The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-08-19
.PLUCKED FROM AN OLD CRAVE YARD|


closed by an old fence are two well pre-
served monuments engraved respective
ly: "George Liscon, Company H, Min
nesota Infantry" and "Alexander Camp
bell, Company II, Minnesota Infantry
These two young men were killed by
some drunken rowdies at New Ulm,
about the year 1870. Their bodies were
thrown into the Minnesota river but
were found at Mankato, in badly de-
composed and mutilated state. The muir
derers were never apprehended.
1t was about twenty years ago that
one j. R. Cleveland was seen by MIR.
Fletcher, digging in this grave yard for
the remains of his little giri, whom h.
wished to transport to his family lot in
another city. The body of the child was
never found, and without doubt reposes
still in the spot where buried. Mr.. Cleve-
land lived in Mankato many years where
he was a merchant. For time he was
a police officer in st. Paul. He has long
since passed away.
A monument of Mankato stone, and
marked "Grace and Hortense" was carv-
ed out with his own hands by doctor,
who on the death of his wife and child
found himself too poor to purchase a
gravestone. 1t is very neatly finished
piece of work, but sad to say, this
monument, like many of the others, has
been tipped over by the cattle. The doc
tor subsequently moved to Washington,
D. c., where he was married again.
Three sandstone monuments show the
resting places of three little children
of Judge Lewis Branson. Mr.. Fetch
er was well acquainted with these child
rem, and remembers little Lima Bran
son well, though she died in 1851.
The Masons could not make this GENE.
terry pay. After trying in vain for
about fifteen years to make financial
success of it, they sold the property to
John Shaubut. Mr. Shaubut also found
there was no profit in the graveyard,
and in 1883 he sold as much of the tract
as has not been disposed of for burial
lots, to Joseph Schlingerman. For about
thirty years past, no graves have been
purchased here. The establishment of
Glenwood was the final deathblow to
this Masonic or Rural Grove cemetery.
Mr.. Schlingermann is anxious to have
the remains and tombstones taken away
from the place as soon as possible. A
great deal has been accomplished al
ready in this respect, yet how it will
be possible for him to have all the
graves transferred elsewhere is a hard
question. Those grave lots, which were
purchased and paid for do not belong
to him. They belong to those parties
who paid for them, or to the heirs OF
these parties. Some of these purchasers
have themselves disappeared and no
body knows where they are. How is
the title of such parties to be purchased
or transferred in any manner? Many OF
the deeds to these grave lots are mat
tiers of official record and the owners
not at hand Other deeds were simply
placed by the grantees in their pockets
and may not in existence today. What
is going to become of the title to these
lots? There are some grave lots, where
there are no tombstones and the very
existence of the graves has been almost
obliterated. Of the purchasers of these
grave lots, there are in many cases nc
official records, and there is no way
of finding out who the owners are OF
where they are or whether they are YET
living. 1t is indeed mixed up state
of affairs. Some lawyer may some day
make a record for himself in finding
way of transferring the titles to al
these grave lots into the hands of Mr.
Schlingermann. Mr.. Schlingermanl
would like to buy them all, as he ha
already bought many of them, if h
could only find the owners.
just south of this abandoned gravey
ard is the old Catholic cemetery. Thi
lis also in a wild state, but, as it be
longs to the church, it is not used fo
any other purpose. Most of the bodie
have been removed to Calvary; and il
all likelihood, all the graves will even
tually be transferred from this oil
burying ground.
W. w. Weller is threshing and tn