Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-17

counted II the marvellous tales of the
new west. its beauty and fertility and
great promise quickly fired the hearts
on the riends ut home and resulted at
length i'm their removal to this terri-
Tory.
HAVING been left orphans this Smith
family had, as the custom then was.
been bound by law To serve the neigh
boring farmers until of age. After a
short trial of this form of semi-slavery,
Martin w. and Brother Nathan, aged
10 and IL years, disappeared and not Il
word had been heard OF their where
abouts all these years. They had made
their Way in the direction OF the newly
discovered lead mines at Galena and
Dubuque-through an almost unbroken
wilderness. with no guide but the
blazed trees of some vcnturesome trav-
eller-with nothing but their rifle and
knife to provide s~ustenance they at
length fell In with a band of Indians
who led them to their village near
Prairie du Chen Later they came to
the Sac village on Rock river where
Nathan Smith lived for ONE years
afterward removing with his indian
Wife to keokuk's village, IL miles from
the mouth of the Iowa river. Martin
Smith had prepared IA good home and
urged his brothers and sisters to bette:
their fortunes in this new country.
1t was an attractive picture he
painted. Here was Il land literally
flowing with milk and holey." A
farm could be had, almost for the
claiming. OF the richest soil on Il lime
stone foundation: abundance OF the
finest timber available for buildings and
iuel. butternut. walnut, shellbark hick-
DRY nut. sugar maple. ash and elm
trees OF immense size, a dense forest,
providing wild fruits. nuts. mapl, sap
Tor sugar. wild honey, wild turkey.
OGnSa 11yoGc vr,;r;. tAy,lr In,. ,~l
the finest of fish from the swift waters
OF the rapids. The great river fur
nishing Il way CT transportation to the
settlements below: steamers bringing
their cargOes to their shore, exchang-
ing commodities for the much needed
cord wood. Springs OF clear, pure wa
ter from the limestone rock. wild grass
for stock so tall as to half cover them
who could resist such an opportunity?
With eager hearts. three Smith broth
ers with their families set their faces
toward the west. 1t was a race OF
giants who thus lnewed their homes out
OF the wild forest and subsisted on the
things that nature provided. They
oug with them the religion OF their
fathers. and as early as possible reared
a modest temple of worship. as well as
themselves being living temples of d.
vine truth: honest, truthful, generous
men and ONE kind to the widow
and the fatherless. they we'll deserved
the blessings brought by this new in
heritance.
In the Year 1888 Ira F. Smith left the
island. taking a claim nearby on the
main shore. BY this time the settlers
began to pour in and many was the
conflict over claims. 1t was not posi-
Bile always for individuals to occupy
them at once. But few of the immi-
grants brought money with them. and
III took long N'eankS nf h.. wi wnrl, tn ,,.,
Fare a dwelling. This fertile valley
was eagerly coveted by greedy and un-
principled men who sought to jump the
claims which were so advantageously
located on the river front and pitched
battles were frequent and ~protracted,
but the Smiths. Suffers. Conroes and
such belonged to a race of frontiersmen
who tor two generations had been in
continuous touch with the wilderness
and its savagery n We're not to be-
daunted. They banded together and
made 1T unpleasant for the %intruders.
who soon retreated to what was then
calld the less desirable prairie lands.
Tho island. which was covered by a
dense forest. is now almost entirely
stripped of trees. Two of the descend
ants of this Smith family still i've on
the main shore opposite the island-on
the ancestral acres-and with rare
good sense have left a bit of the
w iIiICNo lNICSl CA lie Hills 10 TcHll1U
them of the scenes their fathers loved.
Martin Smith was drowned While in
pursuit of his calling-that of rapids
pilct-not far from his first home on
the island. His daughter and grand
daughter are residents at the nearby
village of LeClaire. Peter M. Smith
also ives there. now in his SD year.
He came TO Smiths island with his
father. Ira F. Smith. when a lad of 4.
and has lived continuously hereabouts
for as years. His playinates were the
Indian children. The changes he has
Witnessed in these 70 years surpass all
fiction. He has seen the TRANSFORMER
ton Of a lonely wilderness to the pres
ent wonderful development. His form,
tall and athletic. his face thin and
strong. his eyes blue and speech re-
served. a living representative of our
heroic past.
Those adventurous days will have no
counterpart on this earth again.