Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-13
JOHN C.. FREMONT
ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF
THE FAMOUS PATHFINDER.
THE BEGINNING OF HIS CAREER
LEGEND OF LEAPING ROCK, IN THE
PIPEsTONE COUNTRY.
sixty Years Ago "Chnrley' Fremont
RudeIy Carved in Rock the Rec
ord of His First Important
Exploring Expe-
ditiOn.
SUPERINTENDENT 3. E. Shawhan, of the
Helping Han institute, has just returned
from an evangelistic trip to Pipestone,
Mimi, and he. brings back with him some
interesting facts regarding one of the most
remarkable spots on the American conti-
nent.
Pipestone, the village capital of Pipe

stone county in Southwestern Minnesota
is entitled to three great distinctions. but
not ten people in every 1000 in the United
States nave ever heard of the place, or of
the three distinctions which entitle II 10
a prominent place in history.
1t is, first, the center and distributing
point of the only valuable and CONNER
cial pipestone deposit in the world; second,
its site has a higher altitude, with but
one exception. than any human habitatlon
in the vast stretch of country lying be-
tween the Alleghenies and the ROCKY
mountains: third. it was there that John
c.. Fremont. in 1898. first made a lasting
name for himself as an explorer, and IT
was there that he first gave evidence NAT
the erstwhile harumscarum schoolbOy had
the elements in his MAKEUP that were des.
tined to make of him one of the foremost
Americans of his time.
In the aboriginal days PlpeStlne was tne
assembly point for the Sioux ana Chlppe-
wa Indians, and it was from the pipestons
q~uarries that their pipes and amuiets OF
peace, as well as their barbarlc decora-
tons. were manufactured. The deposit 10
two and one-half miles wide and twenty
seven miles long. TIL q%uarries were work
ed for hundreds of years before the III
grim Fathers set foot on Plymouth ROCK.
The Indian mounds of the West all con-
tain implements made from the p'pestone,
and in thousands of Minnesota ana i9wa
homes specimens of it are to be found IN
the form of paper weights and paper CUT
ters. Even at this day the descendants
Of the Chippewas. among them being tne
for settlers and Uncle Sam, at walker
Lake. fashion rude toys, decorations ana
pipes from the stone.
Within a short distance OF the Til!age
there is a natural attraction called The
Falls. In the summer time water only
trickles over the face of a precipice, whicn
| raging torrent, the fountainhead OF which
| is a natural reservoir located a Few miles
| higher IN In the mountains. About we've
| feet from the face of the ledge is a large
| fiat rock, and nearby stand thr2e oval
shaped boulders. upon which nave been be,
slowed the title OF The Ihree Mdidehs'
The fiat rock also has a name.
Legend of LeapinE Rock.
IT Is called "Leaping Rock and its title
was given by John C. Fremont, sixty years
ago. after he had heard a native" relate
| a peculiarly fascinating legend. 1t appears
| that centuries before young F'remont stood
| within the shadow of the rock an old chieI..
tain of the Chippewas became enamored OF
| a beautiful maiden who numbered ir her
| train of suitors two of the most promising
young members Of the tribe. To- TO his dso; SUIT
to win his bride and rid himself or me
young bucks by one stroke. So he cailed
the young 1 naek fbe a siiua ahs m to them, and
announced that if either sutton would leap
| from the crest of the Qrecipice to the NAT
| rock. he would withdraw his suit and per
| init the maiden to marry. the, man Of her
choice. TIL maiden was placed on the rock
and at the word of command one OF tne
| Youngsters essayed the. leap. He fell snort;
| his brains were dashed out on the ragged
| rocks below, and his bleeding body was
| whirled out of sight by the torrent; IN
! daunted by the horrible fate OF ms 1elloW.
| sutton the remaining buck leaped mo space
| and by a superhuman effort landed in the
| outstretched arms of his bride-to-ne.
Fremont Carved Initials.
1t was on the face of Leaping Rock that
| Fremont carved initials which for years
| were a source of study and curiosity to nun
dreds of sightseers and to members of the
| Pipestone Historical Society. The inscrip-
| tions are legible to this day. and moss
having grown about them the effect is very
| pleasing. The inscriptions read: