USA > Nebraska > Dixon County > History of Dixon County, Nebraska > Part 23
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It seems that a man named E. G. Smith, who lived about eight miles south of Niobrara, was the first recipient of the exciting news, and without hesitation. he gathered into his wagon his family, together with all the provisions, grain and household goods that he could conveniently carry, and im- mediately started out in an eastern direction. The dwellers in the first cabin which he reached on his journey very wil- lingly adopted his plan, and also loaded their wagons with portions of their scanty wealth and followed on his eastern exodus. In brief, each pioneer along the road did the same.
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until, when the company entered Ponca, it consisted of about sixty teams and 200 persons.
The good people of this town, loth to see the desertion of such a rich territory, encouraged the settlers to halt at this point and consider what. under the circumstances, would be best to do. A public meeting was held that evening to con- sider the matter. It was an exciting gathering. Many speeches were made, some maintaining that if they re- mained in this country their lives would be in peril, while others held that the story might be exaggerated and would bear investigation.
After a careful and thorough discussion of the question it was concluded to organize a corps of horsemen who would leave the next morning and examine the territory between Ponea and Niobrara. Those who could best leave their fam- ilies were chosen to make up this company of scouts which embraced about sixty hale and vigorous young horsemen. some from Ponca. though the majority were of those who had fled from the Niobrara country. The visitors were pro- vided with quarters for the night, barns and cellars being converted into places of lodging. Everybody arose early the next morning to prepare for the departure of the mili- tary force. However, the arrangements were not very ex- tensive, consisting mainly in obtaining a sufficient number of guns and horses.
About 8 o'clock a. m .. they assembled and after electing A. L. Merser as commander of the expedition, and after an exchange of parting words with their relatives and friends. the gallant company rode away. Through a wild coun- try. and one especially gloomy on their route through the forest along the Missouri, the company pursued its course toward Niobrara. At any moment the men, knowing the Indian style of warfare, would not have been surprised to see the enemy spring from some ravine or dense thicket of timber and attack them. The commander kept strict watch over the surrounding country, and directed his forces to be pre- pared for battle on an instant's notice.
As they came at long intervals to the deserted cabins of settlers no sign of life was visible, but as yet no injury had been dealt ont to them. By noon a distance of twenty miles had been covered and a halt was made on one of the Lime
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Creek hills, near the county line between Dixon and Cedar counties. for rest and refreshment. The fact that not an Indian had so far been seen gave encouragement to the scouts, especially to those of them who had only the day be- fore fled from their homes. After a half hour spent in eat- ing and rest. the march was resumed. For three hours they rode along undisturbed. nothing of note developing until within a short distance of St. James, a little town about thirty miles northwest of Ponca. At this point. abont four miles east from St. James, their attention was attracted to a large rock, a short distance north of the road. Partly hidden by the vines which festooned the rock, they saw a little girl. probably 12 years old. She was apparently in great distress. and on near approach it was seen she was covered with blood. When she saw the scouts, she called to them, and ran, as fast as her wounded condition would permit. to claim their protection.
This great rock, where the girl had concealed herself. is familiar to all settlers in that part of the country. At that date it was of significant meaning to the superstitious Indians. Like Spirit Mound, directly across the river from this point. this rock was believed to be haunted by malignant and life- destroying spirits and that certain death would be the por- tion meted out to the venturesome Indian who approached it.
The soldiers found the girl to be suffering from a painful wound inflicted by an arrow which had penetrated her left arm. Between sobs she told a mournful story. It was gleaned that her name was Mary Wiseman and that she, to- gether with her mother and two brothers. lived in a little log cabin some distance off the road. her father having several months previous joined the United States army. About 3 o'clock on that afternoon Mrs. Wiseman went to St. James to purchase groceries, leaving her three chil- dren, Charley and Henry, aged 10 and 16 years respec- tively. and Mary at home. While the mother was absent. fonr big Sioux Indians came to the door and demanded ad- mission. The door was locked and barred, but it was soon beaten down, and the savages entered to perpetrate their in- human designs. Henry. the older boy, had in the meantime secured a gun and made a defense as best he could. But his head was soon pierced by a bullet. and his heroic efforts in
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behalf of their home were suddenly ended by death. After murdering Henry. Charley became the next victim. In the meanwhile Mary escaped through the door, and, putting forth her utmost speed, fled. Fortunately for her, and almost. providentially it would seem, her steps were directed toward the rock, where she was afterwards found by the soldiers. She was pursued some distance and received an arrow in the arm, but the superstitions fears of the Indians would not permit them to approach too near the haunted rock.
After hearing her story, Mary was accompanied by the soldiers to her home which was found to be in the timber near the river and nearly a mile from the road. By the time they arrived there, the Indians had gone. The scouts found the house plundered. Henry lying dead in a pool of blood and the grief stricken mother. just returned from St. James. bending over Charley, who had been stabbed in the breast and who though unable to speak, was yet alive. There was no hope for him, however, as he was mortally wounded, and in a few minutes his life and sufferings were ended. It was decided to convey the family to St. James and it was done. although considerable time was spent in effecting the neces- sary preparations for removal, and it was near S o'clock in the evening when they reached that place.
The hospitable people there tendered every assistance in this time of great need. The remains of the two boys were placed in one of the dwellings to await burial, and Mrs. Wise- man and her little girl were comfortably provided for, the wounded arm was attended to and everything was done to console them in their distress and bereavement.
At St. James the company of men remained during the night. The people manifested great joy in seeing them, and were very solicitious in providing for their wants. Some of of the inhabitants had deserted the town, but several fami- lies were still there. probably either being unable to get away or considering the circulated rumors not well founded. The next morning the little army resumed its road toward Nio- brara. It would have gained several new recruits at St. James, but the known presence of the Indians in the timber near by, made it necessary that they should remain for home protection. During this day, their second day from Ponca. they traveled thirty-five miles to the little town of Frank-
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fort. Throughout the journey the same dilligent watch was kept for the enemy. but not an Indian came into view.
Frankfort had been totally abandoned, and as the soldiers entered the town they were received, not with gorgeous pomp, but by a number of unostentations chickens, which assembled from fences and barn tops, and which. wrestling with hunger, were much pleased to welcome the visitors. In the unpeopled houses they established quarters for the night. They had become extremely fatigued by their two days' ex- perience, the journey had been very irksome. few having saddles and many being wholly unaccustomed to horseback riding.
They arose early the next morning to find, not the fine weather which had previously prevailed. but a sky heavy with clouds and a drizzling rain. Here the army tarried un- til 10 o'clock, when the clouds dispersed and the sun once more gave out its genial rays. The air after the shower was exhilarating and the trip was continued with renewed vigor. The rain had laid the smoke which before filled the sky and darkened the surrounding landscape. Burnt tracts over in Dakota could be seen, and it was evident that the smoke, which had proven so great an alarm, had emanated from prairie fires. As they pressed on through the solitude and saw the broad and fertile valleys awaiting only the hand of civi- lization to convert them into Inxuriant fields of cereals and vegetables they grew more ardent and determined in carry- ing out the purpose of their expedition. At 7 o'clock in the. evening the company arrived at Niobrara, located on the Missouri river, about twenty-five miles from Frankfort. Niobrara, previously a noted and vigorous frontier town, now, from the quiet which everywhere reigned. seemed almost deserted. It was at first concluded that this place also had been forsaken, but a light glimmering through a window proved the contrary. The travelers followed the light and soon reached the building, which was of considerable size in proportion to the town.
Although the inmates were startled by the unexpected appearance of the scouts, their presence was, as would be sup- posed. very welcome. At Niobrara, it seems the scare was equally severe. Those who had not left the town were col- lected in this building, where they hoped to make an effec-
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tual defense should the Indians come. Supper was gladly served to the soldier guests and everything done to secure their comfort.
The territory had been carefully examined and nothing appeared to indicate any danger. It was thought these four savages, who had committed the fiendish crime at St. James, were the only hostile Indians in this part of the country and were the sole incentives of the entire Indian scare. Hence the party concluded that further investigation was unneces- sary and decided to return to Ponca. So. after a few days of much needed rest. the return march began.
At St. James. Dr. P. A. Glen, who was a member of the expedition. stopped to look after the interests of Mrs. Wise- man and her child and to give them a sum of money which the generous hearted members of the company had con- tributed to assist them in their troubles. The four renegade Indians had not been again seen, nor, indeed, were they ever afterwards seen on this side of the Missouri. In Ponca, the suspense of the women and children, and the few men who were unable to undertake the hazardous trip, was painful to bear. Imagination pictured their friends and relatives un- der the knives of the remorseless savages. and all were wrap- ped in gloom and despondency until the safe return of the pioneers turned their forebodings to joy. In a few days those who had fled to Ponca from their homes returned to them. thankful to know their property was not devastated and that the lives of themselves and families were secure from danger.
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INCIDENTS OF EVERY DAY LIFE.
A SURVEYING EXPEDITION AND THE TRIUMPH OF GOOD LUCK.
Not long after becoming a resident of Nebraska, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the recently elected county surveyor, Mr. Sullenberger. Mr. S. was the genial captain of a saw mill near the river, and his long ex- perience among the machinery of the mill, was to his en- thusiastic constituents. a sufficient assurance that he was fully capable of managing and boxing around such a little thing as a surveyor's compass.
Hardly was Mr. Sullenberger's election, as well as his somewhat prolonged celebration of so important an event. safely over, when he enjoyed his first experience as a practi- cal surveyor. A Mr. Martin, who lived about twenty miles or so out on the prairie, near the Cedar county line, wanted to find the exact centre of one of his quarter sections of land for the purpose of locating at that point a school house. He therefore notified surveyor Sullenberger, who agreed to be on hand the next day and do the work. As this was to be his first effort as a surveyor he invited the writer to ac- company him as assistant. He also, with some appearance of nervousness, inquired if I had ever had any experience as a surveyor, and was cheered with the assurance that I had often ran lines, though I deemed it unnecessary to state that the only lines I ever ran were clothes lines. which, often on blue Mondays, a combination of circumstances had required to be stretched from pole to pole.
Accordingly, the next morning we made ready for the ex- pedition. Deeming that no surveyors, however well versed, could expect to correctly bombard their way from the cir- cumference to the center of a quarter section without instru-
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ments, we first drove to the house of Mr. Haydou, the former surveyor, to borrow the necessary utensils of him. Mr. H. cheerfully complied with the request. He brought out a brass bound, shallow, three legged dish, in which swam like a fish. a long and slender finger resembling the hour hand of a clock. "This," said Mr. Haydon, "is the compass." Then he gave us further instructions - he spoke of verniers. of degrees, of sights and of water levels, all which were duly appreciated. He said the vernier should be so regulated that the needle (by which we supposed he referred to the aforesaid fish), would point twelve degrees away from where it ought to point. It appeared from his remarks that it is the rule among surveyors to make such a variation on ac- count of the earth having at some time or other flopped its north pole away twelve degrees from the locality to which the head of said fish had been accustomed to point, hence the twelve degrees were to make allowance, as it were. for the perversity of the earth and the stubbornness of the fish aforesaid.
Having thus been duly instructed, we took the compass and a chain to measure with, and started on our road to Mr. Martin's place, where we arrived at noon. We were wel- comed by Mr. Martin and his family with hospitality, our tired horses were fed and we were furnished a dinner fit for a king. After dinner. Mr. Martin showed ns around his farm, pointed out his numerous improvements and his big herd of cattle.
But the time had now arrived when it became necessary to forego further pleasure, and come down to business. Mr. Martin was anxions to have the centre of his section of land found and located, and Mr. Sullenberger had come for that purpose: it was therefore high time we were about it, as it was getting late.
As we went to get the compass. Mr. Sullenberger said he would say strictly in confidence that his experience as a surveyor was not very extensive and the only feat he ever performed in that branch was when he once assisted to run a line of half a mile, during which he made a variation of about 300 yards. "So small a discrepancy, is, to be sure. hardly worth minding," said Mr. S., "yet probably you had better attend to the compass and I will boss the chain."
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It now became my turn to confess in like confidential manner that I was also not heavily burdened by carrying around what I knew about surveying, and that sooner than use the compass, I would attempt to run the lines by walk- ing across the field blindfolded.
So here we were in a fix. Mr. Martin a little distance off waited expectantly and confidently. But thongh dis- mayed for a moment at this mutual revelation. we rose in our misfortunes, equal to the occasion. "I will manage the compass," said Mr. S., and with the dignified gravity of an old government surveyor general. he took it out of the buggy, and mounting it upon its three legs, shouldered it and started for the field of action.
Arriving on the ground, Mr. Martin pointed out the place where he desired us to start from. He wished a line to be run a mile long, when, if correctly done. it would intersect the mound on the other side of the section.
We now proceeded to the task, and this scene is particu- larly described as it will be instructive to other surveyors. The three-legged instrument having been duly boxed and shook up, so as to make its internal organization work freely, was planted over the desired spot. A thunder storm now appeared and we hastened to make what speed we could in the performance. But there seemed to be many discouragements. The compass wouldn't stay level, and the needle twirled and wiggled around and pointed in all direc- tions except the right one.
"The fluctuations of the needle." said Mr. S., "or to speak in plainer language, its wabbling and spinning on its pivot like an impaled June bug, are often occasioned by the ap- proach of thunder storms as in this instance, at which times streams of electricity break up through the earth and come ripping and tearing out of the ground, thereby disarranging the motions of all such instruments. Nearness to lava or iron ore also produces the same result. Thus: as you may be aware. I formerly resided at Ionia. and indeed, as you may say, under the shadow of the volcano at that place. Now in that country the slugs of iron and lava which vol- canic action has slung out and scattered around, effectually preclude the use of the ordinary compass in the ordinary way. The needle scurries around like a bean in a hot
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skillet, and the only proper method by which to manage it is to take it out altogether and let it play and kick around awhile on the grass, until it gets the electricity out of it. If you attempt to work it otherwise, you might have to chain it down."
Thus enlivened by scientific discourse, we prepared for the final onslaught. We had been instructed by Mr. Heydon to make an allowance of 12 degrees; on which side however; we had forgotten, but we were greatly assisted in determin- ing. by observing a neighboring corn field, whose rows were said to run north and south. At last, everything being ready, Mr. S. took a long squint over the compass, and gave a military order for the chainmen and flagman to shoot out. So, out we shot, Mr. Martin as flagman, leading the way with his handkerchief tied to a pole, and the rest of us fol- lowing with the chain, with which we diligently proceeded to measure off the ground.
It is critical business measuring land, especially if the line runs across ravines, through brush and over hills. Some- times one forgets to count the chains, and at other times in the excitement of tumbling into a ditch one may count rather faster than the law requires.
When we had proceeded forward some distance, the indi- viduals officiating at the two ends, compared notes to see how they agreed. They simply varied in their figures, eleven chains, and in order to settle the difficulty without hard feel- ings, they split the difference and moved on again. Half way across, with all these precautions, the spot at the centre of the section should be found for the location of the school house. Mr. Martin had previously piled a quantity of brick as near to such centre as he could ascertain by pacing. This pile of brick was a great comfort and materially assisted in the labors of the day.
A few rods west of the brick, the central point was an- nounced and a stake driven down. Then Mr. Martin wanted us to continue our journey in the same line so as to hit the mound on the western side, and thereby prove the truth of our survey. This we deemed unnecessary, but still we did it. We concluded that we could not come out over five hundred yards away from the mound-at all events we were reasonably confident that we should not get off the section
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altogether. But for a wonder, (occasioned doubtless by a special interposition of Providence), we hit the mound fair and square, and the center of the section was therefore as cor- rectly demonstrated as though a whole congress of surveyors had determined it. "I see," said Mr. S. with scientific severi- ty, "that we have missed the mark by about one inch. Still, in view of the thunder storm, and coming the distance of a mile, perhaps that slight variation may be excusable."
Having thus overcome all the difficulties which beset us, we wended our way back to the house and started for home.
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HISTORY OF DIXON COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
AN OLD FRONTIERSMAN RELATES THE THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF HIS DAUGHTER WITH A DROVE OF WILD BEASTS.
Twenty-five years ago the bluffs and ravines along the Missouri were the well populated homes of bears and timber wolves, and were therefore rich fields for the hunter. It was on account of such large game that Messrs. Wheeler and Barnes of Ponca went up one summer day to hunt in the Walnut creek ravine, a few miles above Ionia. They entered the ravine about nine o'clock in the morning. well prepared with guns and ammunition, and made their way along the gloomy defile through an almost impenetrable chaparral. As they advanced they frightened the timid ground squirrel and chipmuck, startled the fierce prairie dog and sharp-toothed muskrat, and by their warlike appearance even caused the pugnacious coon to hie away to his lair. In that sad and sombre retreat, rendered still more so by the unwonted appearance of armed and intruding hunters, the jack rabbit silently and pensively skipped to his den, the soft and dulcet notes of the boogum and the bombajar were hushed, the rattlesnake forgot to shake his musical tail, and the mosquitoes bit with fear and with less venom than of vore.
At noon the hunters reached the head of the ravine. They had killed nothing so far, being determined to reserve their fire for larger animals than any they had seen. As they emerged from the ravine they were pleasantly surpris- ed to see near by, the house of an old frontiersman. They found him at home and expressed to him their ambition to kill something beyond mere chip-squirrels or jack-rabbits. and asked to be directed to the haunts of more worthy game. As they told of their hunting aspirations and desires it was noticed that the old frontiersman partially closed one eye, and with the other took a long and searching survey of his visitors. Then he glanced at the beautiful green of the
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trees and then again looked at the hunters as though the contrast between them and the foliage was presenting to his mind the solution of philosophical question. Then he replied to their inquiries.
He told them that bears. wolves and wild-cats were frequent, and that buffaloes were occasionally seen. al- though he thought the latter were becoming more rare, and that in forty or fifty years they would not be found in the neighborhood, excepting, perhaps, on the Lime creek hills. He told the hunters he thought they would find a few wolves and bears without difficulty, and he graphically related some of his own hunting experiences. Then he again looked out at the foilage, and again earnestly gazed at his visitors. Then taking an immense quid of tobacco from his mouth and laying it away for future use, he related to them the astonishing adventures of his daughter, Mahitabel, with a den of wolves and bears, the last summer.
This was the story: One day that summer, Mahitabel, a healthy, strapping lass, as resolute and powerful as an ox, was out in the field planting corn. She heard a noise in the house, and she went to see what was the matter. There she found six wolves and four bears, and quite a large attend- ance of cubs, all eating out of the swill barrel. With a yell which would have frightened a Camanche. she seized the family musket and turned to meet the foe. But the menagerie had fled. Snifting danger at the approach of such an amazon (she weighed 250 pounds, her father offered to "give his bond and affidavy to,") the bears and wolves and their respective families of whelps and cubs, had made a sudden rash for timber.
Mahitabel. pursued. She jumped the barnyard fence as the bears and wolves went through the hog yard. In the meadow beyond. the long grass so tangled her up that the fleeing drove were enabled to gain on her for a time. Still undaunted, she continued to pursue with energy, and though the fugitives disappeared from her sight in the thick under- brush, she fortunately by means of the heavy fall of snow, was enabled to track them, and for the same reason, while they waded and wallowed in it with difficulty, she was enabled to utilize her number fourteen rubber boots as snow shoes, and skim along quite rapidly. Thus coasting on the
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