The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-09-11
BY Il. W. WOOLsTENCEOFT.

No. H.
There being \ slight misunderstand-
ing with the cuunty commissioners, Mr..
Harris did not qualify and Mr.. W. IL.
Brown, now Of Ful,la, was appointed in
his stead and retained the Office until
January, 1872. when he resigned and
Mr. Ii. u. HOOkStaver WAS appointed
to fill the vacancy.
During the fall of 1871 the Sioux City
& st. Paul Railway company completed
their line 10 Worthington (then called
Okalena) and i large number of settlers
arrived and We began to look forward
and to think our country had \ future
Of no mean dimensions before it. The
National Colony began to operate ut
Wortl,ington about this time, ativer-
tising extensively and employing able
correspondents. Its influence was at
once apparent. At the November elec-
tion, II. d. BOokstaver was elected
auditor; Henry j}rayton, treasurer; T..
w. Bulls, sheriff; Selem Fox, register
of deeds; VIM. HesselrOth. judge of
probate, and B. w. Wo"letencroft, sur
veyor. The township of Graham Lakes
was organized in the spring Of 1871 and
was the first township in the county; it
was closely followed. however. by In
dian Lake, the two being all that was
represented 1T the election in Novem-
ber. 1871.
The winter of 1912 was quite Sc
we're. A heavy fall Of snow in the early
part of the season blockaded the rail-
roads and it was very difficult to obtain
provisions for the settlers, many Of
whom were but poorly provided; in
fact there were times when money
would not buy provisions and the man
with money was in no better condition
than his less favored neighbor. 1t was
no uncommon thing to see children OF
all ages running barefoot during the
coolest days Of winter. A gentleman
who lived ut Graham Lakes assured us
that he had seen a boy skating on the
ice barefoot, and he seemed to enjoy
the sport; but with all their hardships
they were healthy, happy and con.
tented.
Several of the pioneers Of Worthing.
ton arrived during the fall and had the
unenviable pleasure of remaining snow
bound during the winter. Among the
number last named were G. G.. Good
now, julie GoOdnOW and II. W. Kim.
ball.
In the spring of 1872 the county-seat
was taken from Graham Lakes to W0r.
thington, or rather the county auditor
removed and took the cOunty-.e along
with him. The treasurer, too, opened
an office. and the town began to assume
proportions sufficient to warrant the
belief that it would become 4 business
centre in the near future. We remem-
Der hearing Bro. Miller, Of the Ad-
vance, ridiculed for claiming that
Worthington would some day he a city
of Importance.
In the spring Of 1878, that reverto.
| be-forgotteu plague. the grasshoppers,
made their appearance, and the country
that looked $" bright and prosperous
but Il few short days before, was wrap
ped III glo,m; immigration ceased
farmers. mechanics, merchants, every
body was discouraged 1T once. IL
time people began to hope that the
'hoppers would 60 with the summer
but they were doomed to 0isappOint.
ment, for they were worse the second
year, the third year they ate all the
crops i'll some parts of the country and
we began to think the pests woult
never leave. The fourth year. 1877, the
young graSshOpperS con. nence'l eating
the grain with All appetite that we had
good reason to know needed no ON
| couragement, hut the hopper doZ-r haf
h>en invented and millions If then
''r.0balmed" in coal tar, aud the re-
msintler took wings and flew away
leaving the crop very little worse fo
their visit that year.
We have already carried our reader!
| further into this narrative than we ii
first inteNGed. and we will leave tht
subject If the later settlement to othe
and abler hands and return to the in
cidents relating to former years.
ITO I've cOntinued.)