Show WHAT INDIAN SIGN MEANS How Red Men Meson on the Trail Trai Communicate cate C With One Another Another er erSan San Francisco Chronicle As time has his passed arid and ad civilization has changed IndIan Indian conditions I was under the te impression that tat ou ou red r brothers had forgotten the use us of ofin in their heir travels but as I was wa loiter loiterIng ing lug about the hills his In county a few weeks ago I came across a ao ce gen genuine Indian sign sig such as a I had ha not seen for a dozen years year or more It I was a k simple little sign In appearance but it I was full ful of meaning to t those thos who could read re It It A long stick sUck with one end stuck In the ground gound the other leaning and ad pointing up the road rad The Tho Te stick was wa elevated at an angle of only about 10 degrees from the ground and was wa supported on a stone It I told some Indian that his friend had been along there and had gone ahead in the te di dl direction pointed out by the stick I marveled at It Jt but on investigation found that the Indians of ot California still sti use signs to convey Intelligence to each other I found that among the Cocopah Pimas and the sign sig is as much in use as a ever White While traveling in San Bernardino county some months monts ago I came cae across a peculiar grouping of stones and at once saw sw that some Indian had left a a sign so that tha all al other Indians might know knew that water was to be found in a 3 certain direction The stones were lying In a complete circle and In the centre was a long triangular stone with wit the sharp point indicating a a specific chic direction The sign sig was plain to toone toone toone one versed vered In such things and ad in or order order order der to see s e if It the same sign sig was uni universal universal versal for I had seen It I elsewhere I 1 followed the direction pointed out by the te long stone and found a little spring This arrangement of stones I had hd often seen In a dozen different places In the middle west and as a variant varian which was also found In California I have se seen n a mound of stones similar to a minors miners miners monument with wih a pointed stone stono resting on top pointing toward water In many parts of 01 the country count especially in the desert deser parts part of Call Cali California Cal fornia and Arizona Arizona the question of water supply for travelers Is one that requires serious consideration and I have known mon men to pass within a few hundred yards of water without know knowing knowIng knowing ing It n because ause they could not read rad In Indian Indian dian dlan signs The sign sig was wa In plain view and ant was placed place there because the In Indians Indians Indians recognized the te necessity nece sly of tell telling tel ing all al who came along that they could find water True there thero was not a big board set up with wih water water painted on onit onit onit it it but to the Initiated It was wa equally plain There Thero Ther is not a trail trai in alt all al the southwest that runs near ner a a spring that does doe not have havo the sign sig dis displayed dIsplayed displayed played I have even seen instances where the water was Avas so far fr from the regular trail that special signs sigs have hae been made to show where It I Is Js I re remember remember remember member one Instance among the Shoshones Shoshones Shoshones hones where there was wa a a large monument monument ment mont of ot stones with wih an extra long flat fiat fat stone on top pointing toward tho the spring After going In this direction for some distance I came upon an another another another other similar monument and before I got to the spring I found five different monuments showing the way Sometimes however these theMe circles cIrces may not riot mean water at all al and then it I is necessary to understand the te in intricacies IntricacIes intricacies of the Indian mind to understand understand under understand stand just what he is driving at at I remember once when I was wa hunting on the Republican river rv r I came across a circle of buffalo bufalo skulls which attracted attention because of or their my beuse peculiar arrangement Sixteen skulls were set setin setin setin in a semicircle with wih their noses nose point pointIng pointIng pointIng Ing down the river r In the centre of the circle cirle was wa a skull on which were painted red lines Near the skulls were two small smal sticks placed up upright upright upright right in the ground rund and at the top of each ch stick were tied ted two bundles bundle of hair A Pawnee Indian was with wih me and told me that Pawnees had camped there there They had made a raid against a camp of containing sixteen tents or lodges and had taken four scalps They were now returning home down the river rier To th ordinary observer this arrangement of skulls and sticks sUcks would have given nj no nomore more impression than the idea Ide that some one had been amusing himself by playing with wih these buffalo skulls Ti To Tithe Tot T the t Indian the arrangement was wis a com complete lete story Indians use signs sigs for several ever specific purposes the most prevalent being that of ot guidance but they are also Ilso used u d for direction departure Intention condi condition condition tion ton warning and claim calm or demand I Iwas IWas IWas was hunting with WIt a party of o Utes in Southwestern Southwester Colorado Colordo and ad we wO had sep separated separated arted with wih the understanding that we were to meet again agin at a specified place and all al go back to the village together On reaching the appointed place one of the party was not there tere but the rest started to the village paying no at attention tenton to his nonappearance I asked If I they te were not going to wait walt until ha lie came back bak but they Said he had been there and had gone on to the te vil village vi village lage without waiting tot lot us to come up When I expressed surprise I was wa shown Wen a n long stick standing In the trail trai with witha wih a bunch of ot grass fastened to its It top The stick was WIS leaning lening toward the tho vii vil village vi lage lag and and this told the story stor of the missing man as plainly as If he had written a letter leter about It It I found that thata tat tata a similar stick had been erected er ted at the top lop of every hill hi between there and Where the village could be seen sen He took no io chances of the tho to sticks falling down dawn to mind and told the te story stor over several limes Ures The same sign Is used by the Indians of Southern Souther Alaska and also by the of Manitoba ba The Sioux use a split stick with a n short shon stick in inthe Inthe inthe the taken split pointing In the direction |