Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1874-09-17

VOL. Z6, NUMBEk 70.
had . pattern farm at Agency. and they gave farm
to each Indian chief wherever he might locate it,
Appanoose had his farm right here, within the cor
porate limits of your city. He asked for implements
70 till it. and the government gave them, but he
farming the more they disliked it. 1t reminds me
of the timesswe had in Arkansas when We had to
construct it, in 1865 Bro. Rice, very good talker,
went up into . country where the settlers were fa-
nous for hunting game. He told them of the advan-
tages of reconstructi0n-advised them to vote for
recon sruction, and then railroads would be soon put
through the country, the forests would be cleared,
and the farmers would be enjoying the advantages
old fellow with q 'coon-skin cap on came forward
in the crowd and called out: Mr.. Rice, Mr.. Rice
I'm agn all sich they aciA drive The game all out OF
was with the Indians were agin all sich they
were afraid it would drive the game all out of the
country to 60 to farming. So, Appanoose let his
farm out 70 Brother Sam and myself was cook
Jonathan Nelson, was up here and stayed with us,
and ate some fap-jacks that had baked, and he
thought they were as good as anything he ever eat
It was then had that garment Brother Hendershott
talks about-only It was little elongated.
"There were about fifty families Of Indians here,
and the bucks had gone west, and mind pitied
the little Indian boys the way they were dressed
Thoy were dressed just like was-only they had
no slips!
"Now, l will tell You story on Judge Hendcr-
shott, as no has told one on me: George May was
very fond of poetry-you recollect George-he had
shott had = book Of poetry and rhetoric George
liked the book the Judge had very much, much bet
ter than he did his law books, and Judge Hendcr-
shott liked the law books Of George May Finally
May concluded he must have the book, and he told
Hendershott he would give him all his library for
the one book. Hendershott said he would take it,
and the trade was made. Now George May is q wan
derer without property or professional reputation,
and Judge Hendershott, who studied his law books,
is technical, correct and sound lawyer; there il
more safe attorney in the State than he.
when the town of Ottumwa was settled, the In
We gave It name some one-I think it was my father
moved to knock tho mock Off and the mock was
knocked off.
"When the government required US to mark out
day of April. was assigned to the claim Of Paris
CALDWELL and we helped each other. He and my
brother Sam and went to stake out the claims. We
sot the clock few minutes ahead, so as to be safe,
we went to work, and we had two claims marked
and two respectable cabins up against breakfast
time We had fog then in this country, so thick you
could cut II with knife, and the grass was ten or
twelve feet high. In the morning, when the fog
cleared OF, Saln saw some smoke curling up short
distance from his cabin, and he went over to see
what was the cause of it, There were good many
CLAIMS taken that night or morning, and sometimes
man in it getting breakfast! The grass grew high
he could not the cabin until he was close to it.
Sam came back, looking the worse for wear, tho
ours in the darkness after midnight There was con-
siderable trouble and difficulty among the settlers in
arranging their claims, but it all finally settled
"You are the last of the old settlers the reason is
you came here a-foot, with your OK team or horses
came here to settle and make homes. There was
no rich gold mine attractions, speculations. The
only speculations in the State of Iowa were specu-
of railroads; YOU came toips over the wild prair-
les from Indiana ONO, Pennsylvania, and Virgin-
l. AOnes and, by patient toll and industry,
mulated wealth you camo before there was . rail.
road In the State; you had all the inconvenience of
the settlement of . country without railroads But
now you go on the railroads, even to the Far West
tho North Pacific railre.d-H0o .-iias into a"mn.r~
destitute Of population. Now population follows
the)rairoads; whenyou came here railroads followed
the population after many years. You are the last
of the old settlers! Take the Indian Territory,
evcnset apart for The Indians-and there is the ST.
Louis & Galveston railroad, running clear through
the territory and two other roads plump up against
it, asking to get through!
"It requires no great amount of pluck and courage
now to emigrate to the Western country. If q man
is lazy, he can ride all the way in palace car. You
all know the hardships we endured The rising
generation think they have hard times, and perhaps
they have but it is different from those carly days
Yet we had our good times.
"ThOse fifty Indian ladies whom had the pleasure
OF seeing and being somewhat acquainted with, they
did not have any panners, Saratoga tip, or chgnons
They seemed to be happy-neither had the white
women, and yet they seemed to be happy; yet they
you though perhaps, in little different STYLE When
they went to strip the light fantastic toe they had
. floor of puncheons and a three stringed fiddle,
which made as good music for dancing asany of
your fine bands, The only trouble was when tall
man-such as Judge Hendershott-we ent into one Of
these cabins, and went to strike the "pigeon toc
his head would strike the roof of the cabin.
"My friends. am glad to meet you on this occa
sion am glad to congratulate you on your pros
perity, and the prosperity Of your city, county and
State. You have one OF the best counties in the
State and also one of the most thriving and prosper
ous cities in the country. The carly settlers of Iowa.
however, are fast passing away they will soon be
gone from among you but when they haze passed
away, they will be reckoned among the founders of
one Of the most powerful, richest, and best common
may emulate their good deeds. The succeedng gen.
GRAFTON may have more polish, more book learning,
more education but they will have bigger hearts,
no higher sense of justice and common sense-the
best kind of sense in tho world. Your children
have the best facilities in the world for obtaining
education. The State OF Iowa has money invest
ed in school houses than almost any State in the
secret of your morals and the anchor of your hopes
Sustain your schools, and you will have continued
wealth and prosperity.
favor of the candidacy of Confederate soldier
for Office, furnishes this glowing tribute:
"voters OF Caddo: love to think of the gallant
deeds done by our sOldiers-in fact everything con-
nected or associated with the good cause is dear
me. God and the angels never looked upon more
glorious spectacle than little army struggling
be free. lovo to look at my old Confederate money
(now vaueless) because 1t is dear to all it was
part and parcel of us it was our currency, and that
haowed it; it was the same money our loved Pres
idcnt received his pay, and that made it sacred
it was the same money that General Lee paid
with, and that hallowed 1t it was the same money
that the naked sentinel upon the blue cold hills Of
Virginia paid with, and that hallowed it, and it
was the money that the gallant soldiers in the
auamns and ara1les Of Touiaiana rccc;vad as M