The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1913-07-22

zette, and was the first English paper
printed in the town from which it was
published, west of ST. Peter. Mr..
Hotchkiss was preceded in the black
smithing business by four years by
the venerable John Thomas, who even
now is lying seriously i'll, at a ripe old
age, at his Redwood Falls home.
Almost from the outset Mr.. Hotch-
kiss enjoyed good business. His
shop was centrally located. He was
genial and pleasant, and in addition to
the small local trade of the community
he drew heavily from the spring, sum-
mer and fall caravans, composed OF
sturdy settlers who were bound for
the fertile prairies of miles and hum
dreds of miles to the west. Almost
daily they passed through Redwood
Falls, and almost every one furnished
work for the smith. These covered
wagons were marked with notices
such as "Pike's Peak or Bust" and I
can recall as having seen, year or
two later, many of them on return
trip, and some of them bore the legion
Busted, by God" Mr.. Hotchkiss re-
called the faces of those for whom he
had done work, and invariably he told
them that they had gone too far-that
Redwood county was the place, and to-
day, as we'll as for a number of years
past, his statement has been con-
firmed.
Mr.. Hotchkiss was born in Indiana
rs years ago, and was one of a large
family. At Is years of age he came
to Minnesota with several of his
brothers. Farm work was his earlier
occupation, and Winona and Fillmore
counties furnished the scenes of his
earlier labors. Four years after en-
tering the confines of Minnesota he
was called to Minneapolis on a prom
Use of employment by a brother, who
had engaged in the printing or mer-
camille business, but he became dissat-
isfed with that occupation and left on
pilgrimage through Colorado, and
before he returned to Minnesota he
visited in Missouri.
Had Hidden Romance
The civil war period furnishes a his
tory full of pathos or interest to near
ly all of the men who were youths
when the mighty struggle came into
being. Mr.. Hotchkiss once told me
what few people know. When he re-
turned to Minnesota he fell in love
with a charming Minnesota girl.
When the war broke out he enlisted in
Co. K, Second Minnesota regiment,
and his parting words and parting
kiss to the young miss said that when
he returned they would be married.
He was wounded at the battle Of
Mill Spring, and in 1868 he was elect
ed by his company to the roll of honor
for meritorious service performed in
the struggle. In 1864 he was honor
ably discharged, by reason of mis-
wounds, and he returned home to find
that the intended bride of his pre-
war days had passed away. He made
a firm resolve that her memory should
rest within his bosom, and that his
life should be that of bachelor until
he was called to greet her in the world
beyond, where he was so suddenly
called on July 18th last. The memory
of the girl remained; the resolve was
kept. While human kind may not en-
tirely approve of the resolution the
determination of perfect faith must
call forth plaudits for the deceased.
For five years after his discharge
from the army he was employed at
blacksmithing on what is now one of
the principal streets of this Capitol
City, and it was in conversation with
ST. Paul people who had visited the
townsite of Redwood Falls, and who
spoke of the prospects of the town q
think o. B. Turrell and ]. Wilson Pax
ton among them that he quit his en-
ployment here and went to Redwood
Falls, where he promptly decided to
locate, ordering a complete black
smithing outfit transported to him by
the boats that ran up and down the
Minnesota river at that time. Even
in those years he showed more or less
dependency over the loss of his in
tended wife, but it was in employment
or social intercourse that he sought to
forget his loss.
Strenuous Political Life
He entered into the political as well
as the business life of the community
and on Sept. oath, 1870, he enjoyed the
rather unique honor of having presid-
ed over the first real Republican coun-
ty convention held for Redwood coun-
ty, which, at that time, took in a terri
e. e 49,