The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-16
Grand Old Pioneer Was One of Nine NorDegians Who
Purchased Land in the Koshkonong Settlement in
l84O-.Story Of His Early Hardships
BY MARTIN w. UPLAND.

WEEKS. NOHo ol US gov q coHG LIZ our
which one died.
Sick almost to death crawled back
to Chicago. | had nothing to fall back
on. One Of my countrymen helped me
into the house of am American, and
there I lay sick for weeks. In the fall
the doctor came to demand $33. had
only $1S and gave them all to him. [ I
was nov absolutely pennies iL homei less
situation was terrible. On, how I
longed to be back in my native landl
why had / been seized b ythe America
fever which brought so many to- the
new world9 No food, no shelter, no
one to preach the blessed word of God
to me!
Slept on the Ground.
ga little before Christmas, sjur u
van from Voss, Norway, took me into
his house in Chicago-a wretched shan
ty of old pieces Of boards, without a |
floor. I had no bed, and slept on the
ground. Sometimes there were snow
storms, and when they came, there We're
several inches of snow inside the
not stir around without supporting my
self on a chair. / can never forget my
first Christmas in America!
But health and strength came back
to me at last, and in the summer of
1910 I was again able to work. / got
a place on a steamer plying between
Chicago and points in Michigan.
Land Hunting in Wisconsin.
ssIn the fall of the same year I went
to Wisconsin to look for land. I filed
on quarter section in the town Of
Deerfe1d-land which owned until a
few years ago. But I didn It stay
there long; I went back to Chicago
and did not settle on my homestead for
good until over year later. I worked
in Michigan in the summer Of l84l,
floating logs down the Muskegon river.
The woods were full Of Indians, but
they did not modest me.
~ had little money: no oxen and no
wife, when I started farming in Kosh-
konong. I bought an axe and built
hut twelve feet long and eight feet
wide. Then I got a shovel and a spade,
with which I 2 spaded up'' spot large
enough for planting two bushels of po-
tatoes.
"But I saw I could make no head
way at farming without oxen and farm
implements. So hired Ole S. Glider
hus, now dead, to look after my potato
| sin to work in the lead mines. In the
fall, when got back, dug my pota-
toes and sold them to Gilderhus. What
do you think got Is cents less for
| them than I had to pay him for cult
waiting them in my absence. So you see
/ my first venture at farming, was not
very profitable:
Miserable Life In the Mines.
: stI worked in the lead mines off and
on for two years. I was employed
from 200 to 800 fest underground, and
| led miserable life. The miners were
a rough lot and very ungodly. Once
| there came two itinera'nt preachers, who
/ held religious services in rude log
schoolhouse, seeking to reform them
The room was lighted by tallow candles
stuck into the walls. Some Of the
rogues among the miners exchanged
these for some that had been filed with
/ powder, and right in the middle Of the
sermon the flame reached the powder
Pop! Pop!-one light after the other
i went out, leaving the people in dark
! ness and smoke. The poor revivalists
took fright and left,
"Some time later two other preachers
came and conducted services in the
same place. One evening they began
to tel how terrible iIs4. would @d, be the fatf
i ments. They would be thrown into g
dark pit, from which sulphurous fumes
and smoke asceru Meantime some OF
the miners had tied the door from thu
outside ard stuffed the chimney full Of
rags, 50 that the schoolhouse filed will
smoke. It seemed to the frightened
people within, that they were already il
scene. All tried to estape, including
the preachers, but could not force opel
the door. Al last the rogues let then
out, but all services were discontinue
in that schoolhOuse.
Indians His Neighbors.
;, After 184i I lived steadily on m,
farm in Deerfeld. I had very few
white neighbors. All were very poor
i so that it was almost impossible for on
: to borrow from the other. Wild ami
$ times I found big reptiles under M
bed, and once I found one hanging to
smoked ham, which was suspended fro1
: the roof Of my house.
: Indians were my most common
. most numerous neighbors. They prowle
s around my house every day and hunte
: for game in the woods on my lant
!; They oftendemanded food, and Away
], gave them what could. Thus keI
n on friendly terms with them, and the
q never injured me in any way.
J. Milwaukee His Market.
Ny neighbors and had great diff
/ Guilty in buying goods and selling OF
!, products. Milwaukee, seventy-fy
J. miles away, was the nearest market. 8
g first There we went in companie
J. drawing our loaded wagons by means {
d oxen; none of us had horses. A tri
y to the city lasted nine days. We too
t. food with us and slept under our wa;
n ons, no matter how bad the weather.
a "After some years there came fro
) Norway to Deelfeld young girl. 81
a seemed kind, industrious, sensib
y young woman. A few months later 81
d became my wife, and for twenty yea
g she shared my joys and sorrows. 81
was faithful helpmate. Now she
,e with God. Blessed be her memoryl
8, efAfter my marriage life BEGAN
1t brighter for me. I toiled and toile
h.. around me and before long felt pc
IN fectly at home. Better times cam
This is good country.
i Mr.. Rogue has been very kind to ne,
ID Corners from Norway. His house h
le always been stopping place for the
4. He has kept them free Of charge UNI
I something's Of the customs Of the Ian
Then he has sent them forth, with go
advice, to make their fortunes
over the northwest there are scores
e. NorWegians, now prosperous either
es who were thus helped by him, and w
n will mourn him as a father when he
OF called home.
re