The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-10
TWO A WOMEN.
Holding Down Lard Claims, with Only q
Hermit and Indians for Neighbors.

Holding Down Land Claims, with Only q
Hermit and Indians for NeighbOrs.
Minneapolis Journal
Two brave Minneapolis women and q
stout-kearted sixteen vear-Old lad all alone
in the wilderness, with no ~neighbors but an
old hermit and q rum-frenzIed band of
ghost-dancing Chippewas-that was the
rather unusual state of affairs which DIR. j.
across III his latest wanderings through the
wilds of northern Minnesota. The women
were holding down valuable pine claims
for their husbands. and were coughing it"
IN ali that the term implies. 1t IL q wild
pine country. almost uninhabIted by man.
and Dr.. Sandberg's surprise can be imag-
ined when he found, on the further lake
shore. two Minneapolis m%atrons. one ac-
cOmpanied by her sixteen-year-Old boy.
holding down claims of 160 acres of pine
land each. The ladies are Mrs. John Z.
Whitman, of No. % Fifth street, N. E., and
Mrs. Frank Thomas, Mrs. Willman's neigh
Dor. Mr.. Whitman IS miller In the Pills
bury A mill.
Last spring the men went TO Lake Poke
CANA and staked out their claims. Not be-
ing able personally to occupy them for the
six months before . title can be- secured,
they left their wives as deputies. with
young Whitman as guardian for them. A
couple of rough shanties were hastily con-
structed. not far apart on the lake
shore, and rudely furnished. Here
the women and boy have been since spring.
IL ntI tuty III Lii tlll q III bu6
fall. DIR. Sandberg fOund an old hermit
who, until the ad :ent of the Minneapolis
people. was the only human being within a
radius of ten miles. At the hermit's house
promptly took him across the lake to his
mothers cabin. The Doctors surprise was
complete when he saw the ladies N heard
their story.
tion spend q portion of each summer on
the shore of Lake Pukegama, hunting and
fishing. All the country around the lake
formerly belonged TO them, but was bought
by the government. The Indians in real
ity have no right at the lake. but as they
had always been peaceable and quiet and
there were no white people for them to
annoy. they we're tolerated by the author
tiles. Messrs. Whitman and Thomas, it
eral weeks. building and furnish
ing the cabins and laying in
provisions. The Indians were camped
only a short distance from the ehanties,
and as long as the men were on the ground
were as friendly and agreeable as could be
desired. The night following the departure
of the men for Minneapolis, however, the
Indians inaugurated a ghost dance, and all
got gloriously drunk. In a frenzied state
they visited the two cabins. f1onrishing and
recklessly discbargIng firearms. and noti-
fed the lone women to leave within three
days or be killed. All night they kept up
their orgies near the house. and their loud
iiC cufCbu6iiJ caCCp " oQuat-
ters' eyes.
In the darkness the son put Off in a boat
and made his way first to the hermit's
house aud then to Grand Rapids, where he
told his story. The sheriff. a half-breed.
collected a posse of citizens and went to
the cabins, where they renamed fop almost
a week on guard night and day. with Win
chester rifles. The Indians. in the mean
time. had become sober. and the sight of
the armed men called them to their senses.
They humbly admitted their fault, pitt
fully begged forgiveness and faithfully
promised in the Inture. TO behave thein-
selves and not TO modest Mrs. whitman and
Mrs. Thomas. With this understanding
they were permitted TO remain and were
not ordered back to the reservation. The
Indians had a final ghost dance the night
the sheriff and his men arrived before they
knew of their arrival
Dr. Sandbergr emained'as the guest of the
Minneapolis ladies' during his two weeks
stay. and on his return was the first one to
bring news of their adventures to Mime
apolis. Their husbands. as may be lmag-
med. were horror-s Hicken. aud prepared
10 leave for Lake I\sgama at once. The