Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-07-01

not yet a1lOaC. beware OIL plckpocK- /,
cts" was posted conspicuously about. 4
My father carried his bills in a belt I
buckled around his waist. 1 was Gus
todian Of the gold, which..I carried
tiedup in a night-cap and concealed
among heavy skirts. 1t was a labor
iious task, but | can assure you thatl
felt the responsibility
After three days waiting, the ferry
boat steamed across the water, and
conveyed us to Dubuque: There were,
no railroads in Iowa, then, and how
we were to go from Dubuque to Del
hi, Delaware county was puzzling
Question. There were stages. and
stages, but they all full inside and
out, The best that could be donewas
to pile trunks, children and allinto
monster wagon that was strong
enough to carry us through the
sloughs and over the worst kind of
roads. We put up over night at the
old sod tavern (between Dyersville
and Epworth) and again bunked like
sardines, and awoke good-natured
with longing anticipations of what
was before US. On the fourth of
April we reached our home, which
had been purchased the previous
autumn This home, which none of
us except my father had seen.i lis stu
ated in Milo township, on the old
Quasqueton emigrant road. Sand
Creek crosses this road at the en-
trance lane which leads tothes house.
Our back veiw was a thirty=mile, prai-
RE. In front the timberon the banks
of the Maquoketa was in view, ;A
thirty-acr field of corn skirted. OUT
house during the first summer, of
our residence. In this house Mr. Me-
CREEPY and. / were married on April
10th, 1857 Manchester was only a
pertense Of a town, butt grew and
| it grew hke-the peach of emerald
|hue.. My sister, Mrs E. j. Cook,
opened the first millinery store in
Manchester. The house that she oc-
cupiedi consisted Of clapboards and
| roof She occupied one-half of the
| house, and Mr. Wells the other, at
eight dollars a.month each. The par
titions and inside doors of the house
were ofchintz of various colors bought
of LOOMS. During the dull season
Mrs. Cook taught! select school i'll her
own house. The school meetings in
Milo district were held in my fathers
house, and my sister, Julia, taught
one term Of district school in our
sitting room. slg,sSy 81
In 1857 came the financial crisis
THAT tried men s souls and made he.
roic the men and women who strug'
lgled, conquered and triumphed
There are still among the old settlers
of Delaware county men and women
,iwho can recall the conditions ;ol
this period. Most of the settlers
came with money enough to buy
stock necessary to carry on their
farms, furnish the needed sup
plies for the household, buy seed
grain, and supply the family for: one
year until crops were harvested. The
surplus, above what was needed te
supply the necessities Of the pruden
and economical settlers, as most Q:
them were, was placed in banks fol
future emergencies. All of these lit
tie savings were sunk in this finan
cialabyss, and many who had come
with bright prospects were stranded
among strangers in a strange land
1t was remarked by some of the OBJ
servant ones, who were disposed te
look on the bright side and take
things as matter Of course, that
on the first year Of arrival the fam
lilies were well and comfortably
dressed, on the, second year theil
clothing was a good deal patched
and an the third they were in rags
Most of the settlers reached the las1
stage before the panic was over. Hu
man sympathy illuminated this nigh
of gloom. Hand in hand and hear
to heart stliken neighbors. assisted
each other Plenty was withheld from
all alike; those of large possessions
had little advantage over those Of the
smallest means. A stroke Of misfor-
tune had placed them on common
level. When they could not buy foul
they borrowed from their neighbours
grist; those who had fat cattle and
hogs butchered them, and divided
with their less fortunate neighbors
They loaned wheat and corn and 9th.
er products for seed. to those who
needed, and trusted to crops fora re-
turn. There were certain firms EN-
ployed workmen and paid in com.
modities. Some Of these firms issued
wild cat" money, which could be
used only in exchange for commod-
tiles. The greatest need was for real
money wherewith to pay taxes, buy
postage stamps and other things that
only money could buy. This was
brought about by the issue Of green
backs as result of the civil war,
which followed the panic: In connec-
ton with this / recall an incident
that the interested party may re-
member. My husband was publish
ing the Delaware County Journal in
Delhi, and was also superintendent
Of schools of that county. A friend
had given him the use Of horse for
its keep during the winter months.
!, Some Of you may remember seeing a
fiery steed galloping over the county
!, roads with rider, on thought intent,
his head bowed and his coat-tails fly
L. 4 = II :