The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-10

Win some work, probably hog killing as
he had a butcher knife in his belt, be-
{, came belated and it grew quite dark
Coming down hollow ravine, feeling his
way along lonely path partly disting-
ushable by a dark line from the snow
on the sides which was about three feet
deep, he suddenly saw large shadow in
front of him. He could distinguish two
large fire balls glaring at him. His cap
began to rise and perspiration started;
what to do was the question. To leave
the path and go around was impossible;
to turn back he dare not for fear the
creature would leap upon him. The only
thing left to do was to 60 ahead and try
a bluff, so with the right hand drawing
and fiourishing his knife and the left
grabbing dry twig near by he sprang
!. forward with as loud shout as he could
give. The animal either a large timber
wolf or bear turned in its tracks and
slowly started back This encouraged
our man and he kept up the scene until
finally the animal turned aside and dis
appeared. The road now clear, our Ger
man friend wasted no time in reaching
home. At another time the same party
while on his way to a neighbors carrying
gun in climbing over and stepping
doxy-r, in ho faIf canoof HI nor
grab his boot and instantly made jump.
In so doing the thing would strike the
other foot and nearly trip him up. Now
running, now jumping and the reptile
holding fast for at least several rods,
, dropping the gun in the meantime and
I, finally being relieved of the weight from
the boot, the man stopped and returned
to get his gun. There close beside it
rolled up in a heap its head above
the center as though protecting that GER
tain property he saw about the biggest
rattlesnake that ever lived. Taking a
long pole and carefully circling the OBJ
ject in question which was following his
movements, head erect and ready to
spring at any moment he dealt the mon
ster a sudden blow killing it. The rep
tile measured within a few inches of six
feet in length.
Those people though surrounded by
hardships lived in harmony and to
change the monotony often came togeth-
+, er in pleasant gatherings to exchange
thoughts and experience. Sometimes
excitement was stirred when a shrill
whistle would be heard several miles
down the Minnesota. A boat is coming,
would be the cry, boat! The team
hitched, all hands would drive to town.
A relative or friend; at any rate some
new settler would arrive. 1t was on
such occasions that the spirits of our
pioneers would again be strengthened
and they would return to their humble
dwellings with renewed courage. In a
! few years they began to raise something
for the markets. Some could live off the
receipts of butter and eggs and many
would resort to digging ginseng, for
which there was good price paid at
that time, but it was very difficult vo-
cation to follow, hunting and working
/, all the day through tall weeds and the
pesky mosquito to fight. AS we have
seen this was at that time a wild
country and the home of the American
Indian who were then peaceable, still
they were some annoyance to the first
white settlers. They often woulda dozen
probably at a time, enter house as
!, though taking possession demand meals
and other things, soaring the occupants
by their rude behavior and many times
steal property and live stock, but the
people managed to get along the best
way possible until the outbreak of 1862.
the terrors of which are yet vivid in the
memories of all survivors. In this in
stance again the Germans distinguished
themselves by the courage they showed
by the protection of their families and
property. Nor did the terror of the
Indians discourage them; they went
right on improving and developing the
country. By this time naturally their
families had grown and they saw the ne
cesssities of educating their children. A
public school had been started, but not
satisfied with this the Germans wanted
to perpetuate their mother tongue and so
must have German school. In the
year 1868, German teacher in the per-
son of j. B. Weideman received suffi-
cient encouragement to open up private
school which was patronized by from
forty to fifty scholars, some of them
walking in regularly from four to five
miles and home again at night, task
which it would be outrageous to ask
from children of eight to twelve years of
age to do now days. But in few years,
nearly all being of religious mind and
having the spiritual welfare of their off,
spring at heart the Catholics secured a
school of their own and soon after the
Lutherans had their own teacher. The
sisters of Notre Dame established at
Mankato parochial school. teaching both