Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-06-21

value for them. In fact many of the
old settlers would have found it i'm
possible to stay in this county if it
had not been for the abundance of.fur
bearing animals. Indians, when they
came around on their fall and spring
hunting expeditions, did considerable
trading with the settlers in furs.
With these meager advantages some
succeeded in raising the amount of
money necessary to prove up on their
claims, but large number, after
struggling several years, saw their
claims slip away and pass into the
hands of the great corporations.
In rather imperfect way an at
tempt has been made to give the read
err some idea as to what the early sett-
lers had to struggle against in what
was once this western wilderness.
But in spite of difficulties and OBJ
stacles, the march of these pioneers
has been triumph over the forces of
nature and the avarice of man.
This country, from a cold forbid
ding wilderness, as commonly dis
cribed in the atlas of 80 years ago,
has become famous the world over for
it's agriculture resources. The house
and the barn with its cultivated fields
has taken the place of the Indian te-
PEGS, and the cattle upon thousand
hills occupy the old pasture grounds
of the elk and bison, while the eminence
but a few generations ago adorned by
the burial scaffolds of the Indians are
now crowned by the school houses of
the country.
Too much cannot be said in honor
of those old pioneers, who led in the
advance guard of civilization which
carried the star of empires westward,
and of whom it was then said: 1--WE
hear the tread of nations yet to be:
the first low wash of waves, where
soon shall roll the human sea-
These old settlers together with the
thousands and thousands of their con-
temporaries. who settled all over these
western prairies, have taught lesson
of history in the character of their
laws. They have taught a lesson of
prudence in the sedate and organic
way in which they went about their
business. They came not as the Span
iards in search of pearls, gold and
slaves, but as land seekers and home
builders, they came bringing with
them their household gods their wives
and children. Their conquests have
been the achievements of enterprise
and industry. They have looked to
no objects beyond the conversion of
uninhabited wilds into abodcs of free
dom and civilization. Their only
arms have been the axe and plough
share. Their accommodations of wealth
which they have garnered are not the
fruits of strife and domination over a
helpless people, but were all extracted
from the earth by the unotfending
hand of labor. Their lives have been
spent in the noblest of occupations
agriculture and industry, that lies at
the foundation not only of our gov
eminent but of all civilization. You
may remember those lines, taken from
| The Deserted VILLAGE" which say:
iii fares land, to Fastening ills a
prey,
| Where wealth accumulates and men
decay.
Princes and lords may perish or may
fade,
A breath can make them as breath
has made.
But bold peasantry, their country S
pride,
When once destroyed can never be
supplied.
Over forty years has passed since
the first pioneers first turned the sod
| of the prairies of this county. In
those years we have grown to a thick
ly settled community, living under
happy and prosperous conditions. 1t
| remains for us. who are to follow in
their foot steps. to fulfill our duties as
we'll as the old pioneers have per-
formed theirs. Their memory is
| worthy of our best efforts.