Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1894 — BURIAL OF SAVAGES. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BURIAL OF SAVAGES.

HOW THE WILD RACES DISPOSE OF THEIR DEAD. The African Chief Take* H:» Wife with Him—On Scaffolds, in Canoes and In Hollow Lofi the Kindred of the American Indian Find Beat. Have Qneer Tombs. Those who look upon the beautiful cemeteries and trimly kept resting places of the deal of civilized nations stop to wonder how the dead of uncivilized and primitive peoples are disposed of, or even to remember that they also possess a silent majority, whose words and customs remain to influence the living, who cling to wild superstitions and strange usages because their fathers did so before them. The commonest mode of interment has always been in the ground, though many tribes make but shallow graves, and place wild brush, logs, or stone over them in order to protect them from wild beasts. The Pima Indians of Arizona dig a perfectly round hole about two feet in diameter and four or five stet deep, then hollow out one side of the bottom into a kind of vault large enough to contain the body, which is bound by ropes into a sitting position. The grave is then filled to a level with the earth, and pieces of timber and poles heaped upon it. Surface burial was practiced to a limited extent by some American tribes. The Seminoles, of Florida, are said to have placed their dead in upright positions In hollow trees. By some Eastern tribes and among the

Miamis, logs were split and hollowed out, the dead placed within and the log securely lashed together and left to remain where it was originally placed. In some cases a pen was built over and around it. The Miamis sometimes closed this log coffin and confined it to the ground with crossed stakes. Occasionally a hollow low was used by closing the ends. Burial on scaffolds is much in favor with some American Indians. These scaffolds are from eight to ten feet high and made of four forked posts planted firmly in the ground, one at each corner, and then placing others across, so as to form a floor, on which the body is securely fastened. Among the Teton Sioux, if the family can possibly afford it, one or more horses are shot and placed under the scaffold. Valuables of all kinds, weapons, ornaments, pipes and locks of hair cut from the heads of the mourners are always bound up with the body, which is tightly swathed In blankets or robes, or both and wound all over with thongs made of the s’.:in of some animal, and laid at full length on its back. Tree burial is common among the North American Indians, and was not uncommon among the nations

of antiquity. The Colchians, ancient Tartars, and Scythians enveloped their dead in sacks of skin and hung them to trees. Vancouver saw, -at Tort Discovery, baskets suspended to the trees Jedntaining the skeletons of young children. The Clallam and Twanas formerly buried their dead In canoes, which they placed In trees. They now inter something after the manner of the whites. Canoe burial is practiced by many tribes of the northwest coast. In cases of chiefs, or men of note, much pomp and ceremony was used. The conoes were the war canoes of the deceased. Frequently two canoes were .used, and in one case noted, the body was placed in a small canoe inside a larger, and covered with a third. ■Among some tribes, slaves were 'killed, according to the rank or ’wealth of the deceased. In some Id, stances they were starved to death or even left bound to the dead to die horribly. In some parts of Australia the na-

tives use the rudest of scaffolds, fixing the ends of stout branches in the ground and connecting them at the top by horizontal branches. They place these scaffolds among the reeds, where they appear even more rude and desolate than they would otherwise. The Australians also use canoes in which to deposit their dead. These they cover with leaves and place in trees. The object of these elevated tombs is to prevent the dingo or native dog from eating the corpse, though it is said they do not appear to be troubled in the least that the ravens feast upon their dead. Slaves and others are sacrificed at the graves of some African chiefs. Cameron gives the following account

of the horrors of the grave of a chief of Urua: “The first proceeding is to divert the course of a stream and in its bed to dig an enormous pit, the bottom of which is then covered with

living women. At one end a woman is placed on her hands and knees, and upon her back the dead chief, covered with his beads and other treasures, is seated, being supported on either side by one of his wives, while his second wife sits to his feet. The earth is then shoveled in upon them, and all the women are buried alive with the exception of the second wife. To her custom is more merciful than to her companions, and grants her the privilege of being killed before the huge grave is filled in. This being completed, a number of male slaves sometimes forty or fifty—are slaughtered and their blood poured over the grave; after which the river is allowed to resume its course. Smaller chiefs are buried with two or three wives, and a few slaves only are killed that their blood may be shed in the grave; while one of the common herd has to be content with solitary burial, being placed in a sitting posture, with the right forefin-

ger pointing heavenward, just level with the top of the mound over his grave.” RICHES OF NORTHERN SWEDEN. Vast Iron and Lumber Country Opened Up by a New Railroad. The northern part of King Oscar’s realm has often been called “Sweden's America,” because of the richness of the land, although it is still uncultivated, says the Stockholm correspondent of the St Louis Post-Dispatch. The poorer class prefer to emigrate to the United States instead of seeking new homes in Nordland, because that part of the kingdom lacked means of communication by land with the capital. The coast cities suffered in the winter when ice covered the sea as much as the interior settlements suffered the year round. When it was discovered that there were great hidden riches there for thci Government, it decided to grant money for the building of a railway. The Northern Trunk Line is now complete, and has been opened by the king. He is Sweden’s ablest orator, and he made the “speech of his life.” The festivities surpassed anything ever seen here. The new railroad connects at Boden, near the Gulf of Bothnia, with the northernmost railroad in the world, running from the sedport of Lulea up to the Gellivara iron mountains, forty-seven miles north of the polar circle. This road has been in operation two years. It may be considered the end piece of a continuous line of railroad about 1,250 miles long, reaching north and south the whole length of Sweden. The completion of this line, it is believed, will materially check immigration to America. Nordland con-

tains more than 20 per cent, of the lumber of the world, and nqore than Canada and almost twice as much as the United States. The famous iron mines, the largest in existence, are capable of supplying the world for centuries. The scenery is highly picturesque, and the new road presents much for tourists. TAILLESS DOGS THE FASHION. Shepherd Dogs Without Waggers and Littl© Schlpperkes. The dog of society will be a tailless, cock-eared animal before another season has passed. The Prince of Wales fancies them, and so do his numerous followers, and it is safe to say that the fanciers of this country will take them up. The first importation arrived the other day from England. They are of two varieties, a bird dog of the shepherd breed which Mrs. Frederick Gebhard used

to own, who had pedigrees long enough to introduce them to societv. . Then there are little tailless dogs called Schipperkes, which the Prince is very fond of. None have ever been seen in this country before. The lack of tail mars their beauty from a fancier’s standpoint, but their cocking ears recommend them. More Elegant. At the flower market in Washing' ton are many interesting occurrences which have nothing to do with buying flowers, for there, as at any place where all sorts of people gather together, human nature expresses itself in odd and varying ways. A lady from the North, who was in the habit of frequenting the market to see what new floral treasures would appear from day to day, one morning spied a flower she had never before seen. “What is that?” she asked of the old colored woman who had brought it in. “That, miss?” was the reply. “That’s Dutchman’s breeches." Now the lady had heard the name before, and was quite aware that there was nothing funny in it Nevertheless, there was something about the present moment that amused her, and she laughed. Just then a gentleman came up, and the same flower attracted his attention. “What’s that?” he asked of the woman. She hesitated, and looked distressed. Evidently there had been something wrong about the name before, and now she was asked to say it again. “It’s—it’s—’" she stammered, “it’s Dutchman’s pants.” Her Suspicions Confirmed. A Philadelphian, who had traveled extensively in Burmah, was telling an English girl, on a recent voyage across the Atlantic, some of the remarkable work which elephants are taught to do in that country, and, in order to create a good impression, he drew slightly on his imagination. He told the truth as to how the elephants toil all day, piling up teakwood at the saw-mills, and even lay the logs on the plane, “and,” he continued, “there was one old elephant, much wiser than the others, who. after he had laid down the log, got down on his knee and squinted to see if it was on straight.” The girl smiled in a bored sort of way, and said: “Now lam sure you are an American.”

MIAMI GRAVE.

GRAVE OF TETON SIOUX.

TREE BURIAL.

CANOE GRAVE.

AUTRALIAN GRAVE.

THE TAILLESS SHEPHERD DOG.