The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-11-01
Of interest
To Women

~ WHICH, y
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In speaking OF the present day
methods OF charity work in Keokuk
one day recently. Mrs. Starkwather
said. 1T was very differently done
when was q child. II anybody
needed meat and didn't have money
to buy it, he took his Ratchet down
to the pork house and father gave
him what he needed. Maybe it wasn't
scientific, hut nobody went hungry.
Mrs Starkwather's father Was Col
onel Patterson. one of the owners Of
the old pork house. as the packing
plant was called. Both he and Mrs.
Patterson were very practical and di-
rect in their aid to dependent people.
Mrs. Starkwather went on reminis-
Gently. IF somebody Was sick aud
there was nobody else to go. mother
would send one OF US girls ! re-
member one day when l was sixteen
and said there was a woman sick out
on the Plank road and they want you
to send somebody ont there With
out any hesitancy, mother said:
Margaret. i guess you can go as
well as anybody and % went out
and stayed with the poor thing until
she died 1t was my first experience
mother OF this generation would
think OF sending her sixteen year old
girl on such an errand. but maybe it
developed some qualities not to be
found in the girls OF today. Think
ing over the list Of women such as
Mrs. Starkwather and others Of her
generation, one wonders il such ex-
periences didn't bear fruit and If
there weren't after all. some com
pensations for the absence OF or
ganized, scientific charity
Mrs Augusta Kilbourne has won
derful fund Of Indian stories, some
of which are to be Incorporated In
the History OF Lee County which is
in press. Her father-in-law. David
Kilbourne. lived in Montrose when
there was only one house in Keokuk.
q. long. rambling cabin on the water
front One day the Indians came
from the camp above Montrose and
asked Mr.. and Mrs. David Kilbourne
to let their two little boys. four and
six years old, come TO camp. Mr..
Kilbourne had always treated the In
dams as friends, apparently trusting
them, even though in reality. he
kept his eye On them every minute.
When they made the strange request
for visit from the children, he was
in a quandry. Mrs. Kilbourne, OF
course, said they should not go. Her
husband, however, knew that they
were strong enough to take the chill
dren whether or not, so he prevailed
upon his wife to let them go peace
fully. In talking to the Indians, he
spoke of the visit as being only Tor a
few hours, and with heavy hearts.
they saw the little boys placed on
the ponies and taken to the camp.
For two days they watched anxiously
for the return of the children. At
the end of the second day. the mo-
her. frantic with fear for the safety
of her children. persuaded her hus
band with all the men of the village.
to set out for the camp. Just as they
we're about to start, they saw a cloud
of dust up the road and in moment
the Indian braves rode up, with the
two little Kilbourne boys decked out
in the gayest Indian attire, riding
happily in their midst So pleased
were the little boys with their visi,
that they wanted to go back and
live with the Indians. One of the lit
tie boys was George E. Kilbourne.
Mrs Kiibourne's husband