The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-12-22

find out, for every one of them was
trembling, teeth chattering, but they
wanted to go right inside the big
teepee. Chippewa, Chippewa, couah
nepo cog oppie," Where were the Chip
pewas? "Oh, Chippewa couah ota.do, !"
and as the spokesman said it they sent
up howl that would have made their
whereabouts known to an enemy miles
away.
They begged piteously to be allowed
to go inside the big teepee and use it as
a fort, and they wanted my father to
let them have all the guns and ammu
milton he had, and they wanted all the
white men here to help them against
the Chippewas. Of course, if the Chip
pewas were really here, there was
nothing else to do, so they were allowed
to go inside and commence to barri-
cade. A feeling of security seemed to
come over some of them, so they could
tell how they learned of the presence of
the Chippewa, They said, Omanicha.
white man by the name of HARRISON
had come to Indian lake in the morning
and told them a large party of Chippe-
was were close at hand and knew the
Dakota braves were away on the hunt.
and would soon have all their scalps
So they had left everything and fed to
the town for protection, and another
wall went up that nearly took the roof
off. AS soon as they told who had seen
the Chippewas, everyone doubted there
being any near here and so it proved,
Harrison had told them in wanton mis-
chief, knowing their defenceless condi
ton. He wanted to brighten them, but
didn't dream of such panic 1t wasn't
a very pleasant experience for any of
| US
One evening in the fall, just at sun
down, distant hello was heard across
the river. 1t was repeated again and
again. 1t brought almost the entire
population down to the rivers bank.
Answering calls were sent, but it
seemed as though whoever was over
there would never come in sight
Finally, Cohorn Hanna, Wesley Max.
field and Perrie France took the Cover.
nor German, a canoe made from an
immense cottonwood, and rowed across
the river. 1t was quite an anxious
time. No one knew what it could
mean. 1t was dense woods oyer there,
nearly night, and some one lost or hurt
In an Indian country every unusual
noise might mean danger or even death.
But not long after the boat reached the
other shore, five men came down the
bank and were quickly rowed over to
town. They were Judge Chatfield and
Mr.. Whitlock, of Mendoza, Lawyer
Brisbin, of st Paul and Lawyer Odds,
of St, Anthony. The name of the other
| has escaped me, but remember he was
a lawyer from st. Anthony. They had
come by boat, but five miles below the
boat got fast on a sand bar, so they
went ashore and walked up
Judge Chatield and Mr.. Whitlock
were known to my father. The Judge
had been opposing counsel in a suit my
father had in Wisconsin, Chatfeld
had been appointed territorial judge,
and had come here to hold a term of
court, which he, commenced in the
} in the Mankato House. That was the
first term of court here. Judge Chat
field was very enthusiastic over Mime
sofa, and he and Mr.. Whitlock went
with party of gentlemen up the Blue
: Earth to investigate some of the bluffs
about which theIndians had been telling
mysterious stories of hidden treasure.
The party was composed of the Judge,
Mr.. Whitlock, Uncle George Maxfeld,
4 George W. Cummings, Basil Moorland
and my father, Mr.. T. D. Warren, with
: three or four Indians as guides. They
were gone three days. Of course they
! didn't find any gold, but presume the
Indians had a tradition handed down
Of that luckless Frenchman who car
ried a couple of ship loads of those blue
cliffs to France, thinking it contained
gold or some other precious mineral.
One other incident of that fall will
always be remembered. When the
river became so low that boats were
} gotten here with difficulty, the cap
tain of the Clarion made the last trip
, Although he knew he might not reach
here he brought a band, which came
} ashore and paraded Front street. II
; was quite late in the evening, but
everyone, young and old, turned out
When Captain aumbertsen said,
Friends, can't come any more this
fall. l could hardly get here this
time" we all felt as though we were
taking leave of the world, and when
the boat left about midnight the band
played "Old Folks at Home" I think
everyone there experienced a most
powerful attack of inconsistencies. /
always feel sense of loss or sorrow
whenever I hear that song, and if pos