The Worthington advance., 1876-07-13

is caused by mixture of white blood
with the Indian blood from which. the
stone is formed. A better reason, how
ever, for rejecting it is that they can
not make pipes, or any of the larger
from the laminated variety.
P1PEsTONE FALLS.
East of the Quarry there is an up
heaval or outcropping of granite rock
rising 20 to 80 feet above the basin and
extending from half a mile to one
mile in length. Near the northern end
of this ledge or palisade, Pipestone
Creek runs over the ledge, forming
Pipestone Falls. On tho rocks here
there is the following inscription:
''Nicollet Expedition, July 3, 1885,"
The Indians boasted that no white man
should ever set foot on the sacred Pipe
stone region, and the Nicol]et expedi-
tion. set out from Fort Smelling and
planted the flag on the rocks above the
quarry.
THREE MAIDENs.
Not far from the quarry, there are
three huge rocks, IS to 20 feet high, ly-
ing in the basin. These are called the
Three Maidens, and about these the
Indians have left numerous hicroglyph-
les cut in the rocks. These are rude
historical records, made probably cen-
turies ago, and comprise rude pictures
of good and bad chiefs, of buffalo,
deer, etc.
LIVE INDIANS.
The land for one mile square about
the quarry is reserved for the Indians,
and they keep as strict watch over
the sacred place as possible. We found
here about 100 Indians encamped quar-
rying the sacred stone. They come
every summer and spend several months
taking out the plpestone, which they
work into pipes and trinkcts, and sell
or trade to the wild Indians west. The
Indians now at the quarry are Y:.nkton
Sioux, who come with pass or permit
from the Agency. They have good
horses aud wagons, and most of them
were camping in canvas tents. Our
party purchased aquantity of pipestone
from them. The presence of the Indi-
ans gives life to the region and con-
meets it with all the traditions one has
heard. We should think that the Pipe
stone Quarry might he made Il great
place of interest to tourists for the next
century; if the Indians could be kept
there digging pipestone.
INDIAN TRADITIONS.
This brings us to speak of the tradi-
tions and the sacredness of the place
to the Red Man. There are several
traditions which remind us somewhat
Of Scriptural records. The Pipestone
Quarry is to the Indian sort of Sinai.
According to tile traditions as given
by those who have collected them, and
as rendered i'll Longfellow's Hiawatha,
the Great Spirit at one time descended
upon the quarry, assembled all the
tribes, took of the pipestone and made
pipes, and smoked the pipe of peace,
and then sent the Indians back i'll uni
versal peace. The tradition of the
formation of the vein of pipestone, is
given thus: All tho tribes on the con-
tinent met at this quarry and engaged
in a battle in which all were slaugh-
tered save two chiefs and three Indi-
an maidens who hid under the
three rocks now called the Three Maid
ems. These two chiefs and three maid
ems perpetuated the Red Race. This,
it will he seen, is something like the
Scriptural account of the destruction
OF man by the deluge. The blood
spilled in this great battle sank into
the earth and formed the vein Of pipe
stone. Among the wild Indians, the
place was held so sacred that no Indian
dared come near the Three Maidens
and if a white captive escaped and took
refuge at the quarry he would not be
pursued and harmed.
SO much for Indian respect for the
region. We have agood deal of respect
for the pipestone and the rock of this
noted place as articles of commerce,
and believe the day is near when we
shall have mantles, table tops, door and
window caps, etc., of this beautiful
pipestonc, to say nothing Of paper
weights, napkin rings, and variety Of
smaller articles.