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The CHEM AWA AMERICAN
HOW MINNEWASTE GOT ITS NEW NAME
By M ary L ohynes , Student
Many years ago Minnewaste was a beautiful, clear,
deep and wide lake. It almost surrounded an Indian
village. The Indians were very proud of their beauti
ful lake. At evening they wTould go to its shores to
dance and to sing praises to God.
For many years these Indians lived very happily and
contentedly, but one dreadful morning a huge monster
entered the lake, disturbing the tranquil water and
stirring it to its depths. At evening, when the Indians
went down to dance and sing praises to God they were
astonished, for the lake was beautiful no longer.
The Indians said to one another, “God must be
punishing us for some evil we have done.” But God
was not punishing them, for these Indians were ex
ceedingly good. They were contented and happy,
and the dragon was an evil spirit tempting them. That
evening they went to their tepees and prayed to God
that He might allow them their tranquilly beautiful
lake.
From that day on the Indians were not happy. Not
only was their lake polluted but many of their friends
and relatives had disappeared since the lake was made
unfit.
Previously the Indians had gone back and forth on
their lake without fear. Because they could not find
another route to town they were compelled to con
tinue crossing in spite of the dragon. Of course this
made the monster, the evil spirit, glad, because he
could capsize their canoes and carry them away to his
den in the bottom of the lake.
One day Chief Crazy Dog called his people together
and said to them, “Many of our friends and relatives
have disappeared and we must discover what has be
come of them.” That same evening all of the tribe went
down to the lake shore again, and after singing and
praying to God, Chief Crazy Dog said he would go
across the lake in his canoe with two of his warriors,
although his people did not want him to go for fear
he would not return.
When tnese braves were in the middle of the lake,
the Evil Spirit came and tried to take them, but Chief
Crazy Dog went on in safety.
This maddened the
monster and he said to himself that he would take
revenge on them when they returned.
But strangely enough he was asleep at that time
and Chief Crazy Dog and his warriors went back to
the tribe in safety. The Chief told his people of the
great monster and said, “We must kill this Evil Spirit;
he has spoiled our beautiful lake and killed and eaten
many of our good people.”
Once more Chief Crazy Dog and his two brave war
riors went upon the lake and waited until the mon
ster came to kill them. Then Chief Crazy Dog and
his warriors threw poisoned arrows with great skill
and at last succeeded in killing their enemy.
Returning home they told the people that there was
no longer any cause to fear for the monster was no
more. However the lake was never again so beauti
ful and clear. The Indians did not return to their
meeting place to dance and sing praises to God.
Years after when white men came to live with the
Indians they heard about this monster, or the Evil
Spirit. They said, “Let u» give the Minnewaste a
new name.” So they named this lake Devil’s Lake
and the Indian village is now an Indian school known
as the Fort Totten Indian School.
Devil’s Lake is now neither clear, deep nor wide.
___________________
LONG BOW
ARROWS
(F rom
the
Q uiver
of
H enry V arnum )
Your greatest glory is not in never falling, but
rising every time you fall.
in
wsw>
The opportunity is in the man far more than in the
place or the surroundings.
■
>■
Men who study life most profoundly, say that it is
pluck and not luck that wins in the world.
>»
Over-culture, without practical experience, weak
ens a man and unfits him for real life.
wss»----------------
The highest working qualities are best trained by
active and systematic contact with others in the affairs
of daily life.
mo
-
>■
A constant struggle, a ceaseless battle to bring suc
cess from inhospitable surroundings, is the price of all
great achievement.
--
Whether life is noble or ignoble, depends not only
on the calling which is adopted, but on the spirit in
which it is followed.
Cleverness will aid talent, but without cultivation
and direction, it only makes the failure of its pos
sessor more conspicuous.
Young men who spend too many years at school are
apt to forget the great end of life, which is to be and
do, and not to read and brood over what others have
done.
XW
------- >■
The world honors utility, and has more use for
the trained man that will work in harness, than for
the brilliant but etherial fancies of a genius that float
idly on every changing current of the imagination.
am)
The working people are the true nobility. This in
cludes those who work with their minds and those
who work with their hands; and with these workers
you should enroll your name, and honor it through
life by being a working man—a producer, and not a
mere consumer of what others earn.