The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-10-03

ulated by the attention their perform
ances have attracted. and they enter
into them with much OF the reverent
spirit attendant upon the presenta.
ton of the Passion Play Visitors
are quick to note the analogy between
the two dramas and frequent refer
ence is made by them to Desbarats as
THE American Obenmmergau."
A drum used in the drama was once
the property of Shingwauk, the most
remarkable Ojibway of his time, and
saw service at Queenstown Heights in
the War of 1912.
Hiawatha of the poem is the Hia-
watha Of the play, and it needs only
a reasonable familiarity with the
poem to follow the action of the play
understandingly, even though it is
given in the Ojibway tongue. The
scene is an island fronting a natural
amphitheatre on the mainland. On
the right Of the stage, from the log
seats Of the spectators, is the tepee Of
Nokomis. On the left, across a short
stretch of water, rises the point of a
high cliff. thick with trees, and a little
further to the left the hill which ter
inmates at the cliff also forms a water
shed down which the Falls of Mime
haha dash in a green and white spray.
This representation is finely done in
oil by Francis West, and is the only de-
parture from nature in the whole set
ting. At the left again, beside the
falls, the Ancient Arrow Maker and
his fair daughter Minnehaha sit at the
entrance of their tepee Across Lake
Huron about half a mile looking di-
rectly over the open stage, is the gap
between Campment D'Ours and Cop
per Islands, with St. Joseph's Island
in the distance At the right, a mile
or more away, the main ship channel
runs through the Devils Gap-a re-
duced counterpart of the Palisades of
the Hudson. Directly west of the
stage, half mile distant, are two min
iature islands. That with the two
trees sticking up is Woman's Face. 1t
were waste OF words to comment up
on the exquisite beauty of such a
scene.
A column of smoke arising from
the peak of the cliff is a signal fire
lighted by the Great Spirit to call all
the nations that they may smoke to-
gether the pipe of peace, the Pukwana.
Brave in feathers, robes and weapons
the warriors assemble; some in can
oes, some rushing down over the hill
from the forest, some picking their
way along the margin of the lake.
They glare at each other with looks
of hatred-your average Ojibway is
a good simulator-and strike at each
other with their tomahawks. Sudden
ly the voice of the Great Spirit is
heard lamenting the quarrels of his
people; and, moved by a common i'm.
pulse, the warriors rush to the waters
edge, throw down their garments Of
dearskin and their weapons, and, dash
ing into the water, wash off the war
paint. Sitting in a circle, Indian
fashion" then they smoke the pipe of
peace.
The wedding feast is made the very
appropriate excuse for the introduce
ton Of a series of dances AMI songs
in which steps and melodies which
have echoed through the great north
ern forest for uncOunted generations
are reproduced.
The insult to old Nokomis and Min
nehaha by Pau-Puk-Keewis, in the alb
sence of Hiawatha and the braves, and
their angry pursuit of him now con-
stitute the most thrilling details of the
play
Omitting mention of several other
noteworthy incidents, which there is
not space to describe, he drama is
ended with the mystical departure Of
Hiawatha.
Realistic" is a word inadequate to
describe the effect of this remarkable
scene. 1t was the real thing which the
spectators of the Indian drama at Des-
barats witnessed and the picture will
remain in their minds until the magic
spell Of the poem shall have been
broken. AS a bar of purple and bold
en- sunshine sparkled westward across
the lake from the island Of the Wom-
ans Face to the ledge of the Indian
prophet, Hiawatha came forth and
raising his hands to the blue sky above
him, chanted to his people his sad
farewell. The refrain was caught up
and repeated by the sorrowful men and
women, and wave of melody foated
across the waters as tender, as sol
emn, as thrilling as the noblest song
of Wagner 1t lifted this wonderful
performance above the plane of a mere
exhibition and made it an event. With