Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1883-08-24
THE PRAIRIE CIRCLE.


Electrical storm Ia tsi0.
Every traveller who. In the early days
OF Wisconsin. trayersed the prairies will
remember 10 have seen rings or circular
marks on the ground, Of almost every
size, yaryingin diameter from live up 10
fifteen and even twenty feet The cr-
eles were often Che 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 intclligibly account for
them, and 10 explain the causes that led
to their formation. They not unire-
quently rcsembled the track made in
modern days by the tramping round the
horsepower OF a thrashing-maohine.
No matter how luxuriant might be tho
gras, and herbage around the edge OF
the circle, and also in the area Of II,
there was always a track of a 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 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 cau.ed
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 a 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 | 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 n company for their amuse-
ment II was in tue 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 tempestuous night, such a
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 gleams the darkness swallowed,
Loud, deep and lang the thunder beloved;
That night, child might understand,
The dell had business on his hand.'
| had been seht for the doctor for a
neighbor reported in urgent need of
services, and had galloped
over the prairie with the mutterings of
the gathering storm all about me. The
physician at first declined to oo hut on
nv representation that tbe won,an ? ~ vas
deathly sick started with me. II was
now night. The open prairie was at
neck of onenings and tbickat which ~
one point crossed it--the mad nass;nn @ ~
thronoh the narrowest mart of ne
thicket RI tbe fine we Xxi roaohaS
the hich oround Of tbe nrair;a i woe
seen that tbe storm was arertbsn wo
had supposed H 10 be when ~ " tha voI "D
lev. Tbouob to some evtant Wy I'll. H.
terrific. there was vet somothino rrana
and even glorious IN the whole Scene
To the northwest tboro v,as an -,
mense hank ~ clouds M rnnor nanas
Df which were freo,,entlv Fiji Errhtod
with the reneatedlv n;srcira 1asLas ~ atf
Iightnino sending sheen ,brono.,
them and silyeripg for on E ;nstant ,'YSs 49,
pdoes with hr;lliancy and t h,;a.I,t,sas. 49,.
lhat was aImost da1zi;,r F,-as'. ''as, ~
nent or So a beav;er assh M i;nh3od nao ~,
he lower edges or stroaiod ~ L'Sa L",. "
inc witb bTnisb or l;~;d III, .Ie Iol,ion ior.;
however only for an instant ' ,a,',s ;sns
icinatinc tbe imnand;n@ % dano.on nS ai,.har y a1
# birds waro ,,la;nl,, 3aan ~ lS nSS
Tnterminglad With ,Ra s"aoas' ~ 81 s'au, .I
.urlaw and ,bo ,sao,,I;a. liz Uioaii ,',isI VI 'he
.he nlover AMI tbe % hn1v;nn %,o'o sonnds mo'1s y
be y,s,' s,r,usa anu ~ ,ho 'l,e punz'ng SOUNDS OF
4 ssfa,,, o,S shai.y. -, su.a'e1 ~ piaee
5lv a,,9,aaeh; ~, ;ns'sta -. a.oin ''i9 now rap
No. 81 tbo s,aiisr 'Sg.ii' h;,Ia "Ss Sne ewi'eer-
,,er nst;nat ,.a,a IA, aa; 90 al " aooli-
IL, tbras,ano5 I.O H., 0s ~ u~uso,
Le,o -, .ne,u l'ooAi u"alu
.,ends ~ az ~ ;u.eoP'iple inO.loi' III inc
~ a~n.ss ~ ss''i''s'' - "aS . '"iniui' Inc
.ha- - PJs' % 'ne nea9ens was
= Nv l;.h nelone ",'I Assenulng ss 'he incline
!, sa,,a sa ! ovlu ,. ny Wa va, apPareu'
- ~ -. sn''.leo ~ ss0aPs .nc s'oIi anu
-, s,,,a o"' 49, ues',naslon peioIe u DuIst
~, - 10. 10 ~ - ""s Wv pialliy 70 oe
- - ,'i1e ,l' : &C" moments more ana II
,.., 80 " ri, uo"u ul'on us Win = leaitui
- "a III. ne . lloon. nealiy az i's I.ih'
IA. IA. ,'JA'y slite IN ~ lign'' a. Il TIM
~, .aa..a -~~ 7s.neu .n =. aiiu y was sosIea AZ
- ,1ene -. "i.sn y iOoAeu' Inc
=, - - - '..e,''', ~ l'eneu' Ahere
=. ~, ~ Ia; a''u .ia' ~. iaihl
- ~ ''',,l Wv 'i''l,e, WIN, however
II is nv. .,. - lli.iah siali upon "hlch
/. ''s.e ,.a,e'.''6' 'no horses eiingng
IN '1-i.'i',..5 at.'..s... - ~
- ny. - ~ % SUI more ieai' ana
n 4uiFel'h4 ~ thei. uesh was plainly
- - W sa-'u.c naPs, anu their
1I-5 t.sis -. - - i-e.' "a" ~.
- \. ,o':,:r. s''s ''e % ~ out leai. unpleas-