The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-03-14

About ten years ago, q man by the
name of Elkanah Flint moved with his
family from one of the New England
States to Hennepin county, Mimi, and
took up land under the Homestead law.
Being unable, for some reason, to OBJ
tain clear title to his land, he moved
again and settled On the St. Louis river,
about thirty-five miles northwest of Du-
luth. 1t was while at Duluth that the
writer was told the following stoEy:
Flint's family consisted, beside his
wife and himself, of three children,
whose names were Jason, boy of Is, a
daughter, Abigail, two years younger,
and q little girl but 3 yeals old, whose
name, I think, was Flora.
Their first clearing was made on fer
tile wooded interval, on the right bank
of the river. About 100 rods back from
the stream stood their house, built of
cottonwood logs.
1t was 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 18th year,
and who seems to have been very Ca
pable girl Her brother Jason was Of
different stamp, and rendered his father
but little help. He was attracted by
nothing but hunting and scouting. Often
he brought home a deer, or a quarter of
moose, but it Was with the greatest re-
luctance that he set himself to blowing
or planting.
To trap along the upper course of the
river was far more to Jason's 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 Tarouch- ia gippoo,"
which [ should translate literally rs
"Young Skinfint. "
It was not very long afterward that
the memorable troubles with the Sioux
began, marked by those horrible massa-
ores 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 set off in
his "dug-out" boat for the then small
village OF Duluth, to procure some farm
ing implements. He ordered Jason to
remain close at home, and set him to
hoeing in a small field of potatoes on a
piece Of ground recently cleared and
burned over.
But Jason, whose mind was intent on
Indians, believed it necessary to make a
scouting tour across the country to a
neighboring settlement This trip oc-
cupied the first day Of his fathers alb
sence.
The next morning he set to work on
the potato patch-all the more diligently
because Mr.. Flint was expected home
that night-fnd, as was not very I'M
common 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
plentifully among the potatoes Abby
went ahead with q bush-hook, or bush
bill, and cut up the sprouts, while ia
son followed and hilled up the potatoes
with hoe.
But his eyes roved about good deal
as his 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 q
blackened pine-stub, which had been
burned out hollow by the recent fires
and which stood in the outskirts of the
potatoes.
Boy though he was, Jase was at nc
loss TO understand the movement of the
savage. He knew that he was only
waiting there for his sister and himsel
to approach nearer, when he would
probably shoot him and endeavor to take
his sister prisoner.
The distance to the pine stub wa'
eighteen or twenty rods-too far for tn,
redskins gun to shoot with certainty
Dropping his eyes, Jase hoed on will
apparent carelessness.
Abby had not seen the Indian. and h.
dared not even whisper a warning to he
lest she should take fright. and thu
bring the savage at once upon them
Jase's own gun, though loaded, was q
the house, which was out of sight be
hind the bushes
With great presence of mind, Jas
said to his sister
"Don't hurry so, Abb. It's too war;
to hurry. I'm going to fetch out som
water" And, setting down his hoe, h
strolled leisurely across the piece, whis
ling as he went, half-expecting at ever
step to feel bullet.
Getting among the bushes, he ran t
the house, and caught down his gun an
powder-horn, with the intention of NAL
lug circuit through the woods an