The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-05-26
PION f. r LIFE
IN THE
NORTH-W EST.
BY JENNIE JONES.

forty years ago: I'VE had chosen our
home nearly ten miles from any settle
ment, that location pleasing us best. We
did not court loneliness, but felt assured
that settlers would soon come in around
us. With the assistance Of a couple OF
men who had come with us, we soon had
up the body Of a good log house, and had
10 covered with "shakes." We had brought
a few boards with us, and with these
were laid the lower, and all Of the cham
Der floor. Then the men were obliged to
leave, and my husband accompanied them
back to the nearest town, some thirty
miles distant, in order to procure nails
and glass for the completion Of our build
ing, and to transact some other business.
hs we had only an ox-team i knew that
it would be impossible for him to return
that day. That was to be my first night
alone, but I felt that l had courage equal
10 the occasion. The day wore to a close
and night came on. 1 sat down by a
lighted lamp with my work n a book l
had already read five or six times, re-
solved not to let my courage ooze out at
my fingers ends. Just then a sound
broke upon my ear which l had not
thought Of hearing, but which l recog-
nized at once, having heard it before. 1t
was the dismal howl of a wolf. This was
answered by another, and another, until a
dozen or more had responded. 1t was
not q cheering sound, as there was not a
door or a window to our house, onlyblank-
cts hung up at the apertures. l imme-
diately thought of the chamber, and was
very thankful that our house con-
tanned that loop-hole of escape, instead Of
being built with a low, sloping roof, as
were most of. the settlers first residences.
TO this haven Of retreat l betook myself
without delay. and drawing the ladder up
after me felt secure, and sat down and
listened to their bowling as they came
nearer, then retreatcd. as If in pursuit Of
prey. But l did not greatly fear them.
as l knew they could not climb to my re-
treat. and L only suffered from Geld and
Inconvenience. having been in too much
Of u hurry to provide myself with blank
els and other necessary articles for pass.
ing the night. The next day dragged
slowly away and at night l was still alone.
and added to my loneliness was anxiety
lest some accident had befallen my hus-
band. although | had partially looked for
his absence. as Ais business was of such
a nature that he had thought it possible
that ne might be detained a day or two.
With the coming of the night the wolves
again set up their hideous bowls, this
time coming close around the house, and
again / sought the shelter of the friendly
chamber. Again night came on. and then
another, until five days had passed. before
my eyes were cheered with the sight of
an ox-team slowly drawing near over the
lonely prairies, and never was sight more
welcome. This was my first. but by no
means my last, experience of being left
alone on the prairie or in the wilderness,
for 1 have always been a pioneer"
es FRENCH
Thus far l have omitted saying any
thing of the French pioneers as they do
moi properly belong to the times / am
describing. Yet it is certain that they
were the first whites to smooth the path
Ror future civilization. They established
their Catholic missions far into the heart
of the wilderness many years before
others came to make their homes there.
These missions and their surrounding
settlements were isolated and far separ-
ated. The French and Indians inter-
married, and long before other whites
came in these settlements were so mixed
with the native tribes, and broken up, as
Il l. Iu.t out.ol. Inet o,obf oT
Hon. George W. Burrows, in an address
from which / cannot forbear quoting
largely, thus speaks of these people with
regard to the settlement Of the Chippewa
Valley. What is said of this is true Of
most parts of the Northwest.
FIRST WHITES.
"Who of white men first discovered
Chippewa Valley 1 do not care to enquire.
We may be sure it was q Frenchman of
that iron race and age that brought Sieur
Nicolet in 1888, and afterwards Father
Marquette into the deep bosom of the
continent long in advance Of any other
nationality. But whether the first en-
trance was by the way Of the Flambeau,
or the Mississippi river, is not certainly
known. Two hundred years elapsed be-
fore we find a trace of permanent occu-
pancy, and yet there are grounds for be-
lief that from near the beginning of dis
covery, traders visited, and perhaps re-
sided, among its aboriginal inhabitants.
The French had a happy faculty Of as
similation with the natives; won their
friendship; treated them justly; and.
what is even better, commanded their
respect. Whatever other conclusions
men may conn to as to the Indian tribes,
they will all agree in this: that they
were, according to their customs, gener-
Gus and brave" g
BEGINNING OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
The first real beginning Of civil author
ity here was manifest in 1921, when Gov
ernor Cass divided u present Wisconsin
into two counties, and the western por-
ton became known as Crawford.
1t was a county of pretty extensive
proportions, since IL included all territory
east ofthe Mississippi, from the forty-ninth