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Show MASONRY AMONG INDIANS. The Indian (Osage agency) Herald say.s: The. Lralilson of the tirnt landing ot Iiid.ana in the new world has been rept'.tlul to chosen braves ever and ovt-r inim ono generation lo another, and to this day the Osages have what i Buppoatd to he nearly tho original language of their ancestor!, 'i'hey claim that their progenitors came in an ark or boat, and ivhilo in the vessel the Great Spirit came and rested upon one of their number, and told htm to select aix others to assist him iu governing Ins nation; hence the origin of the seven original bands of the tribe 1 lie i-pint, while in conversation with his favorite one, directed him to i communicate whatever instructions j he received lor his people through Ids ; chosen ns-Utants, and lo this day the , name of the cne upon whom the fpirit reeled equities one who talks with God. Hia lodge is a sanctuary for any criminal who may Qcc from justice or vengeance, and lie ranka with the higncdt chief in the tribe. Before they camo in contact with white people they lived in the enjoyment of peuee and happiness, but they are now realizing Hint wiiite people are as numerous aa "leaves in the forest," and that they only constitute a remnant rem-nant ol this once powerful and warlike j tribe, aud aro at the mercy of the ' while race, and are liable to be driven backward, step by step, into the ' waters of the ocean. Their religion tends to give them a gloomy and melaucholy cast of character, char-acter, and anion e ottier thines tiiev believe that the spirit ot the departed hovers m anguish around them until ascalpia taken to accompany it to the Indian's last resting-place, the great hunting-ground, where the spirit ol a slain enemy serves him in the moat servile offices throughout etruity. For this purpose, though much has been said and written about the civilization of the Osages, they yet organize mourning parties and go upon the war-path when otherwise they are peaceable. Though at lirat thought it may strike tho minds of our readers as almost incredible, there are Masons among the Usages. They were probably pro-bably admitted to the sacred rights and privileges of this ancient institution institu-tion by the French, in early days, they being the first whites with whom they met. They retained a part of the craft lo this day. Colonel J. M. Hiatt, a licensed trader for the tribe of this agency, who is a geutleman of oulture and large experience, and an uonercd member of thecommandery, wnen alone on one occasion with a more than ordinarily intelligent Oaage, found upon strict trial, though the Indian could net spaak a word of our language, that he was a master Mason, who prided himself in the mysteries oi ;he order. |