As I am writing Indian legends through botany, I, for the first time, shall reveal the virtues of this shrub and it should prove of the greatest interest to those engaged in scientific research, especially in geology and botanical chemistry. And if the shrub is used as the Indians used it—and still do—it will help to safeguard life when thunder and lightning are at their worst at timber line of high mountainsides and peaks.
These monumental cones were at one time, in the early Archean period, surcharged with volcanic activity, which was responsible for the enormous iron deposits stored in the bowels of the earth. Electrical storms, being attracted by the iron, burst at times there with terrific violence, causing a truly phenomenal disturbance; while lightning bolts strike the iron bodies, completely magnetizing them, turning them gradually into the mineral, magnetic iron.
Now, let us bear in mind that cone-bearing pines and the Chaparral grow side by side on and over these magnetic iron deposits. Of the two, the pine seldom escapes destruction whereas the Chaparral deflects lightning. At the harvest season of the pine nuts, when these storms were very frequent, precaution had to be taken against the danger of being struck by lightning, and the Chaparral was the tree chosen in the pine forest by the Indians as furnishing both safety and shelter.
Now, some of our Red fellow men, through ignorance and a belief in miracles, were superstitious and quite sincere in their belief in the efficiency possessed by the magnetic iron mineral, and in its inherent supernatural powers to guard their homes against prowlers and thieves. So, much of it was gathered after its discovery and placed inside the homes to protect them from such intruders. Therefore, whenever a man was known to be in the possession of this mineral he became the object of much reverence and respect by wrongdoers, the belief being that the magnetic iron attracts and draws to it all other particles of nonmagnetic iron. By the same token, if they entered strange premises, the same thing would happen to them and they would be held until the rightful owner appeared.
The author of Chi-nich-nich, Dr. John P. Harrington, of the Department of Ethnology of the Smithsonian Institution, found himself against a wall when he wrote something about this “wizard” mineral under its Indian name without a sample from his Indian informant, Mr. Albanes. Dr. Harrington was unable to give a firsthand description and had no definite idea of what the mineral actually was until he requested me to revise his work, a thing I did gladly at the printing office in Santa Ana, Calif.
Later on, when my opinion was asked regarding the book I, of course, drew my own conclusions and withheld any criticism. This I did, not deeming it wise to make any remarks about parts of the work which did not represent the true phases of Indian life, for, as I held the key that would correct those parts, any criticism from me would only have led to my being questioned as to my knowledge of things which I didn’t feel at liberty to divulge.
Accordingly, my identification of the “wizard stone” broke up an expensive Smithsonian expedition which was to be made by a group of geologists, with all its branches well-represented, in search of magnetic iron. Now, this is a mineral which has some commercial value in the electrical field, the steel industries and in the manufacture of scientific instruments, although some charlatans, like some of my Indian brothers, claim the mineral possesses supernatural powers and the so-called lodestone is sold today to a good many people as a talisman.
This lodestone is nothing more than common magnetic iron, yellow in color due to the large amount of sulphur in the mineral. The silver-gray magnetic ore which was the Indian’s “wizard stone” derives its color from the arsenic it contains. Furthermore, many other spurious contrivances are being sold, not to Indians but to white people of even very superior intelligence and P. T. Barnum fell far short in his estimate of the number of people just waiting to fall into the snare of deception, with his famous remark that “a sucker is born every minute.” Every second would be nearer the truth.
By personal investigation which I made I found that some of these deluded victims, men and women both, carry upon their persons lodestones for “luck,” whereas others think that by wearing them concealed close to the flesh it gives them a strong magnetic personality and thereby they command the attention they desire from others.
This is not likely to happen. You can magnetize your body, to be sure, but not this way. The right way is the way of the Indians of wisdom, nature’s way. If you are getting sluggish, low in vitality and vigor, it simply means that the battery-cells of your body are low and need recharging. Civilization has to some extent deprived us of this great body builder and has isolated us until the flesh of our feet does not make contact with the vast electrical currents of Mother Nature. To receive any benefits from this natural resource you must not wear shoes in the spring or early summer months, and, weather permitting, go to some lonely place where you are sure there won’t be any interference by the authorities, remove your clothing and then lie flat on the ground with your muscles well relaxed.