Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-08-16
EXTRACTS FROM THE AUTO
BIOGRAPHY OF
ZANE GREY SWISSHELM
First Newspaper Woman Of
Minnesota.
A Remarkable Woman Of Ante
beIIum Days-1815-1865
G. H A P T E R XII.
A Famous Victory.

The day after the Stearns House
meeting, 1 was thought to be dying
All that medical skill and loving
hands could do was done to draw me
from the dark valley into which l
seemed to have passed; while those
men who had planted themselves and
their rifles between me and death by
violence, came on tip-toe to know if l
yet lived. When was able to be out
it was not thought safe for me to do
sit on the high green bank which
overlooked the river. Harry was con-
stantly armed and on guard, and a pis-
would have brought a score Of armed
men in a very short time.
A printing company had been form
ed to re-establish the Visiter In it
were forty good men and true, and
they sent an agent to Chicago to buy
press and type. The St. Cloud Visiter
was to begin a new life as the mouth
piece of the Republican party, and l
was no longer scout, conducting a
war on the only rational plan of In
dian warfare. I begged my friends to
stand aside and leave Lowrie and me
to settle the trouble, saying to them:
81 cannot fight between ramparts of
friends. 1 must take the risks myself,
must have an open field. Protect me
from brute force and give me moral
aid, but stand aside"
But they were full of enthusiasm,
and would bear the brunt of battle.
There were open threats of the de-
struction Of the new press, and it was
no time to quit the field. OF the first
number Of the resurrected Visiter, the
St. Cloud Printing Co. was publisher,
and I sole editor. l prepared the con-
tents very carefully, that they might
not give unnecessary offense, dropped
the role of supporting Buchanan, and
tried to make a strong Republican pa
per Of the abolition type, and in the
leader gave history of the destruc-
ton of my Office.
The paper gave great satisfaction to
the publishers, who had not thought
could be so calm; but Lowrie threat
ened a libel suit for my history of that
outrage, and l said to the printing
company:
"You must get out of my way or l
will withdraw"
At once they gave me a bill of sale
for the press and material, and of the
second number l was sole editor and
proprietor, but it was too late. The
libel suit was brought, damages laid
at $4,000, and every lawyer in that
upper country retained for the prose.
cution.
This wa; in the spring Of SO. The
two years previous the country had
been devasted by grasshOppers, and
no green thing had escaped. There
was no old grain, the mass Of people
had been specializing in town lots, and
such had been the demand for city
charters, that a wag moved in legis'
lature to reserve one-tenth of the land
of Minnesota for agricultural pur
poses. The territorial had just been
exchanged for state government
which was not yet in working order
The capital of every man in the print
ing company was buried in corner lots
or lots which were not on a corner
The wolves and bears cared nothing
for surveyors stakes, and held posses
sion of most of the cities, bowling de
fiance at the march of civilization
The troops were still in Kansas estab
fishing slavery, and we lived in a con
organized for defense against Indians
and must do picket duty. All the
money was in the hands of the enemy
Citizens had everything to buy anc
nothing to buy it with. Provisions
were brought up from St. Paul by
wagon, except when boat could come
from St.. Anthony. Those men of the
company who were especially mark
ed, were men of families, and it is
hard to starve children for the free
dom of the press. The nearest cour
was St. Anthony. Any defense o.
that suit must be ruinous to those
men, and advised them to compro
mise.
A committee was appointed to NEE
six lawyers, and were in despair wher
they learned the ultimatum of thu
great Dictator. With the terms de
manded, they had no inclination tt
comply, but sent J. Fowler to me witt