The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-28


then occupied. as has been said, by the
Osages. With the ease and versa tillty'
characteristic of his nationality. ne ~
once adapted himself TO their aoeflSlhai
habits and customs, and so won their con-
fidence and admiration by his courage ana
military bearing that ne soon become one
of the leaders of the tribe, and many IT'S
chief. BY this time the CnerokeeS MSLe
emigrating from the old nation Dy scores
and hundreds and encroachlng Win NlSoI
upon the supposed possessions OF the
I Osages. The Cherokees wished 10 DC az
peace, and overlooking the first attacks
OF their would-be enemies. Ih ti Slnas
and principal warriors visited the OSdSe
villages and proposed a treaty OF ahllty'
which was concluded. the tOmahdWh was
buried, the calumet of peace was Snohe9'
and tokens of fidelity were eNchahseu-
4 The Cherokees well pleased with the at
tainment OF their object took up theiT
march 10 their own homes put WnllS on
their way hither party VINO hsu pSSh
sent out to Kill game for food TO supply
them with provisions for the Journey were
waylaid and murdered by the OsageS, d
number of whom had followed them thus
far.
After this violation of the treaty the
Cherokees took up arms against thelr
treaeherous neighbors; their Warriors,
amounting to some go met the OSdSSS'
numbering some 200 warriors. On the
very first fire scores of the Osages were
slain. Very soon after this victory a
man by the name of Tak-ah-to-kuh emf
grated from the old nation. rms man
was descended from the ancient priest
| hood. He had been chief ana a
brave warrior. He was Immediately re
garded as the highest authority oy the
CherOkeeS. Having been told the Sltud-
ton, he approved of their open declara-
ton of war. The CherOkeeS, though
greatly out-numbered by the OSages,
were uniformly victorious. In the west
ern part of the Cherokee Nation a dread
ful and final battle took place, in which
ClaremOnt, the chief, was slain, Win
scores of his followers. The remaindef
took refuge in an ingloriOus flight Ene
signs of this battle are yet TO be seen IN
the hecatombs of the fallen braves known
as the ClaremOre mounds THESE MOUNDS
are short distance from the thriving
town of ClaremOre, which name IS a cor
ruptiOn of "CiaremOnt,' the name OF the
adopted Usage chief, for whom they were
both called. On one of these mounds this
famous Usage chief was buried with all
of his possessions but his remains were
afterward eXhumed, and every bone ana
personal belonging was carried away by
the Osages, thereby proving their afIec-
! ton and appreciation OF MN. Ihese
mounds are easily seen from the passing
trains. and are landmarks OF Interest and
curiosity, and 10 this day people IN quest
of curiOS, by diligent search, may ma
buried relics of the OsageS. Many OF the
adjacent farms are Usage graveyards,
where human skulls and personal be-
lOngings are yet turned up by the ploW-
Thus disappeared from the land OF the
Cherokees the last of the OsageS, taking
up their abode in that portion Of the
country purchased by them from the
United States government.
This battle has furnished the subject Of
a very pretty Indian legend, accounting
for the origin of the Salt Springs near
the Cherokee Orphan asylum. In a val
ley between the hills of Saline district, on
the shores of Grand river. in the center
of what appears to be an arid waste,
where neither Sprig of grass nor green
shrub is to be seen, so impregnated Is the
soil with saline matter, boiling up TO the
height of several feet are a number OF
salt springs, which are not only objects
of curiosity, but of usefulness as well, for
years ago they furnished the entire
supply Of salt consumed by the Chero-
KEGS in that part Of the country. To the
present day the old iron kettles, portions
OF the engine and pipes and other imple-
ments used in the manufacture of salt
may be seen, now spoken of as the
ancient salt works of the CheTOkees.
Beneficent nature, who never does any
thing by halves, has not belied her repu-
tatiOn in this instance A few yards Op-
posite the boiling salt springs may be
seen number of other springs, at
whose fresh and sparkling waters the
Usage maidenS had often Quenched their
thirst.
Years ago, so the story runs, near the
present site of this natural wonder,
dwelt an Usage maiden, Palisha, a
daughter of one of the chiefs. whose
ponies, trinketS and gorgeous blankets
were the envy and admiration of every
other young squaw of the tribe, and
whose hand was sought in marriage by
many a stalwart Usage brave; but
Palisha, after the manner of ali maidens
since the days of Eden, had smiles and
glances for only one Adam. brave and
youthful warrior in ClaremonTs army at
the battle of the mounds During this
battle the runners were sent as news
bearers between the Usage village and
the scene OF the battle, some twenty-five
miles distant As the news of the battle
fiuctuated from victory to defeat the
hopes of the young girl rose and tel; she
neither ate nor slept during II progress,
but kept a constant vigil awaiting the ar
rival OF the messenger, whose coming held
such fatal interest for her, fc- all too
soon the tortures of uncertainty We're
replaced by her melancholy cries TO the
Great Spirit to sustain her in her grief,
for the dreaded news had reached her
that the battle was over, and her lover
was slain At the foot of a gigantic oak
she threw herself PROSTATE upon the
bosom of mother earth and gave herself
wholly to her despair. Like the Greclan
Niobe of old, she wept and wepu without
ceasing till the Great Spirit in ply trans
formed her into the artesian-llke springs,
whose salty waters shall forever perpetu-
ate her tears ,->-
MABEL WASHBURNE ANDERSON.