Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-12-09

VII anu H(oAAV nAl4SO ny d HAL WIN
bore him enlnity. He was left for
dead by his assailant, his skull
fractured and with other injuries,
but he recovered, altho he remained
affected by his injuries. The farm
was sold and the family emigrated
to America, coming to St. Paul in
1926. After lying in bed a cripple
for three years, the father died in
1876. The mother, whose maiden
name had been Johanna Anderson,
was born in 1900 in Elseberg par
ish, Hallands Ian, Sweden, and
died at Litchfeld in 1893.
Andrew Nelson, the sen, on &C.
count Of the fathers misfortunes,
vas obliged to shift for himself at
an early age. He received but a
limited school education, the pres
ent excellent system Of schools in
that country not having been adopt
ed at that time. There were no
public schools. For a time be
worked at farm work. In the
spring of 1856 he took passage on a
;ailing vessel from the port of
Gothenburg for New York. After
a stormy six weeks trip over the
,cean. he arrived in New York har-
DOR on the evening Of July 3, but
remained upon the ship over tn >
ith. The night was abaze with
fireworks, and Nelson and his COM
oanions, not understanding the i'm
sort Of the noise, the racket and
me glare OF the skyrockets, thought
the people must have gone crazy.
Thus they were initiated into the
American custom Of celebrating the
Fourth of July.
Mr.. Nelson hired out as farm
hand on farm near Galesbuyg,
illinois, where he remained two
years. In July of 1858 he came to
Minnesota and settled in Kandiyohi
county. where he took up 100 acres
aear Foot Lake in section IL.
His nearest neighbor was Solo
non r. Foot, who lived a short
distance north of him. Nelson
commenced to make improvements
pon his property and there made
lis home until the Indian outbreak
in August, 1862.
Adventures in Outbreak.
1t was about 5 O'Clock in the af-
Iernoon on the goth day of August,
1862. while Foot and Nelson were
making hay by the road leading to
the Erickson place, Swan Swanson
Geturned from a trip to Andreas
Lorentzon's with word that the In
lians had murdered the Jones and
Baker families at Acton. Foot at
once started for his place and Mr..
Nelson continued to his cabin,
where there lived with MIN at the
time his brother-in-law. Swan Swan
son, wife and three children. Mr..
Nelson tipped the hay-load off and
assisted Mr.. Swanson to take the
nayrack from the running gear of
the wagon and substitute the wag-
on-box, into which was then loaded
provisions and household goods.
After seeing Swanson and his fami-
~ off on the road north to Oscar
Erickson's place, MIR. Nelson re-
manned behind to round up some
thirty-fve head of cattle which he
had. 1t was dark when he got the
cattle together and headed in the
direction of Eagle lake. While
busy urging the herd ahead of him
to keep on the move, he heard
whispered voices near him. With
out thinking of the consequences,
he shouted, "Whos' there?" Dark
forms rushed out of the darkness,
but passed him and darted in
among the cattle. He jumped to
the side, and in doing so collided
so violently with one of the savages,
for such they proved to be, that
both the Indian and Nelson fell
over. Favored by the darkness,
Nelson evaded his savage foes and
made for a corn6eld near Foot
cabin. The rust|ing of the corn
leaves and breaking Of cornstaks
told him that the Indians were pass
ing but short distance away. A
moment later he saw by the light
from the windows that they were
entering Foot's house, which stood
within few rods of the place
where he was concealed. He was
too near the savages to suit him
and he slipped out to seek security
elsewhere. Reaching the bank of
Mud lake, he jumped off a high
bank for the water below. He
landed in scrub oak, and finally
fell into the water and sank into
the water and mud of the lake to
his armpits. The water was decid-
edly uncomfortable, so he concluded
that he would rather trust to the
dry land and the savages. The
hootc full ~ u,otor rro6nco6 S,1oh