Collection of Nebraska Pioneer ReminiscencesDaughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
History
Collection of Nebraska Pioneer Reminiscences
Daughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska
Frontier and pioneer life -- Nebraska; Nebraska -- History
My brother fenced his land and planted it in corn and all kinds of
vegetables. The season being favorable there was an abundant crop, both
cultivated and wild. The timber abounded with grapes, plums, nuts, etc.,
and strawberries on the prairies. We had a well of fine water, a good
cellar or cave, and a genuine "creampot" cow. Instead of a carriage I
had a fine saddle horse (afterwards sold to a captain in the army), and
how we did gallop over the prairies! One of my escapades was to a
neighbor's home ten miles away for ripe tomatoes. In lieu of a sack we
tied together the neck and sleeves of a calico wrapper, filled it with
the tomatoes, then tied the bottom and balanced it astride the horse in
front of me. Going through the tall slough grass in one place near
Sheridan, now Auburn, the horse became frantic with heat and flies and
attempted to run away. The strings gave way and the tomatoes scattered.
Finally the saddle turned and the well-trained horse stopped. An
inventory revealed one sleeve full of tomatoes remaining.
Among our near neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Milo Gates and family, and
Mr. and Mrs. Engle. Mrs. Gates's cheerful optimism made this pioneer
life not only possible but enjoyable.
After five months, my brother joined the army and went south as a
captain; was several times promoted, and stayed all through the war. A
year after I went back to Brownville to stay until the war was over, and
there made many valued acquaintances: Senator Tipton's sister, Mrs.
Atkinson, Judge Wheeler, H. C. Lett, the McCrearys, Hackers, Whitneys,
Carsons, Dr. Guin, Furnas, Johnson, etc. About this time the citizens
gave a party for the boys who enlisted, and there I met E. J. Randall,
whom I married soon after he returned from the army. Of the four Randall
brothers who enlisted one was killed, one wounded, and one taken
prisoner. Two of them still live, Dr. H. L. Randall of Aurora,
forty-seven years a practicing physician in Nebraska and at one time
surgeon at the Soldiers' Home, Grand Island; and A. D. Randall of
Chapman, Nebraska, who enlisted at the age of sixteen and served all
through the war.
After a college course of four years my husband entered the ministry and
served for twenty-five years in Nebraska, except for one year of mission
work at Cheyenne, Wyoming. The itinerant life is not unlike the pioneer
life and brought with it the bitter and sweet as well, but the bitter
was soon forgotten and blessed memories remain of the dear friends
scattered all over the state of Nebraska, and indeed to the ends of the
earth.
Dr. Wharton said when paying his tribute to my departed husband, "He
still lives on in the lives of those to whom he has ministered." Our
children are Charles H. Randall of Los Angeles, California, member of
congress, and Mrs. Anna Randall Pope of Lincoln, Nebraska.
STIRRING EVENTS ALONG THE LITTLE BLUE
BY CLARENDON E. ADAMS
_Painting a Buffalo_
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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