The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-04-08

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There were many wild animals
here at that time. He says that ii
never surprised him to see large tim
Der wolves or great bears strolling
along in the woods. There were al
so many birds that are never seen
around here now. There were a
great number of deer. He says that
when he used to go hunting he often
saw a mother deer with her two
fawns, but he never had the heart to
kill them. They used to be SO tame
that he could go up to them and pet
them any time he wanted to. There
was a certain deer who used to come
to the window of his cabin just at
breakfast time every morning. When
the window was open it looked in and
made motions. until Mrs Bjerkan
gave it something to eat.
Mr.. Thompson had a homestead
to the west of Bjerkan's farm. There
was no wire, like now, for making
fences. There were no settlers to
thee south of their farms, so they
tied bells to their stock and let them
60 wherever they pleased. Between
Bjerkan's and Thompson's farm stood
a log fence. This was not firmly
built; so that if anything should hap
pen to jar it somewhat, it would fall
down. Mr.. Thompson had an old
cow that was bound to be on Bjerk-
ans farm, so all she would have to do
would be to give the fence push
and down it would fall.
Many Indians could be seen around
that vicinity. Many times he would
look out of the window and see an
Indian woman with her papoose. They
would place their faces close to the
window and look in. They sometimes
got something to eat from Bjerkan.
He bought different things from them
which they had made. They had
some of the most beautiful beaded
ornaments to sell.
A neighbor of Bjerkan's who lived
north of his place had pair Of oXen.,
One day one of them disappeared.
When he could not find it, he suspect
ed the Indians of stealing it. He
searched for a long time until he
thought he saw it lying dead. He
did not go closer to investigate but
gathered up a group of neighbors
who armed themselves. Then they
started out, expecting to punish the
Indian for killing the OK. They came
closer to what seemed to be the OK
and were very much surprised. They
found that it was large white stone.
After that they were more careful in
their suspicion of the Indians.
At that time there were many who
came over from the old country to
America to make their living. Bjerk-
an used to buy tickets here in Amer
lea and send them to different people
in Norway. To pay this back they
used to work for Bjerkan until it was
paved for. They really were inden-
tured servants. The men used to
clear out the woods, and the ladies
worked in the house for Mrs. Bjerk-
an.
Horses were not used at that time.
Mn. Bjerkan had cattle on his farm
so he chose two oxen and trained
them. He called them Tom and Jerry:
They were so stubborn at times that
he could not make them do thing
Often times, however, they worked
very willingly.
Sank Centre was a very small viii
lage at that time. When he wanted
anything special from town, he had
to go to St. Cloud. He used to take
his oxen and haul load of wood to
St. Cloud where he would exchange
it for groceries. st. Cloud was the
county seat; so when any business
necessary, it had to be done there.
However, there were few stores
in Sank entire. Mrs. Bjerkan used to
sell butter and eggs, receiving three
and four cents a dozen for eggs, and
five and six cents a pound for butter.
If they put their butter in form or
mold, they received one more cent to
the pound. Mrs. Bjerkan used a
mold which is still in their old house.
In exchange for their produce some
times, they paid two and three cents
a yard for calico. When they wanted
wooden cloth, they would spin it in
their own homes. Mrs. Bjerkan used
to card and spin wool that was taken
from the sheep raised on their farm
She spun cloth and made clothes for
Mr.. Bjerkan and herself. She spun
wooden yarn and knit stockings, which
were sold in Sank entire for twenty
and twenty-five cents a pair.
They cleared their land of woods,
and then they raised grain. However,
the greatest portion of it was used
for pasture. 3 ;
They had great number of peo-
pie staying with them. Some Nor
wegian workmen and sometimes the
Parochial school teachers stayed with
them. The English school was start
ed sometime after they settled here
about two miles and a quarter north
of their home. 1-=*
The only road near his farm was
between neighbors. There was just
a wagon path, the trees being cleared
out. About mile north of his place
is a river called "The Little Sank