River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-15


standing army of men. the wealth of
Rothschild, and unlimited executive
ability to have carried them out, and
Teddy possessed none of these.
Teddy was the only son of a wealthy
and Strengthened old gentleman in an
eastern city; and when in the excess Of
his fun and spirits he carried his mis-
chief a little too far and became in
volved in some trouble in his college,
the wrath of his father knew no
bounds To him a spade was spade,
and college scrape a college serape
and dishonor TO himself and to his
family. In vain did Teddy plead that
it was mere frolic; in vain did the too
hasty professor try to appease the
wrath which he had called down on his
favorite pupil. The edict had gone
forth: mo more college rows to bring
disgrace upon their home. Laurence
must go to Dakota and take up claim
there
Poor boy, he wished so often that his
mother might have lived another year
to see him graduate; now he felt glad
that she had been spared the bitter dis
appointment of seeing him disgraced
and humbled, and that by his own
father; for were not the faculty more
than willing that he should return?
So with brave face but heavy
heart he babe good-by to his chums and
his hopes at the same time, and start
ed for the far west. How well he re-
membered the story of Hiawatha; he
and his mother used to read it together
when he was lad. and now he was
going himself to the land of the Da-
kotahs; did she know about it, he Won
dered.
1t was in May that he came, re-
member, and the sight of his handsome
young face did everyone good. We were
a motley crowd, we early Dakota set
tiers; there were men of all sorts-prae-
teal men, college men, unlettered men
good and kind for the most part; and
the courteous good morning." the
hearty hello the drawing 'howdy,
or the brisk Indian 'how," told a care
full observer whether the speaker was
from the east, south or west Some
had come for health, some for change
and some to make money. / myself, a
brozen-down clergyman little burdened
with worldly goods, and whose treas
ure. if any, was laid up in Heaven, had
come for all three. There were but
few women among us-the sod houses.
shanties and few comforts not warrant
ing our bringing our dear ones to share
them with us.
The most of us had preempted our
claims; that is. we pledged ourselves
to live for six months upon each quar-
ter section of land we took up; at the
end of this term we could buy the land
of the government, or by remaining
for FIVE years upon it, it would become
our property without paying other
price than the penalty of the lonesome,
dreary farm life, in a treeless country
whose summers are burning hot and
winters bitter cold: aud where ones
nearest neighbor lives mile away
/ think after the first few weeks
most of us planned to pay for our land
at the end of six months.
Teddy Andrews took up his claim in
Nav. Part of his land was covered by
one end of a little lake, whose exist
enee was not recognized by the govern
ment survey of some years before;
hence it had sprung-up-in-the-night
sort of reputation of which Teddy was
very proud. This lake had been bor-
dered by a thin fringe of timber, but,
seeming sort of public property, the
trees had, with one solitary exception,
been cut down and carried away. This
being the only one for miles around,