La Crosse County, Wisconsin - The whole text, 1881 (part 13 of 16)

His seciind letter is a tit companion for his first. It is altogether hearsay, and inailmissable under the rules of evidence. He tells what he lias heard others say. He coufe^^'jeiily knows nothing of his own knowledge, therefore what weiirht is to he attached to his story? While attempting to ridicule any sensibility on my part over reminiscences of friends, and trials ,"iud early exjierience, be is anxious that tlie public shouhl know who H. I?. l?oons is. his ideas aljoui matters generally, jiarlicularly that he has no sentiment, and in a Tain attempt to write history, boldly announces iliat he " shall not trouble himself in getting letters of proof and of vital statements," and then demands tltat the public should believe his hearsay, reiterated statements. The-e statements peis.inally reflect on myself and others, and have no foundation in fact aiul truth.

I have written what I know, wdiat I saw - of what I was a pirt. Mr. I'nons iloes not ileny that 1 settled on Barron's 1-land in ISll and on the maiulanil in \^V1. What earthly object could 1 now have in stating that there wa.s Du building or evidence of a building on the piairie of La (>osse at that time, if there had been'.' Coons reiterates his sia'ement that there was. Does he produceany proof',' Why was not the proof produced before the Department at Washington ? There is no doubi hut that llie claim for damages was ncade by George trubbage in May, 1838, f 'r urning his post, but it wis not allowed. It w-as not allowed because George Cubhage had no proof, and probably ctiutd pr''ducc no proof that there ever was any building there or any that had been burnt. Wiiai t.ieorge Cubbage could not do then .Mr. H. B. 'Coons, after forty-three years, is trying to do now, and with a similar result. He has absolutely no proof - mif a particle - for his statements ; on the contrary, the record- at Washington, in their present condition, show that Coons .v Cubhage were trailiug with the Indians without a license, in violation of the law of the I'nited States, and that they preferred a claim for damages, and were unable to furnish any or siilhcient proof. It is respectfully subniitieil, whether any ruie representing such a transaction as i his is in a -iiuation to indulge any personal Hings. or to ask that mere hears,iy statements shall be believed.

II. J, II. .Miller was njy partner, and a man of truth, and he never could have lohl .\Ir. Coous the story he reUtes. Mr. C.ions iloes not give the tiinc. nor place, nor any part'cuhirs of that conversation, so as to entitle it to credence. It i^ evidently a nii-uike. Mr. .Miller could never have made such a mistake. .Mr. Coons reiterates that -' .Mtijor I oons sent .'^coti and I. ear up in 1841 or ].^4"_'. for tlie purpose of holding the original claim, and that a Mr. lieorge Kinney says it was in the fall of I'*4l." Scott and Lear might h.ive beeu there tliat year before the i'th of November and went away without making any claim, in consei^uence of tlie scarcity of timber, as allegeil by Mr. t^ons, but I know tluit they were not thereafter the '.'th day of November of that year, for I w is there at that time. 1 do certainly know that Scott and Lear were there either in the fall of 18)2 or spring of 181:;. and went away without building on the island, as .Mr. Coous stated in his tir;t letter, or anywhere else in the vicinity of I'riirie La Oosse. Mr. Con- says : A mtin might encamp on the plains of Kgyju for one night and not see the Pyraiuids." I'erhap- so. under some circumstances : but I'rairie La Crosse is not the plains of tgypt. nor Coons' imagitiary house the i'yramids. I'r.iirie La Oo^se is only about three-f"iurths of a mile along the river, running back to the blufis, and Some b.ur or live mileslong under the bluft's. and there w.as loithing to prevent any one camping on the river hank from seeing the hou--e, had .any such been there near the river. I have slated what 1 saw and kn^vv. I was there several ii.onihs before my frieml Miller Came. I have given cirroborative proof. I row refer you to the acccjmpanying statenienis of John H. Kolsom and Ira 11. Brunson, old settlers. I refer also to Thom.'ts Savage, at I'rairie du I'liien, who Siiy- he came in l^iii and hunted on the I'liippevva lliver. and was back and firth once or twice every year for several yars, and never saw a house at La l.'ro>se I'rairie except on the islands, before the one I built there.

I have now given you imoe prc'nf><, and cl"-e with an apology for having vvrilleu so much in rejdy to ;i claim which is no more susceptible of proof now than when it was first ma le before the liepartment at W.ashington in .May, K-.kS. and even if there had been any t'oiindatinu for the same then, it by no mean- follows that the house V..1- on the maiidmd and not on ihi- i-l.aud ; an 1 1 reiterate and have proven that I buiii the lii-t house on the prairie 01 La Criisse, and wa- the first settler on the town >ile, .No one has ilenied m can sucees-ful y deny this history.

I came to IVairie .lu Chien in the fill of ls.;i',, 1 went to La Cro--c in January. !>:;<. in the employ of Moore .^ Sir. Li. 1. r the piirtM.-e of Ir ide with I he Indians at that place, and to m.ake a claim on a i|iiarlcr stclion on I'riirie l.a I'rosse. Tluar location wa- mair the upper part of the island, o]ip"-iie the city of La Cro-se and on the east side, an.l in a house huilt by Col. Cubb:i2c, whicli was iheQ ;n charge of ii Mr. St. John for him. The Fur Company had a (ruling house on the island west of the Culitaje hou^e. There was no building on Prairie La Crosse nt that tinje, but 1 ihink there wa^ some hewed pine timber Iyiii2 there. La liatte's trading house was about si.^ n.iles below La - Vi.-'se, on the east side of tlie .Mi-^issiopi River.

Who was the earliest settler in L.t CrosseV" .1. Irwin Smith, in a letter to the La Crosse U'publkan Leade^ «f July lo, l^TG. asks this question, saying that the Kon. Cliarles .'^eymoiir, in his historical address, mentioned Nathan Mvrick as the first settler on this prairie, an. I November 7, 1X41", as the date of his arrival ; but adds : -' 1 am inclined to believe, from sulisfaelory te^timony. thai this date is too late by several years, for the actual po-session here bv white men. and tliat several oi Iters preceded .\athan .Mvrick."

k gentleuiau resides in ilio family of his daughter, who is the wife of Judge Mitchell, in Winona, and whose name I am unable to recall at this wViting, but w'^ho will be recalled by some of the pioneer traders of our city. Ueacou S. T. 8ii.i;h .-ild him lots here a' an early ^iay. ;inj a son of Caj.l. Snuth, the pioneer steamboat man, married his and resided at Winona.

The gentleman referred to has traversed the N'.nhwest for fifty years, and so beloni:-; to that class having vivid imiiression's of dates, events and personages. He is a gentium in of the finest culture - of wouderful intelligence relative to all the conditinns and changes transpiring throughout this territory. For a number of years, including those following 1^:;-J. I think, he was a merchant doling business at Galena, and furnishing suiiplies to up-river traders ; such a nTan, especially doing credit business, is nor likely to be mistaken greatly respecting dates .and names of his customers.

Now his siatcmeni loucliin. thi- .,uestioa i- very positive and distinct. He affirms tliat four or five years previiiue to N.ithan .Myrick's coming, whjiii he k:i .rs well, that is in 1.'^':;(;-:.17. two young meu, as partners, had seized and occnpie-l this prairie with their caijin, holding it in anticipation for pre-emption as town site. He says the iiame of one id' them was John I!. .-^lolt/, that of tlie other he was unable to recall at the time he gave me this recital in April la-;, that the nam'es of both these men are on his books, with date of purchases, as they came twice a year ID Galena for supplies, ami hoiight of hin pork, beef, cloihiag and groceries. He ha.l not at the lime visited this jdace himself: but he often talked freely with these men ah..ut their location, agreeing with their representation? that ihere tnust uliimately be a town on this site : but these men were tired of waiting year after year lor its beginning. One winter thev were so weary of the loneliness that one or both of them left, hiring a m.iu to hold their claim till their return; and, thai in the end, about l,*4n. he thinks these two gave up. and s..M out their title to a second I'arty, who also precdled Myiick.

In face of such statements, which can reidily be verified or successfully refuted, I .judge our date for the settleniem, und the credit of jirioritv should be rtvi-ci. We owe it to the satisfaction of history to be correct. I suggest ihal reference to rhe record- ot' Myrick's title w-. dd afford light. Who will furnish additional particulars, and tell "ondng geiierations unr|ue-tir.nabl\ who -ettled La i."roSse'.'

The following stateinoiit fnun a pinneer settler of La Crosse beariii;; ilirectly on Mr. Smith's letter, was publisiie'l in the Wiiuina JiCinil'lican of July 24, 1870.

The gentl-uian referred to by the «riter of the foie^-oing communication to the La Crosse Rrpublican-Lrader, is Cul. J. Ii. Mcrriti, fatlierinl.iw of Judge Mitch.-li, of this city. Having called his attention to the subject at issue, we are inl'orme.l by him that the statement of .\Ir. :?mith is substantially correct, but subject, to modification in one or f.io 1 irticuiars. The date of the first settlement of La Crosse, by the tuo young men alluded to, was ISSS. One >,f ihea. wa- named John K Koont? (not ,'Stollz), but the name of his partner <^A. Merritt cannot, nou recall. Koouiz had cpened a store at lielmont, Iowa, in l>07, but was induced by a .St. Louis firm to go to I'rairie La Crosse for the purpo-e of milking a claim in their interest, and accordingly, in 1 SJS, accompanied by another man, he went thither and lo.-k po-session of the site of the present city of La Crosse, where the t-vo men remained that year and the 111-^1

.Mcintimr. Koontz w,i- a regular purcha-er .d' provision- and supplies from Col. .Mcrritt, ah., then kept a geiii-ra! -upply sL.re at ]'..i..m. Wis., whicli at that tin..- r.u.ke.l with lialcna as :-. center ..f mining tr.i'le. Koontz en leav..re.l i.^ interest Mr. Merrilt in the land speculati.in but failed, ami, in the fall of ISm. he au.l liis c..rui>ani.m. proliabiy drea ling the or.leal of sp.cn. ling anotlier M inter in that then blc.ik and uninteresting locality, an. 1 seeing but little pr.i-pcci of realizing any tangible re-uits from the eltort to establish a town, lo'ik their departure and aban- J'.ned tne place forever.

It may be ailJeJ, in this coiineclion. lint 0)I. Merrill look a prominent (uirt, either as principal or assistant in the reiuiival to their resorviuions west of thi' Missis.-ippi ati'i Missouri Rivers, of all the Indian tribes in (thin, an^l tliat his kunwle'ljip of In'li.-m character nn'I habits is scnrcclv excelled bj that of any other person no\\ living. In the conversation with him from which these facts v ere denned, I'ol. .Merritt - who is now upward of seventy year.s of age, though looking much younger - incidentally stated tliat tifiy-two years at;o, he was informed by an intellisent Indian, v, hohad recently coinc from the Yellowstone region, that pdd existed in Iarf.'e quantities .it the lilack Hills. Upon the .itiestion of responsibility for Indian outrazes,''('ol. M. is itrue to the instinct of his ijuaker ancestry), emphatic in the opinion that they arc almost entirely due lo the bad faith and cupidity of the whites. He says that,

There seera.s to be no question but that overtures, as it were, had been made in tlie direction of La Crosse, with a view to settlement tliere or thereabouts prior to the act itself; why this was not aceoin|.lislied is a mystery no one seems thtis far to have ventured a solution of, but its truth is undeniablo.

The first settlements of Michicran Territory, as is known, were made at a comparatively early day by miners who radiated from more thickly settled sections, attracted by the reports of rich discoveries of mineral, and this, too, notwithstanding the enforcement of rules and regulations formulated by mine Superintendents, and the danger to be apprehended from attacks by Indians. Neither of the.se embargoes delayed the settlement ot La Crosse County at an earlier day, as the absence of mineral, a source of attraction elsewhere, failed to woo the coming of venturesome delvcrs in mother earth, for the springs of revenue, which in other portions of Wisconsin had been tapjiC'l, and bounteous streams gushed forth.

One reason <.]u.oted for the cnmparative delay in effecting a lodgment of settlers about Lu Crosse at an earlier day tlian during the forties, was the fact that the Eastern States, whence a large immigration subsequently proceeded, had not become over-crowded, and space by no means so contracted. Another cause of delay is attributed to the further fact that the countries of Europe which now furnish so large a proportion of the population of the more Western States and Territories, had not at that time become familiar with the advantages to be found here, and preferring to suHVt the i]l.> to which they had been subjected for generations, rather than to encounter others of which they were ignorant, their coming hither was delayed until a time when necessity or inclination promjited by the glowing accounts of life in the Xew World, le<l thcni to embark their hopes on a tide, wliich as the sequel in many instances has proved, led on to glory and to fortune.

Mditary posts were for years the only habitatiuiis to be found on the frontiers, save the wigwams of the savtige, and the only iniiabitants the soldiers and officers who fraternized with the foe or aided in the efforts employed to accomplish their departure before the advance of a progressive civilization. Wars were carried on as is known from the pages of history: settlers were slain or driven off. and the ellects of the Inlian occupation were not entirely obliterated for years it iitight be said after the liusky warrior resignetl the contest, an<l ceded to the whites possession df the territory for which he had so valorously, yet fruitlessly contoniled. ^\ hen Mr. Nlyrick came into the country forty years ago, the Indian w;is still in the field, equally as treacherous, equtillv as uncivilized, and fully as savage as during the ilay; wheii he ran wild in the sunshine, unrestrained bv law or the force of arms. The dignity of character which romancers and p(K't^ are wnnt to ascribe to the red m.an, was nowhere visible, ai\il his capacity for evil was onlv ineasiiied fiy his opportunities. lie absorbed the vices of the whites, without seeking to emuiate :iiiv of the virtues recordeil of the mjst unconscionable in the book of life, ami taken all in all. was by no means a desirable quantity in the body politic, where law and ortler prevail, and where men are ineasureil by their excellences and not by the absence of them. A IVagment of these aboriginal occupants are yet to be seen at occasional intervals in the cities of the Far West, but bear no impress of the jiosition Fiction, rather than Fact, has allotcd them in the annals (jf the past. Indeed, it might be stiid without trespassing upon the domain of o.xaggeration or prejudice, that they are the most heterodox samples of departed greatness to be seen without the pale of barbaric domination - living testimonials of moral and intellectual deformity, and a standing rebuke to the caste of citizens, rapidly becoming extinct, whose felicity in life is augmented in proportion as they can trace their pedigree to the daughter of Powhattan. Their shadow is assimilating with nonenity, so ti) speak, diminishing in a manner tliat, in view of the facts in the case, must not be other than gratifying. Many an old settler in the mellow evening of life lives to witness a fruition ot hopi.'s of earlier years in the rapid progress of the city and State, had not becii spared if his lease of life forty years ago, was contingent ujion tlie humanity of the Indian who greeted Ids advent here with threats and demands for fire-water.

15ut lie has survived the trials and dangers which attended his coming into the undiscovered land, th;it to-dav terms with the fruit of labors he \vas instrumental in directing hither, conserved and facilitateil tlirough the system of education, he was ilie medium of establishing. The visitor to the country comprehended within the present limits of La Crosse County as he bowls over the avenues that intersect one another in all directions, or gazes upon the fields of ripening grain ready for the sickle, or views the evi'lences of thrift, skill, enterprise and accreting capital, which greets his vision \\hithersoever he may turn in city and county, most not be uiimiiidfa] of the labors, and the industry which have been utilized to these results. AVhere once the savage dwelt secure in the fastnesses of the wilderness, churches and schools have been raised up, bringing the fullest fruition of their objects to the county and to the founders of these agencies for the amelioration and improvement of the race of which they were so prominent and disinterested constituents. To these leading spirits who revived discouraged hearts, and checked fading hopes born of disappointments and apprehensions that were by no means retired figure* in the days that passed away a third of a century ago, is the present condition of affairs wholly due. Long may they survive and see the perfect realization of works, the foundations of which were laid when the heart of man was almost appalled by the unpromising outlook. A region inhabited by savages, jealous, revengeful and degraded. The nearest place at which supplies ciiuld be obtained, or social amenities cultivated, distant a journey of several days. In health it must have been cheerless, in sickness simply desolating.

This was the condition of atlairs when Nathan Myrick. the pioneer settler of La Crosse County, landed ojiposite the foot of Main street, in tlie present city, on the afternoon of November 9, LSll. The scene was by no means encouraging to the enterprising visitor, wdio had, before attaining liis majority, settled in the West, and, after serving an apprenticeship to B. W. Erisbois, a fur trader at I'rairie du Chien, extended his field of observation, and decided to locate at La Crosse. lie was confident of the future ; no doubt entered his mind of what the harvest would be, yet in spite of hi'- Ikjjjcs and ambitions, and determinations to realize from sidi-itaiitial loundations, there was little to encourage in ihe appL-arance of aft'airs for the time being. Th.e season of the year, witli its solenin, gloomy, melancholy days, the landscape that but a brief period before had rejoiced in an exuberance of flowers and foliage, was now drooping, ilying, epitomizing, as it were, the chjsing scenes in a year that was cycling into the irrevocable past. yir. Myrick, without companionship, save the presence of Jloratio Curtis. Eben Wells, and a man named iieed, who accomjj:inied him. and, wliile there was much to inspire him to acts, there was much to persuade him to retire when.-e he came, and idendify his fortune with that of the friends and associates nearer the confines ..f civdization.

The ]irom]iter's boll h.-is rung dnwn the curt.iin on fu-ty j'ears since that day, iii the life of Nathan ^lyrick. He has livcl to sci- tlie pvaiiies and hluil's blossom a^ a ro^e : to see the narrow Indian trails yield precedence to ro;ids made by the hand of man. to lines of travel connecting with tlie East and West through [he darkness of the night; to >;ee a city created over the ruins of the Indian wigwams, and the mighty river overcome and bridged frotn shore to shore. The places he knew in those days primeval, have passed into obscurity, and their trials become as a tale that is told. The lives of men to-day are us holidays compared with those of men who -were ideiitifiod with its development and cultivation. Life in those days must have been attended with unlimitei] hardships ami privations without the possession of a compensating nuuiher of blessintrs and privilege's. The miL'hty aehieveniciits that have since been made, are llie result of small beginniiiizs, su[>pleMieuted by constant indusfi'y, daring enterprise and untiring energy. 1'lie waste place- h;ive been uiade to yi'-ld abutidatit harvests, villages and cities have arisen as if by m.K'ic. and civilization iuid the arts " soar I'hounix-like to Jove." The marts of trade and trallic, ami the wnrk-sliops of the artisan are thronged ; a common school system increasing in vabii' and iniluence with each succeeiling year, luis been established, and children of the rich ami poor ]iress firward eager to participate in the lienelits thereby afforded. Churches have been built, and a Christian nunistry ordained f u- a cultivation of a religious life, the promotion of piety, the inculcation of molality and virtue. The press, the .Archimedean lever which nuives the world, sends forth llood- of liglit to illuminati^ tiie land and benetit the sons of men. Raiiroads are completed to facilitate the acijuisition of iiidepeiidi'nee. and the electric tclei.'raph shortens the intervals of space at the behest of mankind. As these Jiages are read, bi-iL;ht memories will blossom out of the shadowy past, glorifying and beautifying its dimness. Many herein mentioned have long since gone, like visions of the beautiful, to be seen no more. Maiiv yet remain ^vho have almost reached the Cdilical limits of humati life, and are waiting to say : -'Now let thy servant depart in jieace," leaving as a heritage to their descendants in long years hence, the ripe and j.erfect gb/'ry of a domain of which they laid the foundations, while a largi.' number of tliost' who partii'ipated in the foundation of the countv, sleep after their labors, and their works do follow I'lcui, an ei.jually large number remain who h.ive survived the rusli of matter and \sre'-k of world-, and contfuiplate the scene as a Rock of ages cleft fir the goo.] ;;nd faithful ser\-aiit.

At the time of Mvrick's arrival, tliere \\as no one residing at La Crosse or on the islands contiguous thereto. I'he only residt-nt in the vicinitv, immediate or remote, was La Latt or Li\ Bathe, a French trader, of -whom mention is made above, but whose sojourn, as alieadv hinted, was fir from jiermanent. The voya^'curs had come from Prairie dii Cliien with the oiiject of establishiii'_; a tradiiig-jiost. bringing v.itli them a stock for thut purjajse. It was the intention of Mr. Myriek to erect a store at La l'rii--e and begin ojierations at oiico ; bur the scarcity of mateiial prevented this consummation, and so he hu-atcd tcuipoiarily on the i.-land oi/posite the city. where limited and comfortless accommodations were secured. Here he opened his kit of goofls, and hither tended the w^andcrings of the \Vinnebago Lillians, who bavin;: received their annuities, sought tiie disposition of what was paid them 7.-itliout any uniiecfssary delay. Li these roughly inifirovised and contracted quarter.- Myriek and his conipatiions jia-sed their time, eating, sleeping, making sales of goods in exchange for furs or their eiiui\ aleiits in money, and doubtless dreaming of days when after patient watch and prolonged vigil, they would be rewarded with returns that sluuild more than Coiiipinisate thcra f.r the trials tiny had endured and the deprivations to vhicli they had beeii siibjerted. Thus were the long winter davs and nigiits of that heroii; perii; 1 jias-cd. and if the truth were known, tliev were doubtless the happiest days of lives that had not always been unclackered or complacent.

One week before Christmas <d" the year of his arrival. Mr. .Mviiik began a journey to Prairie du Cliien, to renew old associations aiid drink a cup of g!adne-s to days lang syne, as also to procure a fresh su]j[dy of materials ho kept in stock. He >t:iitr.l upon his trip in a canoe, and looked forward to an early arrixal at hi- destination with fccliiigs of pli'a.-ure and pardonable impatience. .Vt the hour of his de]iarture tiie weather was comjiar.itu ely hosjiitable. Autumn had not yet dojTed Iut garmont-. and \Vin;or \sa- sociiiinL'l v loth to mt.a- u|rin the contest for supremacy. J]ut suddenly chaiiLMiiu' !i;s drterminatiou in that behalf, old \Vinter introduced himself without being announced, and made a day of it to see what was f^oing on. as it were. He found the liO[icfiil voyager en route on his trip, but whistled about him dolefully as sighs in a churchyard, and urged his delay with such persuasive eloquence as proved irresistible, and de- layeil M^'i-ick beyond all cnniparisoii. After a brief season, the rain turnc'l into sleet, finallv resolving itself into snow, and causinn; the traveler in search of business and pleasure to regret that he had emerged from hi - hut on the island, .\ddeil to these aggravations tlie wind blow a gale, ranging over praivio. whistling down Coolies, anil performing antics among the trees and brush, original as they were provoking to the f'rairie du Chien-bound tourist.

lie had in the tucantiine ahiiniloned his canoe, and sought to expedite his advance bv the way of a frail uhieh then skirted the western approaclies to the bluffs. Here his progress was by no means more satisfactory. After the rain, the snow and wiml resumed their presence, and kept hiin^ company on his cheerless way. ^Vhen he reached Coon Creek he found that stream over its banks and impas^aliU' to pedestrians. This supplemental embargo was far from cheerful to the wearied wanderer, hut hy no means disheartened he canvassed the sitiiation, and at last discovered a bridge firmed of a tree which liad i'aUen o\er the ntherwise impassable stream. He mounted tiiis connecting link, and had reached mid strium when he lost his hold and was precipitated into the freezing w:iter.- beneath. .Vfter making oiic desperate effort and fiilin". he succeeded in crawling uiit of iii-; hath, aiid nearly numbed with the cold, as also fatigued with the efforts necessary to jirocurc his delivcrai;ce. he made his way to Had Ax, which he reached after dark. The oidy domicile tiiai afforded him protection from the storm and an opportunity to dry his now frozen garments, wa-: at an Indian camp near by, -where tlie Indians were all drunk and engaged in the jjcculiar motions of the war daie-e to the unninsical tom-tom, beaten by a decrejiit but fierce-looking and very incbriatei! \\'iiinebagii. 'J'lie ajipearance of things didn't seem to mollify the feeling-; of the visitr.ir, but an aged and sympathetic sijuaw took him in charge, and with signs ad;ni'ni~hing him leit to be afraid, tucked Mr. Mvrick away in iier wigwam. He slept little during the idglit. and arose in the morning' considerably fatigued ami sore. Nevertheless he pursir'd his jiiurney. making se\en miles by noon, his muscles yielding somewhat to the exercise nece>.-ary. when he bathed in the snow and emerged from his icv experience Comparatively limber. He reached his objective jioint soon after, consuming four days in a trip that is ninv accomplished in asinanv hoiii-s.

f'pon concluding his biijine-s there he returned to the island ami attended to the engagement which had attracted him tliitlnu-, until l-'ebriiaiy. l^-i:'. Through tlie long months of this inhospitable seaMin of the year, as has already been observed, there was absolutely nothing to encourage the hope of immediate immigialnui in the direction of I'rairie T.a Crosse. 'The inehniency of the v.ealher, together with a Well-defmed a[ipi eliensie.n of attack from marauding bands of Indian-;, had, the etl'eet of cliecking tlie enterioising di<po;:ition of Myrick and liis sidiordinates, and no improvements beyond tiiose indi-^jiensable to ])rotection i'rom the weather were proposed or inaugurated. His store was patronized by the Indians, and so long as the money received by them at the Turkey liiver Agency lasted, the times were lively imleed, so lively upon one occasion as to eau«e serious fears of tiie con-e4Ueiiccs.

There were fifteen lodges on the i.-latol. and one morning two of the savages became in-pircd with the determination to themselves luily of the gore of the traders. One of tin !n viMted Mr. Myri(d;'s ,-toie with a loade.l gun. which that gentleman secured and diseb:ir:_'eil into the air. The intruder then began to manifest familiarity with tie- stoik. and sought its o\M)ei,-hip without the UMial tender of'value. Tliese proceeding, naturally di.^turbed the seienity of their legitimate owner. L'jion being refu-ed their transfer, the Indian again loaded hi"- gun. but its 'h'sidiarge wa-^ prevented, ow mg to a sipiaw having kooeked out tlie [inuiing. After rej.eating his threatening-; once more. Myrick. who was standing outsi le his cabin, hurried therein and 'larricadcd the entrance, and i'rom the window surveyed tin:' preparations fir assault making by the Indian. \Vhen the latter hail completed his preliminaries, he advanced upon the cabin, and demanded admittance, w hi(di being refused, he opened tire. 'J'he attack was then commenced, which lasted fir a brief period, when hostilities were suspended, without any

While the firing was in progress, Alexis Bailey, residing down the river, hearing the shots, hurried on to the scene, and was insfruiiicntal in quieting the "' perturbed spirits " of the savages. At Myrick's request, he interrogated them as to the cause of their assault, to which Some of the Indians respon-led that it was because Myrick had fired oft' his gun at them, referring to the discharge above mentioned. A peace was finally concluded, when Mr. Bailev pursued his trip hoicev.ard, followed by tlie Indian who liad originated the disturbance. He had reached a point below the present city of La Crosse, when he was startled bv the explosion of a gun, and noticed the leaden messenger therefrom ricochetting along the ice, in too clo=e pro.ximity to himself to be comfortable. He demanded the cause of this unlooked-for divertisement, when the savage replied that he was shooting at a mark, and slunk off up one of the ravines that terminated on the river bank. Tlie blood-thirsty aborigine subsequently returned to the island, and. escaping the penalty of his misbeliavior, gave no further cause of alarm during Mr. Myrick's sojourn there.

From these incidents, it will be readily appreciated that the lives of tliose who began the settlement of La Crosse were far from being as ripe with sunshine as a day in June. Un the contrary, his conversion of the wilderness into fields that to-day blossom with the harvest, was surrounded by trials and labors. The-embargoes to be encountered and disposed of iu the etfurt inaugurated for the establishment of homes in regions remote from civilization, and unsought, therefore, save by wandering Indians and savage beasts, were not of a character that was calculated to inspire an endless felicity. The years were re]dcte with trials' find hardships, against -wdiich no soul rebelled and no voice was raised. They also shone with proiaises in rainbow tints that have hjng since been more than realized. Out of the darkness there slione a light: out of the sorrows and disappointments an e.xceeding joy came forth.

In February. 1>:^42, Reed and Well>. who had accompanied ^Mr. Myrick from Prairie du Chien in November, removed with him to the mainland, where La Crosse now is. The same month, II. .1. H. Miller came up the river and became an employe of Myrick. During the winter the latter passed on the island, he had prepared the necessary timbers for a house, with the aid of Heed and Wells, shoved it across the Mississippi on a hand-sled, and erected the first house in Prairie La Crosse, on the corner of State and Front streets of to-day, the site at jircsent occupied by the Minnesota House of Alexander Whelan.

At that time, Mr. Myrick is positive as to the appearance of the future city site, which, he asserts, furnished no indications of what was reserved in the future. Tiiere was no habitation of any description between the river and the bluffs, nor a sign of one, except the puncheon protectors put uji by the soldiers in ]S^40, as a means of safety against the anticipated raids of Indians. The jirairie stretched out to the east, south and nortli, without the slightest vestige of civilizatiwn to vary the nioiKjtoiiy of tlie landscape, the log cabin of Myrick being the only evidence of the white man's handiwork visible, far or near. This conclusion is borne out by the testimony of many who came into the vicinity soon after, nutwithstandiiig the doubt that is sought to be attached to his claiui of precedence in etl'ecting the S'^ttleinent of La Crosse.

That year an occasional transient pas5e>] this way and tarried long enough to recuperate, when he continued his journey West, the majority of thcsr lieing bound for the Black River Country. Jacob Spaulding went up there in 18:J'.i, ainl removed his family thither two years later. In 1S4-2. Andrew Shepanl. William K. Lcwis,"^ John Lewis, Col. Johnson, and .a" Mr. Valentine passed through La Crosse en route to that section of the country . Theportiiin ab^ut Li Cn>--e was the central point and re!id-;'voiis of tlo^ Indian-, which m ly. doubtless, have Worked .--oni.' ilelay in its settleinet alter Myrick X .Miller i wIm, meantime, had become partners in trading with tlinin had made a start. They gathered about tlie store, and at other eligible points in the vicinity m large numbers and were occasionally dispo-t-d to be pugnacious, especially if the least affected by liquor or the want of it. Hand-to-hand contests were of frequent occurrence between travelers and Indians, as also among themselves, and, notwithstanding the paucitv of numbers, the Caucasian was CMpable of maintaining his supremacy and become an interested spectator of the squabbles which the red men improvised in tlieir own homes, when aggravated by a continued period of peace.

The First Survey

As the year advanced and spring was succeeded by summer, the tide of immigration began ^ to set thitherward, and an occasional settler was left with its ebb. Myrick & Miller procured a survey of the town site by Ira Broiison, of Prairie du Chien, which, remained unchanged until I80I, when it was re-surveyed. These preparations had a tendency to invite visitations from earnest, enterprising men, who v.'ere on the qui vivc for opportunities, and largely contributed to the future growth and development of the city and county.

Among those who came to La Crosse during lbI2, was one known as Dr. IMills, who put up a house at the corner of Front and Pearl streets, where tiic International Hotel has since grown into prominL-nce. He remained here but a short time, however, returning to Dubuque, whence he came, before the season closed. Another who came in was one who sailed under the impressive pseudonym of "Scotch Billy," tlie why or wlierefore of this 7wni deplume, is not of record, nor are the events in this vicinity aflecting his happiness and prosperity. These, with Mr. Miller, compriseil the roster of inhabitants «li0 came to identify themselves permanently with La Crosse, and aid in tlie building of the city.

Throughout the full nothing occurred beyond the routine of life on tlie confines of civilization to startle the nation, or blast or elevate the hopes of those iuinitdiately interested; i. e., the limited number of inhabitants collected at La Crosse. The winter of ls4"2 - lo was one of the severest ever experienced in this latitude. Its ice and snow rendered travel to distant points comparatively easy, and its chilling blasts left the impress of their cheerless presence on the memories of those who were subjected to their penetrating influence. The season was protracted far into spring, goods being transported on the ice from Prairie du Chien as late a- April.

During the continuance of ihi.-^ freezing period, a son of Blind De Cora met his death umler circumstiinces, wdiich at ilisi b'ii--ii. tended to implicate innocence in the crime of murder. This, ujion examination, hovovcr. was dissipated, as it was proven that decease.! froze to death under the following cireum-'aiires : He u.is eriguged in a liiiiit for deer, and to disencumber hiui,-clf and facilitate piir.-niL. tiirew otT his blaiiket in the chase, which led over Boot liiver ; wiiilc crossing that tnbuta.y. i !:e ice yielded to his weight and he plunged into tiiC ciiilliii" waters. He succeeded in exin.:i-;ng himself and gained trmi rir/iia, when it is supposed he became temporarily in -.in-, and iliyi before help could reach him and preserve his life. After his body was found, an ! whd, t^ c "injstioii of nuirder was being mooted, a clo-er ex imination t)f the surroundings was nude, when it was discovered that he had endeavored to make his wav. out (if the woods, but in ]ilace of |,i j.-ecding in ilie ilirection of the catnp. with which it wa's bc!ie\ed he was familiar, he marched ir mud in a ciicle until overcome with e.xliaiisrinn and the cold, when he laid down and yielded i:;; t!:e ghi^t. His remains were removed t..> Mviick vV Miller's store, where they were pre[iared It the i.'iab. and eiica-ed in a pine box waitinu' burial. AMiile thus inclo.-ed. a squabble occurred .1 r;.,n_: hi- kindred and tViends. us t.) t!ie fomrof cerenidiiy appropriate to the occadou. T'iie di~,.:.ie endeil in a (l-ht, in which m-mi-neis, attendaiits and the multitude mingled pell-mell, durin.r widch the corpse wa< ^.aci ilegiouslv and inhiimanlv ca.-t fuit of the improvised colhn, and narrowly e-cajied beiii.' toi n to ].ieces, Finallv, after tlie anger this intrinion cau-ed, had -uh-ided. ] was dial.iied. tlie body re-iiiclojed'aiid burieil on hront street between State and Main. A ] .iki.j lence wa-^ Imill about the gi .ive. and a cn-s erected at the head., whicli remained intact imiii l^.M, when the relics of \\"inneb:ii:.. niortalitv W( re removed to the Ceti.etery. sub~eiim niiv opeiieii on the present site of Hirsliheimer's shop. Ihey were tigain removed some years ago. but wiiere, the informant is silent.

Eurly ill I'^J-'J, the Mornions ventured into tliis portion of Wisconsin under the clinr^e of George Miller and Lviutm Wi^lit, wlin «tvled themselves tlie Trustees of the Nauvoo House Association ami I'.lders of the church. They came direct from Nauvoo, and located at Black River Falls, where they rented tlic mill of J. Spauldinj^ & Son for the manufacture of lumber to be used in the erection of their temple at Nauvoo. Myrick i: Miller contracted with Miller & M'iL'ht to furnish them supplies during the winter of 1^40-44. the saiue to be paid for in lumber at La Crosse in March of the latter year. Tli^'V ran tlie lumber down, and lii(uidated their obligations; and, in dulv succeeding;, transported luniher to Nauvoo.

In September of the same year, t^onle twenty or thirty families returned to La Crosse, and camped near the river, on what is now Front street, until they could look around for a place to locate; and, after some delay, selected the cooley at the lower end of the prairie, which has since been known as " Mormon Cooley."

This party was under the char;^e of Wiijht, Bird i Co.. Elder.s of thy cliurch, and indulged all the latitude of the sect publicly. The form of sealings or marriage, wliich has of late years been recognized as an iiidisjjcnsable lu-ecedent, was never thought of by the Wight Ik Bird oftshoots. In place of this, ;i revelation tliat a brother and sister should be "sealed" without any formal ceremony was all that was necessary, and the oidy agency employed to attract the sisters and brothers into piactically illustrating tho tii:e tlicory of Mormon theologv. These and other features oi' their lives in La (_'rosse vicinity lunl the effect of making them penerallv disliked, and this dislike found such frequent expression tliat they finally departed hence.

Myrick & Miller hired quite a numbf of the men to chop wood on the island, also to get out rails, and another party of them to proceed to Black Biver to make shingles. During the latter part of the winter of lSlo-44, or during the early spring of the latter year, they seized flat-boats on the slough near the mouth of Morinon Cooley. Thus being prepared, the choppers on the island and shingle shapiM's on Black Biver, rendezvoused at the Cooley, ])ut their household goods and effects on the ilat-boats. firei] their houses and deiiar;( d in the niglit for Nauvoo. Luckily thev were discovered before they were out of reach, and after some troubb- the claims held by settlers against them were liquidated, when they were permitted to depart, and never returned.

The experiment of Joseph and Ilyrain Smith was sought to be established throu'i-hout the West during those early days, particularly ia Illinois anil portions of Wisconsin. Tliese etl'orts, however, were unattended with results anticijiated, and meeting with a very pronounced opposition from legitimate settlers, ceased to be more than the incident of a season. Some proselyting was attem)ited with indiflerent success. A very few converts wore -'led astray" as is known, and a still more limited number accompanied the successors of the Smiths to Utah ; but the ficople in the ^\'est. at tliis time, were hardly prepared to embrace a creed the corner-stone of which was laid in superstition and immorality.

The intlu.K of population this year was iar from numerous, and the nundier of imjirovements in due projiortion. Amoni; th.i-e \v!h> came during the year were Maj. E. A. (J. Hatch, who arrived here in I)ecember. but wlio-e advent wa> anticipated some months by Dr. Snow, who will be better remembered und<.-r the naineheuas more fimiliarlv known by. '-Dutch Doc." I'iiilip Jacob, James I.-mon and Asa White. This was the sum-total of additions to the population in l.'-^4'2. By no means a fiverunner. so far as ninnbers would inllueiu'e a matheniatical deduction cd" those who would gather on the shorc-< of the beautiful river, the father of waters, in after years, anil gradually build np one of the most beautiful and llourishing cities which line its banks from Itaska to "the Belize. Tlie improvements made this year consisted of a barn, warehouse and blacksmith-shop, put up by II. J. B. ; Scoots) Miller, ami located, tb.e blacksmitli-shoji at the corner of Front and State streets, the warehouse on the })resent site of the Bellevue House, ar.d ttie barn where the Cameron House now is. The " Dutch

Doc" and Philip Jacobs erectcfl a liriuse at ttie cornor of Front and Vernon streets, while A-;» White did likewise on Front street near \^criion. Such ^vere the beginnin;;9 made in the days when ambition to improve was only limited by enjiacity : and when the building of a house 'A' the most circurascribeil dimensions and c^itivenieuces was an event of the greatest importance and universal rejoicings. - Thev long since became wrecks, and upon their ruins structures lia\e been erected, the architectural proportions and elaborate furnishings of which have attracted admiration and a spirit of emulation at home, as well as of generous rivalries abi'oad. There is indeed no feature of excellence about La Crosse more commendable than its buildings and improvements, their stvle and decorations indicating a very pronounced enterprise, and giving cviilence of taste and a]ipreciation for the beautiful as [latent as it is exceptiunal.

Tiie events of this year would be radically incnrnpleto, and an injustice done to the history of those early times, if mention is not maile of the services and exploits of Maj. Hatch, a gallant gentleman, and a conspicuous actor in the first settk'Uient of La Crosse, who i^^ mentioned among the airivals of this year.

He left W'estport. ^>. Y., in the summer of 1S45, and made his way to Prairie du Cbien in search of fortune and adventure, and peculiarly gifted by nature atid educatinn to wrestle with one and encounter the other. But his halting-place failed to furnish the rjuota of cither he sought ; and. in December of the same year, ho continued his journey to Prairie La Crosse. Here he was pleased wiih the condition of affairs, and the pi'omise held out to all who came prip;ired for anv fate which the future reserved for their acceptance. He at once entered the service of Myi-ick i: Miller, as clerk and trr.der, ami ran the gamut of that apprenticeship until July, 1S14, when he was placed in charge of a trust at Holmes' Landing, now Fountain City. He remained here until the sumuier of 1>^4."), when he returned to La Cros^e. and was, on February 2S, 1S4G, appointed Postmaster, which position he resigned a year later, in fav.ir of "Scoots " Miller.

AVhile the subject hereof was engaged on a trailing trip fi'om Holmes' Landing to the Sioux camp, he placed his goods into one of their tcnt^, and demanded payment of what they oAved. The hidians refused, wlicieuyion Hatch deliberately ]ilaccd a keg of powder on the fiie burning in the center of the tent. The savages ob.-crving his motions abruptly withdrew, after wliicii Hatch kicked the keg from its dangerous proximity to the coals, and enjoyed undisputed ]<<->- sc.-sion of the camp, with all its prerogatives and appurtenances for upward of an hour. At the expiration of this period, an Lulian skirmisher appeared upon the scene, atid, gazing cautiously into the tent, was amused and surprised at beliolding Hatch engaged in the pleasant ami inspiriiig amusement of smoking his pipe. The communication of the intelligence werked a return of the band to camp. wb.o. upun arriving, were annoyed at the sight which met their gaze. Tliey e.xpecteil that the courageous trader liad been blnwii to ].ieees, aiul to witness hini alivc^ Was a sight to them as incomprehensible as it was aggravating. Hatch again demanded payment, ami till- Indians obtained their furs and cc!n| lied with their obligations, confident that their failure to do so would involve them in a gcnertd ruin or an unexpected voyage to the hunting ground.? then Irc'iuentcd by their anccstcjrs without an unnecessary delay or benefit of clergy. Tiii* was rcL'arded by them as an original way in which to compel tlie pnyir.ent of debts, but it madethe M;:jor jiopular ever after among the Sioux, ami gave him .ahnnst b"undless influence with them.

In the fdl of I^-IC, the Major was placed in charge of a post at the font r.f Coon Slough, and traded there until the fillowing spring, when he returned to La Crosse. It was about thi? tune that an incident oceurreil which established his nerve and courage, and gave him an almost uiiivei-a! re[iutatiou among the chi'-s of citizens vnIio esteem bravery as an evidence of genius. He wa- standing near tlie river, when an Lnlian with club in hand stealthily approached fi'ona behind and rai.-ed his weapon in a frightfully threatening manner. As he was about to strike. L, H. IJunnell, who was standing near, warned Maj. Hatch of the danger which was impending.

'J'hus adnionislieil, tlie prospective victim saw the danger in time to avoid the murderous blow aimed at bis head, and seizjiig a club near by. dealt the cowardly savage a terrible punishment, inflicting dangerous wounds and rendering him insensible for some hours. He was with a party of Indians, wiio assisted at his restoration to con.>ciousncs.s, and placing his inanimate body in a canuc, conveyed the same to their camp on Black River Lake, where Onalaska is now situated. L»uring the same day, some young bucks belonging to the tribe visited La Crosse, and hunting up Hatch told him that the Lidian would die - that h'; was very popular and had many friends. 'J'hcsc latter were much incen,-ed at tlie treatment their companion had received, and proposed to take vengeance for his injuries ujion the one who had Lten so active in their infliction, concluding bv advising him to leave the country if he would, save his life. Hatch not only refused to leave but defied their efforts, and told tlicin to say that he intended t'> kill him ; further, that if the life of the Lidian was spared and he attacked him again, he would make sure work of tlie assailant After a few weeks' confiueuient the Lidian recovered, and, coming tf La Crosse for that e.xpress puriiose. made bis iicuce with Hatch, ami afterward became one of his stanchest friends. This incident made Hatch a brave among tbeAViniiebagoes.

In the spring and summer of l^'l^', the Lidians w-ere retnoved from Iowa and Wisconsin to Long I'rriirie. in Minnesota, and Maj, Hatch rendered valuable assistance to the Government, in aiding the departure of those « ho were hostile and opposed to removal. Hatch and Asa \Vhit(_' afterward became partners, and establishe^l a trading ]iost at Little Rock, above Sauk Ha]iid>, and continued busines; about a year, when they dissolved, when, after, other ventures, he setilcd in St. Paul.

Li the sfiring of IS.jo, the Interior Department wishing to engage the services of a brave and fearless agent tn take charge of Fort I'enton (for the Llackfeet there were very troublesome], on the recommendation of the Hon. H. M. Rice, Delegate in Congress from ]NLnncsota, who gave Maj. JLitch the highest character for courage and ability, appointed the latter and transmitted a commission as Lidian Agent, withuut bis previous knowledge. He accepted the honor, and going from St. Paul to St. Louis, departed fioiu that point to the Yellowstone, which be ascendeil on a keelboat laden with goods and su]ij)lies for the agency and American Fur Company. Tlie motive power employed up tliat treacherous stream was "jioling" and "draggnig" the unwiebly craft, and it was not until si.xty days from the day of departure that the hospitable walls of Fort Benton gladdened the gaze of the weary ti-.avelers. Tlie ^Lijor on this trip kept a record of the soundings taken on the river, and was the first man to demonstrate the navigability of the Missouri River above the Yellow steiic. The following .-spring, the Government, guided by the report of tlie-e soundings, di-patcliel a steamer direct to Fort Benton over the route laid down by Maj. Hatch - the first sieanirr to cleave the waters of the Yellowstone in the history of navigation.

-vt this f.ir-ofi'. inaccessible j.ost, on the very frontier of savage lawlessness, Maj. ILuch remained two years. ]"*uring that jieriod ho was called upon to take part in undertakings of great moment and enterprises of critical surroundings. Li the execution of these trusts he commended liis actions to the Government, and preserved that cordial relation between Lidian and Agent, the alisence of which during la^e years has been so terribly illustrated on the Jjittle Rosebud, in the Lava Beds and at other points in the Great ^Vcst, with which the universal human family are familiar. At t!;e coiiclu-ion of his term of service. Maj. Hatch returned to St. Paul, and is now a citizen of that mnniiipality, rc-jocted am! esteemed amoni' a large circle of friends for tho-e .-telling (jualili'.s of lie.id and heart which made him so prominent a charactei- in tlie earlv settlement of the imperial XortirACst. (if such blood, indeed, are heroes fet.

.mviiuk's fikst house. At this point it should be observed that dining tlie summer of this year (1S4H). Mvrick iitiliZ"d a i|iia!itity of liewn lumber obtained on Black River to the building of a comfortable d\s.-rhng, :Jl).\;JU, finished on the inside witii lath and pla-ler, and siodtered by a roof of shingles, 'lliis, uiih an addition l-'xlti, ^^as the first residence making any pretensions to comfort, not to say rude elegance, ereclevl in future La Cros.^e.

In June, Mr. Myrick left his adopted home and returned to the home of his nativity (W'csr- {lort. X. Y. ). iuid was married to Miss Rcbeoea E. Ismon, of tliat section, witli whom he came back to La Crosse in September, accom]ianieil by Miss Louisa Pierson. 'J'iiis wa^ the first marrinfe wherein a resident of La Crosse was intimately associated, and Mrs. Mvrick, with Miss Pierson. were the first ladies to visit this section of the country with a view to remainini: either tcmporarilv or [lernianently. Society in the days wheieof mention is here made is not represented as being either numerous or critically select. There were no females in the country save squaws, and in spite of the poetic license which has colored the character of the .'<e.\, they were, if the statements made are founded on fact, the reverse of fascinating or attractive, hideed. in some instances, if cleaidiness is ne.xt to godliness, they were the furtherest removed from such a consummation. Miss Pierson, it is said, chan;jed hercoiirn of vantage as a looker-on in the west tr. Illinois, where she was married to " Scoots " Miller within a year, but Mrs. .Mviick remained and as the wife of the first white settler in La Crosse, became part nf the history of this secti(.in of the State.

About this time, three sniall steamers uiade pilgrimages at verv long intervals hen?een Galena and Fort Snelling. landing at Prairie du Chieii, Bad .Vx, Winnesheilc, Coons' Slouiih. La Crosse, etc., and were sources of convenient wonder and wonderful convenience to the traders, Indians and all who witnessed their niafieu\'ers while making or returning' from port. Their names were Argo. Otter an.l Little Beaver, to wliich was addeii the Lyn.x in 184-5, when the iiumher of annual trips was increased, and tiie wonder and convenience greatly augmented. Travel then w;is not what it has since grown to be with its pnlaco cars and luxuriously furnished steamers. A trip lience tij the Eii-^t or fr.im outer sections of the country hither was not one of pleasure, ami only undertaken when every expedient designed to avoid it had f:\iled.

During this period. Maj. Coons and a Mr. S^^ott visited La Crosse and made a claim which was absorbed by I'eter Cameron, who had come in during the aiisence of these gentlemen, and in the f:ill of the same year, as has already been noted, Asa "Wliite came up from below and engaged in the service of Cameron during the winter, making a claim adjoining Cameron's, which has since been included in the additions of Levy and Stoddard. Dr. Bunnell came this year also, it is believed.

'i he first two years of life and adventures in La Crosse arc hardly exuberant with heroic history, hair-breadth escapes anil other features incident to ilevcloping the hidden resources of a frontier settlement. The populatioTi was far more numerous, and tlie limited number present seemed to bo inspired with feelings of mutual regard. There were few difficulties among them, if any, and less to exaggerate these difficulties into bloorl sliedding. Among the Indians, however, a reign of terror was the rule, spreading its black wings and hovering above the peaceful surroundings. They are said to have been constantly f[uarre!ing. often fighting, and occasionally iiivokiiig the aid of tlie tomahawk in their work of discord. Braves were killed by jealous liiisbaiids, and married squaws, who were char:'ed with incoiistancv, were exhibited with the tij) of the nose bitten ofl", a mark of disgrace understood by all the tribes, and entailing the further punishment of o-traei-m. The settlers are said to have had frequent disputes with the Indians. %\lio ii.sisted iqion their claim to the country being recognized. But the parties a-sailed would apparently, and. in fact, become terribly angry, and seizing an axdiclve or other weapon, frighten the complainants into silence.

Supplies were obtained from Galena and Prairie du Cliien. and steamb'.):it arrivals weivevents of such importance that white and red men hurried to tho landing, which tlien was confined to what is now tl>e foot of I'e.-irl street, t^i welcome tlieir There was no gri.--t-iiiill nearer than Galena, nor was there one ada[i;cd ti.. the conv.nienee of La Crossi' settlers until the following year, when E. W. I'elton '-supplied a want Iimilt i'cli.'" and erected a flour-mil! at J'rairie du Chien. ()f saw-mills, there were a number on Black River, includiii'^ that of Jacob

In .^lii'it, as lias h'.'en a))tly ob-erved by one ?[ieaking of this period in the history of La <Jros<e, this vicinity was actually the jiuii]iiiig-on" iioinL of civilization, d'hero were no approaches tliioiigh tiie ' ountiy, and such a thing as a railroad only sought refuge in the most lurid iniagining.s of the most visionary citizen. The few white settlers here possesseil no neighbors in Minnesota or at points more contigtnjus and accessible, and the present flourishing cities <if St. Paul aiid Minneapolis were then never thought of. The Sioux and AVinnebagoes wan- <lered at « ill thnuigh this portii.>n ot' Wisconsin and Minnesota, with tiieir encampments at Winona, Jicd \Ving aii.l in the valleys adjacent to ]j:! ('rosse. As has been observed, they were a source of trouble to the settler.-;. Iict\ieen whom and tlie wolves tind the catamounts life here was not jcmlered congenial if exciting.

But the wavering hours of these unsettled days have crept away into the past, the clatter andtdash of discord have l^ng .since ceased. Tiic ang.d of peace ye.irj ago entered unsee.ri into the midst of their cimtcntious experience, and. S]jreadin<i her wdiitc wings over the blasts, <!luonched dark thoughts with her visions of light, and brought hope to hearts that were sad and oppressed.

'J he year drew to its chi^c, tmd the happy realm of to day, to whom indulgent heaven has given her ricln.'st bounties, began to nerve itself f.u- the contest, and to gaze into the future with the ciin-ci.iusnc.-.^ that it held I'Uiune out fjr its acceptance. The oh.l year lloated away into jlc past, and 1S44 dawned gracerully, cheerfully upon the homes that were scattered like sentinels upon the frontier posts of this little army of civilization that bivouacked on the banks of till' Mi-'sisslppi at the horizon of trade in the Northwest.

With the ojicning of spring communication, temporarily suspended iluiing the wititer solstice, trade was resumed with the outside world, and a degree of prosperity proportioned to this ;ii'i-(iiiipli-liment cninyed. Dut it was n.jt of the character which subseijucntly obtained so liberally in ]ja Crosse. The ilow of immigration to that point had not yet begun, indeed its consideration may bo safely assumed was yet in tiie i'uture. Indians, and the limited number of traders, with the still more limited number of those wdio had ventured into the coi'.ntrv ti.i canvass the prospects, occupied the land^\ -and dealt more generously with hope than the actualities of the times. As the CLild retired, before the genial warmth of the opening SLa>on of the year, trade began to grow brisk at the "posts" ahuig the Mississippi, and was not entirely confinod to bicalifies distant from I^a (.'rosse. Here the tr;iilers carried (m their bii^ine-'^ with a considerable <legiceof piNifit. .Myrick i*v Miller, in addition to their commercial ventur<'-;, sowed ten acres to i\heat ncir their store, and culti\-ated it with such industrv and assiduity as to reap a liberal return for the investment of raw material aiid lab(ir. This mav be .said to have been th" first attempt at raiuiiiiL' ever undertaken in the county. Since then the preci-driit established has been followed cuntinuoiisly and succes-fiill_\ tbrouginjiit the county, 'i'oil has been rewarded with fileiitcoiis harvest--, and the foundati-uis laid in this earlv dav have ^incc su[/porIed a super- .structiire of agriciiltur.il excellence uiisurpas-ed by that of any nthcr caiuty in the State.

it is said, he w;n a man of irresistible aiMress uiul apiieamnce, and tlie leader of social features in tlie villarre. About this time, a family named Gear became residents of the village, and occupied a house on present Seventh street, then on the prairie. Tiiis family included a young huly upon its roster of members, and upon her Mr. IJubbard did himself tlie pleasure of calling. Her accomplishments and in'oial hn-pitality so fascinated the caller that he prolonged his stay far into the night, ami it was ni.t until quite late that he bade the young lady adieu, and began his return to La Cio-e. at the lime of ^\lllch mention is now luade, a thriving village. It was a lonely walk at best, but particularly so at this special time: aiid"»striking the Indian trail, he hurried alon,.- bri-kly in the direction of his Itoarding-house. While thus proceeding, he was startled bv the howling of a pack of wolves in close pro.ximity, and saw, as he looked back in the direct'ioii wlience he came, the white teeth, (laming eyes and dim outlines of two huge wolves on his track. In an instant lie wheeled, continues the chronicle, and swinging his hat m midair rushed toward them velliuii at the top of his voice. Tlie animals, for the moment terrified as it were, tied pr.-eipitateiv into tlie tall grass, and Mr. Hubbard reached home in safety, ftlicitating himself upnii a llerti'iess of foot that enabled him to outstep the speed of these terrors of early days.

' .\nincident similarly exciting is related of S. T. Smith, a pioneer of IS.Jl. During that year, he was building a store on Front street, and while that was in progress it is related he was wont to visit" the blufl's nn pn.-pecting tours. One day, while enjoying the_^ beauty of the valleys east of the bluff's, which he was then engaged in exploring en route to State R^ad Coolev, iris horse suddonlv shifted to one side, and bis surprise increased as he heard the sounds of twigs and brush cracking at the side of the road. Mr. Smith was curious to ascertain the cau'-e of this straiiL'e beliavior uf liis liorse. and halted to ascer.tain the same. .\s he stood up in his stirrups to pe- r into the forest, a large black bear ro^e up out of the brush and grass not fortv feet distant fVnm where Mr. Smith had stopped, and growled forth notes of defiance. Bru'in had been disturbed while taking his noon-day meal, and contemplated his visitor with a ferocity born of angi;r and natural antipathy. The latter thought it would be both discreet and conducive to his safety to forego anv inclination to debate the question raised he may have indulged; and. plunging his snur.- into the hor.H' with vigor and intention, rushed out of the valley and headed for the village, at a gait that would have rivaled that of Tarn O'Shanter when pursued bv the witclie-. .-Vrriving on Fnmt street, he excitedly related his adventure to the interested citizens : but never soiiirht a repetition of the experience he was there committed to.

UeturniiiL; to tlie year 1^44. it may b. ?tated that while it required industry and activity to keeji the wolf from " tlie door, in a figurative sense, its absence in a practical sense was not altogether due to anv di-po-^iiion of the" beast " to be missed from the haunts of men. Far from it, especiallv if' they were hungry. In certain seasons, their wild, plaintive yelp or bark could be heard in all directions during the night, creating intense excitement among the dogs, ami apprehension among the settlers.

Smaller animals, such as ]ianthers, lynxes, catamounts, etc.. were also suflicicntly numer- OU-; to occasioinlK b,- trouble^ jine. In sliori. the struggles of pioneers, here as everywhere, were innumerable: the stru_'gle was never li)r ease or luxury : it was a constant one for inde- [-endence. (jfteii for theiineans of sustaining life it>elf tiik' iii;sf .\ii;KDi:r,. The til -t murder in present La Cros-^e County, of which any reliable date appears, occurr.d (luring this year, the victim being Koiicrt 1>. Lester, Sheriff of Crawford County. It seems that .^I^. Lester had otlicial biisine-is to dispose of on the Clii|ipewa River in the month of May. He had proceeded thith.T. an.l hawng com-liiiled the objcci ot his visit, .set out upon the return trip. Tills was be'Tim lunh.'r auspices thai imported a saf.' voyage homeward, and noihinjoccurred to disturb such conclusions until the 'Jlst of May. ()a that d.ay. he re.iched a point on the .Mississippi R'w.-v about sik miles b.^low ll'i'd's Lmding, and twenty milo^ froiu Li Cros-r. near the iNlinnesola shore, where he met an Indian in a canoe journeying in an opposite direc- tioii. After a brief collofiuy, the [ii>ii:iii dt'inandcil tliat a luncli, which Mr. Lester luul prepared for iiimself, and was stored in the boat, shouhl be given up to liim. As this was all he had, Mr. IjCster very naturally declined to be made to pay tribute to the sa value's appetite, and refused. The latter ihoreiipon became angered, and landing from his canoe, following down the bank the course of Mr. Lester, and kecpini.' abreast of tliat gentleman as he continued his voyage. While tlius engaged, unmindful of danger, Mr. Lester was shot by the Indian and fell into the river. The report of this murderous shot, before its echo wn- lost in the distance, was heard by Francis La Batt or La ]lath'>. wlmswas ascending the rivci' in a canoe, followed by his noticing the inanimate remains of the assassin's victitn tioating in the water, whence it was recovered some weeks subsequently. Inforraution of the trajredy was at once communicated to Col. I)a\enpori, in command at Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien), who sent a company of soldiers up the river to search for the murderer. After e.xhausting every recourse without results, and being unable to secure the object of their visit, the soldiers seized one of the chiefs, and, bearing their prize off in triumph, conveyed him to Prairie du Chien, where he was imprisoned as a hostage for the delivery to the authorities of the guilty jiarry. Various expedients were employed to obtain his release, and every effort was made to Si'cure the reversion of the penalty to the accused. But these measures hut determined the authorities in their action, and their decision Vfas both final and unappealable. Finally, the tribe to which both criminal and prisoner belonged released the latter by a siirremler of the former, who was prcsuin ibly, dealt with according to the law in such case made and provided.

Quite a number of citizens went up the river to search for the body, but their ctl'orts were vain, and they returned to I'ruirie du Chien in default of having accomplished their sorrowful mission. .Just before this tragedy it is said the steamer " Lyn.x " had been partially wrecked near ^Vabashaw Prairie, and the crew, upon being discharged, made their way down the river by other conveyance. \\'liile en rinde. their attentii)!\ was attracted to drift.wood in one ot", the eddies of the river, from which a jieculiarly otfeiisive odor floated, and, upon examining the cause, unexpectedly recovered the disfigured and bloated body of the murdered Lester. It was taken to La Crosse where it was temporarily interred, and the news sent to decedent's friends in Prairie du Chien. Upon its reoeptinn. Mr. Lockliart, of that city, olTicial successor to deceased, visited La Crosse, and having reclaimed the body, caused it to be trans]iorted to Prairie du Chien, where it was buried.

This vras the conmienceuient vi' --criminal annals" in La Crosse County, and the summary dealing with crinjinals which has fince obtained dates from t!;is precedent.

Karly this year. I>r. Snow, wh.o had previnusly resided at Prairie du Chien fijr a season, removed to La Crosse, and became an Lidian trader. He prospered in his business, reaping rich rewards during his adventurous career, and also being the means of attracting to the pressent city some among those who proved among her m(>st valued residents.

Jacob Spaulding came also in 1^-54. lie was a pioneer luniberiiuin on Pdack River, reputed as being the first to cut timber in that vicinity, tie came through La Crosse as early as ISoti, en route to that locality, wlirrc he cut and liiated down the ri\er the logs with which the stockade at Prairie du Chien was buih. Upi)n e^iiniji'g into tlie .-etti.'iiient, he procured the house built by Mills, the Dubuque .-lithT. or erected it^hauty on Pearl street, and divided its occupation with Sih'W. then engaged in the Indian trade. It does not appear, however, that he made this point a residence, nor is it at all probable, as the nature f/f his occupation would for- "bid his doing so. Put he was here of.' and on at brief intervals, and irenerallv recognized as a citizen of these parts.

Dr. It. lumnell came in this year, and found temporary accommodations in tlie Mills House, the capacity of whicli it woubi seem d.-pended only upon the ilemaiids made in that behalf. Dr. Bunnell was the fir.^t physician to settle in La Cro--e. states Mr. Myrick. He came here from Detroit, accompanied by a wife and child, also a widowed daughter. nauuMl Van Rensselaer, wha stateJ to Mjrick at the time tliat lie woulil live t<> <fO ;i railroail from the lakes to the Mississippi River. About that time. Mr. Mvriek. whilo by no means very sanguine, was confident that this prediction would be realized in the near future: yet its coming in 1858 must have anticipated the date fixed for its arrival by several }curs. To-day railroads connect the Gateway City with every point in the country, and to sucli myi as those who came in about this time and wed'lcil tlicrascives to t!ie work of buildiu^ up Li Cnvsse County, are the<e improvements in railroad couimut[icatioiis due.

It should be stated that Dr. Ivaniioll .-'/Id his claim, which covered tliat portion of the city comprehended between M>)unt Vernun and DivisiiMi streets, to Peter Cameron, in 1817. and returned to New Ynrk, but his son ami daughter remained, and ultimately settled in Minnesota, near Ilumer.

The year altoiietlier witnessed more generous arrivals than those which had preceiled its advent, au'l was attended witii nn.re gratifying; ccuicuinitants. Miss Piersoii, who, it will be remembered, came to La Crosse during the previous winter with Mrs. Myrick, and went thence to IHinois. was brought hither again, this time coming as the hap[iy and, to use an expression of the times, blushing bride of II. J. B. Miller, partner of Mr. ^lyrick. " Scoots," who was proof against the temptations of life on the frontier, proof agaiiist the charmings of a more congenial life at the East, proof against savages and settlers at La Crosse, was unable, as the sequel proved, to resist the iasciiiati"ris of Miss Ticrson, and yiehbrng to arguments that proved irresistibly convincing, ciunbined two souls, and consolidated two hearts, a proceeding which is said to have been entirely satisfactory to the parties interested, as also to others waiting for a sign til determine their own aclinn.

Amntig the items of interest whiel' began tn manifest their presence this year was the character of the few who came for iuclustrv and integritv. Those who proved the first fiirnicrs in the county came in l'^4-l-. but the seas'.>a was too far gone, and so from the very necessities of the case they postponed active operations untd the following spring, when they opened a farm under the blutis, between Stale Road and .Nlorinon Coolies, and in course of time became pros- }ierous and successful. Tiie names of these enterpri-ing men to commence the tilling of the soil as a means of livelih'jol first in La Crosse wei e John and Charles Nagle, industrious, persevering and educatioiiallv, as als) hv e.xpcrience, not only ((ualiried to conduct firming operations, but peeuliarl}- so in a nesv countrv. They soon had their acres under fence and highly cultivated, and the profits accruing to them as the fruits of their constant labor and watchful care are sai'I to have been sufficient to render them independent in time.

The precedent thus established was a<hipted almost immediately by f^cw-comers, and, as a conseiiuenco, the jircseut territory of La Crosse Couutv was dotteil with acres of cultured land, even before it was apportioned from Crawford Countv and became an inde])endent constituency. As .-ilie-idy stated, tlie first cereals grown in the county were produced by Mynck i*v Miller, but their example was rather for lioine pruilucts and to test the ipiality of tb" soil, yet this example h.is bet-n So liberally emulated since tliat day, that farming throughout the county is now among the most remunerative and profitable undertakings engaged in.

In the fill of 18-14, the limited number of settlers v.-ero somewhat surprised at the venture of Myriek & Mdler in floating a r.ift of logs from La Cros-^e to St. Louis. These men were engaged in every variety of luisiu'^ss, from trading with the Indians to cniertainiffg a traveling colporteur. Their house became the home of all who visited La Crosse, and for the first years of tbe city in embryo was the only hotel between Prairie du Chicn and Fort Snelling. When lumbering began to be jirominent in this vicinity, they engaged in the business, and carried it on with sucli judgment and capacity as to secure them large returns. In time, tliey began to consider the feasibility and prospective return? tli;it wouM attend a raft voyage to the '-future great city of the West," as prejudiced residents of St. Louis are ^vont tn fjiidly term their city, and thi^ was the inaugural test, besides being tin" fii-t of its kind to be made from the upper river. 'I'he cj-aft. in the absence of data iii'iicating a contrary result, arrived at St. Louis on time, and, it is til be hopeil. gave the venturesome coiiiigiiurs a liberal profit.

Another incident of life here at this time v.-n the location of a j.ost olTiee at La Crosse, and the appointment of a Government agent tn look after federal interests and deliver the mail. At that time, it ^-. as transported by courier when navigation was .suspended, and, as the number of inhabitants of La ('ro-se be^an tn appreciate in number, their waiits and demands appreciated propiirtionately. Not the lea^t convenience fir wliich application was made was the establishment of an ollice. and this \\ as d.me in resp 'iise to petitions submitted liiercfor. 'Slf. Myrick was appointed to its care in the fii^t instance, ai.d remained in charge fjr a brief time. But. his business intere-;ts reftised to permit any divorce fmui his immediate and coustani attention, besides the cares of the (ifbce, while rmt onerous, were annoyiiig and a hindrance, so he resigned, and was succeeded by Maj. K. A. C. Hatch, at that time in the employ of Myrick l-c Miller, but, after remaining in charge until about 1S47 or 1S4S, IL J. C. JLUer became the custodian of the Government confidence. Tlie mail ficilities were unimproved as time lapsed, going and coming, it is stiid. by original routes and conveniences, as also with delightful irregularity. Tlie office was at the r^tore of .Millei'. but the letters he carried about in his hat or bosom, when Mrs. Miller had not them in charge. When a settler wanted to n-^certain if a letter awaited his de- Toand, he was obliged to fir-t see ''Scoots," who wuuld canvass the contents of his hat and vest. If he failed to re,-{)ond, the expectant recipient, as a final re-'irt. appealed to Mrs. ]\Lller, who went througli the same trails f dlowcd by her hu-band, and not lufrnjiiently gratified the ap]>licant with communications from those who were indebted therefor.

When IL E. Hubbard was appointed in the idace of Mr. .Miller, the office was located in a small buibiing on the east side of Front street, three doors south of State, and its interior is said to have lieen the fiirest parallel tn the old curiosity shop of Fleet street it is pcssible to conceive cf It wa- a very small affair, and tie: Im.xes consisted of half a dozen rows of pigeonhnles, set up on a common ]iine table, behind which was the business oflice. littered up with promiscuous piles of p.ijuus, letters and mail b.igs Tlie " general dul'.\ ery " was the struiigest point about the oflice, and ne\er vacmt. Since those days, the number of boxes, the lack of which was then a source of infinite discord, has been increased to .supply a iiniveisal demaml. and tlie elegance of the ajip lintinents now enjoyed are source-; of ilelight to the most f istidioiis.

This was the year m which the Mormons returned and established themselves in Mormon <'ooley, witli a view of founding another Mecca. Tliey were under the leadership of Elder l^ym:in ^Vight, and erected a number of eabins preparatory to permanent settlement in this vicinity. Til" females are said to have numbered among tlieni some Welsh and English girls of rare beauty, good singers and (piite entertaining, but whose cxclusiveness was painfully disagreeable to admiring i^ientile-^. 'I'iiev enjoyctl a clo-er communion t'lan anv other sect wdiich had up to that time defined its ]u-inei|ile~. and when Some of the mo<t youthful, fi-cinating ,iml irresistible <,f the Gentile residents extended them harmless attention-:. Elder Wiglu pr. .tested, and the dam-^eL were terrified into obedience.

Wight *is"^ai\l to have been a Moimeui and a sinner of the most ]ironounced type ; the hardest swearer and free-^t ilrinkei- in the vicinity : a man who combined a love i'nr wine, women ;ind wassail with profession-; of temperance as earnest as they were often ill-timed fjr the sake of his professions. In his eups he \va< not onlv allectiiig but confidei.ti.il. and Dr. liiiniiell recalls an incident id' this peculiar ch.iracteristic which came under hi- observatiun. 'J'iie Fdder uiion one oeciision, after bringing tears to the eyes of tiis audience liy an cl'.i(|uent discourse u[)on the evil,-: of inteniperaiicf. and drinkiti:^ a half-pint of whisky left by hi-^ >nv!i son. toM them tliat he was iroiu"

As yet there were no schools to educate aspiring youtli. or churches to gather in their folds tlie citizens, Indians and lost of Israel generally. Such dispensations were not of as frequent occurrence, .so to speak, as to-day, and their absence scarcely commented upon. They did not exist, ami as blessings they wlmc all the mrre appreciated wlien, as conservcrs of intelligence and luoi-ality, they came into tlic midst of the village, and have since gathered strengtli and multiplied in influence. In those days, as one of them remarked to the writer, the citizens were regarded by the world at hu'ge as cast-off heathei>s, whose ledernptiori from ignoraiice and sin was of less coiibCipieni'C than the comfort, and Sjjii-iiual we'lare of the Timbuctoo aborigines and maii-

The travel to Clack llivei' during 1 S4-t was quite equal to that of preceding years, and made up of a superior class of men. They passed through La Crosse, and, while never regarded as settlers, w.ere mentioned as tr.insients. and made purchases of the goods here in stock. Among these Were 0. 1!. '.'lin<e, :i -Mr. Miller. T. Wood, Andrew (ii-uver. .J. Chauueey and possibh' some others. Soon after, that is to say fro.n and after this year, rafts began to be made up for points down the river, and logs in the rough, as also lumber, came to be regarded as commodities for the shipment of which immense returns would be ]irodared. That the regards entertained in this coniii'ction were the reverse of Utoiiian, the present logging and lumber trade carried on from La ('ro-se and points abjve. has ful'v justified.

With the close of the year, the exhibit in all respects may be considered as by no means discouraging. Some accessioiis hail beeii made to the inhabitants, some improvements coinpleted in the future village. New lines i,f trade had been exten)]jorized and ujion trial found to be only waiting encouragement, wliich \vou!d C'lUie with the flight of time. The ilavs were prosjHTous anil Indd out the inducetiicnt of wealth to those who persevereil unto the end. Comiimnication was enjoyed with distant points that enabled the purchase and delivery of commodities at prices within the r.uige of possibilities. If schools tind churches were ab-ent, there was then 110 demand ; v.lien tliat demand arose, tliey would spring u|i and bear fruit. Summing up, then. the liicts au'l the evidence admitted of but one verdict, and this verdict was accejUed with results that become more manifest as years drift into the ]iast,

The sra-(;n of ls4,") opened Conip.iratively earlier thin in vears previous. The fame of the country sun-ounding La (jrosse Village had been extended thr.tugh reports from those wlio had come in imanwhile. and its desir.iblenes^ as a place of settlement quoted commendably. The fertility ->[' the euoleys, tin.' salubrity of the climate, tl,e favorable location for town s'ites and other advantag.s. eonspired to render the county an objective point for immigration that was regarded with favor by dHtant re-ident-.. There' were few to avail themselves oi' these attractions. howeviM-, at this time, ;in 1 it wis not until s:\ ye:iis later that the tide of travel, which had run the gantlet of other portii)ii> of tiic State, their " prairie sehooneis" erowiling the high\iav-. and the track of their deptrtiiri guidiiiL; the advance of those who catue after them, that L i Crosse County began to he geneially iidiabii.il and built up. One can hardly imagine that the present prosperous section ol' Wisconsin, identilled as La Crosse Countv, was but tliirty years ago one absolute wilderness, varied here and there with approaches to improvements. Yet suidi was indeed the case, accordin;^ to evidence adduced in that connection.

Earlv in the sprin;j; of 1S45, Loretizo L. Lewis came into the country on a prospecting tour. He was an Eastern man, who, ten \ears previous, immigrated to tlie West, and les.s contracted opfiortunitics Tir development, settling in Illinois. In time, he wearied even of the almost unlimited license for advancement there, and sought further West what he conceived was not afforded hiin in the more thickly settled tcrritorv comprehended within the limits of Illinoi-. Upon reaching \y.\ Cro;,e. he found 11. -I. U. .Vliller, .\sa White. -' Dutch Doc," with Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Nathan Myrick constituting the entire white population of this section of the country. He traveled the county over, and, having made his selection of land upon which ti> settle, returned to Illinois.

Hef'irc the spring hud yielded place to summer, others had visited La Crosse to prospect i>r settle, but generally the former, and gone elsewhere, in most instances to Black River, the rich lumber yields there being regarded as bonanzas, with the improved facilities for shipping to distant points then accessible, only to he equaled by the '' lucky Hn^s " which subsequent years identifieil as part i.if the history of Calif iniia. The steamers which landed at La Crosse with gr.itifying regularity (that is to say once in two or three weeks), as the season arlvanced, bore pilgrims in sipiads and solus, and that their liisembarkations at La Crosse were not more frequent and nuniei'ous was not due certainly to the absence of iridiieements otTered. These were both substantial and almost urdimite 1, and continued until tiie rush of years and immigration exhausted their supply.

It is said of J. M. Levy that to any one applying for information or aid in his undertakings about La Crosse, he never -went away enipty handeii. That gentleman seemed willing to lake almost any risk to secure wurthy settlers, and cxteiul them sucii assistance as they sought, confiderit that his trust would lener Ijc violatC'l. Ni.ir was it entirely so. as he c:n\ to-day testify, and his liberality aiid enterprise in the days of uncertainties hereabouts can be vouched for by some who are to-day in positions of prominence and wealth, through the "helping haml " extended by this public-spirited citizen, who came hither and permanently settled in lS4.'i.

But of the many wdio came an<l saw. but few concluded to cast their several lots with La Crosse, and unite their destiiiies with the destiny of the future county and its -' Gateway City." These few wiu-e of the tv[)0 which create new dis|,ensations in the history of civilizatioTi, and organize and conduct victories ngain-t baibaric supremacy. Notwithstanding the few ariivals. the country grew in stn.'n.rtli aiid in'.luence. In thuse earlir-r days, even when the lines of life were wrinkled and distorted by adversities and disappointments, Hope lingered like a fruit iii reach, sweet before the eves of those to whom it was offered bv wav of encouragement.

- This year John C. Davis came in and clerked for Myrick .<: Miller; William (jibbs became a citizen of the county, and located on what is now known as " Gibb's Chute:' Henry O'Neill landed, here, but continued his journey to Black River, as also did the present Senator from the Thirty-secoml District, the ILui. W. T. Price, and a man named Mason. The citadels of success in that region were stiirmed ind'.'cd, and that, t'lo, by men v,ho never fdtered. dazed wiih i'e;ir. Init continued their .a Ivance until victory planted its banner on her battlements.

If imnii'.rration was slo-.v, imju-ovements were equally tardy. Indeed, there was no demand fo!- them. Tiiere were houses sulileitnt to furnish accoiumo.bitions for the inhabitants, and if a str.-mger bapjiened to become a temporary sojourner in this Imid of promise, he was entertained at the home of Nathan Myrick. which was conducted as a h<jtel whenever the exigencies of the case deniamled. Rafrs passed the city scmi-occasionalK-. and the ]iroverbial habits of the class of men who. in those days, were known as "raftsmen," found expression \\hen the "boats" landed and the "mariners" were let loose. Otherwise, the liappy-L'o lucky -tyle of life indigenous as it were, to frontier experiences vas the rule, witti litib.^ to dissipnte its continuanci , or intervene as an 'xceiitioii. 'i'he Iridiaiis remaineil as ni;igh!iors. and one ol' the settlei's had taken to wife an Ridian ni.iideii of reputed roval blood, which secured him very distinguished considerations from his savaire relatiiuis.

About the only improvement tliat can now be remembered as having been completed durui" the summer of 1S45, was an addition to the store of Myrick & Miller. It consisted of a house, which had been erected at Holmes' Landing above La Crosse some months previous. The proprietors loaded the movable ou a raft and paddled it to La Crosse where, after some dillicultv, it was safely removed to terra finiia and set up as a storeroom, making the improvements completed by the pioneers of the settlement quite roomy and pretentious. This was compelled by the increase in trade, which the current year witnessed, and the future imported. The steamboat Lynx was also comi>leted during 1845, and began its regular trips to La Crosse. She was a side-wheeler built by IL L. Dousman, and is represented to have been a wonderful exposition of speed and elegance, for the times. The steamers wiiich twenty years after breasted tiie waters of tlie Mississippi, are said to be palaces in comparison with the primitive vessels of forty years ag(j, but the Lynx was incomparably the paragon ot its day.

But in spite of the absence of improvements, and the predominance of the In'lians in point of numbers, by the way. a thrifth'ss representation of the noble red man, with no idea of the difference between mcani and tiium. or appreciation of tlie rights of individuals when the victims were in the vocative, there was much to interest and entertain, if little to instruct happening meanwhile. A marriage was celebrated this year between a couple who came in during 1S45, that is the hivly, and wh'j fr.iia their actions had been mistakenly supposed to be on their bridal tour. There was al-o a death tliis year in the home of yiv. Myrick, sorrow ami joy went hand in iiand down the aisle of lile in La Crosse; the residents were participants in scenes of the gay for a season to be recalled to the duties, the obligations and the afllictions of life, and gravity and frivulitv were parts of their experience as pronounced and unavoidable as they are to-day ingredients of the solemn drama the human family are enacting throughout the world as a stage. Then, as now, only in a more limited sense, the settlers of La Crosse were actors. They had tlicir exits and entrances a< defineil and unmistakable as are to be witnessed after nearly half a century of posings and rehearsals, and for the -" points " they "made" have since been rewarded or coiitlemned as po-tcrity profited or was displeased. Tlie curtain since those days has been rung (h.iwn freijucntly, the actors anil actresses of the limes herein cpioted have many of them taken their last farewell and made their final bow - some to applause, others in silence- - some of them live in the memories of succeeding generations, some of tiiem possibly rest in obscurity. Society was in an unsettled state. The population resi'ling in this portion of Wisconsin, in truth in the river towns between St. Louis and Fort Snclling. the extreme navigable points, was composed of all grades and conditions of men. The ojiposite sex was but sparsely represented, and there was an absence of womanly influence a])parent in all of them. To these may have been added some emigrants, who sailed from their homes across the sea, but who are always important factors in the devehjpmcnt of a new country. Tiiere was. however, in the sum of life, as figured up in La Crosse, a gratifying absence of middle men, outlaws, gamblers, thieves, etc., who invariably infest a new region with their presence, to improve or augment their failing fortunes, and who, by taking the tide at its flood, hope to attain glory and fmaiicial responsibility. -

There were no courts so to speak at tins time in La Crosse to redress grievances or enforce contracts, and though that happv character, in all ages since jui i.-prudeiice became a study and a science, the .Justice of the Peace existed, he was rarely called ujcm to solemnize between litigaiit-j. M'^st every individual stood upon his personal merit, and if assailed in name or rc]>utatbiM, in cstntes or expectations, he became the expounder of the law in his own behalf, wiiliout havitig ncuin.-e to Justice IL J. B. ^LUer. Xevertheles-, in default of the presence of what have since been regarded as invaluable, ntiy indisjieiisable adjiuTots to every well regulated community, coui'ts, lawyers, .scliords, churolii'S and th'-ir auxilaries, the moral atmosphere of the Country was f::r frniu heinL.' malndiiruus v,itli ciini'' nr inis'lrnieatn'r.

it is thouglit. was still ke[it in u conilitiou for active service, ami (?ouIil be relied upon in any einerj^encv where a knowleilge of the law as al-<o the portion of remedial justice appropriate t'> supply that in which the law by reason of its univer-ulity is deficient was needed.

One of his first acts was to solemnize a niarrluLre between Peter and Emma Cameron above referred to. This was done in the presence of all the villagers, and with a dignity and refreshing simplicity, foreign to the [irescnt artificial days. The couple were ranged in order before His Honor, who first interrogated the prospectixe husband and then the bride, and ascertaining that both meant business, concluded the jiroceedings with tlie proclamation " By virtue of the power vested in mc as Justice of the Peace for the village of La Crosse, T pronounce you husband and wife, and let no man put you asunder." l)r. Bunnell. Sr., was present and shouted a? also ailixed his name to the marriage certificat-^. ^Vine and cake was not»passed around, it i< said, nor were the festivities usual to similar occurrences cither numerous or prolonged. The happy con[de esteemed themselves mutually fortunate no doubt, and lived together for many years, \\hon the husband died.

His widow still survives, and is regarded as one with wliom romance in its most brilliant colors has been so intimately associated that a brief history of tier life may not be inappropriate. Emma Cameron was born somcvih^'ve cast of the Allcghanics, Init came at an early age to Ohio in company with her parents. ^Vl!en but scarcely sixteen years of ago, she contracte<l marriage with a man named. Kellogg, unknown to her guardians, and thereby presumably excited their anger. Whether she ever became reconciled to them or otlierwise is not of record, but she sub- Sfjuently becatno a resident of Micliigan Territory, when she was espoused by an admirer named Clayton, and to hihi was married. How hui^ .she tarried with ('layton has never been established by any evidence that would be regardrlas coriclu^ive. or whether slie tarried with him or not. Nor is it certain that shesucceeded in securing that felicity bv a eonjunctioii of their fortunes Mich consolidations are said to afford. It is thought though, that siio did not. At all events, she sotne time after this was marrieii to a Mr. Van Sickles, without having obtained a divorce rro;ii Clayton, and while thus bound, she met Peter Cameron, who was en route fi'om Utica. N. Y.. to La Crosse and joined wilh his train. Mr. Cameron arrived at the journey's end with -Mrs. ^"an Sickles, by far his most attractive ii::portation.

Slie is said to have l/icn a «r:nian of sur]i:i>-ingly beautiful figure and features, remarkable nerve, great presence of mind and womlerfid exoed:cnt, with the capa^'ity to model one of the opposite sex to her v.ishes. a< readily and gently as an artist molds a fiirure in plaster of Paris. Men under her manipulation became as clay in tiie hands of the ])otter. C'ne who saw her in the full fiush of health states that she was, all romance aside, very hand-nuu-. Her complexion Was of a delicate olive tint, and the expression of her larire, black-, glittering eyes were heightened by the lontr, sdky lashes that fringeil their lids. Her eyebrows, penciled by nature with mathematical precision, arched symmetric. illy, and met above a nose classically accurate in shape ami finely rio^tiilh'd. Her mouth wa> sm;ill and shapelv. ro-y tipped, and somewhat sensual in character, the lips tliiii. that ex;i '-cd when >h.r smiled teeth rivaling pearls. Her hair was dark, her hands and neck were whiti.' and jdump. and kepi C'lmpanv to a [lair iif s'l.all feet, archin'> like an .Arab's, and put d'lwn upon tiie groiuiil with an emphasis 'hat indicat'-d a decision of character seemingly at variau'^e wilh her fickle admiration^. Her jihysique letit itself well to graceful movements, which imparted a touch of defiant awkwardness born of an overflowiii"- youth, so exquisite a )iiece of womanhood, it is said was seldom ever seen in those early davs in the west.