Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - III. The Arrival of my Father and Brother—Journey to Illinois—Work on a Railroad—The Ague—Doctor Ober—Religious Impressions—The Arrival of my Mother, Sister and her Husband—A Burning Railroad Train—We go to Minnesota—Our Experience as Wood Choppers and Pioneers
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IS 4.2 Story of an Emigrant.
hour the whole band assembled, and, amid the most
fantastic gestures, jumping, singing, yelling, beating of
tomtoms and jingling of bells, gave a performance which in lurid
savageness excelled anything I ever saw. The same Iur ians
again became our neighbors for a short time on Belle Creek
the following winter, and we rather liked them, and the)’ us.
But eight years later they took part in the terrible massacre
of the white settlers in Western Minnesota, and thirty-nine
of their men were hanged on one gallows at Mankato in the
fall of 1862 and the rest transported beyond our borders.
Thus our first winter in Minnesota passed without further
incidents, until the beginning of March, when the weather
turned so mild that we were afraid the ice on the Mississippi
might break up, and we therefore hurried back to RedWing.
By our wood chopping and Mrs. Willard’s cooking enough
money had been earned to buy the most necessary articles
f jr our new home. When we had procured everything and
taken a few days’ rest, we again hired Mr. John Day to take
ns out to our land with his team. Hundreds of thousands
of immigrants have had the same experience, and can realize
how we felt on that fine March morning, starting from Red
Wing with a wagon loaded with some boards on thebottom,
a cook stove and utensils, doors, windows, a keg of nails,
saws, spades, a small supply of provisions, a bedstead or
two with bedding, a few trunks, and a little box containing
our spotted pig, Mrs. Willard in the seat with the driver,
her baby in her arms, her husband and myself taking turns
as guides, John Day shouting to his horses, laughing and
joking ; all of us full of hope, strength and determination to
overcome all obstacles and coi qu t thewildness. The snow
was now nearly gone, and the air was spring-like.
After a twelve miles’ heavy pull we arrived at our
destination, and made a temporary tent of sticks and blankets, very
much after the Indian fashion. Two of the Norwegians had
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