Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-03-02
A PERlLOUS CONTRACT.
by FRANK W. CALKINs.

"Jorgensen, can you bring me down on
your next tripa piece of pipe stone big
enough for the top to ceutre-table2"
This request, which looks and sounds
plain and innocent enough, was addressed
some twenty years ago by St. Louis
merchant to Il Danish fur buyer with
whom he dealt, buying OF him every few
months beat load of peltries brought
down from the Upper Missouri country.
The Dane, Odolph Jorgensen, short,
thick-set, blue-eycd fellow, wearing a
fierce, stiff mustache, stood in front of
the merchants counter, slowing in his
wallet the drafts just received for his last
boat load of furs.
He looked up at the questioner with a
shrewd twinkle in his blue eyes.
"laas, for two tousant dollars" he
answered, laconically.
The merchant stared.
"Why, man, it amt such a fearful un-
dertaking.' he put in, with good deal
of establishment
''Yaas," said the Dane. otis wort
that, efry saint"
"All rightw 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
two inches thick Or more"
81 pring ut down cen Nofaimber, "
answered JorgenSen, and that ended the
conversation.
Odolph 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 lie could have known
all'the danger involved in entering upon
the "Neutral Ground" and carving off
block of the sacred pipe-stone, he
probably would not have taken the
risk.
AS it was, he determined to go about it
at once, and in the only way he approved
OF doing business-an honorable one.
He had no light to take even pebble
from the sacred ground of the Indians
without Their consent, and that could
only be obtained at a heavy cost, and at
no smaller danger of treachery.
Nevertheless, he put his barge in tow
of a steamcr-hc shipped his peltries
down in fiat boat on his own account
and with his assistant, Hans Obermann,
boarded his boat and went up the river
to Yankton, his headquarters; and from
there, leaving Hans in charge OF his
affairs, he took horse and rode straight
for Iankton Agency, some sixty miles
further up the river.
On arriving, he went to the tepe of a
Ianktonais chief, whom he knew, and
who could speak English brokenly, and
after much preliminary talk, told the
Indian what he wanted, and offered the
chief one hundred dollars to 90 with him
to the pipestone country, and help him
get a block Of stone.
The chief listened in sullen surprise at
first-they are all extremely jealous of
allowing white men access to the pipe
stone quarries, even as visitofs-but at
length the promise of so great sum OF
money began to have its effect, and be
finally agreed that if "Odolph"-- Jor.
genscn was known to hm-would give
him one hundred dollars, the pony he
had ridden up there, two new blankets
and five pounds of tobacco, and would
keep the matter perfectly secret, he, the
chief, would go and help him get the
pipe-stone.
Afterm,ch higgling, J Jorgensen agreed.
and the chief, Niche Kotonka bad Buf.
falo), mounting one of his ponies, after
consultation with some of his "bucks, y
set out with the Dane on the return trir
to Yankton. From this point Jorgen
sen, accompanied by Obermann and Bad
Buffalo, who joined them two miles out
on his pony, drove north in his wagon tc
the Pipes stone Region. They reached
Pipe Stone Creek, at the foot of the
quarries, one beautiful evening just be
fore sunset.
After camping and eating supper, the
Indian mounted his pony. and toli
Odolph that he must up go the stream t,
where the spirits OF the two womei
dwclt in the rocks, and make medi
cine" 10 them before they could toucl
the stone. He cautioned both the Dane
not to lay so much rs finger, or look
upon pie OF it until he had returned
Jorgensen knew of this superstition
and, humoring the 'lankton's caution
he and Hans lay upon the grass ant
smoked their pipes until Niche Kotonk
came back. 1t was then dark, and al
three rolled their blankets about then
aud slept till morning.
After breakfast the next morning the,
hitched their horses to the wagon, ant
the Yankton led the way to a QUAR-
where the stone, in thin strata, croppe,
out on the side of ashallow ravine.
This famous pipestone underlies bu
asmall strip Of territory along, the cree
which goes by this name, and is founC
cropping out in numerous small ravine
and gullies; and in these places, wher,
it is easiest of access, the Indians go +
procure it.
AS they only get small pieces for.pipes
and various little ornaments which the
fashion with knives and other instru
ments, and polish by rubbing, there has
of course, been no very great diminutio
of quantity at the quarries. 1t is no.
well known that this peculiar, soft roc
Longfellow relates in "Hiawatha" IL
legend giving anaccount Of this superstition