The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1893-12-23

Mclean .GJNrI- IL 1914.
The uplands and high bluff lands of
Mclean %county's surface was much the
same t" day that 1t wac 81 years ago
Here and there II small grove perQaed
upon the north side Of Il hill. or protected
by the sharp angles of a creek bed may
have finally disappeared before the rav
ages of some violent prairie fire; some
underground coal bed smouldering for
years with subteranian fires. may have
caused the earthly %sprface about it to col
lapse and change the appearance some
what, but 80 slight rs to be hard
ly noticeable. But on tho bottom lands
of the Missouri the changes Of time was
more marked and rapid. The river ever
changing; eyer cutting new routes, would
tear into Il grove of some fine timber
point Or grassy meadow which would dis
appear forever. Fires. too were more des.
t~ructive than on the uplands, MS the gras-
SEES were HEAVIER and the dense underbrush.
dcadened and dry timber would make such
intense heat that even living groves
would disappear ave few black trunks
that would stand rs markers for n time,
when they. too, would pass away.
Could a McLeanite of our day put back
the hands of time to the 18th day of DC
tcber, 1904, and stand upon the high
bluffs that overlook the present village OF
Falconer he could have noticed along the
river a long lineof perhaps dozen men
Juggling away at a rope along the edge Of
Il sand bar and behind, coming slowly
along blowing the water, a long ark like
boat known in that day rs Il "keel' from
which the pattern of the modern canal
boat has come. Behind the large boat
two email ones followed propelled by oars
and poles. These smaller boats were Of
canoe-like shape and were known as per-
o5ues. Three hours more and they could
he seen entering the water now known as
the Lake of the Painted Woods, but at
this time but IL diverginy shoot of tho Mis-
souri,, that courscd I o the east of New
Mundan Island. They had taken this
shoot as oeing narrow and more easily to
navigate than the main stream. Slowly
in front of the present residence of Com
missioner Wing, and further along past
Frank J%ohnson's and Joe KATE place.
On they slowly drag until the valley Of
Turt!c creek is reached whom the shoot an
giles and again they stem the currants of
the nam stream. Below where the tow of
' hOoAtA ShSy AS"HA SAS
night. A busy tulka.ive night it was, for
o II tho morrow they are to come in sight
of the Mandan villages and place for
their winter quarters. Preparations for
this event and a head wind delayed them
so that they barely reached the main vii
lage of the Mandans OH the west at what
is now known rs old Fort Clark. The
other village was on the east bank near
where the town of Conkllng now stands.
The Mandans, men, women and children
crowd down around the boats. Happy
red smiling faces are everywhere. Heaps
of corn, sqashes, dried meats and plulns
are placed with prodigal hands before
these tired-out boatmen who had Walked.
tugged and waded for 1000 miles. These
weary whites had not toask their red broth
ers for favors-rather to stay their generous
hands. Out of your graves you Mandan
ghosts of 1904 and mark deep the lines OF
record from that day through the eighty
four years that have followed.
The next few. days was spent by cap
tains Lewis and Clark III locating their
winter quarters. The Counted Woods then
a long point between Archie's and Freight
Pile, Ola the east side, was first looked
over f%avorably, but finally decided
to locate at the lower end of Elm Point,
The place as near as can be pointed out
by reference to the Journal of Lewis and
Clark and that of Sargent Glass, was at 1.-THE
mouth OF the lower cOulee and somewhat
within the shelter of the young cotton
woods. In about q month the winter
quarters were completed and hunting
pa:ties were sent out and those that re-
manned did the hOnOrs at receiving Indian
visitors or i'll returning visits. On one
accession Captain Lewis and a party went
t o the Gros Ventre camp above the mouth
of Knife River where the great chief
Horned Weasel held sway. Here the
daring Captain met his first rebuff, for
on %presep;ing himself before the great
but crusIsShef's lodge. she availed him
self" writes the captain 'of the civilized
indecoruln Of refusing to bese.n."
The hunting parties sent out for meat were
usually successful. Buffalo were found arounl
a: few mics back from the river. A party was
sent dcwn to Square Buttes AMI Heat River
returned with sa!cr"l elk deer and antalorl,-
Another party was set to New Mahdan Island
and While laasuGly ploddins al long up the frozcl
river, AMI about TIC mouth OF Buffalo Pa,lncl
creek, Il war party OF Sioux dashed out at then
and after counting ~ coup" and taking. som.
meat: Il borrowed horse AID giving them Il goot
scare allowed ti,m to deptrt.
AS Christmas drew near, preparations were
Md: at Fort Mandan for such was the quar-
tiers named to celebrate that holiday in beiitin:
style. York, the negro coos. the chief attraction
and mystlicatiou to the Indians had been order
cd by his owncr. Captain Clark, to keep sha ,
keep dark. They bclicTcd he was q liOodof
-;m Iy u pI til w lite mtl, AMI 81
of the Indians often amused them selves by try
to rub the pant from.his a~r1ns-which a3 thu
reader will suspect, only partially succeeded
Curiosity brG,l :Mt crowds of Indians daily to tho
Fort so ti.4t Gil Christmas eve Captain Levi.
informed his ret. Visitors that Tie lEGlrow was ;
great medicine day lor the whites and lie would
ask them not to he disturbed on that day which
they faithfully observed.
Christmas morning. was THEREFORE urshercd in
at Fort Nandan in true military style blythe
booming Of the little cannon and firing of blum.
dcrbusses. Alclloa.2l was servcl around AMI
bread, sugar, great &, leciCs to people uErscdto
1t for nearly Il year. After dinner tt e men
amused themselves il athlct.lic sports and
winding up in q "stas dance and loud yelIs and
thus ended the first celebration Of Christmas
W t in the present limits of Mclean County,
From Jos. II. Taylor's Historical Sketches OF
Mclean County,.
jamestown Capital /: The Bismarck Tri-
bunei is gnawing a file. We did not see the
article in Tribune from Farmer Wallace
no - ~, q &C VIC 1i1 IL moo -, n, IN