The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1890-01-17
HOW MlNNEhAtiA DIED.
A Minnesota Hunter Takes Exception to
Loncfellow's Romantic Poem.

IonEteliow's Romantic Poem.
Then they buried Minnehaha;
In the snow a grave they made her,
In the forest deep and darksome,
Underneath the moaning hemlocks;
Clothed her In her richest garments;
Wrapped her In her robes OF ermine,
Covered her with snow like ermne
Thus they buried Iinnehaha
And there are those residing in Mime
apolis today who assert that the grave OF
Minnehaha, or Laughing Waters was
made within few feet OF the famous Mime
haha falls But a few days since, by the
courtesy Of newspaper man, was given a
free ride from the city 10 the falls, the dis
tance being five and one-tenth miles over the
motor line. II YOU cannot secure pas
your round trip will cost you twenty cents
The trip is n good one and takes you
through a beautiful portion Of the city, con-
sumng about half an hour, Arriving there,
two minutes walk brings you TO the brink
Of the falls, easily seen from the little cottage
depot. You descend a flight OF stone steps
and stand facing the falls about midway
from top 10 bottom.
Here n grand view may be obtained from
"A wooden platform built out from the cliff
10y an enterprising photographers, who, in the
summer season, takes the picter' OF many a
blushing bride aud red faced groom, using
the falls as "A background. Going down stiil
lower, YOU are on a level with the creek be-
low, which rushcs through tortuous rocky
gully 10 the open country miles away.
You may cross the stream, II You choose,
on rustic bridge 20 the opposite shore, and
here for many rods YOU will See the names Of
people residing in about every state in the
union carved in the soft white and red lime
stone walls, pieces OF which may be crushed
between the fingers as easily as a lump Of
-four. II YOU like you may walk behind the
water as it comes over the edge, as there Is a
safe rocky path the entire distance, many
feet wide, made by nature The water falls
about sixty feet. The falls are in the shape
OF horseshoe with the ends as a bank OF
the falls on either side Of the stream below,
Years ago il must have been wild aud
romantic spot, but today IL 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 Minnchaha
lived until now her lover, Hiawathn, could
have supplied her with an abundance Of food
and thus save her from death by starvation,
and moro especially when by walking but u
few feet he would have encountered first
class country grocery store vita an awning
covered restaurant attached.
The day that | visited the place n newly
welded couple were also there, aud the
groom held in his hand Longfellow's poems
containing the written story Of Minnohaha,
Hiawatha and old Nokomis Seating them
selves ON stone he read the tale 30 her, oc-
casionally stopping 10 express his senti-
mentsn on the same, every word of which
she drank in with open mouth. I'm the midst
OF SCHOOLS i'm an old settler with grizzlcd
beard aud shaggy hair, and dressed in suit
Of coon skin, with hat and shoes 10 match,
came up aud became an attentive listener.
As the reading continued the hump in his
back from age became more "humpiiied,
and at the conclusion Of the story he spread
bis sentiments" by first asking;
"Who writ thatF
"Longfellow, sir"
"Well, he don't know "A darued thing bout
t., and the gal didn't starve 10 deth, nuthor.
I've been round here nigh onto fifty year,
aud my grandfather shot bears In this county
before me, and / allow 10 know all bout IT,
You see, this lliawnthn went a-huntin' and
found the gal with the Dakota lnjuns lie
stayed there all summer, and finally in tho
fall tho two on em Hoped. Just as they
come TO these ere falls her lnjun dad and
brother cum up 20 'em and was just going 10
nab 'em both when they run % the edge and
jumped over the falls, and both was kilt
dead. Now, | don't know who this 'cre
Longfelow mought bc, but, 10y goshl he
don't know what he writ when he snid that u
After delivering himself the hump on his
back gradually softoned down aud the old
settler went on over 10 the grocery store b.
see il "Cy johnson had found his yaller COW,
what was lost along a week ago" and the
groom, looking after his retrcating figure,
simply said, "Well, 10y thundnrl'-his bride
remarking, ~ should say as much" ICs
just possible that the exact fate of Minuehn-
ha, Hawatha and Nokoms will never be
fully known, but the falls are here just the
same.-Cor. Albany Argus.