The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-09-28

protest if they "carry on" with their
own earnings and not with the dol
lars their parents saved by hard work
and strict economy for their own sup
port in their broken down old ages ?
"The country has changed, every
thing has taken a different footing,
so the present generation have right
tc enjoy the prosperity and progress.
The only trouble with us old-timers is
that we were born so years too soon.
"But one thing we old pioneers car
be proud of. We belong to the gang
that cut the pathway to this far, wide
spreading northwest. We belong to
the party that planted this mammoth
tree that branches out all over this
now great civilized, richly-settled
country to which the entire United
States looks for it's bread and Its
butter.
"But, alas, the rank and file OF our
old time friends is growing thinner
and thinner. Fast they are leaving US
for the everlasting rest and we will
never hear their voices more. So let
us he glad for the short time granted
us and rejoice and feel happy to-
pether with our offspring in the pro-
gress we witness about u.s.
"In conclusion, l wish to give a
short recital of our marriage and our
honeymoon. l first want to remind
you that in those early times this
country was principally settled with
young men-squatters and bachelors.
This meant about Is to 20 young men
for every young woman. According
ly, a fellow had to be quite foxy to
capture one of them. Well, l grabbed
one of the bunch and don't you for
get, she WASN'T the worst one either
$50, in the spring of 1864 we got
married and shortly after we moved
to Sank Centre to start in the mercan-
tile business. We left St. Joseph with
three loads of goods costing me over
$4,000 which l bought in st. Paul on
credit mostly. Merchandise in war
time was tremendously high. paid
75c gallon for kerosine oil by the
barrel, Ate a yard for calicoes by the
bolt and from 75c to 90c yard for
sheeting and muslins by the bolt. The
cost of everything else was in proper
ton.
CARRYING at Sank Centre late in
the evening, we found stockade with
one company of cavalry and one COM
any Of infantry for scouting purposes
to protect the settlers from the Indi-
ans. Adjoining the stOckade we found
log building into which we moved
end stored our goods. The windows
and doors were broken and the roof
half gone. The next two days it
rained in torrents and half our goods
were damaged. Our trade was prin-
cipally with the soldiers and the few
scattering settlers.
"Shortly after our arrival I took
sick with fever. Just as l recovered,
my wife was stricken with typhoid
The nearest doctors and medicines
were at St. Cloud at that time.
"By and by, the stork brought US
young son, our oldest boy Henry.
He is the first white born male child
of Sank Centre and vicinity. Not
long after, he took very sick, too, and
we were compelled to go to St. Clout.
to a doctor.
knowing it would take us about
two or three weeks to return, | went
tc the soldiers headquarters. They
were just at mess. l said, "Boys," for
that was the way we always addressed
them, 81 and my wife are compelled
to 90 to St. Cloud on account of our
very sick child. l hope when we ar
rive home again we may not find our
store demolished, which would be our
ruin -.
"They all jumped to their feet and
il. one voice said, Don't you worry
We have something to say about that"
Those human and kind words in those
dark hours were so consolabc to me
that can never forget them.
"On our arrival home from St. Cloud
we found the soldiers had made US
garden and fenced it and told us they
guarded over our store day and night.
The tears stood in our eyes when we
thanked the boys for their kind act
And such was our honeymoon.
81 am now in my Seth year and,
not knowing whether the good Lord
will extend my furlough much longer,
| wish to leave this partial history of
ours with you dear old friends to be
remembered by you when l am game"
OLD-TlMERS DANCE