The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-10-11
A WAR TIME PASTOR.
Edward Eggleston the Author, an Early
Day Minnesota Minister.

Minneapolis Journal:
The announcement of the serious ill
ness of Edward Eggleston, the promi-
nent author, recalls to old settlers the
fact that Mr.. Eggleston once made his
home in Minnesota. He came here in
territorial days. hoping that the pure
air of Minnesota would benefit his
health, and that it did so his long life
bears eloquent testimony.
In 1856 Mr.. Eggletson, who is a
Methodist minister, was assigned to
the passionate Of the little Methodist
church at Traverse de..Sioux, small
town one mile from st. Peter, then the
county seat, but which has since dis
appeared from the map. The church
building in which he preached is still
standing, and is now used as slaugh-
ter house by a st. Peter butcher.
Traverse de Sioux was scarcely more
than an Indian trading post, and much
of Mr.. Eggleston's early work was
among the Indians.
E. D. Hatcher, now resident of
Minneapolis, then lived in st. Peter
and knew Mr.. Eggleston we'll.
''He was a thin, sickly looking
man., said Mr.. Hatcher this morning,
"about feet 10 inches in height, and
wore a close-cut beard. Everybody
knew him and he was very popular
His church had an audience of only
about fifty people, and to exc out his
small salary he and his father-in-law,
man named McGraw, used to run a
small soap factory. They did all the
work themselves, boiling their own
soap and selling or trading it to their
neighbors. The McGraws, 1 think,
came from Baltimore. Eggleston him
self was an caste rner. He lived in
Traverse de Sioux about three years
and then went to st. Paul. AS re-
member it, Eggleston was great
friend of Judge Flandreau and of Rev.
Moses n. Adams, a Presbyterian min
lister, both of whom now live in ST.
Paul
In addition to his passionate at Ira
verse de Sioux, Mr.. Eggleston also had
churches in st. Paul, Saltwater and
Winona. At Winona he began his
literary work, and when he resigned
his passionate there it was to go east
and devote his entire time to writing
Colonel W. w. Williams, who knew
him in Winona, tells of his introduce
ton to literary work as follows: h.
"Mr. Eggleston," said he, Twas in
charge of the Methodist church in
Winona during 1864 and 1865. His
determination to write was the direct
outgrowth of his Sunday school work
in that town. He had always liked
children, and his Sunday school was
the largest and most successful in the
city. Children loved him, and would
willingly sit for hours and listen to
his stories. He was so successful as a
story teller that when the suggestion
was made that he write few stories
for the magazines he determined to
try it. The stories were written and
published. Then he went east and
published The Hoosier Schoolmaster, ,
which created a furore.
SIN Winona he preached a sermon,
following the assassination of Presi-
dent Lincoln. that was one of the
most eloquent addresses 1 ever heard.
Everybody knew him and everybody
loved him. | remember one time
when l went from Winona to Prescott
where had bought a paper, Mr..
Eggleston went with me. We made a
trip together, and shared the same
bed in the hotel that night He was
most lovable man, and did much for
the community in which he lived. His
story, The Mystery of Metropolisville,
was written of incidents that occurred
at Red Wing, and its scenes were laid
there. After he went east he became
the editor of Appleton's Journal,
which has since suspended publica
ton. l am more sorry than l can tell
you to learn of his illness :"