Edgerton City

Edgerton City

On December 4, 1874, Messrs. W. F. & F. E. Towsley commenced the publication of the Wisconsin Tohaoco Reporter, a seven-column paper (24x36) devoted to the interests of Edgerton in general and tobacco in particular. In 1878, Mr. W. F. Towsley purchased his brother's interest, and now controls the whole. It is a weekly, with no politics, and has a circulation of about six hundred copies per week ; together with a complete jobbing outfit, it is valued at $3,000.

This Society was organized on May 16, 1848, at a meeting of citizens held at the Court House. The first officers were : Rev. Hiram Foote, of Janesville, President ; B. Durham, of Beloit, Vice President ; W. Hughes, of Janesville, Secretary ; James Sutherland, of Jahesville, Treasurer and Depositary. Directors - Rev. Wesley Lattin, J. B. Doe and B. Herring. The Society is auxiliary to the American Bible Society of New York. From 12,000 to 15,000 copies of Bibles and Testaments, in the English, French, German, Danish and Welsh languages, have been sold or donated in Rock County since the organization of the Society. A great number of destitute persons are supplied with the Scriptures. Those making annual donations to the Society are members of the same. The present ofiicers are as follows : H. S. Hogoboom, President; Capt. E. Ruger, Vice President; John Rexford, Secretary; James Sutherland, Treas^ urer and Depositary. Directors - H. S. Bliss, J. H. Kinney, A. J. Hendrickson, W. G, Wheelock and H. Mofiit.

No more appropriate monument to the memory of the individuals who founded this institution can ever be erected than the imposing structure as it now stands, overlooking, from a prominent elevation, the thrifty city of Janesville, reflecting its shadow upon the placid waters of Rock River ; no more fitting epitaph written than this : "Founders of the Wisconsin Institution for the Education of the Blind." The benevolent motives of these men are plainly marked in the records of their early struggles to prevent the removal of the institution from .Janesville. Racine, Milwaukee and Madison parties sought it as a speculation while it was in private hands, and did not cease their efforts until it became the property of the 'State and was permanently located in Janesville by an act of the Legislature. The citizens of Janesville have regarded it in the light of an inheritance, and look upon its success with peculiar satisfaction. In the twenty-fifth annual report of the Board of Trustees of the institution is given a historical review of its work. Prior to the 27th of August, 1849, and before the establishment of any benevolent institution in this State, the subject of establishing a school for the education of the blind in the then village of Janesville had received some attention from the residents of the village. On the 27th day of August, a public meeting of the citizens of Janesville was held at the Court House for the purpose of adopting some measures looking to the establishment of such a school. The meeting was presided over by the Hon. A. Hyatt Smith, the Rev. Hiram Foote acting as Secretary. There was present at this meeting, by invitation, Mr. J. T. Axtell, a recent graduate of the Ohio Institution for the Education of th« Blind. Being himself a blind man, he made an impressive appeal in behalf of those who, like himself, were deprived of vision ; explained the methods of instruction, and proposed to remain and assist in establishing a school, provided the citizens would contribute the necessary funds. For the purpose of raising the money required, a subscription list was circulated, of which the following is a copy :

The undersigned agree to pay to the Trustees of the Wisconsin Academy for Instruction of the Blind, the amounts by us respectively subscribed hereto, for the purpose of founding a school in the village of Janesville for the instruction of blind persons resident in Wisconsin, and the purchase of the necessary apparatus for the instruction of six such persons. We also agree to pay the said amounts in installments, as follows : One-fourth on the 1st day of November next ; one-fourth every three months thereafter.

With the funds raised by this subscription, a few pupils were gathered, and a school opened in a house owned by Capt. Ira Miltimore, on the right bank of Rock River, near what is known as the Monterey Bridge. It was the first benevolent institution in the State of Wisconsin. Mr. Axtell took charge of the school, and such was the progress of the blind pupils that in February of the next year, those under whose fostering care the school had been organized and carried forward, consented to take them to Madison and give an exhibition of their progress and methods of instruction before the Legislature then in session. So satisfactory was this exhibition to that body, that on the following morning, for the purpose of aiding in sustaining the school thus founded, it passed, under a suspension of the rules, an act incorporating the school. The first section of the act named A. Hyatt Smith, Hiram Foote, Ira Miltimore, Levi Alden, Jarius C. Fairchild and William A. Barstow as Trustees, and gave them corporate powers. The second and third sections are as follows :

Sec. '2. The object a*nd duty of this corporation shall be to continue and maintain the School for the Education of the Blind established in .Janesville, nnd to qualify, as far as may be, that unfortunate class of persons for the enjoyment of the blessings of a free government, obtaining the means of subsistence, and the discbarge of those duties, social and political, devolving upon American citizens.

Sec. 3. The school shall be continued in or near Janesville, and the corporation shall, as early us practicable, purchase a suitable lot of ground containing not less than ten acres nor moj'e than twenty acres, and proceed to erect thereon suitable buildings, and make such improvements as are necessary for the school.

In 1850, the school was transferred to the residence of Mrs. H. Hunter, on Jackson street, and she became the Matron thereof. It was continued at the residence of Mrs. Hunter until the 1st of June, 18.52, when the new building on the present grounds of the institution was completed, and the school removed to it.

The State was saved the cost of the grounds, Capt. Ira Miltimore very generously donating ten acres of land on the southerly bank of Rock River, about one mile southwest from the then village of Janesville, upon which the buildings of the institution were erected.

The structure erected in 1851-52 soon became insufficient for the needs of the school, and was used as a wing to a main building, which was completed in 1860.

In a few years, the continued growth of the school required another enlargement, and the wing which was the original building, having become unsafe, was torn down and replaced by one larger, and built in a substantial manner. This was done in 1868-69. The building thus enlarged was expected to provide for the wants of the school for at least a score of years, but, on the 13th of April, 1874, this proud monument to pioneer enterprise was laid low in

The 13th of April, 1874, will be remembered in the annals of this institution as the date of the destruction of its chief building by fire. Until evening, the day was marked by nothing except the violence of the wind, the direction being southwesterly. At a little after 7 P. M., while the pupils were assembled for their usual evening reading, tire was discovered in the elevator. This was of wood, and, at the moment of discovery, was thoroughly on fire above the third-story floor. * * * Immediately upon the discovery of the fire, the hose was brought to tjie door of the elevator on the third floor. The door was fo^'ced open with a fire ax, of which two were always kept on each of the third and fourth stories. The fliames burst out with fury, but no water came from the hose. [Mr. Little believed this to have been the result of a twist in the hose.] A Babcock fire-extinguisher was brought into use. This acted promptly, and might hive proved effective against a fire just beginning ; but in this case the fire spread much faster than the extinguisher put it out. Before the charge was fully played out, it was impossible to approach the elevator door, and it was apparent that the fire could not be controlled by any meanq except by regular fire engines. What the condition of things had beeii on the fourth story at the time of the discovery of the fire cannot be t'old, as no one went up there to see ; but the flames burst out at the eaves in so short a time as to indicate that it must have spreid considerably under the roof before it was discovered. Two steam fire eagines arrived before long from town, but they accomplished very little toward checking the fire. They soon exhausted the cisterns, and became useless. * * * Before 1 o'clock, the entire building was a ruin. The greater part of the walls remained standing. Those on the south and west were not much burned on the outside, except where the verandas confined the fire ; but those on the east, and especially those on the north were badly damaged. The shop escaped uninjured by the flames. The same furious wind that hastened the destruction of the house made it impossible for the fire or any great heat to cross the narrow space that separated the two buildings.

One pupil perished in the flames, Henry Nelson, of Beloit. He was a man about 30 years of age, connected with the work department only. As he had ample time and warning, it seems probable that his failure tO' escape was due to an attack of epilepsy, to which he was subject.

The records of the institution and most of its business papers were saved. * * * It is impossible to state the cause of the flre. * * * This statement should not close without reference to the prompt and considerate kindness of the citizens of Janesville in providing at an early stage of the fire ample means for the removal of the pupils I and others) of the institution in covered carriages to town, in throwing open their houses for their reception, and in making donations of clothing. It is fit to record particularly the assistance rendered in the matter of clothing by various organizations of ladies, the tender by the School Board of a schoolhouse and grounds, and the unanimous vole of the City Council permitting a portion of High Street to be closed against carriages, while the institution should occupy the Williams' House and the school building.

Immediately after the destruction of the building, plans and estimates were made for a new one. The old building was constructed of stone, but after its destruction, the Trustees believed a new edifice quite as substantial, could be erected of brick, and at a less cost. The west wing wfis hurried to completion, and, when finished, was used in conjunction with the barn and workshop, for the accommodation of pupils. An appropriation for the building of this wing was made of $56,000. By the most remarkable strokes of an energetic policy, the work was not allowed to cease until the main building was added to the wing. It is a beautiful structure, costing in the neighborhood of 1140,000.

It is surrounded by thirty-seven acres of rolling land, most of it covered by beautiful oaks and hickories. Some portions of the tract are under cultivation. ,

In the early years of the institution, several different Superintendents were in charge, during brief terms of office. From 1866 to 1861, William H. Churchman, as Superintendent, did an excellent work, and the school arose to a higher degree of efficiency than it had previously attained.

Thomas H. Little, the Superintendent of the institution from 1861 to 1875, did more, perhaps, to promote its welfare and bring it to its present highly satisfactory condition, than any one individual ever connected with it. Mr. Little died in 1875, and his widow, Mrs. Sarah F. C. Little, was chosen to succeed him. She has proved herself thoroughly competent in every way, and seems to live only that she may continue the work so nobly carried on by her husband during his connection with the institution. Nothing but words of praise are heard of Mrs. Little's management. Her salary was increased two years ago from $1,000 to $1,200.

The average number of pupils at the institution is about eighty. These are not all totally blind. Many of them are but partially so. Any person between the ages of eight and twenty-one years, who cannot see to attend a common school, is eligible to admission to the institution which is in no sense an asylum. There is no charge for tuition, the institution being supported entirely by State appropriations, which will average from $18,000 to $20,000, per annum.

The operations of the school fall naturally into three departments. In one, instruction is given in the subjects usually taught in the common schools. In another department, musical training, vocal, instrumental and theoretical is imparted to an extent sufiBcient to furnish to most of the pupils an important source of enjoyment, and to some the means of support. These two departrnents were opened at the commencement of the school, and have been ever since maintained. A little later, the third department was opened, in which broom-making and weaving of rag-carpets is taught to the boys ; sewing and knitting, both by hand and machine, and various kinds of fancy work to the girls, and seating cane-bottomed chairs to both boys and girls.

The present management of the institution is as follows : Board of Trustees, E. Bowen, Cyrus Miner, B. R. Hinckley, H. S. Hogoboom, W. T. Vankirk ; officers of the Board, E. Bowen, President, W. T. Vankirk, Treasurer, H. S. Hogoboom, Secretary ; officers of the Institution - Superintendent, Mrs. Sarah F. 0. Little, A. M. ; Teachers, Miss S. A. Watson, Miss A. I. Hobort, Miss Helen F. Blinn ; Teachers of Music, John S. Van Cleve, Miss M. L. Blinn ; Matron, Mrs. Maria H. Whiting ; Foreman of shop, William B. Harvey. Dr. E. E. Loomis is the attending physician.

In surveying the pleasing drapery of surface, and in contemplating the numerous advantages presented in the county of Rock before it was disturbed by human agency, the traveler must have been led to feel that Dame Nature had acted in her blandest and most beneficial mood, while thus lavishing her gifts to promote the welfare of those who might inherit the boon. He will have traveled far, and seen much of the earth, who shall have met with any region of similar extent which more fully combines the elements of wealth, prosperity and comfort.

The surface of the county consists of rolling prairie and oak openings, with scarcely a foot of land that cannot be tilled except the bluffs along the margins of the streams. In the early settlement of the county, the pioneers found several large open prairies happily distributed in its various parts, affording landscapes of rare beauty. Aside from these, the county was originally oak openings, with the usual characteristics of such land. Of the twenty townships contained in the county, about 60 per cent is prairie, 20 per cent hard-wood timber and 20 per cent openings. These openings were quite early tilled, as the trees were so scattered as to offer less obstruction to the plow of the husbandman than an ordinary orchard.

The soil of Rock County is alluvial loam and sand loam. The alluvial is very limited, being only found in dried-up marshes, which are, no doubt, the beds of vanished lakes. The soil of the open prairie is rich loam, with occasional sections of sand loam, especially in the southeast and northwestern portions of the county. The soil is everywhere very deep and productive, yielding abundantly of every farm product intrusted to its keeping.

In the year 1846, it was reported that 700,000 bushels'of wheat were raised - the land yielding, on an average, 30 bushels of wheat, 20 bushels of corn, 50 bushels of oats, or 200 bushels of potatoes per acre. The crops, in the early history of the county, were abundant, but, unfortunately, not remunerative. The years 1855 and 1856, were very gloomy ones in the agricultural history of the county. Most of the farmers came to the West to raise wheat - very little attention being paid to other crops. This was the great staple on which they relied. Debts were contracted for improving their farms, relying upon th'e wheat crops to pay. But there soon came a succession of partial failures of the wheat crop throughout the county that, added to the extreme low prices of produce of all kinds, well-nigh produced the most disastrous consequence.

The wheat crop of 1845 had been profitable and as sure as any other, but that year commenced the blight - the grain rotting while standing in the field. Wheat during some of those years was sold as low as 20 cents in Janesville, or carted to Milwaukee through the mud, and sold for 37 J cents. The price of corn was from 12 to 15 cents; oats, so low as to hardly pay the expense of threshing. J. M. Burgess, in his report as Secretary of the Rock County Agricultural Society for 1851, gave as a reason for the poor success of farmers : " First, they have attempted to cultivate too much land, with very limited means ; second, they have been deluded with the notion that wheat could, be successfully grown for an indefinite period of time, and that manuring, rotating crops and seeding with timothy, clover and other grasses were entirely unnecessary."

This state of things, however, is incident to the, settlement of all new countries. A better system of husbandry succeeded, and with the improvements designed for the benefit of cultivators of the soil, in the way of agricultural implements and the opening of communication to the lakes by railroads, a more remunerative price was obtained. At the present time, no better farms or more intelligent farmers can be found in Wisconsin.

While wheat is the great staple of production, corn, barley, oats and all coarse grains grow in rich abundance, amply rewarding the husbandman for his toil ; and, while the county is better adapted to grain-growing than stock-raising, farmers are giving much attention to the breeding of stock, and the exhibitions of blooded stock at the county fairs compare favorably with those of other sections of the State.

Rock County is one of the principal dairy regions of the State. In the Dairymen's Association meeting, 'in 1877, it ranked fourth in the State in this industry. The dairy statistics of the county for the year ending September 31, 1878, showed the product of the cheese factories to be 694,346 pounds. The making of butter is also carried on largely; a considerable quantity is shipped to Eastern markets.

Another important industry that has grown up within a few years past is the culture of tobacco, which promises to be of profit to those who pursue it. From reports made by the Town Assessors of the products of the county for the year 1879, it appears that 3,476J acres were devoted to tobacco culture, and in the year 1878, from the Assessor's reports, 2, 26'.i, 188 pounds were raised in the county.

The total acreage of the principal crops - wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye and tobacco - since 1876, to include the present year, is as follows :

A law was enacted in 1878, requiring Assessors to carefully collect information regarding the quantity of grain, roots and fruit raised in their respective towns in the year previous to the time of gathering the statistics. Last year the first official gathering under the law of 1878 was made, and the result was satisfactory. We now give comparative figures concerning the crops of 1877 and 1878: l,,, ,,.,

Horticulture And The Horticultural Society

In matters pertaining to horticulture, the inhabitants of Rock County are not behind those of other counties of this State. Considerable progress has been made in the past few years in these pursuits, and an improved taste is being manifested by the people generally in beautifying and adorning their homesteads, by the liberal planting of fruit and ornamental trees, vines and shrubs. Time and experience have demonstrated, that, with care and attention, certain varieties of apples, as well as pears and plums, can be successfully and profitably grown. The time has arrived when many of the " country seats" take pride and pleasure in fine grounds and tasteful gardens; and in the cities, nearly every house has its garden-spot, tastefully arranged with choice flowers, vines and evergreens, and kept in the neatest order. In addition to the flower garden, many have conservatories stocked with choice winter-flowering plants, while others, with less conveniences, keep them in the paf lor, and the effect is a wide diffusion of a taste for flowers, and a corresponding taste and order throughout the whole household, making home more pleasant and attractive.

The Rock County Horticultural Society was organized at a meeting on September 24, 1866, by the following' gentlemen, who were also the first charter members : F. S. Lawrence, J. D. Rexford, S. G. Williams, E. L. Dimock, H. N. Comstock, A. Hoskins, I. C. Sloan, L. F. Patten, J. B. Whiting, A. M. Thompson, Levi Alden, S. A. Hudson, 0. P. Robinson, S. W. Smith, A. D. Wickham, J. M. Burgess, M. B. Johnson, Hiram Bowen, J. J. R. Pease, George J. Kellogg, S. J. M. Putnam, J. W. Allen, H. Richardson, William Payne, D. E. Fifield, G. H. Williston, Anson Rogers and B. Spence. The first oflicers were : President, Hon. I. C. Sloan ; Vice President, S. G. Williams ; Secretary, F. S. Lawrence ; Treasurer, S. AV. Smith. The present oflicers are: President, F. S. Lawrence; Vice President, George J. Kellogg; Secretary, E. B. Hiemsheet; Treasurer, D. E. Fifield. The present membership is forty-two, and the entrance fee is ^Ju, so that they are fairly flourishing.

On the :22d day of March, 1854, the Board of Supervisors of Rock County purchased of Wright Newhall and E. G. Newhall, for the county, the property now known as the Rock County Poor Farm, situated in the town of Johnstown, on Sections No. 22 and 27, and containing at present 199 acres of land, about 124 acres of which are under cultivation, and the balance is in growing timber, chiefly second-growth oak.

_ At the time of the purchase, the county paid the sum of |5,000 for the farm as follows, byissuing five bonds $1,000 each, with interest at 10 per cent per annum, one of the bonds payable annually thereafter until all were. paid.

The buildings on the farm at the time of its purchase by the county consisted of a house and barn built by Luke Belden for the purpose of keeping hotel. The house consisted of a large main building, three stories in front, with an extensive wing, and answered the purpose for which it was bought for several years, with but little expense to the county for repairs. The building being large and built for hotel accommodations, there was ample room for the paupers of the county. The barn also being large answered the purpose of the farm with but little expense for repairs until 1878, when the county built a barn at an expense of about $1,000.

In 1854, at the time of purchase of this farm, the distinction between town and county poor was in force, and the cost of caring for the town poor at the County House was charged to the towns of which the paupers were resident, and the county poor at the expense of the county at large. This system of supporting the poor continued until 1856.

Previous to the purchase of this property in 1854, by the county, the poor were cared for by the towns in which they were residents, and the non-resident poor were also cared for by the towns in which they were, and the cost charged to the county, the claims being audited by the County Board.

But, on the 9th day of January, 1856, the Board of Supervisors, by resolution, abolished the distinction between town and county poor, and, since that time, all paupers and needy poor have been cared for as a county charge.

The Board of Supervisors elect three Superintendents of the Poor who hold their ofiBce three years, subject to the County Board, who have charge of assisting the poor and also of the Poor House and Farm, one of the Superintendents being also Overseer of the Poor Farm and living in the Poor House, having full management thereof, subject to the County Board. There have been but two Overseers of the Poor Farm since its purchase by the county - Allan Holmes and W. A. Pickett.

The Overseer of the Poor Farm was paid for his services as agreed upon by the Superintendents of the Poor, until the Supervisors fixed his salary, on November 21, 1862. The Overseer living in the Poor House is furnished by the county with house and table expenses for himself and family, and his annual salary is fixed by the Board of Supervisors.

W. A. Pickett, the present Overseer, has filled the oflSce of Superintendent and been Overseer of the Poor Farm since 1862. The following- named gentlemen have held the office of Superintendent of the Poor in the order named : George H. Williston, Alfred Hoskins, John Minton, E. A. Rowland, S. S. Blackman, S. G. Colley, Allan Holmes, Charles H. Parker, Volney Atwood. A. W. Root, Charles Peck, F. P. King, H. A. Northrop, W. A. Pickett and' C. F. North. The present Superintendents are Volney Atwood, W. A. Pickett and C. F. North.

The principal cost for repairs at the Poor Farm can best be ascertained by the following : The Board of Supervisors appropriated for repairs in 1860, $600 ; in 1866, $1,500, and, in 1867, $500. In 1875, there was an addition erected to the main building (the wing having been previously removed) at a cost to the county of $3,765, and the building has since been painted at an expense of about $150.

In 1871, the county erected a building known as the County Asylum for the care of the incurable insane, near the Poor House, but being a separate building, at a cost of $1,578.28, the contract price, which is also under the immediate charge of the Overseer at the Poor Farm.

But as the number of the incurable insane were on the increase, the building was insufficient to meet the demands of the county, and, in 1876, an addition was built to the main building at a cost to the county of $1,214. The building is now very convenient and safe, and there were 'thirteen occupants on the 31st day of December, 1878. The general appropriation by the county to the poor fund was, in 1855, $2,000 ; in 1856, $2,500 ; in 1857, $2,500 ; in 1858,

The number of pauperS' supported at the Poor House vary in number from year to year, and at different seasons of the year ; for instance, on the 1st day of March, 1856, there were in the Poor House eighteen, and on November 15, 1859, there were sixty-three; on November 16, 1860, there were twenty-four ; November 13, 1862, twenty-seven ; and again in 1874 (December 31), there were 8ixty-eig;ht ; December 31, 1875, sixty-four; December 31, 1876, seventy ; December 31, 1877, fifty-three. In the cost per week, per capita, for their support there is but little variation. For instance, in 1875, the cost, per capita, was about $1.73 per week ; in 1876, $1.62 ; in 1877, $1.90, and, in 1878, $1.76. The salaries of the Superintendents of the Poor are not included in the above appropriations, nor considered in computing the cost per capita for the support of the paupers.

A Memorable Tragedy

The pages of the criminal record of Janesville are remarkably free from blood-stain. Manslaughter is a thing of rare occurrence, while revolting assassinations are matters of a quarter of a century ago. A terrible double tragedy occurred in 1855, without an allusion to which the " History of Rock County," would be incomplete. The tragedy was that of the murder of Andrew Alger by David F. Mayberry, and the subsequent lynching of the assassin by a mob of infuriated lumbermen. Mayberry was a Mormon desperado who belonged to the tribe of Joseph Smith, whose headquarters were at Nauvoo, 111. He had served eight years in the State Prison at Alton for the crime of horse-stealing. At the expiration of his sentence, Mayberry openly asserted that some one would have to recompense him for the time he had lost in prison, meaning that he would be avenged, and make that vengeance profitable. From Alton, he went to Rockford, where he was engaged for a few weeks in a cooper-shop. He had an acquaintance with the family of John G. McComb, a farmer living near Rockford, and paid them frequent visits. On the 14th of June, 1855, Mayberry left McOomb's house, saying he was going to Janesville. While passing through Beloit, he met and made the acquaintance of Andrew Alger, a man fifty years of age, who was engaged in the lumber business. Alger had but recently arrived in Beloit from the lumber regions on Rock River, about 20 miles north of Janesville, where he had employed a large number of men cutting and rafting logs. He had sold a raft of logs in Beloit to S. W. Peck, receiving in pay therefor a horse and buggy, a watch and a check on the bank for $5D8r. It is evident that Mayberry became aware of the fact that Alger was the possessor of a considerable amount of money, and that he also learned it was Alger's intention to leave for the lumber region within a few days, for the purpose of paying off his men. At any rate, he preceded Alger out of Beloit on foot, and, coming to Janesville, awaited the arrival of his intended victim.

On Saturday afternoon, June 16, Alger drove into Janesville with the horse and buggy he had received from Mr. Peck in part payment for his logs, and, after resting for an hour or so, proceeded on his way, taking the road toward Milton. In the mean time, Mayberry had purchased some few articles of clothing from various dealers in town, and also a hatchet of Pixley & Kimball. He left town a short time before Alger did, also by way of the Milton road. Of what transpired afterward there is no other evidence than that of Mayberry himself, as related by John G. McComb, to whom the assassin detailed the circumstances of the murder following the day of its occurrence. The substance of McComb's testimony during the trial is about as follows : On Sunday, June 17, Mayberry arrived at McComb's place driving a horse and buggy, and having on several articles of new clothing. He also exhibited various sums of money, including five $20 gold pieces. He told McComb that he had killed and robbed " a pinery bug" the day before, between Janesville and Milton. He related how he had awaited Alger's arrival in Janesville ; told of purchasing a hatchet ; how he had preceded Alger out of town and loitered along the road waiting for him to come up ; and how, when he was overtaken, the unsuspecting victim asked him to ride. It seems that Alger did not recognize Mayberry as the man whose acquaintance he had made in Beloit, but supposed him to be an entire stranger. After proceeding a short distance, and soon after leaving the prairie and entering the grove on the Spaulding farm, Mayberry, who was in his shirt- sleeves, having his coat on his arm, made an excuse to step back of the buggy seat where he could have room to put his coat on. It was then that he dealt the firs.t murderous blow with the hatchet, striking Alger over the right temple with the pole of the weapon. Mayberry then stopped the horse and kicked the prostrate man from the buggy. Dismounting himself, he took his bleeding victim by the heels and dragged him from the roadside to a thicket of shrubs and grass, where he stripped him of his clothing, and, taking from the pocket of Alger's pantaloons a large dirk knife, cut his throat from ear to ear, and then stabbed him in the back and sides, after which he returned to the buggy with Alger's clothing and money, placed them beneath the seat of the vehicle, got in, and taking the reins, still warm from the hands of his victim, drove back through Janesville on bis way to McComb's.

The witness (McOomb) stated that while Mayberry was absent from the house for a few moments, and during the interrupted recital of this tale of blood, he (the witness) dispatched a neighbor to Rockford for Sheriff John .F. Taylor, and when Mayberry returned he entertained him the best he knew how without arousing his suspicions until between 11 and 12 o'clock, when, greatly to the assassin's surprise, Sheriff Taylor, State's Attorney William Brown and several others from Rockford, stepped into the room. Mayberry was ironed at once, and taken to Rockford the next morning and confined in jail.

Mr. McComb, Mr. Brown, and a Mr. Miller came to Janesville the next day, and informing Sheriff Hoskins of what had occurred, repaired to the spot described by Mayberry as the scene of the murder, and, after half an hour's search, the body was found. Mr. Spaulding, at the request of Sheriff Hoskins, brought the remains into town, where an inquest was held, resulting in Mayberry's commitment on a charge ol murder. A requisition was procured, and the prisoner transferred to the Rock County Jail. The grand jury had but just convened, aind the case was laid before that body at once, with instructions to give it immediate consideration.

As the detailed facts of the horrible deed became known, popular feeling against Mayberry rose to the very highest pitch. The excitement spread throughout the Rock River Valley, and, when the news reached the lumber regions, where Mr. Alger was well and favorably known, work was entirely suspended, and, as if by previous understanding, preparations were made by several hundred of the hardiest and most stalwart "loggers '"on the river, including the rough element, to attend the trial. Mayberry was indicted by the gi'and jury, and on Tuesday, July 10, he was brought before James R. Doolittle, Judge of the Rock County Circuit Court, for trial. The jury impaneled on that occasion were as follows: Levi St. John, Uriah Schutt, George Patchin, Ira Ksh, S. C. Randall, Daniel 0. Rayner, John Alexander, 'George H. Stafford, C. M. Messer, George Sherman, F. A. Humphrey and Samuel Cadwallader.

As the trial progressed, the number of strangers arriving in town became noticeably larger, until Wednesday morning, June 11, when the public square in the vicinity of the jail and Coui-t House fairly swarmed with people, most of them being lumbermen, whose wages had depended upon the m6ney for which Mr. Alger was murdered. As Mayberry was led from the jail on the way to trial, a slight demonstration was made toward him, but the assault, which was greatly lacking in vigor, was repelled by the officers, a large force of. extra police having been appointed for the occasion.

Vermont; have five children - Guy W., born Oct. 21, 1862 ; William T., born Sept. 29, 1865 ; Mary M., born Oct. 29, 1867 ; Lewis A., born July 3, 1870 ; Lee W., born Jan. 24, 1875. Mr. LSherman was Chairman Board of Supervisors one year ; Supervisor a number of years, and Assessor for about eighteen years. Republican ; member Baptist Church.

JEROME SHOIEALL., farmer. Sec. 34; P. 0. Shopiere ; born in New York in 1840. Came to Wisconsin in the fall of 1860, locating at Shopiere. The early part of his life was spent on his father's farm. In 1868, he moved to La Prairie, and purchased 77 acres, his present homestead. Married, in February, 1868, Miss Mary Cole, a native of Ohio ; they had three children - Herbert J., born Dec. 20, 1869 ; Clark, born June 18, 1871 ; Spencer, born July 13, 1877. In the fall of 1861, enUsted in Co. P, 13th Wis. Joined regiment at Janesville ; served four years and three months; mustered out December, 1865. Returned to Shopiere, remaining one year, when he went to Montana, remaining about one year. Has been Constable one year ; Republican ; member Congregational Church.

GEORCjtE !!$KI?iNER, farmer, Sec. 9 ; P. 0. Janesville ; born in Scotland in 1829 ; came to Wisconsin in 1849 ; located at Janesville, where he followed the business of baker for two years, when he moved to Bradford, and purchased eighty acres in Sec. 9 ; in 1868, sold out, and moved to La Prairie, Sec. 9, and has ac present under cultivation 320 acres - his present homestead. Married, Nov. 12, 1851, Miss Jane Trotter, a native of Ireland. Have ten children - John Alexander, born July 28, 1852 ; Robert J., born Mav 11, 1854; George C, born Jan. 1, 1856; Mary Jane, born May 12, 1857; William A., born Feb. 28, 1859 (died July 21, 1861) ; Eliza J., born Dec. 18, 1860 ; William W., born Aug. 7, 1862 ; Margaret E., born Nov. 1^8, 1864; Andrew W., Sept. 3, 1867 ; Thomas, born Feb. 4, 1871 ; Mr. Skinner makes a specialty of raising barley, having raised as high as fifty-five bushels to the acre ; is a Republican. He has been a member of the School Board and Pathmaster three years.

BARRETT H. SMITH, farmer. Sees. 35 and 36 ; P. 0. Shopiere ; born in New York May 18, 1834; came to Wisconsin, November, 1842, locating at La Prairie, where his father purchased 120 acres, and the early part of his life was spent there. In 1852, he moved to Beloit, and engaged in the printing business for two years ; he then went to Minnesota ; also engaged in the printing business for six years; in 1859, returned to Janesville, remaining one year; in 1860, went to Beloit, and was engaged in publishing the Beloit Journal for four years. In 1864, enlisted in Co. B, 40th Wis.; joined the regiment at Beloit. He held the commission of Second Lieutenant, and was present at the Forrest raid on Memphis ; mustered out at the close of time of service. In 1865, moved to La Prairie, where he has under cultivation 160 acres - his present homestead. Married, in 1863, Miss Harriet Rose, a native of New York. They have three children - Edith, born Dec. 12, 1865 ; Alice, born Oct. 14, 1867 ; Arthur R., born Aug. 7, 1872 ; was Side Supervisor one term ; also held the office of School Commissioner. Republican. Members Congregational Church.

WILLIAM H. STARK, farmer. Sees. 35; P. 0. Tiffany; born in Vermont March 6, 1810 ; came to Wisconsin in 1»46, locating at La Prairie, where he purchased 260 acres - his present homestead. Married, in 1838, Miss C. Plumb, a native of Vermont. Had five children - Juliet M., born in 1838 ; Charles W., born 1840; Sarah B., born 1842 (died in 1850); De Witt C, 1844 (died in 1850) ; Dewitt Q., born 1851. Mr. Stark has been in the Legislature the years of 1858, 1867, and 1878 ; also was Chairman Board of Supervisors for seven years. Republican.

J. P. THOMAS, farmer, Sec. 10 ; P. 0. Janesville ; born in Woodstock, Vt., in 1834 ; came to Wisconsin, in April, 1859, locating at La Prairie, where he purchased 160 acres - his present homestead. Married, in June, 1861, Miss Melissa Pool, a native of Vermont, who died in 1868, leaving three children - Hattie M., born Aug. 6, 1863; Nellie L., born May 21, 1866 ; Florence, born May 23, 1868 (died Aug. 21, 1868). He married again, September, 1869, Miss Martha A. Smith, a native of New York, who died April 10,1879. They have had five children - Flora C, born Oct. 20,1870; Charles P., Feb. 27, 1872 ; Elsie C^, born May 2, 1873; Irene C, born May 2, 1875 ; Sidney, born May 27, lS77. Mr. Thomas has been Side Supervisor eight years. Chairman of School Board two years. In January, 1879, was elected President of the La Prairie Fire Insurance Co. In 1854, he went to California, where he was engaged in mining till 1867, when he returned to W^isconsin.

MATTHEW VAIV AIjIjEIV, farmer, Sec. 3 ; P. 0. Janesville ; born in 1824 in Columbia Co., N. Y. jycame to Wisconsin in 1849, looating at Emerald Grove, where he purchased a farm of 160 acres in partnership with his father; in 1854, sold out his interest to his father and moved to La Prairie, where he purchased a farm of 220 acres, his present homestead. Married, in 1853, Miss Elizabeth Ransom, a native of New York; had three children - Eber, born Aug. 19, 1854; Edwin T., Feb. 10, 1856, who died in May, 1857 : Katie, born Eeb. 25, 1858. Member of the Methodist Church. Republican.

SAMUEL C. VAN farmer. Sec. 32 ; P. 0. Janesville ; born in New York in 1835 ; came to Wisconsin in the spring of 1853, locating at La Prairie, where he woAed on his father's farm, a part of which he succeeded to about the year 1856 ; he has now under cultivation about 300 acres raising stock and grain ; has just completed one of the finest barns in the township. Married, in 1858 Miss Eliza Heald ; they have eight children - -Alice, born in February, 1859; Clark, in March, 1864; Louis, in February, 1866; Charles, in April, 1870; Lester, in April, 1872; Gracie, twin sisfer of Lester died at the age of 2 years ; Ernst, Irving (twins), born in April, 1877. Mr. Van Galder has been Super visor a number of years ; also member of the School Board fifteen years, and Pathmaster. Member of the Universalist Church. Republican.

F. Jf. WADS WORTH, farmer, Section 27 ; P. 0. Shopiere ; born in New York ; came to Wisconsin in 1854; located at La Prairie, where he purchased eighty acres, his present homestead; he also purchased sixty acres of timber at Johnstown. Married, in 1857, Miss Emma H. Clark, a native of Connecticut ; had five children, two now living - Cora, born in December, 1858 ; Stella, in October, 1864. Mr. Wadsworth is a Republican. Family members of the Congregational Church.

FREDERICK H. WAITE, farmer. Sec. 22 ; P. 0. Shopiere ; born in Maine in 1829 ; came to Wisconsin in 1855, locating at La Prairie, where he purchased ninety acres, afterward adding 120 acres, his present homestead. Married, in 1854, Miss Sarah Babcook, a native of Maine; they have had ten children - Frederick R., born in May, 1855 ; Charles F., October, 1856 ; Flora A., April, 1859 ; Mary E., October, 1860; Nettie G., March, 1864, died January, 1869; Arthur A., born March 12, 1866; Sarah E., April 15, 1870; Harlem C, Sept. 22, 1872; Mabel, Jan. 22, 1875; Ida L., Feb 4, 1879, Republican. Family members of the Congregational Church.

UEORGE A. WAITE, farmer, Sees. 21 and 22; P. 0. Shopiere; born in Maine May 26, 1849 ; came to Wisconsin in 1854, locating at La Prairie, where the early part of his life was spent on his father's farm ; in 1874, he succeeded to the farm, which consists of 180 acres, his present homestead. Married, May 4, 1875, Miss Mary Bergen, a native of Illinois ; they have one child - Mary A., born Sept, 5, 1878. Mr. Waite is a Republican.

HENRY WINKIiE Y, farmer. Sections 19 and 29 ; P. 0. Janesville ; born in England in 1837; came to Wisconsin in June, 1866, locating at Janesville, where he was engaged in teaming five years ; he then moved to the town of Rock, where he farmed for six years ; in 1877, moved to Sees. 19 and 29, where he cultivates 160 acres. Married, July 4, 1857, Miss Elizabeth Dowse, a native of England ; had eleven children - Jarvis, who died in England at the' age of 2 years; John, born Nov. 19, 1863; Charles W,, Sept. 20, 1861 ; Susan J., Sept. 29, 1866, who died in 1868 ; Harriet F., born Oct. 28, 1867 ; Jessie E., Sept. 12, 1868 ; Emma Jane, March 17, 1870 ; Richard H., May 8, 1873, who died in 1875; Earnest, born in 1875; Martin, Nov. 19, 1876; Grace, May 2, 1878. Mr. W, raises corn, oats and tobacco. He enlisted in the Lincolnshire militia for five years and served through the Crimean war, Republican.