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 27
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The following anecdote, an actual occurrence, may be appropri- ate right here.
There is a lawyer, yet living, who some years ago was waited upon by a committee from a small village, for the purpose of engag- ing him to deliver a Fourth of July oration. When they asked him his price, he said he considered $25.00 cheap enough.
"Mercy on me!" exclaimed the chairman, "but we can't pay no such price as that! That must be for a regular Henry Clay oration."
"Well, yes. I think it will compare favorably with anything Henry got off."
"Oh! but we can't stand it-we must have a cheaper one."
"How cheap?"
"Not over $5.00. We'll give you $5.00, your dinner and all the lemonade you can drink for the cheapest oration in your head."
"I'll do it!" replied the lawyer, and the money was paid him on the spot.
He was on hand on the glorious day, and by-and-bye the pro- cession moved to the grove, the orator took the stand and was in- troduced, and without any fooling around he walked to the front and said:
"Fellow countrymen: We whipped England twice and can do it again. We whipped Mexico once and can repeat that sport. We are a free people. This is the glorious Fourth. Give 'em hail colum- bia, and go in for a good time. Thanks for your attention."
He had given them a $5.00 oration and every person in the crowd, except one, was perfectly satisfied. An old lady followed the orator around-she was a Boston woman-until she had cornered him, and then expressed her disgust by saying:
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"Seems ter me, that if yer ment to please this 'ere crowd, you would'nt have chopped off that air speech without a single word about the 'tea party,' and Bunker Hill and the Pilgrims. You don't know nothing."
These well attended gatherings of the people, from year to year, are not only an indication of some inherent patriotic impulses, but of something more-the love of a day of association, social en- joyment and entertainment. It is certainly a mistaken view of life that happiness and success are to be found at the present, or some future day, in a hard, perpetual devotion to labor and pinching economy and miserly saving. Such a life is apt to grow narrow and dark. The individual becomes selfish, sordid, censurous, mor- bid and unjust. The trite old saying is true, that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
While all should be industrious, energetic in their callings, and not wasteful, it appears to be the better view to take of life, that we should often unbend, relax from labor for a time and seek amuse- ment and recreation, even if it does cost something.
Life at best, for the great majority of the race, is not long, and the time of its end is uncertain, and it is not best to wait until some future day when we shall get rich or become too old to work, but take life's rational pleasures as we go along.
Though there is somewhat of sorrow, many disappointments, tiresome toil and causes of grief in most lives, it is better to be cheerful and make the best of what we cannot avoid, than to be al- ways sad and gloomy. It is better to look on the bright side of things, the hopeful side, even if we cannot always give much of a reason for it, than it is to be forever looking on the dark side. There is much ou every hand to enjoy. The earth itself is beautiful, grand, won- derful, and the natural conditions of the seasons and of bountiful productions and climate and scenery, wherever civilized man can live, are generally beneficent. What is bad is commonly the result of man's abuse of what is good, and it is not the product of nature. And while it is true that there are some bad, selfish, discourteous people in the world, it is also true that there are many intelligent, frank, generous, hospitable, lovable people in every locality, with whom it is a pleasure and a benefit to associate. And this is another and a chief source of human happiness.
Few communities or individuals are so poor or so driven to toil, or so subject to suffering of any kind, but what there are means and occasions for some recreation and social enjoymeuts. It would be well if, among other things. people generally should make it a rule to often attend the great assemblies of the people in their section of country, the public lectures, concerts, conventions, fairs, school exhibitions, neighborhood parties and pic nics when requested and
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certainly the religious meetings of their locality, and occasionally visit distant friends, the neighboring villages and places of interest. These things break in upon the lives of most people like rays of sun- shine into a dark room.
The body is rested, the mind broadened and enlightened and filled with new ideas and thoughts and hopes. Even in the sordid view of finances it may often prove a great benefit. There may be those who do not see the pertinence here of these common-place re- marks, but the prescription was written for the benefit of a gloomy, grunting, growling, penurious class of people who can never see any- thing except through a smoked glass, and who are apt to get scared at the bugbear of a little expense.
THE HARVESTERS AT WORK.
The most of the wheat was ready for harvesting the third week in July, and was a very heavy crop.
The following excerpt from the journal of an old resident, writ- ten at the time, covers many items of interest:
"Harvest is now over and the yield has proved very abundant. All kinds of grain and vegetables are good and cannot be surpassed in any country, in either quality or quantity. Prices are satisfactory. Immigration and capital have poured into the county, and for permanent improvements the present year, thus far, surpasses all preceding years. It is estimated that as much ground has been broken this season as the whole amount under cultivation the preceding years. Money is yet somewhat 'close,' but abundant crops and good prices will soon loosen up the money market. Business of all kinds is looking lively, the people are energetic, cheerful and confident of the future."
How different the aspects and prospects and the spirits of the people from what they were the preceding year.
As pertinent to the subject in hand the following quotation is given from the report of the Commissioner of Statistics relative to the wheat crop of this year. It is a gently flowing bland document.
The season began most auspiciously. The spring opened unusually early. A prompt sun quickened the torpid earth into a willing mood. Wooing show- ers kissed the waiting vegetation, and upland and meadow, forest and prairie, grew radiant with vernal beauty. Coaxed by the soft rain, smiling skies and alluring breath of an early spring, the wheat fields of Minnesota gambolled and rioted in tropical luxuriance. Everywhere in the broad expanse of our wheat domain, the hastening crop grew big with the promise of the greatest harvest ever known, except in the years 1860 and 1865. There was the same bountiful " setting " at the start, the same generous spreading and stately development of stalk, and the same amplitude of head and milky plumpness of berry, which ripened into the golden harvests of those years.
But when in the critical period of development, just as the kernel was in the milk, a "heated term" commenced of wholly unparalleled intensity and dur- ation. Fortwo weeks the flerce heat descended with unmitigated fury upon the gasping earth. The sun, as if obeying the command of a modern Joshua, seemed to stand still and pour a flood of white heat upon the tender heads of the unhardened grain. It is a marvel that it was not wholly blasted in the fiery
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ordeal. But there is an invaluable property in the soil or climate of Minne- sota, perhaps in both, which enables the grain to measurably resist the ex- tremes, whether of heat or flood. To such cause, whatever it may be, we have more than once owed the exemption of our maturing crops from utter destruction. The worst result, in this instance, was that of forcing a pre- mature ripening, by which the berry was shrivelled and defrauded of Its normal development.
The untimely advent of this heated period during the critical transition of the grain from the milk to the dough, was perhaps the sole preventive of as large an average yield as was ever known in this State. Our heaviest wheat crops were those of 1860 and 1865, when the average was somewhat over twenty- two bushels per acre. Before the crop of 1868 was gathered, I estimated the loss from the cause named as equal to about one-fifth of the crop, leaving an average which I estimated at 17.75, which estimate is shown to have been very near correct, the official returns showing 17.9 bushels as the average per acre.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY ITEMS.
At the session of the legislature of this year, an important act was passed for the encouragement and assistance of the state and county agricultural societies. The act appropriated, annually. the the sum of two thousand dollars, to be equally divided among the county agricultural societies, which should comply with certain re- quirements, to be expended by them in such manner as they might deem best calculated to "promote and improve the condition of agri- culture, horticulture and the mechanical, manufacturing and house- hold arts and interests, in this State, either for the payment of premiums at the annual exhibitions, or in the purchase and distri- bution of choice cuttings, seeds, plants or tubers, which having been tested, are found to be adapted to the soil and climate of this State, or in the prosecution of scientific investigation and experiments and in the collection and diffusion of information tending to develop the natural and agricultural resources of Minnesota."
An adjourned meeting of the Agricultural Society was held at Winnebago City on the 11th day of July, at which time a premium list was made, judges appointed, and certain other arrangements made for the annual fair, which it was designed should be one of the best ever had in the county. It was determined to hold the fair at Winnebago City, on the 7th and 8th days of October.
Among other interesting items, in the notices of the coming fair, the Homestead announced under the head. Agricultural Hop. that it was "proposed, as a finale to the fair, to have a jolly dance on the evening of the 8th."
The fair proved very much a failure; the speaker engaged for the occasion failed to attend, and on the first day the ground was covered with snow and a cold nor'wester blew a regular gale. The following amusing account of the fair is taken from the Homestead of the 14th of October.
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"The fair last week had the elements for an enemy and could not be started until nine o'clock of the second day. Ministers said the weather was very un- propitious. Hotel proprietors thought it tough. Young ladies declared it to be a shame. Old ladies said there was no use in worrying; while strapping west- erners, of full growth swore it was a bad egg. *
* Nevertheless there was a fair and three or four hundred people saw it. Two beets and a harness looked askance at each other down stairs, while out of doors, two fine wooled bucks occupied the rear of a lumber wagon. All took the premium. The department of Fine Arts, up stairs, made a better show. The walls were draped in clothes lines, festooned with bed quilts and pictures, while the body of the room was ornamented with a variety of useful and ornamental articles, including babies. Glancing our eye about, we noticed a smashed water-mellon hanging on the west wall, which on inspection proved to be only an imitation. In close proximity to it, was a good representation of a girl in pantalettes, in the act of drawing a broad-sword. A sick cookoo, in the top of a clock, tried to make a noise, but couldn't pitch the tune, without being bolstered up, and that act of kindness having been done, he did not know enough togo in and shut the door."
"There being abundance of room, little stockings, big stockings, tatting and the shells of the ocean lay scattered around in the order of disorder, each possess- ing some charm to win a beholder."
"The track was in bad condition, but the running and trotting came off notwithstanding."
But for the weather, this fair would have been a grand success.
EDUCATIONAL.
A State Teachers' Institute was held at Winnebago City, com- mencing Oct. 12th and lasting five days. This was the first State Institute for the instruction of teachers, held in this county, and proved a very useful as well as a very interesting affair.
Thirty two school teachers were present and took part in the exercises, while many other people interested in the work of educa- tion, attended the meetings and lectures.
Hon. M. H. Dunnell, state superintendent, Prof. Sanford Niles and S. J. Abbott, county superintendent of schools in this county, were the instructors.
About the same time notice was given of a Sunday School Teach- ers' Institute, to be held at Winnebago City, on the 26th, 27th and 28th days of October, under the charge of Rev. Geo. W. Prescott, State Sunday school agent. A very interesting programme of exercises was prepared and published, but for some now unknown cause this institute was either not held, or all record of the event is now lost.
THE POOR FARM.
A sale of school lands was held at Blue Earth City on the 23d day of October. At this sale the county purchased a tract of three hundred and twenty acres for a poor farm. This was making a very wise provison for the future. A time comes in the history of all en- lightened communities, when some provision must be made for the
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aged and infirm poor, who have no means of support. In the mani- fold chances and changes of this mortal life-sickness, poverty, friendlessness, may come to even the richest and proudest of to-day, and the sad and lonely journey "over the hills to the poor house," may have to be made by some to whom such a contingency may be thought to be the remotest, or most impossible of all earthly events.
The provision now usually made is the establishment of a hos- pital, or poor house, which is sustained by the public taxation. Of late years it has been found economical and beneficial, otherwise, to connect a farm with such poor house, from the products of which, in many places, the poor are comfortably maintained or nearly so. Besides many of the unfortunates who find the poor house their last resort, are able and willing to labor to some extent on a farm and thus contibute to their own support. The expense of purchasing lands at this time for the purpose, was much less than it would be in subsequent years when the county should become more populous. The tract purchased was near the center of the county, and com- prised the north half of section thirty six, in town one hundred and three (103) of range twenty-seven (27), being in the town of Prescott.
THE POLITICIANS' FIELD-DAY.
We now proceed to give a brief account of another furious and bitter political contest. The campaign was more than ordinarily exciting because, in addition to local issues, another presidential contest was in progress.
Grant and Colfax were the republican candidates for president and vice-president, and Seymour and Blair the democratic candi- dates for the same high offices.
Morton S. Wilkinson was the republican and Geo. W. Batchel- der the democratic candidate for member of congress, in this dis- trict.
Three important amendments to the State Constitution were also to be voted upon.
The Republican County Convention assembled at Blue Earthi City on the 3d day of October.
The convention nominated:
F. Lent, for Register of Deeds.
W. W. White, for Auditor.
H. J. Neal, for Clerk of Court.
J. R. Sisson, for County Surveyor.
On the 10th day of October the Republican Legislative District Convention met at Fairmont. Martin county, and nominated for senator, A. L. Ward, of Martin county, and James L. Crays, of this county, for representative.
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
About the same time the democrats held a convention at Fair- mont also, for the nomination of legislative candidates.
Dr. Hewitt, of Martin county, was nominated for senator, and Peter B. Davy, of this county, for representative.
The "points" being still the issue in local politics, or rather made so, and the homestead question not having yet been satisfac- torily settled, and the nominations made at Fairmont being thought to be opposed to "points" and the exemption of homesteads from tax- ation, an informal convention was held at Blue Earth City on the evening of the 17th of October, in the interest of the "points" and homestead men to consider the situation. Representatives were present from two counties-this and Jackson.
The convention adopted a series of resolutions as a platform. the substance of which was that the railroad company having ac- cepted the grant of lands with the conditions, agreed to build their road through the points named and were in good faith bound to do so-that they wanted the "points" removed and designed not to build the road into this county or district, and that the nominations made at Fairmont were not binding upon the party, as they were fraudu- ยท lently made.
James B. Wakefield was nominated as a candidate for senator, and James W. Hunter, of Jackson county, for representative. A committee was appointed to draft and publish an "address" to the people of the district, setting forth, as was alleged, the real issues to be decided. The resolutions and address were published in the form of a circular and were distributed broadcast throughout the district.
Shakespeare somewhere says:
"Get thee glass eyes; And, like a scurvy politician, seem To see things thou dost not."
What relevancy these lines may have had to the political affairs of the time, the writer of this history will not attempt to say, but they were heard repeated about that time.
On the 31st of October, the democracy held a county convention at Winnebago City, and placed in the field, for county officers, the following candidates:
For Auditor-Geo. Barnes.
For Register of Deeds-D. H. Morse.
For Clerk of Court-H. Hufcut.
For Surveyor-Geo. A. Weir.
Messrs. Hewett and Davy, democratic candidates for senator and representative, subsequently withdrew from the contest. and the lists of candidates being now settled, they all entered upon a fair
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field for a free fight, which was conducted without fear, favor or affection upon either side.
Politics in local questions were thrown aside, the district was canvassed from end to end, meetings were held, and the people were visited at their firesides by the candidates or their friends.
Of the newspapers in the district, the South- West at Blue Earth City, favored Wakefield and Hunter. The Homestead, at Winnebago City, and the Atlas at Fairmont. favored Ward and Crays. The elec- tion was held on the third day of November. The following table presents the result in this county. Of the votes cast
The Grant and Colfax electors had. 421
The Seymour and Blair electors. . 373
For Member of Congress-M. S. Wilkinson
1,418
Geo. W. Batchelder 373
For Senator-J. B. Wakefield. 1,00
A. L. Ward. 734
For Representative-J. W. Hunter
James Crays 743
1,002
For County Auditor-W. W. White
1,568
For Register of Deeds-F. Lent. 1,599
D. H. Morse. 147
For Clerk of Court -II. J. Neal 1,159
H. Hufcut 590
For Surveyor-J. R. Sisson. 1,511
Geo. A. Weir .... 189
J. A. Latimer was elected county commissioner for district No. 4, and Joseph Claggett for district No. 5.
Messrs. Wakefield and Hunter had a majority of the votes cast in the entire district and were elected, and so "points" and "No Homestead Taxation" won again, but the contest was a hard one and the majority small.
The winter closed in about the 15th day of November, when a very severe snow storm began and continued nnabated for three days. And now the record of this year's events may be closed with the statement that on the 19th of December. C. W. Thompson, General Manager of the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company, made a proposition to some fourteen of the townships of the county, to the effect that the company would build and complete its road to Winnebago City in this county, by the first day of January, 1871, if the towns named in the proposition would vote aid in the form of town bonds, payable in ten years with seven per cent annual inter- est to the amounts specified in the proposition, which was fifteen thousand dollars in all the towns but Winnebago City, of which twenty-five thousand was required.
In conclusion it may be written that in the way of immigration and permanent improvements, crops, weather, the public health and general prosperity, the year was one of the best in our history.
Geo. Barnes 165
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FARIBAULT COUNTY, MINNESOTA.
CHAPTER XV.
A. D. 1869.
"Pr'y thee friend, Pour out thy pack of matter to mine ear, The good and bad together."
A CHRONICLE.
In those days it was so ordered by the mighty rulers of the State that in each division thereof, known by the name of county, there should exist a body of five wise men who should have the supervis- ion of certain public affairs. And these men of experience in busi- ness matters, were chosen by districts composed of certain subdivisions named towns or townships, which small divisions were so made for the better government of the tribes and peoples thereof. Now it came to pass that on the fourth day of the first month of this year, these five prudent men met in council at the City of Blue Earth, the ancient capital of the county.
Now their names were Andrew, surnamed More, a patriarch of the land of Pilot Grove, and one Henry, surnamed Neal, a man of much wordly wisdom from the section of country known as Blue Earth, and Jacob, better known by the name of Alec, surnamed Lat- imer, who came from the division known as Winnebago City, and there was one named William, surnamed Robinson, whose people lived near the great water, called in the language of the English, Walnut lake, but in the language of the tribes which had been driven out, Ta- zu-ka, and there was the patriarch Joseph, surnamed Claggett, the man of ready tongue, who came from the regions known as Lura, to speak for the people thereof. And now it came to pass that as they were met together in council, the venerable man, Andrew, was chosen as chief for the year, and they then proceeded to consult to- gether in regard to certain public affairs, and they made certain or- ders and directions, which seemed uuto them necessary for the public good. Now they had a scribe, one named William, surnamed White, a learned man who could write, and who was also of the tribes about Walnut lake, who made a record of all that these wise men did, in a great book which has come down even unto our day. But there was nothing done at this council which would be of interest to the people of this generation. Now, after they had conferred together for two days, they returned to their own people. And it came to pass that
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these wise men afterwards, in this year, in the third and sixth and ninth months thereof met in council again, and somewhat of that which they then did, is it not written in the book of the chronicles of the county?
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
An important meeting of the Agricultural Society was held at Blue Earth City on the fifth day of January. At this meeting the annual election of officers occurred, and L. W. Brown was re-elected president; Geo. W. Buswell was chosen secretary and Alex. Lati- mert reasurer. A full board of vice presidents, that is one vice president in each township, was selected, and a committee of mem- bers was appointed to attend a meeting of the State Agricultural Society, to be held in February. New life and energy seems to have been, from some cause, infused into the sluggish blood of the soci- ety, about this time, and was certainly much needed. Another meet- ing was held at Blue Earth City, July 17th, at which time a committee of one for each town in the county was appointed to prepare a pre- mium list and appoint judges for the next fair, and this committee met on the 31st day of July and performed the duties assigned them. It was at this time also determined that the next fair should be held at Blue Earth City on the 16th and 17th days of September.
THERMOMETRICAL ..
It may be recorded, as we proceed, that January, of this year was one of the mildest winter months ever known in this region.
THE FIRST "BONUSES."
The matter of leading public interest in the county during Janu- ary, was the voting of "bonuses" by a number of towns, on the proposition of C. W. Thompson, referred to at the close of the pre- ceding year, to aid in the construction of the Southern Minnesota Railroad, the route of which had been surveyed into the county and through the towns of Cobb, Walnut Lake, Lura, Guthrie and Win- nebago City. Town meetings were held in these and some other towns, for the purpose of voting the bonds, called "bonnses," of the several towns, in various amounts, to aid in the building of the road. The proposition called forth a great deal of discussion. Many different views were entertained as to the necessity and expediency of the proceeding. The proposition failed in most of the towns, and in one of those voting favorably, Verona, the issue of the bonds was subsequently stopped by injunction, and another, Guthrie (Delavan) made haste to rescind the vote.
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