Child's History of Waseca

Continuing Chapter II

Lost on the Prairie

 

“After dinner Mr. Sutlief wanted me to go with him and look for a suitable place to cross the river. We went to the river, and, finding no desirable crossing, concluded to cross further up, near what seemed, by the appearance of the timber, to be a very considerable bend in the river, apparently some five or six miles away. It was agreed that Sutlief should go back and guide the teams, while I should cross the river and travel up to the proposed crossing. 

 

Without thinking much about the company, I went slowly on until I came to the place where Dr. Kenyon afterwards lived. I could see or hear nothing of Sutlief or the company, not even a cow-bell, several of which I knew were in use on the cattle and sheep. I tried as well as I could to find their whereabouts. Although but a short distance below the proposed crossing, I could not find any trace of them before it was dark. As fate would have it, I had neither coat nor blanket, jack-knife nor matches, ax nor hatchet.

 

Tired out and hungry, I laid myself under a tree to rest, and was very soon asleep. With no breakfast, I renewed my search for the company, going on up the river to a point where a Mr. Bennett afterwards settled, but found no signs. I then concluded to follow down the river as long as my strength should last, unless I found something more desirable. Before proceeding, however, I pulled off a boot and, with a pin, wrote upon a smooth part of the boot-leg my name, thus: ‘G.W. Gree, Beaver Dam, Wis.,’ not knowing but that some one would find my bones and boots, and thereby my friends might hear from me. I had a little matter of $700 in my pockets, which, in case I should be lost, this act might be the means of my family getting. I had no other way of writing. After this preparation for the worst that might befall me, I started down the river, traveling slowly until nearly sun-down, when I found the trail where the company had crossed the river, not over half a mile where I had left Sutlief. With new courage and zeal I started on this trail. I followed it a short distance without any trouble, but, darkness coming on, the trail became invisible and I lost it. In hunting for it I stumbled and fell, and my weariness and exhaustion were such that I did not feel disposed to rise. I unconsciously fell asleep.

 

When I awoke the sun was high up and shining brightly. Reinvigorated by my sound and restful sleep, I soon found the trail, and, following it slowly a short time, I observed two men approaching me. They were of our company. Looking up towards the timber, about three miles from where they had crossed the river, I saw the wagons and the remainder of the company. They had camped there early in the afternoon of the day I was lost, expecting I would see and come to them. When night came and I did not appear, they built a large fire and kept it going all night, hoping thereby to attract my attention. The next day they spent on horseback looking for me without avail.

 

When I arrived in camp, they represented to me that my eyes were staring, and my lips and tongue swollen. Mrs. Sutlief prepared me something to eat, but I had no appetite and could eat nothing of it, instead thereof calling for a cup of sour milk which I drank with relish. I took but very little nourishment except sour milk the rest of that day. My appetite slowly returning, the next day I ate sparingly, but it was some three or four days before I could partake of an ordinary meal.”

 

 

Editorial Note - Upon rummaging through the vast library of contents here at the Star Eagle, I stumbled across a very old blue book titled, “Child’s History of Waseca County Minnesota for Fifty Years, 1854-1904.” 

 

After thumbing through the first several pages it was determined this book was too interesting to go back on the shelf. So, it was used as a stand for a computer monitor. Several months later, after finding a more suitable stand, I opened the book to show a reader who stopped into the office. After reading about the Horse Thief Detective Association, I made the decision that this piece of history should not be lost to time. Since then the Star Eagle has included, “a little bit of this and a little bit of that,” from the book.

 

Eli Lutgens