New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-13
voHEGAN INDIAN FESTIVAL.
A RELIC OF THE TIMES WHEN THE TRIBE WAS
MERoUs-IAILHUNTING.

, nE1Ic OF THE TIMES WHEN THE TRIBE WAS
Observation-Disclosures
Noruicb Conn. sept IL tspeciaD.-The Michigan IN
d,,ns who have reservation the wild ana "ooocu
hank of The Thames River three miles south OF Jus
CITY had tcir annual harvest festival for bhe Dono"
of their modest little church in the woods on throe
DAYS this week. The brown DWELLINGS OF the tribe arc
clustered about the slopes Of lofty Mohegan HILL ana
the church is at the peak OF that hiil WHICH oVeioo
.he whole Thames River Valley with distant gnmpses
m Long Island Sound. The Indian fanatics numbering
about sixty descendants OF what was once one vi INC
nost nowerfuI tribes I'm New-Engand, are al
Christians and the wealthy bodies OF Nor"lch heip
them pecunarily about their religious services nv
ahout this time each year the Mohegans erect curious
xigxam At the door of their church, connected Wth
Il nv means of a covered way. In the w1gwam they
have a typical Indian festival, and the people OF NOT
vich and the adjoining towns visit IT and BUY
. rokeses succotach, bead and wfcRer-worS bashe'S
and other Indian wares. The w1gwam is "i.H
rectangular structure of lnterlacing poles for
IFS sides and roof thatched with gioeh
birch and oak boughs. Inside the walls
are hung with Indian fancy work. ana there arc
long tables laden with food, at which pretty Inuln
Girls wait and decker with rich city matrons In SlA
gowns The ladies take seats at the long taoles III
side the wigwam and feast on succotash ana Sore'
a purely Indian dish that was fashionable In ana =.
long before Columbus discovered the New World ~
G
and is eaten with milk. The Mohegan Indians a'so
make the finest succotash in the world, according 70
an unwrtten Indian recipe. The lady patrons "a U
fair pay fancy prices for the Indian ulsheS 49,,
work and baskets, and the receipts tom Oil0 y a.
are used to pay Norwich elder for preaching 10 INC
red men. The scene in and about the lhoian VIC
VAN is novel, charming and striving one on 0ooi
autumn day with company Of richly ciau peopio
strolling with Indian escorts through the e0'o' "
filing about the airy wigwam, through "o -
stices of whose green walls the sunlight ialS ~
The Mohegans of Eastern CONNECTICUT "ie nv a.
creasing in numbers; the band is steauny po"e az
peted through the marriage each year Oh some .. ="
members with the whites and the migration Oh oteS
IN tbe Far West The last neal DESCENDANT VI ''io
great cheftan Uncas died about elght Se"rs @oD,
when he was still young man. he was an 49, s
marhsman with the bow, and at the IesuF"i o " -
to paint his face with ochre and wear easie
his headdress. ~ d srort
81 rail shooting I'm the lower meadows OF the Cohheo
font Valley and this week three or four steam '"on
from Nev-York came TO the rail grouhos WIN YIN
panies OF city gunners The Wild oats on "" W. .u,
birds feed have been scarce for several years u' ,
YEAR The grain looks much hke euil'a'eu 80
Some good single bags of rail nave aifeau' Oo0"
nv local sportsmen \ couple of WINDSOR men Oassou
eighty birds in forenoon this week. Inc oeS'
hunting ground is at Essex this year.
BIuefshing continues fine in Connecucuo anu hiouo
Island waters and most Of the FISH taken "elsn iro
three 10 eight pounds each. The biggest single hsn
was shown al Westerly day or two ago that "elgheo
inst eleven pounds. Little bluefsh struck on III
the lower Connecticut rivers in great numbers TINS
week. and in two days Luce Brothers's boney hsh
steamers took 100000 fish in the waters of Essex
connecticut old folks are pretty well this fall Az
Winsted this week PhiIo &. Shelton and william "
Phelps each became eghtyfO years old on the same
day and nearly all the citizens in the village droppeu
in 10 shake hands with them. At Danbury Duhlhns
Rabbitt the oldest in that town. is on the SUI
every day attending his business ana Is % a,lso
a. most men are at forty years OF age me
borough of StoningtOn has number Oh Iemalnaoiie
| Old MEN One OF them, Deacon Simeon Palmer, u
] AZ anv other business Of the borough. Capta1
! THOMAS Dawson, who will be ninety years Ola 10
| October is equally hale and vigorous. Charles D
Jordan will be eighty nine years Old next WEDNESDAY
| and he labOrs daily his lawn There are seVerd
! other SMART old StOnngtOn gentlemen VINO are De
| tween eighty and ninety years Of age. Al new
| Haven Mrs. {. p BrOwnsOn, OF No. Al lhSIst., DC
came ninety wears old one day this week, aud all hei
| faculties are sound. Henry Church, Of Wilimantlc
who is eighty Our years old, has just returned rom
| his annual visit among relatives In another town
ON his trip he walked twenty five miles, mace thlrty
| calls and met twelve Of his relatives ana fl1enQs
| five of whom were than eiehty-eight years Oh
Mrs Caroline Andrews of WallingfOrd, recently cele
brated the nnetich anniversary cf her birthday ana
| four sons two daughters. many grandchildren and
large company of friends helped her TO celebrate the
| event Mrs. Andrews's hair is still jet black and