Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-05-29
uNEERs IN THE WEST.
Incidents ct Life In Illinois Nearly Halt
G3 | q Century A3o, tf$|

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Incidents cf Life In Illinois Nearly Halt
Century Ago. 4
From the Newbury port tMass. Hasald s
Henry g. Little and wife of Gnnnell,
TO-, lately paid short visit to the orig
inal home of his family in NeWbury.
They are we'll. preserved couple Of
three-score and ten years, whose lives
have not been essen TALLY different from
many Of their age Of New England
birth and parentage who have lived in
the great West. Mr.. Little was born
in New Hampshire, and, being one OF a
large family on farm, was early
thrown for support on his own resources.
Managing one way or another to
get sufficient education, he drifted to
Connecticut to teach school, and there
found his wife, and they were married
in 1886, and joined q company most Of
whom were from Connecticut, and emf
grated to Illinois. They settled IN
Henry County and formed a township,
and remembering from whence they
came, gave it the name OF .Wethersfield.
No othsr settlement was within fifteen
miles. - The rich, virgin soil Of the
prairie brought forth luxuriant crops.
Game was abundant. In short, nature
poured into their laps all her treasures
in rich abundance; yet in the greatest
plenty there was also great want, for
there was practically no market for
their crops and hence no money for
other wants. The postage OF Is cents
on every letter from home was serious
tax to meet. Some Of the company
were lovers of the weed, but dollar or
two year was more than could be af-
forded for this qualification. Tobacco
could be raised in plenty, but they
could devise no pressure to give it body
and flavor, till one day a Kentuckian
came along and told them to take the
toughest log that could be found, and
with wedges split open one end an inch
or SO wide, put in their tobacco, and then
knock out the wedges, and they thus
had press that met all their wants. 1t
may we'll be doubted whether the
late William w. Huse, of Hawkswood
fame, with all his mechanical ability
and knowledge of tobacco, could devise
anything better suited to the end de.
sired. Afterward some Of the settlers
kept cleft log, with tobacco free to all
corners, in their front yards for years.
A market for their pork was one Of the
first obtained, and by teaming it about
forty miles they obtained the great price
of so per hundred weight.
Mr.. Little told humorous story Of
his efforts to get himself pair of trou-
sers and q coat. He first shot a deer,
and then undertook to tan its hide and
finally succeeded, and himself made the
trousers. For the coat he was more
fortunate, for an Indian came along
with an extra deer skin, and they soon
made q trade, and the coat changed
owners. Thus they lived gradually,
but steadily lettering their condition,
as settlers-increased in numbers, and
after while, q county organization
was formed, and all the paraphernalia
VI NCuI oAl1OCIO, CpI.3 Woo A44GAAoAAhOtis
For two of these years, Mr.. Little was
chosen to the office of sheriff, and this
included the collection of the state and
county taxes, amounting to about $780,
900 all paid in coin. For the perform
ance of these duties his accommoda-
tons would. hardly satisfy Mr..
Sheriff Herrick or Collector Jenkins
of Essex There was not a bank or
any other place of deposit, not even a
safe, in the whole country, and he was
compelled to keep the portion due the
State until the close of the year. How
then could he safely care for so large
an amount of money? In his own graph
&c language, there were always in the
West men that he could ''tie to-" He
would take bag Of gold or silver, OF
50 900 or more, and go to one of these
men and ask him to take care of it for
him, not daring to take a receipt lest it
should be stolen and his friends there
by get into trouble; and in no case was
there ever failure to deliver the mon
ey when it was called for. One time
he asked friend to take charge Of a
bag OF gold. The friend was somewhat
nervous about taking such trust, and
said his wife could hide things better
than he could. He turnd to the wife,
and she took it and said she would keep
it as safely as possible. After some
months he called for it, and she led the
way to the tito of her log cabin, and,
taking down the family rag bag, said !:
IT put your money in this bag;;' and
putting in her hand took cut. the mon
ey safe. The farmers workmen had
slept every night IN the room, with no
idea of the value in the room.