The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-02-25
TELLS0F DAYS0F OLD
c. II. Lindeke Visits Princeton and
Tells Interesting Stories of the
Days of Old.
Came to Princeton Forty-five Years
Ago and Took Up a Claim
North of Town.

North of Town.
| G. 81. Lindeke of St. Paul, an ear
ly settler in the town of Princeton, was
visiting his sister, Mrs. August Gerth,
and friends recently. He stopped en-
route to visit old friends in Anoka,
Burns, Elk River and other points.
Mr.. Lindeke is a brother of A. 81.
Lindeke of Lindeke & Warner, St.
Paul and also of the late William
Lindeke Of the same city.
ut is just forty years to-dayn
said Mr.. Lindeke February 18th 'that
in company with my brother August
and his wife and my mother, I
arrived in Princeton. We came over
land via Anoka, and ST.. Francis,
stopping at the old Goulding place be-
low Princeton. Arriving at Princeton
we found but a few old shanties.. The
hostelry was kept by Samuel Ross
near the old elm tree that still stands
like sentinel guarding the distinies
of Princeton. There was ''the village
blacksmith who shod horses for the
lumbermen, and old man Damon-he
was young in those days stiod at his
cabin door fighting away the noble but
ever-hungry and meddlesofne red men.
John Allen kept a store down near
the river and we bought some mouldy
crackers at his store, that tasted
mighty good, in those days. On our
way up we followed Mr.. Allen who
was hauling load of goods up from
down river" In some way valu-
able sack of corn meal on his load cot
too close to one of the wagon wheels
and when John reached Princeton
there was little of his meal left. We
continued north into what is now the
Germany settlement where we marked
trees to locate our claims, and I took
one for my brother William, who later
lost the fingers of his left hand while
working in John S. Princes saw mill
in st. Paul, and he afterwards went
into the milling business in St. Paul.
After locating our claims we walked
to Saltwater where the land Office was
located in those days and made our
filings. We returned in March and
built shanty 1Oxl2. We remained
eight years and did our share of pio-
neering which meant much hardship
and privation. Money was very
scarce in those times and I remember
the time William Paine gave me a
three-dollar bill to take to ST. Paul
with me to secure box of goods that
had been sent from Maine on which
there was seventy-fve cents charges.
He also wanted me to purchase him a
bottle of liniment, to cost seventv-five
cents and [ was to have the balance.
[ placed the bill in my vest pocket
and when we were ready to leave I felt
for the bill, but it was gone With
fear and trembling I went and told
Mr.. Paine and I remember he felt very
badly over it, but asked me to bring
the box of goods, remarking that he
could get along without the liniment.
brought him the box, paying for it
myself, and the next fall while haying
I noticed something brown sticking
out of the corner OF my vest. ex-
amined it closely and found it was
Paine's bill. After supper I started
for Paine's with that bill. When I
reached his house was about played
out from running and from being
tormented by mosquitoes: and [ fell
exhausted at the door. It did not
take me long to recover, and when
did asked Mr.. Paine to describe the
lost bill which he did very infinitely.
It was big thing to have a bill of
that denomination then. When handed
him the bill he was a very much sur
prised man, and he went over to John
Aliens and got it changed, insisting
on my keeping half, and this made
capitalists out of both of US.
We brought up two COWS from Red
Wing and those COWS started home
once and I was obliged to follow them
many miles down the road south of
Princeton before I found them. a set
tier having caught them as he knew
the COWS, having seen me drive them
up. Many times have swan the Rum
river and tramped barefooted through
the woods for those truant cows
Mr.. Indexes "reminiscences of
early days are very interesting and
would make long chapter in the
early history of this section. He re-
turned to Princeton in 1884 and re-
NAMED several years, at one time
owning considerable land in this sec
ton.