Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-08-12

CuARMED WHITE UEER.
One of the popular superstitiona Of
the hunters of Pike County, Peunsylva-
ria, is tina. the killing of a white deer
will inevitably be followed By evil re-
suits TO the one who fires the fatal shot.
1t triangular how oeep the belief in this
superstition has been rooted, not only in
tLs minds OF the unedacated backTood-
men. but among residents of the highest
| Intelligence.
| The Indian tribes that once inhabited
the Delaware Valley believed that white
deer, which were very rare, were protec-
ted by charm, and that their lives
were sacred. There Is q legend that a
young Indian loved the daughter of his
Chief. and sought her as Queen Of his
wigwam. The Indian maiden returned
his love.
Her lover was one Of the bravest Of
braves, and the hero Of many q battle.
He was leader among the young men
of the tribe and more popular than the
Chief. The latter was jealous of the
warrior, and, though hating him bitter
~, feared the consequences Of having
him removed from his path.
The great love Of the young brave for
upon by the latter as probable means
Of destroying his rival in the affection of
the tribe. The Chief gave his consent
to the wedding of the pair under one
condition. That was that the young
warrior should bring to the wigwam Of
his Chief the dead body Of a white deer
as an Offering.
The lover. believing this to be deli
cate but emphatic rejection Of his suit,
returned without hope to his wigwam-
for II was not easy to piercs the hunters
moon with an arrow as to send fatal
shot within a white deer's heart.
But one day the Chief summoned the
warrior to his presence. The sOrcerer
of the tribe, an aged Indian, to whom
all the mysteries of nature were deemed
by the tribe to be as an open book, was
with the Chief. The sorcersS handed
the young brave an arrow tipped with
a silver head, and told him that if he
was courageous enough to slay white
deer, the silver arrow would break the
charm of its life aud lay it dead at his
feet.
The warrior grasped the arrow and de-
clared he was eager to show his love for
the Indian maiden by firing the charm
ed AFRO y and Offefons the dead body of
Chief.
High ON the hills overlooking the val
ley of the L ckawaxen is a lake as clear
as crystal. In the Indian days, As now,
it was favorite resort for deer.
The young Indian launched his birch
canoe on the waters of the lake and anx-
iously awaited the coming of dec. at
n.ghtfail. hoping that among them
might be one of the charmed members
Of the herd. His hopes were realized.
Just as the last rays of the san were
glinting the surface Of the lake, five
deer stole from the wood and stood
knee-deep in the cold waters. Among
them was pure white deer. Quick as
a lightning flash the silver-tipped arrow
leaped from his bow. 1t cleaned for an
instant in the air, and the white deer
fell dead, and its companions fled in
terror to the woods.
While the death-cry of the white deer
was echoing about the lake, the young
braves arms fell pOwerless to his sides.
His tongue refused to give voice.
For days he drifted upon the lake. No
| succor came. He was powerless to end
his sufferines by throwing himself into
the lake. His dead and wasted body
was found upright III the canoe by MEM
bers of his tribe after two moons" had
! passed.
But other misfortunes followed the
white deer,s death. At sunset on the
day the young brave fired the fatal ar
| row, the Chief was found dead in his
wigwam. An arrow projected from his
breast. It was taken from his heart.
It's tip was silver. The sOrcerer was
never seen again.
The maiden, when her dead lover was
found, leaped into the lake and found a
grave beneath its waters. The tribe was
never able to cope with its euenies in
battle, and was gradually destroyed. The
lake is known to this day a. White Deer
Lake.
The superstition as to the white deer
no doubt was received from the Indians
by the early white settlers of the valley,
and has been reserved by their descend
ants. Among those who believe in the
fatality that attends the killing of
white deer is the Hon. William Westfall
of Lackawaxen. He was formerly asso-
ciate judge of Pike County, and is the
present representative of the county in
the Legislature.
Mr.. Westfall disclaims being in any
way superstitious, but relates several in
stances that have come under his pers1-
of more than three whYte deer being in
the vicinity of this place, and two of
them were killed. White deer are al
ways does. What freak of nature makes
them white be does not know. The first
white deer was killed in Lackawaxen
many pears ago by hunter named Jas.
Van Gorden. This deer had r0amed the
ridges for years and the superstition
had protected hcr. She was often seen
and was ''as white a. the driven SNOW"
Van Gordon did not believe that SO val
liable q piece of veniSon should be allow
ed to waste, and. not sharing IN the pop
ular feeling in favor of white deer, de-
termined to bring her down. He hunt
ed the deer season after season. He OBJ
tanned many shots al her, but without
effect. Then he made up his mind to try
the charm alleged to be in the firing of
a silver bullet. He moulded a bullet ont
of silver, and with his rifle loaded with
it, started on the white deer's trail. He
came upon her a. she was feeding, and
sent the silver bullet crashing through
her heart. He killed the white deer, but,
says Judge Westfall, it was his last shot.
A wasting disease attacked him, and not
long afterward he died.
The second white deer remembered by
Judge Westfall was killed by hunter
named Moses Brink. He was hunting in
company with Alamanzor Griswold, a
we'll known resident Of the valley, and
commissioner of the county, and with
Judge Wes.fall, Brink was heard to IRE.
The other hunters joined him. He said
he had shot at deer as it ran by him.
The party walked on in the direction in
dicated, and few steps away found .
wdite deer, dead. Brink declared It was
not tho deer he had fired at, but 1t was
evident that he must havo done SO. A
few steps further on another deer OF
crayish co.or was found. Il had been
killed with tho same bullet that killed
the white deer, being directly in range.
The Judge says that not one OF the par
| ~ Has ever able to kill deer afterWArd.