The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-12-19

A correspondent of the Springfield
Mass Republican, thus writes Of
Maiden Rock, in this county.
We passed La Crosse and many other
places in the night; and about noen next
day entered the foot Of Lake Pepin.-
Lake Pepin is pretty. went out on
deck and looked at it, meantime letting it
rain. / was anxiods to see the Maiden's
Rock; and when the black man COM
menced pounding that tin-pan concern
l commenced debating with myself as to
whether should forego the dinner or the
scenery. Invent TO dinner.
We had passed Maiden's Rock when
I went on deck again, but it was still in
sight. Much sentiment and much din
ner are Incompatible. gazed upon
Maiden's Rock or Levers Leap without
a sigh, and recalled the old story with
out q tear. Maiden's Rock is high
bluff on the eastern shore of the lake.,
The lower portion is wooded slope,
above which the bare rock rises perpen-
dicularly to a considerable hight. Now,
my dear every body, you shall have the
story Mr. Wapasha, big Injun, was the
chief of tribe and the father of an at
traetive daughter named Winona.-
Winopa WAS handsome and gay and in
teresting, as beftted the daughter of
big lnjun. Nobody sported such mag
niticent horse-blankets as Winona,-no-
body could afford such a profuson of
beads and copper jewelry,-and nobody's
nose rings were as big rs those of Winona
the daughter of W. pasha. Winona, like
the rest of hor sex, was trifo pervsrse.
She scornefuy refused to bestow her af-
fect;ons in accordance with parental in
junet OILS. Mr. and Mrs Wapasha were
prudent pc ,pIc they were DESTROYS that
Winona should make match worthy of
Of her station and Of her nose rings; and
! they selected for her husband distin-
| guished young warrior who had been
regular death on the confounded Chip,
pswas. But Winona was p.rverse, IS |
have already remarked, She preferred
to do her own marketing: and disregard
ing tho menaces and threats of the Injun
and Injuncss, she proceeded to fall deep
in love with miserable plebian hunter,
who, instead of Chippewa scalps and
Chippewa ears, could produce nothing
by which to prove his worth but ignoble
bear skins and deer-skins and coon skins.
The old folks protested and raved, but
Wipona was memorable. She vowed
and declared that she'd marry the hun
ter or nobody,-so there now! At last
| Al. l
and informed the unreasonable young la
dy that she should marry the worrio.: that
very day! The tribe was encamped up
on the eastern shore of Lake Pepin, and
when Winona heard this dread sentence
she fled with all speed to tho summit of
the bluff which now perpetuates her
memory, and advancing to the very brink
Of the precipice, she paused and COM
menced singing a dirge.
The old folks, seeing what she was up
to, entreated her tn come down, promis-
irg her that she might marry the hunter,
land all that, you know. But Winona
was acquainted with the old folks; she
had been there; she knew they were as
treacherons as sin, and so, after giving
them piece of her mind-a regular
blowing up, in fact-she finished her
song and then jumped off, just ms Mrs.
Wapasha was about to offer her n pair
of new nose-rings as big as the moon in
case she would Como down. The fell
among rocks and bushes, and was 80
severely injured that she didn't come to.
The verdict of the coroner's jury, unfortun-
ately, has not been preserved, but it was
doubtless in accordance with the facts
The ghost of that dirge still fingers about
the Maiden's Rock, the Indians say; and
a voun, man on the boat informed me
that for long time they kept q pole
standing npon the pinnacle with white
rag Tutoring ut the top of it.
And thus endetA the melancholy legend
of the MaideH's Rock or Lovers Leap
When you come up the river, everybody,
look out for it ;and ifyou want to indulge
in scntimentality. I would suggest that