The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-09-07

by these life-giving springs and poison themselves
With impure liquors on the very threshold Of IN,
temple Of health, while the ovsrioving land iron
thS sparkling springs, full Of lfe stands rejected
and despisod
The mtst ancient as Ncli as The most cnriou:
and interesting spring in Saratoga is the High
Rock Spring. The waters Of this spring flow M
through natural ori6co in the rock aud over the
top. This rock is about six feet high, and what
Is most curious is the fact that Il lies on a clay
foundation, entirely separated irom and having nc
connection with the rocks in the vicinity, and
which was formed from decomposition Of the
waters which have for ages flowed over il. II
does not appear geologicaly tue to call Il rock;
It seems more like large boulder. The present
overhowiug Of the waters from this rock has been
accomplished by artificial means. The present
proprietors Of the spring removed the rock in the
early part Cf the season, and tubed down to the
original rock whence the water flows, and have
placed this boulder in such a manner over the
tubing that the water flows again to the surface
through the oridce as it did ages long ago. Before
this was done the water had not for years flowed
over the top Of the rock There is no Que living
who ever saw the water flow over the top of this
rock as it stoodm its natural state, but there is
no reason to doubt that it did so Aow, and that
the rock itself is but chemical compound from
the mineral substances contained in the water,
compounded in Natures inimitable laboratory.
The day after our arrival this spring was re-
opened by grand celebration, which was said to
be in honor of the one huudredth anniversary of
the discovery of the spring by Europeans.
national salute was fred at sunrise and at twelve
o'clock procession was formed, consisting of the
military, fremen and several thousand citizens
q"or@ pass magaa f6-which marched to the
spring, where oration was pronounced by w s.
STONE, Esq. Chameleon WALwoRTu was Presi-
dent of the day, and, after ascending the platform
aud calling to order, made short speech, from
which take the following in reference to the
flowing of the water over the top of the rock:
"About forty years since, while holding court
on the northern frontier of this State. | STAYED
over the Sabbath with a friend who resided few
miles from the st. Regis Indians Between the
morning and afternoon services at the church We
went 10 the house of one 0f their chiefs, with
whom had become acquainted named Losan
Tasbel he was then between eighty and ninety
years of age. lie there told me that
when he was a boy the Indians living on the Mo-
ha were in the habit of visiting this Spring and
using its waters as medicine. l then asked him
u the Whtcr moved over the top OF the rock at that
time. He said il did not that they had 10 get the
medicine water by dipping it out Of the rock with
cup gourd shell. Tha, there was then tra-
dition ameng the Indians that the ediciue water
had formerly flowed out OF the rock at ts top. but
that it had ceascd.to do so for . long time before
he came here with his father. He then gave me
the Indian tradition as to the cause of the cessl-
tion of the overf1wing of the water. The particu-
lars of that tradition | cannot repeat, in his words
in the presence of this audience but the sub
stance of it was, that the Great Spirit WIN had
made this wonderful rock and had caused the
healing waters to flow from it spontaneously for
the benefit of his red Children was angry on ac-
count of the dissertation of its medicine waters in
making improper use of them by some of their
squaws, who had visited the spring, aud that the
wat.r never flowed over the rock afterwards"
A. G.