Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-12-25
coRNsrALK AND MS LEGEND.
An Interesting story of II Michigan Indian,
who Is 1O5 Years uld.

i
An interesting story of " Michigan Indian,
Who Is 1O1 Years old.
! From the Chicago Timcs-iIerald.
IN the northern forests of Michigan
| ana Wisconsin and along the beautiful
! shore or Lake superior the traveller secs
( many old Indian missions. There, also,
are little bands of half-breeds living in
a Sgml-Siale OF civilization. They are
[ the Indians Of to-day, who have few of
IN" good qualities Of their ancestors,
/ but apparently most Of the meaner quail
| ties of both the white men and the TRUE
Indian. They have lost, with everything
| else, their language and speak Il con-
glomeration of Canadian French and
their original tongue.
At the northern end of Lake Michigan
ana west end of the Straits of Mackinac
is the beautiful Bay de Noe. CiyiliZa-
/ tion has found its way there and saw
mills, that Will soon be abandoned for
want of timber, now mar its shores. The
most prosperous of these little lumber
towns is Manistique. and there lives an
! old full-blood Indian, "Cornstalk" who
is 101 years old He begs ana saws wood
for a livelihood. He is ragged and dirty
and crippled. Years ago Cornstalk, then
an old man. was struck by falling tree,
which broke his leg and pinned him to
the ground. He was alone and the ther-
momoter was 20 deg below zero Real
izing that to remain in that position
very long meant freezing to death, he
drew his hunting knife and cut off his
his hands and knees several miles to his
| home.
Cornstalk has q remarkable memory
and reCitcs many interesting bits. Of
early Michigan history, remembering the
battles at MaCllinac in 1881 as though
they Were but yesterday. The old In
dian is full of "reminiscences and pretty
legends that attract an interested aU-
dienCe whenever he can be made to talk.
With band Of children around him he
may begin with the following pretty
legend explaining why drops of water
like rain, sometimes fall from the pine
trees:
"MOnEo was the first man who in
habitcd the earth. He came from the
land of the rising sun, and made his
home along the streams which flow in
to the great lakes. Although fish and
game Were plentiful MougO was dis
satisfied and lonesome, for he had no
companion to share his joys
But the Great Spirit knew his heart,
was sad and one night as MongO sat in
front of his Wigwam warming himself
by a huge camp fire, he was suddenly
startled by a bright light in the heavens,
and looking up he saw meteor swiftly
descending to the earth, leaving train
of fire in its path. The bright tail fell
only n short distance from where he
was seated, and when Il struck the earth
1t burst into many pieces and a beaut-
full women stood before him
AT first Mongo was frightened and
would have fled, but she held out her
hands and beckoned him TO come.
"MouEo's fears soon left him, and he
felt a new and strange passion steal over
hin-that of love-and he led Wasaqua
to his WigWam on the banks of the roar
ing Escauaha where for many moons
they lived together happily. And chill
dreu Were born 10 them To bless their
union. But one day Mongo became sick,
and although WasuQuu nurSel him with
all a womau's gentle care, he sank rapid-
" and. as the sun rose from a NIGHTS