Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/545

 HISTOBY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 165 and collected our load it was 9 o'clock and pitch dark. Dr. F. F. Iloyt and his brother Frank were holding a claim and occupying a shanty near where Mr. Danforth now lives, on the road to the. county poor farm. Dr. William Brown and AY. S. Grow were living with their families in shanties three-fourths of a mile beyond. The party was destined for Mr. Grow's. We had Rev. Mr. Sorin's team, and his hired man. for driver. Coming to Hay creek bottom, we found the road and bridges submerged with at least a foot of water. We crossed one bridge safely, but when we got to where the other one ought to have been we could not find it, and our driver refused to go a step further. To go forward, to be sure, was presumptuous; to attempt to turn around on that narrow pike was pretty certain to spill us all out into the overflowing stream: so we sat down there coaxing and threatening until at last the driver was induced to move on. We gol safely over, went on calling at the Hoyt shanty, routed the boys up and took them aboard. When we reached the iJmw and Brown places both families had retired, but after all our troubles we could not be cheated out of the expected social enjoyment. S<> they were all routed out, and seemed to enjoy the fun as well as we. until the wee small hours came on and the lieht of the moon sent us home." Near the village of Zumbrota a difficulty in regard to land claims occurred, an incident of which is thus related in the words of C. C. AVebster : "Several of the first settlers, members of the townsite company, had not only selected claims for them- selves but, as they stated, for their friends also. These proxy claims were, for a time, respected. Outsiders, however, soon found out about them. One day a load of lumber came in sight from Mazeppa. It was watched with curiosity. Presently it was unloaded on a claim selected by Dr. Perry for a friend of his. and in a brief time a shanty was erected. This was con- sidered a bold invasion upon the rights of the settlers. Next morning at daylight some twenty of us, armed with axes and clubs, resolved to expel the invaders. Upon reaching the shanty a call for surrender was made and in a few moments the shanty was leveled to the ground. There was no one inside. A shout rang through the valley and the valiant heroes retired. During the day the man whose shanty had been demolished appeared upon the scene. At a distance he looked somewhat disconsolate and we fancied he would disappear and not return. Not so, however. The next day he returned with some companions. They seemed to carry something which looked very much like shotguns. The shanty was not again disturbed. AYe thought it best to bottle up our wrath and not take any chances."