Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-04-08
Little Journeys In
and About Paraboo
Interesting Places Of the Region Both as to Local History and
Scenic Features
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/, the bank of the Wisconsin river about
a mile north of his land in the woods.
Here the neighbors ministered to his
simple wants, death resulting from an
injury to one of his knees, followed
by blood poison.
Pillar Erected
In 1909, it was decided by members
of the Sauk County Historical Society
to remove the remains of Yellow
Thunder and his squaw to new To-
cation, fearing that by clearing and
cultivating the land the graves would
become obliterated. An excavation
was made, the bones were placed in
a alrge vitrified tile, and the cairn
erected, the earthen receptacle be-
coming part of the boulder-made
ossuary. Here, neac a familiar trail,
not far from the white neighbors with
whom the Indians often mingled and
sometimes ate, the remains rest in
this enduring sepulcher.
From Waubun
The following incidents taken from
Wau-Bun, a narrative of the early
days at Fort Winnebago, by Mrs. j. H.
KinZie, show some of the characteris-
tics of the squaw of Yellow Thunder.
Among the women with whom I
early made acquaintance was the
wife of Wau-kaun-zee-kah, the Yellow
Thunder. She had accompanied her
husband, who was zone Of the deputa-
ton to visit the President, and from
that time forth she had been known
as "the Washington woman She
had a pleasant, old-acquaintance sort
Of air in greeting me, as much as to
say, "You and have seen something
of the world" No expression of sur
prise or admiration escaped her lips,
as her companions, with childlike
laughing simplicity exclaimed and
.clapped their hands at the different
wonderful objects [ showed them.
Her department said plainly, "Yes,
yes, my children, I have seen all these
things before" 1t was not until /
put to her ear a tropical shell Of
which l. had a little cabinet, and she
heard it's murmuring sound that she
laid aside her apathy of manner. She
roked her finger into tie opening to
get at the animal within, shook it
violently, then raised it to her ear
again, and finally burst into a hearty
laugh, and laid it down, acknowledge
ing by her looks, that this was beyond
her comprehension.
had one she'll of peculiar beauty
my favorite in the whole collection
a small conch, covered with rich, dark
veins. Each Of the visitors success
lively took up this shell, and by words
and gestures expressed her admira
ton, evidently showing that she had
an eye for beauty-this was on the oc-
casion of the parting visit of my red
daughters.
Shortly after the payment had been
completed and the Indians had left, I
discovered that my valued she'll was
missing from the collection. Could it
be that one of the squaws had stolen
it? 1t was possible-they would oc-
casionally, though rarely do such
things under the influence of strong
temptation. / tried to recollect which
among the party, looked most likely
to have been the culprit. It could not
have been the Washington woman
she was partly civilized and knew bet
ter.
A few weeks afterward Mrs. Yellow
Thunder again made her appearance
and carefully unfolding a gay colored
chintz shawl, which she carried rolled
up in her hand, she produced the shell,
and laid it on the table before me. I
did not know whether to show by my
countenance displeasure at the trick
she had played me, or joy at receiving
my treasure back again, but at last de-
c1ded it was the best policy to mani
fest no emotion whatever.
She prolonged her visit until my
husbands return, and he then ques-
toned her about the matter.
''She had taken the shell to her
village, to show to some of her people,
who did not come to the payment"
'eWhy had she not asked her moth
er's leave before carrying it away?"
Because she saw that her mother
liked the shell, and she was afraid
she would say, No"
This was not the first instance in
which Madame Washington had dis
played the shrewdness which was a
predominant trait in her character.
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