Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1903-12-02

oSS 6S&3 W. 6O~8Ss
McGregur to the soldiers who were
stationed at FIT. Atkinson that inter
and thew used to stop with old Rattle
Trap who lived some twelve miles
from Postviile, and here they would
get something to eat and get warm, al
their boots would often be frozen on
their feet when they got there. She
was very kind-hearted woman, and
everyone called her Rattle Trap be-
cause she was great talker, but 2
kinder-hearted soul never lived than
this woman. The winter was very
cold and the snow was unusually
deep But we all had to sit so close
together that we didn't feel the cold
so much. for mother and six children
and father made eight of us. and then
my brother-in-law and his wife and
two children all living in one room
cabin, you can judge for yourself
whether we were not pretty thick.
OF course we had to make our beds
down on the floor at night and you
could hardly walk without stepping
on some one.
/ We lived that way until February
when nv brother-in-law took claim
of his own and built q small house on
J it and started out for himself. When
he moved he took the stove. as it be-
longed to him and remember we'll of
his saying to my dear mother: What
will you do when I take the stove
away?' My mother said: Take it,.
we will get along some way. After
he took the stove father cut hole
through the logs and built chimney
and that made more room and we got
along nicely. So you see that where
there is u will there is always some
way to get along.
| In lS49 father built ON his own
claim and put in a crop. and as we
had no fence it fell to my lot to watch
the crop and / watched it all summer
long, and don't you think that one
night early in the fall some cattle
come alUng and ate up the whole crop.
l can't say that was very sorry, for to
tell the Il ath / was secretly glad. for
knew that should not have to watch
it any longer. That year the land
came into market, and remember of
father going down to Garnavillo to see
Judge Price, and of his getting up a
petition to send into the city Of Wash
ington to have the land sales postponed
for year or so, and to the great satis-
faction of the settlers. this was done.
You see that nearly. If not quite all
the settlers in our neighborhood were
only squatters. and at this particular
time but few of them could raise
money enough to enter quarter.
The extra time given enabled them to
raise a crop or two and work and get
money enough to pay for their land.
Our postoffice at this time was at
Monona. and we did all our trading at
McGregor.
Now, father became anxious to raise
money to enter this land, SO in the
fall he went down to Yellow river and
cut cedar posts and made raft and in
the spring they started down the Miss
issippi. expecting to sell the cedar
posts and slaves at or near LAGRANGE,
Mo. On tine way down father took the
cholera and died and four men who
we're along took it and thew and a
darkey boy who went also died, and
there was no one left but nv brother
and Frank Roland and they had to sell
the raft tor what they could get and
we only had $50 left when my brother
got home. He walked from McGregor
home SO as to save his money. We
had not heard one word from them
from the time they left with the raft
until my brother. came back alone and
told us Of the men all dying with the
cholera.
/ tell you those were hard times for
mother and us poor children. What
would the ladies think now to shear
the sheep and wash and pick the wool
and take it TO the carding machine.
and spun and dye and weave and cut
and make the clothing for the men.
women and children? Oh, my.
wouldn't they faint? Well, thank
God, that they have as good and easy
times as they do.
One time my brother went to mill
eighteen miles away and didn't get his
grist for some reason, and being out
of -four we had to CRATE corn to make
Johnnie cake with, and we had COM
pany, but l don't remember that
mother made any excuses. only that
the boy didn't get his grist ground.
We lived OH that kind of bread for q
week or more, but the neighbors were
very good and kind and we were
happy"