Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-06-29

and thinking Indians might b.
prowling about she kept her wicker
lamp "a saucer of lard with rag
twisted in it for wick) and he
rife at the head of the bed when t,
her surprise huge bear thrust hi
head in under the quilt and survey
ed the surroundings. Mrs. Benne
did not fire on the monster. fearing
she might only wound him her rife
carrying but one load. After gazing
around to his full satisfaction h,
drew back his head and leisurely
walked away.
When we first came to this Co
we had to go to Dubuque to do oul
shopping if we wished to trade any
amount, to the Catfish mills JUS
this side of Dubuque to get our mil
ling done and to the Colony, nov
called Colesburg to mail every lette,
When father went to the Catfish
Mill he had to carry horse feed anc
provision for himself to last two OF
three days, for sometimes the mil
would be so filled; each man had te
wait his turn to get his grist ground
The second or third year after we
came to Delaware Co. Mr.. Dyer, the
man after which Dyersville was
named, built q store in the new town
and put large stock of goods there
advertising he was selling at Dubu
que prices. A wheat buyer also
came in there; The farmers ther
hauled their wheat there instead o.
Dubuque. l recollect of going with
father to Dyersville just after the
new store had started up. Mother
was sick SO she wanted me to go
and get our winter supply of dry.
goods while father was disposing Of
his wheat. We started early but
the roads were very bad and SC
many sloughs to cross. Father had
to carry handspikes along to pry the
wheels up out of the mud to keep
from getting stuck. We hurried
all that was possible returning
home about midnight.
The same fall we came to this
county German by the name OF
Bitner came and bought the farm
ours on the north. The
farm now owned by Thomas Shell
den. There was an old mill on the
place where corn could be ground.
In the spring of of fifty one, Mr..
Bitner built store room, twelve by
fourteen, adjoining his home; put
ting in a small stock of general
merchandise. He bought eggs, pay
ing three cents per dozen and pay
ing for them in calico at l2a and
l5cts. per yd. and other things in
the same ratio. He thought now
that he had a town started he must
get up Fourth of July Celebration.
He went to Dubuque, stirred up the
patriotism of some of his country
men, got an old cannon, hauled it to
Ead's Grove with teams, taking a
whole week to haul it to his place
and back to Dubuque again. A
very tall liberty pole was raised, and
On the 3rd Of July, Old Glory was
unfurled to the gentle zephyrs of
our new country. The celebration
was a-grand success as far as a
crowd and loud lusty hurrahs were
concerned. There were several
hundred people out from Dubuque
to help celebrate. They came out
with teams Of course, as there was
no railroad nearer than St. Charles,
ILL.,, at that time. Many Of the Du-
buqueites camped near our home
the night of the Fourth. They re-
ported there was something more to
drink on that occasion than that
which Honey Greek produced.
There was no tame fruit set out
when we came to Delaware county.
But father went back to South Bend
as soon as he had his family settled,
the same fall we came, and hauled
out load Of fruit trees and shrub
berry; healing them in the ground
until spring and then planting
them. Our neighbors laughed at
the idea of planting fruit trees in
this cold region. But in a few
years we had plenty of apples,
cherries, currants, and all kinds of
fruit and have had ever since. Wild
fruit was abundant in the early
settlement of our county. Such
large nice plums, and berries OF
every kind everywhere. The second
year we were here, three of us
children went out in the timber to
get black berries, and in less than
three hours got a washtub full, not
going one mile from home.
There was one thing we had in
those days we have not got to-day
and that was the beautiful wild
flowers. When we first came to
this county, the whole country was
one vast posey bed; the beautiful
lilies and the wild cynlamens, we
call them shooting stars, were my
favorites, they were of all shades Of
color from the purest white to the
darkest pink. The sweet williams
grew by the acre and all wild
flowers in such profusion we child
rem carried them to our teachers in
such quantities she was just to her
wits end to know what to do with
them. There was a pink and white
lady slipper that grew in the woods
that are all gone from us now and
they were SO beautiful, a pure satiny
white splsshed and spotted with two
shades of the richest crimson, leav.
ing the Tigradies of to-day in the
shade in brilliancy and dazzling
brightness. Why I,or some one more
thoughtful, did not propagate and
retain some of those beautiful wilc