Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-10-11
What a Minnesota Man Endured In
Arkansas.


Arkansas.
A few years ago there lived in Olmsted
County, Mimi, few miles from st.
Charles, and sixteen miles from Rochester,
family of farmers-not rich, but keep.
ing comfortable and happy. They had
several children, and, thinking to i'm.
prove their condition, moved once to
Wisconsin, then back again, and finally
to Goodhue County. The increasing
wants of the family, and the poor health
of the mother, finally led them to think Of
a home in the South, where they believed
they could more easily make money.
They had read Of KuKlux, and, perhaps,
had some vague idea that wrong had been
done in some parts of the South by
ruffisn bands, but did not realize that it
was possible that there were parts of the
country where the law failed to protect
its citizens Last December they moved
to Woodruff County, Ark, about ten
miles from Augusta CitySand took about
twenty acres of land to plant cotton on
halves. 1t was rough looking country,
and the people had strange, sallow look
to fresh Northerners. The farm house"
consisted of log shanty, not fitted close
ly, but with logs only sufficiently hewn
at the ends to make them lie straight.
The wide gaps were filled or covered with
boards or " shakes" and, in one of the
"homes" of that thrifty county the family
were installed, and the cultivation of
the cotton began. The ground was pre-
pared, the seed put in, and all was doing
well, except as "the chills and shakes"
ratified the bones of one after another of
the family. Meanwhile the politics of the
country had not much engaged the atten-
| ton of the busy family, but the unfriend-
ly glances and observations of the South
erners toward their Northern neighbors
could not pass unnoticed. Reports would
come of murders by masked assassins,
but little was really thought of it. One
| day, however, a story of deed of blood
came to them, which not only Mortified
them, but caused them some personal un-
| easiness. A few miles away the negroes
had built a small church, and, as they as
sembled to hold services therein for the
| first time, large band of masked men
| rode up and shot fourteen of them dead,
and burned the house; following up the
outrage soon after by the murder of seven
more negroes in the vicinity. The excite
ment of the political campaign began to
! appear, and it soon became evident that
no Northern man was to be allowed to
vote for Grant.
"We've got things fixed in Augusta
! City, by-r' was one characteristic ex-
clamation overheard, followed by 'If any
man votes for Grant there, he'll wade to
his ankles in blood for it!'
Charlie Smith belonged to Cayuga
Lake, N. Y, and went down to Arkansas
to seek his fortune. He was North
| erner, and was hated, and quarrel was
picked with him on some trivial point,
I'll. L.. 1nA 1afl
dough-face," etc.
"But you had enough of us in the
war" said Smith.
"Wait till Greeley's elected, and well
fight and whip you yeti We're a nation
by ourselves, we are, and II whip you
iyet," was answered.
7 Smith replied, amid scowls, "We fol
lowed you through the swamps once, and
can do it again" and turned away. An
old negro who had overheard went in the
evening to caution Smith, and warn him
of the danger of such talk-but could
not find him, then or ever after.
About this time the head of the family
was taken down with the prevailing
chiils, and, with several of the children,
was lying i'll, and the feeble wife had the
care Of them all. Her constant anxiety
was increased by the appearance one
evening Of man, masked in Ku-Klux
uniform, who looked into the dwelling
and rode eff. A faithful negro warned
them that it had been determined that
"the next raid would finish that North
erner" and that it had been declared OF
him, He'll never live to vote
Alone with sick family, watching
night after night, not daring to keep
candle lighted, with bunch of matches
| Il foh1 10 Eerhf ybar
obliged to administer the medicine, and
beside it a watch and revolver, the wife
watched night after night In the day
time, she, with such of the children a>
could, would go out and try to hoe in the
cotton field, often so weak that she would
sit down and reach out her hoe to work
One day the owner came along, and look
ing at her children, exclaimed, roughly
II wish | had control of them, I'd put
'em through in five daysw 1t was lucky
for the man that he was mounted, for thu
hoe in the hands of the exasperated, Amos
tcraZed mother might otherwise have dc M
him damage. She had augeT holes made
in the door, and one of the "shakes" slit
aside that she might see out in the night
The auger holes were for other purposes
for she calculated on at least six shot
before they could come in and take the
husband. 1t was lonely, fearful watcl
she kept. of on Cash River swamps
not far away, were the fearful remnant
of the Ku-KluX raiding of four year
ago, where, when the river wa
/: low, siX.mile ride would dis
close three hundred skeletons o
whites and negroes, chased hither ant
murdered, no one daring bury such o
the dead as they found. Within half {
4 r. fl.ne ctr, Ia
, grim reminder of the horrors of murder
and day by day, as she learned by ne
Fgroes arms and ammunition arrived 10
J those who were bound to Elk things" 70
election, aud who had declared that he
husband should not live to vote. 1t wa
too much and could not last, and the
concluded to strike once more for thei
, Northern homes. They could get no pa
I for work ON the cotton crop, unless the
/. stayed to make it. They got some one I
: take them to Augusta City, leaving neal
2 ly all they had behind, being told that
/, was useless to send for it, and that the
wsre lucky to escape with their family
At last they reached Minnesota, and cam
! a day or two ago to st. Paul, where the
now are. Their name could be given
! any one wants to substantiate these fact
S but because they are well known in th
+ State, from motives OF delicacy, Ill
c mother would rather withhold it for I'll
present. A card in another column frol
n The City Missionary, in regard TO the cas-
4 may prove interesting. st Pau (-htRR
e Press
I THE mixing iron scraps, filings, or drl
n ling chips from machine shops, in Il
Is soil about the roots of pear trees, is b
4 coming general with some of our be
Il fruit growers. The health%and produ
u tiveness of the trees are greatly promote
!, thereby. Pieces of iron hoop, old scythe
4 and other useless bits Of iron have lor