Document text
,ederal hritersi _roject
rrederick taul--L A bollins
beatings, Lebruslaa.
uOLITO:
Intervi w.4th Lr. _ernon Lyle,
Bostin,:s, Bebras-a.
I was born at Ainburg, Indiana, which is located in Litchell
County. It was June 3, 1849. y ancestors were iennsylvania Dutch. Ly father
was a merchant. He ranted to make a fcrtune out west and suceded to pur uade fa
to outfit him for a long ttlp to to California. Father and 19 other
men started with 2 teams and wagone in Lay 1049. ..ehey first noaded for ot. Joe
Mo., o join a larger caravan. Dad, however, did dot t2;et to OAdfornia.
the way he became a victim of the cholorea. .hen and where he died we never
found out. As cot reliable reports, however stating that he died of the
choloroa and that his property was divided among his friends, who accompanied
him.
Ohortly after father left, I was bcrn. I attended tile Grath) sdhool in
odinburg and two years at Bartville College, Bartville, Ind. I took a c uree
in general education. "fiber „richt, father of the famous “right Brothers,
was a professor at Bartville College at tAat time. in 1071 decialied
to go ut %est. ,c druva in a muding wagon. hhen we k-,ot teoTtoholl jounty,
Ramses, I filed un an LU acre homestead. Later accuminated a 130 4c.;:e farm.
I still own the 210 acres of land.
There were few peo is in .eotern Kansas at tae tio;o we azrived. But
the people that were there soon got acquanited and were far more socialbe
than people are now days. often we would get together and talk about cur past
lives end the news as it Cl e I nto our settlement frau m uth to !-_outh. Of
c urse we or most ef us played c-rds for pleasure.
None of us bad :aoney. The medium of exchange in t •)se first yelrs was
breaking the prairie and cleaning the land of stones. .;uch work wao exahanged
for food and clothing. tj.eat was plentiful. Buffalo, ,ild Turkey, krairies
Chicken, uell and rabbit meats Gave us ,i„.ite a variaty It was so celd that
1
fr-ze my t. JR and my _re. .he day 1.1.9ov.BUth yo 171. .n thar
Ulm I went hunt iv to !et a prlirie ohlekom4 A alm-. vmoAt hunting for tue:oy.
e cot a turicoy, i rabhiit, a rivall mA a „rairio ohickon. n ther ti e I want
huntina ZA, turkey. I ahot and il1ed four with -Lae shot. „,ut thin intc ft
sack and carried them home. atey weighted ariand 100 lbs. I 01V wall reumber
it. e sottlors of Itehell County oft: vieited each ether. /e hsd many
sur?rise parties in tho noittborNaod. e usually spont tho maniac playing
cirde, ainrinc and dancing. oat of us also rent to ohruoh.
no ti -:o dtrinr those early years a Low Yorkor came out to C:Awker City,
_saws to shoot buffac. John La Crary went out with hime. ;oon they came upon
two buffalo, a cow .ind a bull. John shot the cAs nt the bull escod. John
told the .Aetorner to hid in the crisis noar the cow and await the return of
the bull, lie did so. ;eon the bull appeared. irichtoned the asternor yelled,
eolring the bull into a second flii;ht. hat 4 you honor for slid John to his
associte. i bocano :roightoned was VI° answcr. They anitod again. The bull
returned. This tiro the Yaw Tzkor shot and wounded the animal. Howover the
beast took *nor his attnot.or. Ca zht him between the horns nnd throw him
hilit into the air. not beinr hvrt John yollcd, You wora headed up, the richt
dirocticm. hey didn't you keep on -cinc. lou'd Ii ye rotten to 7.1e:von. The
New Yorker horiev:r had laded in a buff_ilo trail, h3vinc his life spared.
no day a straws:or travelina thrall& the a unrty by rail atoppad at
the Cawker City, ,nmaas deport. kird wind was blot n. Turning to a local mln
seed: loos the wind alnays blow that way here. No, was t,13 rally often it
biome other wAys.
Metoor fell 0' rny ;11,co in 137'. Iscoverod by two boys. teacher
took axe tuAl brick° it up. i .)iece weighed 50 lbs. ro Chipman tor aronia Yrin
twat it t ale or •Arcard. 4h lar-ast piece at that tin*. I found a 10 piece
,.t%ar places, oat ,ffiao has all, at ;ilvt)-;:or city, ansma.