Een verhaal door Pa/ Charles Ingalls geschreven

[Halfpint]

Tussen alle papieren die bewaard zijn gebleven van Laura Ingalls Wilder is men onlangs een schrijven van Charles Ingalls tegengekomen. In een gewoon schrift had hij het verhaal verteld van de vestiging van het gezin Ingalls in het Dakota-gebied aan het Zilvermeer.


"I, Charles P. Ingalls, and family arrived at Silver Lake, September 9, 1879, and worked for A.L. Wells & Co., selling goods to the graders on Dakota Central railroad. I worked until December 1, 1879; then the graders quit work and left for the east and we moved into the company's building for the winter. When I and my family were left alone on the prairie without neighbors we used to say we neighboured with Nelson, who lived on the Jim river, 37 miles to the west of us, Walter Ogden, a young man that was working for Henry Peck, stayed with us, taking care of teams belonging to Peck that were left here for the winter.

We used to keep a lamp burning in the window for fear someone might try to cross the prairie from the Sioux river to the Jim river and that light brought in some to shelter that must otherwise have perished on the prairie. The coyotes used to come to the doors and pick up crumbs that were scattered. About the last days of December one bitter cold night, I think it was the coldest night during the winter, someone called out at the door. Upon going to the door what was my surprise to see a woman on horseback, upon looking a second time I saw a man also. It was R. A. Boast and wife, that had come to stay, and you may be sure he felt as though we had got back to civilization again. They moved into a small house that had been put up for an office by an enterprising land agent. About the first of February travel commenced between the Sioux and the Jim rivers. Then we had company in plenty. Some nights there was so many that they covered the floor as thick as they could lay down. The first of March, 1880, I commenced to build a house on the town cite of De Smet. A man by the name of Bierdsly commenced a hotell about the same time. E.H. Harthorn began the erection of a store a few days after. V.V. Barnes came about the 12th of March, 1880 with some lumber for a shanty on his claim 1-2 mile west of De Smet. He put up his shanty and went to bed in it. He had blankets with him and a thermometer which he hung up by the head of his bed. In the morning when he awoke and looked at the thermometer it was 12 degrees below zero. I well remember seeing him coming across the prairie towards the house and you may be sure he did not come slow.

I forgot to mention that I made a trip to Brookings in February and took a homestead, the NE 1-4 Section 3, Township 110, Range 56. In April there was a good many settlers come to De Smet and vicinity and they commenced to talk about the organization of the county. The first commissioners appointed were H. J. Burvee of Spirit Lake, Ben Loken of Lake Whitewood.

J. H. Carrol was appointed clerk of courts, R. S. Fieldby sheriff, Amos Whiting superintendent of schools.

During the summer there were 16 buildings put up on the town cite beside the depot.

[Gast]

Wat mooi dat ze dat nu pas nog hebben gevonden! Hoe kan dit zo lang verborgen zijn geweest?

[Halfpint]

Dat wordt niet uit de doeken gedaan. Men heeft alleen een foto van het schrift geplaatst en het handgeschreven vel.