Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-10
THE STORY OF a WOODEN Cross.
Brave and Faithful Mrhawanta Met Ills
Denih MhIln DoinE III. DuIN.

Death While Doiug Ills Duty.
Aparty OF AInnotonka explorers land
cd on Crane island, and In tho course Of
their poregrinations ran on to a pccu-
liarly shaped mound. The elevation
would have attracted no attention prob.
ably but for moss covered and worm
eaten wooden cross that surmountcd Il.
The cross bore every evidence Of great
age. It was formed Of two rough
branches solidly mortlsed together. That
others had found 1t was plain from the
carvings IL bore. There was some specu.
lation rs 20 the origin and intent Of this
rough hewed emblem. Some insisted
that il had sernd pious hermit M an
altar before which to repeat his prayers;
Others claimed to have discovered lo.
gond inscribed on the time worn stump.
and 10 these the cross denoted grave
probably the last resting place Of some
early pioneer. I
The truth Is even more romantic and
interesting. That cross has stood the
rayages Of time and tho vandal hand OF
the tourist visitor since 1851. 1t was
built by Frcnchman named Edmond
D0rnier 10 mari, the last resting place
OF an Indian. The Indian Ind rendered
Dornier a great service. lie was shot TO
death by tho Frenchmnn while in the
very act OF serving him. It was n mis-.
take. and ono which Dornicr regretted
TO the day when no himself died VIC
lont death In the Indian war of 1861.
Dornier lived on the Lake shore. Hewas
one OF the first settlers. The log house
he built has long since been replaced by
n pretentIous house, now occupied by
Minneapolis man as his summer resi-.
dence. Dornior had wife and. two
daughters. The latter were skillful IN
navigation Of the bark canoes made by
the tribe OF Sioux then resident in that
region.
one Of the oldest and wisost Of tho
Sioux tribe was Mehawanta, friend OF
the whites and a conservative adviser OF
his tribe. ono day DOrnier's oldest
daughter, then handsome girl of nine.
teen, was fishing In u canoe of Crane
island, when the crazy craft capsizod ne
the result Of her attempt TO land large
fish. The girls clothing had become
caught in the little canoe, and although
an expert swimmer sho was drowning
rapidly. IL was then that with tremon.
dous strides old Mehawanta came crash
ing through the undorbrush. The old
Indian could swim like duck, and IN
trice no had rescued tho French girl
from hcr dangerous position. There she
lay on tho grassy bank inscnsiblc. Tho
Indian was not used to formality. Sans
ceremony ho tore open the bodice of his
charge.
Then ho proceeded 10 apply all the
remedies nature had taught him. Thus
he was employed when from the tim
bored hillside rang out the sharp crack
of n rifle. Mohnwauta started, stood
bolt upright, and then fell slowly for
ward across the PROSTATE form of tho
girl he had rescuod--stono dead A
moment later Dornior appeared. a rife
still smoked In his hand. He kicked .ho
dead body Of the old chief aside, and by
hard work brought his daughter bacl, to
life. Her first inquiry was for Mona.
wanta. Tine face of the Frenchman
darkened as he pointed sternly at the
silent corpse. The terrible truth then
burst upon her. Her preseryor had been
slain by the very hand that should hGyo
clasped his in warmest friendship.
For years until the Indian wars broke
ont this girl visited the old chiefs grave
and placed choicest wild flowers upon
II. TWAS thomost She could do. Dornioi
WINS frantic when he discovered his mis-
take. He built tho crude cross and buried
the dead chief with his own hands.
Every prayer the holy fathers had taught
him in his native Quebec was said over
the old hero's grave, but the reproach
would not die. 1t haunted tho French.
man to his dying day.
Thus is told the story Of the cross OF
Crane island by ono who has heard it
from Dornier's own HIPS, Minneapolis
Journal