Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-08-17
THE PRAIRIE CIRCLE.

remember 10 nave seen rings OF 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-
quently 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 herbage around the edge of
the circle, and also in the area of it,
there was always track of foot or
two in width around the area, on which
nothing but 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 by the
lettering of an Indian pony, and that
the outer edge was as 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 pawngs of her fore-feet. Still
another reason assigned was that in
very early times an Indian, condemned
to torture, was tied to 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 in 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 l may be classed
among those very few, purpose in the
following relation to describe when and
how one of those prairie circles was
founded, on the prairie lying between
Fox Lake and Lake Emily in Dodge
County. 1t might be remarked, how
ever, that the statement is written out
from notes made long ago, to form one
of a 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 n tempestuous night, such
one as Burns described in " Tam o.
Shanter:"
=" The wind blew as 'twad blown its last,
The rattling showers rose on the blast
The speedy CLEANS thHlarkness swallowed
Loud, deep and lang tie thunder bellowed;
The den had business on his hand"
had been sent for the doctor for a
n n in, rat,f 49,
physician services, and had galloped
over the prairie with the mutterings OF
the gathering storm all about me. The
physician at first declined to go, 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 q
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 We're frequently lighted up
with the repeatedly piercing flashes of
lightning, sending sheen through
them and silvering for an instant their
edges with brilliancy and brightness
that was almost dazzling. Every mo-
ment or so 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
10 the high ground there was apparent
ly some chance to escape the storm ard
reach our destination before it burst
upon us. Now it was too plainly to be
seen that few moments more and il
would be down upon us with a 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 it looked. The
horses were evidently frightened. There
was only one road, and that but faint
one across the prairie, with, however, {
deeply indented Indian trail upon which
we were travelling, the horses clinging
tenaciously to it.
The horses showed still more fear, anC
the quivering of their flesh was plainly
felt through the saddle flaps, and theil
snortings, and now frequent pawings
added still more to our really unpleas
ant positions. What if the horses
should break away from us, and tn,
storm continue all night, and we alon,
on the prairiep No efforts ON our par
could make the frightened beasts NOV,
from the spot to which they seem riv
eted with fright. The clouds were b,
this time merged into one black hollow
overhanging the small space of cleal
ground anound us, as II huge blacl
cauldron was inverted and descending
to cover us. For several seconds ther.
was no lightning; the low mutterings O
the thunder seemed more distant, and
though constant, appeared TO be reced
ing. There was, however, stiffness Ii
our immediate vicinity that was omi
nous OF something impending and 10 fol
low, but whatp We could not divine.
ALI at once the thunder ceased entire
ly, and the silence was then truly dread
ful to bear: At last flash of brigh