Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/441

 HISTOKY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 369 nor oxen. The tirst summer some spaded half an acre of land for their necessary wants. They carried a sack of flour and other provisions for ten or tifteen miles on their shoulders follow- ing Indian trails, fording creeks at times. There were but few highways. They had no houses when they first took claims and some lived in dugouts until they built log cabins. The second or third year they had a yoke of oxen. Horses in the early fifties were rare. Many of the oldest pioneers have passed away, but some are still among us in comfortable circum- stances, and they, and principally their children, are now reaping the fruits of their labor. The old log houses are gone, and they now have comfortable homes, large stables for their stock, and granaries. One very distinctive characteristic of a German farmer are his premises; he will consider his own comfort last. You can almost observe at a glance if a German occupies a farm or one of another nationality. His barns, stables, granaries, etc., appear to be comparatively better than his own dwelling. It is his love for his stock his own peculiar thrift which is conspicu- ous to such an extent only in the German. The pioneer farmer, in comparison with the modern farmer, was handicapped in many ways. There was no machinery, every- thing had to be done by hand ; his grain was sowed by hand, was cut with the scythe and threshed with a flail, and when harvest time came help was scarce and wages very high. When the farmer was to be out in the field he was obliged to go to town to look for harvest hands. If he should find any. it would happen that they would quit the same day. because they were but tramps. The modern farmer is well equipped with modern machinery, is in touch with the rest of the world, with his neighbors, far and near, with the city and the market by telephone and by daily delivery of mail, whereas the pioneer farmer was often without any communication for weeks, even months. In the spring of 1855 the first boat up the river brought a number of German families from St. Louis. Among them were the two brothers William and Fred Tubbesing, the three brothers William, George F. and Henry Meyer, F. Wicke and Miss Kater- john. There were but few houses when they landed and no hotels. They were obliged to camp out for some time, but finally secured a log house. The Meyers took claims in Hay Creek and followed farming. In 1855, George F. Meyer and John Hack built a flouring mill on Hay Creek. The Tubbesings, who were cabinet makers, stayed in Ked Wing and for some time worked for Andrew Koch, who operated a small furniture factory. Peter Tubbesing. who was then fourteen vears