Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/621

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 539 firm prudently limited each family to a certain portion. Thus from town came in as soon as they heard of the arrival of a boat. Other boats came in a few days, bringing needed supplies for other firms, and plenty now reigned among those who had the money with which to buy. The United States land office for the R<'d Wing land district was opened here about the beginning of, the year 1855; W. W. Phelps, register, and Christopher Graham, receiver. They first occupied the office of P. Sanford and were kept busy in filing the declaration of intention of pre-emptors and '"proving up" until the time of the first public sale. The same year, some time in the summer, the Red AVing "Sentinel," the first weekly newspaper, made its appearance. It was a very creditable appearing sheet, published by Merritt & Hutehins. The printing was done in a building on Main street which was used as a carpenters' shop and a house of worship, being afterward remodeled into a private residence. This was the year of the first liquor agitation in the village. To quote from a previous history: "The most remarkable event of this year was the advent of whiskey. The town proprietors and nearly all the early settlers were professedly temperance men. Liquor selling w r as to be forever prohibited. But, at a time least suspected, the evil made its appearance. A building, afterward occupied by the "Argus" on Bush street, had been erected by Jared Boughton, and was rented to a dry goods mer- chant named Parish. This store began to he a place of frequent resort by those who loved to talk. After a while it was told to one of the unsuspecting citizens that this dry goods merchant kept 'hardware' in his cellar. More than two years had passed since the town was begun and no intoxicating liquors had been kept for sale here openly. How the whiskey ever got in the cellar of that dry goods store was a mystery. It was soon evi- dent that it was there. Men were seen coming from that store with unsteady step and flushed visages. A public meeting was called. Men of every profession and trade met together to ex- press their indignation. Long speeehes were uttered, and poli- ticians joined their voices against the illegal sale. A committee of five was appointed to wait on the merchant who had the hard- ware in his cellar and inform him that the sale of the stuff could not be allowed. The committee visited the offender, going in a body to the store, stating the object of their visit and the author- ity under which they acted. The man winced somewhat under the influence of popular feeling thus boldly expressed, denied the charge of selling it. but admitted that men could go to his
 * ill were, for the time, supplied. Settlers living on claims far