Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-09-05
Old Times.
BY II. W. GRAVES.

Your humble servant was born in
Jackson county, Iowa, near Bellview
Nov. 7th 1841. My parents during the
following winter lived in a temporary
log hut on an island In the Mississippi
river and my father cut steam boat
wood for SO cents per cord, and most of
this was paid in provisions as money
was out of the question. But 1t kept
the wolf away from the door. The log
hut spoke of had no floor but the bare
ground and chimney built of sticks
and mud.
The next year or 80 following this,
my parents located on claim on the
north fork of the Maquoketa river in
jackson county, Iowa, and farmed on q
small scale. During my parents stay
there We had considerable sickness,
myself and mother being the main VIC
Tins. The sickness of myself was of
the slow malarial fever and lasted q
number of months and came near end.
ing my life. My mothers sickness was
of long duration, and the expense Of
doctors and medicine was SO great that
have heard my father say, that it
took the only yoke of cattle he had to
pay the doctors bill. All work was
done mostly with cattle and tools were
very meager.
We lived there about eight years and
when was about7 years old an ac-
cident happened that came near cost
lug me my life. My fathers house was
close to the banks of the river and the
banks were more or less covered with
rocks and holes In them for wild ami
mails. At this time there were great
many wolves, wild cats and some lynx
and panthers. My father had been
splitting rails down on the river bottom
In the forenoon and left his coat there
VIII en- he came home to dinner. He de
cided not to go back to his work in the
afternoon and sent me after his coat.
was following wood path and
came nearly to the coat when all at
once q wild beast appeared In the road
ahead of me. realized my danger and
started to run back home and met q
large dog that my father owned coming
to meet me. We called him Boes. My
courage came to me and thought /
must obtain the coat. therefore
hissed the dog on the animal and while
they were engaged ! obtained the coat
and ran home. told my father of my
adventure and 1t put him on the alert
and few evenings after while doing
chores he noticed the dog after some
thing and followed them up and raised
the alarm to some neighbors and chas
ed the animal into holein the rocks
They built fire at the mouth of the
cave and roasted him outand shot hin
1t proved to be species of lynx.
recognized the beast next mornin s
when saw him In the wood house
My mind often runs back to that dof
and you may think 1t foolish If should
tell you that | know whore the dog I
remains are lying today.
4 My father lived in Belleview whel
the citizens arose in q body and drov
the gamblers and horse thieves ou
about the time of the Davenport mur
der. A man could not keep q fat hol
or good horse or fat cattle withou
their being stolep. No one could be con
victed because the officers all belonge'
to the outlaws and were largely In tn
majority. A man by the name Of Brow
owned hotel In Belleyiew and 1t wa
4 a rendezvous for all of this gang 0
thieves. Here the citizens met them Il
combat and when the vigilance com
mittee and citizens hppeared before tn
hotel, Brown appeared at the from
door to talk with them. The answe
was five balls pierced him. The resul
was number on both sides were kille
. and wounded, but the thieves wer
driven out and q number were take
, and tied In canoes and sent down th
river without oars. Well this is enoug
of the history o + my life In Jackso
county, Iowa.
II My father moved to Delaware count
/. In the fallof l6l6. was eight yea