The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-06-17

One midnight, late in November, his
nearest neighbor, a Kentucky family
named Howard, sent their sons over
/ to tell Mr.. West that their father had
just returned from Milwaukee with a
barrel of flour, he having been in
town when schooner loaded with
flour arrived and relieved the famine
that their mother was even then bak-
ing bread, and invited him to come
over and feast. All that night Mr..
and Mrs. Howard kept open the house
while the women mixed dough and
baked short cakes on tin reflector at
the fire place, while the neighbors ate
until daylight. Flour was at that time
s25 a barrel, and money was very
scarce among the settlers. But hospi-
tality was as free as the air.
On one occasion while on a survey
ing expedition near what is now Muck
wanago, his pack pony laden with all
his supplies strayed and was stolen
by the Indians. He made his way
back to Milwaukee on foot and told
Solomon Juneau of his loss. The In
dian wife of the latter sent word to her
people, and in few days the pony
was returned, but the supplies had
been eaten. Again the loss was made
good in game and furs. In his deal
ing with the Indians Mr.. West learned
to speak the dialects of four tribes,
the Winnebagoes, Chippewas, Potta-
watomies and Menominees, the latter
tribe being his particular friends.
In December 1888, while on sur
veying expedition a few miles from
what is now Waukesha. and while
travelling on foot late at night he heard
q gun fired, and turning mile or two
out of his road came upon family of
three man, woman and child in a
sled drawn by yoke of oxen with a
boy to drive. The man was sick and
all were suffering with the bitter cold
They had been living on the east side
of the Wisconsin river and were try
ing to reach Milwaukee, but had lost
their bearings and were going direct
ly away from the village. The man S
feet were frozen and the oxen were ex-
hausted and refused to move. Mr.
West finally coaxed the oxen to pull
the sled into the shelter'of thickly
wooded swamp, and began to cut wood
to build fire. The sound of his axe,
heard long distance on a clear,
frosty night, brought settler from
two miles distant to investigate the
cause of chopping in the forest at mid
night. The party were taken to the
settlers cabin and made comforta BILE
for the night, the mans feet being
thawed In cold water and treated with
ointment so that he lost no toes. But
for Mr.. Vests assistance the whole
family would undoubtedly have frozen
alone in the woods that night.
In 1886, at Walkers Point, while
busy about his camp, drunken Indi-
an with several drunken friends press
ed his attentions upon Mr.. West, and
the latter having no time to humor him
the Indian became abusive and finally
attacked him with a knife, stabbing
him three times-once in the face, once
in the body and once in the thigh, the
latter dangerous wound. The other
Indians and some bystanders rescued
him from the infuriated Indian and
saved his life, but the scars Mr.. West
carried to his grave.
During all his long life Mr.. West
never lost his love for farming and
for the soil. All his means were in
vested in real estate, mostly farming
and suburban property, aside from
his water power interests, and as long
as his health permitted he supervised
farm in "West's addition on the
southern outskirts of the city, mere ly
for his own pleasure.
Some years ago, Mr.. West ex-
pcrienced a partial stroke of paralysis
from which he recovered, but his
health has since been so precarious
that he has been able to get about but
little.
Up to the time of his paralytic stroke
he was active in public affairs, though
never a practical politician and stead
fastly refused to accept any public Of
flee. In politics he acted with the re-
publican party from the date of its
birth In the little school house in the
village of Ripon.
Personally, Mr.. West was a man OF
kindly nature, genial at the core, but
somewhat reserved in manner. He
was public spirited, and invested more
than 800, 900 in permanent improve
ments in the city of Appleton where his
home had been for more than half a
century. His death is universally de-
plored in the community where he was
much rasnaetad