The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-09
THE RousrAeouT,o
History Of Mahaska County.
Chan. 1.-THE BEGINNING.

Cnap. I-lne BEGINNING.
In the beginning God created the
heaven and the earth. Genesis IL.
Along about this same time it is in
ferred that He also made Mahaska
county. And the inference is also
well grounded that He was fairly
we'll satisfied with the job. At least,
i through our long experience here,
and by diligent and persistent in
CURRY, we have failed to find a single
person who was displeased with the
local section of the Creators handi-
work. There are those of course
who have lived in this second edition
of the Garden of Eden, who have
left it for parts untried, but history
records that every one of them would
be glad to come back. And many of
them would if the walking were bet
ter.
After the flood, one of the de-
scendants of Noah came to America
to make his fortune, and to return
to the Faderland to live in ease and
luxury ever after. But after pene-
trating the continent as far as the
Mississippi river lie became so i'm
pressed with the country that he
concluded to stay He wrote home
to tell the folks about the colorado
he had discovered here, and sent
them round trip tickets to come and
visit him. Bat the Democrats must
have been in control Of the postofIice
department at that time, as the let
ter was never delivered. After wait
ing a long time and receiving no re-
Il .. al, fN
the wilds and became a regular In
dian.
- - -
But the Lord was good to lowa's
first Weary Willie, and out Of the
Sun, He sent him nice wife to cook
his buffalo meat and make him
clothes out of the hides. She also
split the kindling and carried the
water from the spring, pressed his
trousers after each rain and took
care of him when he had appended
tbs. By this method he acquired Eab
it's of ingratitude and laZipess that
extended from generation to genera
ton even unto the present day. And
the red men are not alone in their
fixed habits. Some Of the pale faces
who came afterwards and swiped the
Indians lands and carried off his
wampum and his superstitiCns, also
adopted his Incidence. And III or
der that the prophesies might be full
filed they let the women do the work
while they chew tobacco and talk
politics.
1t will not be necessary here to re-
peat the story of the discovery OF
America by the other branch of the
human family, or of how two-hun-
dreG-andfortylour thousand early
settlers came over in the Mayiiower,
whose. carrying capacity, according
| to Wehster's Unabridged, was only
two hUndred,-and at that the hunks
were not all used But it will be
interesting to know that the first
/ white man who established his home
in MahasEa county and threw his
trOt line in Des MOines river vas
Mr Macbeth. Unfortunately. even
such a good an historian as ManOah
Hedge fails to tell US whether this
pioneer was a descendant Of the old
king of Scotland Of the same name,
! the fellow whom William Shakes
pcare brought into the Iimeiight It
was lucky for the king, however, that
SEakeSpcare,-Or Ben Johnson as
the case mag became along when
he did else this particular Macbeth
might Fave gOrc down UnhOnored
aforementioned and unsung.
- = -
Eut not so the one who broke the
ice in Mahaska county. His name
will live forever, although some peO-
pie are mean enough to suspect that
his pioneer cabin was not On this side
Of the Wapello county line Mr.
Macbeth came to the Indian village
at kddyvil!e and obtained permission
20 buiid a summer home outside the
Lumdrum OF city life, where no traf-
! tic cop would disturb ambitions to
outstrip his neighbOrs, and no game
warden would come alCng to tell him
how to bend a brass pin to make a
| lsh hook. He built the home and
! lived there, and if it were not in the
confines of Mdhaska county we will
always think it ought to have been,
and will let it stand at that.
Chap. U.-INDIANS.