The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-19
LEGEND OF UTsAYANTHA.
A Story Of the Catskills Told by Bill
Nye.

a CsoTy Va t0o SSSskhho ANU W Dill
Nye.
Edgar w. Nye.
Mount Utsayantha-I use the accepted orthog-
raphy as found in the Blsckhawk dictionary
has legend. Many centuries ago this beauti.
full valley was infested by the red brother and
his oronze progeny Where now the red and
blue blazer goes shimmering through the sway
ing NAPLES. and the girl with her other dress on
and her straw colored canvas cinch knocketh
the croquet ball gayiy west. once there dwelt all
old chief whom We will call Polka Dot, the
pride OF b people. He looked somewhat like
William Maxwell Evarts, bat wa heavier-set
man. Places where old Polka Dot sat down
and ace umulated rest for himself are still shown
to city people whose faith was not overworked
while young.
Old Polka Dot was q firm man, with double
teeth all around, and his prowess got into the
personal columns of the papers every little
while. He had daughter named Utsayantha,
which means "a messenger sent hastily for
treasure" SO am told, or possibly Old Polka
Dot meant to imply lone sent OF for cash."
This idea is my own, and possibly of bat little
value. Anyhow Utsayantha grew to be quite
comedy, as Indian women 60. neve1 saw one
yet that couldn't stop an ordinary planet by
looking at 1t steadily for two minutes She
dressed simply, wearing tine same clothes
while strOlling cross country before break fast
that she wore at the scalp dance the evening
before. In the summer time she sheilacked
herself and visited the poor. Taking little box
of water colors in a shawl strap. so that she
could change her clothes whenever she felt like
it, she would 60 away and be gone for q fort
night at time, visiting the ultra fashionable
people of her tribe
Finally a white man penetrated this region.
He did it By asking the brakeman on the West
Shore road how TO get here aud then doing diff
+ rently. In that way he had no trouble at ali.
He saw Utsayanths and loved her almost in
stantly. She was snucking . muskrat at the
time, and he could nos but admire her dizziness
and skill. From that moment he could not
drive her image from his heart He sought
her again and again to tell her of his passion,
but she would jump the fence and fee like
frightened fawn with split stick on its tail, If
such a comparison may be permitted. At last
he won her, and married her quietly in his
working clothes. The nearest justice of the
peace was then in England. and SO rsther than
wait he was married Informally to Utsayantha
By repeating to her with great solemnity the
following stanza:
Ena mena mena mo.
Catch a niger by the toe;
When he holers let him so.
OUT spells out
While this had no special bearing on the case
1t awed Utsayan,ha, and she went home very
much impre sed, indeed. That fall o little rus.
set baby came TO bless their union. The bless
ing was all he had with him when he was dis
covered.
Then the old chief, Polka Dot, arose in his
wrath, to which he added pair of moose hide
moccGsils, and he upbralded his daughter for
her course. He upbraided her with piazza
pole from his wiywam. lie was very much
agitated. So was The pole.
Then he cursed her for being the mother of q
II breed child, and stalking 18th he slew the
white man by cutting open his trunk and dissr-
ranging his reins He then wiped the stab knife
in his tossing name. and grabbing his grandson
by his ewaddling clothes he hurled the sur
prised little stranger into Lake Utsayantha. By
pouring another painful Of water into the lake
the child was drowned successfully.
Then the widowed and childless Utseyantha
came forth as night settled down upon the beau
tfui valley and the dsy died peacefully ON the
mountain tops. Fer eyes were red with weep
ing, and her breath was punctueed with sobs.
Putting on q pair Of high rubber boots, she
waded out into the middle Of the lake, where
there was quite deep place, and drowned her
self.
This should teach us never to kill son-in.law
without &, ting his wife's consent.
When the old man found the body of his
daughter he was considerably mortified. He
took her to the top of the mountain and buried
her there, and ever afterwarJ, it is said when
ever any one spoke OF the death of his daughter
and her family, he would color up and change
the subject