The Holbrook news., 1911-03-17

Is so writ in the records, and
 A the waves beating against the
 Long Island shore moan 1t as a squlem. Before Columbus or Cabot set gail for the hemis phere somewhere far away to the unknown west the ancient Mcntauks Indians alike of land and sea. were wont to greet the sun as it rose vi smiling face from out the dep or toss their weather-tanned heads when the waves welled in stormy tumult. Now, from .he deck of the passing liner one may picture the bent figure that once typified the grandeur of race that was.
 Long Island. in the days before the coming of the Dutch, was called Island of Shells. It was the aborig- lnal treasure house the home of that -hich spe led wealth. Wampum grew thereon as the gold nestles in the rocks. Wampum was Indian money. 1t was made from the stock or stem of periwinkle. Paque was a medium of exchange of lesser value. It was cut from the purple heart of the hard clam shell Some broazeface fnan- -lST BdN6 llC Aldl lAtib thC odh0OohEAS' were to be the tribal Repositories. ard from that time on, for generation after generation. Mcntauk was at once the bourse and the Wall street of h. dian operations. The fame of the tribal opulence was waited on the winds to the lands of the Mohicans, the Iro- Quois and the Narragansetts, where at there was much wonder. When a soft-eyed maiden gave her heart to a bean-shanked buck the old folks would empty into their honeymoon canoe sev- oral feet of select wampum and send them on their happy way full of the Rockefeller spirit
 Wealth carried with 1t responsibili- ties in those good old days as 1t does today. Sachem Wyandance was the great auditor of his tribe. His O. K. was necessary on all transactions from a dicker for a canoe-load of bluefish to an installment purchase of bunga- low site on shoal inlet. He was called in the Montauk dialect toto mua, which in modern phrase is a tightwad.
 One day, when Long Island sound lay warm and placid, two-score or more of Pequots, who lived on the Con necticut shore, bundled into their canoes and padded over to the head lands of Montauk. They sent word to the island sachem to come out with some of his strong-arm boys and take a walloping. On receipt of this chal lenge there was some poo-poohing. The Montauks sent the millionaire (wampuml company to meet hated and poverty stricken Pequots. It was sad affair. The Montauks were trim med. That night when the Pequots pointed their barks for Connecticut they carried with them portion oi their neighbor's bankroll.
 It didn't take long for the news te get around that the Montauks had al of the sunny side of Easy street in the way of ready cash. A considerable tribe of ambitious and hopeful Indians known as the Narragansetts, occupied | among other places what is now fash ionable Newport They bathed. at sucf times as it seemed absolutely neces sary, on what is now called Bailey! beach. It is said, too, that they hal a club house somewhere near the pres ent site of the Casino. Well, the Mar ragansetts having heard that 1t wal like taking lemon stick from chile at a kindergarten door to make thu Montauks part with their money, sen part of the naval reserve of the tim' to make a demonstration on tho Island
 This time the Montauks weren't s' easy. They met the Narragansetts ol the beach and fought them until dark Just how many fell on that occasion will never be known, for the tide car ried the bodies of the slain out to se and they never came back to be count ed. Some time thereafter, or abou I 1641, an understanding was arrived i by which the Montauks and the Narrs gansetts got along without furthe fighting.
 The citadel of Montauk authorit stood at what is known as Fort hil It was set with stone towers at eac of its four corners and was fortres which never once was taken by a enemy. Sachem Wyandance himsel ) lived in regal semi-savagery in wig yam half as large as a side-show ten ] et a circus, short distance from tn
 citadel. Wyandance was one of ou
 earlier Beau Brummels. He enjoye meeting people. The Dutch had muc : to dicker with the Indians at this time and the sachem never missed an oI portunity to get down to New Amstel
 dam to talk things over with the gov ! rnnr and nnuncil He wore nn thos