Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1889-09-26
MINNEWAUKAN.
The Legend Of DEVILS Lake.---How
it Received it's Horrible Name.

The Legend OF DEVILS Lake.---How
{ il Received its Horrible Name.
EDITOR ALERT:-There is something
in the life and character OF the American
Indian that IS weird striking, fascinating
and most wonderfully interesting. Their
mode Of life, their language and records
of the past, il records We may call them,
are sought after by their pale-faced
brethren who have incroached upon their
vast domains. What the history Of the
past is to the white man, legend and
story, is to the Indian. 1t seems as II
every portion of their kingdom had It's
associations, every hill told some story,
every valley became a witness, every
mountain peak stood as sentinel guard
ing some mystery. But it has been left
for the almost boundless prairies OF the
west to furnish the most striking lllustra-
tions of the native superstition. There
Is something in the vastness OF the
Of the prairie; in the stiffness OF the
quiet; in the darkness of the night; in
the rarity of the atmosphere; in the great
distance to which sound is transported;
in the beautiful mirage Of the early
morning, clear and bright, that assists
the superstition of the ignorant mind of
the wild Indian and sometimes too, the
wild" pale faced hunter and trapper.
Such are the conditions and associations
connected with that beautiful sheet of
water in the north central portion of
North Dakota known by that non
euphonious appelation; Devils Lake.
While riding on the face of that beauti-
full sheet of water, surrounded on all
sides by low-lying hills, which in some
places came down to the waters edge as
if to bathe their feet in Its then calm
and limpid waters, gained from the
gruff old captain of the little steamer,
which was carrying us across the waters,
while his beautiful daughter stood at the
wheel and with steady nerve and quick
eye steered the little steamer on towards
Ft. Totten, the following narrative, which
to me was most wondrously interestin 6
and which l supply for the readers OF
this paper hoping that it may unrayel a
mystery to me and also to others. Many
many moons ago as the red man counts his
time, the Sioux and Chippewa were in,
gagged in war of determination. The
Sioux lived upon the southern shores OF
Devils Lake, or rather as it was then
called lake Minnewaukan, while the
Chippewas held those upon the north
side. They had already been engaged
in many severe conflicts and the time
was approaching when each contemplat
ed in one more strong and sudden blow
to utterly annihilate tue other The time
draws nigh. The eventful day has dawn.
ed and the braves begin to assemble. BY
some strange coincidence both Sioux and
Chippewa select the same day and the
same hour for operation, so IN the morn
ing of that day the warriors assemble at
their respective camps. They hold their
councils aud dance their war-dance and
prepare for the conflict before them. The
glorious orb of day rides into the highest
heaven and then descends. AS it sinks
lower and lower the preparations
become more active. The sun starts
down behind the western blutfs;
| The shadows lengthen and darkness
comes on apace. The mothers and wives
| in either nation begin to count the cost I.
They wonder if he who has been pro
tector shall returA; if her children shall
wait the coming of that father and he
not come. She, savage that she is. does
not seem to catch the full import OF the
condition which may come upon her
but the glory of the battle rises before
her. She sees the reeking scalps of the
enemy hanging as pendants TO their wig
wan torch and there is pleasure in the
anticipation. The aged mother watches
her brave son as he prepares for bail lie
and is proud of his exhibited prowess
The dnsky maid and her equally dnsk.y
warrior lover, desire the stiffness of the
bordering groves in which to furthe
plight their troth and they wander on;