The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-07-13
CORRESPONDENCE.
THE GREAT SPIRIT SPRING.

Tie traveller over Western Kansas is impressed
with the immensely of the plains, which derive an
interest from their very nakedness and possess, in
some degree, tie solemn grandeur of the ocean.
Yet nature has not forgotten here and there
n wonder, made more wonderful by its entire isoia-
ton from multiplied curiosities. The Great Spirit
Spring, which is situated on the Central Branch
Railroad, three miles from Cawker City. and sixteen
miles from the beautiful city of Beot is of twofold
interest. With its natural Embellishments and its
beautiful romance, its fame is farreaching. With
ALL there are few who really acquainted with the
leaf which has been from times old history and
given to man. There are two hundred and eighty
six acres of land surrounding the spring, which are
owned by corporation of eight gentlemen, of Phil
adelphia- steady work of improving has been
carried for year. The spring is in the centre
of q mound, n level plain. The base Of the
mound is three thousand eight hundred and sixty
feet in circumference, fifty five feet high and has
summit of four hundred feet in diameter. from out
side TO outside; perfectly level, and admits u
rage drive around the margin of the spring. On
the southern and eastern portions of the mound,
great black masses Of volcanic rock lay heaped in
irregular piles, telling the bystander in voceless
tongue, that once they keaved and girt in untold
fury, and longed for freedom-a separation from
their eternal bed The spring is twenty feet deep,
sixty-five feet in diameter and bowLshaped. This
immense caldron has been emp;ied of its contents
by siphon, and found to have porous sand and
gravel bottom, with fifteen large flowing springs,
and numberless small ones An iron rod thirty feet
long was thrust downward through the perforated
base and found obstruction. Hence has arisen
the idea of being bottomless. The capacity of the
spring is thirteen thousand six hundred and forty
i've barrels The water is salty to the taste, and
erickshaI. Germany. Numberless relics were found
in the spring, among which were seven guns, three
pepper-boI pistols, innumerable bows and arrows,
Eve human skulls, and bones of the human body,
twenty-five buffalo heads, and many bones of the
wild animals of the plains. All these in per-
feet state Of petrfaction-a thin crustng forming
the outside and inside Of the gun barrels. The
skulls are in a like condition, the teeth, yade
more suggestive of nhuman deeds by the societies.
eyes, that glare in hideous silence at you Professor
Patrick of the State University visited this curiosity
and pronounced it an extinct geyser. In proof of
this theory, n great amount of SCOT, carbonate Of
iron. and other volcanic matter, was found showing
that great heat had existed at time. Before the
curbng built around the spring, the water
would flow freely the mound sides in every
twenty-four hours and it was believed the ebb and
flow were governed by currents. Upon in
yestigation the flow found 10 be irregular, and
not at stated intervals it would be, if governed
by tides Gentle reader, the furies of that geyser
are not vet chained. Think you the water of that
great cistern does not press down with unest
mated weight, yet it comes up. flows over, and dane
ing gayly down. loses itself in the rock and pebble
at the base of the mound, and is never heard Of
again, Nothing is left to explain to the curious
where its hiding place is. Nothing but knowledge
wrapped in inexplicable mystery. The grounds
surrounding this natural curiosity are laid of in
lovely walks and delightful drives. A splendid no
tel, with three fronts, three stories high, and
hundred feet deep. finished with stone AMI black
pencilings, magnificent dancing pavilious. refresh
ment rooms and bath rooms, will invite fatigued
and weary strangers to renewal of their lost vi
tally.
Go With me strolng on one of the lovely walks,
and l will relate the romance to yOu-key to the
name of my song Over these long sweeping plains,
destitute of trees ndescribaby Lonesome, partakns
of the savage and solitary nature of the red man,
roamed band of painted warriors chief of whom
was Nauconda, terrible in war, yet devoted in
death Many n foray did he execute, and return a
richer warrior in savage glory. At times he sighed
for better things. He longcd to claim dusky mate,
the FIRE Of whose eyes pierced his heart, as he
prised and sacked village OF the enemy. He saw
the vulture and the hawk wheeling over the plain,
and lonsed for wings like theirs that he might soar
away to his Sunny Plain" WOO, win, and claim her
forever as his Wauconda did not the fleet
ing shadow made by the bird before the sun, else he
would not have pined for the pleasure that proved
for him feeting the unseen phantom. The
chief at length summoned his warriors, and jour
neyng to his conquered foe, demanded 'Snnny Plain
ms ransom. pledgins peace forever, if she
given The fire of eternal hate burned in the veins
of the downtrodden and conquered chief, when he
the delight of his wigwam returning with
wauconda to his home beside the spring Years
went by. The conquered tribe waxed in numbers
and in strength. waucondu and Sunny Plain lived,
and loved, and dreamed only of peace. lie awoke
from that bright dream, beheld in the distance
long and swift train rapidly approaching. He called
his Sunny Plain, TO tell him what it was. lit is
said she, my father, coming TO free his captive
child. waconda again summoned his warriors, and
met the enemy the open plain. The fight
swift and terrible. Wauconda fed, and was cap
tured. Ills faithful followers strewed the plain, and
their corpses fed the vulture and the wolf. The
captured chief bound to a stake, and made TO
witness and hear the writings and pleadings of
Sunny Plain, in q death grapple with her father.
She was bound hand and foot, and thrown in the
spring, . sacrifice to her fathers hate. Two times
she and uttered her lovers name, and last her
face appeared. The lips moved his name in death,
then disappeared in that bottomle,s grave. Wan
conda gave savage yell that shook the ground be-
meath her feet In terror, his enemy fed, and Wan
conda freed himself from captive chains. Seven
long days and seven long nights without water or
food he sat beside the spring invoking the spirit of
Sunny Plain to commune with him. At last it came,
aad pledged to return to the lonely chief, every
at set of sun, for seven years. Not once did the
chief forego the communion with he soul. On the
last of the seventh year, he bid farewell to the
spirit forever snapped his bowstring threw it into
the spring turned his face toward the setting sun,
and was never heard Of more.
Mrs. JONI J. BAIRD.
Beloit Kansas.