Faribault County, Minnesota - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 21 of those read), 1896

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 21 of those read)

We now enter upon the record of the twenty- fifth and last year of this volume of our history. Twenty four years have passed in review before us, which, with this, completes the recoi'd of the first quarter of a century of the existence of our county.

As an introduction to the events of the opening year, these three occurrances are presented. The winter term of the district court began on January 7th. Hon. D. A. Dicliinson, judge. There were ten criminal and thirty -two civil cases on the calendar. The term continued thirteen days, and there were many important cases tried, but none of historical interest.

The board cf county commissioners met on tlie seventh of .January. A. H. BuUis was elected chairman for the year. The board met subsequently on March 4th, June 3d and July 21st, the latter session being the last of the year. The record of these meetings shows only routine business. The other members of the board, at this time, were David Catlin, J. R. Sisson, F. E. Gary and H. A. Woolery, clerk. W. W. White.

At an adjourned meeting of the agricultural society, held at Blue Earth City, on the fourteenth day of January, John Franklin was elected president; C. H. Slocum. secretary, and F. W. Temple, treasurer. Mr. Franldin died in July following, when the vacancy in the office of president was filled by the appoinment of S. Pfeffer.

Let us now adjourn to the capital of the state and learn what was being done by the legislature now in .session, relating to our county. The acts passed at this session, were the following:

"An act to incorporate the village of Blue Earth City." "An act to amend the act incorporating the village of Wells." "An act to amend an act incorporating the village of Winnebago City." "An act to authorize the county commissioners of this county to issue bonds for the purpose of liuilding a jail."

At the close of the session, a highly complimentary resolution of thanks to Mr. Wakefield, was unanimously adopted by the Senate, for the courteous, impartial and able manner in which he had presided over that body.

And now, returning to the county, we find that about the twentieth of March, the ground was in splendid condition for seeding, and the work was commenced in earnest. The weather was very fine, and the seeding of small grain was done very successfully.

The Bee Keepers

Bee keeping having become an important item in the productive industry of the county, as may be seen by reference to the official reports of the production of honey, the bee keepers concluded that they should like to see and talk with each other, and discuss bee interests, hence, after public notice given in the various county papers, they assembled at Blue Earth City, on the twenty-fifth day of March, and organized the "Faribault County Bee Keepers' Association." A. R. More, Sr., of Pilot Grove, was elected president; R. N. Fiero, of Verona, vice president; F. E. Carey, of Blue Earth City, treasurer, and D. B. Thurston, of the latter place, secretary. Among the subjects discussed at the meeting were the following: "Wintering Bees," "Hives," "Varieties of Bees," "Swarming." The meeting proved interesting and profitable.

On the third day of June another meeting was held at Blue Earth City, at which J. P. West, of Wells, delivered an interesting and instructive address on the subject of bees.

It is stated that there are in the United States two million hives of bees, and that the estimated annual revenue from them reaches the great sum of $14,000,000. There are several newspapers published in the United States, devoted to this interest, among which the Bee Keepers' Journal is a prominent one.

The statistical reports, for this year, show that we had 284 hives of bees, which produced 5,208 pounds of honey. The reports of the preceding year, however, show 432 hives, which is probably more nearly correct, but still below the actual number of hives.

The Sun

On the third day of May, a new paper, named The Sun, with the legend, "It shines for all," was issued at Winnebago City - Col. Wm. Allen, editor and proprietor. It was a seven-column folio, neatly printed. The outsides were "homespun," inside pages "patent."

The Ninth Session Of The S. S. Association

The County Sunday School Association met at Wells, on the 21st and 22d days of May, this being the nintli annual session. The meeting was largely attended and the session was very interesting. A great majority of the schools were represented, and the reports showed the general prosperity of the schools throughout the county.

This Association has gradually grown with the passing years, until it has become an institution of great interest, large membership and extended beneficence.

Two suggestions may here be offered: The adoption of a more complete constitution and organization, is demanded by the interests of the society and its continued usefulness, and should be considered at an early day. Some more efficient method should be devised for obtaining more full and correct reports from ihe Sunday schools, throughout the county. The experience of years has developed the fact, that one great difficulty in the way of the efficient work of both the State and county associations is found, in not obtaining full and reliable reports, and without them no satisfactory evidence is at hand, indicating the condition and progress of the work.

To illustrate this fact, it may be stated that the State Commissioner of Statistics reported this county as having, in 1877, but one Sunday school! No more than this had been reported to the State society, and thus our county appeared before the world, or to a nonresident looking for our institutions, as a sort of barbarous region, occupied by some twelve thousand people, among whom, the missionaries, so to speak, at the peril of their lives, probably, had succeeded in planting one Sunday school! Let us have better reports than this.

After careful inquiry the writer is able to state that there were in this county during this year, 1879, fifty regularly organized Sunday schools, and that many of these were large and well conducted schools.

And now as a parting word it may be said that our countyshould be proud of our Sunday School Association, and of the earnestness, intelligence and efficiency of our Sunday school workers. May the Heavenly Father prosper the Association, and bless abundantly all its members and all workers in this good cause.

Immigration

The immigration which usually commences in May, was very extraordinary this year. It seemed as though the majority of the people of the east and south were emigrating to the western states and territories. Immigration is. of course, one of the greatest elements in thie progress and prosperity of the west.

The foreign immigration during the year, to our shores, was also very great, and was peculiar in the fact that it embraced thousands of skilled artisans in all trades, who sought the better remuneration offered in this country. It was estimated that over three hundred thousand people emigrated to new homes west of the Mississippi during the year. This county received a share of this great influx of population, but not so large a proportion as it should, considering the many advantages the county had to offer to new comers, especially farmers.

The Court And The Bar

The summer term of the district court commenced June 3d. The calendar exhibited twenty-four criminal and twenty-one civil cases. This was the first time in our history that the criminal exceeded the civil calendar. But this fact must not be taken as indicating the increase of crime in our midst. None of these cases were capital, and most of them were of petty importance. The term continued eleven days. A special term was also held this year, in October, of four days.

The following statements as to the constitution of the court, the names of the members of the P^aribault County Bar, and a few remarks in reference thereto, may interest some reader of the history of the last year of this volume.

No Bar association has ever been formed in this countj' and the nearest approach to any concerted or associate action of the members of the Bar, occurred in 1872, when a fee bill was agreed upon by a majority of the attorneys in practice at the time. The Bar of this county, in learning and ability, and the reputation of its members for integrity and efficiency, compares favorably with the best average Bars of the State. Nor have the members of our Bar been wanting in public official honors, and we are a little proud to set forth here, though briefly, this very honorable record:

One has been a county superintendent of schools, and later a member of the lower house of our legislature. Another has been once assistant and twice chief clerk of the lower house of the legislature. Another has been thrice chief clerk of the lower house of the legislature, and once secretary of the State senate, county attorney and once a member of the lower house. Another, twice State senator and president jjro tempore of the senate. Another, a member of the lower house of the State legislature. Another, who was twice county attorne.y. Another, who was register of deeds, county attorney, judge of probate and member of the lower house of our legislature, and four years State senator. Another, who was member of the lower house and clerk of the district court for four years.

Another, who was a Judge of probate court in the state of Ohio. Another, who subsequent to this year, became county attorney for two terms. Another, who was four times successively county attorney. Another, who was three times a member of the lower house of the legislature and once State senator, and afterwards deputy public Examiner. Another, who was several times a member of the lower house of the legislature, once speaker of the House, twice State senator, twice lieutenant governor and president of the senate, and afterwards member of congress for two terms. Another, who has been a number of times a member of each House of our State legislature, member of congress, and United States senator for six years.

The writer ventures the assertion that there is not another Bar in the State, outside of the cities, which can make a better showing of official honors than ours.

Independence Day

The day was also remembered by a celebration in the town of Seeley. Music, recitations by the members of the several classes of the Sunday school, and an address by the Rev. M. Nichols, of Winnebago City, was the intellectual program. A rag-a-muffin exhibition - games of ball and a dance lasting all night, in a bow- house erected for the purpose, were incidents of this celebration.

It is said that the first national salute in the South, since the war of the rebellion, was fired at Charleston, S. C, on the fourth day of July, of this year, and that the day was generally celebrated throughout the South, as well as in the North.

A thought - At the time of the first Fourth of July - that of 1776 - the territory now embraced within the limits of our county was little known to the world, and its only occupants were wild beasts and savages. Now, at the one hundred and third anniversary of the day, we find it commemorated here by thousands of enlightened, patriotic people. Who will be here, and what will be the advancement in civilization, of those assembled to commemorate this day, on the two hundred and third anniversary?

"Thy reign is the last, the noblest of time, Most fruitful thy soil, most inviting thy clime; May the crimes of the east ne'er encrimson thy name, Be Freedom and Science and Virtue thy fame."

Temperance

The visit of the Rev. G. S. Allen, a distinguished temperance lecturer, to this county, during this year, was greatly beneficial, in the revival of the temperance cause, and led to the better organization of those who desired to promote the interests of this good cause, and a wider and more earnest and more influential work.

On the eighth day of July, a convention was held, at Blue Earth City, when a county temperance society, under the name of the "Order of the Blue Ribbon," was organized. Geo. B. Kingsley was elected jDresident, H. W. Holley, secretary, Geo. D. McArthur, treasurer. A vice president, for each township, was also chosen. A number of resolutions were adopted, expressive of the views of the convention, on the subject of temperance. But a more important and more permanent work, which occurred the same day. was the organization of a county society of the "Women's Christian Temperance Union." Of this society, Mrs. H. C. Cheadle, of Blue Earth City, was elected president. Mrs. H. McKinstry, of Winnebago City, corresponding secretary, Mrs. C. H. Dearborn, of Blue Earth City, recording secretary, and Mrs. H. W. Holley, of Winnebago City, treasurer.

The Woman's Christian Temperance Union is one of the most sincere, unselfish, devoted, and white-souled societies which exist on earth. Thesociety is widely spread, permanent, unsectarian. and is made up of Christian women who want to do work for the great Master. It has no methods, or principles, but such as the most Christian man. or woman, can approve. It asks no pecuniary recompense for its labor, and is constantly at work, if not in one place, in another, filling its mission to the world. No more efficient or beneficent institution is known to this age.

The temperance cause in this county, as in many others, has had its periods of success and failure. There have been times, when intoxicating liquors were not sold by public authority, and a drunken man was rarely seen, and there have been other periods, when in almost all the villages licenses were granted to engage in this business, and drinking indulged in by many, and drunken men were frequently seen on the public streets. Temperance oi-ganizations, of some kind, have existed at all times, in the county, since 1860, when the first society was instituted, which have, at times, been very active, and at others, indolent. Such is the experience everywhere. But there has been no thought, at any time, that this good cause would be abandoned. The world, even small localities, cannot afford that the cause of temperance should ever be entirely abandoned, until its purposes have been attained. What would the world be to day if there had not been, and was not now, great work being done in this cause? The writer does not intend here to discuss the subject of temperance, but deems it well to make a few observations in reference to the overwhelming evils of intemperance, as they are known at this day, and the remarks will be brief.

Intemperance in the use of intoxicating liquors (and may not any use as a beverage be intemperate), is certainly one of the greatest (if not in fact the chief) of the evils existing in this age, and it has no redeeming features. It sinks its hundreds of millions of dollars annually, fills the world with widows and orphans and beggary, demoralization and crime, and stocks the earth with drunkards' graves. Well ascertained facts show that in our own country over five hundred millions of dollars are wasted, annually, by those who expend their money for drink, that three fourths of the crimes that are committed. and more than ouo-half of the pauperism of the nation and the enormous expenditures of public money, rendered necessary by these two facts, originated from the curse of intemperance. Alas! the wasted resources! But this is not all. The worst features of this great evil are not yet told. Let the reader ponder for a moment, and there may appear to him, as in a vision, the mighty drunken procession of more than a hundred thousand of our own people, who are annually marching onward and downward besotted, staggering, swearing, jabbering, howling, fighting, murdering, to that awful precipice of destruction, down which they plunge and disappear, that precipice, over which is written, in letters of fire, the terrible sentence, "No drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God." Gal. v:21. Almighty Father! what must be the final destiny of all these immortal souls? Certainly the cry of "radical" and "fanatic" and "crank" is unnatural and inhuman here, when applied to temperance workers. If these word s have any definite meaning, surely they are more applicable to the users of intoxicants and the supporters of the liquor traffic. It must be true that if this intolerable burden of intemperance could be lifted from the people, the world would step forward and upward, at once, a hundred or more years, toward the millennium. And in view of all these facts is it too much to say that no man, but one whose intellect is defective, or besotted, or filled with the sophistries of satan. or whose morals are greatly depraved, or who is the enemy of God and of the human race, can stand up before intelligent men, in this enlightened age and defend the traffic in, and use of. intoxicating liquors in any of their phases?

The Golden Reward

The harvest commenced July 25th, and the weather was the finest ever known in this country. The crops of this year were very good, and were early and well secured, and at fair expense. The prices of grain and other products were very satisfactory, and better than they had been for some years, and new life and energy, as a result, were everywhere appai'ent. This was a year of prosperity for the farmers. The following item, taken from a newspaper, represents the condition of the crops throughout the country.

"The year 1879 will pass ioto American history as a year of wonderful agricultural prosperity. The cotton crop is larger by half a million bales than ever before; the tobacco crop 12,000,000 pounds greater, and the sugar crop exceeds, by some 200,000 hogsheads, all previous yields. These are crops which belong, almost exclusively, to the southern half of the republic. In behalf of the northern states, the excess of products this year over the crops of any previous year is, according to the Chicago Journal of Commerce, 20,000,000 bushels of wheat and from 80,000,000 to 100,000,000 bushels of corn. The hog crop also Is larger this year than for a number of years past - if it be not the largest ever raised."

portion of our people, by the introduction of improved farm machinery. Twenlyfive years ago, the scythe and the grain cradle were still used, to some extent, and the reapers and mowers and plows and threshers, then used, were quite imperfect. When the harvest came, a horde of men had to be employed, at two dollars to three dollars a '^ay, in cash, besides boarding and lodging. To harvest a field of seventy to one hundred acres of small grain was a great work of weeks, which wore out men in the field and tired out women in the house. To-day how different ! The farmer gets up on the seat, on his splendid harvester, gathers up the reins, and drives into his field of one hundred acres, his harvester smoothly cutting and binding the grain, and in six or eight days, with the aid of one or two hired hands, the grain is all in the shock, and the usual quiet and comfort has reigned about the dwelling. No extra preparations or labor having been reciuired. The farmer may now, too, use his sulky plow, either single or gang, and turn over more land, and do it better, in a day, than he formerly could in two or three weaiy days of incessant tramping. With his mower and horse- rake, he can put up more hay in a day, alone, than he could in the old times in two or three days, with the aid of two or three hands. And when the threshing comes, that great work so much dreaded, the great horse-iJower, or the steam thresher, puts in its appearance and makes a holiday work, lasting a few days, of the largest job. The fanner has become muster, instead of being, as formerly, the slave of his work.

Sometime during the month of August, another village appeared on the map of the county, situated on section seven, in the town of Verona. It is a station on the Southern Minnesota Railroad, and was named Huntley. This is our seventh village, and will be referred to more fully in another part of this work.

The Twenty-First Fair

The annual fair of the Agricultural Society was held on the grounds of the society, near Blue Earth City, on the l^th, 19th and 20th days of September. The weather was very fine, the attendance large, the exhibition very creditable, and financially, the fair was a success. Twenty years previous to this, the first fair was held at Winnebago City, being the first of the society, and the first in the county. The first and the last were both successes. The principal differences between the two, existed in these facts - that the first was held in a hall and on grounds hired temporarily, the last on permanently leased grounds, well enclosed, having a permanent race track and buildings belonging to the society. At the last, the attendance was much more numerous, and the receipts far greater - a

Something of a new feature in premiums was introduced this year, that of giving as a premium in many cases, a year's subscription to some leading agricultural journal, as the Prairie Farmer, Rural New Yorker, American Agriculturist, Farmer's Union, and others. The person entitled to a premium could have his choice. This was an excellent idea and should be carried out more fully. Approved books on agricultural subjects, might be added. A premium of one to five dollars in money, soon disappears, while a good paper or book is something of lasting value.

The Battle Of The Ballots

At the general election of this year, in addition to a number of county officers, a Governor and several other State officers, were to be elected. John S. Pillsbury, was the republican candidate for governor. Edmund Rice, was the democratic, and W. W. Satterlee, the temperance candidates for the same office.

The Republican County Convention was held at Blue Earth City, on the twenty -seventh of September. J. P. West, of Wells, was chairman, and D. F. Goodrich, of Blue Earth City, secretary. The following nominations were made:

The Democratic County Convention assembled at Blue Earth City, October the 4th. Capt. P. B. Davy, of Blue Earth City, was elected chairman, and C. H. Radford, of Winnebago City, secretary, after which the following nominations wei-e made:

On the eleventh day of the same month the Greenbackers, more properly named the "Nationals," met at Blue Earth City, in mass convention. A. H. BuUis, of Verona, was made chairman, and C. S. Dunbar, of Foster, secretary. A central county committee was appointed, but no nominations were made. The campaign of this year, in the matter of local offices, was a quiet one. The election was held November 4th. The following table exhibits the vote as officially canvassed.

Diphtheria

A passing reference should be made here to the fact that diphtheria, one of the most terrible diseases, prevailed to an alarming extent in some portions of the county, during this year, and as the statistics of the year will show, many, especially children, died. This disease is epidemic, contagious, and it would seem that it is in certain phases, wholly incurable. The plague which desolated Europe at various times during the past centuries, and known as the "black death," "black tongue," was doubtless, but a virulent or malignant type of this disease. This is not the place to discuss the pathology, or diagnosis, of this terrible disease, nor to mention the remedies used for its cure, but it is well to sound the alarm here - beware! on the breaking out of this pestilence as you would be of the cholera.

A Sad Item

About the sixth of October a terrible prairie fire started up and raged through the county, doing much damage. It had long been very dry, and high winds prevailing from the south, the fires were very fierce, and swept over large areas in a very short time.

The Old Settlers' Society

On the tenth day of October of this year, which completes the first quarter of a century of the history of our county, the old settlers' society of the county was formed. The time had come when this was proper. Some of the first settlers of the county had already passed away and others were growing old. The general purposes of the society are expressed in the preamble to the articles of organization, as follows:

We, the old settlers of Faribault county, state of Minnesota, whose names are subscribed to these articles, desiring to form the old settlers of this county into an organized society, to renew and perpetuate old-time friendships; to cultivate sociability amonjj us; to promote a friendly interest in each other's welfare, and to provide for the annual re-union of the members of the society, do hereby ordain and agree to the following articles of organization and government.

The society was organized by the election of officers and the adoption of articles of organization and government, as will apj)ear by the copy of the minutes of organization, appended hereto. As the first settler of the county was still living, and in many of the towns, the first settler of the town, was still living, it was a very proper and graceful thing to do, to choose the first settler of the county, Moses Sailor, Esq., the first president and the first known resident settler, of the several towns, vice presidents of the society, at its organization, and to exempt, as was the fact, all of the first board of officers, forever, from the payment of any membership fees, orannualdues. All persons who resided in the State, on, or prior to the lirst day of June, 1860, and have lived in this county, at any time six months, are eligible to become members of the society. It was necessary that some year be designated, as the period which should divide the older from the later settlers of the county, for this purpose, otherwise, the society would be but a social club, without any distinctive character. And there is no year in our history, which could so properly be adopted, as 1860. That year was the beginning of a new decade, it was the first year of a national census, in this county, from which it may always be easily determined who were in the county prior to the census. It was a marked and memorable year in the history of the county, in that among other things, a groat change came over the manners and customs of the times and in the public affairs of the county - a new order of things, so to speak, was instituted. That year was also sufficiently remote, so that the society would not have too numerous a membership, and yet there were enough old settlers who came in prior to June of that year, still residing in the county, to form a sufficiently large society for many years.

In fact many of the old settler's societies in the west, and elsewhere, are not designed to continue and embrace only a certain definite class, and are so organized that in course of time, they must necessarily, from the death of the particular class, become extinct. And such is a correct idea of an old settlers' society. While pro vision has been made in the articles of organization of our society, for fixing a later date than .Tune 1st, 18()0, when the society chooses so to do, yet many years should pass before such change should be made, and it should never be brought to a later date than June 1st, 1865, which marks the final close of the civil war, and also the close of an important period in our local history. This would also make eligible to membership many resident veterans of the war who could not otherwise be included. We cannot forbear remarking the propriety of old settlers' societies. There are many of them throughout the west, and where instituted and properly conducted are highly appreciated. At these re-unions festivities and rejoicings are the order. Old memories are rehearsed, old social ties and interests renewed and strengthened, kindly sympathies and feelings are awakened, and those who have stumbled or faltered in treading the pathway of life, receive new courage, new hope, to go forward. Those, too, are appropriately remembered, as the years go 'round, who have reached life's journey's end and gone to their final rest. early days! How often back

The sunlight of our early day.s." The meetings of the society are to be held annually, in June of each year. Here is a copy of the record of organization.

"Pursuant to notice given in the several county papers, a number of the old settlers of Faribault county met at the court house, in Blue Earth City, at ten o'clock, a. m., on the twentieth day of October, A. D. 1879, for the purpose of organizing an old settlers' society.

On motion the chair appointed a committee consisting of J. A. Kiester, Henry Schuler and Otto Kaupp to prepare and report articles of organization and government of the society.

On motion of Mr. Schuler the meeting proceeded to the election of ofHcers, when the following named persons were unanimously elected viva voce, namely:

For vice presidents - Ebenezer Crosby, of Winnebago City township; Thomas Blair, of Delavan township; Ozias C. Healey, of Lura township, Alvin Barber, of Minnesota Lake township; L. C. Taylor, of Dunbar township; C. R. Lord, of Clark township; Absalom Wilcox, of Walnut Lake township; Andrew Wcesner, of Barber township; George S. Miles, of Prescott township; Henry T. Stoddard, of Verona township; Burton Chute, of Jo Daviess township; Aaron Mudge, of Blue Earth City township; Henry Weber, of Emerald township; James Prior, of Brush Creek township; Abraham Ackerman, of Foster township; Joseph Wing, of Kiester township; Jacob E. Shirk, of Seely township; Ole Nelson, of Rome township; Allen Shultis, of Elmore township: Gilbert McClure, of Pilot Grove township.

Resolved, That the secretary cause to be printed, in convenient form, two hundred copies of the articles of organization and government, and present one copy to each member of the society, on application.

No further business appearing, the meeting adjourned sine die amid many congratulations and pleasant anticipations of happy re-unions hereafter, of the old settlers of Faribault county.

It is the hope of the writer that the society may secure the purposes of its institution, be ever prosperous, and that the annual meetings of the society may ever be occasions of great pleasure and profit to all who participate. It will be the duty of the historian of the future to note the annual meetings of the society, and chronicle the events and incidents of its progress. The writer of these pages must be content with having taken an active part in the institution of the society, having called the meeting for organization, and written the rules or regulation for the government of the society, and having now the pleasure of making an historical record of the event of the organization.

Railroad Opening And Excursion

The thirtieth day of October.of this year, was a memorable day in the history of this county. On that day occurred the formal opening of the new north and south railroad, now completed from Blue Earth City, northward, to a connection at Lake Crystal with the main line of the St. Paul and Sioux City Railroad. It was determined by the people of Blue Earth City to make this a grand event, and they accomplished it. No locality ever needed a railroad more than Blue Earth City, considering it circumstances, at the time. The people of no locality ever worked longer, or more persistently, or against greater discouragements to secure a road, than did the people of that village, and no people, in view of these and other facts, ever deserved to succeed, more than they. It was but natural that they should rejoice when success crowned their efforts, and that they should desire to signalize the event by some memorable demonstration. We cannot enter into an account of all the details of this event, but may state the general features. A committee of citizens was appointed to take charge of the matter, in connection with the city council. Securing the co-operation of the railroad company, the day was set. and invitations sent out to pi'ominent people all ai-ound the countrj' and along the line of the road, to St. Paul, to attend the celebration of this great event. A great dinner was prepared and spread upon two long tables in the new depot building, and was in readiness when the guests arrived. About one o'clock, p.m., amid the thundering of cannon and waving of flags, a long train, bearing hundreds of invited guests, steamed up to the depot. On alighting, the guests were received with a hearty welcome, and conducted to seats at the tables. An address of welcome was then given by Capt. P. B. Davj', president of the city council, in well chosen words, which was responded to by Ex Senator Ramsey. Speeches were also made by Hon. Edmund Rice, Gen.* Sibley, Gen. Bishop, Ex-Senator Wilkinson and Lieut. Governor Wakefield. The day was fine, all the arrangements admirable, and the splendid programme perfectly carried out.

It was a proud day for Blue Earth City, and the village appreciated it fully, and especially the fact of the attendance on the occasion, of the many distinguished men, some of national reputation, who came to participate in, and do honor, to the event But it was also an auspicious event for the whole county, even the State, for this line of road, passing, as it does, through the whole length of the Blue Earth and Minnesota river valleys, the best portion of Minnesota, to the very heart of the lumber manufacturing regions of the north, and southwest through a great portion of the great valley of the Des Moines, in Iowa, directly penetrating the great coal measures of that state - a line connecting the capitals of these two great states, must, at no distant day, become one of the great trunk lines of the northwest, and transact an immense business.

Finally, it may be justly said, that the completion of this road perfected the fundamental structure of our local railroad system - one road passing through the county from east to west, and one at almost right angles, from north to south, provided for all time to come, egress and ingress, by connecting roads, in every direction.

But the festivities, instituted to signalize the opening of this road, were not yet complete. The railroad company, and the good citizens of Mankato, appointed a free excursion, to take place on the twenty-tifth of November, for all the people of the Blue Earth valley, who choose to accept it, and on that day vast numbers of people, along the line of the road, took passage on the trains, and visited Mankato, where they were most hospitably and royally entertained, free of all cost. A great public dinner, given by the city to all visitors, was the great feature of the day.

A Remarkable October

The weather of October, 1879, was remarkable. During twenty years, no such an October had been known. The thermometer often, during the month, indicated more than 80° in the shade. The question was often asked, "Well, is the summer going to last all winter?" The temperature, during the entire month, was much like that of July. In some portions of the country warm showers of rain fell, causing vegetation to take a new start, and wild prairie grass commenced to grow again, and appeared quite green on sward that had been burned off early. At one place in the State, ripe raspberries were picked on the eighth of October. Even the mosquitoes which had retired for the year, put in an appearance again, and resumed business. One individual who had expended some |300 in advertising a new heating stove, declared that the weather was all out of tune, and simply exasperating.

On the eighteenth day of November, the Winnebago City Press, which had been published at that place for about six years, ceased; the ofiice and material having been purchased by the proprietor of the Su7i. A new paper named the Winnebacjo City Times, successor to the Press, appeared December 6th. It was a large, eight column folio; Messrs. Allen & Sherin, editors and proprietors. It was printed on the auxiliary plan. Subscription price *1.50 per annum. This being the closing year of this volume of this history, it may be stated that the newspapers published in the county, at the close of the year, were the Blue Earth City Post, and the liee, at Blue Earth City, the Winnebago City Time.i, above named, at Winnebago City. and the Wells Advocate, at Wells.

The Last Figuring Up

The statistics for the year are very full and complete, and being the last we shall present, are made up with care. And here, first, are our farm products for the year:

The writer has no hesitation in saying, that there should be added, as least, thirty per cent to all of the above amounts, to bring the several productions up to what they really were.

Miscellaneous - Land surface, acres, 454,723.59; taxable land, acres, 398,240; number of farms, 1,254; cultivated acres, 90,028; taxable valuation, real and personal property, $4,199,612; forest trees, planted this year, 3,029; forest trees planted along highways, rods, 48,365.

Vital

During the year there were in the county 383 births and 191 deaths. Of the deaths reported. 68 were caused by diphtheria. There were nine deaths of persons between 60 and 70 years of age, seven between 70 and 80, and six between 80 and 90 years of age. There were 125 marriages and but two divorces.

The Christmas festival, December 25th, now a legal- holiday recognized in the laws of most of the states, was, in this year, 1879. more generally and elaborately observed throughout the whole country than it had been for years. This great day of the Christian year is, everywhere, getting to receive its proper recognition. While the Christmas day of this year was, undoubtedly, the merriest Christmas ever known in this country, it was, also, in this county, the coldest. The thermometer marked from thirty to forty degrees below zero, and a strong wind blew, the whole day; but these facts did not interfere, materially, with the festivities of the occasion. Long ago, Sir Walter Scott sang:

But Christmas time is not limited to one day - it embraces a number of days, and the period is known as Christmas tide, or a series of holidays, often named the Christmas holidays, of which Christmas is the great day. This period, or Christmas tide, commences, in most countries, as in our own, on Christmas eve, or the evening of the day before Christmas day, and extended, in former times, to the Epiphany, January 6th, thus including New Year's day. This great day is usually preceded by a week, or two, of bright anticipations and busy preparations for the time. And we are happy to record the fact, that this sacred, festive day and period, has been observed every recurring year, in some manner, in this county from its first settlement.

Merry Chrismas! the holiday of all Christian nations, limited to no sect, or class, the property of no one. people, it is observed universally, wherever the name of Christ is known. As Christ lived and died and reigneth for all, so is Christmas for all, and it needs no proclamation of president or emperor to command its observance, or give notice of its coming. All the world knows when it comes, and from the gray-haired sire to the little child, is looked forward to with joyful hopes and pleasant anticipations. The writer' cannot i-esist the impulse to say something more of this day, for the benefit, especially, of our younger readers. What means this day which brings such general rejoicing? Let us go back through the mists of nearly nineteen hundred years, and to the sacred soil of old Judea. We stand here in the quiet, starry night, surrounded by the shepherds, watching their flocks. Busy life is stilled. A holy peace reigneth here, and we are alone with God and nature.

Look upwardi behold! the wonderous radiant being! the Angel of the Lord Is here. Hear the voice of the Heavenly messenger, as he speaks: "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Jesus, Prince of Peace is born." "Ah! listen to the grand angelic choral, as they praise God saying:" "'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' " - Luke ii: lS-15.

And now down to us, through all the Christian centuries, has come the annual commemoration of the nativity, or birth of Jesus, the Messiah, the Prophet, Priest and King, the mighty Lord of All, and floating down to us, too, through the long gone centuries, come the triumphant songs of the angel choirs that sang together for joy. at our Savior's birth, filling earth and heaven with their melodies, repeated on earth, reechoed in heaven, at every annual commemoration. How appropriate that this day should be celebrated with religious and domestic festivities, merry-making and general geniality, the healing of old feuds, the forgiveness of the past and the re-establishment of friendships and love among all, for this day more than all others awakens all the highest religious sentiments and the purest domestic affections. For He who was born to-day, brought to us all that which makes life valuable in all its relations, and revealed to us immortality. And the man or women must indeed be bankrupt in faith and hope and love, or grown sordid, or bigoted, or soured with the world, who cannot appreciate and celebrate Christmas. Yet it is true, that certain religious bodies have, in the past, made but little of this day, commemorative of one of the greatest historical facts of the Christian religion, which they profess, and the old puritan forefathers, at one time, made it an offense, punishable with fine, to observe Christmas, even by ceasing to work on that day. See here! "Whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas, or the like, either by forbearing labor, feasting, or any other way * * * shall pay for every such offense, five shillings, as a fine, to the count}'." 1659, M. S. records, vol. 4, part first, page 336 General Court. But better views have long prevailed, and Christmas is coming to be generally observed

And the growing love of our people, old and young, for this great festival, is evident, not only in its general observance, but in the happy anticipations and conduct of all. For weeks before the day we may see in the stores crowds of town and countryfolk, with cheerful faces, full of mysterious meaning, who are baying everything of art and taste and beauty, as Christmas gifts, to make the young happy, and to attest the love for friends and kindred. The purse strings, often so tightly drawn and knotted, come open now, and even the miser takes something from his savings to make someone happy. Even the cynic, the ascetic, the sceptic, and that other great man. who from his high intellectual eminence, is wont to look down with contempt upon Christian teachings and customs generally, as vain myths and superstitions, even these grow more genial, and offer a tribute on Christmas.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever belie veth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." John iii: 16.

The primitive Christians celebrated this day "with great joy and triumph, the labors of life were suspended, the churches were crowded with joyful worshippers who sang their jubilant hymns and anthems, and it was their practice to adorn their churches with flowers, boughs, and garlands of evergreens," and such has been the custom in some branches of the church, through all the centuries to this day. Religious services at the place of holding public worship, and the Christmas dinner, are now the great features of the day. For Christmas is a feast day in the church's calendar. Roast geese, plum puddings, and mince pies, are the proper, leading and historic dishes of Christmas, as turkey, pumpkin pie and baked beans are of Thanksgiving. Merry Christmas! Often called the children's festival, what day so dear to the heart of childhood as this? Ah, we are all children again on this happy day. Let us touch old memories :

And St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, came too, from somewhere, perhaps from the far off regions of ether, noiselessly down the chimney, as tradition says, with his loads of gifts, and filled the stockings.

church on Christmas eve, or the Sunday school, which has now so long and so properly been one of the great features of this festival? What a wonderful tree, with its lights and ornaments and generous

"The Christmas tree Is a bonnle tree, Strontf and straight and brave to see, Each branch and shoot from crown to root, Is clustered thick with rarest fruit, Such fruit as never on any shore, Was known to grow on a tree before."'

'Gather around the Christmas tree. Every bousjh bears a burden now. They are jiifts of love for us we trow, For Christ is born his love to show And give good gifts to men below."

And let us not forget, on this day, greatest of all in its geniality and beneficence, the poor, the sick, the friendless. The^-, too, must be made to rejoice in the abundant charity and kindly sympathy of friend and neighbor. Let the waifs, the orphans, the homeless be hunted up, and made to share our abundance. And this must become the distinctive feature of this day. As we revere Him, who was the friend of the poor, and taught us that we must love our neighbors, as ourselves, that it is bettor to give than to receive, so must we on this glad day remember the poor, the needy, and the outcast. Merry Christmas I With what curious customs it has been kept through the centuries by the various nations. The queer songs, the gleeful carols and the great feasts, in the old baronial halls of Europe - the Christmas legends, the decorations, the hollyboughs and berries and the mistletoe, the Christmas flowers, the Yule logs and cheerful hearths, when the great fires "went roaring up the chimney wide," all rise in visions before us, and we hear again the sweet music of Christmas bells and chimes, but we cannot write of them here.

As one after another of the human systems of philo.sophy from Hermes Tliismegistus, to our own day, which have sought, on the basis of mere reason and natural law, to provide for man's moral, government, improvement and elevation', fail, it becomes evident that Jesus Christ, the Christ life and Christ teachings afford the only assurance and hope of man's true progress and permanent happiness on earth, and this is the only power to unlock for him the gates of heaven. The world, indeed, has no influence, or power, even in its highest forms of civilization, nor in any of its systems of philosophy, or its more human systems of education, to produce the Christian life. That life is the fruit of grace. And none can come to the true knowledge of God, His will and His ways, but through this life and grace, as found, and found only, in Jesus the Christ. The whole record of our race but shows the truth of "the Scripture, that "other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. iii, 2), and if this fails, all fails, ah!

Winter Approaches Coup D'Oeil

Could we, in this year of grace, 1879, ascend to some sufficiently elevated station, on a bright summer day in August, and from thence cast a hasty glance over our county, what a beautiful scene would be spread out before as. First, perhaps, we should observe certain dark blue lines and curves, which indicate the native timber, bordering the many streams and the many crystal lakes, shimmering in the sunlight, like mirrors. And we should see over the wide reaching prairies innumerable groves and lines of forest trees which were not here when we first saw these fertile lands. And what are those dark straight lines which cross the field of view - one passing from east to west, another from north to south, and still another across the northeast corner of the county? Ah! These are railroads, and the long trains passing over them, indicate their business of travel and traffic. And see, scattered over the county the large tracts of cultivated lands, aggregating nearly one hundred thousand acres, divided into nearly thirteen hundred farms, on which you notice the many substantial farm-houses, barns and other structures, which tell of the prosperous home life of their owners. Scanning this wide field closer, we observe certain distinctly marked points, and these are the villages of the county - the marts of trade and centers of population in this good year. Blue Earth City, Winne- bago City, Minnesota Lake, Wells, Delavan, Easton and Huntley - and each of these places is located on a railroad, and each surrounded by a beautiful, populous and fertile, tributary territory. But seel there is another kind of points, which indicate something else, and these are the United States post-offices located in the county; Alton, Banks, Blue Earth City, Brush Creek, Clayton, Cornet. Delavan, Easton, Elmore, Emerald, Ewald, Grapeland, Homedahl, Huntley, Minnesota Lake, Pilot Grove, Walnut Lake, Wells, and Winnebago City. And we observe, also, certain neat structures, very similar to each other, all over the county, and these are seventyseven, or more, substantial district school houses. And we also see many buildings of a larger kind, with spires pointing always upward, and these are the many churches erected to the worship of God. And we see here too, grazing quietly, on the green grasses of this wide area, innumerable herds, large and small, of milch cows and other cattle, and horses and sheep, and wenotice hundreds of people busy at work in the fields and about the farm houses. And see those wide lines, stretching across the county in every direction. These ai-e the public highways, and you observe that they are well worked and well bridged, and upon them, going to and fro, are many people, traveling on business, or pleasure, droves of cattle, hogs and sheep, and the white covered wagons of the immigrants coming in to locate among us, or passing through, to more distant localities. How vastly changed is all this scene, from what it was, when we first beheld this region, a quarter of a century ago! And it is indeed a goodly land.

A New Era

For nearly ten years the country was passing through the most unparalleled depression in every branch of industry, as has been more fully detailed in some of the preceding years of this history, but with the incoming of 1879 a new and better daj'^ dawned upon the country, and everywhere was heard the happy exclamation "the good times have come." And the evidences that such was the fact, were numerous, palpable and cheerful. This year saw everywhere the revival of long stagnant business. On the first day of January, 1879, specie payment was resumed by the government, in pursuance of the act of congress passed several years before, fixing that day for resumption. That great event, looked forward to with great hopes by many and with fear by others, took place without causing the least excitement in the business world. Indeed resumption had practically taken effect some months before, as greenbacks were at par long before the day arrived. Our currency became exchangeable, at par, in the markets of the world, with the money of the world. This event was the starting point in the financial and business revival. Money perfectly safe, became plenty, and sought investment. The furnace, the forge and the foundery went again to work, and the workers in iron and steel found their business recovering so rapidly from its long and great depression, that they were unable to supply the demand. Railroad building, which makes the great demand for iron, began with wonderful energy, and more miles of railroad were built in the Unined States, in this year, than in any year since 1873, the number of miles being 3,7381, and more would have been built, could the iron, which ran up to an enormous price, have been had. Over four hundred miles of railroad were built this year, in Minnesota. Some twenty of which were built in this county.

Turning to commercial interests, it was said that on one bright day in June of this year, more steamers gathered in New York harbor than had ever before been seen in that great mart of commerce. Our foreign trade had been, for several years, increasing, until now our exports far exceeded our imports, leaving a lai"ge balance of trade in our favor, causing the shipment to this country, of many millions of dollars in gold, to balance accounts.

Our cotton factories all went to work again, running on full time, and our manufactures of all kinds were sent abroad more than ever before All these awakened industries created a demand for labor, which rapidly increased, and many thousands of working men, skilled and common laborers, who had for some years been out of employment, and had been reduced to great destitution, went to work again, on full time and full pay.

The mines of precious metals, too, increased in their products. The Miner's Journal said, that during this year, American mines produced *80.000,000, and this great yield mainly stayed at home.

As a result of all these favoring causes, the wholesale and retail trade of merchants also greatly revived. The demand for all kinds of manufactured goods increased rapidly, and millions of dollars' worth of goods, long stored in warehouses, were brought out and sold at good figures. But this is not all, nor the best of this summary of revived industries. In this happy year, that great industry which lies at the bottom of all real national prosperity, agriculture, was also highly favored in abundant harvests and fair prices throughout the nation. A number of years of bad harvests in Europe made a demand for a large share of our agricultural and other food products. Many millions of bushels of our surplus wheat, millions of pounds of beef, pork, hams, bacon, butter, cheese and tallow, were exported to foreign countries, the value of which returned to us in gold, with which to build railroads, and inaugurate other great enterprises, which added to the general prosperity. This jirosperity of the agricultural interests was the chief element in the general prosperity of the country, making the revival of business in many other lines possible. But many causes, however, which cannot be named here, contributed to bring about this new era.

Locally, our county shared in the general revival. A new spirit of enterprise and hopefulness was infused into the hearts and lives of the people. The hard years of scarcity of money, grasshoppers, short crops, small prices, seemed to have gone by, and all looked upon tlie future with great cheerfulness and confidence, and they were not disappointed. New lands were broken up, the trade of our merchants greatlj' extended; payments became prompt, wheat and other products brought fair prices,- two new railroad markets were established in the county, to the great convenience of large districts of country. A competing line of road was secured, many new structures were erected in the county, mechanics of all kinds found plenty of work, and money was plenty, and could be had on long or short time, at ten per cent, and even less. The better days, so long hoped for, had come, with an outlook for the future of the best assurances. And. notwithstanding the steady, sure, substantial, even rapid jirogress of our county, a progress manifest in each succeeding year, which the writer has had the pleasure of recording in these pages, made in face of many discouragements, it is, nevertheless, a most grateful task to him, to close this volume of our history with the record of a year of such activities, prosperity and bright prospects for the future as this, the last. And now -

Part Second Prefatory Remarks

In Part First of this work we have treated of those matters which pertain to the history of the county generally, and as a county. But the county is divided into twenty sub-divisions, and each of these has its own local history, which could not be advantageously included in the general history of the county; yet the history of these several localities, or sub-divisions, is a part of the history of the county, and this work would be far from complete should it be omitted, and it is proper, therefore, now to enter upon the history of the several townships which constitutes Part Second, of this work. These sketches contain an account of the first settlement, organization, names of early settlers and interesting events, of each township, from its first organization to the close of 1879.

Attention may here be called to the fact, that a valuable part of this history consists in the lists of names here given, of all the inhabitants of the several towns, as they appear on the rolls of the national census, taken in June, 1860. And these are they, who are entitled to the honorable designation of "old settlers," and whose names should go down to posterity as those who laid the foundations of our county, and changed the wilderness into the happy abode of free and enlightened people. And this record shall be their patent of nobility, to which their descendants, for generations, may refer with pride. And it is just as honorable a beginning, to boast of, as that of those who began their family history with Hugh Capet, in France, or with the coming in with William the Conqueror, in England, or at the landing of the Pilgrims, from the Mayflower, on the desolate shores of New England. Often the brave, self-sacrificing men and women who spent their lives amid the hardships of pioneer life, receive not the credit that is due their, industry, foresight and achievements, and are forgotten, while some subsequent, ambitious and unscrupulous individuals, seeking to magnify their own importance, rob the early settlers of their just honors. While great care has been taken to have every name, date, and statement correct, yet some errors may exist, but if any, the mistakes are few and of but little importance. Much of the information contained in these pages was obtained from the old settlers themselves, and from the records of the several towns.

A brief biographical notice is given of the first settler of each town, and of the person after whom the town was named, where such was the fact, and of a few others who bore some special relation to the town, or to some imjiortant event or office, but no extended notice could be given to other early settlers, just as worthy, in many respects, as it would render the work too voluminous. But the great majority of the early settlers, and many of later date, will find their names, at least, mentioned somewhere in these pages. Prior to the organization of township government, the whole county was divided into election precincts, each of which comprised a number of towns. Judges of election, justices of the peace and constables were elected or appointed in the several precincts. By the act approved August 13th, 1858, known as the township oi-gauization act, it was, among other provisions, enacted "That the governor is hereby authorized and required to appoint three persons to act as commissioners in each of the oi-ganized counties of this State, who shall be residents thereof, to divide such counties into towns, under the provisions of this act."

The governor, accordingly, appointed Andrew C. Dunn, James S. l^atimer and R. P. Jenness such commissioners, who, for convenience in this history, have been designated special commissioners. They met at Winnebago City on the twenty-seventh day of September, 1858, and proceeded to the performance of their duties. The result of their action is embodied in the following report made to the register of deeds, October 1st, 1858.

Siu: - The undersigned commissioners appointed by his excellency, the rovernor of the State of Minnesota, to divide the county of Faribault into towns, in pursuance of the act of the legislature of the State of Minnesota, entitled an act to provide for township organization, approved August I3th, A. D. J858, do, in conformity to the said act, make this their report. The commissioners have taken and adopted for the boundaries of the towns, the government surveyors' stakes, and have divided the county as follows, and with the following names:

The commissioners have in conformity to the law aforesaid, attached certain towns to others, as follows: The town of "Lake" is attached to the town of ".Seely." The town of "Campbell" is attached to the town of "Dobson." The town of "Johnson" is attacted to the town of "Pilot Grove." The town of "Emerald" is attached to the town of "Blue Earth City." The town of "Foster" is attached to the town of "Brush Creek." The town of "Prescott" is attached to the town of "Verona." The towns of "Cobb" and "Douglass" are attached to the town of "Marples." The towns of "Lura" and "Barber" are attached to the town of "Walnut Lake." All other towns are separate and unattached. All of which is respectfully submitted.

Commissioners. It will be seen from the above report, that the boundaries of the the several towns, as named for civil purposes, were the same as the boundaries of the land survey, or congressional township, being twenty in all. It should also be observed that by attaching one or more towns to another, for civil, or township purposes, there were created eight town districts, and that there were but two congressional towns - Guthrie and Winnebago City - each organized separately, the result being ten separate township organizations in the county: All the congressional townships in the county are now (1879), separate town organizations, being twenty in all. Upon the filing of the above report, the register of deeds, then J. A. Kiester, in pursuance of the act above referred to, caused the election notices for the first town elections to be posted up, appointing October 20th, 1858, for the election of officers in each town or town district. Several of the towns failed to hold elections and organize, in con- sequence of which the county commissioners appointed officers for such towns. These town officers, whether elected or appointed, were to hold their offices until the succeeding annual town meetings, which were to be held on the first Tuesday of April, annually. At the succeeding town meetings, April 1859, being the first regular town meetings hold in the county, all the towns, with two or three exceptions, were fully organized, which organization has continued to this day. By act of February, 1870, the time of holding the annual town meetings was changed to Ihe second Tuesday of March. The township authorities comprise the following officers: Three supervisors, one of whom is designated as chairman - a town clerk, an assessor, a treasurer, two justices of the peace, two constables, a pound master and an overseer of roads, for each road district. The justices and constables hold their offices for two years, the other officers for one year. For the official duties of these several officers the reader is referred to the town laws. In these remarks, and in the following history, the words "town" and "township," are used as synonymous, as they are understood to be in common usage. By the township organization act of 1858, the chairman of the several boards of town supervisors, were members of and constituted the board of county supervisors, and superseded the board of county commissioners. The county supervisor system existed but a short time in this county. This system added much to the dignity and importance of the duty of chairman of the board of town supervisors, and it may be remarked here, that the county board was never composed of more able and efficient men. than it was during the existence of this system.

The geographical divisions, known as towns, or townships, established for governmental purposes, appears to have originated in Germany about the beginning of the tenth century, and have now existed for many centuries in most, if not all the governments of Europe, but in many different forms. The system was introduced into portions of America at an early day of its history. The township system of local self government is found in its most complete form in the New England States, and there the county is not the unit of government and quite unimportant. In almost all the southern states, and in several of the northern states, the county is the unit and smallest division of local government divisions, and the powers of the towns, in this respect, are comparatively of little consequence, the towns being, as a rule, merely election precincts. In most of the middle and northwestern states, a compromise system of town and county government exists. Such is the fact in this State. Here the town is a body corporate, may sue and be sued, may purchase and hold lands within its own limits for town purposes, may make certain contracts, purchase and hold personal property, and has power to do many other things of a beneficial, local character, as the election of its own officers, the laying out of roads, building of bridges, the levying of certain local taxes, the making of by-laws, in reference to various subjects, all such powers being clearly defined by statute. Within certain limits esiablished by law, our town governments are small republics, established for local self-gpvernment, and independent of all other towns, and of the county. It is, perhaps, not too much to say that our system of township government, if carefully preserved, will form a safeguard, in a large measure, against the consolidation and centralization of governmental powers in the state, or nation, and be the security of our free institutions, and of popular self-government. The powers of towns should be extended to all those matters of local interest which can be best understood and regulated by the people themselves who are immediately concerned, and they should be jealous of all restrictions, or limitations by the State, and especially of the absorption of their local powers of government by any larger body. Political power should be kept as closely as possible to its source - the people.

"The citizen is attached to his township because it is independent and free; his co-operation in its affairs ensures his attachment to its interests; the wellbeing it affordshim secures his affection, and its welfare is the aim of his ambition and of his future exertions; he titkes a part in every occurrence in the place; he practices the art of self government in the small sphere within his reach; he accustoms himself to those forms which can alone ensure the steady progress of liberty; he imbibes their spirit, he acquires a taste for order, comprehends the union of the balance of powers, and collects clear, practical notions of the nature of his duties and the extent of his rights."

We may now close these observations with the remark, that the importance of choosing the best men the town affords - men of good judgment, experience and integrity, to fill the town offices, must be obvious to every one. And the most learned and honorable need not deem it derogatory to their dignity to hold a town office. James Madison, after retiring from two terms of the presidency of the United States, accepted the chairmanship of a small agricultural society near his home. James Monroe, after a service of, also, eight years, as president, retired to private life, and accepted, and held for years, the office of justice of the peace; and John Tyler, after the expiration of his presidental term, served his township, for a time, as overseer of roads. Certainly, after such high examples, no man need be ashamed to hold these small, local offices.

In speaking of the first settler, or settlers, of the several towns, there are certain distinctions to be kept in mind. Actual, or permanent settlers, were those who came here with the purpose of remain ing, and who filed upon lands, and lomained as permanent residents of the county, for some years, at least. There was another class of settlers - mere transients - who simply came to get lands, and who filed upon their "claims." and remained the length of time required by law - ten. thirty or ninety days, as was the fact for several of the first years, and then left to "prove up." Some such returned, in subsequent years, but many never returned. The mere pre-emption of lands did not make an actual settler. In range twenty- four, the lands were "in market" from the first, that is, could be purchased of the government, at once, without settlement or improvement.