Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-24
TIE PRAIRIE CIRCLE.
a wisconsin Pioneers Adventure In ~
Electrical storm in isi6.

Electrical storm Ia 1876.
Every traveller who. in the early DAYS
II Wisconsin, trnversed the prairics will
remember % have seen rings or circular
marks on the ground. Of almost every
size. varying In diameter from tive up 20
hiteen and even twenty feet. The cir
clcs were often the subject Of much
comment anil speculation. and many
nm evening was spent i'm the early DAYS
at the state by travellers and others in
attempts tO intellgibly account for
them. and 10 explain the causes that led
tO their formation. They not unfre-
qucntly rcscmblcd the track made i'm
modern days by the tramping round the
horsepower 81 thrashing-machine
No matter how luNuriant might be- the
grass and herbagr around the edge of
the circle. and also in the area OF IL.
there was always track Of n foot or
two In width around the area. ON which
nothing but n few coarse and hardy
weeds and fungi grew. Various were
the reasons assigned by the first settlers
Tor the formation Of these rings. Some
asserted that they were caused by the
lettering Of an Indian pony, and that
the outer edge was as far rs he could
crop the grass while so tethered. An
other asserted that the female elk there
defended her young from the attacks Of
the wolves. and that the outer edges or
Track where nothing grew were cau,ed
by the pawings of her fore-fcet. Still
another reason assigned was that i'm
very curly times an Indian. condemned
To tOrtirc,was tied to n stake driven in
the battle-ground. and that he was
mastc To run round at the extreme end
ot rope fastened To his BODY, and that
his feet striking sO continuously i'm one
track had worn ont TIE ground. which
remained barren. Numerous other
theories were advanced. none. however
ascribing the circles 20 their true cause
Few men have ever seen one of these
circles made. and ~ | may be classed
among those very few. | purpose i'm the
following relation To- describe when and
how one OF those prairie circles was
founded. on the prairie living between
Fox Lake and Lake Emily i'm DODGE
County. 10 might be- remarked, how
ever, that the statement is written ont
from notes made long ago, To- form one
oi series ot stories Of early Wiscon-
sin HE, and further Il is as related one
evening to company for their amuse-
ment. IL was in the fall Of 1876 when
the occurrence took place. and during
one OF those thundcr-storms not un-
frequent in that summer IL was, too.
uuring tempcstuOus night. such n
one ~ Burns described in Tam o.
Shantcr."
The wind blow ns 'twad blown H. last
Inc rWtinE showers rose on the blast;
invd 49, hl'sius tny darkness swallowed,
nhat uiEht. child might understand
me dc " had business un tnud
bad been sent for the e. tor for n
ncighhor reported In urgent need of n
phySiciun's services. and had gnllopcd
over the prairie with the mutteringt az
the gathering storm all about me. Tho
physician nj first declined 10 20. but on
my representation that the woman was
dcathly sick started with mo. II w.s
nov night The open prairie was M
least three miles across. with but n
meek OF openings and thickp,. which nj
one point crossed 1.-THE road passin,,
tntnugh the narruwCSt part of the
thckot. By the time we had reached
'he hlgh ground NJ the prairie IL was
s''n that the storm was nearer than we
nad supposed 70 tO be- when IN the vnl
"l' Though Co some extent really
"rtlhc' there was yet something grand
AMI even glorious In the whole scene.
10 the northwest there was an inn
mcnsc hank IT clouds. the uppcr c,lv,.s
"t which were frequently lighted nm
WIN the repeatedly piercing flashes of
lightning. sending sheen tbrouc,h
thcm aud silvcring for an instant their
cdgcs with hrilliancy and briybtncss
that was almost dazzling. Every mo-
ment or so u heavier flash ligbfed nm
thc lower edges. or streaked the harlem
me with blush or livid look lasting
however only for an instant. Asifan,
hclpating the impending DANGER. niyb,s
ni birds were plainly heard overhead
lnterminglcd with the scream az The
curlcw, AMI the peculiar wierd notcs -
The ploVcr. and the huzzing sounds ~
The grouse, rs they hurried to n nI,cc
ut safety and shelter from the now r,.,,-
IDLY approaching storm. was IN. ty,,;,,cr-
ing ut The smaller birds. rs All bv q. com
. ~. instinct were fleeing the danger
80, 10, threatened them. Looking upward
.ncIy was u" perceptiblc motion In the
~ 'n' stiffness was painful The
Huu'c aspect OF the heavens was
bciure ascending the incline
70 the nigh ground there was apparent
" some chance To escape the storm and
reach our destination before Il burst
upon Us. NOW u was too plainly To be
SOU ,nat lew moments more and IL
would be down upon US with fearful
,u'Se. Inc moon, nearly nc its full,
had n sickly glare I'm it, light. "A IN tim.
idity had seized Il, and IL was scared NJ
the scene over which II looked. The
horses were evidently frightened. There
was only one road. and that but a faint
ono across the prairie, with. however. n
deeply indcntcd Indian trail upon which
We were travelling the horses clinging
tenaciOusly TO H.
The horses showed still more fear, and
me gulVering OF their flesh was plainly
Ieit through the saddle flaps. and their
snortings, and now frequent pawings.
Nuueu S1ili more To our really unpleas-
ant positions. What IL the horses
should break away from us. and the
storm continue all night. and we alone
on the PrairieP No efforts on our part
could make the frightened beasts move
from the spot TO which they seem riy-
eted with fright. The clouds were bv
TINS time merged into one black hollow.
Overhanging the small space of clear
ground around us. as II a huge black
cNuloron was inverted and descending
20 cover us. For several seconds there |
vas no lightning; the low mutterinQs of |
me thunder seemed more distant, and. |
ssuOugn constant, appeared to be reced- |
ing there was, however, stiffness In |
our immaculate vicinity that was omi- |
nous OF something impending and 10 FOL- |
'Ow; put whatY We could not divine.
All az once the thunder ceased entire
ana inc silence was then truly dread |
Iui 20 bear. AT last n fash Oh BRIGHT |
mo WHITE hame darted across the blsck /
aron hanging over us. Illuminating the
vass dome, but revealing no outlet for
our escape could we have urged the |