Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-04-29
Ehpntng Ghat

Arrangements have been completed
for the State to participate i'm the
archaeological survey of the Susquehan-
ma river valley which is to be under
taken this year by various historical
organizations in New York and Penn
sylVania, the national government,
New York State officials and indi-
viduals interested in the lore of the
aboriginal inhabitants of Central Penn
sylvania and New York.
This survey was projected to cover
| both branches of the Susquehanna
with view to clearing up many mat
ters which have been questioned and
for the purpose of establishing the
| foundations for traditions and legends.
1t has been financed by number OF
eastern peopIe and cooperation of
county historical societies has been
secured. The States part will be taken
through the State Historical Com
mission, which will give $4,000 from
| It's appropriation and be represented
in the work by George p. Donehoo, of
| Coudersport, one of the members of
the commission and an authority on
! Indian life in the keystone State. The
state Will also receive much material
for its publication. The proposed op-
Grafton will be the most extensive of
| the kind ever undertaken in Pennsyl-
vania Gnd hundreds of miles will be
| covered. Indian villages and battle
grounds located, districts held by Vari-
Gus tribes defined and authentic data
regarding colonial and early republi-
can times will he collected.
This section of the Susquehanna
Valley is particularly rich in Indian
! lore and there are we'll established
places where Indians lived and the
names of the tribes which roamed
along its banks are preserved in fam
liy traditions and embalmed in many
legend. Long before John Harris
came to the banks of the Susque-
mamma 2OO years or so ago. the ford
which became the ferry was used by
INDIANS. Every one here knows the
STORY OF the attempt to burn John Har-
rls and the story of the death of Half
| hlng, the famous Indian chief here
and the tales of the Indian raids and
OF the council fires still linger.
There were Indian villages at the
| mouths OF every creek of any size
emptying into the Susquehanna here
abouts. The Shawnees held forth at
the mouths of the Conodoguinet and
the Yellow Breeches and on this side
there were kindred of those warriors
at the mouth of Paxton creek, while
well established Indian villages, of
which remains have been discovered,
were at the mouths of the Swatara
and Conewago. At the mouth of the
| Mahantongo creek, the northern
boundry of the county, there was q
| big village and the Indians in that sec
tion did not like those who lived on
Duncan's Island or at the mouths of
| the Perry county creeks. The Blue
Ridge abounded in Indian tribes and
some of the more warlike used TO
make raids upon the downriver In
dians whose outposts lived within sight
of the State Capitol.
Broad or Little Mountain. as it is
more generally known, which gently
rises about a mile back of Dauphin
and runs out into the coal regions be-
| tween the Kittatinny and Peters ridges
is rich in Indian lore. Just back of
the point huge rock square, high
and imposing, rises. From its appear
ance 1t gets its name Pulpit Rock
In the old days when Indians roamed
Clarks and Stony Creek valleys a pow
erful chief presided over the delibera-
tions of his councils from its broad
top. Later he lost his power and after
a fierce fight in the plains with an
enemy tribe was driven up the slope
or the mountain. Fatigued, the legend
runs, he made an effort to climb up
the rock where he felt he could repeI
his enemies until his men could res
cue him but fell and was dashed 10
| pieces on the footstool of his thron"
Fhe Great Ruler of the Happy Hunt
ing Grounds visited this vengeance
upon him, the legend concludes be-
cause of his excessive cruelty to
women and children. Farther up the
mountain on the Stony Creek slope
OF the mountain to this day stands a
little log block house. 1t is in a fair
state of preservation and children of
the Stone Glen summer colony derive
great sport from digging arrow heads
from its porous walls.
On the C1arks Valley side of Little
Mountain, nearly exactly opposite the
block house is a heavy mountain
! stream. Down near where it empties
into Clarks creek is a little SQUARE
hole, still screened by bushes. along
the bank. According to old residents
] OF the valley, a family by the name
! OF Hooker, dwelt in this region durine,
| the reign of the Chief of Pulpit Rock.
! One day the husband and father was
| treacherously killed by Indians. The
wife and her two children were not
! molested at the time. Mrs. Hooker
aware OF the cruelty of this tribe and
| tearing its early return, took her chill
dren and a shovel and followed the
/ little stream into the mountains. At
a turn, the water shot around and
made a pretty cascade. The widow.
| her wits sharpened by the danger
! threatening her children, conceived
! the idea of building a dugout beneath
| the falls. She worked for days and
| finally made hiding place into which
she and the children could crawl and
! be completely concealed. Her de-
scendants still living in the valley at
/ test to the SUCCESS of bar bidine,