The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-09-28
REUNIONS ENJOYED
BY old RESIDENTS
JOSEPH CAPSER READS INTER-
ESTING PAPER ON EARLY
DAYS OF REGION
old FASHIONED DANCE Held
DOCTOR DUBOIS WRITES POEM
TO GIVE VENT TO EARLY
RECOLLECTIONS

No event during Homecoming fes-
tivities was more greatly enjoyed than
the Renaissance Reunion held in the
auditorium of the new Elementary
Grade Junior High School building
Wednesday evening of last week.
Joseph Capser was on the program
and the venerable gentleman made one
of the most interesting talks OF the
evening. Many of those present IN
sisted that his remarks should be pub
lished and the Herald gladly gives
srace for them herewith:
at is indeed a great pleasure 1or
me- to meet and to have the honor TO
make a few remarks to as large and
intelligent gathering as this, composed
principally of early settlers, friends
and neighbors of Sank Centre who
have answered to the call of our, COM
n,ittee to meet here at this great
home gathering.
"The warm feeling in your hearts
for Sank Centre, and for the old time
friends, has brought you here from
far and near. We, too, have not for
gotten you and the comr'ittee for this
occasion has greatly endeavored and
wisely arranged not to forget to have
an invitation sent to each and every
one they could remember.
81 consider this home gathering as
one of the most social and friendli-
est acts they could think of. We most
heartily welcome you all and invite
you to our homes, to make yourself
at home with us during your stay in
Sank Centre.
"In looking about this great gather
ing, l notice quite a number of old
time friends yet we'll known to me
and it brings to my mind instances Of
disasters, sights and experiences of
which will take the liberty to make
mention for the benefit of the young
Ell generations.
at renews my memory of the old
OK teams and of the homemade two
wheeled Red River carts and the long
stretched-out trains with their wild
squawky noise that you could hear for
miles and miles, sounding like thous-
and wild geese flying in the air.
at renews my memory of the ev-
ery-day sight. of emigrant caravans
with their covered wagons all mudded
up, loaded with families and a few
scant household belongings slowly
moving along to the far, far, spread
out unsettled northwestern country,
scarcely knowing their destiny or
whittier to go to find suitable place
to establish a home. Travelling for
weeks and months, camping out in all
sorts of weather, no roads, no bridges,
Gods earth was their mattress and
the mosquitoes their covering. Sore
and tired, they would rise in the morn
ing to make ready for another days
weary march.
at also renews my memory of the
true sociability which existed among
US during those times of hardship and
trials. We were like the Good Sa-
marian to one another. There was
no selection of church, club or sect.
When anyone was in need of help, the
question was not asked as to what
church, club or sect do you belong,
as they do in these days when every
one selects his own sort of beneficiary.
In those days there existed only one
society and that had for its creed one
for all, and all for one.
"Many were the bitter pills we had
to swallow in those early days. Time
will permit me to mention only a few
of the hardships and misfortunes we
encountered. There were the grass
hoppers in 1856. Then came the
Land in Market" in 1859, following
or the financial panic which swept the
entire country in 1857. Money was a
thing unknown to the early frontier
squatters. Nevertheless, those who had
squatted on land previously had to
pay for their lands or lose them. Ma
ny did lose their homes while some
borrowed money and were forced to
pay unheard of high interest to the
eastern money shylocks to save their
places.
"Next came the war with the South.
The young men enlisted and left to
enter into the bloody battles. Then
the older men were drafted and they
marched off to the battlefelds, leav-
ing their families and homes to mer-
cies.
Then followed the Indian outbreak
in 1862 which demoralized all the
northwestern counties of the state.
"After all this, when the people got
on fair footing again, came the grass
hoppers in 1876 and 1877, reducing
all the infested counties to a poverty
that took years to overcome.
"Take it all in all, there was one
hardship after another to contend with
and for much we have to be thank
full to the true wives of old who
stood side by side and encouraged
their husbands and shared the hea-
wy burdens with them. I feel like
crying out, "Three cheers for these
ladies of DID," who were noble wives
as we'll as heroines.