USA > Minnesota > Faribault County > The history of Faribault County, Minnesota : from its first settlement to the close of the year 1879 : the story of the pioneers > Part 10
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time" the prevading sentiment, being well expressed in those spirited lines of Byron.
"On with the dance, let joy be unconfined; No sleep till morn when youth and pleasure meet To chase the glowing hours with flying feet!"
But not the villages alone had their dances. Many a log cabin with its "puncheon" floor in the country in those early days rang with the "sound of revelry by night" where from far and near would be gathered "fair women and brave men," in all sorts of toilets, who obeyed the injunction of that other eminent poet, Joshua B., in the following stanza:
"Now gather round the kitchen tire, And pile the chunks on hier and higher; Get out the old fiddle and partners choose, And shake her down in your cow-hide shoes."
It may be observed that generally, as people grow older and have the benefit of wider observation and more extended knowl- edge, the views they entertained of dancing in their youth, become greatly changed and they come to look upon this amusement as frivolous and as inimical to physical and moral health.
BUSINESS.
On the 5th day of July the county board met and as they had neglected at the January session to choose a chairman for the year, they now proceeded to that weighty business and C. W. Wilson was raised to the dignity of chairman. At the next session of the board held August 25th, the rate of tax was fixed at one-fourth of one per cent. for county purposes, to which was added by law one- half of one per cent. for state purposes, making but three-fourths of one per cent. as the entire rate of the first tax levied in this county.
THE FIRST ASSESSMENT.
The assessors returns were all made the latter part of August, and as this was the first assessment in the county, the following table of the valuations is of interest.
DISTRICT NO. 1, WINNEBAGO CITY.
Real Estate. $71,453
Personal Estate. 27,774 $99,227 Tax. $744 54
DISTRICT NO. 2, BLUE EARTH CITY.
Real Estate .. $82.711
Personal Estate. 30,451 $113,162
Tax $849.52
DISTRICT NO. 3, WALNUT LAKE.
Real Estate. $12,743
Personal Estate. 9,539 . $22,282 Tax .. $167.15
$234,671 $1,761.21
The State realized from this assessment $1.174.14, and the county the sum of $587.07.
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THE HARVEST.
The harvest throughout the state was not abundant, and in this county was very little. No surplus was yet raised for export and the home prices of farm products were very low. The year was a discouraging one for the farmer and consequently for everyone else, for there is no permanent success in business of any kind in a merely agricultural community, unless the farmer is first prosperous. The tiller of the soil is the first and principal producer of wealth; others are in the main but exchangers and consumers, and the farmers suc- cess or failure is the success or failure of the community.
HARD TIMES.
The early years of Faribault county were characterized by the want of money. This is doubtless true of most new countries, but it was peculiarly so of this county. New settlements are almost al- ways poor in money, because all the money brought in by immi- grants is at once invested in permanent, fixed property and improve- ments and some years must necessarily pass before such communi- ties produce any surplus, from which they can get any money. Capital is more needed and its benefits more apparent in the first settlement of a country than ever after, for the country being new produces nothing, yet everything in the way of improvement is an immediate necessity. Formerly many years were passed by the settlers of the new territories, in a state of semi-barbarism for the want of schools, churches, railroads, even commou roads and brid- ges, the security of local governments, society and many other bles- sings of civilized life, because of the lack of capital. Of late years, however, in many instances in the settlement of the new countries, capital goes with the settler and in a comparatively few years, all the conveniences of an old settled country are enjoyed. To add to the natural causes of poverty here the great commercial revulsion of 1857, reduced the prices of land everywhere, crippled commerce and all industries and immigrants who came into this county, about this time, came with less money of course, than they would otherwise have done. The greater part of the money in circulation from the first settlement of the county, until 1861, was gold and silver, but in small quantities. Bank paper was greatly depreciated. A bushel basket full of it might be worth something and might not-most probably not.
Money became exceedingly scarce and in the year of which we write it was loaned at from thirty to sixty per cent. ou mortgage security. There is no legitamate business that can pay such rates, and a whole community burdened with them, is not benefitted-can- not be in any view of the case. Neither the productive powers of the soil, nor the commercial advantages of any community in
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existence, can endure it long and prosper. The inevitable evil results always follow. The country is drained of its money to pay interest to non residents, instead of being expended in permanent improvements. Lauds taken in good faith as the homestead of the settler, finally passes into the hands of the money loaner and the borrower becomes bankrupt and must commence life anew. For many years this county has borne a heavy burden in this respect. Loans at such exorbitant rates of interest were made in this county as early as 1857, but in the year of which we now write, became more general and continued for many years thereafter. Thousands of acres of land were pre-empted in this county, the pre-emptors getting the means to do so at thirty and forty per cent. by secur- ing the debt on the lands, and other thousands of acres were mort. gaged for money at these high rates for other purposes, and much of such lands were subsequently sold in payment of the debts under mortgage foreclosure and were never redeemed by the mort- gagors. Owing to the productiveness of our soil, the healthfulness of the climate and the energy of the people, the evil effects of these things were not so great even here, as in some other sections of the country. The effects to some extent in this, as well as in some other features of the financial crash, had just reached us in this year and hard times began, but this year did not see the worst of it, as we shall see subsequently.
THE COMET.
Let us turn now for a moment from the affairs of earth, to the innumerable worlds in the vast expanse above us. Behold! how the heavens do "declare the glory of God." In September of this year Donati's comet visited our heavens and excited the admiration and wonder and perhaps the fears of some of its beholders. This comet, though smaller than some others, exceeded almost all others in the brilliancy of its head. It passed its perihelion, or nearest point to the sun, approaching within 55,000,000 of miles on the 29th of September and was nearest the earth, within 52,000,000 of miles, on the 12th of October. Its train was estimated to be 51,000,000 of miles in length and its period over 2,000 years.
These singular bodies, have for thousands of years, been looked upon with dread by the great mass of the inhabitants of the earth. They have been considered ominous of the wrath of heaven and the harbingers of wars, pestilence and famine, the downfall of monarchs and the destruction of empires. Nor were these opinions always confined to the unlearned. The eminent writer, Farrar, says that "It is conceded by many wise and candid observers, even by the great Niebuhr, the last man in the world to be carried away by credulity, or superstition, that great catastrophies and unusual phenomena
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
in nature, have as a matter of fact-however we may choose to in - terpret such a fact-synchronized in a remarkable mauner, with great events in human history." But science has greatly divested these phenomena of their terrors. Yet what important ends comets are designed to accomplish in the economy of the universe, what regions they visit when they pass beyond our vision, "On the long travel of a thousand years," or what are their exact physical const- itution, are questions beyond the powers of human knowledge even now to answer. Oh Omnipotent Creator and Governor of all things! Are these the messengers of thy wrath, or thy mercy!
The mention of this brilliant visitor, which filled the evening skies with splendor, recalls the eloquent words in reference to it, of that great scholar and statesman, Edward Everett. These are his admirable words :
"Return, thou mysterious traveller, to the depths of the heavens, never again to be seen by the eyes of men now living! Thou hast run thy race with glory: millions of eyes have gazed upon thee with wonder: but they shall never look upon thee again. Since thy last appearance in the lower skies, empires, languages, and races of men have passed away; the Macedonian, the Alexan- drian, the Augustan, the Parthian, the Byzantine, the Saracenic, the Ottoman dynasties sunk or sinking into the gulf of ages. Since thy last appearance, old continents have relapsed into ignorance, and new worlds have come out from behind the veil of waters, the Magian fires are quenched on the hill-tops of Asia; the Chaldean seer is blind; the Egyptian hierogrammatist has lost his cunning; the oracles are dumb. Wisdom now dwells in furtherest Thule, or in newly-discovered worlds beyond the sea. Haply when wheeling up again from the celestial abysses, thou art once more seen by the dwellers on earth, the. languages we speak shall also be forgotten, and science shall have fied to the uttermost corners of the earth. But even then His Hand, that now marks out thy wondrous circuit, shall still guide thy course; and then as now Hesper will smile at thy approach and Arcturus and his sons rejoice at thy coming."
THE FIRST COUNTY ORDERS.
On the 15th of September, the county board directed the issue of the first county orders. They amounted to $171.40.
County orders have fluctuated in value, greatly, in this county. For many years they were under par, sometimes getting as low as twenty-five cents on the dollar and were held at various prices, at various times, up to a dollar. For some years past they have been par and will continue so, doubtless, but they have never been known to command a premium.
It is exceedingly poor economy in the county authorities to per- mit such a coudition of the county finances as will cause county orders or warrants to get below par. All services rendered for the county must very soon be paid at a price advanced just in propor- tion to the depreciation of county orders.
Thus services worth one hundred dollars costs the county just two hundred dollars, if paid in orders worth fifty cents on the dollar,
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and such has been the actual fact in this county. And it is stated as a historical fact that this county and many others in the State have paid thousands of dollars in excess of what they should have paid had a correct policy been pursued. On the one hand all public expenses should be kept down to the minimum and the people should exercise more vigilence than they do. in seeing that their servants make no unnecessary expenses and then on the other hand, as a part of a correct financial system. it should be required that an amply sufficient tax should be levied each year to meet at once all claims against the school district, the town and the county, on pre- sentation.
Large sums of money would thus be saved, the taxes lessened and the public faith and credit preserved.
THE FALL ELECTION.
The Republican County Convention for this year was held at Blue Earth City, and made the following nominations:
For Representatives-Geo. D. McArthur, of Elmore; J. A. Lat- imer, of Winnebago City.
For Register of Deeds-J. A. Kiester.
For Judge of Probate-Guy K. Cleveland.
The other republican candidate for Representative was A. B. Webber, of Freeborn County, nominated by the convention of that county.
The Democratic candidates were:
For Representatives-Jo. L. Weir, of Winnebago City; Jas. L. McCrery, of Blue Earth City.
For Register of Deeds-Jno. M. Jackson Jr.
For Judge of Probate-Andrew C. Dunn.
The other democratic candidate for Representative was J. W. Heath, of Freeborn county.
The chief "bone of contention" in this election was the office of Register of Deeds. It was commonly understood that no legislature would meet the ensuing winter and the contest for representatives was therefore, but slight, though some canvassing was done by the candidates.
The election was held on the 12th day of October, and the fol- lowing was the vote cast in this county:
For Representatives-A. B. Webber had 191 votes; Geo. D. Mc Arthur had 187; J. A. Latimer, 190; J. W. Heath had 101; J. L. Weir, 109; J. L. McCrery, 113.
For Register of Deeds-J. A. Kiester had 215 votes and Jno. M. Jackson Jr. had 83.
For Judge of Probate-Guy K. Cleveland had 175 votes and Andrew C. Dunn had 112.
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
The whole republican ticket, both in the county and district was elected.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
By Act passed August 13th, the Legislature instituted a new system of County Government and provided for township organiza- tion. In pursuance of this act, the Governor appointed Andrew C. Dunn, Jas. S. Latimer and R. P. Jenness, commissioners to divide the county into towns and name them, preparatory to organization. The commissioners met at Winnebago City on the 27th of Septem- ber, and performed their duties under the act. In October the town- ship organization went into effect. A fuller statement of this mat- ter is found in another part of this history.
THE COUNTY BOARD AGAIN.
The commissioners met October 4, but did nothing of public in- terest, and on the 28th day of October they met again and for the last time, as they were superseded by a new authority instituted by the township organization act, known as the board of county su- pervisors. The commissioners at this last meeting approved an official bond and then adjourned sine die. Probably as this was the last meeting of the old board, they would have done something ap- propriate to the occasion had they known that they were making history. However, the clerk of the board appears to have appreci- ated the solemnity of the event and after the adjournment entered of record the following remarks :- "For about three years this board has managed the affairs of the county, and of those who constituted the board, it is but just to say, that they have ever given the best satisfaction, and always had the confidence of the people. May the power that succeeds them, ever regard the real interests of the county, and be dilligent in their labors to promote them."
Although the times were hard, and the weather during a large part of the year very unfavorable, quite a number of men of enterprise and of some capital became residents of the county this year aud many substantial improvements were made. In those days persons coming into the county, usually came first to the villages to make inquiries as to the most eligible lands to be had, and for some years residents of the villages spent much time, and that without fee or re- ward, in showing vacant lands to the newcomers. During the first two or three years immigrants were very exacting, and must have claims with at least eighty acres of timber and living water, with good prairie adjoining. Subsequently they were satisfied with from forty down to ten acres of timber, with living water and good prairie for the balance of the claim. Afterwards their demands were satisfied with simply good prairie and running water-then to be near the timber and streams, and finally they were glad to get
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claims far out on the prairies. It was long thought that the prai- ries, beyond four or five miles from the timber, would probably never be settled, or if so, at a very late day. Yet but a few years passed and the prairies were all dotted over with the cabins of set- tlers, and to-day many of the largest and best farms in the county are located far out on these very prairies. Lands in those days were taken under the pre-emption laws, the homestead laws not hav- ing yet been passed. They cost one dollar and twenty -five cents per acre. An actual residence upon the land for a certain length of time, the erection of a dwelling and some other improvements were required before the pre-emptor could "prove up" as it was called, or in other words pay up and get title to the land. Actual settlers usually complied with the letter and spirit of the law, but there was always a floating population that sought to pre-empt these lands by a very imperfect compliance with the pre-emption laws, and there were many very imperfect pre-emptions. Consciences were often very elastic.
To make a colorable compliance with the law, various subter- fuges and pretences were resorted to, some of which were quite in- genious and amusing. In one instance some four quarter sections were pre-empted by four young men, who remained in the country but a few days and had for a house four rails, which they laid together in the form of a square and called it a house, which they moved from one quarter to another, sleeping within the enclosure one night on each quarter. A few grape vines stretched around a small tract, was called a fence. In another instance a small company of pre-empters erected a house 16 by 24, having two doors and four windows, which they moved from one to the other of their respec- tive claims for pre emption purposes. The house was 16 by 24 inches and 12 inches high.
One made proof that he had a house on the land having a stoue foundation and a board floor and this was, in fact, a shanty built of poplar poles, each corner of which rested on a small stone and the floor was the earth, in which the pre-empter had bored a hole-it was a bored floor. Often the residence on the land, required by law, was deemed complied with, in the mind of the pre-emptor, if he had spent a Sunday on the land hunting ducks.
But little remains to add to the record of this year. It may be noted as the most uneventful and in some respects, the most un- profitable in the history of the county, and the record is soon written.
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
CHAPTER V.
A. D. 1859.
No session of the legislature was held in the winter of 1858.9, mainly owing to the protracted session of 1857-8, which rendered another following so soon, unnecessary. Representatives had been elected the preceding fall, as will be remembered, but their services were never required. There is, therefore, no legislation for this year to note here.
The second State legislature assembled in December of this year. Some reference thereto, will be found in the history of 1860.
THE COUNY SUPERVISORS.
It has been seen that the old board of county commissioners held their last meeting on the 28th of October, 1858, and were then superseded by the new board of county supervisors. This latter board was composed of the chairmen of the several boards of town supervisors. Under this new arrangement the new board consisted of ten members. On the third day of January, the new board met at Blue Earth City, but six members appearing, however, as several of the town districts had failed to organize. A quorum being pres- ent, they proceeded to organize by electing James L. McCrery, chairman, and Arthur Bonwell, clerk.
The session lasted three days and much business was transacted. among the most important of which was the division of the county into fifteen school districts. During the existence of this board, the business was transacted much in the manner usual in legislative bodies. There was a standing committee of three on school dis- tricts, a committee on roads and bridges, and a committee on claims. Special committees also were appointed occasionally, and questions were discussed in committee of the whole. The committees reported to the board, when final action was taken.
THE SPRING
The spring of this year, like its predecessor, was late and cold. The snows of the winter were deep and the spring thaws and rains caused high waters and almost impassable roads. But little grain was sown until quite late in April, all of which was quite discour-
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aging to the people. The great majority of the people, until after harvest, were wretchedly "hard up." The previous year the crops were light, and the bread and feed during the winter, and the seed- ing of this year, had about used up the products of 1858. The fol- lowing extract from the journal of an old resident of Blue Earth City, gives a rather gloomy statement of the condition of the county in March, about the middle of which month it was written. "We have, as a community, arrived at a period more depressing finan- cially, and fuller of gloomy forebodings, than any other in the his- tory of this section of country. There is no money in the country. Provisions are very scarce and very high.
There is no building, improvements or business of any kind in progress. Many families are almost and some quite out of such articles of food as are necessary to support life. In the country, the farmers can do nothing yet of spring work. In the villages men stand idly about the streets, or sit in small companies about the shops and stores, listless and cheerless, and appear to be filled with apprehensions of a yet worse state of affairs to come. The times will doubtless be 'harder' before the new crops are harvested. But it is said 'The darkest hour is just before the break of day,' and it may be, that in three or four months. every department of business may be active, provisions plenty, and money to be had more easily than at present. ·It is never best to give up in despair. ""
THE DISTRICT COURT.
The first term of the District Court held in this county com- menced its session on the 4th day of April of this year. The officers of the court were, Hon. Lewis Branson, Judge; Geo. B. Kingsley, Clerk, and Geo. H. Goodnow, Sheriff. There were seven civil and two criminal cases on the calendar. The attendance on the court was large, many coming out of curiosity, and the term was a very respectable one. A more full account of this term is given else- where. It is sufficient to say here, that the law was now established in the county, and its supremacy acknowledged. There was a tri- bunal in the county where wrongs could be righted and rights en- forced-the time when every man was "a law unto himself," had passed away and another step forward in the progress of the county had been taken. The Bill of Rights declares that "Every person is entitled to a certain remedy in the laws for all injuries or wrongs which he may receive in his person, property or character; he ought to obtain justice freely and without purchase; completely and without denial: promptly and without delay; conformably to the laws." Constitution.
The names on the calendar of the attorneys appearing in the several cases were J. B. Wakefield, A. C. Dunu, Simeou Smith, W.
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
W. Knapp, J. A. Kiester and Messrs. Wilkinson and Burt. The Grand Jury sworn and charged, being the first ever convened in this county, was composed of the following gentlemen: Dr. W. N. Town- drow, Foreman; E. Crosby, Wm. Phillips, T. Baily, J. S. Latimer, G. A. Weir, S. L. Rugg, Jas. Sherlock, B. Gray, A. Morris, A. J. Barber, E. B. Kendall, G. D. McArthur, John Beidle, W. W. Sleep- ier, O. G. Hill, H. A. Faunce, W. Seely, Jas. Decker, S. A. Safford, H. L. Young, S. B. Hamilton and T. Bowen.
No more respectable Grand Jury than this first one has ever assembled in this county.
The first Petit Jury sworn was composed of the following named gentlemen: Aaron J. Rose, Aaron Mudge, Dr. R. P. Jenness, Dr. J. P. Humes, Martin Sailor, O. Webster, W. Ladd, James Prior, Jas. L. McCrery, J. Edwards, H. Chesley and J. Burk. And many very respectable petit juries have sat in this county since that day and pronounced their verdicts, but none more able, intelligent or conscientious than the first. They were "good and lawful men." The writer is sorry to have to record the fact that the first verdict rendered in this county was that short and terrible word "guilty."
The term lasted five days and the business disposed of was con- siderable.
Courts are usually conducted with much solemnity and dignity, but some very amusing incidents occur occasionally, aud here is one.
Our pronouns are apt toget mixed, as the following, which is reported from the Pacific slope. A policeman was being examined as a witness against an Irishman whom he had brought before the local court. After the officer had told his story, the judge inquired .-
"What did the man say when you arrested him?"
"He said he was drunk."
"I want his precise words, just as he uttered them. He did not use the pronoun he, did he?"
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