The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-06-30
PION T. II LIFE
IN THE
NORTH-WE EST.
BY JENNIE JONES.

Mississippi can be better appreciated after
viewing the river at its highest stage.
The word Mississippi is derived from
"Me-ye-way," meaning everywhere, and
"See-Bee,' and literally means, "a river
that runs everywhere" 1t has been rend-
cred to me, both as the uncomfortable, and
the endless river, bit nerer as tho Father Of
Waters.
INDIAN WARFARE.
Before its settlement by white men,
Winona was the scene of many a hard
fought battle. The Sauks claimed this
territory and made a number Of raids up
o n Wa-pa-sha's bands, but were finally
repulsed with such loss, inflicted by Wah-
c~on-de-o-tah, the great war chief, that
they gave up the contest. Not so with
the Chippewa's, they continued their in.
cursions long after the white settlers Of
the pineries had established themselves
among them, and until the stoppage Of
their annuities by the government. "Ke-
che-gum-me," 'The Great Water'-Lake
Superior-was their headquarters, but
they also occupied the territory tributary
to Rum, st. Croix, Chippewa, Black and
Wisconsin rivers, and by means Of light
birch bark canoes, made portages into
and down these rivers, creating a panic
wherever their war-whoop was heard.
"Ke-che-kah be-gong,' 'The Great Water
Falr'-St. Anthony's-was most accessible
to them and was therefore most avoided
by the Dacotahs, who rejoiced when Coils.
Smelling and Leavenworth were finally es-
tablished among them as p~eacemakers.
wAH-PA-sHA.
Wa-pa-sha, the first Dacotah chief of
the name, was so called because on re-
turning from a trip to Canada he brought
with him a red flag and a scarlet uniform,
given him by command of the British gov
eminent. The names for a red flag and a
red cap appear to differ only in accent,
and hence Wah-pa-sha was known both
as the chief of the red flag and of the red
cap. The sister and nephew of the first
Wah-pa-sha are still living and visit me
occasionally. All attempts to civilize
them have failed, and the sister remains
a pure type of the ancient Dacotah, as
first seen by me at their village in June,
1S42.-L. II. BunneN.
EXTRACT FROM REMARKS OF HON. t. O. POUND,
NJ. c., Il THE CHIPPEWA COUNTY FAIR.
When 1 heard that you had purchased
grounds and were to have a fair, l said to
myself if / live and can get away from
the ~wranglings of congress-, l will surely
attend Chippewa ~county's first fair. Men,
cries of other and more primitive days
came to me; days when there were no
farmers proper, but a few ~venturesome
jobbers, between logging seasons, made
faithless and fruitless attempts to caress
what was thought to be a cold ant barren
soil. / remembered the Mccain farm,
and how Uncle Steve was derided for his
(as it was characterized) foolhardy effort,
and how the bold Trepannia, Merning,
Mcintyre, Hoover, Maloney, Woodruff,
Richardson, and others, to be counted on
your fingers, alternated doubtingly be-
tween the logging sled and the plow. l
remembered when, as book-keeper for a
logging firm twenty-three years ago, /
had entered up to the debit Of these same
parties, as jobbers, corn at 81 per cwt.,
pork at $50 to $50 per Dbl, and flour at
$40 per Dbl, which articles were pur-
chased in Galena and brought up the
Chippewa river in keel boats; and there
was another commodity which older set
tiers will remember was brought up in
somewhat larger quantities than either
pork or -four, the leakage of which, it is
said. cheered the sturdy crew. 1t has
not altogether gone out OF use at he
present time. / remember that later, in
the winter of 1S59-60, when, by reason of
reverses in numbering, the demand for
logging supplies was nearly suspended, of
being associated in the purchase, for
speculation, of the surplus oats and wheat
marketed here; that they amounted to
but q few hundred bushels, were stored
in a barn, and sold at q loss two years
later.
One year age, when travelling up into
Barren county, / was startled by the
marvellous improvements which / saw for
forty continuous miles north of this city,
territory upon which / had sported for
game a few years before, and which was
thought to be suited only for the support
of prairie chickens, grouse, and scanty
deer, ! found, as by magic, converted in
to fine farms. fairly fenced. cultivated,
and otherwise improved.
HON. PETER PARKINSON AT OLD SETTLERS
MEETING.
= = y = We were strangers in a strange
land, promiscuously thrown together
from all parts of the United States, and
many other portions of the habitable
globe, and a more noble, a more generous,
whole-souled, kindlier, obliging. deter
mined, persevering, and go-ahead set of
men were never in any country, or under
any circumstances thrown together, than
were the noble pioneers of the northwest.
We come together as a band Of broth
ers, extending the right hand Of friend
ship and fellowship to each other, and
p~ledging mutual assistance in times Of
danger and in times of need, and it affords
me u~nspeakable pleasure to state land 1
know that every old settler will bear me
witness when I do make the statemen)
that no promises or pledges that were
aver made Inv mortal man. have ever