stone, petrified, so to speak
Where did it come from ? [ asked
!" 1t came from America he said,
a little less ponderously.
81 thought So / said, / s'pose 9
little triumphantly, for twas like
identifying an old friend
'Why?' he asked, interested now
DO you know about it p
Well, I ought to- | said, I've
lived for years where petrified trees
grow
".Where is that?'
Arizona told him.
Do you live at the Grand Can
yon?' he then came back.
$50 you see they know in Potsdam
that the Grand Canyon is in Arizona
even if they don't in California.
The Sun each week prints local
happenings twenty and forty years
ago. Here are few of thirty years
ago dug from the files of his memory
by G. J. Babbitt: