The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-03-18

the wagon DOx. Inc LilIu VI Lie
group had been captured together
with his team and vehicle. Judging
from the spectacle he saw, one can
not doubt the absolute truth Of the
statement that his hair had turned
snow white during the few minutes
of this eventful ride.
Another story grandma tells which
she often heard from the lips OF the
old lady herself was when this same
lady came across to st. Cloud in
1851. AS the foot-bridge over the
Mississippi river was built but a
year before grandma came, she had
to take the ferry across the river.
There were only few houses and a
ridiculously small store in sight SO
she asked the first man she met
where St. Cloud was. He courteonsly
informed her that she was standing
on the Main street of it,
There were a lot of incidents
which grandma tells of which excite
interest and attention, especially one
the first time the train came across
the Mississippi to St. Cloud which
was in 1875. Everybody went down
to see it, and l think the only reason
grandma remembers so we'll is be-
cause she became engaged on that
very day. Following this appearance
of the railroad into st. Cloud, the
coming few years saw it extended
first up to Melrose and then on to
Sank Centre.
1t was in May that the railroad
came across to st. Cloud, and in
June of 1875 grandma was married.
Before grandpa's marriage, in 1870
he and some friends took a train Of
provisions to Fort Abercrombie. Evil
IDENTIFY there had been a great flood
in the vicinity of Alexandria for the
trail was completely obliterated.
Grandpa and his companies were in
a quandary. How were they to get
across? Fortunately for them, there
happened to be an Indian camp on
the other side of the lake; and with
much gesturing on the part of the
white men, they finally conveyed to
them their plight. A few of the
Indians came across the lake and with
assurance and safety led the train
Of covered wagons along the trail
which the over-food of the lake had
concealed. The instinct of the In
dian.
Grandma's brother was along on
this trip, and as he had been a SOL
der over in Germany he evinced a
great show of bravery. Taking adj
vantage of this his friends gave him
the position of sentry the first eve
ming, and then retired. Now there
was a need of water in camp, and
Jim was obliged to go down to the
river to get it. The appearance of
an Indian was startling and alarming.
Jim's bravery deserted him, and he
never evacuated from place as
quickly as he did that night. Of
course, his comrades rolled with
smothered laughter-not so Jim.
"Boys," he gasped, "there's one
there!" II
The next morning when grandpa
came down to the river for water he
met an Indian also, but his courage
did't go back on him as did Jim's. He
only said "Mon Jour Nitchi. The
Indian answered him "Bon Jour,
Shaw-mauk-a-ma." The basis of
friendliness was established, and the
corral of covered wagons sheltered
peace and ENTHUSIASTICALLY the lat
ter according to Jim.
After his marriage, Grandpa went
into the cattle business made profit
able in 1877 by the advent Of the
grasshoppers. These creatures were
so devasting- to the curtains in
the windows of private homes-that
cattle were impossible to retain.
v1so dToo 0f
and made his last trip up north in
1877. These grasshoppers were so
thorough in their plumber in certain
in particular stretch on this side of
the Mississippi, and extending from
the middle to the southern part of
Minnesota, that the only grain left
was rye and buckwheat. That whit
er wheat flour went up as high as
$1,000 fabulous price at that
time.
1t seemed that this growing COM
munity had to have all sorts of mis-
haps. The grasshopper "panic" was
safely over when in 1886 came the
dreadful cyclone which plunged it
again into terror and tears. 1t came
in the afternoon between $3.50 and
400 on very sultry April day.
Starting in the southwest end of
st. Cloud, and. staying on the north
side of Lake George it went through
the railroad yards and across the
Mississippi. Gathering more power,
it whirled through the middle Of Sank
Rapids and then on to Rice where it
disappeared into a field beyond. Fol-
lowing this terrible disaster, there
were twenty-one funerals on one day
and ever so many dying later on from
fright and injuries. Mother says
she'd never forget that day, and
grandma declares she doesn't want to
live to see another.
Three years after the cyclone, in
1889, my Grandparents left st. Cloud
and went to Fergus Falls. After a
sojourn Of two years there without
anything exciting going on, they
moved to Brandon, Minnesota. Here
on the fourth of May 1892, they ex-
perienced the very unusual occur
renee of heavy snow-storm, piling
the snow from three to four feet high.
No one could get around for day or
60 Jo1ouoJy ox,orxy&I,;r,.