Mower County transcript., 1891-07-01

and for the settlers in all directions. The
boiler weighed five tons and was taken
off Mississippi river steamer at Homer.
There were no roads and they had to
wind the wheels with grass cables so as
to make them wider and keep them from
sinking in the mire. In many places one
could not drive an empty wagon across
the country. The bringing of this
machinery was most trying and tedious
operation. In the boiler rode the first cat
that eyer came to the settlement.
The first winter was severe one and
two men were frozen to death in the
vicinity of Brownsdale. One of these
was Mr. Hunter of Indiana, who started
one very cold afternoon in December to
walk to High Forest. When it was
found that he did not reach his destina-
ton searching party Went out and his
frozen body was found in the edge of
Boobln's grove nine miles from Browns
dale. He had turned aside from the road
The other victim to King Boreas was
John Taylor, a Scotchman who lived
three miles southeast of Brownsville.
Mr.. Brown and others tried to pursuade
him not to put out for home in the driving
blizzard but he felt that he knew the road
and he worried about his family being
left alone aud started out for home. The
night came on and he passed within 80
rods of his house. Wandering On, his
steps grew gradually feebler and shorter,
until he sank in death near Rose Creek,
eight miles southeast. The cold was
intense and it was some DAYS before his
body was discovered. One searching
party came near getting lost in the
blizzard, as the darkness settled around
them and they could not find their way
in, Mr.. Brown was thoughtful enough
to hang lantern IN the top of very tall
tree on the extreme outskirts and this
guided them safely to the settlement.
Unfortunately for the first settlers, a
hailstorm cut off their first crop entirely.
Only those who experienced it, can know
the bitter disappointment it brought and
the hard struggle the new settlers had to
get through the succeeding winter.
Many were glad to use shorts and the
coarsest -four for bread and AlbertLea lake
furnished large amount of fish for food.
The hail storm swept over territory some
five miles wide and destroyed about
everything. AS if in compensation, a
bountiful crop rewarded the labors of the
settlers the next season. Some of the
prosperous families around Brownsville
today had not at that time sufficient to
meet their dlrest necessities. The peo.
pie in those early days were very soclable.
They were disposed to accept the situa-
ton and they visited TO and fro frequent
ly and shared with each other all which
they had. Each tried to make it pleasant
for the others and good time generally
was the result. The first school house
was located block west of the present
building. 1t was built of slabs and paid
for by subscription. Mr.. Brown helped
to organize the first school district, which
comprised the four present towns Of Red
Rock, Waltham, Sergeant and Dexter,
Two school houses in the village have
been burned. In this school house the
first religious meetings were held. At
one of them a collection of S36 was
taken up The Cedar River was always
higher than now and Mr.. Brown often
fOrded or swan it in coming to Austin
for pork and other supplies,
From that time until the opening of
the war Mr. Brown spent his winters in
the south and his summers in Brownsville.
In the spring OF 1872 he was offered a
position in the Quartermasters depart
ment to take charge of a lot of carpenters
golng g to Corinth, Miss. to build ware
houses for government supplies. He
was soon given charge of the mechanical
| department at that post. He remained
in government employ for more than {
Corinth and several small sklrmishes anC
| was captured once by the rebels, losing
his horse and what money he had. Aftel
leaving government employ he com
menced raising cotton on abandoned
! plantations and for three years was quite
successful, until the price dropped very
low after the war. At one time during
the war he had contract with the
government to gin, bale and take tt
market large lot of abandoned uninjuret
cotton on plantations in Louisiana which
had been packed since the opening O.
the war. This he successfully got out
turning it over to the treasury department
at Cincinnati, where 1t sold for $4,000
of which Mr.. Brown received one hal
according to contract. The risks at tha
time were enormous and Mr., Brow
succeeded through favoring circum
stances.
In the spring of 1867 Mr. Brow
returned to Brownsville, where he ha
since resided. He was married in St
Paul January /, 1870. to Miss Mary Z
Frink, of North Stonington, Conn, I