The sun., 1899-05-21
THE INDIANS RED PIPESToNE.
Mr.. Crandall Skeptical OF Legends Told by
LonRfelloM and Others.

C. j. Crandall, formerly superintendent OF
the Pipestone Indian School. Minnesota writes
to The Sun to say that most OF the legends
about the famous red pipestone quarries at
that place are the invention OF white men. not
OF Indians. He says:
Much has been written about the red pipe
stone quarries at Pipestone. Mimi. and great
deal Of this stuff is purely imaginary. AS Long
fellow was the first to overdraw the facts about
this romantic spot. by virtue. no doubt. OF the
poets license. others with less poetical genius.
but greater amount OF cheek. have manufac-
tured fiction upon fiction and legend upon
legend. until now throughout our land these
bits OF supposed Indian legends have become
current. That the pipestone auarries exist
and have been operated by Indians for
three or four hundred years is true.
That all tribes were wont to visit these
quarries and regarded the SPOT as sacred
ground is false. No tribe other than the Sioux
outside Of the santee, Sioux. including sissl-
ton. whakpetons, Medawako1,tons and Yank-
rles., The Teton Sioux living west Of the Mis-;
souri knew Of this stone and often purchased
PIPES om and sW Ybstns
the aSarriss, ., The seo 0mahas. while iineqstio
psS the ss tss eReewS
to the north 2OO miles, never ventured to the
edge Of this quarry was only vague. To be
sure they often exchanged presents with the
IN this way came into posse esslon OF a few pipes.
had pipes made from a black looking sand rock.
"Longfell lows knowledge OF this quarry was
Cetiin. Hi, beautiful picture. Of the different
Imaginary peace was ali the poets dream.
While am not familiar with the writings OF
Catiin, l am, well satisfied that no historian
could be guilty OF msreDresentinR facts that
"TSen let Il be Known that these quarrles
but the Sioux-the santee Sioux at that that
their great antlquty does not extend back
ments are to be found around the old quarries.
eE were fey, years ago. That Is not strange;
imeements ne esa '%H and NO NO }irearms Less than
generation ago they still elunR g thS stone
ns sSer DC TO s"E Ss the Mush Edsf has F se
land his legends. while pure Applications. are
The Sioux legends are few and deal more with
war and 5stts II may be u1hind th M for one Who
sss sssa 'sE Sioux M@ 1as to
work Sf the ,E Shes man and not Si q re Indian.
Rock. the Three Maidens. the falls (which ara
not fallsl Of Winnewlssa, &c. are for the most
part tno creation OF the literary lawyer ABOVE
referred to- Other writer's have assisted in
creating legends that we're not legends.
The pipGFtone Quarres have been since
1857 the sole property OF the Yankton Sioux.
The fabulous value said to be attached to the
red pipe among distant tribes Is said to he
living nearby in South Dakota, pipestone has
no great value, The writer took n number oi
the Caddos. Kiowas and Comanches. but was
struck with the indifference OF these Indians
| toward what he had supposed would most
| this red stone was once blood shed In battle
| In fact. all legends that so far have been
| printed are the white mans To the Indian
there is nothing sacred about pipestone or the
| QuaTrcs."