Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1888-03-24
A PERlLOFS CONTRACT.
BY FRANK ". CALkINS.

your next trlpa piece Of pipe stone big
enough for the top to centre table?'
This request. which looks and sounds
piain ana innocent enough, was addressed
some twenty years ago by ST. Louis
merchant to Il Danish fur buyer with
whom he dealt, huyin. OF him every few
months boat load of peltres brought
down from the Upper Missouri country.
The Dane, Odolph .Iorgcnsen, short,
thick set, blue eyed fellow, wearing
fcrcc, still mustachc, stood in front Of
the merchants counter, stowlng in his
wallet the drafts Just received for his last
boat load Of fura
lie looked up at the questioner with a
shrewd twinkle in his blue eyes
y aas. Tor two tousant dollars" he
answered, laconicaIly.
Ih" merchant stared
Why man, it amt such fearful un
dcnaking." he put in, with good deal
ol astonlShnent.
laaS' said the Dane ''It's wort
that, cfry saint
"Nll right returned the merchant
he was wealthy "I'll give you two
thousand dollars for piece of pipe stone,
regular IN shape, three feet by five, and
] i"o iI'n'S tllCk or more
| Il pring ut down cen Nofaimber," :"
answered lorgcnscn, and that ended the
/ conversation.
tdolph knew that he would risk much,
/ his life even is executing such com
mission; but he had grown hardy in five
years Of fur buying in the Indian
country. Yet if re could have known
all the danger involved in entering upon
! the Neutral Ground, and carving off
a block of the sacred pipe stone, ne
probably would not have taken the
risk
As II was. he determined to 90 about it
1T once, and III the ONLY way he approved
Of doing business an honorable one
He had no light to take even a pebble
from the sacred ground OF the Indians
without then consent, and that could
only .bc obtained at heavy cost, and at
no smaller danger Of treachcry.
Nevertheless, he put his barge in tow
of steamer he shipped his peltrics
down in a Hat boat on his own account :
and with his assistant, Hans Obcrmann,
boarded his boat and Went up the river
t" lanhton. his headquarters: and from
there, leaving Hans in charge of his
affairs, he took a horse and rode straight
for lankton Agency, some sixty miles
further up the river.
t'n arriving, he went to the tcpe of
J anktonais chief. whom he knew, ant
who could speak English hrokenlv, anC
after much preliminary talk, told tn,
Indian what he wanted and offered tn,
chief one hundred dollars to 90 with hin
TO tn" plpe-stons country, and help hin
Get a block Of stone
The chief listened in sullcn surprise q
inst they are all extremely Jealous o
all"Wing white men access to the pipe
S''ne quarllc> even aS yisitors-hut a
itn|th the promise Of SO great sum o
money began To have its effect, and h
flhaIiy agreed that if 'odoIph''-as .Tor
2snotn was known to HIM would civ
, him one hundred dollars. the pony h
hut rlddcn up til lie. two new blanket
and flvc pounds of tobacco. and woul,
Keep the matter cr.cctIy secret, he. tn
; ehicf, would 20 and help HIM get II,
| pIIc->touc.
f Attermuch higoln-. .lorgenscn agreed
and the chief, Niche kotonka Bad Buf
faiol, mounting one of his ponies, afte
consultation with some of his "bucks,
, >et cut wlthethc Dane on the return triI
70 lankton. From this point Jorgen
/, sen. iceomE anled by obcrmann and Bat
Buffalo, who Joined them two miles on
on his pony, drove north in his wagon I
, the Pipe stone Region They reache,
| llnc stone Creek. at the foot OF tn
{ quarrlc>. one beautiful evening lust be
!, fore sunset
After camping AMI eating supper, tn
Indian mounted his pony, and toll
dolph that hc must up 20 the stream /,
/ where The spirits OF the two wome
Q dwelt in the rocks. and make med
cine 10 them heforesthcy could touc
the stone. He cautioned both the Dane
: not TO lay - much as finger. or look
I up Il pie OF il until he mad returned
+ .lor-en>en knew Of tnls superstition
ID. hnmor.n the lankton's caution
he and Hans lay upon the grass an
smoked Their pipes until Niche kotonk
; come back. II was tfen dark and a
/ three rolled Their blankets about the,
9 and sle,t til morning
After breakfast the next morning the
hlte he'd their horses u the wagon. an
the anMou led the wax 10 a QUAR-
r where the stone. in thin strata, croppe
i out OF the side Of ash ,low rayine.
= lbs famous p!pe-stone underlies bt
:. asmall strip Of territory along the cree
Longfellow relates in "Hiawatha" Il
legend giving an account Of this superstition