The Glorious Gateway of the West - An Historic Pageant of the Story of Fort Wayne, Commemorating the One Hundredth Anniversary of Indiana's Admission to the Sisterhood of States #265667

Our woods and streams; the Black Robe with the Cross We heard Of realms beyond our skies, and breathed The name of your high God. Now ye behold, While for an hour Old Time rolls back his scroll, The morning of the place whereon ye build! Scene I. It is a bright spring day in the year 1680. Budding leaves and laughing flowers make a clearing in the forest beautiful. The spot is on the St. Mary's River, which flows in the foreground, on the present site of the City of Fort Wayne. A landing-place for canoes is on the river bank. The huts of two French traders are on the edge of the primeval forest, with Indian wigwams on both sides, brightly decorated with uncouth signs and. Figures. About the traders' huts the grass is spread with samples of the wares they bring for trade, copper pans and kettles, steel knives and hatchets, flintlock muskets with bags of powder and ball, and vividly colored blankets all about. There are small bales of peltries in front of the wigwams. On the boughs of a sapling crabtree in full blossom between the traders' huts hang many strings of bright beads. Nearer the river an Indian youth is teaching smaller boys to dance by jumping first on one foot and then on the other. Little girls are pointing to the awkwardness of some of these lads, and laughing at them, while the boys scowl. It is a scene of bustle and confusion, with Indian braves straying in from the forest to salute their Sachem and War Chief, with squaws preparing food during such time as they can spare from curiosity over the French trade-goods, which the war riors are also examining from time to time.