CHATEAUGAY LAKE STEAMBOAT GAZETTE CO.

Act I, Scene I

(The stage is set with a beautiful lake as the backdrop, a dock on one side, with characters milling about. The Great Turtle is not visible yet)

Chorus:
Oh Chateaugay Lake, fair and serene,
A peaceful haven, nature’s queen.
But dark clouds loom on thy horizon,
For a tragedy doth now begin.

(Enter Captain Henry McPherson of the steamboat “Adirondack”)

McPherson: (Excitedly)
Ahoy! My fellows, we have reached the shore,
The lake is ours, let us embark and explore!

(Enter the crew of the Adirondack)

Crew: (In unison)
Aye, aye Captain McPherson! The lake is ours to claim,
Let us set sail and wealth and glory attain.

(The steamboat sets sail, the Great Turtle appears under the water, looking at the steamboat)

Chorus:
Oh Great Turtle, guardian of the lake,
Thy slumber is disturbed, thy heart begins to ache.
For these steamboat pirates, led by Henry, with their machines of smoke and fire,
Bring destruction and pollution, thy land they will tire.

Act II, Scene I

(The stage is set with the lake, the steamboats are seen in the background, belching smoke and polluting the water)

Great Turtle: (In a deep and powerful voice)
The Wendigo spirits, who once gave me life,
Have charged me to protect this land, free from human strife.
But these pirates, led by McPherson, with their steamboats and their greed,
Bring destruction and pollution, my land they lead.

(Enter the spirits of the Wendigo)

Wendigo spirits: (In unison)
Oh Great Turtle, our guardian of old,
The pirates must be punished, their fate must be told.
Their greed and destruction, led by McPherson, shall not go unpunished,
Their fate sealed, their end now unrelenting.

Act III, Scene I

(The stage is set with Chateaugay Lake, the steamboats are destroyed, the pirates are fleeing)

Chorus:
Oh Chateaugay, fair and serene,
The tragedy hath now been seen.
The pirates, led by McPherson, with their machines of smoke and fire,
Have met their fate, their end, their dire.

Great Turtle: (In a deep and powerful voice)
The lake is safe, the land is healed,
But my heart is heavy, my duty sealed.
I remain, forever watching, forever waiting,
For the day when the pirates, once again, come a-raiding.

(The curtain falls)

Epilogue:

Chorus:
The tragedy is ended, the play is done,
But the memory of the Great Turtle and the Wendigo spirits, forever lives on.
For Chateaugay lake and its protector will always remain, a mystical place,
where the legends of the past are still alive and still watching over its inhabitants.

There was a lake unlike any other deep in the heart of the wild Adirondacks. Chateaugay Lake was a place of great power and mystery, where earth spirits still whispered in the wind. The lake was guarded by the Great Turtle, a powerful and ancient creature.

For centuries, the Great Turtle guarded the lake’s waters and the creatures that lived within them. The turtle was created as a guardian by the Wendigo spirits, ancient beings who once inhabited the land. The Great Turtle would frequently venture to the lake’s surface, his ancient eyes scanning the waters for any signs of danger.

However, humans eventually arrived at the lake, building steamboats and industrializing the area. The “Churner,” the first steamboat, was a strange sight for the Great Turtle. He watched as it passed by, burning wood for fuel, and he noticed that it was unlike anything he had seen before. The Churner was followed by the “Maggie Weed,” a larger and more advanced steamboat. It was powered by hard coal and pulled barges carrying iron ore and wood.

The Great Turtle could see that the new boats brought about change, and not all of it was good. The kiln charcoal was used to smelt the iron ore at the Catalan forge, but the Great Turtle could sense the pollution in the water and the destruction of the land. He knew he had to protect the lake and its inhabitants from these new threats, so he kept an eye on the steamboats and the humans, ready to intervene if necessary.

More steamboats appeared on the lake over time. The “Adirondack” was a pirate steamboat, its captain a ruthless monster who pillaged and plundered the lake’s inhabitants, and its hull was as black as the abyss. The “Emma” was no better, ferrying tourists around the lake, causing the water to writhe and boil in fear. The Great Turtle stood there, his ancient heart heavy with the knowledge of the changes they brought to the lake. Despite the pollution and destruction, the Great Turtle remained vigilant in protecting the lake and its inhabitants. He knew it was his responsibility, his mission, to keep the lake safe.

However, the Great Turtle’s strength was dwindling as pollution and destruction took their toll. The Wendigo spirits, who had created the Great Turtle, couldn’t stand by and watch the lake burn. They descended upon the lake in rage, unleashing their wrath on the human interlopers who had dared to pollute their sacred waters. The spirits swept through the lake, destroying the steamboats and banishing those who dared to desecrate it.

The lake began to heal as a result of the spirits’ wrath. The pollution subsided, and the waters became clear again. The Great Turtle remained, watching and waiting for the day when humans would return to the lake. And when that day came, the Great Turtle would be ready, because he was Chateaugay Lake’s protector, and he would defend it until the end of time.

The Great Turtle and the spirits that guarded the lake lived on in local legends and folklore, with many people still claiming that the Great Turtle can be seen watching over the lake, and that when the lake is threatened, it will rise again to defend it. The steamboats, a symbol of human greed and destruction, had vanished. The lake was left alone, and the creatures that called it home could once again thrive. But there was still a pall over the lake, because the Great Turtle and the Wendigo spirits were not to be trifled with.

Some claim that the ghostly image of the Great Turtle can still be seen rising from the depths of the lake on dark, stormy nights, its ancient eyes scanning the waters for any sign of danger. Those who venture too close to the lake’s edge on such nights have reported a sense of dread and impending doom, as if the Great Turtle and Wendigo spirits were still watching, waiting for the day when they would have to defend the lake once more.

Despite the lingering fear, Adirondack residents are proud of their lake and its protector. Around campfires, they tell stories about the Great Turtle and the Wendigo spirits, and the legend is passed down through the generations. They understand that the lake is sacred, and that the Great Turtle and the Wendigo spirits guard its soul. They also understand that as long as the lake is safe, so are they.

For Chateaugay lake and its protector will always remain, an eerie and mystical place, where the legends of the past are still alive and still watching over its inhabitants.