The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1894-01-12
ABSOLUTELY Pure

AASolU'
regard this spot Will, JEALOUS eye, aud
rs In ages past. s,' il is up Z" IT,. NE
sent day, q custom witt, them IT, tom
gregate here annually M.ll, for ". ,rslip
and 0 get fresh suppl, "r s,",r.
The number Ut miles travelled aud
labor spent to reach this spot eau l.,
Imagined when history tells us tia,
trinkets made q. the Red Pipcstonc
have been plowed up from fields, found
In wells, and picked up In nearly every
section Of the United States, and
since this is the only spot where the
true pipcstone can be found, 1t is
priced very highly. Marquette smoked
the pipe of peace with the Indians in
1873, which he describes as made Of
red stone like marble. In 1919 Carver
describes the calumet" us having a
bowl made of red marble, and speci.
mems OF these pipes have been found
among those Of the Mound Builders.
1t Is thought that this rock ut one
time must have been chalk, and by
some action nature imprcgnated
with coal oil, and thus formed the
heat to have its consistency changed
to extreme hardness. Its softest part
Is the celebrated pipestone, and has
an oily feeling. Its medium hard
portion is SCALED jasper, and its hardest
partquartzite. The excavations made
from digging for new stone were care.
fully filled In before the Indians left
the spot, to keep this precious gem
concealed from the white man. 1t is
thought too that this stone hardens
by exposure to the elements, Around
the quarry, traces Of camps have been
found by stones placed in a circle, and
SO long ago that the slow accumula-
tton Of centuries have hidden them
from view.
A few of the many legends regard
Ing this historical spot may not prove
uninteresting, although most every
tribe OF Indians have their own tradi-
tion of its origin. BY some it is
believed that the great Manitou (the
Great Spirit) formed the first red man
out of red pipestone others that tho
first red man was Matched from an
eagles egg by clap Of thunder. The
PIpestonc legend most generally ac-
copied and believed by the Indians is
that centuries ago all the Indian
tribes Of the earth assembled at the
Pipestone quarry, engaged in a despcr-
ate war, saturating the earth with
the blood Of the red man, which petri-
fled, hence the red pipestone. Only
two chteftains survived this conflict,
and the race would have been extinct
had not three maidens secluded them
selves beneath three large rocks, and
SO lived to perpetuate their race.
These rocks are still to be seen, but
are different in composition than any
other In the vicinity. Ancient HERO
glyphics are carved upon them by the
different tribes, and these three large
boulders are worshipped blythe Indians
Of to-day.
The following is said to be the origin
of the red pipe. The Great Manitou
congregated all the Indians of every
nation upon the spot, and standing on
high wall Of the Pipestonc broke a
piece of. moulding it 10 his hand into
large pipe, he then smoked over the
nations of the north, south, east and
west, and told them that this stone
was their blood and must be used for
their pipe of peace, and because they
were SO taught by the Great Manitou,
they have made this a resort of
worship while digging the stone. The
Great Manitou then carved his own
image on one Of the highest rocks {;
this rock is called by the Indians the
Great Manitou, and In outline is a
very correct Indian profile.
The wall Of the quarry is thirty feet
high, and nearly two miles long: on
the top are q number of springs and
small tributary streams; these unite
at some distance and then fall over
the wall into several basins below,
forming in cascades and pools-thc
beautiful Winnewissa Falls.
1 am especially indebted to Mr..
Ctas. H. Bennett (secretary of the
Minnesota Historical Society, for the
Interesting information given me re-
garding the quarry, and for copy of
a letter received by him from Gen.
Fremont, regarding his expedition to
the quarry in 1893.
~. N. Nicollett,C. f., z. A. GILL,
j. E. T., ]. R.-Expedition July 1885,"
Mr.. Bennett discovered the above
initials carved into the stone near the
brink Of the Great Manitou rock, and
believing Gen. Fremont's name to be
among them, wrote to the General a
letter Of inquiry, and received the
following reply.
1--WE made a camp at Red Pipestonc
Quarry and met there q band of Sioux,
The initials to which you particularly
refer, G. F. are for Charles Fremont,
as then commonly wrote my name.
The Lake Jessie and Benton are for
my wife and Senator Benton. II
wonder II the chimney which stood in