Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-04-10
GAVE THEM SAGAMITTEE.
indian Hospitality to First Whites
In Louisiana Purchase-Its
Great Corn Crop.

Alltr lie SOTO anu his 4D44oNtiss INC
FIRST corn eaten by white men upon the
soil Of the Louisiana purchase was that
which Louis Joliet and Pere Jacques
Marquette received from hospitable
| band of Indians, whose village lay up
on the banks Of a "small stream" sup
posed 10 be the Des Moines. On June
rs, 1873, as the explorer and his priestly
rompanion and historian were pad
ding down the Mississippi on their yoy-
age Of discovery, they saw tracks OF
men on the bank somewhere near the
southern end of what is now Iowa.
| Leaving their canoe in charge Of the
five boatmen, they followed the tracks
to the village, where they were well re-
ceived.
A feast was spread for them.of which
the "pieees de resistance" were saga
mittee," boiled dog, dried buffalo meat
land other delicacies relished by the
Indian palate. For the boiled dog the
quests could not conceal their disgust,
/ and il was considerably removed from
the board. But they ate sufficiently OF
the buffalo meat, as well as Of the
Isagamittee. which was nothing more
nor less than cornmeal mush favored
with grease. The historian does not
nominate the kind Of grease that the
Indians put into their mush. Surely
the dish was not so appetizing as the
cracked corn hominy which, softened
with fresh Jersey butter, is such a IA
vorite on many a dsinty breakfast
table among the southerners and the
Jerseymen, but the explorers ate 1t
with good appetite.
When they got down into the Arkan-
sas country they had more sagamittee
from the Indians, and roasting ears
and watermelons a plenty, The wa
termelon is native to Africa, but
these Indians showed their apprecia-
ton of a good thing by getting the
seds from Spanish or English colonists
and planting them, says the ST. Louis
! Republic.
The corn crop OF the Louisiana coun-
try is larger now than il was then, and
Il is put to more diversified and vastly
more profitable uses. In the pioneer
DAYS fl was the staff OF life Of the race
that has possessed the great valley. 1t
was the only breadstuff carried among
their supplies by Joliet and Marquette.
The French settlers at Old Kaskaskia
rejected il a. yictuals fit only for cattle
land swine. The men who crossed the
i Alleghenies with Boone and Sewer, and
Robertson. and Shelby, as well as those
who came into Ohio and Kentucky
4 higher up, travelled and fought Indians
often with no other supplies than
sack Of parched corn and a little bag OF
salt per man. Their powder horns, bull
let pouches, and straight-shooting
rifles provided all the turkey, bear, and
deer meat they needed.
In these DAYS Of commercial figures
and figuring it is of special interest TO
, learn from the statistician Of the treas
urv at Washington that in good years
the states and territories of the Louisi,
ana purchase make 100000 bushels OF
. corn. which is just about half, or a lit
lie more than half, of the American
crop. Happily his prodigious quanti-
Nv OF grain is not now consumed IN the
form az sagamittee and roasting ears.
Much Of It goes to feed the mules and
the men who make the great cotton
crops or the south. Vast quantities OF
Il go into the beef, pork and poultry
, that feed the mouths Of the dense man
ufacturinq and commercial population
OF the Northeastern seaboard states.
Bv means Of corn America gives pow
! erful aid and comfort 10 Europe and
we are ourselves somewhat comtorted
, lin return. OF corn and eornmeal we
sent abroad last year some S9O,OOO,Oo'
worth and cot the money. Then there
are the more comforting and also
more profitable items Of beef, hams
bacon, lard, and its compounds, sau'
sage and sausage meats, butter, cheese
and other animal products, the basis OF
which Is mainly corn. OF these W.
blessed the outside world with az
abundance that brought nearly 5000.
600 900 into American pockets. Hal
of 1t all comes out Of the soil Of tn
Louisiana purchase.
Iowa. on whose soil Joliet and Mar
u uuette were fed sagamittee by the II
lint Indians. IS the greatest Of all corr
states. Nine-tenths Of all the corr
grown west OF the Mississippi come
out Of the soil Of Iowa. Kansas, Nebras
ka and Missouri. Illinois is the onll
state east Of the river that turns GU
n corn equaling or surprising that o
/. any one Of these states; it is close be
Z tween her and Iowa.
Corn is the mightiest OF all the dyna
= mic forces Of America. II makes Y
: happy and prosperous in peace, power
=, full in war. Great is corn great is tn
Louisiana purchase country, the nat
ural home Of corn.
a once and Man.