Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-12

MAMMOTH battle AT BIG BONE SPRINGS
.estants were hugo mammoths aud mas.
.odons on one side. lightning and the
wrath of nn Indian deity ON the other.
All that is left to tell the terrible story
q the huge bones that have been exca-
vated near Big Bone Springs, Boone
county, -Ny.
The 5tNry. as told by the old Indian
chief. Is II thrilling one. When General
William l.en.y Harrison. grandfather of
The pTesf.I president Harrison, had
concluded he treaty with the Indians
Cor the ,..,at Northwest Territories, he
c-..cd the Indian chiefs II they could in
IN my way IHcoitnt for the numbcrless
mighty bones of mnstodons and ele-
plants that lay in such marvellous col
lcc;ions within the small valley Mt Big
Bone Springs An old chief. gray with
many winters, rose and answered tho
question thus:
Many moons ago. ere the white man
camr and while the hunting wns yet
good, the elk, the buffalo and the deer
went often to tile valley OF springs to
drink the smelling waters. But many
and mighty mnmmoths also came from
nfar to drink and Nh the days went ON
they killed or frightened away the elk.
dians could hunt no longer. Then tho
Grent Spirit was angry at the nam
moths, aud. he came down from the sky,
md from high hill he hurled his thun-
derboits nrlong the g-cnt animals and
slew them In countless numbers within
the valley. Mad with terror. they tore
through the pathways OF the valley, aud
the deer and buffalo. that remained fled
Into the forests, but the Great Spirits
thunderboltB were more terrible and
more destructive to tho mammoths thnn
they had been to the game. All save one
was killed before they could rush from
the valley. This great bull. the father
of the herd, had only his long tuslSs
broken Off by the lightning. He was old
and cunning, and he went screaming
across the hills, sweeping trees out OF his
path as an Indian would bit OF grass.
until he cane to the great river. Here
he paused, only long enough to gather
himself for mighty bound. Then. leap
ing, he cleared the wide Ohio and tore
on through the forest to the great lakes
and across them into the cold northeast.
Here ho disappeared and was seen no
more, and here he lives to this day. his
tusks gone. shaagy and gray with nge,
but still terrible TO behold"
Such was the answer that General
Harrison received. but whatever of truth
there Is, or Is not, In the Indian legend
accounting for the bones found and to be
found In the valley at Big Bone Springs,
at least the strange discovery made by
fishermen ON the coast OF Labrador In
1897 lends weird plausibility to the
old chiefs story.
Tho fisherman In question saw, while
tramping the beach one day, u huge body
frozen in the ice clin above him. As the
Ice melted the body sank TO the ground.
and he. procuring aid. skinned IT,. The
skin was put aboard n Russian vessel
and taken 10 Russin. II proved TO he the
skin of an arctic elephant, "a feet long
aud III feet high and the Royal Zoolog-
Ical society OF Russia has II now. The
Smithsonian institution at Washington
heard Of the matter ard has since had
an exact reproduction OF the skin made
aud mounted for its museum, Now II
does not take much Imagination TO read
IN this find of the fisherman II sequel to
the Indian legend. Indeed when ono
Indian was told OF II he said the great
mammoth, which had escaped into the
northeast, had been found nj last.
The hamlet Of Big Bone Springs. while
many years old, Ia still but a little cus
~
the way valley Ia the Kentucky hills,
rome % or more miles southwest OF Gin.
oinnati. Once famous for its mineral
waters and the remains OF prehistoric
animals found there Big Bone Ia now
but half forgotten name, The village
boasts an unusual number of stores for
such small plnce-there are thrce-and
In summer the views about Big Bone nrc
as beautiful as they ever We're, but the
old hotel, on the hill overlooking the
mammoth filled valley, aud the pavilion
mt the biggest spring, both of which
places 30 years ago resounded with
laughter and the tread OF many feet, are
pow silent and fast failing into decay.
The meandering creek, Mud Lick, wan
ders as II will through the valley, aug
mented by the overflow OF the springs,
The hills about the place give forth their
crops of corn and tobacco and peaceful
cattle range the pastures, but forests
there are mono. and the deer and the