Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/417

 HISTORY <>!• GOODHUE COUNTY 319 Jane Nilson, L. Anderson, A. M. Lundin, S. Westendahl, A. Anderson and P. Lindholm. The winter of 1856-57 was a long and a cold one. and the snow was very deep. One Sunday morn- ing when 1 went from Red Wing to preach a1 Vasa 1 stuck fast in a snowdrift, just as I got up on the prairie, and I had to return. I learned afterwards that only three persons ventured out to meeting that day. It was a very cold day and they showed their warm religious disposition by grumbling over the non-appearance of the preacher. This, however, was the only appointment I missed that winter. "Having sold my horse to buy bread, I had to foot it between Red Wing, Vasa and other places. This caused me some hard- ships. On New Year's day. 1857, I had early service in the school- house at Vasa, that is to say. at 5 o'clock in the morning. As the weather was fine and mild, I determined to walk to Cannon Falls and preach in the afternoon. There was no direct road to the Falls at that time, but we were obliged to go around by White Rock, then cross the Belle creek, and over the prairie. I started afoot after breakfast; the sun shone brightly, the weather was mild, but the snow was very deep and there was no track. By the time I got to Belle Creek the weather had changed entirely. A high cold wind commenced to blow, and very soon a bitter snow storm was raging in my face. It was with the greatest difficulty I got over the prairie into the bush. There were no houses on the road. My scanty clothing, which had become wet by dragging myself through the snow, now began to grow stiff with the cold. I laid myself down under the first bush I reached, entirely exhausted, with little hope of ever rising any more. Yet, after some hours a little strength returned, and by the greatest exertion I finally reached Cannon Falls in the evening, but my ears and nose, hands and feet were frozen, and I could not speak for a good while. After having thaw r ed out and taken some food I was able to hold service at night, and on the following day I returned to Red Wing. 'Up to November, 1858, I continued to serve the congrega- tions at Reel Wing and Vasa, besides making missionary tours to other parts of the state. For fear of making too long a sketch, I will not go into details. At Vasa nothing of special note took place. The question of determining where the future church should be located was up in 1857-58, but without any results. The congregation continued to increase, and numbered 130 com- municants in the fall of 1858, and in several respects I was permitted to see some fruits of my labors. My salary was to be about $200 a year from each of the two congregations, but as the times w^ere very hard during these years, and all being new settlers and struggling for their life. I did not receive the full