The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-07-09
RI0NEERs M TU WEST.

PIONEERS m TU WEST.
1noadsnts Of xa1e In 1llaaoas 1sarly Halt
= Century Ago.
From tho Newburyport (Mass. Herald
Henry G. Little and wife Of Grlnnell,
TO-, lately paid short visit to heorig-
inal home of his family in Newbury.
They are q well.preserved couple Of
three-score and ten years, whose lives
have not been essentially 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 a 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 a company most of
whom were from Connecticut, and emil
grated to Illinois. They settled IN
Henry County and formed township,
and remembering from whence they
came, gave it the name of Wethersfield.
No other 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 he 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. II
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 81. SO per hundred weight.
Mr.. Little told humorous story Of
his efforts to get himself PAIR of trou-
sers and coat. He first shot 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 trade, and the coat changed
owners. Thus they lived gradually,
but steadily lettering their condition,
us settlers in numbers, and
after q while, q county organization
was formed, and all the paraphernalia
of courts, officers, etc., was maintained.
For two of these years, MIR. Little was
chosen to the Office of sheriff, and this
included the collection of the state and
county taxes, amounting to about $780,.
600 all paid in coin. For the perform.
ance of these duties his accommoda-
tions would hardly satisfy Mr.
Sheriff Herrick or Collector Jenkins
of Essex. There was not 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, ot
$4,000 or more, and go to one of these
M en- and ask him to take care of it for
him, not daring to take a receipt lest II
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 q friend to take charge of g
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,
aud 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
II 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.