Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-07-13

Inc LoTu SlNeJn ana the LORD
taketh away! When the territory
which now comprises the state of
Minnesota was created, this ante
dating Pierre Radisson's visit in
1863 by many centuries that re-
| gion was spot lighted by the Great
| Spirit, who favored it as a natural
game preserve, making it especially
seductive to the feather aces of the
air and monarchs of the woods, plac-
ing suitable food of easy access. The
lakes were covered with wild rice,
: celery in quantity could be located
by the deep sea divers. The Noble
Red Man, quick to locate and pre-
empt sections where game was
plenty and manual labor made easy.
called this section home and were
loath to relinquish their inherent
rights. A body of water now known
as Rice Lake in Atkin county, about
b miles long and = miles wide, whose
depth, temperature and subsoil
were especially adapted to the rails
ing of wild rice in quantity, was the
mecca of all adjacent tribes during
the harvest season, when they per-
mitted their squaws to garner the
winters supply of rice, their staff of
life.
The tribal tepees were pitched
near the shore and the season was
an uninterrupted succession of gala
days for the Indians. Gambling in
every form then known to those
crafty warriors, was scheduled day
and night. Tests of skill and ath-
letic speed or endurance, upon which
wagers were placed, was at all times
in vogue. Foot races, la Marathon,
in which speed accompanied by en-
| durance, designated khe winners.
l. NNl .~E
throwing the primitive obsldian
spear at moving or stationary objects
was the means of prying loose many
a warrior from his worldly possess
| sions. There were many contests
staged between squaws, promoted by
the bucks, based upon their ability
! to accumulate, in their canoes the
! greatest amount of rice in q stated
period of time. Trappers and
squaw men insist this race was en-
! couraged to get more energetic
work from the burden bearers,
camouflage, to a desired end, claim
ing that very little wampum ever
| changed hands on the results. The
final red letter day of the harvest
carnival, yas always touched off in
as blaze of glory. A horse race, free
! to all, over mile course, was the
annual Indian derby, every tribe was
represented by pony, which had
! Dern seiected ana groomed through
out the year, ready for this premier
event.
Prior to this race many moons
! had been devoted to energetic train
ing of the tribal equine hope. The
race was an afternoon event and the
morning was devoted to the wagering
of possessions on the outcome of the
! l. l. a.,
ground were the official stake
matched up for a change of owner
ship. Ponies were bet, then tied
! together and staked out. Canoes
were pulled from the water and
| beached side by side Clothing, beads,
shells and wampum were thrown
upon the blankets, heaped up in
small piles. The old flint locked six
foot Kuntucky rifle was placed
against a tree and beaver skins to
the heighth of the gun, when it was
standing upright, were wagered
against this unusual firearm. All
of the commodities wagered to be
taken possession of by the winner at
| the conclusion of the race.
Indians are natural born gamblers,
and love to court the Goddess of
| Good Fortune, catering at all times
to their many superstitions. They
are far in advance of many of their
! pale-faced brothers,, being easy
loosers. and accepting success with
| stoical indifference. Loaded down
with Indian plunder, they would re-
turn home in a happy frame of
mind, even assisting the squaw to
keep the home fire burning, while
the warrior who had suffered defeat,
wore his ill-fitting garb of sack
cloth" so common to race track de-
voices. This was the epoch when
! The Lord Giveth.' lie unen
showered his blessings, taking the
| protection and propagation of game
under his own personal supervision
causing the wild rice to go and be
! harvested by his red children for
their winter sustenance as the high
chief of all tribes. conserved food,
| by issuing an edict that no rice
| should be wagered on any game of
chance" This was the original law
and the start of the crusade against
gambling. Americas native settlers
then enjoyed life to the. limit in
their primitive way, satisfied with
their Great Spirit who accorded
them the right to shoot and kill
when tribal misunderstanding oc-
CURED, the same grand and glorious
privilege we are permitted at this
time to indulge in, a couple of GEN.
turies later.
The Pale Face invaded, located
and surveyed the lands of the In
dian in 1858, at which time Min
nesota became state and home
steads reclaimed swamp lands, the
timber has been cut away and civili-
zation has eliminated the game. un-
til to-day THE Lord Taketh Away"
Game is rapidly disappearing every
year.
A duck hunt on the historic Rice
Lake. with my old friends, j. w,