THE DEATH OF A LAWMAN

The community of Bancroft was in shock.  Their marshal was dead—killed in the line of duty.  Strong and vital, in his early 40’s, William Gallion was well liked and respected in the community.  He and his family had moved to Portland Township in 1865 when he was just a boy and he had grown up working on the farm.  After his father passed, the family moved to Bancroft and he worked digging wells until he was elected city marshal and water superintendent in 1895.

His duties as a small-town marshal were pretty routine—investigating complaints, checking out strangers who wandered into town, escorting an occasional imbiber home when they were a little tipsy.  So how did he end up dead on October 9, 1896?

BANK ROBBERY AND MURDER

Two days earlier the bank in Sherburne, Minnesota, had been robbed by two men using the names J. D. Sair and Fred Pratt.  During the robbery the assistant cashier, George Thorburn, and a customer, Olof Oestern, had been killed.  The robbers had escaped by jumping thru a back window and riding their bicycles out of town, headed toward the Iowa line.  The two separated when just a few miles out of town to avoid detection.  Word soon spread and lawmen on both sides of the border were warned to be on the lookout for strangers matching their descriptions.  The fugitive known as J. D. Sair spent the night at Swan Lake and then head northeast the next morning being pursued as far as Swea City.  Cutting into Seneca Township, he again headed northeast.  By this time Marshal Gallion was on the trail and followed him to a farm site several miles east of Elmore, Minnesota.  Believing that the suspect had bedded down for the night, Gallion returned to Elmore.

The next morning Gallion joined forces with Deputy Sheriff E. E. Ward of Fairmont, E. D. Fuller of Bancroft, M. E. Coffey of Sherburne, and Sandy McDonald, sheriff of Blue Earth.  Gallion directed them to the home of Ole Munson.  Driving their teams into the yard, Ward jumped out of the buggy driven by Marshal Gallion, approached the house and knocked on the door.  Mrs. Munson came out.  He told her why he was there and described the suspect, asking if she had seen anyone of that description riding a bike.  She made no reply but using her thumb, pointed to the back door.

At that moment, the door opened slightly and a .38 caliber revolver appeared and began firing, first at Fuller, then at McDonald and finally at Ward who dodged to one side.  Ward moved to a window three feet from the door and began firing at the fugitive.  Fuller, who was driving the other buggy, whipped the team to action and called out to the others to look out.  He drove a short distance from the house with Gallion’s team following behind. He hitched his horses to a fence and then turned to see Gallion slightly slumped in his seat.  Realizing something was wrong, he rushed to him, eased Gallion out of the buggy and on to the ground.  As he opened his coat, he discovered Gallion had been shot near the heart and he expired shortly thereafter without a struggle.  Fuller laid him on a robe and covered his body.

Back at the Munson house, the gunfight continued.  Sair made a break for a small building a short distance from the residence.  He mounted the bicycle he had hidden there and rode north, the posse soon in hot pursuit.  Sair was an excellent bicyclist and he bobbed and weaved down the road making it difficult to get a good shot.  After about four miles though, one of the men managed to shoot out his rear tire.  He left the bike and sought refuge in a nearby corn field.  Deputy Sheriff Ward took careful aim with his Winchester, fired and wounded the suspect.  Sair continued on for a few more rods, then pulled out his own revolver, held it to his temple, and pulled the trigger.  Numerous rounds were fired by the lawmen into his body to assure his demise.  On his person they found $1,020.03 in cash, two loaded revolvers and a large knife.  His body was taken to Elmore by Deputy Sheriff Ward.

Upon learning of the death of Will Gallion, the Noble Grand of the local Odd Fellows Lodge, A. N. Leonard, traveled to Elmore to bring home the body.  Due to inclement weather that evening, the party stayed in Elmore.  Local undertaker Sparks went up on the midnight train and embalmed the body of the Marshal and then brought it home to Bancroft to prepare for burial. 

Headline from The Republican
October 14, 1896

SUSPECT NUMBER 2

The second robbery suspect, known as Fred Pratt, was taken into custody the next day in Lake Mills.  It soon became apparent that he was using an alias, but he refused to give his correct name.  He did confess to being one of the robbers and did state that J. D. Sair was his brother.  After separating from his brother a few miles out of Sherburne, he rode west and then followed the Des Moines river south before stopping for the night at a farmer’s house about five miles south of Estherville.  After breakfast he started out again following the river until just south of Emmetsburg where he turned east and headed for Algona.  Occasionally he would take refuge in a corn field to avoid meeting teams or people on horseback.  He finally arrived in Algona about 9 p.m. and put up at a local hotel.  The next morning, he had his bicycle repaired and then stopped at the local express office to see if the items he and his brother had shipped had arrived.  Not finding the shipment there, he decided that he’d better not wait for its arrival and was soon on his was way out of town.

As he left Algona, it began to rain making the roads difficult to maneuver.  He ended up walking and pushing the bike much of the way.  By the time he made it to Lake Mills on Saturday afternoon, October 10^th, he was worn out, soaked to the skin, and gave no resistance when arrested.  Officers found three loaded revolvers and two knives in his possession.   Pratt told the authorities he was from Cedar Rapids and was on his way to Minneapolis.  After being interrogated, he did admit to being one of the Sherburne robbers and that the suspect who killed himself was his brother.  He insisted that his brother did all of the shooting and that when they planned the robbery, it was understood that there would be no shooting.  Even after confessing to the crime, he refused to give his real name.  The prisoner was placed under heavy guard due both to the severity of the crimes committed and threats of lynching.

The prisoner was moved to the Fairmont, Minnesota, jail and finally, on October 13^th, he told the sheriff there his true name – Lewis Kellihan from Rock Rapids, Iowa.  His statement was confirmed and his parents, who still resided in Rock Rapids, were notified. They identified the dead robber as J. H. (Hans) Kellihan.  His parents were devastated at the news—one son dead and a second son under arrest for murder. 

Headline from The Republican
October 21, 1896

Trial for Lewis Kellihan was set for March 23, 1897, in Fairmont, Minnesota.  The defendant was represented by H. G. McMillen, a well-known lawyer.  It is said that he represented Kellihan pro bono as Lewis had rescued McMillen’s daughter five years before from drowning.  Because of the notoriety of the event, seating a jury was extremely difficult.  Three pools of jurors had to be called in before the correct number of jurors was chosen.

During the trial, the defendant’s father, John Kellihan, testified that Lew had always been a good boy and had never gotten into any trouble.  Around the age of 12 he had been thrown from a horse onto frozen ground and suffered a head injury.  He was unconscious for two days and in bed for two weeks.  Lewis had been a different person following the accident.  Among other things, his decision-making skills were adversely affected as well as his comprehension of the seriousness of a situation, and his parents knew that he could easily be led into situations beyond his full understanding. During the trial he often smiled or laughed at inappropriate times and did not seem to grasp the seriousness of the proceeding.  In fact, the reporter covering the trial for the Fairmont Sentinel observed, “He has certainly not been acting, but is either dull of understanding or a hardened evil doer.”

GUILTY OF MURDER IN THE 1ST DEGREE

Following the trial and deliberations, the defendant was found guilty of murder in the first degree.  As a part of their verdict, the jury also made a special request for mercy for the defendant.  Sentencing was set for April 12^th.  Despite multiple requests for clemency, Lewis Kellihan was sentenced to death by hanging on August 12^th.  His attorneys then petitioned the Minnesota State Board of Pardons which met in July.  Kellihan’s sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in the state penitentiary.  By late 1899, it was reported that Lewis was “losing his mind” and as time progressed, his mental health deteriorated until he became violently insane.  He died January 28^th, 1902.  An autopsy disclosed a brain tumor which was thought to have caused many of his behavior problems in his last years.

GALLION'S FUNERAL

 

Bancroft opera house known as
Jefferson Hall

The funeral for William Gallion was held on Sunday afternoon, October 11, 1896.  It was originally intended to be held in the Methodist Church, but due to the size of the expected crowd was moved to the Bancroft town hall/opera house, known as Jefferson Hall.  Even with a larger room, almost half of the mourners were forced to stand outside.  A life-size picture of Gallion was placed in the center of the hall, draped in black. 

The Bancroft banks started a fund to assist Will’s widowed mother and to erect a suitable monument in his memory.  However, I could find no evidence that such a memorial was ever constructed.  After losing his life in the line of service, Marshal William Gallion lies forgotten in an unmarked grave in Portland Township Cemetery.

My thanks to Doug Nyman of the Bancroft Historical Museum for his help in locating a photo of the Bancroft opera house.

Until next time,

Jean

 

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AUREL WOHNKE AND THE WOHNKE HOSPITAL

Hospitals today are large businesses with many departments, levels of care, and a multitude of employees—a big change from 70 to 100 years ago.  There was a time when most procedures were performed either in doctor’s offices or in the homes of patients.  Hospitals, when needed, could be a building dedicated for that purpose, but in many rural communities, the hospital could just as easily be a located in a residence with all care provided by one or two people.  Such was the case with the Wohnke Hospital in Bancroft.  During a time in the 1930’s, the home of George and Aurel Wohnke served the community well in that regard.

NURSE GARDNER

Aurel Gardner Wohnke dedicated her life to nursing.  The daughter of Ed and Sarah (Dotson) Gardner, she was born November 23, 1890 on the Gardners’ farm in Seneca Township, the oldest of seven children.  Although we know little about her early life, a major blow came to the family in 1912 when her father committed suicide, leaving her mother with several young children yet in the home.  At that time Aurel was 21.  She would go on to graduate from the University of Iowa in 1916 as a registered nurse. 

Aurel came back to the Bancroft area and put her degree to good use.  She took on private cases, staying in the patient’s home and caring for them throughout their illness and recovery.  This was more than a full time job—it was round the clock on-call service.  She attended at surgeries and deliveries, often remaining to nurse the patient back to full health or care for newborns.  During the influenza outbreak in 1918 the demand for her services was so great that she got very little rest herself.  Dr. Devine, a local physician with whom she often worked, stated that she was the best pneumonia nurse there was.

I picture Aurel as an independent woman.  I believe that she assisted her mother financially and must have set a good example as a nurse because her sister, Vera, followed in her footsteps.  Unmarried until her late 30’s, she was able to make decisions about how to lead her life that other women of the time could not.  Her travels in the county from medical case to medical case were featured regularly in the newspapers as was the purchase of a new Chevrolet automobile in 1925.  Quite an accomplishment for a single woman at the time.

MARRIED LIFE AND OPENING A HOSPITAL

It is unknown how she met her husband.  George Wohnke was a Chicago native born June 28, 1886.  Several of Aurel’s siblings settled in that city and she may have worked there for a brief time in the mid 1920’s.  George was a WWI veteran having served as a chief yeoman in the Navy.  After marrying in June of 1928, the couple remained in the Chicago area until around 1930.  They had purchased the house located at 329 W. Ramsey Street in 1929 and then moved there a year later. 

329 West Ramsey in 2005

George had served as a private secretary with the Department of Agriculture of the USDA and after his move he began to work at the CCC Camp in Bancroft.  Aurel settled back into the community quickly and soon opened their home as a hospital.  It is unknown how many patients the house could accommodate, but was often reported by the local newspaper to be full to capacity. 

Bancroft Register
January 5, 1933

Many surgeries were performed there.  According to an article written for the Bancroft Register by A. C. Tony Accurso and published February 4, 2009, local resident, Amanda Kollasch, recalled her emergency appendectomy at Wohnke Hospital.  She was just 16 years old and living in Lakota.  Her local doctor was not available so she was rushed to Bancroft in severe pain.  Dr. T. J. Egan performed the surgery which took place on the dining room table of the Wohnke home.  After a few days of post-surgical care, Amanda left the hospital fully recovered.

WORLD WAR II AND CHICAGO

By 1935 the CCC Camp had closed and George found work in the grocery department of Kennedy’s Store.  Aurel continued to operate the hospital until 1942.  With the outbreak of World War II, the Wohnkes moved back to Chicago where George got a job in the Elwood Defense Plant which made bombs and 105 mm shells.  He worked checking in materials at the plant.  Aurel worked 12 hour shifts at Elmhurst Hospital in Oak Park.  George roomed in Joliet during the week and traveled to spend time with Aurel on the weekends.

In 1948 the Wohnkes returned to Bancroft and settled back into their home which they had rented out during the war.  George went into partnership with Glen Cowing and the two opened the Cowing-Wohnke Food Mart where he would help feed the community until his retirement in 1955.

Bancroft Register
May 13, 1948

The couple were deeply invested in the area.  George served on the board of the Bancroft Community School District and was elected secretary.  He also played a prominent role in the local American Legion organization.  At times he would put on his old Navy uniform and speak at the schools about his service during WWI.  Both of the Wohnkes were on the board of the Greenwood Cemetery Association/ Bancroft Cemetery Association, hosting annual meetings in their home.

The First Baptist Church of Bancroft served as their home away from home.  Aurel was involved in the Ladies Aid Society of the church and the couple often hosted various mission groups and other activities related to the congregation in their home. George was given the right hand of fellowship on June 18, 1937, and was a faithful member of the congregation until his death.

The Wohnkes had always been avid gardeners and after his retirement in 1955, they began to focus their efforts on raising gladioli and orchids.  George became somewhat of an expert when it came to raising orchids and the couple won many awards for their magnificent glads.  Aurel used many to decorate for special services or funerals at their church.  Strangers would often stop by to admire the stunning beauty of their flower gardens. They had 35 to 40 varieties of gladioli and would sell from 6,000 to 7,000 blooms per year until around 1972 when it became too difficult for the two of them to manage.

50 YEARS TOGETHER

From the Bancroft Register

In 1978 the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary with a large reception at the First Baptist Church.  Friends, neighbors and former patients and customers from near and far attended the celebration.  That year the Wohnkes also made the decision to sell their cherished home and move to Heritage Apartments.  She was almost 88 at the time of the move and he was 92.  They moved in the fall and then in April of 1979, Aurel died unexpectedly.  George remained active in the community for several more years until he suffered a stroke at the age of 95 which took his life a few weeks later.

The house in 2018

WOHNKE HOSPITAL

The Wohnkes opened their hospital during the 1930s which was a difficult decade for the whole country.  With the Great Depression grinding on, it leads one to wonder how well Aurel was paid for the services rendered at her hospital.  Many physicians of the day recounted stories of taking chickens, eggs or other produce in lieu of cash payment and many just wrote off overdue accounts for those who could not pay.  It is likely that Aurel could have shared similar tales.  Despite the uncertain times, Aurel and George chose to make a difference by opening Wohnke Hospital which made an important contribution to the health care needs of Bancroft and the surrounding area.

Until next time,

Jean

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A SOLDIER'S POEM

As perhaps many of you already know, 2017 marks the 100^th anniversary of the entry of the United States into World War I. This first global conflict was dubbed the “War to end all wars.”  It featured new forms of weaponry including the use of chemical weapons (mustard gas) and aerial combat. In addition, just as a measles outbreak caused the deaths of many young men during the Civil War, Spanish influenza ended the lives of thousands of armed service members while serving our country.  Our county alone suffered over 50 war casualties, plus many who were wounded.

The Kossuth County Genealogical Society has begun a project to gather and preserve information about Kossuth County residents who served in World War I.  We have been busy finding obituaries, service records, letters, and news articles, as well as seeking contributions from the public of things like discharge papers, photos, and journals for scanning and memorabilia that we could borrow for use at a display to be set up around Veteran’s Day.

PRIVATE HENRY B. STELPFLUG

While researching these brave men and women, I came across a poem written by Private Henry Stelpflug.  Born on a farm three miles northwest of Bancroft on April 10, 1893, Henry was the son of John A. Stelpflug and Mary (Emde) Stelpflug.  Both of his parents had immigrated to America from Germany.  They were married in Fayette County, Iowa, in 1884 and moved to Bancroft in 1889 when they purchased their farm.

Henry attended country schools in his neighborhood and the school in Bancroft.  He spent his entire life on the farm except for a little over a year that he spent serving during the war.  Private Stelpflug was inducted into the United States Army on May 28, 1918, in Algona and left immediately for Camp Dodge.  He was eventually assigned to the 352^nd Infantry, a part of the 88^th Infantry Division.

While stationed in the Haute-Alsace sector, the 88^th Division managed to hold the line preventing a huge force of German infantry, artillery and air power from getting to the Meuse-Argonne offensive, contributing indirectly to the success of that battle.  What Henry saw during his service left a big impression on him – enough to set his thoughts to verse.

From Bancroft Register, March 27, 1919

HENRY’S POEM

His poem was published on March 27, 1919 in the Bancroft Register and it describes his transport by ship and his experiences on the front. 

We left dear o’ homeland

        One bright sunny day

To clean up the Huns

        In lands far away.

We boarded the transport

        In dear old New York

And landed in England

        A few miles from “Cork.”

The trip was swell

        Across the ocean so blue

Living on hard tack

        And bully beef stew

We boarded the train at Liverpool

        And got off at Winchester

Like a lot of damn fools

We stayed over night

        And slept in a tent

Then we boarded the train

        And to Southampton we went

Then up the gang plank

        Again we did prance

Crossed the channel

        And landed in France.

Stayed a while in Le Havre

        Then we traveled some more

Till we got to Les Laumes

        Put up our dog tents

And sang “Home Sweet Home”

        Then once again we moved

On to Grigon

        And the doughboys life there

Certainly was grand.

Drilling and hiking

        And eating hard tack

I’d like to say more

        But I dare not give facts

Then on to Belfort

        Again we did go

And was rushed in caves

        From air raids you know.

Then we started to hike

        At eleven P.M.

And stopped at Laire

        And of gas drill and skirmish

We soon got enough

        So we moved on to Angate

And began to get rough

        Then to Angate we went

Four in a barn.

Some doughboys did joke

        And lit a cigarette

And she went up in smoke

        And then with a French pump

We worked half the night

        And the way fire did burn

It sure was a fright.

Then we got settled down

        For 2 days or more

Till some got sick

        And others foot sore

So with a small company

        Again we moved on

To the village of Ramagney.

There we stayed and rested

        Then we moved on again

The same as before

        Then into the dugouts

Together we went

        Back in reserve

One week there we spent.

Then up in the front

        There in a trench to lay still

Waiting for orders

        To go over and kill

We thought not of danger

        For it was such great fun

To sneak thru the trenches

        And watch for the Hun.

Then in the still of the night

        A signal would flash

And some timid sentinel

        Would sound the horn

And yell “gas”

        With explosions and air fight

It sure was such fun

        Oft times I regret

That our work there is done.

For one dark and dreary night

        We shouldered our guns

And went into Poppy

        For the battle was won

And then on to Lucy

        We started good living

For there in that town

        We spent our Thanksgiving.

Then into Ribeaucourt

        We soon settled down

Waiting for word

        To start homeward bound

Tis one Christmas day

        And sadly I say

We did not eat our turkey

        In the dear U.S.A.

But soon we will be leaving

        For the land o’er the foam

To settle forever

        In the dear old “Home Sweet Home”

Then by the fireside gleam

        Will sit there and tell

How the Hun yelled Komrad

        When we blowed them to H---

“This is the trip of the 352 Inf. Of which I believe I am the only doughboy of Kossuth County.”

Pft. Henry B. Stelpflug

Lo. C. 352 Inf.,

A. P. O. 795 A. E. F.

 
EPILOGUE

Henry was honorably discharged from service on June 13, 1919, at Camp Dodge.  He returned home to Bancroft where he was content to spend his days farming.  In addition to growing crops, he raised cattle and swine.  His Spotted Poland hogs became well known especially after one boar won first place for his division at the State Fair in 1929. 

Sadly, Henry died August 24, 1930, at the Veteran’s Hospital in Kansas City from an attack of tuberculosis brought on by the flu.  He was only 37.  Following a funeral service at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Bancroft, he was laid to rest beside his parents in the Catholic cemetery there.  Never married, he was survived by six sisters and one brother. 

CAN YOU HELP?

If you have any information or memorabilia about a World War I Kossuth County veteran, please consider sharing that information with the Kossuth County Genealogical Society so that it may be preserved for future generations.  Contact Manita Murphy at 515-320-2091 or by email at murphyconst@gmail.com to make arrangements for scanning of photos or other information or possible loan of artifacts for the display in November.

These brave veterans MUST NOT be forgotten. 

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff

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A WINTER HUNTING TRIP IN 1857

This past Monday night, a ground blizzard suddenly developed.  The wind roared across the prairie sending all loose snow airborne, reducing visibility to a few precious feet.  I was home, but my husband was at a meeting and it took him a long time to make it through the elements until he was arrived safely. During storms of this nature, my mind invariably turns to the pioneers and how they survived the cold and snowy winters of northern Iowa.  I never cease to admire their adventurous spirits and survival skills.

I thought it might be a goodtime to share a good winter story I stumbled upon while doing research for another project.  In 1901 William Ingham presented a paper at the Old Settlers’ Meeting in Bancroft.  In the following excerpt from that presentation, Ingham describes an elk hunting trip in the dead of winter.  Ingham is accompanied on this adventure by Thos. C. Coville (Covel) and William S. Campbell with whom he shared a cabin on the prairie.

        While at Fort Dodge in February, 1857, I met William S. Campbell, who had just come from Pennsylvania.  He seemed to be a sturdy young fellow and well fitted to meet whatever might happen while out on a tramp, so that I made him a proposal to join me in an elk hunting trip for antlers, still hoping we might find the ones I had first seen on Black Cat creek.  On getting back to our cabin plans were formed and everything gotten ready for Covel, Campbell and myself to start out on the first warm day and go to Buffalo Grove, where a large band of elk were reported to be wintering.  A fine morning soon came, so that about 11 o’clock we were off on our snow shoes, each with his light snow sled loaded with an independent outfit, in order that each could take care of himself in case of separation.  The air was very still and uncomfortably warm, until about 8:00 o’clock when we felt a sudden puff of air which repeated several times from the northwest told us of what might be expected.  I only had time to get the course to the grove in plain sight with a pocket compass before the grove disappeared and then we soon found ourselves in the midst of one of the grandest storms of the winter with some seven or eight miles yet to go. 

In a Blizzard

        Our course from now on was at right angles with the wind and nearly so with the ridges of the crusted snow, so that we had no doubt about our ability to safely reach the grove.  We had gotten within some three or four miles, after much work in keeping our sleds on their runners as the gusts of wind would turn them over and over and perhaps have them on their sides or upside down, and much of the time would hold them at right angles with our course; this extra work added to the constant effort required to hold up against the strong wind and not drift from our course, made it tedious work.  As this was Covel’s first trial on snow shoes in a roaring blizzard in which we could hardly see each other, he became confused and decided we were not on the right course and wanted to turn and go with the wind.  When he stopped and refused to follow we told him we would not oblige him to go any farther with us and that we had no time to lose and so must leave him to his own fate with a good bye as we should not see him again.  We started, with Campbell next to me who was to watch and see if he followed.  It was a great relief when Campbell reported he had started on after us, after which he fully recovered so that we heard nothing more about our being lost or anyone else until he discovered the first signs of the grove at about 8 o’clock at night.  In fact we had gotten into the grove before we really knew we were near it.  We had been told where to look for a new cabin built the fall before on the east side of the grove which was soon found.  We were not long in clearing away a place inside in about two feet of snow for our camp.  As the cabin had not been plastered and did not have any floor we built our fire against one end using shakes from the roof, chinking blocks and logs from the gables to keep it up so that by morning it was rather a badly wrecked affair. 

Game Near Bancroft

        During the night the weather cleared so that we found the air in the morning clear and cold.  There was no game in the grove of any kind, as had been reported to us earlier in the winter, so that from here we went to Buffalo Fork and then followed it down to Edward Moll’s cabin at the river without seeing any indications of elk or other game.  There we stopped over night and in the morning Covel told us he had had all the fun he wanted snow shoeing, and we thought so too, and left him with Moll to hunt over the groves nearby.  Campbell and I went west and then bore off towards the lower end of the timber on the river above Mud creek.  Before getting there we saw several foxes and quite a number of wolves sitting about on the prairie, so we felt sure large game was nearby.  When about forty rods from the river, one of Campbell’s snow shoe fastenings gave way so that he was obliged to stop and fix it up.  While he was busy I was looking about and soon discovered a pair of antlers in motion that reached up just above the bank of the river; this was good news for Campbell, as he had never seen or shot a wild elk; when told that the elk was for him and him alone to kill it did not seem to help him any in getting his shoe properly fixed.  When all was ready we started on and soon noticed the elk was going off on the ice at a pretty good pace.  Watch was turned loose, when he soon brought him to bay in the timber and began barking.  We went quite close to the elk that had stopped where the snow was shallow and firm, when Campbell fired his first shot through the head too low down; this made him furious and when I saw him plunging for Campbell, who had no time to lose in getting behind a tree just as the buck struck it with his antlers, it was beginning to be decidedly interesting.  The dog Watch drew his attention again, when he saw me and then Campbell had the chance of seeing me scamper behind another smaller tree just in time as the old fellow’s antlers made their appearance on either side, so that I could have easily caught them and perhaps held him there against the tree until Campbell could have finished his part of the work.  Watch was now called for loudly and drew his attention again when Campbell, who had loaded his gun, made the second shot, striking very near the first, so as not to injure the antlers; I told him to load up again and make another trial, which he refused to do thinking two shots were his full share.  As the elk would be likely to drop in a very short time so that Campbell could say he killed him, I hesitated a few minutes about firing.  Night would soon be on us and as we had considerable work to do in preparing for camp, we could not wait long and so at Campbell’s request I went up close and shot him with my revolver just as he was about to drop.  While dressing him the foxes and wolves began to gather and when done we were surrounded by a hungry set. 

Wolves Get the Meat

        Campbell found where a large tree had fallen and lodged in the crotch of another about eight feet high.  He went up on the fallen tree and cut off some small limbs, leaving hooks, then he hung up the quarters so that it would be impossible, as we thought, for the wolves to reach the meat.  The hide and head he carried up still higher and put them in a safe place.  We now made our camp near by a large fallen tree so as to use it for a back log, and while making a fire a wolf passed by not ten feet away, on looking up there was another following close by; picking up the gun nearby I shot him with the promise of no more shooting until our camp was made complete.  The foxes and wolves kept coming so that the night was made hideous by their howling and fighting.  We fired several shots at random among them, which only quieted them for a few minutes when they again went at it with renewed energy, fully determined to have the meat which they seemed to claim rightfully belonged to them as they had been waiting a long time to get it, and time proved they did get it, for when we went after the head and skin we found they had walked up the log and then humped and caught on as best they could until they fell to the ground with a small piece they had broken off.  Round and round they went, and kept it up until all was gotten.  A lynx had also been a party at the feast.

 

How desolate it must have been out on there on that prairie in the middle of a blizzard!  With no lights anywhere to break the darkness, Ingham and his companions used their vast knowledge of nature to survive and thrive in this unsettled region.

Be sure to keep snug and warm when the winter wind blows in your neighborhood.

Until next time,

Kossuth County History Buff    

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