Evening journal., 1890-02-08
LEGENDS OF rue NESf.
POETIC STORIES CONNECTED WITH
PLACES IN IOWA.
Legends That Speak Well FOR the Morals
of the Early Western settiers-The Birth
Of the Lone Tree'-Two Incidents in
Which Providence was credited.

Of the Lone Tree''-Tso Incidents in
which Providence was Credited.
The legends Of tho west are as sturdy, as in
dependent and as forcibe as the men who
created them, and for this reason if no other,
deserve more than passing mention.
What could, for instance, be more poetic
than the story of tho lone Tree, which was
related to the writer not long ago by one of
the Oldest settlers Of Eastern Iowal The
tale-or, to speak more properly, the legend
is based on an oak tree, for many years the
only ore standing within o radius of eight or
nine miles How did the tree come therel
That tie unsophisticated pioneers could not
explain; SO they resorted to invention, ana
gave currency to a story which will live
long after they have been forgotten. Early
IN the year 1910, so the report goes, soon
after the so-called Blaclhawl1 purchase had
been contaminated, young couple emf
grated from New York state to the west.
The man tBill Brewster was his name) was
open hearted, hospitable and courageous,
and his wife was representative American
woman of the middle class, industrious, kind
and faithful. After their arrival in Iowa
the two young people went out prospect
ing" docking for suitable land every day,
and finally reached a tract OF fat prairie land
which promised to yield rich crops. Here
they decided to take up their abode; and the
woman, relieved of all anxiety and worry,
then and there gave birth to a son, and at
the same moment-to commemorate tho
event-an oak sapling sprang up, which was
ever afterward called the ''Lone Tree The
sapling, in course Of time, became a stout
oak tree, and stood for many years in its $50
lated position, a mystery 20 the uninitiated,
an object of never ceasing curiosity to the
old settlers, and monument of interest to
the student Of American life and manners,
until vandal cut it down, four or five years
ago, to obtain a supply Of fire wood without
the necessity Of hauling it nine or ten miles.
Scarcely less interesting is bit of lengend-
airy talk current in the region of the Wyom-
ing Hills-a chain Of mound like elevations
located on the western shore Of the Mississip-
pippi river, between the towns OF Davenport
and Muscatine, Ia These hills were once
upon time the meeting place Of thousands
of Indians, and hundreds of their dead were
buried in gigantic mounds constructed on
the crests of the elevations. Whom the white
settlers first appeared they received a cold
welcome from the red men who wandered
through the country which was once their
own, but had been coded TO the United States
government by their chiefs
The savages carried vengeance IN their
hearts and murder in their eyes, and many
bold agriculturist, who had braved the
hardships Of pioneer life to acquire some
land for his family, never returned from his
cornfield, and the wailing and lamentations
Of widowed women and fatherless children
we're echoed from one farm to the other al
most every week One of these went out
one Sunday morning TO collect his cattle.
He assembled one Of the sloping hills, not no.
ticing the form of an Indian who was lying
concealed among the tall weeds growing on
the summit. The settlers foot never crossed
the threshold of his home again. He was
cruelty murdered by the hidden foe, and his
body thrown in the waters of the Mississippi.
His wife, growing anxious about his well
fare, at noon sent out her little daughter to
hasten her fathers return. The child, Injured
to danger, undertook the task but had not
proceeded far when she noticed red man on
the hill, and, turning around, one behind
her. Escape seemed impossible; but just at
that moment crevice large enough to con
ceal her opened in the side of the hill She
sought the refuge thus providentialy offered,
and as soon as she had concealed herself the
opening closed, and 70 her startled sight was
revealed a cavern Of large dimensions, Of
which she was the only occupant
Not until the following evening did the
crevice open again. The girl, almost fam
ished by this time crept out Of her hiding
place, aud, 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 dis
appearance. Subsequent search failed to re-
veal a cavern anywhere near where the girl
had been so miraculously saved but it 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 this story, the not very euphonic but very
significant name Of providence Hole.n
Another and scarcely less interesting in
stance OF providential interference with the
affairs of men has many believers among the
good folks inhabiting the bottom lands Of the
Cedar near its confluence with the Iowa
river. In the early days Of Iowa this part Of
tho territory was inhabited by wild, des-
perate class of people, who lived ON what
they could steal from more industrious
neighbors. Horse stealing was the favorite
pursuit of the male portion Of this communi-
ty, and many enterprising men saw the
fruits of their toll destroyed for want Of live
stock which disappeared at the most mop
perfume times. Horse thieves in those days
expected no mercy when they had the mis-
| fortune to fall into the hands of the settlers;
and when one bright June morning in the
| year 1910 nine Of them were caught by a de-
tachmenr Of outraged farmers they prepared
themselves to meet death with bold faces.
The gang was conducted 10 a huge oak tree
on the banks Of the Cedar river, whose nins
branches invited the settlers TO finish their
work Of Vengeance. One man after the
| other was supplied with a hempen necktie,
and arrangements were made to send them
70 kingdom come at the same instant. The
signal was given. A fierce stroke Of light
ming and deafening roar of thunder fol-
lowed the command which was TO end the
i earthly existence OF nine human beings.
| Eight bodies dangled in the air. The ninth
was lying on the ground, saved by the light
ming, which had ripped the branch on which
he was hanging from the trunk Of the tree.
1t was a miracle, FOR the man, after recover
| ing from his stupor, proved his innocence to
the satisfaction OF the "vigilantsn The
| eight thieves had met their fate, but provi-
| dence interfered in a way that could not be
misunderstood to save the Life Of the guilt
| less.
The tree made famous by this incident il
still standing-at least it was two years ago,
and the strange tale here related has become
a treasured legend among the old settlers Of
the vicinity, which IS no longer the hiding
place Of desperadoes, but a veritable Eden
inhabited by intelligent and prosperous farm