The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1878-04-05
A YOUNG SKINFLINT.
A Story of. the Sioux War i'm Min.
neSOta,

A Story of the Sioux War i'm Min
neSOta.
About ten years ago, man by the
name of Elkanah Flint moved with his
family from one Of the New England
States to Hennepin county, Minnesota,
and took up land under the homestead
law.
Being unable, for some reason, to OBJ
tain a clear title to his land, lie moved
again and settled on the st Louis river,
about thirty-6Ee miles northwest of
Duluth. 1t was while at Duluth that the
writer was told the following story:
Flint's family consisted, besides his
wife and himself, of three children,
whose names were Jason, a boy of fif-
teen, a daughter, Abigail, two years
younger, and little girl but three years
old, whose name, think, was Flora.
Their first clearing was made on a
fertile wooded interval, on the right
bank of the river. About one hundred
rods back from the stream stood the
house, built Of cottonwood logs.
1t was a wet season, and their location
proved to be a damp one. From this
cause, very likely, Mrs Flint and her
little girl sickened from colds, and both
died of pneumonia. The death of the
child occurred two days after the death
of the mother.
All the care of the household thus fell
upon Abby Flint, now in her fourteenth
year, and who seems tohave been very
capable girl. Her brother, Jason, was Of
a different stamp, and rendered his
father but little help. He was attracted
by nothing but hunting and scouting
Often he brought home deer, or a
quarter of a moose, but it was with the
greatest reluctance that he sat himself to
plowing or planting.
To trap along the upper course of the
river was far more to Jasons liking than
telling trees.
He was very adroit in trading with
the Indians, parties of whom often came
to the settlers house. So sharp, indeed
were his bargains in furs with them, that
they had, within year, bestowed upon
him the nickname "Tarouth-ta- gippoo,
which / should translate literally az
young Skinfiint."
1t was not very long afterward that the
memorable troubles with the Sioux be.
gan, marked by those horrible massacres
of the settlers in the back counties Of
Iowa and Minnesota.
During the first days of June of the
year of our story, Mr. Flint sat off in his
"dug-out" boat for the then small village
of Duluth to procure some farming i'm
plements. He ordered Jason to remain
close at home, and set him hoeing in a
small piece of potatoes on small piece
of ground recently cleared and burned
over.
But Jason, whose mind was intent on
Indians, believed it necessary to make q
scouting tour across the country to &
neighboring settlement. This trip oc
CURED the first day of his fathers alb
sepce.
The next morning he set to work or
the potato patch-all the more dilligent-
ly because Mr.. Flint was expected home
II
that highland as was not very uncom
mon with him, he coaxed his sister Abby
to leave her work in the house and help
him.
Sprouts from the roots and stumps OF
the lately felled trees had come up plent-
fully among the potatoes. Abby went
ahead with bush hook, or bush bill,
and cut up the sprouts, while Jason fol
lowed and hilled up the potatoes with a
hoe.
But his eyes royed about a good deal
as he hoed, and for once, at least, those
sharp, wandering eyes of his did him
good service. CHANGING to look forward
to the end of the row, where the forest
bordered the clearing, he saw an Indian
in the act of stealing forward from be-
hind the trunk Of great maple to a
blackened pine stub, which had burned
out hollow By the recent fires, and which
stood in the outskirts of the potato
patch.
Boy though he was, Jason was at no
loss to understand the movement of the
savage. He knew that he was only
waiting there for his sister and himself
to approach nearer, when he would
probably shoot him and endeavor to take
his sister prisoner.
The distance to the pine stub was
eighteen or twenty rods, too far for the
redskins gun to shoot with certainty
Dropping his eyes Jason heed on with
apparent carelessness.
Abby had not seen the Indian, and he
dared not even whisper a warning to
her, lest she should take fright and thus
bring the savage at once upon them.
Jason's own gun, though loaded, was at
the house, which was out ofsight behind
the bushes.
With great presence of mind, Jason
said to his sister:
Don't hurry so, Abb. It's too warm
to hurry. I'm going to fetch out some
water" And setting down his hoe, he
strolled leisurely across the piece, whist
ling as he went, half expecting at every
sten tn feel bullet 4