The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-07-05
CORN, TOBACCO, AND BEANS.
Curious Legend Related by the Old
Time Indians of Ohio.
From the St, Louis Republic.

Time Indians of Ohio.
From the St, Louis Republic,
Among the, many curious myths and
traditions of the Saukee and Musquakee
Indians of Iowa none are more singular
than the combination legend which re-
lates the story of the origin of corn, to-
bacco, and beans. The story, as told Col
Davenport, 1.-THE founder of the city of the
same name) by the head chief of the
allied tribes, is as follows: In time
many moons past the Indian ate only
meat and roots. Two mighty hunters
were one day sitting by fire on the
great prairies roasting their meat (venl-
SOM. when they were greatly astonished
to see a beautiful squaw descend from a
many tinted evening cloud, which was
hanging over the west, and alight upon
the smooth sward near by.
The first idea that struck the hunters
was that she was one of their ancestors
who had taken upon herself the task of
acting as guardian angel, and that if she
had made the trip from the happy hunt
ing grounds" as they verify believed she
had, she must be hungry, tired and cold.
She did not attempt to approach the fire,
however, and said nothing I'M
til she had been approached
by one of the hunters, who protfered her
a good-siZed slice of the steaming veni-
SON Before accepting the food she sat
down upon the ground without moving
her feet from the spot where they had
first come in contact with the earth.
While in the act of seating herself the
hunter noticed that both hands fell help
lessly at her sides, making great indenta-
tions in the soft earth. AS soon as she
recovered from what appeared to be a
fainting fit, resulting from over-fatigue,
she most graciOuSly accepted the food, ate
of it, and almost Immediately started
upon her return trip to the cloud-not,
however, until she had promised to re-
ward the hunters for their kindness.
Preparatory to her leave taking she in
formed her generous friends that if they
would return to that very spot in one
wear they would find their reward in
waiting Upon returning to camp the
hunters related the story of their wonder
full adventure with "the Lady of the
Clouds and that told of the promised re
ward-all of which was accepted with
taunts and ieers. During the following
wear they were laughed at so often when
ever reference was made to the reward
or s'the Woman of the Clouds, " they were
all but deferred from making a journey
in search of fulfillment Of the promise.
Finally in order not to be subjects of ridi-
Guile for the whole village, they pretended
direction and then made a detour by way
of the spot where they had met the
vision Of the skies. A wonderful sur
prise was in waiting. The spot where
the specter had sat while eating the roast
venison was Overgrown with tobacco
where her right hand had rested when it
fell seemingly helpless to the ground
corn had sprung up in all profusion, and
in the indentatiOn made by theleft hand
uDOn the same occasion beans had grown
and were then hanging in IA multitude of
brown and golden clus 5ers. Where the
feet of the Woman of the Clouds" first
touched when she alighted before the as
tonished hunters a year previous two
springs of water were gushing forth-one,
cold and sparkling watered the Indian
Eden; the other, which flowed in an OPP
posite direction to the first, was Of tur-
bid character, but sufficiently hot to cook
corn and beans 1t is needless TO add
that the two hunters had thanksgiving
then and there was great Joy among all
the tribes when the news of the new dis
covery spread over the country.