St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-12-04
CURRENT CHAT.

One of the prominent visitors to st. Paul
the past week has been DIR. Ii. NJ. Wheeler. of
Grand Forks. N. d. The name may not now
strike many people as being familiar. but in
1876. when the James boys and the Youngers
made their famous but fruitless and fatal
raid on Northfield the name of H. M. Wheeler
was sent forth TO the world as that of one of
the few men who had kept their nerve and
evinceddheir courage during the fight in the
streets of the beautiful little town.
,4-.y - TIT
AT that time Wheeler was a lad of twenty
two, and when tine shooting began was sit
ting opposite the First National bank. He
ran almost three blocks to secure his Win
chester, and, on reaching the steset again. at
once took all active part in the battle. 1t
was in exchanging shots with young Wheeler
that Charley Chadwick was killed. Both men
fired the, same time and Chadwick was
brought down. Though a target for many
shots from the outlaws as he stood in the
street working his gun, Wheeler was practi-
cally unframed. There were bullet holes in
bis coat and in the walls behind him. but as
the writer remembers it he did not receive
wound.
t-t
DIR. Wheeler Is naturally modest man,
and talks reservedly about the noted fight in
which he took SO prominent a part. The Of
fcials of the First National bank felt CRATE
full to Wheeler for his timely service, and in
token or their appreciation of his courageous
stand presented him with an elegant and
massive gold watch suitably inscribed, which
he has worn ever since.
TIT
Hon. William Rodger Democratic rep
resentative- elect from the Eighth ward. tells
a story which exhibits another side of DR..
Wheeler's character. It relates to an adven-
ture which occurred some years ago; and in
Dakota alone. probably. could all the circum-
stances be found just right for SO peculiar
an undertaking as Wheeler planned and
executed.
TIT
During the prevalence of billiards. in Da-
kota," says Rodger-''in the days of real,
rip-roaring, light obscuring, bowling drift
ing and generally destructive storms of snow
and Wind-Dr. Wheeler built veritable
prairie schooner. 1t was something like
forty feet long, of respectable dimensions in
other respects. and carried q large spread of
canvas. day was set for the start across
the vast snow fields. which the prairie ship
was designed to traverse, and all made taut
and ready to take advantage of the first wind
that might blow just right.
TT
Several friends of the doctor. including
men and women. were invited TO share tine
pleasure and excitement of the inland voy
age, and with store of refreshments on
board. every bold Dakota prairie sailor was
ordered to stand by, all sail was set allow and
aloft, and away went Wheeler and his jolly
crew. The ships bottom was clean as
whistle the sails were trimmed as sailor-Iike
as on Yankee clipper ship, the snow crust
was hard, slick and lmitless in extent crew
and passengers were jublant and happy
Only the sounds of the swiftly flying, bird
like prairie craft and the shrieking of the
wild, JOYOUS, ozone-laden winds through the
shrouds broke the monotony of the silver
frosty air. and for thirty miles all went
merry as st. Andrews banquet with moth
ing on the side but bonny lasses ana good
cold water.
t++t
suddenly the ship seemed to be moving
less rapidly, the wind lost it's crisp, singing
quality, the singing in the rigging was dying
away everything seemed changing in some
undefnable way. After trimming sail in an
effort to ward off the unknown danger
Skipper Wheeler and his crew began to real
ize1, that they had struck the path
OF SIMEON. Examination showed
that the ice no longer had a crust
hard enough to bear the weight of their
schooner, which was breaking through and
settling very rapidly. An effort to change the
course and regain solid path was unaval-
ing. All hands looked at each other in dis
may, the ladies' faces blanched perceptibly
and the shippers frown was black and por-
tentious. -
t++t
"a consultation was held and it was de-
cided TO scout in different directions for
farmers team to take the party TO the near
est town. When assistance arrived the
passengers were taken in wagons. while DR..
Wheeler and the crew remained behind to
care for the snow-bound ship. That so
brilliant plan should fall so flat was
staggerer to its originator, but he managed to
have the prairie schooner brought back to
Grand Forks and hasn't done anything
since. at least in that line