Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-03-05
LEGENDS OF THE WEST

passing mention.
What could. for instance. be more
poetic than the story of the aI,ons
l. ee, which was related to the writer
not long ago by one of the oldest settler.
Of Eastern Iowa? The taie-or To
speak more properly. the legends
based on an oak tree, for many years
the only one standing within a radius
III eight or nine mIlel How did the
tree come there? That the unsophistI-
Gated pioneers could no explain: so
they resorted to invention. and gave
currency to a story which will live long
utter they are forgotten. Early in the
year 1910, 50 the report goes, soon after
the so-called Blackhawk purchase had
been consummated, a young couple en-
grated from New York State to the
west The man (BnI Brewster was his
lame) was open hearted, hospitable and
courageous, and hiswife was a represen-
-ative American woman of the middle
lass, industrious, kind and faithful
NJ er their arrival in Iowa the two
Young people went out prospecting"
ooking for suitable landl every day
and finally reached tract of fat prairie
and which prom to yield rich
;rops- Here they decided to take up
heir abode; and the woman relieved of
all anxiety and worry, then and there
gave birth to son, and at the same
noment-to commemorate the event
III oak sappling sprang up, which was
ever afterward called the "Lone Tree. .
The sapling, In course of time, became
stout oak tree, and stood for many
'ears in its isolated position, a mystery
o the uninitiated, an object of never
eeasing curiosity TO the old settlers. and
and a monument Of interest to the stu
lent OF American life and manners,
until vandal cut it down, four or five
fears ago, TO obtain a supply of fire
wood without the necessity of hauling
[ nine or ten miles.
Scarcely less interesting is a bit of
legendary talk current in the region of
he Wyoming Hills "a chain of mound
Ike elevations located on the Western
shore of the Mississippi river, between
,he towns of Davenport and MuScatine,
Ia These hills We're once the citing
place or thousa IDS OF Indians, and hun
lreds of their dead were buried in gi-
,antic mounds constructed on the crests
II the elevations. When the white
settlers first appeared, they received
sold welcome from the red men who
wandered through the country which
Vas once their own, but hal been ceded
o the United States government by
heir chiefs.
The savages carried vengeance In
iteIr hearts and murder in their eyes;
md many a bold agriculturist, who had
oraved the hardships OF pioneer life to
acquire some Land Tor his family, never
eturned from his cornfield. ami The
Eailing and lamentations of widowed
women and fatherless children were
s-hoed from one farm to the other al
nOst every week Que of these went
Dut one Sunday morning to collect his
sattle. He ascended one OF the sloping
ill, not noticing the form OF an Indian
who was lying conc aled among the
al weeds growing ON the summit The
settlers foot never crossed the threshold
)f his home again He was murdered
ly the hidden foe, and his body thrown
n the waters of the Mississippi.
His wife, growing anxious about his
welfare, at noon sent out her little
laughter to hasten her fathers return.
The child, Injured to danger, undertook
.he task, but had not proceeded far
when she noticed a red man on the hill,
and, turning around, one behind her.
Escape seemed impossible; but just at
hat moment a crevIce large enough to
conceal her opened In the side of
he hill. She sought the refuge
.hus provldentially offered, and as
,oon as she had concealed her
,elf the opening closed, and 10
ler startled sight was revealed a cavern
Of large dimensions, of which she was
The only occupant.
Not until he following evening did
the crevice open again The girl, al
most famished by this time, crept out
Of her hiding place, and, seeing that all
danger was past, ran home, where she
related her strange story TO a number
Of neighbors who had met at the cabin
to solve the mystery Of her disappear
ance Subsequent search fa'lel 10 re-
veal a cavern anywhere near where the
girl had been 50 miraculously saved; but
il would nevertheless. be dangerous
thing to doubt the veracity of this tale
in the presence OF the few survivors of
those stirring times; and popular taste
has applied to the hill, which Will
sooner or later be made famous by tn s
story, and the very euphonic but very
significant name of providence Hole"
Another and scarcely less interesting
instance of providentlal interference
with the affairs of men has many be-
levers among the good folks lnhabIting
the bottom lands OF the Cedar near its
confluence with the Iowa river In the
early days Of Iowa this part OF the ter
ritory was inhabited by wild desper
ate class OF people, who lived on what
they could steal from more Industrious
neIghbors. Horse stealing was the
fayorits pursuit Of the male portion OF
this community, AMI many enterprizing
men saw the fruits OF their tolls des-
troyed for want of live stock which dis
appeared at the most inopportune times
Horse thieves In those days expected no
mercy when they had had the misfur-
tune to fall into the hands OF the sett-
le,s; and when one bright June morn
ing in the year 1S40 nine OF them were
caught by Q detachment of outraged
farmers they prepared themselves TO
meet death with bold faces.
The gang was conducted to a huge
oak trve on the banks OF the Cedar river,
whose nine branches invited the settlers
to finish the work OF vengeance One
man after the other was supplied with q
hempen necktie, and arrangements
were made to send them TO Kingdom
come at the same instant The signal
was given. a fierce stroke or hght-
, ming and a desfening roar OF thunder
followed the command which was 10
end the earthly existence OF nine human
beings. Eight bodies dangled in the
air. The ninth was lying on the ground,
saved by the lightning which had
ripped the branch on which he was
hanging from the trunk OF the tree IL
WAS 3 miracle, for the man, alter recoV-
ering from his stupor, proved his inno-
ceuce to the satisfaction of the vigi-
lanta." The eight thieves hal met
their fate. but providence interfeTed in
. xx, that could not be misuud-rsto
e. r,y. the lie of the guiltless.