Waseca City (part 3 of 3)

Narrow Escape From Death

Here is an item that appeared Nov. 25, 1868: "Venison is beginning to find its way into our market. Several deer have been shot in this section within the past few days. Some of our sportsmen killed one in the timber bordering on Clear lake, a few days ago." No live wild deer have ever been seen in this section since. NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH.

Otisco, and ilr. Jones, both then of Waseca, commenced hauling wood across Clear lake. It was a bitterly cold day. They tried the ice in several places, and believing it was strong enough to hold a team and load, drove across and got one Inad of wood, returning safe and sound. Upon coming back with the second load, when near the center of the lake, one horse broke throuuli the ice. ilr. Jones unhitched from the slei.uh and succeeded in getting the horse out upon the ice. He then concluded to leave the load and take the team home, as the one horse was wet and very cold, and Mr. Jones himself was already quite wet. He therefore mounted one of the horses and started for shore. They had gone but a short distance, however, when both hurses went through the ice at once. ]Mr. Jones succeeded in getting out of the water on to the ice but was thoroughly wet. After an ineffectual effort to get the horses out, ^Mr. Leslie came to "Wasi-ea for help, ilr. Jones remaining with the horses to keep their heads above Avater. It was an intensely cold day and an hour passed before help arrived to get the horses out. By that time, ]Mr. Jones' feet and hands were badly frosted. The horses were at last gotten out of the water on to the ice, but they were -so thoroughly benumbed and chilled that they would not stand upon their feet, and showed little signs of life. They were given i\p as lost and left upon the ice, the men returning to town. The next morning ;\Ir. Douglas found one of the horses alive and wandering around his dead mate, apparently loath to leave him. Had the weather not been so intensely cold, or if the liorst>s had been blanketed no doubt both could have been saved. It was a mystery to all why the horses broke throxigh the ice where they had three times before the same day passed safely over. It was a s:ul loss for ilr. Jones, who depended much on his team to earn his living, (^ur people, however, with their accustomed liberality and goodness of heart contributed somewhat to his relief.

The First Brass Band

The new toAvii of Waseca was up with the times in many ways. Among the other enterprises, we recall the fact that a brass band was organized at Christmas time, and a concert and a festival were held to raise f\iiids to help the boys get started, Tlie receipts of the two evening entertainments, December ^2'^ and '2(i, amounted to over $100. The entertainments were -well received and highly enjoyed. S. H. Preston and his sisters, ]Mrs. Young and :Mrs. :\lc- Intosh, took leading parts in the entertainments, and ilr. Preston became leader of the band, sacrificing both time and money for which he has never received proper consideration. ^Messrs. Pjeston, Willsey and Bennett were elected as financial committee, and H. D. Baldwin as treasurer.

Round Up Of The Year

The year 186S closed with what ought to have been one of the most prosperous epochs in the history of the nation. The crop yields had been much above the average. The returned soldiers, North and South, had added their productive labor to the great storehouses of national wealth. But, notwithstanding all these means of prosperity, hard times seemed to be settling down upon the nation. Wheat that readily commanded $1.25 per bushel in September, went down to 75 cents in October where the price substantially remained for many months. While the price of wheat in ^Milwaukee and Chicago was $1.88 per bushel, buyers at Waseca were paying only $1.25 - a difference of sixty-three cents on a bushel. Allowing a margin of three cents a bushel for handling, there was sixty cents a bushel for railroad freight.

The fall in the price of wheat held good also as to barley and other farm prodiicts. Very soon the business men of the country commenced to fail. The commercial failures which had numb.-red but 485 in 1863, 520 in 1864, 530 in 1865, and 632 in 1866, suddenly increased to 2,608 in 1868, and to 2,799 in 1869. In lS(i6, the average price of wheat, in New York was $2.19, while the price in 1869 had dropped to 94 cents. And what caused the dmp in the price of wheat? Let us reason !

Some said that the extortion of the transportation companies was the cause of the trouble, but the fact was that prices everywhere and of everything in the United States came tumblingdown.

The historian should present facts, and government reports show that in 1865, the amount of money in circulation, including greenbacks, was $1,180,197,147. In 1868, greenbacks had been called in and destroyed under the refunding acts of congress until the money in circulation had been reduced to $906,091,245 - a total destruction of greenbacks amounting to $274,105,902. Very few people then knew the cause of the hard times in the midst of abundant harvests, but most men of sense and intelligence have since learned that the supply of money has more to do with prices than the supply of any other one article in the commerce of the country. Hence the business failures and the hard times of 1868-9. The money kings were getting in their secret work. Is it any wonder that farmers rebelled and organized the Granger Movement ?

"On the second day of February, 1855, about 3 o'clock p. m., a weary, halfstarved party reached the recently erected shanty of Mr. Sutlief, about ten miles south of the now thriving young city of Waseca. Need I tell you how grateful they felt for the cheering warmth of that humble shanty? Hitherto, for several nights, they had spread their straw beds upon the snow, and you could have followed their trail by the blood in the cattle tracks, for there was a hard crust on the snow at that time which cut the cattle's legs.

How strangely inconsistent is the human mind! That night in the himible shanty the hearts of the little party swelled with gratitude, and they thought they were happy. But, on the morrow, the country presented such a forlorn and desolute appearance that a sort of despondency began to creep over them. The country was covered with snow, and even the trees looked short and stunted. The weather was intensely cold. Neither houses nor barns nor sheds nor fences could be seen anywhere. Like Robinson Crusoe, they were monarchs of all they surveyed. They received no letters to tell them of absent friends at home, nor newspapers to instruct or while away an hour, for the nearest postofflce was at Mankato. There was no neighbor to drop in and tender a word of comfort, for their nearest neighbors were at Owatonna, twenty miles away. Such were the surroundings of the oldest settlers in Waseca county, twenty-one years ago last February.

The scripture says that we ought not to take our flight in the winter or on the Sabbath day; yet the oldest settler of the county took his flight in the winter. Perhaps he was not well versed in scripture or else he disregarded its teachings. Be that as it may, he has learned wisdom from experience, and has now become a teacher of. men by publishing a paper of commanding influence in this village. And as everything connected with the history of that individual must be interesting, it may not be out of place to mention the difficulties he had to overcome even in getting married. In those early days when the oldest settler made up his mind to take unto himself a wife, he went to consult with the man who could make two into one, viz.. Esquire Jenkins, a man of rather eccentric character. In talking the matter over grave doubts arose whether John Jenkins was really a bona fide justice or not. Here was a rather unlooked-for dilemma. To solve the problem, John started and actually did walk on foot all the way to St. Paul to get Governor Gorman to confirm him as a legal justice of the peace, and thus empower him to bind in the holy bonds of matrimony the oldest settler of Waseca county."

"But now all is changed. Instead of traveling thirty-five miles on foot to reach a postofRce, we have plenty of them near at hand. Instead of being compelled to send East for a paper and wait four or five weeks after its publication before receiving it, we have three published in the county, and the telegraph to inform us instantly of all matters of importance. Society here, too, will bear favorable comparison with that of any other part of the country.

It is seventeen years last month since I came to Waseca county, and I have sometimes thought I was as great a fool to start in summer as the oldest settler was to start in winter. There was a track, to be sure, but nothing that could be called a road. Bridges, like angels' visits, were few and far between. I thought the clouds that floated over Minnesota were rotten and couldn't hold water, for the rain fell in torrents. I was just a month to a day coming three hundred miles.

In those days we had to go seventy miles to market - often wallowing through the mud, often through the snow - compelled at times to camp out when the thermometer ranged ten degrees below zero. I have often thought that it is a blessing that there is to be no resurrection of the brute creation, for if there were, all eternity would be spent in lawsuits for assaults and batteries upon the poor, dumb animals that hauled our wheat to Hastings. Then we had little or no time for fall plowing. The year before the railroad was built to Waseca I was nine weeks on the road to market with two teams. And what did we get a bushel for our wheat at Hastings? From forty to fifty cents. If we hired the wheat hauled, we had to pay from twenty-five to thirty cents a bushel, which left us the magnificent sum of twenty to twenty-five cents at home. This is no wild and imaginary statement. I recollect selling to ilv. Hunter four hundred bushels of wheat at thirty cents a bushel, taking it all in "store pay." I have seen the time when a pound of pork would buy only a pound of salt, in Wilton, and when butter brought only six cents a pound, and - will you believe it - the wagons still screamed for grease. We couldn't afford to grease our wagons for it took much grease to bring a little money, and yet it is just as far to New York now as then. Still we grumble, although we get from three to four times as much now for wheat as we got then. It may be asked, "How do we get so much mor? for our wheat now than then?" The question is easily answered. The power of capital and the skill of the engineer and of the mechanic have annihilated distance and brought New York to our doors. In plain language, cheap transportation has doubled and trebled the value of our wheat. * " *

I think I have alluded to the struggles and contests of rival villages and localities for the location of county seats. Waseca county has had her share of these contests. When the county was set off from Steele, some four or five places contended for the honor of having the county seat, but Wilton finally won the prize - at least every one thought so. But establishing county seats is something like nominating candidateci for the presidency. One or two prominent candidates feel quite sure that they will be nominated, but the various factions can not harmonize, and the consequence is some obscure individual steps 1o the front and wins the prize. It was just so with Wilton. She thought it was all "hunkaadora" with her, so far as I ho county seat was concerned: but one dav an engineer came along with his staff and said he wanted to locate a railroad through Waseca county. He did; and he left Wilton out in the cold. A station was established about five miles north of her, and then it began to be whispered that It would be better to have the county seat v/here the county market was. This generated a terrible local storm. The lightning flashed, the thunder rolled, and the elements jarred so that the Second Adventists declared the crack of doom had come.

"When the firing ceased and the smoke of battle cleared away, they began to look around for the dead and wounded, but not a soul was to be found. While the Wiltonians slept, the garrison fled, carrying the archives and munitions of war with them. They threw up fortifications and entrenched themselves at a place called Waseca, and then swore by the 'Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress' that they had come to stay, and stay they will. Now there is not a man in the county but is proud of the county seat. And as this is the centennial birthday of our nation, we can not do better than to banish the recollection of past feelings of animosity from our hearts, should any still linger there. Let us throw the mantle of forgiveness over all men and stand erect before God and the world, thus proving our title to true manhood. Let us forgive those who have wronged us. It is not worth while to hate when so few years are given us in which to love. Let our affections and good intentions be strengthened, that our hearts may be lighter and our hands stronger for the life work before us."

Horses Stolen And Barn Burned

On August 14, 1876, Mr. Fred Schultz, residing in Freedom, had a span of voung horses stolen from his stable, and the stable, together with another horse and some grain, was consumed by fire. Several haystacks were also burned. A fellow named George Buck was caught with the stolen horses at Minnesota Lake the next day and arrested. He was afterwards sent to prison.

The Northpibld Bank Robbery

About 2.30 p. m. of that day, three armed men entered the bank in Northfield, where Heywood, cashier. Bunker, assistant cashier, and Wilcox, clerk, were present. They immediately jumped over the counter, through a space of about two feet left for the use of the teller, and cried out, "Hold up your hands! We are going to rob the bank." One of the robbers starting to go into the vault, Heywood followed him and partially closed the vault door. The robber pushed Heywood back, and one of the other robbers came to his assistance and struck Heywood on the head with his revolver. The two then dragged Heywood again towards the vault, cursing him and telling him to open the safe, the inner door only of which was closed. At this time they drew their knives, and one of them drawing his knife across the cashier's neck, making a scratch, again ordered him to open the safe. Just at this moment Bunker attracted their attention by starting for the back door. One of them immediately fired at him, striking him in the fleshy part of the shoulder. He however, did not stop, but ran out, giving the alarm. Failing to make the brave Heywood open the safe, and hearing firing out of doors tlie robbers started out. The last one .jumping over the counter, turned, and placing the muzzle of the revolver within a foot of He>w()od's head, shot him in the right temple, killing him instantly.

About the time the three robbers entered the bank, six others, three of whom advanced from opposite ends of ^lain street , commenced firing revolvers promiscuously right and left, and yelling furiously and i)i'ofanely ''(Jet out you s - of a b - !"' The first two shots they fired into Lee & Hitchcock's front windows, cutting smooth holes through the glass and tearing great holes in the shelving inside. !Most of the windows for five hundred feet on both sides of the street bore evidence of the reckless shooting. In a few moments quite a number of citizens opened fire on the robbers. A. R. Manning and Henry AVheeler shot two of the robbers dead and wounded one or two othei-s. The pe<iple were thoroughly frightened and the robbers soon left, taking with tliem their wounded.

The whole country was thoroughly aroused. Ai-ined men in this county and throughout Southern ^Minnesota guarded the highways and watched eveiw avenue of escape until most of the bandits were killed or captured Septeml)er 27th. The following account of the capture oi the Younger brothers is from the ^Innkato Review, which said : in the memorable Hght. From him we learn that the first intelligence was brought to town by Oscar Suborn, a lad about seventeen years old, son of Ole Suborn, 'who lives in Linden township. Brown county. It seems that the four robbers came to his father's house, on Thursday morning, and asked for breakfast. They were told it was not ready, but if they would wait it would be furnished them. They said that they could not wait, and got some bread and butter, went off some distance from the house and sat down to eat it. They represented themselves as a hunting party, but the family suspected them as being the robbers, and after they left, the boy took a horse from the team his father was using to haul hay, and brought the information to Madelia, four and onequarter miles distant. The location is in the vicinity of Armstrong lake. Sheriff Glispin was one of the first to receive the intelligence, and within five minutes he and several others were mounted and started. Others were directed to go in other directions to intercept them In their retreat. The first sight Glispin's party had of them was at the right hand outlet of Hanska lake, six miles west of Madelia. Here Glispin called upon them to surrender, but they continued to retreat and shots were exchanged.

"A horse owned by a Norwegian in the pursuing party was wounded, and it is thought fatally. The robbers then waded a slough, Glispin and his party being mounted could not follow them, but had to go round - a distance of several miles. After crossing the slough the robbers made straight for the Watonwan river, which they struck and crossed, at the bend, six miles west of Madelia, and near the house of Andrew Anderson. Glispin and party crossed about a mile east and got in front of them. They saw the robbers, and drove them back into the brush of willows and plum trees lining the bank in that vicinity. By this time horsemen and teams from town and elsewhere began to arrive, and there were probably fifty persons occupying the bluffs. Here the horsemen were dismounted, and recruits called for to charge the brush. Only seven persons responded: James Glispin, sheriff; Ben. Rice, son of the ex-senator, of St. James; Capt. W. W. Murphy of Madelia; Geo. Bradford, Clias. Pomeroy, jr., T. L. Vought, of Flander's House; and Jas. Severson, clerk in Yates' store. Others were called for but they refused to respond, and the gallant little band of seven, charged the robbers, passing through the thick brush in a northerly direction until striking the river, when they deployed as skirmishers, their line being formed about five feet apart. Then moving westward, up the river, after going about fifteen rods, they ran upon the four men, secreted in thick willows. Glispin was on the extreme right of the line, advancing in an open path, and being seen by the robbers, a shot was fired at him, which he dodged by falling on his knee, at the same time returning a well-directed shot from his carbine. Seeing Glispin fall. Murphy next at hand, supposed him to be shot and he opened fire with his revolver, the rest of the party following suit in rapid succession. Glispin kept up a rapid fire and Murphy having exhausted the six chambers of his revolver, Glispin handed his revolver to Murphy, the party steadily advanced sending volley after volley at the robbers. All stood up manfully, not flinching, but each and every one doing his whole duty. In the hottest of the fray assistance was called for from those in the rear, but no one responded. Then the order to charge was given. The man who seemed in advance of the robbers was hit, ran two rods in a cornering direction from the attacking party and fell mortally wounded. Cole Younger and his brother were seen to fall and were heard groaning, and the other brother, wounded at Northfield, stepped out of the brush, saying 'Don't fire any more, we are all shot to pieces.' The pursuers ordered him to hold up his hands, which he did, and fearing that it was a plan to decoy them, Glispin told his men to take aim at the man, and then commanded him to advance and deliver his pistol to Murphy, which he did. The firing ceased, and Glispin's men advancing, found one man dead, and Cole Younger and his brother lying together on the ground badly wounded."

Two of the sang, supposed to l)e the James brothers, left the other murderers and escaped to Dakota on stolen horses. As often as their horses tired out they would turn the tired ones loose and steal others. The two were never captured. The captured ones plead guilty, thereby under a peculiar statute, escaping hanging. They were sent to state's prison for life. One of the brothers died in prison, a second committed suicide after being paroled, and Cole, the worst of the brothers, has been pardoned - to the everlasting disgrace of the state.

"The three Missouri bandits and cutthroats - Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger - made their last appearance in St. Paul yesterday. At least it is hoped that we may never look upon their ugly mugs again. Sheriff Barton, of Rice county, assisted by his son and J. H. Passon and Thomas Lloyd, accompanied the convicted scoundrels to the state prison, where they have been sentenced to remain for life. * * * Three vulgar and brutal ruffians, every one of whom richly deserves a gibbet, have passed from their reception rooms at Faribault, - where they have been flattered and pampered for weeks, (by the foolish,) and where they have received their visitors with a benignity and patronage that was something royal in its style - to the penitentiary in Stillwater. Now let the warden of the prison see that they are kept there. The legislature of Minnesota has given these wretches their miserable lives - and it is hoped that an insecure prison will not give them their liberty also."

The Fall Election

P. C. Bailey, state senator ; Anthony Sampson and Fenton Keenan, representatives; Edgar Cronkhite, auditor; C. G. Parke, court commissioner; H. K. Stearns and R. 0. Craig, county commissioners.

Railroad Bonus

The year closed with an election in Woodville and Waseca in which the people decided by a vote of 266 to 51 to issue the bonds of the town in the sum of $30,000 to aid in the construction of the M. & St. L. railway, the bonds to be issued upon the completion of the road.

Wright, C. A. Wert, Lindsay Wallroff, H. H. Wert, A. Wolf, W. R. Wolter, L. H. Walter, A. O. Wheelock, Wm. Wobschall, G. E. Werner, Michael Washotten, Rev.