The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1865-04-26
Fur Company Returned,

Fur Company Returned.
Hank" Powers, Humphrey Lampson
and Capt. Morrill, have returned alive, from
the exploration of the Spirit Lake country.
They sol good supply Of Furs at fair
prices. We have had conversation with
"Humph." about the trip and its incidents;
If it were possible to transfer to type all the
curiosities both individual and geographical
they met with, the story would be better
than a N. Y. Ledger yarn.
SPIRIT LAKE is IA miles from the Des
Moines river and near the Iowa and NJ n
nesota line, in Dickinson county. The
county is sparsely inhabited, and livings
are made entirely by trapping, the country
Astounding in lakes, wet lands, beavers.
micks, foxes, muskrats and other things
too numerous to mention. 1t will be re-
membered as the point where the Indians,
some years hence murdered the settlers
There is no grain raised in the county, nor
will there be SO long as hunting and trap
ping yield such profit: this latter invasion
Of Indian rights leads to hostility from, the
savages, and to keep our "noble" yellow
brothers quiet, small number Of soldiers
are quartered there. At present there is
portion Of Co. G, 9th Iowa Cavalry, on
guard there, commanded by Capt. DANIEL
ErcHon and Surgecned by Doctor Will.
Jameson Oate ofJanesvillc,) two as splendid
specimens Of human geniality as ever drew
sword or sawed aleg, "Umph." grows
enthusiastic in describing their social
qualities and their gentlemanly treatment
of himself and companions. He says
they arc the "Gol dumdest" men he ever
met. ST.. ".."2 -H.- r4s'
On the l4th, news by St. Paul (fur)
express rider reached Spirit Lake that
Richmond was taken and that prices were
fat. BY good luck or good looks EUmph.
learned the fact early under the seal Of
secresy. His informant said he wanted to
sell his furs out, at that point, to the un-
inflated before the news was let loose
Lampson said he couldn't hold that kind Of
news long, and the fur merchant busted
himself to SELL About IL at night L. in
formed Capt ErcuoE, and an excited party,
with gallon or so of,s0ur milk Gin a horn y
started for the soldiers quarters. After
rousing the Orderly, and breaking the good
news to him, the "boys" were awakened
and the "ball opened" in style: round after
round of musket and revolver were fired,
and the sour milk having leaked, the COM
mand started for the village hotel. Here a
novel sight met their eyes: the residents for
mile or so round the post thought the
Indians had attacked the town, and al that
could walk or ride or run were pouring into
town to escape scal2ing! Fathers and
mothers and babies were there in admirable
and anxious confusion. Their bad appre.
tensions thus changed into the best Of
news, set them almost crazy with joy, and
such time as that little extreme borde r
colony OF citizens, soldiers and strangers
had till morning, no other equal number
Of humans ever saw.
From "Umph. 50 description Of the re
jhcing, we conclude school was out for
noon, and that the same "sour milk that
once made cousin Of his tight, flowed as
profusely as the water which Moses struck
| from the rock Whether the same effect
was produced on the party as the cousin
experienced, we are unable to learn fron
our witness, but his silence authorizes ths
inference. The spearing of wagon loads
Of fish with pitch-forks, the arrival Of mill
ions Of geese and other wIld-fowl, together
with other incidents detailed to US We hav,
not space to refer to. This summer W.
hope to see Spirit Lake and the west, ant
| report from observation. f"