Colesburg "Letter to the Editor", 1867

MALLORY, MORELAND, WELCH, BOLSINGER, KENNEDY, JACKSON, PORTER, MCNAMEE, PAGE, PECK, COLE, SMITH, FLYNN

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 6/29/2018 at 21:19:24

Colesburg Reminiscences - Present Status - Schools and Churches - Fruit - Suicide

Colesburg, Dec. 6, 1867
Editor Times:
I have just had a conversation with the oldest inhabitant of this place, Mr. Horace Mallory. He is a native of Bristol, New York, and came here twenty-nine years ago this spring. At that time elk, bears and panthers, as well as deer, wolves and wild cats were plenty in the Turkey timber. The elk disappeared long ago; bears and panthers are rarely seen, wild cats are scarce, and wolves are abundant enough for "all practical purposes."

About the only combat Mr. Mallory ever had with a wild animal was with a cub, and he, Mr. M., and not the cub, was victorious. He was going from Colesburg to Elkader on horse back, when he overtook her sable ladyship and her family of five juvenile bruins. He gave chase, drove one cub into a hollow tree; drove it out, and with one heavy blow of a stick on its forehead, laid it low. He then laid it high, on his horse, and rode on. It was tender and oleaginous, and equal to a pig, roasted by Charles Lamb. Mr. Mallory is hugging close on four score years, and is as straight as a lamp post.

David Moreland, who died here two or three years ago, came here with his family, one month after Mr. Mallory. He was from Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He camped in the timber, with Winnebagoes all round him, thick as mosquetoes in the month of August. In a little opening he and his boys planted some potatoes, turnips and pumpkins. These did well, and his rustic garners were filled in autumn.

Jacob Moreland tells me a little story, showing the shrewdness of the savages. One day, late in Autumn - the autumn of 1838 - eleven of them brought in a deer, and wanted to exchange it for pumpkins. Jacob told them he would take the animal, and give them all the pumpkins they could carry away. They laughed as well as an Indian knows how to laugh, knowing they had the best end of the bargain. They cut eleven poles, each of them being about six or seven feet long. On each of them they strung five or six pumpkins, and balanced them on their shoulders. Then, taking two or three more in each of their blankets, they marched off, chuckling like squirrels with their pouches full of hickory nuts. They took away nearly a cart load.

The next year one of these eleven Winnebagoes came back and "drove" a good bargain with Mrs. Margaret Welch. "Jim" - the name by which he was known - brought in a bag of feathers and wanted to exchange them with Mrs. W. for flour, which he saw in a barrel behind the door. The lady wanted the feathers and said she would give him six double hands full of meal for them. Instantly he emptied out the feathers; made a ladle of his two hands, continuing the ladle to his elbows, and dipping into the barrel half a dozen times, completely filling his bag and nearly emptied the barrel.

Colesburg was once on the stage route from Dubuque to Elkader, West Union and Walrussia*. Ten years ago the railroad came along twelve miles south, changed the course of travel, and left Colesburg to "go it," like a suicidal butcher, on her own hook. But the town is not dead. It is in fact doing well, supporting seven stores, various mechanic shops, a steam saw mill and a steam flouring mill, which turns out a tip top brand of flour.

The Congregationalists and Methodist have houses of worship here and a worthy many to fill each pulpit. Two departments of the district school are running in separate buildings; and in Bolsinger's Hall, Mr. John Kennedy, a good scholar and a thorough disciplinarian, has a select school of sixty pupils, and "still they come." He is assisted by Miss Martha A. Jackson of Hopkinton. The pupils are an ambitious class, eager to see the top of the "hill of science."

J.B. Moreland of this place has five span of horses, two matched pairs of red and white ones, which would fill the eye of the "fancies." The smaller pair would be appropriate for circus life, and would be picked up in a hurry, should the right man get his eye on them. They are as gentle as a "suckling dove."

The hotel here is in the hands of George Porter, late of the 3d Missouri infantry. He enlisted in Clayton county, Iowa, in what was known as the "Lyon regiment," which the removal of Gen. Fremout made a failure. Mr. P. is a good provider.

Apples are doing finely in this part of the State. L. McNamee, J. Page, Samuel Peck, James Cole, Jacob Smith, and others have good orchards, which bear well. Two years ago Mr. Page had 19 1/2 bushels on one tree. Several young orchards are just beginning to bear.

Mr. Joseph Flynn, a son of Patrick Flynn, living about two miles from this place, ended his life last Tuesday, by taking strichnine. His age was nineteen. He has been sickly for years, and has been subject to low spirits. He attended the select school here three days; went home and told a sister that he was going to poison himself. She undertook to prevent him, but failed. He swallowed the dose, and was dead in an hour or two. He was buried yesterday. A sister of young Flynn killed herself in the same way eight or ten years ago.
J.C.

~Daily Times, Dubuque, Iowa; Tuesday, December 10, 1867

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Note: The article was transcribed as it appeared in the newspaper article, including the misspelled words. The location of a place named Walrussia is unknown, and it is possibly a misspelling of Wabasha. Wabasha was listed in the U.S. Official Register as a post office in Clayton County from 1843 to 1845, but it's exact location remains unknown.