Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19

A to west, and north OF
ma the central part from
north to south, there
is a beautiful valley
which years ago
the home of the cop
permitted Pottawato
imes a low filthy tribe of Indians, possessing
few of the noble, heroic traits we are accustomed
to hear accredited to the red men in both trad1-
ton and fiction but to their credit be 1t said they
lived seemingly peaceable friendly terms Win
their tribal neghbors, and when few daring or
adventurous white men located in their vicinity,
they wanted it understood that they were the
white mans friends.
This valley was located the so-called Sac
and Fox trail the only direct route for native
Indian or invading white man between historic
Fort Dearborn on Lake Michigan and the great
bend of the Mississippi river narrow path that
in many places by this continual traVel was worn
foot or more Deep
This quiet valley surrounded by tall bluns re-
minded one of a very large deep bowl, with its
entire edge escalloped by the hill peaks in sllhou-
cite against the beautiful blue sky. These bluffs
were covered with variety of native forest trees,
Astounding in gay feathered songsters, and as
evening drew near in the quiet cleaning could De
heard the plaintive call of the whippoor-wil, and
still later the who-oo-who-oo-who-oo-o of the in
quisitve night owl.
Along one side winds a small stream hardly
large enough bear the title of river laziy mean
dering on its way, and we can almost hear it say
ing
81 chatter, chatter, as l flow
To join the brimmng river,
its larger sister, the Illinois, only a few miles
distant: on the other side of the valley comes
tricklng down between the hills from a remote
spring origin the Wapsepinakie; a stream small
but never dry or without it's welcome pools in the
warmest season. however in the springtime when
the hills have dotted their caps Of snow to king
Sol, with the added early rains gathered in the
crooked burrows of the valley it becomes mighty
force often a rushing maddening torrent as 1t
winds through the valley, washing its loamy sides
into it's pebby bed.
Here the Pottawatomes had from 800 to 400
lodges,
where sloping hills around have made
quiet valley, green and sweet"
Here was their council house, their dance
grounds their cornfields and their caches. Here
was their shelter from the wild prairies blast,
their fragile home of poles and skins: they could
go to the top of the tallest bluff which the white
man later christened Mount Nebo from its SINH
larity to the Mount of olden times from whose top
Moses was allowed to view the promised land. so
from the top of this modern Mount Nebo the keen
Indian vision could see ten, yes twenty, and on
very clear day even thirty miles away over rich,
fertile, rolling prairie looking down on the
beautiful sequestered valley his own loved
teepee; for
"Oft hath he gazed from yonder heighth
When pausing mid the chase alone,
On the fair lands beneath his sight,
And fondy called them all his own"
AS was the custom in these primitive days, the
squaws did most all the work. they cultivated the
corn, built what little crude fence they needed to
keep their numerous ponies at home and wnen
the harvest time these faithful spouses
gathered the and buried it in the caches,
mammoth early mimics and rivals of the squir
relS and pOnherS then to increase their store all