New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-06-12
The OSAGE MONSTER,

How a Steamboat Whistle At
fected Missouri Pioneers.
STORY OF A HISTORIC HUNT.
Armed For the Fray, the Frightened
but Determined Old Settlers Sought
the Ferocious Beast With the Fear
full, Screening Voice.
The first steamboat that ever turned
her PROV against the muddy Usage wa
tiers was the Flora Jones in the spring
of 1914. There was no commercial
club in those days to stimulate river
traffic, no telegraph or telephone to her
aid to the hardy pioneers the approach
of the boat-only the unearthly shrill
screech of banshee-like whistle,
enough to blanch the cheek Of the sim
pie minded folk who had lived far
from the worlds progress.
The little boat went up as far as
Harmony, Mo-, in Bates county. His
tory records the fact that when the
Flora Jones pulled her way along the
st. Clair county shores and the wall Of
her siren was tossed back and forth
by the limestone bluffs many of the
old settlers were not only frightened
fguratively out of their boots, but lit
orally out of their homes. Matthew
fArbuckle, a pioneer, tradition tells us,
was blowing in his field about mile
from the river when the wall Of that
whistle struck his ear. He unhitched
his horse from the pillow, managed to
get on it's back and, wild with terror,
struck for the hills. In one hour he
was at Papinville, fifteen miles dis
tant, the horse white with foam, the
rider white with terror. He had bare
ly strength to tell Of ian awful ami
mali from which he had made his es-
cape. He had not seen the fearful
beast, he confessed, but he had heard
it's voice, by which he knew it to be
monster of terrific proportions,
Arbuckles neighbors were brave and,
| though much disturbed by his account,
determined upon campaign Of exter-
mination. They had defended their
soned that no wild animal, however
ferocious. could withstand their rifles.
| They gathered at Uncle John Whit
ley's. He had seen service under Jack
| son at New Orleans. His home was
up the tortuous stream from Ar
buckles farm.
The next morning a crowd Of hardy
pioneers, with guns and dogs, were
ready at Uncle Johns. The gallant
band numbered among its memkers
Uncle John Whitley, James Brecken
ridge, Benjamin Morris, William Ba
con, Hamilton Morris, Benjamin
Burch, William Roark, Frank Roark
Benjamin Snyder, Snowden Morris
and Matthew Arbuckle.
They were agreed that there should
be undertaken quest for the mys
terious monster threatening theil
homes and families.
Just before the signal to start was
given Matte, a daughter Of Whitley s
went down to the river, 300 yards dis
tant for water. In her absence the
Flora Jones, which had tied up fol
the night at a bend in the river below
again sounded the terror inspiring
whistle.
Charge, men, roared Whitley, seiz
ing his gun. MATT went to the rive
flor water, and I reckon she's deat
afore now!'
The crowd rushed to the river, deter
mined to rescue the girl if she was We
alive. But Matt, it is hardly neces
sary to state, was met on the way
She was headed homeward, her hal
streaming behind and her fac
blanched with fear.
With their weapons ready for instan
action the determined hunters contin
Iued riverward. The crew Of the Flor
Jones, proud Of her whistle, continue
to sound it at frequent intervals, an
it's reverberations rang from bluff t
bluff increasingly. Each fresh bias
added to the uneasiness of the band Q
settlers. Frequent councils were hello
1AC ldAu4C VI tut 1OSoO " IclAC IL
scent nonplused them.
The hunters secured the Usage thick
cts all day. Breckenridge lost faith !
hounds and declared that he woul
go to st. Louis for Newfoundland!
Meanwhile the Flora Jones had prt
ceeded up the river to Harmony, an
her whistle was no longer heard. A
night came on a storm broke, and th
hunters took refuge in cave.
With the return Of dawn there bega
again the hideous wall Of the myster
4 Gus monster. The Flora Jones WE
making an early start on her retur
trip down the river. Nearer and nea
er sounded the whistle, until the hun
ers, who had tumbled hastily fro,
their cave, could distinguish a puff1I
and blowing, supposed to be the snor
of the advancing foe.