Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-03-02

Or. Wheat briefly related some incidents
connected with the practice, showing some
Of the difficulties in the way twenty years
ago.
6. The Legal Profession.
Judge D. b. johnson responded, saying
that no was the FIRST Attorney that ever resi-.
dcd in Austin, and gave some items Of his
early practice.
! Z. The frst Mill.
| Q. A. Truesdell said the FIRST mill in Austin
was made by the Indians. They made q sort
Of basin in the top ofan oak stump into which
they put corn and cracked it with q pestle.
! In November: 1883, himself and brother
built the FIRST water mill, and run it day and
night. Mr.. Rose brought the first sack of
wheat to that mill. The first steam mill was
built by Asa Marsh but was afterwards fitted
for grinding by J. Bourgard. In 1856, the
Speaker built furniture shop on Warmers
present mill site. and worked there until
freshet carried away his establishment.
8. The first Public School.
Response by Mrs. E. B. Crane.
A private one was organized in the Spring
Of 1856, Miss Mariah Vaughn, teacher. In
the winter Of the same year .: public school
| was opened on Water streot.
.. The removal Of tho County Seat.
OF this, Mr.. J. F. Cook gave an amusing
! account.
10. The FIRST Temperance Movement.
Mrs. R. L. kimball responded nearly as fol.
! lows:
The crusade against whisky in Austin be-
gan in the winter Of 1856. At that time not
one saloon could be found in our village, but
some of our merchants went into a general
assortment, and in the back r Dom were vari-
Gus barrels and kegs which might have been
labeled 'crooked." Feeling deeply anxious
that our young village should be built upon
o good foundation, "Julia and Imogenc"
"sisters Of Charity" determined to do some.
thing to at least check the tide Of evil that
came pouring in upon us. And so it trans
pircd that the following Resolution was circu-
lated, which was signed by 80 ladies, all but
three then in the place:
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTION.
ave, the ladies of Austin, feeling that the
evil Of intemp erance is becoming fearfully
great in our village, and knowing that if tho
poisson were not brought here, there would
be no temptation placed before our husbands,
brothers and sons, and. consequently, tho evil
would be entirely suppressed; therefore We
beg of every man who feels an interest in the
prosperity Of our town to pledge himself not
to sell the accursed drink. that we may have
prosperous village, " hich will. not be curse
to the world.
"Resolred, That We will in no way patron
ize such merchants as will not pledge them
selves not to deal in Intoxicating liquors;
that We will in no ease. unless compelled to
do so by strict necessity, buy any article of
such persons"
To this agreement twenty-cight ladies resi-
dents Of Austin subscribed their names, as
follows:
Imogcne A. Kimball, Bette N. Vandegrift,
Hatty A. Adams, Eleanor Bemis.
Hannah E. Levcrich. Sarah E. Bemis,
Jennet W. Cook, Cornelia Benson,
Julia A. Wheat, Mary Ann II. Decker,
Trephena Griffith, Amanda Adams,
Lucy L. Wheeler, Elizabeth Brown,
Mary McDaniels, Eliza A. Allen,
Eunice L. Smith, Maria NJ. Everest,
Lois Brown, Mary A. Padden,
Martha L. Sanford, Naomi NJ. Revord,
Emma Allen, Harriet Ferris,
Almeda E. Allen, Eliz. A. Mckinney,
Mary A. Conwell, Elizabeth Tubbs.
These ladies visited the business men of
the village in behalf Of temperance, and pre-
scented pledge, to which they obtained three
signatures. as follows:
PLEDGE.
1--WE, the unersigned, do solemnly pledge
ourselves not to sell or cause to be sold, any
ardent or spirituous liquors except for modi-
cal or mechanical purposes; that We will ncith-
er give the same to any persons. or keep it in
any place where persons so disposed can make
use of i: with or without our knowledge; that
We will in no way aid or assist in the traffic
of ardent or spirituous liquors."
RUFUS L. K1xBALL,
W. I. Brown,
AL0YsUls BROWN.
In case they refused to sign it land we are
sorry to say there wero two such cases) the
resolution was shown them that they might
fully understand our position. It may be
true that the second crusade was on 4 larger
scale but not more exciting, for then as now,
if you step on serpent there is . terrible
squirting.
The following summer ladies Temperance
Society was organized by Mrs. J. L. David
son which was we'll sustained, AID We have
reason to believe was the means of doing
some good.
I am glad to be able to say that have a.
ways been identified with the temperance
work in Austin, and expect while live TO-
belong to tho Army that is fighting King
Alcohol. unless everybody should sign the
the pledge or the Millennium dawns upon US.
Mrs. Belle Sherwood read . chapter Of
chronicles relating to the temperance work in
early days. .s5' ......
IL. The first Bank. >%
Hon. H. ". Page said: In early days there
two banks in Austin but they passed away
leaving but little recorded history. first
camo to Austin May 10th; 1866. In June I
began the banking business in F. Kings
store, now occupied by W. H. Anderson. The
first draft was sold July 10th. Before that,
~ Lincoln carried his Postodice in his hat, I
carried the banking Office in my pocket. With
tvo to three thousand dollars in ono pocket
and . revolver in another, the situation was
mt comfortable. Tho first deposit was re-.
ceived July 18th 1866. The first brick bust
ness house was built and occupied by me o..
tobsr LIST, Of the same year. February 18th,
1869, my business as private banker va. sold
to the First National Bank of Austin, which
bad been organised here, and which began
business that day. It's building was destroy
cd BY dre on the night Of March 5. 1869, and
tho banking house now used by that institu-
tioa vas erected and occupied about July 1se,
following. ..... III s:,-..** L..
The Mower County Bank, Of Smith, Wiki
ins = Easton, began business in the spring of
1860, and has continued in ,dourishing condi-
tio1 ever since. I cannot give the amount Of
their business and deposits. :s@st -
II. Nasons, Odd Fellows, Oranges. ~
Mr.: o.. W. somers, being uhable to attend,
sent sommunication which was read by Mr..