The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-06-30
ladies were afflicted by unwelcome

ladies were afflicted by unwelcome
callers in early days:
81 remember on one occasion in
July, 1866, before we had our house
built, my mother, sister and myself
were the only ones at home. My sister
was baking pancakes for dinner,
when, before we had time to realize
what was going on we were surround
ed by at least fifty Indians, profusely
decorated with beads and paint, each
as hungry as fox hound. They never
failed to ask for something to eat, and
asked for those cakes. Our fears made
us willing to comply with their re-
quest. In their eagerness they fairly
tumbled over each other to see who
would get the most to eat Helping
themselves they snatched the cakes
from the griddle half cooked. They
ate every thing in sight, and we went
without our dinner. When they de-
parted we did not ask them to cali
again.
"The squaws proved to be the most
crafty thieves the world has ever pro-
duced. 1t would take our entire fam
lily to watch one squaw to keep her
from stealing whatever suited her
fancy. When fall came they would
take potatoes from the field, which
made il necessary to stand guard or
harvest early
Mrs. o. o. Pitcher in paper read
by her Dec. ID, 1899, writes: Zone
day we were startled by the strangest
of sounds. 1t could be likened to
nothing but herd of buffalo, with
, pack of wolves in hot pursuit 1t
wasn't many minutes before Indians,
squaws and pappooses with their
ponies and dogs on the dead run, came
pouring into town, crying and scream
q ing at the top of their voices, dogs
, bowling, bells jingling, every one ex-
hibiting the most abject terri r.
. "The old Mankato House was all en-
|" closed, but the kitchen alone was fin
:. ished, and we we're living there. The
Indians made straight for this build
ing, and begged my father to let them
. take refuge inside. From what they
. were fleeing it took some time to find
out, for every one of them was trem-
y bling; teeth chattering, but they
y wanted to go right inside tie big
10 teepee. "Chippewa, Chippewa,
i conan nepo cog oppie." Where Were
o. the Chippewas, we asked. on
) Chippewa conan ota do, and as the
10 spokesman said it they sent up how
y that would have made their whHrea-
y bouts known to an enemy miles away
eS "They begged piteouslv to be allow
L. ed to go inside the big teepee, arc
c' they wanted my father to let then
30 have all the guns and ammunition n
" had, and they wanted all the whit
- men to help them against the Chip
iis pewas. Having gone inside, a feel
~ ing of security seemed to come owe
III them, 80 they could tell how the.
al learned of the presence of the Chippe
was. "They said, Omanicha, whit
"a man by the name of Harrison, ha'
" come TO Indian Lake in the mornln!
d. and told them large party of Chip
t. pewas were close at hand, and knew
'he the Dakota braves were away on
'eo hunt and they would soon have a
ny their scaIps So they had left every
Ia, thing and fled to the town for protee
Oh ton, and another wall went up tina
nearly took the roof off. 1t proved, o
inquiry, that Harrison had told theI
this in wanton mischief, KNOWN
their defenseless condition. He wan
We ed to brighten them, but did M
,rr dream of such panic.