River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1923-01-18
Uncle John
Daubncy Dead
Minnesota Oldest Man Dies at Age
Of 1903 Years

Falls, aged 1913 years, months ana
3 days, passed away at the Tayaois
Falls Municipal hospital Sunday noon.
Uncle John, as the last survivor
Of the Minnesota Old Settlers society
and the st. Croix Valley Gold Set
tiers association, was a prominent
character throughout the Northwest.
He has visited River Falls, as
guest of his friend James Cheseboro,
and many in this city have had the
privilege of visiting with the last OF
the Forty-niners."
The following interesting article
appeared IN the st. Paul Dispatch
Monday.
Uncle John Daubney was born IN
Lincolnshire, England, October o,
1919. When Z years old he was
brought to the United States by his
parents, William and Mary Daubney.
The large family settled first in Chit
tenden county, Vermont, but after
few years the family moved to the
vicinity of Kalamazoo, Mich, where
the father farmed. William Daub-
ney died there in 1879.
The IMPULSE to pioneer was not
long in asserting itself in John
Daubney. He wearied of such farm
ing as could be accomplished with
out difficulties. He left in 1874 for
Galena, Ill.,, travelling by stage, to
see what adventuring would bring.
At Galena he became acquainted
with William R. Marshall, another
name familiar in the lore of early
Minnesota, and the two worked in
lead mines at Galena. They were so
occupied about year, when they
decided to head for the st. Croix ter
ritory of which they had heard in
directly. They arrived in 1847, to
find a few rude cabins, the oldest OF
which had then been built for ten
years.
For fifteen years Mr.. Daubney en-
gagged in numbering on the ST. Croix
and the tributaries near atshand.- de
used to tell of it in this unadorned
way, but if coaxed a bit, he could
be induced to tel of the experiences
that lend color and the atmosphere
of romance to the story of those
early days.
There were years when the wa
ter wouldn't ccme" and the logs
dragged down to the ST. Croix in the
arduous winter couldn't be floated
to the mill. A. then there was no
pay. Then y Inesota was new, en-
tertained no high regard for order,
and its law was frequently the best
opinion of any group of men VINO
happened to be about when law
seemed necessary
Uncle John told a story Of the
law enacted in This spontaneous
manner. An Indian had murdered
a white man at Taylor's Falls The
Indian was captured at Balsam Lake.
and he made confession on his re-
turn. But he involved white man,
saying the crime had been instigated
by the man on promise of whisky.
The good men of Taylor's Falls
gathered to determine the law in the
case, and pending the decision the
Indian was placed, with rope about
L. o.I- 10. In eli
alton he was allowed to plead while
the citizens deliberated.
Saw Primitive Justice Done
The Indian insisted that the white
man suffer as well, and there seemed
to be some justice in the plea. But
one of the deliberators, vexed by the
fine points raised, solved the difficulty
by suddenly kicking the barrel, TAX
ing away the Indians support and
hanging him. The white man was
horsewhipped and told to get out,
which he promptly did.
On another occasion a white man
married three Indian maidens, sisters.
This was probably too many women
for one man, but no one in those days
pried into the delicate matter of fam
lily relations, and the only person to
object was a brother of the girls.
The white man promptly killed the
inamiabla brother-in-law, which
seemed satisfactory arrangement to
the community. But a son of the
slain man retaliated by killing the
mEeh welded man, and again that
was satisfactory to the settlement.
1t was recognized widely that an In
dian might slay the man who slew his
kin, and so there wasn't any necessi-
ty for grand jury interference.
When he came up the st. Croix Mr..
Daubney, according to his own asser-
ton, "got stuck" He remained ever
after a Mfnnesotan and he never
came down the st. Croix Except to
go back up" 1t is at his most fervent
wish that he will be buried in the ST