Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-08-23
THE PRAIRIE CIRCLE.
"A Wisconsin Pioneers Adventure in an
Electrical Storm in 1876.

l.
A Wisconsin Pioneers Adventure in an
Electrical Storm in 1876.
Every traveller who, in the early days
of Wisconsin, traverscd the prairies will
remember to have seen rings or circular
marks on the ground, of almost every
size, varying in diameter from five up to
fifteen and even twenty feet. The cir
cles were often the subject of much
comment and speculation, and many
an evening was spent in the early days
of the State by travellers and others in
attempts to intelligibly account for
them, and to explain the causes that led
to their formation. They not unfre-
guently resembled the track made in
modern days by the tramping round the
horsepower of a thrashing- machine
No matter how luXuriant might be the
grass and heritage around the edge of
the circle, and also in the area of it,
there was always a track of foot or
two in width around the area, on which
nothing but a few coarse and hardy
weeds and fungi grew. Various were
the reasons assigned by the first settlers
for the formation of these rings. Some
asserted that they were caused bv the
lettering of an Indian pony, and that
the outer edge was rs far as 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 caused
by the pawings of her fore-feet Still
another reason assigned was that in
very early times an Indian. condemned
to torture, was tied to a stake driven in
the battle-ground, and that he was
made TO run round at the extreme end
of rope fastened to his body, and that
his feet striking so continuously i'm one
track had worn out the ground, which
remained barren. Numerous other
theories were advanced, none, however,
ascribing the circles to their true cause.
\ Few men have ever seen one of these
circles made, and as | may be classed
among those very few, purpose in the
following relation to describe when and
how one of those prairie circles was
foutded, on the prairie lying between
Fox Lake and Lake Emily in Dodge
County. 1t night be remarked, how
ever, that the statement is written out
from notes made long ago, to form one
of series of stories of early Wiscon-
sin life, and further it is as related one
evening to company for their amuse-
ment. 1t was in the fall of 1916 when
the occurrence took place, and during
one of those thunder-storms not un-
frequent in that summer. 1t was, too,
during a tempestuous night, such
one as Burns described in Tam o.
Shanter:?
" The wind blew as 'twad blown its last.
The rafting showers rose on the blast;
The speedy CLEANS the darkness swallowed,
Loud, deep and lang the thunder bellowed;
That night. child might understand,
The de IL had business on his hand.'
had been sent for the doctor for a
neighbor reported in urgent need of a
physicians services, and had galloped
over the prairie with the mutterings of
the gathering storm all about me. The
physician at first declined to 90, but on
my representation that the woman was
deathly sick started with me. 1t was
now night. The open prairie was at
least three miles across, with but a
neck of openings and thicket, which at
one point crossed 1.-THE road passing
through the narrowest part of the
thicket. BY the time we had reached
the high ground of the prairie it was
seen that the storm was nearer than we
had supposed it to be when IN the val
ley. Though to some extent really
terrific. there was yet something grand
and even glorious in the whole scene.
To the northwest there was an i'm
mense bank of clouds, the upper edges
of which were frequently lighted up
with the repeatedly piercing flashes of
lightning, sending sheen through
them and silvering for an infant their
edges with a brilliancy and brightness
that was almost dazzling. Every mo-
ment or SO a heavier flash lighted up
the lower edges, or streaked the horizon
line with blush or livid look. lasting
however only for an instant. As if an
ticipating the impending danger, flights
of birds were plainly heard overhead.
Intermingled with the scream of the
curlew, and the peculiar wierd notes of
the plover. and the buzzing sounds of
the grouse, as they hurried to a place
of safety and shelter from the now rap
idly approaching storm, was the twitter-
ing of the smaller birds, as all BY COM
mon instinct were fleeing the danger
that threatened them. Looking upward
there was no perceptible motion in the
clouds-the stiffness was painful. The
whole aspect of the heavens was
changed. Before ascending the incline
to the high ground there was apparent
ly some chance to escape the storm and
reach our destination before it burst
upon us. Now it was too plainly to be
seen that few moments more and it
would be down upon us with fearful
force. The moon, nearly at its full,
had sickly glare in its light, as if tim
idity had seized it. and it was scared at
the scene over which ii looked. The
horses were evidently frightened. There
was only one road. and that but faint
one across the prairie, with, however, a
deeply indented Indian trail upon which
We were travelling. the horses clinging
tenaciously to it.
The horses showed still more fear, and
the quivering of their flesh was plainly
felt through the saddle flaps, and their
snortings, ard now frequent pawings.
added still more to our really unpleas-
ant positions. What if the horses
should break away from us, and the
storm continue all night, and we alone
on the prairie? No efforts on our part
could make the frightened beasts move
from the spot to which they seem riv-
eted with fright. The clouds were by
this time merged into one black hollow,
overhanging the small space Of clear