Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/546

 466 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY The remainder of this chapter is devoted to writings of the Rev. J. W. Hancock. 'The Red Wing Indians were generally peaceable, but ocea- sionally we had a row which set the whole village in commotion. Whisky could be obtained over on the Wisconsin side for money, blankets, or anything valuable which the Indians could spare. .Moderate drinking was not their custom. They must have enough to make 'drunk come.' or none at all. Several of them would put their •mites' together and go over and buy two or three gallons at a time, which, being brought home, was drunk up in a short time. This was followed by all the noise and quarrel- ing imaginable, and usually resulted in somebody being either killed or badly wounded. "Shortly after a row of this kind had taken place, and while there were a number of very sick children in the village, whom I was visiting at the time, I heard a woman cry out, 'Now they are coming with it.' With what.'" said I. She immediately pointed to the river and answered. 'Miimi-wakan' (spirit-water, or whisky). I saw a canoe approaching from the other shore, in which were five or six young braves, who soon landed. I placed myself where the path led up the bank, ready to meet them. The leader carried a tin pail with a cover, holding, I should think, about two gallons. I asked what he had in the pail, and he replied ' Minne-wakan. ' Snatching it from him, it was the work of a moment and the contents of the pail were soaking into the ground. "Loud talk followed on both sides. I tried hard to convince them thai whisky was contraband on the Minnesota side of the river and advised them not to bring over any more. After leav- ing them I understood that one of the braves boasted that he would bring whisky here and drink it, and defying me to spill it. "But a few days elapsed before he made the trial. The first intimation I had of it was when an Indian called at my house and wished me to come to the door. I looked out and saw the young braves coming single file, singing as they marched along. The first one carried a two-gallon jug, which he was anxious that I should notice, affirming at the same time that it was whisky. I went for him, got hold of his jug, but could not wrest it from his grasp, for the reason that he had it tied to a strong cord which passed around his neck and over one shoulder, but I managed to pull out the cork and overturn the jug, when the liquor commenced to run out. He let go the jug and clenched me by the hair with both hands, and used me rather roughly until the whisky had all run out, as it took both my hands to keep the jug inverted while he was dragging me about. Well, I had but partially conquered. There were many witnesses and he