The Lamar register., 1893-09-09
ooam. TOBACCO AND BEANS.
Legend Told by low. Indians Regarding
the Origin of the Three.

Among the many curious myths
and traditions of the saukee and
Musouakee Indians OF Iowa none are
more singular than the combination
legend which relates the story OF the
origin of corn, tobacco and beans
The story. as told Colonel Davenport
(the founder OF the city of the same
narne) by the head chief OF the allied
tribes and reproduced by the St Louis
Republic. is as follows In time
many moons pas: the Indian ate only
meat and roots. Two mighty hunters
were one day sitting by ire on the
great prairies roasting their meat
(venison). when they were greatly
astonished to see a beautiful -quaw
descend from many-tiuted evening
cloud which was hanging over the
vest and alight upon the smooth
sward near BY. The frs: idea tha;
struck the hunters was that she was
ono Of their ance-t r. who had taken
upon her eli the task Of acting as
guardian angel, and that II shc had
made the trip from tho .'happy hunt.
ing grounds. a. they vcrily believed
she had. she must b. hungry tired
and cold. She did no. attempt 20
approach the fire. however. and raid
nothing until she hai becu apprOched
b. one OF the hunters, who Pruiicrcd
her a good-sixcd slice Of the sioamlnu
vca-ion. Before accepting the feed
She .at down upon the ground ~ tn
out moving her feet from the spot
where they had first e. me in con-
tact with the earth While in the
act Of ca;ing her.clf the hunter
noticed that both hands fen help
lcs-ly at her side making great
indentaiions in the -cf; earth A.
soon a. shu recovered from what
appeared TO bc a fainting It, result
ing from oycriatigue, she most graci-
ou-ly accepted tho food. ate uf &; and
almost Immediately ,tartcd upon her
r, turn trip - the clouds not. hl@-
ever. until ,hc had promifcd 20 ~
ward the hunters for ihuir ndncsl
Preparatory 10 her lcavc-iak ne sho
informed her generous friends that II
they would return - that vrrg spot
in one year they would find their ~
ward In waiting, Upon returning 10
camp the hunts.s related the story
OF their wonderful adventure With
The Woman Of the Cloud" and told
OF the promised rcwnrd all OF which
was accepted with tIunts and jo-r,-
During the following year they we're
laughed at % Oft m whenever refer
ence was made to tn .-srwaud" or
II he Woman OF the Clouds th
were all but Diet irr',d from making
a journey In search II a fulhlimcu;
OF the promise. Finally. in order
70 b. subject. Of ridicuie for the
whole village. they pretcn icd to make
hunting excursion in another dlrec-
tion. and then made det our by WY
OF the spot where they had met the
vision OF the skies. A wonderful sur
prise was IN wAitin. The spot
where the specier sat shile eating
the roast vcnison was ovcrgroun
with tobacco; where her right hand
had rested when il fell seemingly
helpless 10 the ground corn hal
sprung up In all proiusion. and in
the indentation made hy the left hand
upon the zane occasion bpa had
grown and were then hanging in
multitude OF brown and golden clus-
tsrs. Where the feet Of The Woman
OF the Clouds fret touched when she
alighted before the as;onishcd hunters
a year previous two springs of water
were gushing iorth-one. cold and
sparkling. waiercd the Indian Eden;
the ether. which flowed in an oppo-
site direction to the first. was Of a
turbid character, but sufficiently hot
to cock corn and beans. IL i neel-
less 10 add that the two hunie.- had
a Thanksgiving then and there. and
that there was great joy among all
the tribes when the news OF the new
di, ,covcrv spread oyer IN. rozpr,,