The Republican journal., 1888-01-12
A Ramble in Minnesota.

SIpN lllS pros
FANNIE 3. WARD.
A Ramble in Minnesota.
| wiNoNA TO BEAVER VILLAGE on a RECRUIT
ING TRIP.
Nine O'Clock Z. NJ. of a hot close lay came,
and tired, faint and dizzy. | closed the big ledger
and was told that if | did not wish to do 80,
| we would not work the next evening. was
glad to hea. that and then and tcre made up
my mind to 90 into the country, and asked my
employer if could yet something to eat if
should happen out to his farm. He said that
| could have some milk to drink. and the
answer suited me.
Saturday morning | ti>hed blue tAunc
shirt from the depths of my trunk. put it on,
buttoned OH my belt of cartridges, took my
gun and made for the first train. About fifteen
miles up the road is Minnesota and stop OF.
Here the bluff Is very high ana close to the
river. which gives deep water, they built a
| town; but such a town. The railroad runs
close to the river, and the bluff had to be dug
away to make room for Il small depot building.
from which you go up stairs to the village
street. Alon. this street the village stra@gies
| for about "A mile. the houses on the upper side
mostly reached by stairs. and the buti rising
hundreds of feet seeming almost perpendicular.
| above them. This is quite Il point for shipping
wheat and also contains a Touring mill. and
thus gets quite a farmer trade, which together
with the river fishing and rafting gives the
town a chance to live.
| stop a while at the Post Office talking with
one of my old pupils and then take a ''tie pass
three miles up the railroad to Weaver. This
is little town with hotel. church. a store
and several saloons. But | want that milk and
so 90 out about half a mile and come to the
aforementioned farm out behind the house
is young woman picking UP wood in her
apron. | tell her where ! am from and mem
ton the milk question: 1t is past noeli and the
men have been in to dinner and returned to
their work in the field. She laughs and calls
girl TO get me some milk, saying &C the same
time that she will get me some GiuNer. That
milk tasted the best of any have had for !.
long time and | drank my ill.
1t looks familiar to ine here because the
owneri is an eastern man and has the house and
barns in something like eastern style After
going into the fields and watching the self
binder cut oats a while, | go down to the
village and visit the creamery where at times
they make about half a ton of butter per day.
The churning is done by steam. in two rhurns,
each capable of holding two hundred gallons
OF cream. Next visit one Of my old pupils.
a book keeper III the store, leave some circulars.
and go back to the farm for supper. There
are twenty-five COWS OH the farm and the
butter from them is made there and the milk
fed calves and hogs. After watching them at
milking awhile. | shoulder my gun and start
on my tramp again.
About three miles ahead live, a family OF
whom have heard, and in which are two boys
that | wish to induce to attend the Business
College. l know they have heard Of me and
think they will allow me to stop for Tie night.
1t is Il lonely road but | think / can make the
al before lt | loo n 10y
the side Of bluffs. through growthS Of scrub
oak, until the road divides and do not know
which way to go but choose the right as the
tracks are fresh. A while longer and think
| must have taken the wrong road At length
away ahead is something that LOOKS like house.
must inquire there, though perhaps cannot
make myself understood as it is likely to be
occupied by some Norwegian. Ii is los, hut,
low and dirty and as | near the entrance out
comes a 'yaller' dog with rounded back and
brlst!ing tail, followed by woman, with dish
rag in hand. all making racket and scattering
hens. chickens and cats. Imagine my surprise
to hear her speak in good plain English. She
tells me | must 80 up beyond that point of
woods, turn to the left 90 down over the blul,
and there shall find the main road again.
l asked her if it We're not lonesome living
there. She said NO." but it was an uncommon
thing to see stranger and found she wanted
to talk and ask me great MANY questions: but
l must be moving, started along though her
could make me hear. And so left her with
the dogs. chickens, silence and solitude. Some
where in the distance is the whistle Of a quail
calling "mOre 1ret'',. this and this only, to dis
turb the stiffness.
What place in which to live, On tramp
through the weeds and over the bluff where it
is SO steep can scarcely keep my footing. No
rattlesnakes disturb me, and find the road all
right, and soon the house. l tell the owner
who | am and he says ! may stay all night
although they have company and lot of hired
men, about twenty in all, but will give Inc
chance to sleep on the lounge. This man,
though one of those rough fellows who glory
in the fact that he never combs his hair. is full
of talk and information and soon has Inc down
cellar to see his picked caulibower, &c.
In the morning he takes me through fourteen
acres of celery and caulif1oWer and many acres
of horseradish. Then l go with one of the
boys out into the meadows where the men are
putting up hay. Though level and smooth this
land has never been plowed and timothy grows
two to three tons to the acre and some years
they put up three hundred tons
Reader. if you were here, how you would
puzzle yourself TO know where the farm is, for
only few acres of cleared land are in 81 ight.
The house is in little valley which is here
very narrow but widens farther down, and we
find the meadows which cannot be seen from
the house by reason of the scrub oaks that
grow SO thickly that the buildings cannot be
seen until one is close to them. The house is
built of brick but poorly finished, log hovel
does for stable, another of logs for the
granary. &c. Where is the barn: Well the
yard is in front of the bluff and close to the
bluff are some poles put up and covered with
old hay. That is the barn and there the cattle
are wintcred. Is it a wonder that thev have
poor stock i'll Minnesota!
But this Sunday forenoon is wearing away
and l must bid good bye to these pleasant
people. So soon they seem like old friends.
How different from city people! Again on the
sandy road, under the tall walnuts and scrub
oaks covered with wild grape vines, close un-
der the bluffs, then on the banks of the now
muddy Whitewater Creek, on for nearly three
miles and then the valley Widens as Beaver and
other creeks come into the Whitewater. The
valley resembles a plain surrounded by high
bluffs; very different from Eastern valleys, as
here they retain their tlatness until they begin
to rise when they make business Of it and 90
up suddenly. Here the bluffs are more fertile
than in many places and have considerable tim
ber growth on them, and yet are frequently
wild and scraggy, the home of wolves. gophers
and rattlesnakes.
Now for Beaver village. My stopping place
is near the church and Imust hurry on for they
are coming out from service and it would never
do for them to see me with gun on my shoul.
der on Sunday. hasten to put it away, wash
my hands and face and when some of the girls
and boys, the minister and others, come to
speak to me am as meek as any Sunday School
scholar among them. Every body is friendly
and l am acquainted with many Of them SO
soon am at my ease. There stayed until the
next Sunday spending my time much in the
open air hunting and fishing with the boys, un-
til l am losing my dizziness and paieness.
Jumping the brooks, tramping through the
woods, chasing the calves and pigs. talking
with free country people has done me good.
But work Is awaiting me in Winona; so after
going to Injecting" at the little church they
furnish a team to take me to Minnesota, and at
615 that evening I am back at Winona and
people asking where have been; they thought
me lost, &c.
gained several pounds in weight and only
wish could have made longer stay.
TOM nvEE