Jacob L. Fredine Biography, Charles Mix County, SD

	This biography is taken from the "Standard Atlas of Charles Mix 
	County (1906)", published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. Pages 55 - 56

	Transcribed by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com and may be copied for 
	non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved.


Jacob L. Fredine, a friend of Thos. A. Thomson, came into the county from
Chicago in 1880, filing on his land in section 22-99-68 at Wheeler in July
of that year, and has resided in Platte township ever since. His residence
up to the year 1883 was sufficient to hold his homestead, and after that
continuous. Mr. Fredine relates that in August after filing on his land
he started on his return trip to Chicago. The nearest railroad town at
that time was Springfield, for which he started on foot. He was a young 
man then and not experienced in the ways of the western prairies, and 
carried with him only a canteenful of water and insufficient food. His 
supplies were soon exhausted. There were then no white settlers between
Thos. A. Thomson's place and Bon Homme county. He kept his direction but
night came on and he was hungry and half dead from thirst. He says he
felt certain only death awaited him, and wrote his death message, "Died
for want of water," signed it, put it in his pocket, and lay down on the 
prairie. In the morning, however, he felt considerably refreshed. He tied
a couple of handkerchiefs to his feet, hoping to gather a little moisture
in that way, but the grass was dry. However he reached a dry water course
during the day, and by digging down about 18 inches found a little muddy 
water which he drank, mud and all. He had now reached the country north 
of Greenwood, struck an Indian house and found some relief. By the time
he reached Springfield, he was entirely speechless, and he did not recover
for several days.