Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-08-10
For the Rutland HRBALp,l
White Beur Lake,
BY REV. MYRON A. MUNSON.

twelve miles long and its breadth in the
northern portion is from two and half &c
three miles, while in the southern portion
beyond the wooded promontory, it is
much narrower. The surrounding coun.
try slopes gently upward ON the west q
couple of miles, while on the east the
slope is more emphatic, and on the north
after gradual rise, it lifts itself into bold
bluffs. The northern and eastern hori-
zon is only about six miles distant. Far
and wide around this great depression
rolls "the high prairie"
Your best point of view is White Bear.
Grave -; it Is scarcely half mile west OF
the northwest curve of the lake, and cousti-
tutes the knob of that isolated conical
elevation which rises so conspicuously out
of the slope. And who was White Bear 2
A Dakota (Sioux) chief, from whom our
lake derived its name. Over his remains
a large mound of earth was constructed ;
it il perhaps four rods in diameter and
eight feet high. Two or three years ago,
some inqnisitive people dug into the old
chiefs grave, but they found only skels-
ton. The cavity was left open, and the
component parts of the skeleton, uncover.
ed. Most of the bones have been carried
away by visitors. But as you seat your
self on the edge of tho grave--your feet
dangling in ito partake of a lunch, you
gaze on the 66i0 with which the old
hunter ran. with which the old warrior
danced and upon the humeros with
which he welded the tomahawk and
twsnged the bow. What a biography is
written in those bones, il one could but
read it ! How that Aunaeros padded the
canoe, what eloquence was enforced by
its gesture, what maiden Minnehaha it
encircled, how many a Chippewa, how
many pale-faee felt it's shifting, such
are the strange, wild questions of the
place but it is the imagination that
must answer.
A sacred spot was this to the Indian.
In 1862, there was white mans cabin in
yonder grove and a little while before
the massacre, the Indians told it's owner
that he must leave !; there was the grave
Of their chief, and they could not have
white men living around 1t. The adven-
turer fingered, however, and Immediately
before the outbreak, an Indian woman
Notified BIN that the red men were about
% descend upon him. He fed, but so
closely was he pursued that on one ooca-
ZION his camp and that of his pursusrs
we're only quarter of mile distant, and
le was obliged to choke his dog to pre-
rent him from notifying the Indians of
he fugitive's proximity.
Now survey the landscape. Observe
he curved outline of the lake, here and
here, what an elegant, superbly elegant,
weep it has. All round about it is q
ringe of fine oaks, and at three or four
POINTS it is fsnked with masses of forest
Aud the luxuriant breadths of sward, at
irregular intervals, are islanded
With little groves, or ooasted with narrow
eefs of timber. Some sections of the
Iorizon are of grass, and others ere of
oliage. Three or four miles south of
White Bears Grove, the landscape is
uperlatively pleasing; the alienation
nd interblending OF the lawns and
roves is more park-like than anything
lse have ever seen in nature.
You are about to descend from the fun
raj mound when your eye sweeps the
trait which connects the Pelican Lake
With White Bear, and you discover a
ouple of magnificent swans. Their
1hiteness, floating proudly on the water,
the perfect image of grace. Let one of
hose birds pass through the hands of
axidermist, and what splendor it
yould be for the study or the parler.
Down you plunge with yonr gun, but a
ow-boat happens along and startlee
hem, and they take wing. How huge
hey are, each of forty or fifty pounds
Weight. Their flight il low, side by side,
nd neok-a-necB, and it is iucomparably
onderous. Through marsh and rushes,
nd thick tangled grass, and endless fields
wild rice as high az your head, and
ften two feet higher, with boots full of
yater, and sometimes 1ipking in the
lire till the wetness invndes your pook-
e and saturates Your hmunition, and
non skirtirg or crossing over bluffs
rder the glowing irfiHences of y relent- :
ss sun, 80 you purFue the wonderful
irds for five or six hnurs. But they
,cape, and you are almost glad.
Ia pafsing "the inlet" where the strait ,
scharges the waters of Pelican Like
ITO White Bear, mark it az as the most
lspicious of the f-hiu2 grounds; within
week several barrel. OF large pickerel
ave been taken there.
Now here is Eagle Point, bold cape,
wooded, which sffords a rare
te for country seat. A pair of great =,
Id headed eagles kept home here sew.
al years, till young pirate climbed to :,
eir nest and stole an eaglet, when the
icients indignantly abandoned the place :
As You proceed eastward give live at :
ntion to the natural levee which walls :
the lake for several miles. The curious :,
d comely embankment is about three T
ds from the present water line, and is .
rhsps six rods wide and twelve feet :,
Oh. Along the top of it is a fine car. :,
lge road, which is shaded aud adorned -
tn oaks of various diameters, from six ;,
thirty inches, while it is most lavishly .,
tied and perfumed with wild roses. :,
ie building of the levee by the waters h
d wiada, reclaimed from the dominion =,
the lake several hundred acres, which .,
. now unveiled between the levee and
Icy |