The Democratic advocate., 1895-07-06
Wapatogo and the Death Bird.
From the chicago nalIs Tribune.

From the Chicago Daily Tribune
Overlooking the Piasa River which
pours its waters into the Mississippi Just
above Alton. stands the piasa Rock
About this there clings the remnant of an
Indian legend which tells If brave chief
Wapatogu and how he saved his peo-
pie from a monster There are people now
alive who remember when the rock bore
the rude picture Of q huge bird which was
slain by Wapatogo. painted there by his peo-
pie to mark his act of heroism The story
was handed down in unwritten tribal history.
and the early settlers heard it from the
chiefs of the tribe of which Wapatogo was
the foremost chief
Al an early period in the history of this
country tribe Of Indians inhabited the
territory now embraced in the State of
Illinois They were the Illinois from which
the State derived its name For many
years this tribe increased in power pros-
perity, aud numbers until their tepee> could
be seen on its green prairies and their
canoes upon it, beautiful water courses
irom one end of the State to the other
After a time u change came over this
happy nation Their hunting grounds
were deserted and their ranks decimated.
Where their people were the most numer-
eus aud where their great chief had his
home there appeared bird Of enormous
size-more of a beast than fowl-whieh
took uP his abode ON rock overlooking
the Mississippi it, huge body was GOV
cred with scales Of every hue With one
blow Of its mighty tail il could make the
earth tremble II had head ike an OK.
with the beak II an eagle Immense
horns hing over eyes that shone with the
tierceneSs Of lightning. and its four feet
were armed with powerful talons. in each
of which It could carry buffalo When
it tapped lis wings there was noise ike
thunder and when it diyed into the river
great waves rolled upon the shore
To this animal the Illini, gave the name
piasa Bird of the Evil Spirit This
bird feaste,i daily upon the Illinois people
whom II bore IF in It's claws The in
ilnence Of ih, medicine men STAYED nw i,s
power DAY by day they saw with terror
their ul,uiher diminishing to crafty the
in-atiable appetite Of the Plasa. Village
after village was destroyed, and conster
nation spread throughout AL their tribe
There seemed no,hiug in the future for
them hui entire annihila,iou
At last Wapatogo, the brave Young
L e II t..i....l -
as their greatest warrior, whose fame ex
tended beyond the Tising and the setting
sun called a ,,suncil of the priests IN a
,srrst cave where after many days ct
PRAYER and fasting ,fey slept Presently
the Grca, spirit appeared to Wapa,o2o and
told him the only way 'o rii hi, people
IT their great DESTROYER was 10 offer himself
a. a sacrifce The youn@ chief started
up amused the -leeping priests. and in
formel them of his vision frum the Great
Spirit and Of his resolve 10 make the NJ
.lairsd sacrifice
WspaIoso dressed himself a. bccamine
great chief PUT on his war paint aud
wiih his toSnahawk bow and arrows to-sk
hi, position on this prominent point ot rock
to await the coming 81 the bird IT death
the slayer Of hi, people A. bad been
dircciei in hi vision. many # his brave
waFriors SER ooncealed 10 she intersgices
a. the roek, each 90 await Wiih aTro4
ir.wn. the time when their beloved chief
should b. attacked. 10 wrcak their last
vcngranee oa sheir dreaded enemy Erect
aud powerful stood the uudsuut.>i Wapa
togo calm ami placid chanting hi, death
-ots- suddenly there came a rnr as uf
thunder and in one instant he Piasa with
. will ,crcam that shssak the rscks darted
jowu up,n the chief The brave Wapa
t,s.u quailed nat bat when within reach
be buried hi. iomahawk deep into the
monster head. every arrow went with
lightning ,gc,-d into It's boly and the
pissa with shrek that nss.,uaded far
over the opposite shore lell dead
Wapayog, sead uuharnacd an ar
row nor even the talogs of the bird had
touched him The Great Spirit IN ad
miration IF the noble sacrifice the zenernr~
anl brave Wapato.eo would have ma,l, Tor
HI, people. held over hin an invisible
shield The tribe gave way 10 tbs widest
joy held great feast in honor Of the
event and to commemorate IT, painted the
figure of the Bird Of the Piasa on the
rock by the side Of which their noble chief
tain had stood in his heroic defence There
the picture remained for agt-s-until within
the memory or lwellers Of Alton--s marx
for the arrow Of bullet Of the red man as
be yoyaeed the erea, Father of Waters