Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-07-05
MEDALS AWARDED
FOR HER0|SM; IS
A BIG OCCASION
United States Volunteer Life
Saving Corps Recognizes
Brave Acts.

Valley Springs, s. D., June 2S.-For
the first time in the history OF South
Dakota hero medals have been issued
10 South Dakotans by the United States
Volunteer Life Saving corps, through
the New York headquarters.
The recipients of the medals were
T.. w. Schmidt and Edward Schmidt,
father and son. Of Valley Springs, and
the widow OF j. S. Moore. The pre-
sentation of the medals, which has
just taken place, was made a great oc-
casion, in which the people OF Valley
Springs generally participated, togeth-
err with the fraternal societies n the
town officers and other officials.
The story of the deed for which the
medals were issued is an interesting
one. On July s, 1906, e. w. Schmidt,
a Valley Springs hardware dealer, with
his family went to What are known as
the Palisades of the Big Sioux river,
near the town of Garreston. to spend
the day.
They were accompanied by j. S.
Moore, a wealthy retired farmer, who
also made his home at Valley Springs.
Mr.. Moore took the two little Schmidt
girls, Mabel and Margaret, for a boat
rid up the Split Rock river, which
forms a junction with the Sioux near
the spot where the party was encam-
ed.
Child Fails Into River.
On the return trip Mabel fell from the
boat into the river. Without an in
stant's delay, Moore jumped into the
river for the purpose of attempting to
rescue her. He succeeded in getting
hold of the little girl and managed to
keep her head above the surface of the
water, striving meanwhile to reach he
drifting boat. in which the other girl,
Margaret. yet was.
Moore became exhausted by his great
exertions, and Mr.. Schmidt, the father
of the little girls, who had plunged into
the river, had barely time to reach
him and receive the girl from him be-
fore he, from sheer exhaustion, would
have been compelled to have released
her and abandoned her to her fate
chmid In a few minutes himself be-
came exhausted and was about to sink
beneath the surface of the stream when
his young son, Eddie, jumped into the
water, swan to the BOAT and pushed
the craft toward his father as the lat
ter was about to sink. The father and
son then went to the assistance of
Moore, who was yet struggling des-
perately for life a shor distance away.
Arrived Too Late.
But they were unable to reach him
IN time. The incidents Of the tragedy
'NA 80 NAANN IL lCd W III oil &c
hero commission of Pittsburg and the
volunteer life saving corps Of New
York.
The corps required sworn statements
as to the whole happening. together
with the sworn Endorsement of the
town officers, all Of which were duly
sent. The Carnegie commission sent to
valley Springs n of it's two special
agents, j. p. Cowan, who made q thor
ough investigation OF the incidents of
the tragedy, even visiting the spot neal
the Palisades. Before his departure for
the east he stated it was indeed a rare
instance OF true heroism on the part Of
the unfortunate Moore and Schmidt
and his little son. A few weeks ago
the commission notified the Valley
Springs people that the incident did
not come within the scope of the
fund"
So far as known this is the first
s coming within the Jurisdiction Of
the organization to receive recognition
I'm South Dakota.
n medal awarded to J. S. Moore.
n which has been presented to his
family, was of silver. f.. w. Schmidt
was awarded a bronze medal for at
tempting 10 save the lives of Mr.. Moore
and Mabel Schmidt, while Edward
Schmidt was awarded q silver medal
for his heroism and presence of mind
in saving the lives OF his father and
sister