The Republican journal., 1892-01-14
The Origin of the Arbutus.

LORE SOCIETY.
At a recent meeting in Washington of
The American Folklore Society paper
prepared by Congressman {. L. Belknap
of Michigan was read. as follows:
On the south shore Of Lake superior, in
the vicinity of the pictured rocks, grows
to perfection the dearest and sweetest of
all wild flowers, the arbutus-the plant
that the tender, loving touch of woman,
even. cannot cause to grow in dollhouse OF
garden.
There are two things that the learned
white man does not understandable In
dian and the arbutus. From time to time.
sitting 10y the camp fires in the evening, L
have been told of the creation of many
animals and birds by the great Mannaboo-
slo and his captains. the Manitos, and this
is the legend, as told me, of the origin or
creation of the arbutus
1t was MANY. many moons ago, that
there lived an old man alone in his lodge
beside a frozen stream in the forest. His
locks and beard We're long and white with
age: he was heavily clad in fine furs, for
all the world was winter-snow and ice
everywhere The winds went wild through
the forests. searching every bush and tree
for birds to chill. chasing evil spirits o er
searching in the deep snow for pieces of
wood to keep up the fire in his lodge.
In despair he returned to the lodge. and
sitting down by the last few dying Goals,
he cried 70 Mannaboosho that he might
not perish.
And the wind blew aside the door of the
lodge and there came in most beautiful
maiden. Her cheeks We're red and made
of wild roses. her eyes We're large, and
glowed like the eyes of fawns at night:
her hair was long and black as the ravens,
and it touched the ground as she walked
Her hands were covered with willow buds:
her bonnet was a wreath of wild flowers
and her clothing of sweet grasses and ferns,
and her moccasinS were white lilies, and
when she breathed the air of the lodge be-
came warm.
The old man said MY daughter. am
glad to see you. My lodge is cold and
cheerless, but it will Shield you from the
tempest of the night.
But tell me who you are, that you dare
to come to my lodge in such strange cloth
ing? Come, sit here and tell me of thy
country and thy victories, and will tell
thee of my exploits. for | am Manito.'
He then filled two pipes with tobacco,
that they might smoke as they talked, and
when the smoke had warmed the old mans
tongue he said: Il am Mantle. | blow my
breath and the waters of the river stand
still.
The maiden said: Il breathe and flow
ers spring up on all the plains.
The old man said: Il shake my locks,
and snow covers all the ground
Il shake my curls,' said the maiden,
and warm rains fall from the Clouds
i i IT,
the leaves fall from the trees at my COM
mand: the animals hide in their holes in
the ground, and the birds get up out of
the water and fly away
The maiden said: ''When | walk about
the plants lift up their heads, the trees
cover their nakedness with many leaves,
the birds come back, and all who see me
sing: there is music everywhere And
thus they talked, and the air became warm
in the lodge. The old man head dropped
upon his breast and he slept.
Then the sun came back and blue bird
came to the top Of the lodge and called.
''Sayee, say-ee. | am thirstyv And the
river called back, II am free. come and
drinkr'
And as the old man slept the maiden
passed her hands above his head, and he
began to grow small. Streams of water
ran out OF his mouth, and soon he was a
small mass upon the ground, and his
clothing turned to green leaves, and then
the maiden, kneeling upon the ground,
took from her bosom the most precious
white flowers and hid them all about I'M
der the leaves. Then she breathed upon
them and said: Il give thee all my virtues
and my sweetest breath, and all who
would pick thee shall do so upon Bonded
knee
Then the maiden moved away through
the woods and over the plains, and all the
birds sang to her, and wherever she step
ped, and nowhere else, grows the arbutus
Jonas Hinkley, inventor of the knitting
machine, died at Norwalk, o., Dec. 30
aged "A years.
One million dollars of gold coin weighs
1868 pounds avoirdupois: of silver coin.
5S.920.9 pounds.
The Kelley institute in Indiana has
something of a curiosity in the shape of a
patient only five years old, who is a con-
tirmed morphine eater. He has been fed
the poison since infancy to make him sleep.
The milage accounts of Congressman
are now being paid. Representative
Geary of Santa Rosa, CAL, travelled the
greatest distance, 1922 miles, and drew
mileage amounting to 81, 1868. so, and MI
Barnes Compton Of LAUREL Nd, the short
est, only Is miles, with mileage at $7.2O.
most curious clock is displayed in the
window of tobacco store in Philadelphia.
The frame is made from cigar boxes fitted
together. The round dial is marked by a
coating of smoking tobacco. Two clay
pipes of different lengths serve for hands,
and the figures are made of cigarettes.
During the year 1891 there were coined
at the Philadelphia Mint over ninety-two
million pieces, with a valuation of ovel
$4,000, 600. Owing to the discontinuanc,
of the coinage of the silver dollar afte
July 1 the total is not as great as that O
1890
The American Forestry Association, il
session at Washington, elected VIM. Alort
of San Francisco, president; H. NJ. Fisher
Philadelphia, treasurer; DR. N H. Eggles
ton, Washington, recording secretary; Ed
ward A. Bowers, Washington, correspond
ing secretary.