Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 38

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190

USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota > Part 38

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

amount involved was large and at last, in despera- tion, I unloaded the last of my wheat on that road (it was a large quantity) at the end of the season of water navigation and refused to pay the freight. Suit was commenced against our firm, but in a short time the company concluded to carry out their agrec- ment and the suit was withdrawn. Soon afterwards the road was in the hands of a receiver. The local freight agent of the same road received, through error of the bookkeeper, from me an over-payment, but nothing was said about it, nor did I discover it until an employe of the railroad agent was dis- charged who eame to me saying, "When rogues fall out honest men get their dne," revealing the mis- take, when, of course, the money was returned. In those days free passes for travel were generally dis- tributed to those whose good will was thought of advantage to the railroad. Judges of the court trav- cled on these passes.

We relied upon the territory covered by the St. Paul & Pacific for the greater part of our wheat. That road owned in Minneapolis a grain elevator near the corner of Washington Avenue and their tracks. This elevator received all the wheat con- signed to Minneapolis millers. It was weighed in, but the railroad refused to weigh it out or be respon- sible for an equal weight delivered. A grain hin was assigned to each consignec. The miller hauled the wheat as he needed it. On one occasion a carload of mine was carelessly dumped by the railroad agent into my neighbor's bin. The railroad refused to re- fund or to call on my neighbor to refund, who found his wheat was over what I was short. It seemed a hopeless thing to suc the road as they held iny re- ceipt for the wheat, for they always required a re- ceipt before the wheat was touched. I therefore an- nounced I would receipt for no more wheat until I had verified the count upon hauling it out. The railroad company refused to let me have any more wheat unless receipted for before hauled. I let my wheat remain with the railroad company until the constantly arriving stream filled the elevator, and the unloaded ears covered all their tracks. They then notified me that double storage rates would be charged on all my wheat to that time and I could have my wheat except a few thousand bushels which they would hold as a test. When I got ready to grind it I replevined it and sued for damages. The lower court decided that it was a reasonable regula- tion to make one sign even before an opportunity to verify could be had. The judge added that if I did not like the regulation I need not buy wheat on the line of that road! I appealed to the Supreme Court, and of course the judgment of the lower court was reversed. I got my wheat and the railroad paid damages. This leads to the reflection, What a ehange in the attitude of railroad managers the Interstate Commerce law has wrought and the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States, to-wit: that railroads are the servants of the people and can be compelled to do their duty. Respected judges, schooled in the practice that railroads were an irre- sponsible power, could join with railroad managers

in dictating to the troublesome public, either to ser- vilely submit to arbitrary injustice or cease to do business !

Indeed it was not uncommon for a railroad man- agement to attempt to destroy a business or a city, as we have seen. A superintendent of the only rail- road reaching to the Lake ports told a firm of terri- fied Minneapolis millers that he would make grass grow in front of their mill door, because I shipped four down the river by boat which I had bought of them. If one should make this threat now he would not be pleased with his treatment. I well remember with what misgivings the first enactment of the In- terstate Commerce law was received by the public- in general. It was generally predicted that the reign of the mob had commenced and property was no. longer sacred. As a matter of fact the regulation of railroads has been an inestimable blessing. Man when he is possessed of irresponsible power is a rather despicable creature.

EXCERPT FROM "THE PIONEER WOODSMAN AS HE IS. RELATED TO LUMBERING IN THE NORTHWEST." BY GEORGE H. WARREN.

The relationship of the pioneer woodsman to lum- bering in the Northwest can best be told by narration of events as they occur in his daily life. These, how- ever, are so varied, that only an excerpt of a more. complete retrospection I have written on the subject. may here be given.

In order that his unique duties may be fairly under- stood, I invite the reader along on the journey of the pioneer woodsman, from comfortable hearthstone, from family, friends, books, magazines, and daily papers, and to disappear with him from all evidenees of civilization and from all human companionship save, ordinarily, that of one helper who not infre- quently is an Indian, and to live for weeks at a time in the unbroken forest, seldom sleeping more than a single night in one place.

The woodsman and his one companion must carry cooking utensils; axes, raw provisions of flour. meat, beans, coffee, sugar, rice, pepper, and salt ; maps, plats. books for field notes; the simplest and lightest possible equipment of surveying implements; and, lastly, tent and blankets for shelter and covering at night to pro- tect them from storm and cold.

Some incidents of daily life, as they occurred to me, will be shown to the reader in this condensed recital.

In the summer of 1874, I went to the head waters of the Big Fork River with a party of hardy frontiers- men, in search of a section of country, which was as vet unsurveyed by the United States Government, and which should contain a valuable body of pine timber. Having found such a tract of land, we made arrange- ments through the Surveyor-General's office, then located in St. Paul, to have the land surveyed. The contract for the survey was let by the United States Government to Mr. Fendall G. Winston, of Minne- apolis.

I met Mr. Winston and his assistant surveyors at

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Grand Rapids about the middle of August. There were no roads leading into the country that we were to survey, and, as our work would extend nearly through the winter, it was necessary to get our sup- plies in sufficient quantity to last for our entire cam- paign, and take them near to our work. This was accomplished by taking them in eanoes and boats of various sorts. Our first water route took us up the Mississippi River, into Lake Winnibigoshish, and from that lake on its northeasterly shore, we went into Cut-foot Sioux, or Keeskeesdaypon Lake. From this point we were obliged to make a four-mile portage into the Big Fork River, erossing the Winnibigoshish Indian Reservation. From an Indian eneampment on this reservation, at the southwest shore of Bow String Lake, we hired some Indians to help paek our supplies aeross the four-mile portage. Before half of our sup- plies had been carried aeross the portage, the Indian chief sent word to us by one of his braves, that he wished to see us in council and forbade our moving any more of our supplies until we had counseled with him. Although the surveyors were the agents of the United States Government, for the sake of harmony, it was thought best to aseertain at once what was uppermost in the chief's mind.

That evening, a eonferenee was held in the wigwam of the chief. First, the chief filled full of tobaceo a large, very long stemmed pipe, and, having lighted it with a live coal from the fire, took the first whiff of smoke; then immediately passed it to the nearest one of our delegates to his right; and thus the pipe went round, until it came back to the chief, before anything had been said. The chief then began a long recital, telling us that the Great Father would proteet them in their rights to the exelusive use of these lands. The ehief said that he was averse neither to the white man using the trail of his people. nor to his using the waters of the rivers or lakes within the boundaries of the reservation, but. if he did so, he must pay tribute. In answer to his speech. the chief surveyor of our party. Fendall G. Winston, replied that he and his men had been sent to survey the lands that belonged to the Great Father, and. that in order to reach those lands, it was necessary that his people should eross the reservation which the Great Father had granted to his tribe; nevertheless, that they felt friendly to the Indians; that if they were treated kindly by himself and his tribes-men, they should have an opportunity to give them considerable work for many days, while they were getting their supplies across his country to that of the Great Father, where they were going to work during the fall and winter : and that they would also make him a present of a saek of flour, some pork, some tea, and some tobaeeo. He was told, too, that this was not necessary for the Great Father's men to do. but that they were willing to do it, provided that this should end all elaims of every nature of the chief against any and all of the Great Father's white men, whom he had sent into that eountry to do his work. This having been sealed with the chief's emphatie "Ugh." he again lighted the pipe, took the first whiff of smoke, and passed it around. Eaeh. in token of friendship, did as the chief had already done. This

ended the conference, and we were not again ques- tioned as to our rights to pass over this long portage trail, which we continued to use until our supplies were all in.

As nearly as I can now reeall, our force was made up of the following men: Fendall G. Winston, in whose name the contract for the survey was issued ; Philip B. Winston, his brother; Hyde, a young engi- neer from the University of Minnesota; Brown, civil engineer from Boston; Coe, from the Troy Poly- teehnie Sehool of Engineering; Charlie, a half-breed Indian; Franklin, the cook; Jim Flemming, Frank Hoyt, Charlie Berg, Tom Jenkins, George Fenimore, Tom Laughlin, Joe Lyon, Will Brackett, Miller, and myself.

Flemming, poor fellow, was suffering with dysentery when he started on the trip. On reaching Grand Rapids, he was no better, and it was thought best not to take him along to the frontier, so he was allowed to go home. Miller was not of a peaee loving disposition, and, having shown this characteristic early, was also allowed to leave the party. It was best that all weak- lings and quarrelsome ones should be left behind, because it was easily foreseen that when winter elosed in upon the band of frontiersmen, it would be difficult to reach the outer world, and it would be unpleasant to have any in the party that were not, in some sense, companionable.

Considerable time was consumed in getting all of our supplies to headquarters eamp, which consisted of a log cabin. The first misfortune that befell any one of our party came to Frank Hoyt, who one day eut an ugly gash in the ealf of his leg with a glancing blow of the ax. The cut required stitehing, but there was no surgeon in the party. Will Braekett, the youngest of the party, a brother of George A. Brackett, and a student from the University, volunteered to sew up the wound. This he did with an ordinary needle and a piece of white thread. The patient submitted with fortitude ereditable to an Indian. Some plastic salve was put on a eloth and placed over the wound, which resulted in its healing too rapidly. Proud flesh appeared. and then the wisdom of the party was called into requisition, to learn what thing or things available could be applied to destroy it. Goose quill scrapings were suggested, there being a few quills in the posses- sion of the party. Brackett, however. suggested the use of some of the eook's baking powder, because, he argued, there was sufficient alum in it to remove the proud flesh from the wound. "Dr." Braekett was considered authority. and his prescription proved effeetual. Hoyt was left to guard the provision eamp- against possible visits from the Indians, or from bears, which sometimes were known to break in and to earry away provisions.

It is never necessary for surveyors whose work is in the timber, nor for timber hunters, to earry tent poles, because these are easily chosen from among the small trees; yet nine of our party, one time in October, witli the rain falling fast and cold, found themselves, at the end of the four-mile Cut-foot Sioux Portage. on a point of land where there were no poles. All of the timber of every description had been cut.

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

down and used by the Indians. The Indian chief and several of his family relations lived on this point. They had built the house of poles and cedar bark, in the shape of a rectangle. Its dimensions on the ground were about twelve by twenty feet; its walls rose to a height of about five feet; and it was covered by a hip roof.

Our party must either obtain shelter under this roof or must get into the canoes and paddle nearly two miles to find a place where it could pitch its tents. At this juncture, the hospitality of the Indians was demonstrated. The chief sent out word that we should come into his dwelling and remain for the night. The proffer was gladly accepted. When we had all assem- bled, we found within, the chief and his squaw, his daughter and her husband; the hunter, his squaw, and two daughters, besides our party of nine, making a total of seventeen human beings within this small en- elosure. A small fire occupied a place on the ground at the center of the structure, an ample opening in the roof having been left for the escape of the smoke and live sparks. Indians can always teach their white brothers a lesson of economy in the use of fuel. They build only a small fire, around which, when inside their wigwams, they all gather with their usually naked feet to the fire. It is a physiological fact that when one's extremities are warm, one's bodily sufferings from cold are at their minimum. Our party boiled some riec and made a pail of coffee, without causing any especial inconvenience to our hosts, and, after having satisfied hunger and thirst, the usual camp fire smoke of pipes was indulged in, before planning for any sleep. Our party had been assigned a portion of the space around the open fire, and our blankets were brought in and spread upon the mats that lay upon the earth floor.

The additional presence of nine Indian dogs had not previously been mentioned. Before morning, however. they were found to be live faetors, and should be counted as part of the dwellers within the walls of this single room. They seemed to be nocturnal in habit, and to take an especial delight in crossing and re- crossing our feet, or in trying to find especially cozy places between our feet and near to the fire, where they might curl down for their own especial comfort. It was not for us, however, to complain, inasmuch as the hospitality that had been extended was sincere; and it was to be remembered by us that it was in no way any advantage to the Indians to have taken us in for the night. Therefore, we were truly thankful that our copper-colored friends had once more demon- strated their feelings of humanity toward their white brothers. They had been subjected to more or less inconvenience by our presence, but in no way did they make this fact manifest by their actions or by their words. The rain continued at intervals during the entire night, and it was with a feeling of real grati- tude, as we lay upon the ground, and listened to it, that we thought of the kindly treatment we were re- ceiving from these aborigines. In the morning we of- fered to pay them money for our accommodations, but this they declined. They did, however, accept some meat and some flour.

The pine timber lying east of Bow String Lake, and included in the survey of 1874 and 1875, was all trib- utary to waters running north, into the Big Fork River, which empties into the Rainy River. Levels were run aeross from Bow String Lake into Cut-foot Sioux River, and considerable fall was found. The distance, nearly all the way, was over a marsh. It was shown that a dam could easily be thrown aeross from bank to bank of the river at the outlet of Bow String Lake, and by thus slightly raising the water in the lake, plus a little work of cleaning out portions of the distanee aeross the marsh, from Bow String Lake to Cut-foot Sioux, the timber could be driven across and into the waters of the Mississippi River. All of this engineering was before the advent of logging rail- roads. However, before the timber was needed for the Minneapolis market, many logging railroads had been built in various localities in the northern woods, and their practical utility had been demonstrated. When the time came for cutting this timber, a logging rail- road was constructed to reach it, and over its tracks, the timber was brought out, thus obviating the neees- sity of empounding the waters of Bow String Lake.

Our frail birch canoes had been abandoned as cold weather approached. and we had settled down to the work of surveying. Sometimes, however, we came to lakes that must be crossed. This was accomplished by cutting some logs, and making rafts by tying them to- gether with withes. Sometimes these rafts were found insufficiently buoyant to float above water all who got upon them, so that when they were pushed along there were no visible signs of anything that the men were standing on. When on a raft, Hyde was always afraid of falling off, and would invariably sit down upon it. This subjected him to greater discomfort than other members, but as it was of his own choosing, no one raised any objeetion.

On one occasion, when the raft sank unusually deep beneath the water, one of the party who had attended Sunday school in his youth and remembered mueh of his Bible, said, "I wonder if this is the way Christ walked on the water."

One day, several of the party had gone to the supply eamp to bring back some provisions which the cook had asked for. Returning, not by any trail, but directly through the unbroken forest, we found ourselves in a wet tamarack and spruce swamp; and, although we believed we were not far from the camp where we had left the cook in the morning, we were not eertain of its exact location. Mr. F. G. Winston said he thought he could reach it in a very short time, and suggested that we remain where we were. He started in what he believed to be the direction of the camp, saying that he would return in a little while. We waited until the shades of night began to fall : and vet he did not come. Preparations were then made to stay in the swamp all night. The ground was wet all around us. nor could we see far enough to discern any dry land. We commeneed cutting down the smaller trees that were like poles, and with these poles, eonstrneted a plat- form of sufficient dimensions to afford room for four men to lie down. Then another foundation of wet logs was made, on which a fire was kindled, and by the

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

fire, we baked our bread and fried some bacon, which constituted our evening meal. A sack of flour was opened, a small place within it hollowed out, a little water poured in, and the flour mixed with the water until a dough was formed. Each man was told to pro- vide himself with a chip large enough on which to lay the piece of dough, which was rolled out by hand, made 'flat, and then, having been placed in a nearly upright position against the chip in front of the fire, was baked on one side; then turned over and baked on the other. In the meantime, each man was told to provide him- self with a forked stick, which he should cut with his jack-knife, and on it to place his piece of bacon and cook it in front of the fire; thus each man became his own cook and prepared his own meal. There was no baking powder or other ingredient to leaven the loaf- not even a pinch of salt to flavor it. But the owner of each piece of dough was hungry, and, by eating it immediately after it was baked and before it got cold, it was much better than going without any supper. The following morning the party resumed its journey, and met Mr. Winston coming out to find it. He had found the cook's camp, but at so late an hour that it was not possible for him to return that night.

After leaving Grand Rapids about the middle of August, we saw very few white men for many months following. In October, on our survey, local attraction was so strong on part of our work, that it was neces- sary to use a solar compass. This emergency had not been anticipated; it, therefore, became necessary to go to Minneapolis to seeure that special instrument. Philip B. Winston, afterwards mayor of Minneapolis, and I started in a birch canoe, and in it made the whole distance from our camp on Bow String Lake to Aitkin, Minnesota, on the Mississippi, the nearest railroad station. We were in Minneapolis but two days, when we returned, catching the steamer at Aitkin, and going up the Mississippi to Grand Rapids, the head of navigation for steamboats.

Captain John Martin, of Minneapolis, the well- known lumberman and banker, wished to return with us for his final fishing trip in open water, for that season. He fished successfully for a number of days, and, at the end of each day, personally prepared and cooked as fine a fish chowder as anyone would ever wish to eat. On the day of his departure, I took the Captain in my eanoe, and landed him on the four-mile portage with an Indian escort who was to take him to Grand Rapids, whence he would return by steamer to Aitkin, a station on the line of the Northern Pacific Railroad.

I was left alone in my canoe and must return to camp, crossing the open water of Bow String Lake. On my arrival at the main lake, the wind had in- creased its velocity, and the white-caps were breaking. I hired an Indian. known as "the hunter," to help me paddle across the lake and up a rapid on a river flowing into Bow String, up and over which it was not possible for one man to push his canoe alone.

The annual payment to the Indians by the United States Government was to occur a few days subse- quently, at Leech Lake, and the Indians were busy

getting ready to leave, to attend the payment. The hunter's people were to start that day, and he seemed to realize, when half way across the lake, that, owing to our slow progress, because of the heavy sea, he would be late in returning to his people at camp. He said so, and wished to turn back, but I told him that he must take me above the rapid, which was my prin- cipal object in hiring him. After sitting stoically in the bow of the canoe for a few moments, he suddenly turned about, and, drawing his long knife, said in Chippewa, that he must go back. I drew my revolver and told him to get down in the canoe and paddle, and that if he did not, he would get shot. There was no further threat by the Indian, and we made as rapid progress as possible over the rapid, landing my canoe-his own having been trailed to the foot of the rapid. Both stepped ashore. Then he said in Chip- pewa, "Me bad Chippewa ; white man all right ;" and bidding me good-by, hurried off to his eanoe at the foot of the rapid.

Captain Martin was the last white man that any one of our party saw for four months. Winter closed in on us before the beginning of November. The snow became very deep, so that it was absolutely necessary to perform all of our work on snowshoes. The winter of 1874 and 1875 is shown to have been the coldest winter in Minnesota, of which there is any reeord, be- ginning with 1819 up to, and including, 1913.

The party was mostly composed of men who had had years of experience on the frontier, and who were inured to hardship. With a few, however, the experi- ence was entirely new, and, except that they were looked after by the more hardy, they might have per- ished. As it was, however, not one man beeame seri- ously ill at any time during this severe winter's campaign.

The compass-man's work that winter was rendered very laborious from the fact that his oceupation made it necessary for him, from morning until night of every day, to break his own path through the untrodden snow, for it was he who was locating the line of the survey. I was all of the time running lines in the in- terior of the sections, following the work of the sur- veyors, and choosing desirable pine timber that was found within each section. I had no companion in this work, and thus was separated most of each day from other members of the party, but returned to the same camp at night.

In the morning, each man was furnished by the cook, with a cloth sack in which were placed one or two or more biscuits, containing within slices of fried bacon and sometimes slices of corned beef. also, per- haps, a doughnut or two. This he tied to the belt of his jaeket on his back and carried until the lunch hour. Ordinarily a small fire was then kindled, and the luncheon. which generally was frozen, thawed out, and eaten. Under such mode of living, every one returned at night bringing an appetite of ample dimensions.

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Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 38

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co. Number of Pages: 1190

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190