The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-07-09


counties I'm the Minnesota valley
where they deposited their eggs. II
was not until the year 1877 that these
devastating invaders finally left the
southwestern counties of our state. Al
the time of this locust invasion most
OF the settlers In that portion of the
state were financially poor. and In
consequence OF the devastation of the
locust during these years were com
PEELED to leave their homes and &c
elsewhere I'm order TO obtain a living,
some temporarily, some permanently
so that i'm 1877 there were far fewer
people i'm the eight southwestern
counties of the state than i'm 1S71s
Those early years have sometimes
= been alluded to as the muskrat period
and indeed II was largely by trapping
and the capture of the fur bearing
animals, which then were found I'm
great numbers, that those of the set =
tiers who did not abandon the country
were able to live. Fur was-plentiful
and brought fairly good prices, and
many men who later became prosper
Gus and successful. credit their sub
sequent prosperity to their success In
, trapping fur during that period.
Departure of Grasshoppers.
with the departure of the grass
hoppers the last OF the disasters which
had attended the settlement OF south
western Minnesota disappeared how =
ever there was no immediate return
Of prosperity and for time but slight
increase In population. Many were
f.f he. -.
return of the grasshopper plague and
that the country would be subject to
periodical invasions by these insects.
Others who had become embittered
by their experiences. asserted that
the country was not intended by pro-
violence for the habitation of white
men and ought to have been let 60
the Indians. Everywhere there was
a feeling OF pessimism. and Il was not
until about 1855 that new settlers In
any considerable numbers began again
to come into the southwestern coun-
ties which had been the worst sufferers
from the grasshopper plague From
that time. however. our growth and
progress has been constant. healthy
and gratifying. f.
The Inkpaduta massacre 1857 had
driven away the early settlers from
the southwestern counties. A few had
returned in 1860 and 1861 but the
massacre of 1862 and the Sioux war
OF that year caused most of the re-
naming settlers To leave that region
and prevented the coming of others.
BY these massacres the growth, settle
ment and progress of the southwest
ern counties was seriously set back
for years. The history of these In
dian massacres has been so well writ
ten. and with such fulness OF detail,
ny an honorcd citizen or your own
county, Mr.. Thomas Hughes, in his
excellent history of Blue Earth coun-
ty. which no doubt most of you have
read, that need not do more than
refer to them as among the calamities
and disasters which attended the
settlement of southwestern Mime
sofa. u.
Fertiiity7o Of Soil.
The fertility ofithe soil In This
section OF our state is. with intelligent
farming. well nigh incxhaustible, and
the drainage of our vet lands and the
application of better methods of farm
ing. give assurance OF largely in,
creased production of agricultural
wealth in the future. and .as the
worlds demand for our grain. our
cattle. horses. hogs and all the prod
ucts OF the farm Is constantly in
creasinE, ! think Il may safely be as
sumed that the material prosperity
which Southwestern Minnesota is now
enjoying will be lasting, permanent
and progressive.
But. material prosperity, while II
Is highly desirable. is not always an
unmixed good. Not infre1uently II
happens that people become SO en-
crossed I'm the pursuit OF material
wealth. that they fail to provide, or
to prevent the removal or destruc-
ton of the necessary safeguards for
the preservation of just. free and
economical government. and evils
gradually creep in, which eventually
lead to loss of liberty and the de-
struction OF the state. A people who
d. would remain free. who would retain
and preserve the blessings OF liberty
and of n just and economical govern
ment, must be vigilant and thought
fui people for they have TO do the
most difficult thing that was ever
done IN the world-govern themselves.
The experience OF the past has shown
mat great material prosperity tends
to make men less vigilant I'm guarding
their government against the en-
croschment of privilege than they
otherwise would be.
There are not wanting I'm our
country today signs and indications
that the people are not as jealous of
Their liberties nor as thoughtful and
careful In guarding against dangerous
changes and innovations as I'm the
early days of the republic"
Tribute to Pioneers.
Mr.. Knox discussed the question of
taxation and other questions dealing
with governmental affairs. He con-
Guided his remarks with these words:
Most OF the pioneers who FIRST
settled In Southwestern Minnesota are
no longer with us. I'm life by their
labors. their industry and their pa
triotism they served their country
well. Those of them who remain are
, nearing the end of life's Journey and
for the most part have laid down its
active duties to make way for their
children and successors. May God
speed them and theirs. May ne give
them the wisdom. virtue and courage
necessary to rightly and intelligentiy
solve the important political, moral
ana economic auestions, which are
pressing upon us for solution. and