Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-06-14
SECOND IOWA SETTLER
TELLS HIS STORY

S"' WIG margaret ana tnclr cnlIufct
established the second white family cir
Gle within the present limits of tn.
state OF Iowa west OF the Dcs Moinc.
river. In "Thc Memories of F'rontie
Iowa. prepared by George 4. Du.iield
one OF the children portray the condi
tons existing at that time with "A vivit
"ciiisin- Iravci in those days was h.,
TX team and prairie schooner. Hard
ships were encountered cheerfully ant
obstacles were overcome in the sam,
doughty spirit which made the pioncc
1snnd the basis of Tho progressive civi
Naation of today. The Dutlields mi
grated to the new land from Illinois
whence they had but recently pon,
from S~tcubenviile. O. They cstablishe,
"A home about two miles above tn,
mouth OF Shcqucst creek. west of tn.
ing bend of the Des Moincs river. clos,
n the site of keosauqua. in Van Blu.
rn county. Samuel Clayton had set
tied there in 1886. The writer of Tn.
brochure inanifests a most vivid APP
probation for the beauties Of that earl,
pioneer life. differing in tina rcspec
from those chroniclers who seem to de
itght In painting only The seamy ant
unpleasant side.
Ihc scenes and experiences of tina
cabin life commencing in my fourteenth
year are sweet and vivid memories" h,
says. My senses were CONSTANT,
thrilled"
He paints this picture of the earl,
morning in the pioneers cabin:
The mornings passed something,
IKE this-supposing ii to be the sum.
ricr of lS3S: Clink. clink. clink, IN,
sleepy eyes would open on father ben
1own TO the hearth. striking flint on
steel. Then came Il pause as he blcv
and blew the tiny spark into "A spread.
ng cmbcr. Quiet for Il time and thel
Z nap for me. Maria. Maria cam.
he call from in.ihcr's bod, the KEITH
II boiling. And thcn Maria's, viii.
lam. George. Jimmie. clear out Thi.
meant that we We're to get off the foo
WITH our made down bed so that tn,
able could be- set. out we bounced, or
lingering in the way. we We're tumbleC
sans culotte upon the puncheon floor
and IA second oifcnsc was IA swift,
switched breach of discipline. The noo.
'eins cleared. the dry goods box tabl,
*as set whore we had slept. The bak.
ns corn bread. the frying pork or ven
son. and the coffee lfor father anc
mother unly) boiling on the fire. fillet
he o with appctizing odors. Mean.
nj John had hunted the hills ant
follows. had driven up. yokcd and tiet
Die II Buck near the door. tathe.
1ad fed old julie and had cut and spill
wood for the day. William came from
lie spring with Il pail of water. Thos,
u us who were large enough had gon.
long. and in the stream below ha(
washed our faces, drying them in thu
air ON our way ack Lucky were w,
II mother did not scnd us back for {
more thorough effort. From William.
pail fnther took Il cup OF the cold, fresl
water. and hanging his hat on the cabi1
corner. made his toilet in this way.
placing the cup hetwccn his knees anc
Spreading his heels apart he splashec
INTO his claspcd hands the exac'
amount OF water needed. The filled
hands were rubbed, the proper lurcl
added II good bath for the face, and tn,
last SPLASH into the hands was carried
tuto the hair and thoroughly rubbed in
"A hOrncspun towel uil Tor his face
what the brcezcs did for ours. The
comb was tightly seized in the right
hand. the left being extended Tight,
upon the hair o the left ear. Ii
was raked across the forehead. and
back until the last stroke brought the
hack part of the hair under the ear
The coInb then changed hands. ths
right marking the place the left hac
h1cd; when done. the part. If 1T coult
he called such, extended from the fore
head to the nape of the neck with
both ears completely hidden. The las
stroke was to throw Il roach over tn,
front of the forehead, more perhaps tt
put the hair away from the eyes thar
10 decorate the head"
With Il poets eye he pictures tn.
idy'lic spring time in the woods or
h frontier:
Mornings in the spring were a de
light On every side the sight AM
scent met blooming crab, servic,
berry, choke cherry. and various thorn.
and luNu-iant ANNALS. The woods wer,
a chorus: perhaps more nearly ar or
cHestra. 70 the music of the new
and brilliantly plumcd songsters wa.
joined I'm Justify by the drumming
pheasant. the tapping woodpecker, thu
whist!ing quail INC gobbling turkey
The duties of the settler and his wifi,
were simple. yet arduous. Every chilt
old enough to help had its task. Thos,
were the days of simple and high liv
ing. the father maintaining a rigis
censorship over h conduct of his chill
dren seeing that they kept their prom
ises inviolate and attended religious
worship. He does not forget to pay
Just tribute to the mother who care,
for the children and attended to S,
many household duties. that the life o
the modern housewife seems spent OF
a bed of luxury by comparison. In ad
dition to caring for the children. tn,
mother saw that the floor was whit,
II clean, that the beds were mad,
and cared for, the garden tended. tn,
turkeys dressed. the deer flesh cure,
and the fat prepared for candles O
culinary use. that the wild fruits wer,
Garnered and preserved or dried, tina
the spinning and knitting was done an
h clothing made. She III her par
IN all these tasks. Ia nearly all tn,
clothing and did the thousand thing
Tor us II mother only finds to do"
Mr.. Duffield demonstrates that he wa,
very Observant OF pioneer practice
n he %recounts entertainingly mucl
.arly history. He frequently saw Black
hawk. the celebrated Indian warrior
out does not retain Il very high opinion
Of him. Notwithstanding the opposit,
view taken by contemporaneous his
sortans. This new historian Of that in
terestinE period of the first settlement
calls attention to the little known fac
that the government had its publ
and problem then as well as now. II