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Show ;M0STCURI0US.NATURE-FREAK IMAOB OF nnIAW OK AW CYWM rara W MOTnAWA- BTORY OF OEIOIK OF INDIAK TREE AS TOlIHTHB KSW OaV TIME8-DEMOCBAT. BT LOUIS' J. HElOTESgBT. One of the most curious freaks of nature na-ture to he seen in this section of Louisiana Loui-siana ia the image of an Indian that haa growa upon the bark of an old cypress tre which stsnds on the east bank of the Tchefnncta river between Madt-sonvill Madt-sonvill and Lake Pontchartrain. The tree atanda on the very edge of the baak and to judge by it appearance it must b well over a century old. The bead and profile of tke Indian ca be very easily made oat, and it ia barely possible that the maater hand of sculptor could hav prodnced a more, perfect piece of work. The head ia rather large, and it haa the appearance of being bald on top. with the familiar tuft ot hair that the Indiana need to wear near the back of the head. The contour of the body ia very regular and i discernible some distance away. The eountry adjacent to the spot where the tree grow waa the habitat of a large tribe of Choctaw Indiana who were far famed for their akill -na hnntera aad fishermen, and a large number of bodies were unearthed aome year ago by workmen eagaged in exeavating a shipyard near Madisnnville. The neighborhood neigh-borhood wa evidently a favorite burial ground for the Indiana, ae old resident of Madisonville claim that their bone can be dug op all along th shore from this point to the lake shore. Manv and varied are th tale told about the origin of the Indian tre by rple who have apent their entire life the vieinlty and are familiar with tha habits sn'd npertitution of th Choctaw. By far th meat intrating tale abont th old cypres la credited to Old Mingo, a chief who waa at the head of the tribe when they numbered several thousand. Old Mingo died at Madisonville during the early eighties and people who know kirn claim that he knew more about the history of the Choctaw in St. Tammany parish thaa anvone who ever attempted to make a stridy of them. Hia tepeb near Madison, vllle was a favorite rdace year ago for people who liked to near him r!t the many eurioua legends eonneeteC with this branch of the Muskogean nation, and a gnarled old tree where he need to ait during hi old age ia named after him and atfll growa nean Madisonville. Although he waa a full blooded Choctaw, Choc-taw, a aeaeendant of an llluetrioua line. Old Mingo found the life aad hablli-menta hablli-menta of the white man far preferable In moat case thaa th primitiv xit-ence xit-ence of hia own people. Unlike Je rt of his tribe, he wor conventional clothing cloth-ing and mingled freely with the white people. When Andrew Jackson, the defender de-fender of New Orleans, came aouth with hi intrepid army in 1M4 he was met near Madisonville by Old Mingo and his brave, who rendered great aes.ataaes to Jackson in aiding bin troops to em-mark em-mark on the hosts which conveyed them across Lake Pontchartrain. One of hi mot valued possessions waa an old sword whirk h claimed w give him by "Old Hickory" aa a tokaa of friendship friend-ship and regard. He was also a good friend of Oen. David B. Morgan, who owned a large estate near MadUonvilla, and h and bia tribe were always wel eome visitor to th place. The old Morgan place ia now owned by Sheriff T. E Brewster and the remains of the vtraa of th war of 1812 wr removed re-moved from Madisonville a few years ago by kis relativea for interment elsewhere Life of 014 Chief . Of th fw mrviving people wkom Old Mingo numbered among his frisnds Leon 8. Rod ri (rues, perhaps, la better acquainted with the life of the old chief than anvone of the old Inhabitants of Madiaoaville. Rodriguez' mother was a mulattreaa and hia father waa a Spaniard, h being born in the eity ot New Orleans ia I tit During the civil war be waa captain of a compaay in the aeventh Louisiana regiment, serving about three month under General Butler But-ler when tb latter bad noesceaion of New Orleans. During the roconstrue-tioa roconstrue-tioa daya Ro&riguex was affiliated with the Republican party aad served several terms in the stste legislature, fie proudly claima the distinction of having made the motion that impeached Governor Wannoth in 1873 when the latter aspired to became a memrAjr ot the United Htatea seaate. Immediately after the close of th elvil war Kod-riguas Kod-riguas moved to Madieoavilla aad has lived thr inee. He became a vary good friend of Old Mingo, and the latter lat-ter confided many aeeret ot the Choctaw Choc-taw tribe in St. Tain me ay parish to him. Site of Deadly SuaL The old cypress tree which bears th image of a Choctaw brave, according to the storv which waa related to Rod-riguo Rod-riguo by Old Mingo, ataade at. or near, the spot where a deadly duel was fought between several member of the crew of one of Lafltte'a vessels aad a party of Choctaw warriore. During the early part of tke last century the swift Beet of vessel comprising the armada of the corsair Jeaa Lafitte often put into the placid water of th Tehefuneta after a successful expedition in the gulf of Mexico. The pirate always brought with thm a plentiful aupply of choice spirit and their visit wa always aa-tieipated aa-tieipated with considerable pleasure by the ladian. While oa one of their periodical pe-riodical visits to the Indiana three member of La fit Is 'a trew formed very strong attachment for one of tha moat beautiful ladian girla in the tribe. The pirate and bia men. while looked npo aa frieade to a certain extent, were neverthelea held in distrust by the aim-pie aim-pie .minded redskin and the father of the girl made every effort to keep hia daughter from coming in contact with her admirera. The girl herself had taken, tak-en, a great faney to one of ker lover In spit of th fart tkat ah waa already the betrothed of on of her own tribe, and while the reet war driaking(and earonaing around the eampfira aha and her lover need to ait upon the banks of the river aad make love to each otker. Aa time wor on tk pirate's attentions to tb firl became more pronounced, and Being on of Lafltt' lieutenant, k had little trouble ia convincing kta comrade that it waa naeles for them to dvot any tim to hi adored. Th maiden's attachment for the corsair did not escape th notice of ker intended, and he admoniahed ker father to send her to another tribe la th Interior, where ehs would bo sat from the pirate pi-rate 'a intentione. Tb girl'a father, however, did not oar to ineur the enmity en-mity of the pirate, so a reftujed to heed tke advioa. Pirate Plan Abduction. One summer night too veasel, commanded com-manded by the pirates, sailed up the Tehefuneta river aad eet anchor oppo-ait oppo-ait th Indiaa eamp. Several pirogues loaded with liquor and trinketa of va-rioua va-rioua kinds put off from th veaael aad in a abort tim the woods were echoing with the noise and revelry of t Indians In-dians and their jruert. Th ladian maiden 'a lover had brought aa extraordinarily extraor-dinarily Urge quantity of whisky in order or-der to get the whole tribe drunk aad then abduet th girl of kis heart. A 'th night wore on the whole tribe seemed to be drinking all th liquor that was given them, and the pirate a plaa to make off witk the girl unmolested unmolest-ed seemed to be working favorably. The lieutenant kad cautioned his mra not to drink enough to become inebriated, inebri-ated, as they kad work to perform and in most ense they adhered to hia admonition. ad-monition. The girl'a Indian lover waa auspicious of the action of the visitors and he retrained from drinking anything. any-thing. This caused the lieutetaat but little concern, because ke well knew that in any emergency ke and hia men could take care of kirn. Beising a favorable fa-vorable moment, when th confusion wa at it height, the pirate beckoned to the girl and thev both weat in the direction of the river. Tk Iadiaa per. reived their action and after they had disappeared in the darkness h followed fol-lowed at a short distance. The rest of the tribe wer helplessly Intoxicated, and by a pre-arranged plan the member mem-ber of th pirate erw eradually drew off to th river, where the pirogue war lyi- . Attempt to Bav Girt. When th lieutonaat and Ik firl reached the river he explaiaed matters to ker and naked her to consent. At first h refused, but the pleading of her lover wer about to overcome her when th lone Indian who had trailed them and had heard the entire conversation, conversa-tion, stepped np and demanded that return with him. Seeing that aha war ia doubt aa to wkick course to pursue the Indian took ker by th arm and attempted at-tempted to lead her away. The pirat noted th action, aad quick a a Bash be tor the girl awav and ordered hi mea to get the pirogue ready t put eut to too boat. He bad hardly given the command when the Indiaa sprang upon him and .bore kita to tb ground, and kad it not beea for the prompt action ac-tion of bia eomradea he would have strangled him. Rising to bis feet, furious fu-rious with anger, the lieutenant drew his catlas aad was about to plunge th blade into the vitals of hia rival, wha h perceived that ke was standing before be-fore him with hi arm folded aero hia chest onarmed. Th girl was now completely evereom with fear, and taking tak-ing tier away from the scene, the lieutenant lieu-tenant returned and bade one of hia men to give the Indiaa a cutlass. The Iadiaa took the weapon, but being aa accomplished swordsman himaeif, tb pirate pi-rate was inclined to hold his adversary too lightly. The Bgbt had aet prog-reased prog-reased but a few minute when the pi-rat pi-rat found that ke was compelled to break ground before the terrific onslaught on-slaught of kis nntagonist, aad hia mea, seeing the predieameat he waa ia, threatened to interfere aad end the ftruggle. but he made them staad back. After the fight had been going on for about aa hour the aunerior seiene of the pirate began to tell and gradually getting hi onpoaeat upon the defensive ha forced him againat a cypres that grew near the water. The ladian battled bat-tled desperately, as h felt that tke ead wa seer, but try as be did ke waa nnable to advaec from his poaitio against tke tree. Urged oa bv tke cheers of kia eomradea, the lieutenant closed in on hia rival, aad aa the Indian In-dian made laat determined effort to get away from the tree ke feinted witk his sword t get an opening. Th Indiaa In-diaa lowered hia guard to ward off the thrust, and seeing k opportunity the pirate plunged tke sharp blade through the seek of kis rival witk sack force that it buried itself in the cvpreea be- hind him. Tke noise of tk battle attracted at-tracted th etteatioe of eome of tke Ia-diaaa Ia-diaaa in th crop. and wkra thsy reached th scese ia a half dronkea condition they beheld the lifeless form of their fellow tribesmen kinging to th tre. Thay made a determined effort ef-fort to prevent the pirate from makiag off witk tk girl, but thy wr beat off Bad compelled to heat a retreat. |