The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-02-26

"ulCu UuC ldl Oiu SSOoiSlc "hN
their families engaged in at Union
hall last night was one Of the pleas
ATTEST social events of the winter.
The attendance was greater than had
been counted on, for nearly 25O people
were on hand. 1t is now nearly forty
years since Minnesota threw aside her
territorial garments and assumed the
garb and pride of statehood. Those
who had then reached their majority
are now whitened by the SHOWS or
time, but their descendants are of all
ages. and every decade Of life was rep
resented last night. The early pl0-
neerS were a staunch race, who did
two mems work in day and often
slept with mother earth as pillow
and the vaulted blue above for cell
ing. They underwent hardships that
only men of iron constitutions could
stand, and their native vigor still re-
sides within them. The sprightly
step, ruddy complexion and bouyant
spirits blend with the gray hairs in
them, as was splainly apparent last
night.
President Shoemaker called the
meeting to order and presided while
the set program was being rendered.
Miss Goodwin gave an excellent
piano solo, Clement Schroeder sang
several solos in his most pleasing
manner, with Mrs Grace Fox as &C
companiest, and Mrs. H. P. Christen-
sen sang a delightful solo, accom-
panied by Miss Carrie Christensen.
Mr.. Shoemaker announced that
several papers had been prepared, but
there was only time to have the
shortest read. He called upon VIM.
H. Shepard.
Mr.. Shepard's paper opened with
brief biography of his early life, and
told of his coming to Minnesota
in 1856 and to Mankato in
1857. He had reached Mankato by
boat June 18th, gone on to South
Bend, which was thought to be the
coming city, and thence to Vernon
Center and Garden City, at each of
which places he was impOrtuned to
buy lots. On his return to Mankato
he had noticed some curious things in
the trees on Pidgeon, hill, which he
ascertained were Indian graves. He
and others invested in boat, which
bad a short and inglorious career. The
lakes and rivers were well supplied
with fish, and in few moments near
the mouth of the Blue Earth he had
one day caught two muscollonge
weighing twenty pounds each and one
weighing thirty pounds. Rattle
snakes were plenty, especially in the
timber, although it was said that
none were ever seen south of the Blue
Earth river. There was much un-
certainty as TO the title of lots in
Mankato in the early day, as there
were rival claimants, but in 1859 a
test case was tried and decided at
Owatonna. The uncertainty retarded
the growth of the city for many years.
Mr.. Shepard related how Indians who
had adopted civilized ways were
allowed to vote, and told how it was
alleged that on one occasion score of
Indians were voted, one after another
using one suit of clothing. This was
not at MaDkatO, however.
A telegram from J. Schlingerman,
Jr., from Chicago, was read, express
ing congratulations and wishing the
party merry evening.
A poem written by JIM. La Counte,
an editor of Hartford, Wis, presented
by Il. S. Hays, of Vernon, was read by
Secretary G. A. Chapman. 1t was en-
titled 1.-THE Old Pioneers" and re-
counted the privations and pleasures
of pioneer life, and was greatly en-
joyed by all.
Judge Severance was called upon for
remarks and spoke in a reminiscent
strain. When young man he had
heard of the boundless west and OF
Minnesota He had heard of it as a
broad land, where thought was broad,
and where the men and women were
broad guaged aud broken away from
eastern conventionalities. He had
come from New England because it
was too straight-laced, and had found
the west broad guaged in almost every
respect. He had letter of intrt
duction to Judge Flandreau at Ira
verse de Sioux, and found in the room
back of his office eight or ten wolf
skins. Judge Flandreau had dead
hourse back of the house, with a
spout trained On it, through which
he shot the wolves when they came to
eat the horse at night.
Judge Severance said that he had
gone back to Henderson and stayed
there until the war broke out, and az
ter the war had come to Mankato.
He related how he had taken the