Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-28
HOW MlNNEhA1A DIED.
A Minnesota Hunter Tskss EHceptsso -
LSsgfeIiov's Roaantic Pssa.

Then they buried MinnehAha;
In the snow . grave they made her.
Ia the forest deep and darksoma.
Underneath the moaning hemiocks;
Clothed her In her richest garments.
Wrapped her Ia her robes OF errnine.
Covered her with like ermine.
Thus they buried MinnehAhA
And there are those residing Il Mime
apolis today who Assert that the grave Of
Minnehaha, or Laughing Waters," was
made within . few feet Of the famous Mime
hans fslls But . few days nnce, by the
courtesy Of a newspaI-r man, was given .
free ride from the city to the falls, the dis
lance being ave and one tenth miles over the
motor line. IL you cannot secure PAS"
your round trip will cost you twenty cents
The trip is . good one and takes you
through beautiful portion Of the city, con
sumlng about half an hour Arriving there
two minutes walk brings you TO the brink
OF the falls, easily sean from the little cottage
depot. You descend a flight Of stone steps
and stand facing the falls about midway
from top To bottom.
Here . grand view may be obtained from
wooden platform built out from the clin
by an snt.rprising photographer, who, in the
summer SEASON, takes the picter" of many .
blushing bride and red faced groom, using
the falls background. Gong down still
lower, you are On q level with the crcsk b.
low, which PUSHES through . tortuous rocky
gully Ia the oIen country miles away.
You NAV cross the stream, II you choose,
on a rustic bridge 10 the oppnsite shore and
here for many rods you will see the names Of
people residing in about every state in tbs
union carved in the soft white and red lime
stone walls. pisces of which may te crushed
between the fingers as easily as lump OF
hnur II you like you may walk behind the
water as tt comes ovA the edge rs there is q
safe rocky path the entire distance, many
feet wide, made by nature, The water falls
about sixty feet The falls are in the shape
II horseshoe, with the ends As bank OF
the falls on either side OF the stream below.
Years ago IL must have been Wild and
romantic spot but to-day It is cleared up
So that but few trees line the bank At
present one looking at the grain fields above
cannot help thinking that had MinuehAha
lived until now her lover, HiawathA, could
have supplied her with an abundance Of food
aud thus save her from death by starv alton
and more especially when by walking but q
few feet he would have encountered q first
class country grocery store with an awning
covered restaurant attached.
The day that | visite.i tho place . newly
wedi.d couple were also there, and ths
gronm held in his hand Longfello~'s poems
containing the written story Of Minnehaha,
ttawatha and old Nokomis. Seating them
selves on stone be read the tale To her, oc-
casionally stopping to express his senti-
ments' the same. every word OF which
she drank in with open mouth. In the midst
Of schools in" an old sAt'ler with grizzied
beard and shaggy hair. and dressed in . suit
Of coon skin. with hat and shoes to match,
came up and became an attentive listener
As the reading continued the hump in his
back from Age became more '-humpifed, -
and at tho conclusion OF the story he spread
his sentiments" by first asking;
who writ thAtf'
"Longfellow, sir"
well, he don't know darned thing 'bou {
it, and the gal didn't starvs TO de'th, nuther
I've been round here nigh onto fftv year,
and my grandfather shot bears in this county
before me, and allow to know all bout it.
You see, this Hia~atha went shuntin and
found the gal with the Dakota lnjuns He
STAYED there all summer and finally in the
fall the two on EN- Hoped Just as they
come to there ere falls her Injun dad and
brother cum up TO en- and WAS just going to
nab EN- both When they run To the edge and
jumped over the falls, and both was kit
dead. Now, | don't know who this ere
Longfellow mought he, but, by gosh he
don't know what he writ ~ hen he said that -
After delivering himself the hump on his
back gradually softened down aud the old
settler went on over to the grocery store to
see If "Cy johnson had found his yaller COW,
what WAS lost along a week ago." and the
groom, looking after his retreating figure.
simply said. Well, by thunder his bride
remarklns, II should say as much" Its
just possible that the exact fate of Minueha-
ha, u,awaihs and Sokomis will never be
fully known, but the falls are here just the
same.-Cor. Albany ArguA