Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-05-02

T0.A4Yo. come to Wapello county
when 1t, was yet homestead land be-
iIeagiAa to the United States, to have
lived Tor more than two weeks in
cave hewed out Of the native stone
near Giif4and, awaiting the time to
stake the homestead and to have lived
feA thai. homestead for seventy years
and the greater part of that time In
@is present house, 10 the record which
Frank MeMillln, commonly known as
fBee" MeMillln, holds.
When visited by Courier represen-
,tative q few days ago Mr.. McMillin
was fBaad busy about his home place
.SAa a bit fetifink about saying any
'fkiHs ia regard to his life or the
lehaA&es that he has seen take place
lila this e6anty and her towns since
IAe Afst eaaHe here. but his story furn-
iahas sBne most Interesting and en-
faFfaiaiHs facts. 70 one living in the
fFeseat day and age 1t seems just a
J,afie hard to imagine the scenes and
incidents al they are pictured by this
Aid man la his conversation. Yet
Ar, MeMillin can not rightfully be
called old. He II almost seventy-two
years Of ase but he seems much
Younger, he is 30 well versed on all
fhe present day happenings. Before
he would BE into much of discus
jsieH of his experiences he wanted to
falh on the Mexican war situation.
This over he drifted into general
conversation on his life, the ~gist OF
which was something like this:
Born In Jefferson County.
James McMillin and his wife were
sturdy pioneers of Jefferson county,
having come from Ohio, and locating
in the county adjoining Wapello on
the east On a farm near Locust
Grove, few miles northwest OF the
present town of Fairfield, this second
son. Frank, was born on November o.
1912. Nothing of great importance
happened to the youngster until the
snrinp of 1874 when he was about
/ oi1h+een months old 1t was then
that the parents decided to emlgrate
- the west and come into Wapelio
county where land was to be opened
m for settlement Then followed sew
eral weeks of preparation to leave lot
tha new home. The small amount OF
household furniture, as was prevalent
N those DAYS, was loaded in schoon-
or or covered wagon. The mother ana
the little boys and girls were loaded
into the wagon with the goods. ne
father walked a part Of the way ana
drove a part of the way. Thus the
McMillin family pulled by two strong
and sturdy oxen arrived in Wapello
county.
Cave is Their Home.
II was about the middle of April
when these newcomers came 10 Tue
Des Moines river near Clinland. me
land was not to be opened Tor settlers
until May 1. What should the sturdy
pioneer and his little flock 90! no
homes were in sight OF them, the
woods were very dense, and II tnes
vent on further and then attempted 10
return they were running chances ol
new dangers besetting them, anu tlleh
thew would lose out on their aovan-
tages for a good homestead. 30 they
decided to wait right where they were,
and upon investigation 1ound that
the only shelter that was ofterea tnenl
at all was in the large cllns that gise
that particular spot It's name Oh ohii-
land
There thew found a large opening or
cayo which furnished them nome TOT
two weeks or more, just seventy years
ago this time. up mere, tney Woio
out of any immediate danger ana they
were fairly comfortable The hole IN
the cliff made them bedroom, Kitten
en-, dining room and living room com
hired The father would go up to
hunt on top of the rocks where an eN,
cellent view then as now could De lao
for several miles up and down anu
across the river Assisted by the little
girls the mother kept her house neat
and tidy and with the food brouSht
with them from their old home ana
the fresh meat and fish, when the
father was able to get. the little tam
jly was very comfortable in their
rather unique quarters.
Stakes Out His Claim.
There were several tribes of Indians
about at that time but they did not
bother the settlers much. At Garrison
Rock was a detachment OF United
States soldiers, known in common
language as Dragons. Two or three
Of them came down to the cave sew
eral times and attempted to drive the
settlers out, but after little persua-
sion. that they were not there to mo-