Weekly Minnesotian and times., 1860-03-10
One OF ghe Pioneers.

Tom Holmes Of the far west--no town or
State in particuar-is one OF the pioneers.
Decidedly he Is one Of them. Tom has faced
more wild lands, fever and ague, and Indians,
than almost any man now on the borders OF
civilization towards the setting sun, and still
westward the course Of his empire takes it's
way. When the writer saw Thomas in
Shakopee, Minnesota, in the fall Of 1854, he
had never seen n railroad car or a Telegraph
wire in his lfe He has since paid visit to
Chicago, IA city which he laid out aud pre-
empted when there was nobody in Chicago
except Tom Holmes and the Fever and Ague,
and he describes his first ride in a railroad
car, from the Mississippi across Illinois, two
years ago, as having been fearful experience.
Tom says that "the tarnal thing skittered
along 50 fast that he was skeecod," and he
didn't care to deny it. He sat with his legs
drawn up under the seat, and his trepidatiop
was so apparent that he attracted the attcn-
ton Of all the passengers in the car Tom
says he had rather met three hundred In
iians iull Of whiskey, than ride in one Of
them swift sliding concerns
Tom was the original settler Of Chicago,
where be pre-empted a tract of land and laid
out town--an easy thing to do in tho West
He then laid out GAINESVILLE, Wisconsin, aud
be with two or three others, laid cut the city
Of Milwaukee. The RAPID growth, and pres
ent size and importance OF these places. attest
the Judgment Of this pioneer in locating towns
After all these towns had been started. Tom
went up into the country Of the Wmnehago
Indians on q trading tour, for be has been q
veteran Indian trader. He had not seen his
property in Chicago for SIX years, when one
day gentleman arrived At the trading post
where he was stopping, an entered into con-
versation with him. The stranger was well
dressed, wearing br0adclo,h and 'JiIe1
shirt.' as Tom is went TO call that garment.
when it is composed Of white cotton or linen
material. The gentleman asked Tom if be
was not the owner Of some land at Chicago,
and what he would take for It? Tom didn' t
exactly know. What would the gentleman
give? The gentleman was about to build
some mills at that point, and as it happened
that Toms land lay right on the spot where
he would like to build he was disposed to Of
fer him more than the real value Of the pro-
pecty--hc woGid give him six thousand dol.
| lars.
Tom pricked up his ears and set up VIC.
lent thinking. If the stranger had offered
; three thousand dollars he would have snapped
| at it Immediately. But so large an offer led
him to suspect that there had been something
going on down there in Chicago that ne was
not aware OF to raise the price Of mud. Tom
therefore hesitated, told the stranger he hadn't
seen the property for six years guessed he d
60 down and take look at it. Stranger said
he had but little time TO wait--nust start for
home that same afternoon, and would give
Tom one hoar TO make up his mind. The pi-
oneer "chawed iobacker" an hour, and told
! the stranger, who wore billed Shirt" that
no might have the land for ten thousand dol
iars. Stranger drew his pocket book with
amazing alacrity ard paid the amount. Tom
afterwards ascertained that the land even at
that time was worth one hundred thousand
dollars, aud he had been picked up as a
flat"
Tom Holmes assisted in laying out and de-
veloping the tlourishing town of Shakopeo. on
the Minnesota river, about thirty miles from
St. Paul, but civilization begins to bore him,
and he is now purchasing cattle and an outfit
for great stock farm at Buffalo City, three
hundred miles northwest of ST. Paul. Such
pioneers as Holmes are the men who open up
/ new regions TO the productive industry Of the
world.-Boston Herald.