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.
accompanied us to help build our cabin. Mr. Day stopped a
couple of days hauling building material, and before night
the second day the rear part of our cabin was under roof.
After a few days the Norwegians left us, and Mr. Willard and
nivself had to finish the main part of the building which was
also made of round logs. For many a year this rude log
cabin was the centre of attraction, and a hospitable stopping
place for nearly all the settlers of Vasa.
In the month of April cold weather set in again, and it
was very late in the season when steamboat navigation was
opened on the Mississippi. At that time all provisions had
to be shipped from Galena or Dubuque, and it happened that
the winter’s supplies in Red Wing were so nearly gone that
not a particle of flour or meat could be bought after the first
of April. Our supplies were soon exhausted, and for about
two weeks our little family had only a peck of potatoes, a
small panful of flour, and a gallon of beans to live on, part of
which was a present from Messrs. Roos and Kempe, who had
remained all winter on their claims, three miles south of us.
They had been struggling against great odds, and had been
compelled to live on half rations for a considerable length of
time! Even their oxen had been reduced almost to the point
of starvation, their only feed being over-ripe hay in small
quantities.
We would certainly have starved if it had not been for niv
shot-gun, with which I went down into the woods of Belle
Creek every morning at day-break, generally returning with
pheasants, squirrels, or othersmall game. One Sunday the
weather was so disagreeable and rough that I did not
succeed in my hunting, but in feeding the team back of the
kitchen some oats had been spilt, and a flock ot blackbirds
came and led 011 them. Through an opening between the
logs of the kitchen I shot several dozen of these birds, which,
bv the way. are not ordinarily very toothsome. But, being
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