USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 66
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The calamity of the Chicago fire was trifling compared to the dire results that awaited the commercial interests of the coming city, if this telegraph office were not judiciously located. Party after party and delegation after delegation waited upon the Major-the imminences of the danger being graph- ically laid before him, and all needed promises exacted and freely given. The Major was a man of resources, and so long as the hunger of his political supporters could be appeased with promises, he rained them down like manna. But difficulties were in store for him. It happened one day that two dele- gations, one from each faction, both met the Major at the same time, and
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both claimed that he had made promises which took no argument to prove contradictory. Things were getting warm. The Major demanded silence.
Then that noble man arose in his full majesty. Never were his sterling qualities brought out in bolder relief. He declared that neither faction should have the office, but that he would establish it at the place of business of a recognized neutral; and further, if he heard one word more on the subject, the office should not come at all. The delegations returned, and it was not long before the pious Major was around with different ones, shaking dice for the drinks, and abusing the other fellows; and quietly winking assurance that the office should be all right yet, only he did not want any fuss kicked up about it till after the nomination. Well, the office finally came, and it turned out that the Major had no more to do with its location that the humblest of his admirers.
The Major was great in keeping in touch with the financial and corporate interests of the state, and hobnobbing with those who had the pass-giving power. He possessed all of the characteristics of the modern lobbyist. He could appear wise, whether he knew anything or not. He was wisdom per- sonified-to look at. During the session of the Legislature of 1874, he and his Siamese twin (Jake Austin) "invested" and "infected," as George B. Wright put it, the capitol of the state; their two noble forms were seen every- where and the Major was always booming his mate. The Major was some- what susceptible to flattery.
One day a friend asked him how it happened that a man of his ability and discernment could always be extolling his companion, knowing him as he did. "Well," said Beach, "I make them think that Austin runs the upper country, and I run Austin. Don't you see the point ?"
Kind man. He has long since passed away ; requiescat in pace.
THE RAT SKIN WAR.
I suppose none of my readers ever saw a real muskrat skin. Well, they were a staple in early Fergus. Every man in trade bought them, and for a time all other rivalries merged in the absorbing topic of rat trade. At first there seemed to be no system about it; each merchant bought for himself. and each had his particular followers, who were interested in seeing him get the most rats. But this did not last long. Force so divided was demor- alizing, and no first-class rat war could be maintained. So, by common con- sent, the great current of rat trade sought but two channels. Then there was music. Nearly every man and boy in town took sides and interested himself with one or the other buyers. An honest yeoman would drive into town with his little bundle of skins securely tied in a sack at the bottom of his sleigh. He could not proceed far before he would be surrounded by a crowd. not one of whom had any interest in the rats, or a cent to buy one with, who
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would set upon the poor granger like a pack of Saratoga hackmen, and when the bewildered mortal came to his senses, he would not have a rat left. Not that he really lost them. No, when he shook himself out and got his bearings again, he would find them at one of the buyers and all nicely counted, graded, priced and cash ready. The rat buyers made money, I suppose, but I was always puzzled to know what the other fellows made of it.
"Old Settler," George B. Wright, I believe, took no part in this rat war, as that time (1873) he was devoting his attention to the Legislature and a new village charter, embracing an original and novel system of voting, by means of which a man could be counted in whether he was elected or not. Time is too short to tell you about the scheme of voting. It was one of Old Settler's best. The Australian puzzle pales before it. It involves long arithmetical, algebraical and geometrical calculations, besides an acquaintance with the psychological convolutions of the brain capable of conceiving it. The people repudiated the whole thing-refused to attempt its use at the charter election held soon after its passage, and the law was repealed at the next session of the Legislature.
THE DAM-SITE AT GUTTENBERG.
And herein comes some more Austin history.
The Austin dam crosses the Red river was located about a mile and a half up the stream from the center of Fergus Falls, at a point called Gutten- berg by Mr. Austin. It was on section 36, which was school land. In 1873 the state authorities decided to sell that section at public sale, as the law authorized. Such land, before sale, had to be divided into smaller pieces or lots, and one Robert Miller, commonly called "Bob," an Englishman and henchman of Austin, was appointed by the state auditor to survey and sub- divide this section of land for the purpose of public sale.
Owing to the rapids in the river through this section, there could be selected one good mill-site. Austin had an eye for such a water-power, and the terms of intimacy between him and Bob became more and more cohesive. Politically, they were strong party antagonists, but in the matter of dam-sites they were a unit. Bob made a beautiful plat of section 36. To the artistic eye of Mr. Austin it was the most perfect and good-to-look-at map ever produced by a civil engineer, living or dead. Miller designated on this plat as "mill-site" a tract of land, containing about five acres, lying on both sides of the river and at the lower end of the rapids. A dam at that point would have to be nearly a mile long to reach banks sufficient for that purpose.
North of this "mill-site," and immediately adjoining, he marked out another five-acre lot, which also embraced both sides of the river. This par- cel was designated by a number, as were all the other lots except the "mill- site" one. The river was narrow, with high banks on each side, when it ran
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through this last named five-acre tract. This lot constituted the only avail- able water-power site on section 36. When completed, the beautiful plat was placed on file in the state auditor's office at St. Paul, and the sale of the land advertised. At such sale the land had to be put up by lots as platted, and the law fixed the minimum price for which any tract could be sold at five dollars per acre.
The public sale took place in Fergus Falls one cold, rainy day, late in the fall. The power privileges on the Red river at this point were widely adver- tised, and to secure such an one, a Mr. Griswold, of Minneapolis, came to the sale to bid on the "mill-site." That most desirable property was put up first. Mr. Griswold made a bid, and Austin raised it. He, too, wanted a water-power, but not that one. Griswold raised his bid, when Austin went him "some better." This continued till the amount ran up above six hun- dred dollars, and the "mill-site" was "knocked down" to Griswold. Then the tract immediately above was placed on sale, and as there was but one bid, Austin got it at the minimum price. Notwithstanding the cold, stormy weather, as soon as the land was struck off to Austin, he, having teams and men ready, started for his mill-site and commenced work on his dam, which he placed just above the upper line of Griswold's "mill-site."
When the real situation dawned on a "waiting world," there was "music in the air." Miller, like the typical Englishman, was stolid and said nothing. Jake pursued his dam-building operations, nor did he talk to any considerable extent. That was left to others. But Austin did not come out quite so well refused to make payment-or suffer cancellation of his own purchase. Austin as he had figured. When the state auditor learned the facts, he demanded that Jake take the Griswold "mill-site" at the amount bid-the latter having took the Griswold tract. Austin's popularity was never phenomenal, and this episode did not enhance it to any great extent.
J. W. Mason was a member of the Legislature from Otter Tail county in the session of 1874. At that time about all of Austin's taxable property was in his dam, at the eastern edge of the city. Austin supported Mason for the Legislature, and along during the session went to St. Paul for an inter- view with the "local member." That interview took place in the Merchants Hotel, where Mason boarded. It ran about as follows:
Austin-"John, I've got a scheme. It's great. It. will please you and all the people in Fergus Falls. It is this: I want you to introduce a bill setting Guttenberg out of the village, thus making it a part of the township of Fergus Falls. The people will be glad to get rid of me; besides you can always count on the delegation from that town in future conventions. How does it strike you?"
Mason-"Well, Mr. Austin, it strikes me like this: You know the sit-
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uation up there as well as I do. The people would say, and justly, that it is a scheme to place your property beyond the taxing power of the village. We are both blamed for the part we took in the school house bond issue, and were I to do as you ask, they would all say I had been bought. I can't afford that."
Austin-"No such thing. They will all be glad to get rid of me and thank you for helping do it."
Mason-"Very well, if they feel that way, I'll tell you what to do. You go back home and get them to sign a petition, asking me to introduce such a bill and I will do it, provided such petition is signed by the leading business men and taxpayers, otherwise I must decline to do as you wish."
Austin -- "All right. I'll do it. They'll all be glad to sign it. I'll be back here inside of two weeks."
In about that time Austin returned to St. Paul and registered at the Metropolitan Hotel. He sent a line by messenger boy to Mason, asking him to call that evening. Mason went to the hotel and, on meeting Mr. Austin, said: "Well, did you get your petition signed as we talked?"
"No," said Austin, "I wouldn't ask one of the d-d 10 sign anything. I've got a better scheme. It's this: I'll have the bill intro- duced in the Senate by Senator Nelson. Being a local bill, it will pass there, and when it comes up in the House, you can be absent, or let it slip through and say nothing."
Mason said : "No, Mr. Austin, that won't do. I would rather take the bull by the horns, introduce and pass the bill in the House than sit by and see it done that way. Your plan won't work, and the bill will not be passed."
Austin returned home next day, and when he got there his characteriza- tions of the local member from Fergus Falls were anything but flattering. Guttenberg is still a part of the city.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY.
G. O. Dahl, present county commissioner of Otter Tail county, was at an early day in business here, and goods were shipped to him, marked with his initials only. A traveling salesman was passing a wholesale estab- lishment in Minneapolis one day, when he saw a box marked 'G. O. D., Fergus Falls, Minn." He looked at it a moment, then turned to a friend and said: "He ain't there. I just came from that place. I doubt if He ever was there."
WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH A DIME.
In the early days, when grasshoppers were ravishing the country and business was dull, there were two saloons in Fergus Falls, both on Lincoln avenue and about two blocks apart. One was kept by a Norwegian called John; the other by a Frenchman. Captain Dampier.
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Trade was dead. Gloom settled down with the grasshoppers. Farm- ers were futilely fighting the pests and watching their crops disappear as the locusts, in myriads, marched over their fields. Merchants sat waiting for customers that did not come, and the only place of activity in town was at Nichols & Dearborn's drug store, where the everlasting game of checkers went on day and night. The general inactivity seemed to get hold of the dogs, even, and they shared with their owners the prevailing ennui in the "Coming City." The very hens, gorged with grasshoppers, refused to lay. Nothing is known equal to a locust raid for spreading gloom.
One morning, during this depressing period, John opened his saloon, stepped out in front and looked on this scene of inactivity. Up and down the street no moving thing was in sight. He returned inside. and sat down to wait for the customer that did not come. The stillness and utter quietude got on his nerves. For lack of something better to do, he got up and went to the money drawer, thinking to count the cash receipts of yesterday. There he found only a lone ten-cent piece. The dime looked as lonesome as John felt. He put it back and waited.
After a time he approached the till, took out the solitary dime and started down the street for Cap's saloon. That was as quiet and deserted as his own place of business. He bought a drink, paid for it with his only piece, and went back to his own saloon.
In Cap's till there was no cash whatever before he made deposit of John's dime. This transaction encouraged Cap. Business was "picking up." In a short time it occurred to Cap that he ought to reciprocate and patronize his competitor ; so he took the dime and started for John's place. There he bought a drink, paying for it with this nimble piece. In a little while, John, imbued with the same spirit of reciprocity, took the dime and started on a trek for Cap's place, when he indulged in a libation equal in value to the whole volume of circulating medium in town. Soon Cap "reciprocated" some more, and so these business transactions continued throughout the day.
When night came, both felt happy, hilarious and prosperous. As they meandered up street, each supported by the loving arms of the other, Cap said: "John, that's what I call financeering. We both got full and it cost us only ten cents. Can you beat it?"
THE STAGE ROBBER.
I would not want to go on record as saying that there was more killing done in the county in those days than afterwards, but there was certainly more highway robbery. A stage then ran from Alexandria to Otter Tail City, carrying passengers, mail and the American express. One afternoon
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in the spring of 1871 this . ach, laden with a solitary passenger inside and the driver with his express box on the outside, was "held up," as the phrase went in those days, about six miles west of Otter Tail City. The driver, in obedi- ence to a pressing invitation presented at the muzzle of a double-barrelled shot-gun, threw out his express box. The passenger, frightened almost to death, jumped out on the opposite side and took to the woods. The driver, relieved of his box and not stopping for his passenger, retained just sense enough to put whip to the horses and run them all the way to Otter Tail City. There, with trembling voice and chattering teeth, he told the story of his robbery. A posse started after the thief, taking the driver along to identify him when caught.
They rode out to the scene of action and scattered, one party soon coming upon the passenger, half-dead with fright. The conclusion was jumped at immediately that he was the robber. A rope was put around his neck and he was given five minutes to make his prayers. About this time it occurred to one of the would-be executioners that it might be well to have the man iden- tified by the driver before he was hanged. Search was made and when the other party, including the driver, was found the latter was not certain, but inclined to the opinion that they had caught his late passenger. Consequently the proposed execution was temporarily postponed to await further develop- ments.
After a few days the real highwayman was captured. By this time excitement had abated sufficiently to permit the law to take its course. The officials of the stage company were naturally anxious to secure the conviction of the prisoner. So, along in the fall, some time before court set, they sent an agent to Otter Tail City, then the county seat, to interview the county attorney in relation to the coming trial. E. E. Corliss was then the incumbent of that office, the first position which Mr. Corliss held in the county, although by no means the last.
At Otter Tail City the agent of the stage company was informed that the county attorney was out at his farm near Clitherall. So, he turned about and started for the shades of that peaceful retreat on the shores of the lake, long afterwards famous as the location of "Camp Corliss." The county attorney in those days was industrious and on this occasion was busy attend- ing the mason who was plastering his house. The express agent drove up to the place and inquired of a tall, red-headed man in shirt sleeves and bare feet, if he knew where he, the agent, could find Mr. Corliss. "Yes," said this individual, "I'm Corliss." "What," cried the agent, "are you county attorney of this county." "Well, I should smile," said Corliss. "What do you want?" "Well. I did want to convict that robber," said the agent, "but I think we might as well let him go." Mr. Corliss closed one eye, inves-
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tigated the agent with the other and said: "My friend, you just have your witnesses there, and I'll do the rest." When the case was tried and the prisoner convicted, you may be sure that the agent changed his opinion of the prosecuting attorney of Otter Tail county.
Mr. Corliss held the office of county attorney for a good many terms. I think it stands to his record that he secured more convictions after actual trial than any other man who served for a like length of time in the county. He was a most vigorous prosecutor, always partisan and imbued with the spirit of justice in the cause he represented, and declared that he never prose- cuted an innocent man or defended a guilty one. Those who know him best believe that he states what he thinks to be true.
THE FERGUS FALLS VIGILANTES.
In addition to "gentlemen of the road," Otter Tail county was fav- ored ( ?) with another species of chivalarous gentry, designated in common speech as "horse thieves." They were supposed to carry on the traffic sys- tematically, with all lines of travel converging at Pomme de Terre in Grant county, and from thence, by a definite route south into Stevens county, to the home of their reputed "fence." Jaggar. Whether Jaggar was actually engaged in such industry is not known by any legal evidence, but that he bore the reputation is beyond question. There was enough "smoke" to justify the presumption of some "fire."
While Fergus Falls had never been honored by any attentions from this enterprising gang of "rustlers," still the citizens proposed to "lock the barn before the horse was stolen." To a man they were in favor of "pre- paredness." In March, 1872, to be ready for any possible attack, a vigi- lance committee was formed, called the Anti-Horse Thief Association. There was not a horse in town valuable enough to tempt the most "ornery" horse thief, but that did not excuse want of necessary precaution.
The following is the constitution of the Anti-Horse Thief Association :
Whereas, The experience of the last year has demonstrated the necessity of some further protection from the depredations of an infamous band of horse thieves who infest the county, preying upon the property of the community, other than that afforded by the civil laws of the state. therefore.
Resolved. That the formation of a Vigilance Committee for our protection is impera- tively demanded.
Resolved, That the name of this society shall be the Fergus Falls Anti-Horse Thief Association, and shall have for its object the recovery and protection of horses stolen from the members, and the prompt punishment of the thieves.
Extract from the by-laws :
10th. It shall be the sworn duty of any and all members of this society capturing a horse thief having in his possession the property of any member of the association, to promptly execute the said horse thief. by hanging. or in the absence of facilities for hanging, by shooting, or in any other manner. but in any and all events to take such
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effective measures as shall preclude the possibility of the return of said horse thief to commit any further depredations in the county.
There is a bit of "local color" to this history not disclosed by the fore- going "Constitution and By-Law." Nearly every male in town joined the . association except one man, a druggist. He devoted much time to ridicul- ing the organization and at this distance, his strictures might seem justifiably humorous, but for a subsequent event. His humor took rather a spectacular form. He set up a bulletin board outside his store in front, on which, in burlesque, he advertised and ridiculed the association. He would change the advertisement on the board each day, make comments on the different members, their courage, or want of courage, and the man- ner in which the horse thieves were disposed of. To supply "the absence of facilities for hanging," he hung a rope on the bulletin board for the use of the association, in case a horse thief was caught, believing, as he adver- tised, that "shooting was too good" for the despicable characters who would steal a Fergus Falls horse. This went on from day to day. People laughed, but began to take note that the disreputable characters who drifted into town always went direct to this drug store, and made it their headquarters as long as they remained.
The next winter this druggist was visited by a brother-in-law, who remained several weeks. The two men had never before met. Their wives were orphan children, and separated in early girlhood, and had never seen each other since they were little children. This man, having heard of the whereabouts of his brother-in-law, the druggist, came on to make him the visit mentioned. After remaining a month or six weeks, he returned to his home in the southern part of the state.
Not long after his return home, he wrote a letter to Jacob Austin, saying that he went to Fergus Falls to visit his brother-in-law, and felt it his duty to state that he discovered him to be a bad man and an undesirable citizen ; that he was actually connected with a gang of horse thieves operat- ing in Otter Tail and surrounding counties, and was the actual harborer of vicious characters who frequented Fergus Falls. The druggist soon left the country and was heard of no more. Possibly this letter did him an injus- tice, but the writer seemed a candid and conscientious man, and his story was generally believed:
A ROMANCE AND A TRAGEDY.
On the south shore of Otter Tail lake, where the beautiful little stream comes out of the woods to pour itself into the lake, was the scene of a romance and a tragedy back in the early seventies. This lake, about ten miles in length and nearly six in width, is one of the beauty spots of Min- nesota. Nearly surrounded by heavy timber and fine, sandy beaches, it was,
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in an earlier day, the home and haunt of the Indians. In former times many were the battles fought between the Sioux and Chippewas for posses- sion of these favored hunting-grounds. The Chippewas finally conquered and held dominion under their old chief Po-ka-no-ga, the friend of the white man, till removed by the government to the White Earth reservation. At the west end, where the Red river flows out of the lake, there are a number of Indian mounds extending from the top of the hill, on the south side of the river, back over the prairie for a considerable distance. These mounds are as large and distinctly marked as those in Mound park in St. Paul.
At an early day, probably in the late sixties, James G. Craigie, a Scotch- man, located his claim, built a house and small flour-mill close to the lake on the small stream above mentioned. His family consisted of himself, wife and daughter, Annie, about eighteen years of age. Annie was a "love" child, conceived in Scotland and born in Canada. Shortly after her birth, James G. Craigie came to Canada, and within two or three years married her mother. There the family lived till shortly before the story opens, when they came to Minnesota and settled on the shore of Otter Tail lake. Craigie had the Scotch thrift and in those times was counted rich.
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