The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1941-09-11
The Great Oak of
The Sanging Ground

Ginseng Kun, an ancient W niue YAK.
1t was the largest tree left in the
Sanging Ground; its great trunk held
spreading branches high above sur
rounding rhododendron, beech and
locust.
In a farm house just above our
Old White Oak, from childhood, lived
a tall. serious minded girl. One day
The Girl sat on the porch of her
fathers house looking over the hills
and valleys, thinking Of the long ago,
when some question she could not
answer came into her head.
Noting Old White Oak waving his
arms in the breeze, she said to her
self: "I'll ask my oak friend; he is the
oldest thing hereabouts.' A few light
steps brought her to the foot of the
oak. She raped boldly three-times-
three on its trunk and listened.
Really she was startled when a deep
voice within doomed, Child, what do
you want of me-"
"White Oak" she said, 81 have
watched you many years. You seem
always the same. What is your age ?"
"Ask me not my age" replied the
voice. 81 recorded it summer by sum-
mer in rings from heart to bark, but,
due to my infirmity, these are lost.
But | can tell you what | have seen
l,ocrI -
"Then tell me the story of the
Indian whose grave across the River
we opened a few days ago"
Note: In 1889 while blowing the
old Indian camp site for oats,
Ralph C. Hoye, present owner Of the
land. uncovered an Indian grave. A
dented skull, trunk and arm bones
were found in the usual stone walled
caviety. but no leg bones OF Indian
relies. He replaced the bones in the
mound, which is on the lower side OF
the field near the River
Story of the Indian Lovers
Many summers l watched the Red
People camping over there. The
graves of some are scattered about
the Sanging Ground One summer a
great sorrow came to the tribe. A
party of braves from another tribe
stopped to visit, and one of them, a
handsome young warrior, remained
when his companions left. This brave
admired the chiefs pretty daughter
and sought to win her. tho she was
promised to another down the valley.
The couple sometimes met secretly at
night under my branches. One moon
light night they stole away eastward.
When their absence was discovered
next morning there was great hub
bub in the camp; the angry old chief
ordered all his young warriors to
pursue-to bring back his daughter
and kin her lover.
White Oak has heard the warriors
tell how they followed the trail of the
run-aways all that day, and when the
sun was setting, came upon them on
a mountain bordered by high cliffs.
Seeing no means of escape the lovers
threw themselves over the highest
cliff The young squaw was dashed
to death on the rocks below but the
man was only bruised and broken.
Next morning the party, carrying
the body of the squaw, forced the
wounded brave to return with them to
the Sanging Ground camp. Here by
the camp fire Old White Oak saw the
angry chief cut off the arms and legs
of the prisoner and throw them into
the fire; then he struck him on the
head with his stone axe, while the
squaws loudly moumed over the
body of their young companion.
And this is why you found neither
arm nor leg bones in the grave of the
dead man when you opened it the
other day.
Note: The Sanging Ground White
Oak measured fourteen feet, four
inches in circumference at its base
and rose thirty-five feet clear and
straight to it's spreading branches
where an elderberry grew from its
decayed trunk Near its foot was a
large hole opening into the rotten and
hollow trunk.
Old White Oaks Tragic End
August Is, 1871. Threatening
weather: some rain. Old White Oak
standing firmly in his place, branches
high and green.
Late in the afternoon a black
cloud suddenly appeared over Salt
Block Spur. A cyclonic wind-"a
twister" let down from the
sky into the valley of Bend Run. Sam
Thomas barn went down flat-killing
a calf inside hay scattered. The wind
broke squarely off the tops of two
white pines in front of the Thomas
house; unroofed it; swept thru
knocking Mrs. Thomas down; leveled
and scattered a small unoccupied
house next door.
Then the storm swept up the River
valley, breaking off or uprooting the
forest trees; Elijah Hoye's, Alvin
Friends, Martin Friends orchards;
unroofed part of Martins barn; lifted
COW off the ground. Then the wind
lifted itself and roared over Sang
Hill 1t was all over in five minutes.
Old White Oaks spreading top was
caught in the blast; a supporting root
broke; the great trunk cracked near