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 18
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THE JUDICIARY.
The District Court commenced its annual session May 18th. The session lasted until Saturday evening following, being by far the longest term yet held in the county and although much business was done, there was none of special importance, or of public interest.
Some attorney who reads the above item, may be hard up for an authority on some point and may thank the writer for the sugges- tion contained in the following anecdote taken from a newspaper.
"Some years ago at the trial of a cause before a justice of the peace in one of the southern States, a decided novel legal authority was cited by one of the learned members of the bar, which wrought some slight confusion in the court- room.
"The court will please ohserve," remarked this acute counsel, with much de- liberation and in a most ponderous manner, "that in the case of Shylock vs. An- tonio, although judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff, yet circum- stances prevented the execution which had issued from being carried into effect, in spite of that fact."
"To what case," inquired the justice, with a face overspread with perplex- ity, "did the court understand the gentleman to refer?"
"Shylock vs. Antonio, 2d Shakespeare, page 235, Johnson's edition,"returned the counsel solemnly. "The court will there find the case reported in full."
$6.663 100
On the 28th day of May, the county board held a session, the business of which is noted elsewhere. On the 6th day of July, they again assembled and among other business, on reading a petition of certain soldiers who had enlisted in the Regiment of Minnesota Mount- ed Rangers for one year, the board directed that one-third of the county bounty paid to three year's men, ($20.00) be allowed the peti- tioners, to-wit: the sum of $6.663 in county orders. The orders were then worth about fifty eight cents on the dollar. If three year's men were entitled to twenty dollars, there was no good reason why one year's men should not have one-third of that sum. The old soldiers still occasionally speak laughingly of this bounty.
A WAIF.
In a sketch of the county, published in 1868, we find the follow- ing statement in reference to this year: "1863. In this year immi- gration again flowed into the county, but still not to the ex- tent it would had there been no Indian troubles the preceding year.
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It is correctly estimated that the progress of settlement and im- provement was retarded at least two years, yet in this year some of the damage was repaired, confidence in the security of the county becanie restored, money became more plenty, the crops were a fair average and the prices good."
THANKSGIVING.
The sixth day of August was set apart and designated by the President as a day of national thanksgiving to Almighty God, who holdeth in his hands the fate of nations, for the great victories which had lately attended the Union arms.
Again in December, a day of public thanksgiving was appointed. Both of these occasions were generally observed in an appropriate manner in this county.
"This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations."-Is. 14:26.
THE BOARD AGAIN.
An important session of the Board of County Commissioners was held on the first day of September. District school examiners were appointed as follows: J. A. Kiester for first district, F. W. Cady for second district and J. L. Weir for third district.
But the most important part of their business related to the survey and appraisal of the school lands. Albin Johnson and An- drew C. Dunn were appointed appraisers in behalf of the county. who were to act in this matter in conjunction with George D. Mc- Arthur appointed by the State, and in view of the survey of these lands. John A. Dean was appointed county surveyor.
As a matter of historic interest a brief explanation of our school land system is proper here.
The general government released to the State two sections of government lands in each township in the State, being sections six- teen and thirty-six, to be disposed of by the State to create a per- manent fund for the benefit of common schools. Under the school land system of the State, these lands, when timbered, in districts where timber is scarce, are surveyed by state authority, and sub- divided into two and a half. five and ten acre lots and blocks. The appraisers then fix a value per acre on each lot and block and also on each forty acre tract of prairie land. The lands are then of- fered for sale at public auction to the highest bidder at such times in each county as the commissioners of the State land office may fix. ample public notice having been first given. But no lands are sold below the appraised value. Ou timber lands where timber is valu- able, fifty to seventy-five per cent of the purchase money must be paid at the time of purchase, and the balance may run twenty years
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
at seven per cent interest, payable annually. Prairie lands are sold on the same terms, except that but fifteen per cent. is required to be paid at the time of purchase. Only such proportion of the lands are sold as the commissioner may from time to time deem expe- dient. The original number of acres of school lands in this county alone was 25,196.
From these sales the State has secured a magnificent school fund which is continually increasing, and which it is sincerely hoped may never be squandered.
THE FARMERS' EXHIBITION.
The fair of the Agricultural Society was held at Blue Earth City on the seventh and eighth days of October. Daniel Birdsall, Esq., delivered the annual address.
HOMICIDE.
On the 22nd day of October, a Frenchman named Crapau, was shot at Walnut Lake, in this county, by a neighbor named Merry. Crapau died instantly. The affair was caused by an old dispute about a land claim. Merry surrendered himself to the officers of the law, and on an examination before a Justice of the Peace, he was discharged, it appearing, as was alleged, that he was justified in the killing, because necessary to save his own life. But after all it was not a very neighborly, and certainly not a very merry act.
THE WHIG OF '76.
On the 31st day of October appeared the first member of the "Whig of '76," issued at Winnebago City, by Carr Huntington, editor and proprietor. It was a small, six column, four page sheet, very neatly printed. This was the first paper published at Winne- bago City. The editor says in his opening editorial, "Among other duties we should like to be able to show to the people of other sec- tions the advantages which lie neglected in the beautiful prairies by which we are surrounded, fairer, richer, than the sun shines on elsewhere. Faribault as an agricultural county, is capable of mak- ing rich a hundred thousand inhabitants, and of exporting ten million bushels of wheat annually, to be raised on a surface of twenty towns, six miles square each. The people to that number ought to be here. As soon as they arrive, the acres will be given them for a perpetual inheritance." The paper was union republican in politics.
It is claimed that the first newspaper published in America and which was printed on the first press in America, was a paper named the Freeman's Oath, published at Cambridge, Mass., in 1639. A paper was issued at Boston, Mass., Septmber 25th. 1690. It was de- signed to be a monthly, but it was immediately suppressed. But one copy of it now remains in existence. The News Letter, published
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in Boston in 1704, is sometimes, though erroneously, deemed the first American newspaper. It was eight by twelve inches in size. In the first half of the eighteenth century quite a number of news- papers were established, being located mainly in the large cities. Their price was high and circulation limited. and they were but sorry sheets in comparison with the great papers of the present day.
"There are eight newspapers in the United States which claim to be over one hundred years old. The names of the papers and the dates when they are said to have been established, are as follows : Annapolis (Md.) Gazette, 1745; Portsmouth (N. H.) Gazette, 1756: Newport (R. I.) Mercury, 1758; New London (Conn.) Gazette, 1753: Hartford (Conn.) Courant, 1764; New Haven (Conn.) Journal, 1767: Salem (Mass) Gazette, 1768; Worcester (Mass.) Spy, 1770."
There are now-1881. published in the United States, about nine hundred daily papers, and the tri-weekly, semi-weekly and weekly papers aggregate eight thousand five hundred, with a circulation of fourteen millions and there are eight hundred monthlies with a cir- culation of four millions. The circulation of some of these papers is very great, running from thirty thousand, to two hundred thous- and copies. The circulation of ordinary country papers was all the way from one hundred and fifty copies into one and two thousand.
The circulation of the New York Ledger, has at times exceeded four hundred thousand copies. Some years ago a weekly, paper was started in New York named the "Advocate," which was reported to have reached a circulation of over six hundred thousand, the great- est ever known up to this time. It ceased for some reason to be is- sued after an existence of a couple of years.
The first Minnesota newspaper, was the "Minnesota Register." and bears date St. Paul, April 27th, 1849, but it was printed at Cin- cinnati, Ohio. The first newspaper printed in Minnesota, was the "Minnesota Pioneer." issued at St. Paul. April 28th, 1849. There now is searcely a county in the State, in which there is not at least one paper published, and many have more. The average country papers of this State, are well gotten up, of good size and fairly edited, and hold a very respectable rank in the tone of their morality and intel- ligence, while we have several great newspapers in the State which may take rank with the best metropolitan journals and of which the people are, or should be, quite proud.
We have already seen that the first paper published in this county, was the Blue Earth City News, the first number of which was dated April 6th, 1861.
For several years there was but one paper in the county, but for the last few years there have been four, and at one time as many as seven papers published in the county.
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
Many changes have occurred in the newspaper press of this county since the publication of the first paper, all of which are care- fully noted in the various years of this volume to the close of 1879. Our papers have in the main, always been equal to the best average of county newspapers. It is a fact worthy of record, that our county has supported a larger number of papers, in proportion to its popu- lation, than perhaps any other county in the State. The people of the county have always been a newspaper reading people. Many of them take all the papers published in the county, besides outside papers. All of the great leading journals are taken, and many of the leading monthlies and quarterlies, even the most costly of them, are patronized by the people.
For many years, all of our local papers have been printed on the auxiliary plan, that is, one side of them, containing general news and other matter is printed at the large offices of some of the cities, and the other side containing the local news, editorials and advertisements, is printed at the office of issue. This method, now almost universally adopted throughout the country, has many ad- vantages. It enables the proprietor to publish a paper more easily and cheaply, and make a better paper, as the general news and se- lections are made by more skillful hands, as a rule, and from a greater range of exchanges, and this work being off the editor's hands, he has more time to devote to local matters. However, all the advan- tages are not with this system.
And now speaking of newspapers generally, we find that as to form, style and size, they vary greatly. The great majority are four pages, the next in order are the eight page papers and there are some of sixteen pages and even some, properly called newspapers, of thirty two pages, and some of the large sheets are ten columns in width. Our papers cover also a wide range in character and ability, from the Snakefang Gazette and the vile Hell's Messenger to the Public Ledger, (Penn.) and the great religious weeklies. The great majority of newspapers in this country are published in the English language, but there are papers published in many other languages, as the German, French, Spanish, Norwegian, etc. It is a great and beneficial feature, that a great number of the news- papers published are devoted to specialties, to science, art, occupa- tions, classes of society, associations, religious denominations, politics, commerce. Thus the man of science, every profession, the mechanic, the merchant, the agriculturist and others have each a paper devoted to his particuliar interests and views, besides the journals, which treat of matters in general.
One of the causes which contribute to the public influence of newspapers is a sort of anonymity, impersonality and know every- thing character, which attaches to them. This quality is something
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separate from, or independent of, the personality of the editor. The expression. "the paper says so" goes a great ways with many people. Yet the editor himself. may be a very ninny, or a chump, or worse, and even the editorials may be largely "scissored" from other papers. There are newspapers, the editorial columns of which are largely edited by the shears.
The newspaper is a necessity. Let any one consider for a mo- ment the condition of things should all the papers, suddenly and at once, cease to be published.
The newspaper is one of the great institutions of America, and the Americans are the greatest newspaper readers in the world, and the result is, they are the best informed people in the world, as to general topics and current events.
The newspaper is one of the most powerful educators of the intelligence and conscience of the people, and exercises an influence on the every day life. the deeds and destiny of the people of the gravest importance. While the school teacher instructs a few dozens. or hundreds, and the preacher reaches his congregation, the editor speaks to many hundreds, often many thousands. Napoleon said, "A journalist is a regent of sovereigns, a tutor of nations. For hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets."
"Newspapers," said H. W. Beecher, "are the school masters of the common people-a greater treasure to them than ,uncounted millions of gold."
Wendell Phillips wrote. "What gunpowder did for wars, the printing press has done for the mind; the statesman is no longer clad in the steel of special education, but every reading man is his judge." The famous Junius says, "Let it be impressed upon your minds, let it be instilled into your children, that the liberty of the press is the palladium of all the civil, political and religious rights." And it has long been a proverb that, "A free press is the stoutest bulwark of our liberties."
The press is not only potent to instruct and lead to right action. but it is also powerful in deterring from and suppressing crime and vice.
The business of Journalism has become a learned and honorable. almost a peerless profession, and the responsibility to the public, of those from the highest to the lowest, who are engaged in it, is very great. The position of the editor of even a country paper, who realizes his duty and responsibilities to himself and the community. and seeks to perform them, in a high minded and honorable manner, is a most honorable and important position and such an editor is usually respected as one of the first men of the locality.
A good local newspaper, one which is conducted on correct prin- cipals, by an independent, a consciencious and able man, is an ines-
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
timable benefit to any community. There is hardly any one thing, which can effect so much, in moulding and directing public opinion, advancing the material prosperity and raising the moral and intel- lectual condition of a locality as this. But on the other hand no greater calamity can happen to a locality, than that of having pub- lished in its midst a newspaperreflecting the qualifications of a nar- row-minded, self-sufficient, or conceited individual, who supposes him- self to be "the all in all" of the community, or one who is so weak, or so depraved, or both, as from week to week to criticise, decry, or misrepresent every moral movement and public enterprise, which does not square with his notions, or of which he is not placed at the head; or a paper which is a perpetual dispenser of "taffy" and fulsome adulation for the purpose of keeping friends; or the friend of the vicious elements and the ready apologist of crimes and dis- order; or the mouth piece of defamation and blackmail and a manace to the good name or reputation of every person in the community, who will not bend the knee, or pay the price of immunity from ridi- cule or libel; or a paper that is purchasable and ready and anxious to sell its support for a price, to any man or cause; or one which is pleased to pander to the curiosity of the vulgar, or is the tool of small beer politicians and self-seekers, who, for a consideration, may write their own puffs. From all such, or any combination therof, good Lord deliver us.
There are such papers and probably always will be. They are like a cancer on the public body, and unless soon cut out, corrupt and destroy the whole community.
The way to have an able and high-toned press, is to demand such, and patronize only such, and the way to get rid of the other sort, is to stick the paper in the fire, pay the editor what is due him, if anything, and stop your patronage.
It is a grateful task to record the fact, that with but a few ex- ceptions, the publishers of newspapers in this county, whatever the private character or conduct of anyone may have been, seemed to realize their obligations to the community, and if not active in every good work, promoting intelligence and morality, have done nothing to hinder their progress.
Among the many varieties of newspapers, there is a class which no man should ever read himself, or permit in his family, if he has one.
They are those illustrated journals, of the deeds of darkness current in the land, which relate in detail, the shames and crimes of greed and hate and lust, illustrating them with all their horrors and vulgar features. They not only familiarize the mind with crimes of every name, but teach their methods of procedure. Their influ- ence is pernicious. They are Satan's open letters to the people, as the
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dime novels are his text books. No man who regards the welfare of the young, or the purity of his family, will permit them in his house. No one would want the company of the criminals and prof- ligates themselves, why then the pictures and stories of their devilish deeds. We get enough of them for the information of the people in the ordinary newspapers. It is indeed true in a very great measure, that what we read shapes our lives. No man in this enlightened age, can afford to be without at least one good paper. No one can afford to raise his children without the current information, given by newspapers, and the paper should be read by every member of the family, old enough to read. A home is not much of a home without a good newspaper, and every family which respects itself, will have its paper. Every man should take his home paper to learn the local news, and he should take a leading city journal of his State, and he should have a paper devoted to his special busi- ness, and he should get one of his church papers, and then to complete the list, if he has a family of children, he should get a child's paper for the little folks. All these papers together and all of the best quality, need not cost to exceed six or eight dollars per annum. As a financial question it is the best little investment a man can make, to say nothing of the greater benefits derived in the way of general information, correct principle and improve- ment of manners. There is much that can be said on this splen- did subject of newspapers, but we close these observations by the statement that, the work of publishing a newspaper is a business transaction. But few papers are published wholly as matters of charity.
Papers cannot live without support, and they are generally good and useful, in proportion to the liberality of their support. A paper too, is generally a fair index of the enterprise and intelligence and moral sentiment of the community where published.
Every man should not only take at least his local paper and pay for it, but if he does any business that is respectable and worth do- ing, he should advertise and pay for that. If he wants patronage, people must know where he is, what he does or has to offer, and if he advertises, the paper tells these things to hundreds, perhaps thousands while he works, or eats or sleeps. It is a fact generally true, that the man who advertises is the man who does the business. It may be observed that the business of publishing a newspaper, ex- cept in the case of a few of the great city journals, is not a very money-making business. Many papers started in good faith, and capable of doing much good, fail every year. There is much truth couched in the following lines penned by a once famous Minnesota
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
editor who had started many papers which failed to live. He sadly wrote:
"Man's a vapor Full of woes, Starts a paper, Up he goes."
THE TALE TOLD BY THE TICKETS.
The candidates for governor this fall were Stephen Miller, re- publicau and H. R. Wells, democrat.
The Republican District Convention was held at Blue Earth City October 22d, and nominated J. A. Latimer, of Winnebago City, for Representative.
The Union Republican County Convention was also held at Blue Earth City and W. J. C. Robertson, of Verona, was nominated for sheriff; Wm. Dustin, of Blue Earth City, for treasurer; Andrew C. Dunn, of Winnebago City, for county attorney; D. Birdsall, of Pres- cott, for county surveyor; Amos Preston, of Elmora, for court com- missioner and Win. A. Way, for coroner.
The Democratic party made no nominations for legislative or county offices.
The election occurred on the third day of November. The vote was exceedingly light and the Republican candidates were all elected.
The following was the official canvass of votes:
Miller.
Wells.
Latimer,
Dustin.
Robertson.
Dunn.
Preston.
Way.
Birdsall.
Prescott ..
19
18
18
18
18
18
18
18
Guthrie .
33
1
27
31
29
27
31
30
29
Elmore and Campbell.
23
23
23
23
22
19
16
22
Winnebago City.
80
1
67
73
72
65
72
73
72
Lura, Marples and Dunbar
10
11
11
11
10
11
11
11
Brush Creek and Foster ...
16
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
Barber, Walnut Lake and Cobb
11
14
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
Blue Earth City and Emerald.
6.9
4
46
53
52
52
52
52
48
Seely and Keister.
12
11
12
11
11
12
12
11
Verona.
37
26
27
29
27
29
29
28
Totals.
309
22
255
274
271
258
270
267
265
....
NOTE-It appears that there was no election held in Pilot Grove and Jo Daviess.
Allen Shultis and Wm. M. Scott were elected county commis- sioners.
The prices of farm products late in December ruled as follows: Wheat, 60 to 65 cents per bushel; oats, 45 to 50 cents; barley, 75 cents; corn, 50 cents; potatoes, 30 cents; onions, $1.50; beans, $1.50;
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butter, 15 cents: fresh pork. 4}: fresh beef, 34; eggs, 15 cents per dozen.
BOUNTIES.
Another call having been made on the 17th of October for three hundred thousand men and a draft having been ordered to take place on the 5th day of January, 1864, the commissioners met in special session December 11th, to consider the situation. They appointed Andrew C. Dann as the special agent of the county, to proceed to St. Paul to get the returns of recruits enlisted from this county in the United States service corrected, so as to give this county and each town thereof, the proper credit for all recruits furnished since the beginning of the war. Then to encourage enlistments, and thus pre- vent drafting as much as possible, the following resolution was adopted :
"Resolved that the sum of fifty dollars as a bounty to each volunteer or re- cruit, in each township in this county, who shall, subsequent to the recent call for the three hundred thousand men, and prior to January 5th. next, be mus- tered into the military service of the United States."
LIFE HERE.
One may easily realize the conditions here and the life and interests of the people during the spring, summer and fall of this year.
Extremely dry weather prevailed for months. There was great heat in the summer and the dust was deep on all the roads and great clouds of dust filled the air when the winds blew or when teams or droves of stock passed along the highways or the public streets.
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