The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-05-12
MINNESOTA SIXTY.
-FOUR YEARS old
PIONEERS HOLDING ANN.
vERsARY REUNION
EARLY DAYS RECALLED
Mrs, Mary Schwandt Schmidt
Relates Experience As
Captive of Sioux.
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

GERS again lived through the har-
rowing days of the Sioux Indian
massacre of 90, at the annual meet
ing of the Minnesota Territorial
Pioneers association held today on
| the sixty fourth anniversary of Min
nesotas admission TO the union,
when Mrs. Mary Schwandt Schmidt,
seventy four years old, told Of her
experience as d captive of the Sioux.
Mrs. Schmidt, during her nara
tive, brought 10 many of the OLD
settlers visions of the fields sur
rounding New Ulm and Fort Ridge
lily, as strewn with dead and dying,
and they again heard the battle CRY
Of the Indians.
The narrator carried the pioneers
through the days when she, as a
fourteen year old girl, arrived on
the s-.---es.lg plains OF southern
Minnesota, when all was peace and
tranquility, and through the stirring
time when settlers families were
wantonly massacred.
She also told them of her captiv-
lity, and of seeing children and men
hacked to pieces in her presence.
MRS. Schmidt left her parents home
stead several days before the Indian
outbreak to take employment with
| q certain Mr. and Mrs. REYNOLDS,
who conducted a half way house
| between yellow Medicine and the
Lower Agency, she said
The first knowledge of the out
break was brought to the Reynolds
| freighter, VINO urged all the family
home by a half breed government
freighter, who urged all The family
and employees to Immediately Strike
OUT for Fort Ridgely, the only
known haven Of safety.
| Drove To Safety In Buggy
Mr.. and Mrs. Reynolds drove to
Schmidt and two other girls, Miss
Williams and Mary Anderson, to
proceed with the freight driver and
his team.
I'VE arrived safely at the Mime:
sofa river bank, but found that the
/ ferry was on the opposite side and
our only avenue of escape was the
wide prairie with the hope of gain.
ing New Ulm," Mrs. Schmidt con-
tinued
I'VE had proceeded along but a
short distance, when we were met
by a small child whose head was a
mass Of blood as a result OF numer-
Gus gashes inflicted by the Indians.
When eight miles from New Ulm,
the haven of safety, we left the
prairie and thought it safe to travel
on the road. We had proceeded but
few yards on this road when TO
our horror, topping a nearby hill,
we saw horde Of infuriated cop
per- hued maniacs bearing down up
lI1cf If
their eyes as they surrounded our
small party We attempted to es-
cape but were brought back ere we
could reach the fields.
I'm her attempt to escape, Mary
! Anderson was shot in the back and
died several days later. Miss Will
liams and l were taken captive and
brought back to Chief Wacoota' s
camp, where | was sold for a pony
by an Indian warrior TO Suana, a
squaw.
Saved Life Second Time
"Suana, who had received about
three years of instruction in mis-
sionary school, adopted me. 1t was
through her efforts that no physi-
cal harm came to me during my
captivity. In fact, she saved my
| life a second time when Chief Little
Grow, ordered that. all white cap
tives killed, by hiding me under
three Buffalo robes and sitting on
me while the Indians searched for
their victims. | was almost smoth-
cred, but this was better than losing
my life.
The Indians wanted the captives
killed because of the outlay of food
necessary in feeding them. They
wanted to keep all the food they
could for the coming winter. ~
"This captivity which palled upon
me, continued through three months
when my rescue was effected by ar
rival of troops in command of Gen
teral H. Sibley. My-parents having
met death at the hands Of the In
dams, / had 20 place to go. but
through action of Governor Alex
andefE Ramsey, transportation was
furnished me and was returned to
my former Wisconsin home. There
/ was reunited with my brother,
who although severely wounded,
had escaped from the Indians at the
time OF the massacre.
tribute of Governor Pneus
Minnesota today is sixty four
years old. An individual reaching
that age would be considered as
having reached a mature age. but
the state is young. We have Just
made a beginning and have resour-
ces which will support several
times as great q population" Gov
ernor Preus said today in comment
ing on the states anniversary.
', The resources of the state and its
financial worth have set an example
eoualled probably by no other state"
Henry Rines, state treasurer, said:
"Where in 1858, the first year OF
the states financial records, our re.
ceipts and disbursements equallsd
| 1886, 1855, the same items for the
year ended July l.. 1921. totaled
o3,s71,1s5.s1 and the Importance
creased in about the same proper
ton. .. .. s-a.s. .rf
"The permanent school, univer
sity and land funds of the state are
about the largest Of any state in
the United States. with the most
recent balance approximately SAB, :
64,s7676, including $34,3S4.S46.76
in the funds and approximately ST.
000, 900 of land contracts bearing
per cent interest that belong TO the
trust funds. h.t'
Permanent School Fund NV
| "The permanent school funds
were created in 1852 by the sale 0!
state lands, for which 81, 435. 4t
was paid and in 1863 the sale Of
state lands. for which s12, 435. 40
was paid and in 1853 this total had
mounted to $113,67S.50 ] The tax
collections for the year 1851 were
S100,1s6s5. while they mounted tc
1861 .74s.73 TO- the year 1919, col
lectea in 1890"
> Minnesota has. it Is true. made