The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-08-26
OLD SETTLERS.
They Talk Over the Days of the
SCaIping Knife.
A Royal Good Time Had at CORTLAND
CPiCnic Friday..=An AssOcia.
ton Formed.

The old settlers reunion at Court
land, Nicollet county, Thursday was
a decided success in every respect.
While in the early forenoon the wea-
ther looked very threatening and had
a tendency to keep many away, es-
pecially where they lived at dis
lance the bright sunshine toward
noon changed affairs entirely, and
from then Oh to one o'clock people
fiocked in from all directions, and it
is estimated that there were from
1900 to 1000 people upon the grounds
during the afternoon There were
present large number Of the old set
tiers from Brown, NicOllet and Blue
Earth counties who were here in the
exciting days of the Indian uprising
in 1862, and that they thoroughly en-
joyed the day goes without saying.
Some of them had not met for years,
and the stories they told, as they COM
pared notes of the narrow escapes
from the Indian and his tomahawk,
would have tendency to make ones
hair stand on end.
The country as you 60 west over the
C. & N. W. railroad to CORTLAND
as can be found anywhere.
Magnificent farms, dotted with COM
Portable farm houses and buildings,
stretch out in all directions. The
crop this year has been most bounti-
full one, and it is no uncommon sight
to see from sixteen to thirty or thirty
five grain stacks clustered around the
buildings of a farm. 1t was a de-
cidedly different picture that met the
eye in passing over this section, OF
prosperity. and every comfort of
modern civilization, to that witnessed
Just thirty-six years ago by the hardy
pioneers, a difference which the
younger generation can hardly rea-
lie. Now where the screech of the
locomotive is heard, there was then
no sound save the warwhoOp of the
bloodthirsty Sioux who was bent on
mission of death to the struggling
settlers along the frontier. The great
changes that the old settlers, who
gathered yesterday, have seen
wrought in the past third Of GEN.
fury are most wonderful, and far
greater then will doubtless ever be
witnessed by any generation Of men
here again.
The park at CORTLAND, where the
reunion was held, is a beautiful
place, and Mr.. Doty, it's owner, who
was instrumental in getting up the
reunion, and through whose efforts it
was made success, has been to con-
siderable expense in fitting it up in
good shape for such gatherings.
There were several stands on the
grounds which furnished ample re-
freshments of all kinds for those who
were not provided with basket, and
everything possible was done for The
comfort of those present.
Only about twenty-five or thirty
from Mankato went over on the train,
St. Peter furnished a large delega-
tion, and a large crowd came from
New Ulm. A few drove over from
this city, while from the coun-
try surrounding CORTLAND, for
many miles, there was large
turn out of people. The forenoon
was spent entirely IN social way, the
old settlers and people generally en-
Toying a most pleasant time. After
a picnic dinner, the exercises of the
day were held. 1t had been expected
that Judge G. E. Flandreau, of St.
Paul, would be present, as he had
agreed to make an address, but he was
called east last week by the death of a
brother and has not yet returned.
Henry Moll, of St. Peter, presided,
and remarks were made by DR.. Well
come, of Sleepy Eye; Judge Buck. OF
this city: Col. Pfaender, of New Ulm.
The principal address was given by
Thos. Hughes, of this city. After
the addresses, an old settlers associa-
ton for the counties of Brown, Nicol-
let and Blue Earth was formed. Col.
Pfaender, of New Ulm, was elected
president; DR.. Welcome, of Sleepy
Eye, vice president; J. G. Wise ST., of
this city, secretary, and James Doty,
of CORTLAND, treasurer. An execu-