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Hominy, Ok.
Jan. 11, 1917-

My dear M,

Yesterday morning I wrote you a letter and went to town to mail it, also to see certain men to find out the date of the beginning of the peyote religion among the Osage. From these men I could find nothing definite. I went to a lumberman to ask him to look over his old records to see if there was anything to show that lumber was furnished for the building of the meeting-house but nothing could be found. This man was most obliging and took pains to find a record but failed to find anything that would establish a date. In the course of our conversation we spoke of the use of the peyote by these Osages and he said that there was no harm at all in its use but on the contrary it had proved to be of real help to the Indians in their morals and particularly in the stopping of drink to a large extent. He said that before these people took up the peyote seriously the drunkenness among both men and women was past description and morality was a thing that was entirely forgotten in the craze for drink.

From this man's office I went to the post office to mail my letter and to my surprise and delight I found your letter of the 3rd. I will deliver your message to Wa-xthi'-zhi', he will appreciate it as he is in need of comfort. You may remember my telling you of his naming his grandchild ceremonially.