| d="body"> | | | | There had been tales circulating around that an Indian |
| The Saco river begins in the mountains of New | | | | baby could swim from birth, so the sailors decided to |
| Hampshire and winds it's way through southern Maine | | | | put this to the test. They captured the canoe, took the |
| to the Atlantic ocean. It is a rough and dangerous river | | | | baby from the mother and threw him right into the |
| which has taken the lives of many who chose to risk it. | | | | water, where he drowned. |
| Every year the news media reports the crashing of | | | | When the mother returned to her tribe, she spoke with |
| boats on the rocks or kids braving the ice chunks. The | | | | the chief who instructed the medicine man to place a |
| mouth of the river is a place called Camp Ellis. Just a | | | | curse upon the river. The curse was said to go like this. |
| few weeks ago during a major storm a few houses | | | | Three or more white man shall die in this river every |
| collapsed as Camp Ellis with the help of the river, is | | | | year. |
| slowly eroding away into the ocean. | | | | He then warned me to be very careful around here. |
| I once went on a fishing trip with my father. We went | | | | This wouldn't be the last time I heard of it either. While |
| to a popular fishing spot at a place called the Skeleton | | | | telling my grandmother the story, she dug out a box of |
| Dam. The water was deep there, so it was the | | | | 45 rpm records. There was a song about it, that she |
| perfect spot for catching trout. There were a few | | | | had, called the Curse of the Saco River. The song |
| people there that day, including an old man who my | | | | was sung by a local woman, although I do not |
| father just happened to know from his own childhood. | | | | remember who. |
| They talked for a little while. | | | | So far, to my knowledge, this number has held true. |
| He, at one point, turned to me and said, "You know this | | | | There are also various stories about the curse of the |
| river is cursed don't you?" Of course I didn't, but I was | | | | Saco River on the web. A Google search will turn |
| sure about to find out. As it turns out, there is an old | | | | some of them up. But I can testify that if you live in |
| legend in southern Maine regarding the early English | | | | southern Maine, you are bound to see news stories |
| settlers and the Saco River. | | | | every year of people drowning. Perhaps it's just the |
| The story goes like this. Back in the summer of 1675, a | | | | nature of the beast. Perhaps it's due to the |
| group of drunken sailors, anchored off the coast of | | | | carelessness of those who brave the waters. Then |
| what is now southern Maine came across a young | | | | again, maybe there is something to this curse after all. |
| Native American mother in a canoe with her child. | | | | |