Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-17

AsS~"S4oeS NSiC saoSiSu Su tlitS uuty.
But, not like the spies of old, they
We're kindly received and encouraged
in the object of their mission. On
reaching Fairfield, they were met
by Rev. NJ. J. Post, a Baptist minis
ter, whose duties as such had given
him knowledge Of large tract Of
country between that place and Fort
Des Moines, and he recommended to
the committee the beautiful prairie
between the Des Moines and Skunk
rivers, i'll Marion county, as favor
able site for a colony. Mr.. Post
thereupon volunteered to pilot them
to the place, and on reaching it,
they were so much pleased with the
beauty and natural resources Of the
country that they at once decided to
select two townships. NOW Lake
Prairie), and lay out town. But az
there were already a goodly number
of American settlers in the district,
/ Mr.. Scholte, who was treasurer as
we'll as president of the colony, set
about buying out as many of them as
would sell their claims, together
with such live stock and farming
utensils as he could get, that would
be indispensable to his people in
agricultural pursuits.
On their return to st. Louis, car
/ penterS and other mechanics were
sent in advance with tools and means
for procuring lumber, to erect q large
/ temporary shed for the reception of
the colonists. This she'd was put up
at what is now the western outskirts
of Pella, and was for some time oc-
cupied by large number of people,
till other temporary shelters could
/ be provided for the accommodation
of individual families. \ majority
/ Of these houses, or more properly
novels, were made Of the tough
prairie sod, walled Up over cellar
like excavations in the earth, to give
more perpendicular room, and secure
warmth in the winter. The long
prairie grasS, matched, took the
place of shingles for roofing. Many
families secured shelter in the cabins
lately occupied by those Americans
who had sold their possessions and
moved away. Mr.. Scholtc and fam
lily lived for some time in little log
cabin that had been erected as a
claim pea, by Thomas futile, long
before PelIa was thought OF, and that
happened to stand in what is now
the public square.
Many anecdotes might be related
in connection with life in the colony
at this early period, but the brevity
Of this sketch will hardly admit Of
it; besides it was intended rs biog-
raphy rather than history. We
will, however, admit one or two. 1t
can hardly be supposed that the
| grass roofs of those sod houses would
( be proof against the heavy rains that
sometimes descend in this country;
/ besides, during rainy season, tie
earth would be soaked with water.
Thus dripping from above and ooz-
ing up from below, not unfrequcntly
these semi-subtcrranean dwellings
would half fill with water during
night, compelling the occupants to
bail it out or seek higher quarters.
On one occasion, during the night,
an OK that happened to be grazing
near one Of these dwellings, finding
the grass rather short. evidently
mistook the grass roof for n hay
stack, and event for it," After
eating some of it, he got upon it with
his fore feet, probably in search Of q
better quality Of provender, as cattle
will do, when the structure gave way
10 his weight, and plunged him head
foremost into the apartment.beloW,
to the great terror of not only the
beast himself, but Of the inmates OF
the room, who must have been sleep
ing soundly till the crash awakened
them. Fortunately, however, none
were injured, and the frightened OK
made his way out of the pit by the
most practicable route, which must
have been the door, and went his
way, probably resolving, in his OK
mind, never to put his foot in it
again. In those days snakes were
numerous, and would often intrude
themselves into those earthly habita-
tons to the great annoyance OF the
people, attracted, probably, by the
warmth above the roof; when the
weather was a little cool, they would
crawl through it and fall into the
room. Frequently an ugly reptile