The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1909-06-18
Old Settlers Make Merry.
They Feast, Talk and Enjoy Them
selves as Only Old Settlers are Cap
able Of Doing.

selves as Only Old Settlers are Cap
able Of Doing.
If you were not down at the
court house park last Friday
you missed the time of your life.
1t was old settlers day-and that
of itself was enough. F. B. Rob-
erts, John Liggett, W. G. Acker-
man, H. j. Benedict and George
Mitchell were there-and lot
more old settlers who were just
as important, and we have not
mentioned the ladies'. The old
time experiences related by sew
eral of the older men would make
a space writer on big daily turn
green with envy.
After dinner the meeting was
called to order by the president,
F. B. Roberts, who told of some
of the bitter disappointments of
life which he had encountered,
He said that he had always had
an inclination to some day make a
speech; it would be a masterpiece.
That a year ago when he was
elected president of the Old Set
tiers association he had made up
his mind that at this meeting he
would pour forth his eloquence
before his Grant county friends.
But imagine his feelings when
the program committee met at
the First National bank some
time ago, and when they came to
the presidents address they gave
it just thirty minutes. Imagine
his chagrin and sorrow at thus
having his speech confined to the
short space of thirty minutes. It
was too much for him, and thus
he would turn the speechmaking
over to others.
John Liggett was called for and
he told of one of his early exper-
iences-of going to Ortonville af
ter his mail. The melting snow
had caused the Milestone river
to overflow it's banks and the
bridges were out of commission.
He was bound to get his mail.
When near Big Stone he tied his
horses and began seeking place
to cross. AS some very large
cakes of ice were going down the
river, he figured that if he could
get onto one of these, with the
aid of stick he could steer him
self across and thus land safely.
He was bound to get his email. I"
he had got only part
way across when the pole broke.
He was drifting down stream as
bad off as ship without rud-
der. On the opposite shore
large stump stuck out from the
shore and the ice was floating di-
rectly toward it. When near he
would make a running jump and
the stump was rotten, with the
result that he fell into about ten
feet of water.
Senator G. S. Amsden was
called, and in taking the stand he
asked if there were any present
who had ever attended an old set
tiers meeting and had not heard
him speak. No hands were rails
ed. He told of a "ducking" par
ty which he attended. He was
riding across country in the ear
ly days, and coming to a badly
swollen stream attempted to swim
it with his horse. The bank at
the opposite side was quite steep
and the horse slipped back into
the water when it tried to land.
For several minutes it was first
the rider on top of the horse and
then visa versa, but after short
time both landed safely. Mr..
Amsden remarked that as he was
married he was not going after
his email"
H. S. Volkmar made short
address, reviewing the history of
Milbank and the county since
1880, when he arrived in Milbank.
He noted the difference between
the sod shack and the fine large
louses now occupied by the peo-
pie. In those days mail was re-
,eived perhaps twice a week, and
the farmer drove miles to get it
today the rural mail carrier
orings the mail to his farm daily.
In the early days if a farmer want
ed to talk to a neighbor, he walk
I'd or drove to the place-today
ne calls up any of his neighbors
oy the use of the phone. Then the
oxen was the method of travelling,
with no roads. Today fine teams,
automobiles and the railway train
ire in use. OF all those who were
here in 1880, only a few remain;
some have moved away to other
nlQ0oc 0n6 Ynonx1 oro fol]in0 thoi.e