The Sauk Centre herald., 1927-08-18
EARLY DAYS OF THE
CITY ARE RECALLED
r. A. Darling of Canada, in
Letter to Mrs. Tubbs
Looks Backward .
RECALLS LINDBERGH
Tells of Indian Massacre Of
Whites and His Fanily's
Flight for Safety


TuTbbs of Los Angeles, CAL, to Col.
Charles Lindbergh, reciting the
lady's acquaintance with the col
onels grandfather when a home
steader between Sauk Centre and
Melrose, was read by R. A. Darl-
ing of Sheho, Sask., Can. The
Darling family were residents of
this section of Minnesota at the
time about which Tubbs wrote, and
her letter recalled to his mind
many interesting "reminiscences.
He wrote Mrs. Tubbs recalling
them. Many of the things men
toned by Mr.. Darling will be
recalled by pioneers of this section
and will be of interest to the
younger generation. 1t follows in
full herewith:
Sheho, Sask, Can.
July 18, 1927
Mrs. Julia B. Tubbs,
Los Angeles, CAL,
Have just read your letter to
Col. Lindbergh, published in the
Sauk Centre Herald. It calls to
my mind many names and events
of the days you mention, for we
came to Alexandria in 1861 with
OK teams from Wisconsin. I pre-
sumo you was among the lot of us
who rushed to st. Cloud in the
fall of 62 to get away from the
Indians, when they killed Andrew
Austin and another man at Evans
vile, II miles from US, two days
before we knew anything about it
and our trail all camped (about
so families) at the creek between
West Union and Sauk Centre on
a dark night and could see sett-
lers' houses fired by the Indians,
burning in the distance, about the
time of the Hoffman massacre.
My father enlisted at st. Cloud
in Co. D, Mimi, Mounted Rangers
the tasBlack Horse Cavalry" Capt.
Taylor, Lieut.. Freeman. We lived
in Sank Centre the winter the
soldiers were stationed there. I
was only z years old but remem-
'ber many events, my father and
mother were quite entertainers at
parties and dances.
Frank Darling, perhaps you re-
member him, he drove stage for
the j. c.. and Fl. G. Burbank Co.,
hauling grain, etc., for them from
st. Cloud to Ft. Abercrombie.
We often stopped with the Burns
family at New Munich. I remem-
Der one night we went over to
Paynesville to a dance and it got
very dark before we got there, but
we could see the lights of the
candles shining through the chink-
ing in the logs long before we got
there. Tom Sprague, Alex Moore.
Freeman, Frank Kent, Adley and
many others all active in those
days, not forgetting old man Bor-
gerding who always went bare
headed as he rode along with his
COX teams hauling freight and knit
ting sox and mittens to sell to
the other teamsters thereby laying
the fortune at Melrose. that his de-
cendents have been enjoying since.
N. p. Clark used to buy corn for
his OK teams from us at one dol
lar for basket of ears. He was
a young man then and lived to
see many ups and downs in life.
Probably one of the oldest pio-
neers was c. L. Gilman, who lived
in st. Cloud, 72 years and died a
few weeks ago at 81. Always a
Republican in Democratic
stronghold
In 1877 when I was at the st.
Cloud Normal, !. young man by
name of Tubbs was also a student
there, / presume he was some of
your family. A few months ago
/ was at a place in Wisconsin
called "Tubbs Corners" and all
this comes from the story of a
quilt. Not many of those who
were busy in various occupations
along the 'fOld Stage Road" en-
joying the many privations Incl
dent to settling - new country are
still on the turf to tell the story
and when / see the name of one
of them it urn me back on MEM
cries page.
ALLOW me to congratulate you
on the nice letter you wrote and
that you may enjoy many more
'ftwilight years." I am 73. Par
don the intrusion.
I often go over the route from
Alexandria to st. Cloud both by
train and auto and try to explain
to those with me the changes. We
lived one winter at Ocean Park.
r. A. Darling,
Sheho, Sask, Can.
&
R. L. Weeks of Minneapolis