Sauk City Village (part 1 of 2)

Sauk City Village

have built one more bridge across the Wisconsin than they need to, had the first one been built by an umpire with power of location and power to enforce an equal contribution from the said towns. That would have gone a good way toward drawing the two towns together. They seem to have hit upon the right plan at last; a depot where the court house and bridge ought to have been. That, we hear, has been agreed upon. All that is lacking is the consent of the third party, the railroad. May that consent not be long withheld.

"We have nothing to brag of in the way of peace and harmony on our side of the bluff. The Baraboo valley was the last to settle. The farms were newer, and it fell more under the sway of the claim laws than Sauk prairie did. When the early settler came, he could not buy his farm if he had the money. The land was not in market. When it did come in market, he had in many cases spent his money, and he held his farm by clairn-»a neighbor institution not known or respected at the land office.

"Shortly after my arrival, or at least within a year or so thereafter, I was gravely informed by a very intelligent, honest and conscientious man, in a confidential way, that he had begun to entertain serious doubts as to whether it was right to kill a man for jumping a claim. Such a thing as a man's buying against the claim law the home 40 on which a poor man lived and worked did not occur. It would not have been a safe investment for any man. Such was the first tenure under which the soil was occupied. We had our rival towns, Baraboo, known as Brown Town, and Lyons. The village of Baraboo was then merely one 40-acre tract, extending but a few rods south of the river. The quarter section on which the county seat was located was north and west of Baraboo. It was bought by the early settler, Prescott Brigham, of the government for the county. The county had no money in those days. County orders were fifty cents on the dollar, and heavy barter at that. The reason this quarter section had not been bought up before was, it had been claimed for the benefit of the school district. The county seat and post office was Adams. Baraboo was not a name of high esteem among the natives. Its oddity, or ugliness, triumphed, or the good sense of the people came to it at last. At any rate, the name prevails, and it rests in the hearts of our people. Lyons has napped away her day on the rapids, and is contentedly nestling under the spreading wings of her old rival, not a little proud of being taken for a part of the same town. Indeed, Baraboo has done amazingly well in improving upon the strength of the push the lower town gave her. What say you? Let us give Upper Sauk equal credit, for the lower town could not have quarreled without the upper town to help her in the muss. Besides all that, the lower town wanted the county seat just as much as either of the three. She had sense enough to see that there was no site for her between

"Another town has done remarkably well since Wisconsin was a territory. That is Babb's Ford. With that spirit for novelty and restlessness most unaccountable, the name has been changed to Reedsburg. Although Reedsburg had a member in the legislature all winter long, I don't know as he did anything toward getting the name changed back. The member was not to blame. There were a good many laws to alter. You know our laws don 't keep much longer than eggs without turning, and the turning of eggs and the making of laws is very much the same kind of business. Anybody that can do one can the other. The talent required for either is to know enough to count twelve, and repeat. Hut as this is chiefly an old settlers' arrangement, let us return to the subject, or rather turn to it.

"I am not going to undertake any record of events that fell under my observation in this country under territorial times, for several reasons: First, I did not observe anything worthy of note. I have seen rafts of lumber run over the Baraboo rapids. I clerked it for Mr. H. Canfield at the first sale of lota in Adams (now Baraboo). He died at the plow long ago. He was a good man, full of schemes. He was my first patron and earliest friend. He helped me when I most needed it. But for him my board bill would have accumulated on my hands, and this acknowledgment is all I can do towards squaring the account.

"I might report to you the trial of some men in a justice court held in the log schoolhouse (the only building on the county seat), Squire Garrison presiding. The offense charged was burglary and arson. Col. D. K. Noyes and I were counsel for the defendants. There was a jury trial. After several adjournments and delays, the jury became aware of the nature of the proceedings and wisely concluded that a higher court alone had jurisdiction. They refused to attend court any more, and the defendants escaped punishment. They had only been trying to enforce the claim laws. But it is not worth while to go into such things.

"A second reason is, that if there was anything worthy of note it would not be worth while to attempt to impale it now, for we have our Josephus contemporary historian - yea, social histographer and geographer. We are sketched and mapped out with outlines and in-lines by - well, you all know him. But for him many noble sayings and doings, and some of our highways and byways, might now be 'sleeping the sleep that knows no waking.' By the aid of his maps and diagrams of the ancients and moderns, and sketches and certificates of the same, we may reasonably hope for all the immortal fame in this world that we are in any wise justly entitled to. More than that would be a sin not worth committing. So, on that head, we may rest in quiet, easy indifference, that all is well ; or as well as can be."

Elbridge D. Jackson, who was an early resident and attorney of Baraboo and afterward moved to Minneapolis, contributed an interesting paper to the local press sketching some of the pioneer practitioners of the county seat, where they most did congregate. "First and foremost in point of time and reputation as a lawyer," he says, "was Major Clark, as he was always called. Where he came from, what his preparation was or what became of him, is equally unknown to the writer. For very many years he was the oracle of the law in the little hamlet. At that time he must have been in middle life, and had already acquired sufficient of what is called lex scripta, or the law of the law books, to stand him in good stead in those days of meager legal learning. Being naturally of a legal turn of mind, he could apply the principles in which he was well grounded to the facts of the case in hand and make what is now called a pretty good guess without studying up. He always retained the confidence of the courts in his knowledge of the law, and had the faculty of getting down to the underlying principle governing the controversy, which always in those days was particularly convincing, especially before the justices of the peace. He was what may be called a silent man ; his words were measured ; he rarely joked, but was grave and solemn. He spoke almost as an oracle, seemingly from a deep well of wisdom, and had a far-away look. Lawyers associated him with themselves in the trials for guidance often, but more likely to discuss the la'w of the case to the court. He dispensed counsel on the street, more often in pleasant weather from the front door of the hotel where he was wont to spend many an hour. Had it not been for his confirmed habit, not so rare in those days, of continuous use of strong drink, no one can tell what success he might have achieved even in those days of small things. One thing he did achieve, however, and that was the universal recognition of the community that he was a profound lawyer.

"In those days even justices of the peace in the village, who had any legal turn of mind, gradually acquired sufficient knowledge of the law from the trials before them to practice themselves without further preparation. Such was the case with Justice of the Peace Armstrong, who was a conspicuous figure for many years in both capacities. He was an Irishman, or had some of that blood, so essential to a good lawyer, in his veins. Though quite diffident in the use of language, he had a faculty of pretty carefully sifting the leading and controlling circumstances of a case and getting them before a court or jury as the case might be. He was rather tall and angular, with a naturally very ruddy complexion and almost the opposite in appearance to Major Clark, who

"Bill Brown was another who confined his legal efforts to courts of justices of the peace. He came into the law naturally through early and exciting litigation in his own family and to a large extent growing out of the property left by his noble brother, George, at the time of his tragic death at the raising of a bent at the mill. Bill Brown for a great many years was regarded as the best statute lawyer in Sauk county; in fact, he knew little of the law than what was contained in the statutes of Wisconsin, and these he knew by heart. It gave him a vast advantage over others who knew even more law, but not so well, the statutes. Many a victory was won in justice court by him through such familiarity with existing laws his adversary knew nothing of. Bill Brown was an antagonist in court that could not be downed by bluffs, 'and not always by argument, for he was like Goldsmith 's attorney, who, though vanquished, could argue still.

"There was nearly always something doing in the courts between Bill Brown and Philarmon Pratt, mostly growing out of water power interests along the Baraboo river in Browntown, as originally called. Each had about equal staying qualities and never knew or seemed to know when defeated. Besides this a good bit of real hot blood often mingled with the litigation and left its stain long after. Both lived to a ripe age and are gone now, while the unvexed Baraboo flows on as though these two doughty antagonists had never contended in perennial strife.

"Neb Wheeler was among the elders of the law, and continued to be a lively factor down to the times fitly called recent. He was not so much a lawyer as a wag, good fellow, man of humor and entertaining speaker. In fact he was in great demand in the school districts roundabout Baraboo and also Chippewa Falls, where for several years he practiced, as a funny lecturer, in which he certainly had real talent. He wrote a book entitled 'Old Thunderbolt in Justice Court,' which was an attempt to portray his .experience at the bar, but it fell so far short of reaching the mark as to he disappointing. While there are some really good things in the book, it only serves to show how impossible it is to transfer a living personality to the cold printed page, and especially such a rollicking, side-splitting, good-natured fellow as Nels Wheeler really was. And yet he could try a case in court very well. It depended on the kind of case. If such as to afford a field for the play of his fun and sarcasm, he could utterly annihilate his adversary and win a victory with flying colors. But if a close knowledge of the law was required, then he was at a disadvantage, for he did not claim to be studious, and preferred to sit and joke and tell stories in the hotel than be thumbing the dusty volumes in his office. He was not difficult with his clients in matters of fees, and would often take his fee from a farmer in a basket of vegetables and carry it home himself. He was a pleasant appearing man of stout build and rather dark complexion. His countenance was full, broad and prepossessing. His mouth was large and it was the easiest thing in the world for him to break into a hearty laugh, though he rarely laughed at his own jokes, which made them all the more comical. He was a veritable caricaturist with his physiognomy and voice, and could imitate the manner of almost anyone he chose so as to not be mistaken. His fund of good stories was inexhaustible and he could select one or more to cover almost any case in hand. No one ever thought of being offended by any of his sallies of wit, even if a party on the opposite side of a lawsuit. Hig genial manner thus saved him from making enemies, which a more stem disposition would have surely done under like circumstances.

"We now come to C. C. Remington, who was perhaps the best lawyer Baraboo ever claimed when considered in all respects. He was not a fine speaker, but always diffident even to almost paining his friends in court But he knew the law and never went into court unprepared. All his cases bore the marks of preparation and so he was never surprised, but often surprised the other side. Besides the law he appreciated the value of evidence and had the facts well supported by witnesses. When he came to sum up to the jury he took his time, and if he was seemingly tedious to spectators, he succeeded in interesting the jury, in whom he was mostly interested, whereas Nels Wheeler cared apparently more for the crowd even if he hazarded his case.

"It is said that Remington studied law on the veranda of his grandfather's house in Lyons, so that he was truly a self-made man. In the trial of causes he could be very severe and sarcastic with witnesses, and, likewise in summing up, he could be unmerciful with the opposite party. He thereby made some enemies, but he was an honest man and true as steel to his clients.

"Mr. Remington had no time or appreciation for wit, jokes or stories so common among lawyers generally ; he was never known to joke or tell a story and probably could not if he would; he was not built that way, while Nels Wheeler simply was. It can scarcely be called a defect, and it is doubtful if in the practice of the law Mr. Remington suffered any loss from utter absence of humor. Withal, he was a model citizen, a family man with a comfortable income and home in a pleasant part of the town. Personally, he was a man of few words, but meant always what he said, lie was of alight build and not fashioned to withstand great strain of nerves and strength in protracted trials. He was seen very little about hotels and drinking places so attractive to most lawyers in those days, but rather be at home witb his family and perhaps working in his garden in the proper season. He had a high appreciation of personal integrity always, and while a lawyer open to fees for a client, still, it was always understood that C. C. Remington himself was not for sale. This was shown in giving a young man who sought a position to teach in a state institution, a letter of recommendation, for which the recipient offered to pay a fee, whereupon Mr. Remington gently rebuked him with the remark that if it could be paid for it would not be worth anything.

"Had Mr. Remington lived to advanced age, no doubt he would have continued to serve his large clientage and taken an interest in public affaire. It is doubtful if he had any especial talent that the average young man does not possess with industrious habits. While we are amused and have a certain admiration for the man of humor, still for long wear and usefulness in the community, plain people of undoubted character are the ones of most value. They form the great body that keeps the community ever conservative and without whom such a giddy state of things might prevail as to overturn the very foundations of society and endanger its endurance. Some very great heights have been reached by plain people in the profession of the law. A conspicuous instance is that of Chief Justice Marshall, of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was so plain and old-fashioned in his ways as to walk between * s home and the capitol, some two miles, four times a day for years, and much of the time while his wife was so nervously ill as to not bear the noise of housework by a servant, actually did it himself, going about in his stocking feet for stillness. It was his habit on retiring to repeat the little prayer of childhood learned at his mother's knee, 'Now I lay me down to sleep, etc' Who would not prefer to be classed with such than to l>e gifted with brilliancy which all the world seems ever striving to praise and admire?"

Col. David K. Noycs, who practiced law in Barahoo for several years after 1847, became better known as a newspaper man and a brave and able soldier of the Civil war, and a state legislator and official, than as a member of his profession. As a young man he had gone from Vermont to the lead regions of Southwestern Wisconsin. In 1845 he was an associate of Ceneral Amasa Cobb as a prospector in that part of the state. Although they both enlisted for the Mexican war, the company which they joined was not accepted. Late in the same year Mr. Noyes read law at Beloit, Wisconsin; was admitted to the bar early in 1847, and in June of that year located at Baraboo to practice his profession and deal in real estate and farm lands. Of this period of his life, he himself says: "I came here to Baraboo to reside in June, 1847, and put up a shingle, 'Law and Land Agency,' but there was nobody coming in to buy land that season. Judge Remington and I dealt out some law, perhaps more law than justice, and more law than pay. There was no money. Rails, slabs and verbal orders were a lawful tender. We could try any sort of case in our learned justice's courts, arson as easy as burglary, or assault with intent to kill a yoke of oxen. All criminals we cleared, or they cleared out themselves. We had pretty good times. There were a number of royal good fellows' trying to live here. Some succeeded. Our old friend, the head and front of this old, old settlers' association and ever the untiring secretary, was up here on Skillet creek, in the woods, as happy as a lord to all appearance. He has lived up in the woods so long that he pays no more attention to the hooting of an owl than the crowing of the rooster in the morning. We went through that summer and the following winter of '47 and '48 without much trouble, lived on salt barrel pork raised in the east, freighted here from Milwaukee by horse and ox teams, and bread and Orleans molasses. Occasionally we would get venison, and toward spring our good, accommodating landlord, Lyman Clark, Esq., killed his cow for beef. We lived finely for a few days. Early in the spring of '48 settlers came in fast and I had all I could do in hunting and entering lands for them. In June of that year I went back to my native place and was married on the eighteenth of that month in Chelsea, Vermont, returning here in July ; and here we have lived without being divorced ever since. We have raised a family, and they have all left the old nest, and we are back again where we started - alone in the old house. My dear old friends, such is life, and we must accept the inevitable. For many of us our time is well nigh spent, but I hope and believe that this country, our home, is a little better for our having lived in it."

The general standard of the members of the Sauk County bar has been elevated, and among those who have materially assisted to maintain its high level may be mentioned, besides those who have already figured in these narratives, the late R, D. Evans. He died in the fall of 1900. just as he was gaining an enviable reputation as a lawyer of high standing. His political outlook, also, was of the brightest.

The late M. Bentley was of the older school and Q. Stevens, of Reedsburg, ably represented that section of the county until his recent death.

Sauk County has been especially fortunate in the character of its physicians and surgeons, whether of an early or a late day. The average writer is prone to dilate on the comparative superiority of the old-time country doctor over the modern practitioner. Nothing surely should be said to detract from the faithfulness of the old country doctor, or his versatile ability, displayed amid his crude instruments and discouraging surroundings. At the same time, when judging of the difficulties which attend the career of the physician and surgeon of today, one should take into account how much is expected of the modern representative of the profession. Both have labored under special disadvantages, and have acquitted themselves with honor and dignity.

It is not for the author to form judgment as to the comparative prominence of the practitioners in this special field of professional life, and fortunately several papers have been prepared by old and tried members of the profession, who are well qualified to speak with some authority. Among the most complete and interesting is one by Dr. B. F. Mills, a native of New York who came to Wisconsin just as it was entering statehood, and became a resident of Baraboo in 1850. He. writes to the following effect: "In the fall of 1845 I left. Watertown for the West, came by steamer to Ohio and spent the winter there. At that time there were no railroads west of Buffalo with the exception of two spurs in Ohio, one running from Sandusky to Mansfield, the pioneer railroad in Ohio, and the other from Xenia to Cincinnati. In the spring of 1846, I left Cleveland by way of the Ohio canal to Portsmouth on the Ohio river and then by steamer down the Ohio river to Cairo, up the Mississippi and Fever rivers to Galena, stopping for the summer in Missouri on my way. From Galena, I came by stage to Beloit in the fall of 1846, arriving just before the election resulting in the rejecting of the first constitution submitted to the people of Wisconsin. At that time there were no railroads in Indiana, Illinois. Missouri or Wisconsin. I lived in southern Wisconsin, till 1850 when I moved to Baralwo, although I had visited Baraboo and Reedsburg in 1849. I took my first meal in the basement of a hotel where Ruhland's brewery now stands. Men were engaged in digging out stumps in Walnut street from the river to the location of the present South Side church. On my visit to Reedsburg in 1849, I found the village consisted of the Mill House and Shanty Row occupied by the pioneer settlers, consisting of Messrs. Strong, Rudd, Groswell, McCling, Bishop and others, whose names I do not now recall. These pioneers occupied the palatial row of shanties above mentioned. I was sent to the unfurnished Mill House to sleep, which place, I now understand, was recently torn down.

"They had no feed for my horse and sent me to Mr. Babb's on Babb's prairie, to procure some, and all I could get was buckwheat bran. They furnished me a boy to pilot me there, saying Mr. Babb would not let them have any or me either if they went with me. On my way back to Reedsburg the boy ran me into a quagmire from which I had a serious time extricating myself and horse. Mr. Babb asked me if I intended to locate in Reedsburg and warned me not to do so as he was building a dam on his creek and this would prevent them from building a dam on the river, as he thus had the prior right.

"In 1850 I located in Baraboo. At that time the village was called Baraboo and the township was called Brooklyn and the postoffice was named Adams. The name of the postoffice was afterwards changed to Baraboo, as they thought this name unique and also there was another postoffice in the state named Adams. The census of the township was taken in 1850, which was then larger than now and included the then unincorporated village of Baraboo and altogether the census was only about 800. C. H. McLaughlin took the census at that time, and established the 'Sauk County Standard,' the first paper in Baraboo.

"I had been here only about a week, when I was called to Lyons to attend a man named Donelson, who had his skull crushed in on one side with a hand axe. I removed several pieces of the skull bones, which I now have in my possession. Of course, he did not recover. I, together with my wife, boarded at the hotel called the Sumner House at the corner where A. R. Reinkings' store is now located. The proprietor was Mr. Locke. One day he had trouble with his help and gave us roast pig with blood oozing from the meat. Of course we were disgusted and my wife, together with Mrs. C. H. McLaughlin, who was also boarding at the Sumner House, and was the wife of one of the publishers of the 'Sauk County Standard,' which was started soon after, discussed the situation, and all decided to move to my old home on the corner of Second and Ash streets, which I had recently purchased, and live together till we could get settled by ourselves.

took us and the only light we got was from the flashes of lightning, and in the darkness we ran into a tree top which had fallen across the road and caused much trouble.

"The following sketch of the Doctors of Sauk County was read before the District Medical Society which met in Reedsburg in 1897 and which I have revised to date by inserting the Doctors who since have located in Sauk County.

"Dr. Charles Cowles was the first physician who located in Baraboo Valley. He came here in May, 1846, and Dr. Angle also came in this year. Dr. Cowles was in the prime of life, full of vigor, and had a practice which extended many miles. On one occasion at sundown, January 3, 1847, he was called to go 64 miles to visit a lumberman taken with pleura-pneumonia. On an Indian pony he rode that distance by 4 o'clock the next morning without dismounting and the thermometer registered 26 degrees below zero, such a feat demonstrating a degree of physical endurance seldom seen in our time. He excelled in quick diagnosis, arriving at quick conclusions and was remarkably accurate as a rule. Under the head 'Musical' I find the following: 4 Dr. Charles Cowles might be called with propriety the father of music in this and other parts of Sauk County. He taught singing school in the village of Baraboo and neighborhood some twenty years, and many who might now be called "old singers" received their first lesson from him. He died several years ago.'

"The writer located in Baraboo in June, 1850. Dr. Cowles, Dr. Angle and Dr. Crandall were practicing here at that time and I believe were the only regular practitioners in the county. On my way here, I came through Sauk City and Prairie du Sac where they had no physician at the time, although Dr. Woodruff had lived there. He came there in 1843 and was the first physician in Sauk County.

"In the winter of 1853 I was called to Newport to attend a man with fractured femur and comminuted fracture of the patella with Dr. Jenkins, an honored member of the profession. The case was on our hands for months and from this association I date the commencement of a warm fraternal feeling towards Dr. Jenkins which I still cherish. He now lives in Kilbourn.

of a medical society organized in Baraboo styled the 'Baraboo Medical Association' - Chas. Cowles, President; D. S. Alexander, Secretary and Treasurer.'

"I have mentioned the earlier doctors and will now include those practicing later. The number is so great that many names will unavoidably be omitted.

"The above list includes all the regular physicians who now reside or have resided in Sauk county that I recall at this time. I may have omitted some, but not intentionally, and have written more particularly about the earliest resident doctors and will leave to abler pens to extol the merits of those coming later."

The names of three old-time physicians of Baraboo were not mentioned by Doctor Mills. They were Dr. Joseph Alexander, Dr. Miller Blachly and Dr. L. C. Slye.

Dr. Miller Blachly was born at Niles, Ohio. August 13, 1804 ; married Mary Satterfield in 1833; practiced medicine in Niles eight years; came to Dane County in 1850; to Okee in 1853; and to Baraboo in 1857. He moved to North Freedom in 1883 and died there in 1894.

Dr. L. C. Slye was born at Bennington, Vermont, and commenced the practice of the allopathic system of medicine there. Later he located at Waukesha, Wisconsin, then Prairieville and next at Baraboo. Although he had a large practice in Baraboo and the surrounding country, he died a poor man. He never hesitated to answer a call although he knew there was little hope of compensation. He was one of the first to bring the ideas of his school of medicine into this section of Wisconsin. Doctor Slye died in 1898 at the ripe old age of eighty-two.

Dr. Ambrose Jones of Delton recently died at the age of nearly one hundred years. He had lived longer in the county than any other physician.

Among the older ones of the profession in the county are Dr. J. B. English of Baraboo, Dr. J. WT. Buehler of Sauk City, Dr. C. A. Rood and Dr. T. R. Hastings of Recdsburg.

Baraboo - Doctors J. E. English, F. R. Winslow, A. L. Farnsworth, H. J. Irwin, L. W. Sayles, Charles E. Getchell, WTalter A. Haaelfon, D. M. Kelley, Edward McGrath, Roger Cahoon and W. F. Nuzum.

Reedsburg - Doctors F. P. Daly, F. D. Hulburt, C. A. Rood, T. R. Hastings, Otto Spoerhleder, A. Edwards, A. N. Jones, Zimmerman and Thompson.

Spring Green - Doctors Frank Nee, E. G. Christman, Marus Bossard. Plain - Doctors P. H. Fowler (now with the United States Army) and Mary Hanko.

Dr. A. A. Noyes, who moved from Baraboo to Mason City, Iowa, was one of the pioneer physicians, and in a letter to the Sauk County Historical Society sends the following items regarding some of his pro- fessional associates: "I first went to Baraboo in 1846 and, after a stay in Missouri 1 returned to Baraboo in 1850. While I bad my office in Missouri, I practiced in three different states up and down the Des Moines river on both sides, and also across the Mississippi river at Wausau, Illinois. It was in 1849 that I made my first venture as a physician and surgeon, after my graduation. In the spring of 1850 I was flooded out of my habitation by the old Mississippi and returned to Baraboo. I soon gained the confidence of the citizens and the surrounding country as a successful practitioner of medicine and surgery. I was the leader and charter member of the first medical society in Sauk County.

1 ' I have been running over in my mind 's eye the names of the young men (old bachelors) who were in Baraboo from 1846 to 1850. Boys we all were ; rollicking, boyish boys ! Here are the names of some of them, who were there then or a little later: M. C. Waite, Morris Waite, Joseph Alexander, Samuel Hiles, William Brown, D. K. Noyes, E. 0. Gregory, John Crawford, Rosewell Crement, William H. Canfield, Lewis Hayes, Daniel Buggies, Eb. Nelson, H. D. Evans, Fred Nelson, Elisha Walbridge, E. E. Ames, James Cowles, Nels Wheeler, J. E. Wilkinson, E. H. Potter, Orin Huyck, Dr. H. S. Alexander, Simeon Crandall, A. A. Noyea, Edwin Paddock, Levi Crouch, Henry Hurlbut, L. C. Stanley, Hiram Hurlbut, Howard Huntington, Joel Hurlbut, Levi Moore, Noah Kirk, James Haines, Levi Munson, Henry Peck, C. C. Remington, Henry Cowles, R. Lewis Walker, Henry Southard, John Goode and Orange Cook.

' ' I was the youngest of them all, twenty-four years old in 1846. All were wrestling boys. I used to have a good many boyish scraps with Dr. Cowles, M. C. Waite and H. D. Evans, in the trial of strength, in scuffling. One time, with Dr. Cowles in front of his house we were both faces down in the sand. Dr. Cowles was considered the bully of Sauk county.

"In a former article I was not sure about the number of years Dr. Oandall was there (in Baraboo). He went there in 1846, and in the fall of 1851 returned to Missouri, where he formerly lived and where he married his wife. He died there in November, 1853. His family returned north in June, 1856, with his brother, D. P. Crandall and his family. The wives of the brothers were sisters. When they went to Baraboo in 1846 they lived in a little board sbanty which stood near the location of the hotel where Mr. Moore lived on the flat; it was then called 'under the hill.' Both families lived there together until Dr. Crandall built a house for himself and family across the street from this shanty. Soon after this Dr. Crandall went onto his farm. My wife, Mrs. Noyes, was a charter member of five who organized the Baptist church of Baraboo in 1846."

Viewing from top to bottom: Re<><lslnirg Hijih School: AMcman School; Baraboo High School; typical <1i*trict schoolhouse; Spring (iroen High School settlers made to create and establish roads in your county. But I can not detain you by relating many other events, but in a general way I may say that the results of their labor have been exceedingly gratifying. We see the wilderness which has not become a cultivated field, but a thousand cultivated fields all over this county. Where we first crossed here with the trail barely cut out is now found the home of industry. Cultivated fields with abundance of crops take the place of the sturdy forest trees.

"It should be the glory of the early pioneers that they have done something for the good of this country. What glory is it to the Sauk Indians that they were the first settlers of Sauk County? They left no memory of their work but a few broken sticks and a few crumbling rocks. But is it not a glory to the white pioneers that they have made the wilderness to blossom as the rose, that they have converted forests into cultivated fields, and have contributed largely to the building of this great thoroughfare through their county?"

It seems to be the generally accepted belief that those who resided in the country and small towns previous to the past quarter of a century, lived a rather dun-colored existence; no pleasures, or no hopes of any kind. In fact they are described as being dull, overworked and underfed, without hope of any thing better unless they went to the city.

Undoubtedly these conditions prevailed in many homes, but a little investigation into the history of the social life of those times, brings to light that in many ways it did not differ materially from the present time.

True there have been many changes for the better in our rural homes which have added much to our comfort and consequently to our pleasures. The sports, games and amusements of those far-off days were mainly along the lines of today, though differing somewhat in their methods.

Fishing, boating and hunting were popular amusements and as there was no closed season, and no laws but those of supply and demand, the hunting season lasted the whole year, and in those days the keen-eyed hunters did not mistake a man for a deer at eighty rods.

Fishing on the rivers by the light of a pine knot placed in a wire basket was greatly enjoyed. The boat was usually manned by two or three fishermen, one managing the boat, the others handling the spears, and as they frequently succeeded in landing a boatload of the finny lril>e in two or three hours. There seems to be a pretty substantial foundation under the fish stories that have come down through historical channels.

Skating on the inland rivers, lakes and mill-ponds was a never-ending delight in winter, and as the rivers were fed by numerous springs along their banks, many a luckless skater got a ducking.

Nearly every neighborhood boasted of someone with a little musical education, and winter would not have been winter without the singing school. The young, with a judicious sprinkling of those who sometimes forgot that they were no longer young, gathered at the schoolhouse once every two weeks to learn to climb the musical scale, and if some learned a lesson they remembered longer than they did their music, their descendants have no cause for complaint. Musical instruments were expensive and few families possessed one, unless it was a violin, or fiddle, as it was then called, but singing was very popular and entered largely into all social life. A good solo singer was in great demand and frequently there would be a full quartet in one family.

Cards were not very popular, but checkers and eheas were played by nearly everyone, and it was something of a distinction to be an expert at either of those games.

our leading educators are making great effort* to bring it about, and that is the spelling sehool. People eould spell in those days, and when John and Anna stood up and bravely faced Joe and Jessie, each pair supported by a long line of valiant assistants, the spectators sat up and took notice. The contest usually took place in the schoolhouse and lasted from one to two hours, the words being pronounced by the school teacher. By the time the spelling book was exhausted the ranks would be somewhat thinned. Ocography, history, and the names of eminent people would l>e used to pull down the colors, and when the last tired speller went down to a glorious defeat, the audience sent up such a howl of applause as to cause the windows to rattle, and sometimes the old stove would topple over in the excitement. Then would ensue a lively contest to see which eould do the greater amount of damage, fire or water. The decision was usually left to the judgment of the teacher when he arrived next morning to open school.

"When the frost was on the pumpkin and the com was in the shock," was the time for the husking bee and an apple-paring frolic. There would not be enough corn husked to fill the corn bin very full, but the amount of fun gotten out of the work filled the hours to completion. Refreshments and dancing or games followed, making this form of amusement very popidar.

Apple-parings were another very pleasant pastime. Apples were pared, quartered and threaded on strong twine and festooned around the room to dry, and occasionally the girls found some festooned about their necks, and were obliged to purchase their freedom. A candy-pull, with nuts and popcorn finished the fun for the evening.

Pleasant Saturday afternoons in summer were given over to playing ball. The diamond was usually laid out in some pasture, where the players and their friends gathered with all the enthusiasm of a matched game. There were no gloves or face protectors, but the players with hands and muscles toughened by exposure to wind and hard labor, lined up and played a hotly contested game. At the close of the game the whole party would saunter to the shady coolness of the near-by forest, where would be found a swing made by suspending two long poles from the arm of some giant of the woods, with a seat conveniently arranged for two at the lower end. Here the young ball players would take turns in swinging each other with their fair friends until the lengthening shadows warned them that the setting sun was spreading its good-night banners across the western sky. With a ripple of good nights they would saunter homeward by twos, dreaming youth 's sweet dream in the coal, beautiful twilight.

Picnics were quite as much in order as at present. There would be the usual feast where each housekeeper would modestly apologize for the inferior quality of her delicious cooking. Dinner would be followed with visiting among the older people, and the ever-present swing would be kept in motion. Feats of strength and agility would ereate much interest among the spectators as the husky young men displayed their activity in running, leaping, turning somersaults, handsprings, or making cartwheels. Wrestling was much indulged in, and great was the excitement when two seemingly equally matched contestants struggled for the victory. The term* side hold, hack hold, square hold and roughand-tumble indicated the manner in which wrestlers grappled each other.

Afternoon teas and quilting bees were social functions in which the women were greatly interested. Such gatherings gave opportunity for social intercourse ; also a chance to display their eulinary skill and, as in those days an especially good cook was held up as an authority on cookery in the neighborhood, all were anxious to make as delicious a spread as possible. Frequently the husbands would be invited to supper and the young people would come in the evening, when the quilt would be rolled up to make room for dancing and games. The designs and work on the quilts that have come down from those far-off days are silent witnesses of the skill and industry of our grandmothers.

Dancing has always been popular in all times, and among all classes, and our dignified grandparents were once young and enjoyed tripping the light fantastic toe as well as the most feather-headed of their descendants. The dances were conducted somewhat differently from the present, time, round dances not being as popular, and there were not as many forms. Quadrilles and reels were greatly in favor, and the caller could ring on as many variations as his quick brain could conjure up.

"Operreel," Virginia reel, moneymusk, with an occasional Irish trot, a rollicking jig, were all popular, but the real favorite was a firemen's dance. There was a throb and rhythm about that tune that set one's pulse throbbing and caused a general rush for places on the floor.

Round dances differed very much from present forms. The hop, skip and half turns on the modern waltz would hardly be recognized as waltzing by those familiar with the graceful gliding step of the old-time waltz. The dignified five-step and sehottische would stare aghast at the gyrations of the modern tango.

This is but a partial list of the social activities and amusements of our grandparents' time. They were strong morally, mentally and physically, and they lived, loved, married and reared their families and died, leaving to their descendants as a rich legacy the foundation upon which all the conveniences and luxuries of our modern life have been erected.

"Early in the spring of 1838, Berry Naney received private information from (leorge W. Jones, who was then delegate in Congress from Wisconsin Territory, that the treaty with the Winnebago Indians, for their lands north of the Wisconsin river, was ratified. Haney at that time was engaged with Colonel Abner Nichols, of Mineral Point, in staging between Mineral Point and Fort Winnebago. They had two men in their employ by the names of Jonathan Taylor and Solomon . Shore. Haney at that time was living on Black Earth Creek, at the place now called Cross Plains. On the receipt of the intelligence of the ratification of the treaty, as above mentioned, he sent Taylor to the Wisconsin River, opposite Sauk Prairie, there to await the coming of Shore, who went with Haney to Fort Winnebago to purchase a skiff to take down the river to Sauk Prairie, in order to get across. They met at that point according to previous arrangement, crossed over and proceeded to mark out their claims. The first one marked out by them was for Berry Haney, on what is now Sauk City. Taylor claimed the next above Haney, and Shore the next, which claim I afterwards purchased and own at this time. Haney, I believe, had the first land broke in Sauk County. In June, 1838, he employed James Ensminger and Thomas Sanser to break ten acres, for which he paid them one hundred dollars. The first place in the shape of a dwelling on Sauk Prairie was built by Ensminger and Sanser. They dug a pit in the ground about four feet deep, 12 by 16 or 18 feet square, logged it up and covered the hole with hay and earth, making a sort of root-house. This they did for the purpose of preventing the Indians from burning them out, as they had threatened.

"James S. Alban (who is now Judge Alban of Portage County) and family moved on to Sauk Prairie in January, 1839, being the first family I believe in Sauk county, or what is now Sauk County. I believe it is claimed by John Wilson, of Wilson's Creek, that he and family were the first. How this is I cannot say ; I have always understood, until a few years since, that Alban and family were the first.

"I left Rock Island for Wisconsin about the 1st of April, 1839, on hoard the old steamer Fayette. I arrived at Galena in due time, and there took stage - or rather wagon - for Mineral Point. The proprietor was John Messersmith, Esq. We arrived at his place at Elk Grove, at noon, where we were very politely entertained by the Esq. and his family, and after an excellent dinner we proceeded on our way. We arrived at Mineral Point in the evening of the same day. I there lay over one day for the stage - or rather wagon again - to Madison. At Mineral Point I met Bern- Haney, who introduced me to A. A. Bird, of Madison, who was also waiting for the stage, and to many prominent citizens of the Point. We were one day in going from the Point to Ilaney's place in Black Earth Valley, where I arrived, I believe, on the 6th of April. A few days after 1 arrived at Haney's place, Hauey, Joseph Denson, from Jowa Territory, and myself started for Sauk- Prairie. We followed a dim trail to the river, left our horses on the South side and crossed over in an Indian canoe.

"We visited several of the cabins and claim shanties, and among others we visited D. B. Crocker's, which was situated where the village of Prairie du Sac is now situated. While there a little incident occurred that may be worth relating.

"The day was pleasant and we were all seated out in front of his cabin, admiring and conversing upon the beauties of the country when some one of the company discovered an animal of some kind approaching the grove below us, from the prairie. Some supposed it to be a deer, others that it was a wolf. Denson being an old hunter and good marksman, proposed to go down and try to get a shot. He took Crocker's gun and went down to the grove, where he soon disappeared. Presently we heard the report of the gun, and very soon Denson with his hat off, running with all speed towards us, making signs to us to come to him. We all ran as fast as we could. When we came up to bio he told us he had shot an animal, the like of which he had never before seen. He said when he fired it leaped into the air about ten feet, and then he thought it was making after him, which was the cause of his running and giving us signals to come to him. After re-loading his gun, we cautiously advanced to the spot, and there found a monster lynx pierced through the heart.

"The only families that were then settled in what is now Sauk County, were James S. Alban and Albert Skinner, unless John Wilson. Wilson was living at Wilson's Creek at that time. There were several young men making and improving claims when I came, the names of all of whom I believe I recollect.

"H. F. Crossman. Burk Fairchild, D. B. Crocker, William Billings, William May, Nelson Lathrop, E. B. Harrier and an old bachelor, by the name of Hunter.

"We celebrated the 4th of July, 1839. where the village of Prairie du Sac now stands. There were 25 persons present, of whom four were females - Mrs. Alban, Mrs. Skinner, Mrs. Parks and Mrs. Haney. The other population of the County, or what is now Sauk County, were present. At that time we were in Crawford eounty. In the winter of 1839 and 1840 we petitioned the legislature to strike out a new county, call it Sauk, and attach it to Dane for all purposes, which was done.

"The first election was held on Sauk Prairie in the fall of 1839, and returns made to Prairie du Chien. The return was made by James S. Alban. He went down in a canoe, and returned, I believe, on foot. We polled 14 votes, all told.

-'Some time in October, 1839, five of us, Berry Haney, Burk Fairchild, Solomon Shore, Samuel Taylor and myself crossed the bluffs over to the Baraboo Valley. The trail led us over the bluffs immediately back of what is now known as the Teals' place, the highest peak, I think, in the center range between the prairie and Baraboo. The trail led us directly to the Baraboo river, at the place where Maxwell 's mill dam now stands. Here we forded the river and entered the Indian Chief's Caliminee's village, where we were very warmly and hospitably received. We rested and refreshed ourselves and horses, and were much amused in seeing the Indians playing cards and horse racing. Some of them would stake their last string of wampum on a single chance at cards. The game we could not understand. After spending about two hours at this village we started to traverse the river above, which we did, wherever it was approachable, as far up as Dandy's village, which was five or six miles above. At this village we were received with marked displeasure by the Indians, many of them gathering around us, and making much noise and confusion. They made signs and gesticulations for us to leave. After some parley with them, however, we succeeded in restoring quiet, and afterwards purchased .some corn to feed our horses for the night, and then left them in peace.

"We encamped about two miles above the village, where I spent the most disagreeahle night of my life. It was very chilly, pitchy dark,, and rained the entire night. We had no shelter except that afforded by our blankets, which was but little, as we were drenched to the skin in a short time, through blankets and all. After much trouble we succeeded in making a fire, which somewhat relieved us from the cold.

"The next morning the rain ceased. After drying our clothes and taking breakfast in the Indian style, we proceeded up the river to the narrows, from which point we returned on the direct trail to the lower village, wh^re we had the honor of dining with the Chief. We spent several hours at this village and then went down the prairie to the Narrows below, from which place we returned home. After a very tedious and tiresome journey across the bluffs, we arrived at Sauk some hours after night and lodged in the primitive house (or dug out.

"We saw no visible signs of white men in the Baraboo valley. I think in all probability we were the first white men that ever crossed the bluffs between the Prairie and Baraboo valley.

"Some time in the after part of the summer of 1839, Cyrus Leland and George Cargel moved their families to the prairie, being the 5th and 6th, and a little later in the season of the same year Berry Haney moved his family to the Prairie, being the 7th. On the 30th of November, 1839, Charles B., son of Berry and Anna Haney was born, being the first white child born in Sauk County.

"There was nothing further of importance transpired during the winter of that year. The winter was very cold, with much snow, which covered the ground until spring. This ends my first year's stay in Wisconsin." - In a letter to W. H. Canfield, written in 1861.

In a footnote Mr. Canfield says : Sarah Leland, now wife of Judge J. B. Quimby, of Sauk City, 1 think was the second white child born in Sauk County. - W. H. C.

"On board the Hamburgh Packet, 'Barque Washington,' I left Hamburgh and landed safe, December 8, 1838, in the city of New York where I lived about one year as clerk in a mercantile house, being importers of dry goods, especially silks. I left there for the Southern part of Illinois, near Albion, Edwards county, where I lived with some German friends, and commenced to learn something about farming. By extreme hard labor and the influence of that, for me unhealthy climate, my mind and body was nearly broken down - when, unexpectedly, and to my great joy, my brother Adolph arrived direct from home to visit me. It was in the spring of 1840. He had made the acquaintance of two passengers on ship-board - Auguston Haraszthy and his cousin, Charles Ilallasz, Hungarians - and said if I had no objections it was their mutual wish and plan that we four settle together, and keeping up a correspondence with them, we prepared to join them. In the meantime my brother was taken sick and came near dying with a fever. T remained by him and did the best I could under the circumstances. To rest a little at night I rolled myself up in a blanket at the foot of his roughly made bedstead on a few planks, called the floor of the log house. After a long sickness and as soon as my brother was able to travel, we left the place where we had endured so much hardship.

"In the fall of 1840 we arrived at Prairie du Sac. The day of our arrival I shall never forget. The weather was splendid. We stepped ashore and looked around, but stood still for a good while. The scenery - the beauty of nature made a great impression on me - on us, I dare say. 'Oh yes, if possible,' said we - 'if possible, yes! yes! let us settle here!' - and immediately we were halloed and greeted by Haraszthy, Hallasz and the Germans who worked for them, and the few Americans present, as if we had been friends, 'long time ago.' The very next day we went to work.

"Over twenty years have passed by since my arrival here - a time faster spoken of than lived through - a time that has brought to our German settlement many hardships which the inhabitants can testify to; most of them are now forgotten, and with the joys and blessing which have been showered upon us, the griefs and hardships of the past are thought of no more.

"During the first days, especially, that I lived in Sauk, my eyes were much of the time on the fine scenery. It was no unbroken wilderness that met my gaze. The idea struck me that Indians had lived here and that still an ancient people before them occupied this lovely prairie. Many signs of them were here upon the surface of the soil, showing themselves in the silence of beautiful nature, where only a few white men could be seen. What a change time has made here! Those formerly untouched bluffs now show numerous quarries of lime and building rock. That valuable, high and mighty timber on the islands of the Wisconisn river and border is gone. Its barbarous enemy, the 'American ax,' in German hands has been here and brought destruction all around - but now in its place, kind nature has planted new trees which are at this time half grown again. The wild grass of the marshes has changed as countless tons of hay have been made there by the settlers.

"Look at the prairie from the end to the commencement again of winter, full of flowers, changing almost ever?' week, one closing to make room for another - more blossoms than leaves or spears of grass. But now you see, only now and then - a vacant, unoccupied green spot; the blossoms have disappeared by the feeding of cattle. Their seed could not fall to the ground to spring up again to bring blossoms for future years. But how is it with the spot of land and surrounding country where we landed in the fall of 1840? All then was covered with Indian hills; thousands of deer bones, glass neck-pearls, arrow points of flint, and Tndian graves were everywhere to he found. Yes, here they hunted, fished, raised corn and died. Time has decayed the bones; the new generation, children of Germans, have picked up their glass pearls, etc., to play with; their eornhills have been leveled, the village of Sauk City being located upon them, whose largest portion of inhabitants consists of Germans.

"When I arrived at Sauk I found some Americans had made their claims here. The land could not be bought from Government, as it was not yet in market. Of these claims I only mention a few. Messrs. Ilaney, Russell, Grossman and Ensminger, who soon sold out. < 'has. O. Baxter, Esq., has occupied his claim ever since ; so has Jonathan Hatch. In all there were but a few acres of land broken and fenced, and a few log cabins built. Haraszthy and his men had erected one already, and we went to work and soon built another.

"As time has passed on, all of these cabins, have disappeared. The one in which Hallasz lived burned down during a very severe winter night, by which he lost many things. The next year after we settled here, we were very short of provisions. My brother and I raised an enormous quantity of melons, which aided much in giving a variety of food.

"Haraszthy. 1 1 alias/, my brother and I, sometimes made hunting excursions. At one time, leaving the settlement, we started for Honey Creek valley, in which at that time, not one living soul could be found, but a plenty of rattlesnakes. We killed many of them; also lots of pigeons and prairie chickens, which made us fine soups. We found wild honey, too, but how to get it, we did not understand at that time. At another time we started out, taking a horse to carry our tent and other - things. Near that bluff where Merrihew's mill now stands, the Count shot a deer, but unluckily so that it escaped him. By and by we all four started after the buck, but in vain was all the trouble. In the chase we had lost much time and greatly exhausted ourselves, and did not notice a tremendous thunder storm coming over us. The Count's head was wounded and we had nearly lost him. We arrived at last at camp drenched to the skin, where, in the dark and rain, we found everything wet ; the tent torn into pieces, and its contents swimming in water - no fire - cold and shivering. You can believe we made pretty sour faces that night ; but never mind, the night passed ; at daybreak we regaled ourselves as best we could. Fine sunshine warming us up again, we endeavored to cross Honey Creek. But to do this we had no idea what a difficult job it would be. We tramped up and down the creek through mud, heavy underbrush, and were by thorns half torn to pieces. At last we were so lucky as to find a place where the trunks of fallen trees lay partly across the stream. Now we ventured out balancing. But such balancing I had never done before in my life. I used to balance in dancing saloons, in Hamburg, New York, and even in a log cabin on the Wabash river; but here, surely it could not go very well, from sheer nervousness on account of being in such a critical position. I declare I was not afraid of water, as in my former days I was called a pretty good swimmer; but that swampy mud by the shore! - if any shore was there, nobody could tell where, or whether a bottom could be found; then to swim in mud is a considerable piece of art, and I knew, not so easily done, as I had experienced before in a piece of Honey Creek swamp. However, over we must and did go. But oh ! our traveling assistant had to come over yet, besides all our guns, tent and baggage. Finally, all crossed safely, which consumed a half day's labor. Now we traveled on, up hill and down hill, for hours, until we struck an Indian trail, which set us in good spirits. Not understanding how to travel by compass, however, we took ours out, which showed us greenhorns about the direction we wished to take ; but on we traveled, following that trail. After many hours, up and down, round and about, we came out in an entirely contrary direction from what we wished to travel; we stood upon a height and saw our Wisconsin river, where we finally camped. Being now not very far from Helena, we visited for the first time the oldest settler in Sauk county, John "Wilson. We traveled and camped out several times along Pine river, where we met a great many Indian graves, but no settlers. Near the head of this river we discovered a cave, in which we slept that night. The next morning brought us a most disagreeable affair. WTe soon noticed that overnight our most worthy traveling companion, our horse, had got loose, and was now - who knows where? Here we sat in the wilderness - with kettle, coffee-pot, blankets, tent, etc., but the horse was gone. With empty stomachs, my brother and I started immediately in search of the four-leg. We searched and searched - traced back where we had traveled the day before, not noticing much how fast the time passed by. At last, fatigued and very near giving up all hopes of finding the horse, there, there, we came in sight of him far - far away - so far we could hardly distinguish him. Really we had to combine all our energy to advance with something like good humor. The four-leg was eating grass very comfortably, while he kept walking slowly on, bound homeward. Noticing this, we had to march faster, to cut him off by and by, but to do this, it cost us a heap of drops of sweat, until we got so far - now commenced a chase, and a trying, and trying over and over again, to catch that - our traveling companion. We learned now, if we had not learned it before what independence means - that horse - really he showed himself an independent one. He tricked us out continually. On that day we had some experience in Western horse-catching! My legs seemed to me to have turned over to the age of sixty or more years; iny brains - in what condition they were is hard to tell! At last! At last! we caught him, and almost dropped down, so exhausted we were. Now came the returning to our cave, which luckily we found at last; we had done enough that day, which lasted then but a short time, and it was sunset. Next morning we started together from our cave, but met also with a most unlucky day. We had traveled all day, and not noticing that we traveled in too much of a circle, at evening found ourselves at the same spot we had left in the morning - our cave. During the following day we endeavored to do better - came at last to a creek, but knew not which one it was, and being bound for home we followed it down. We had exhausted our provisions ; the large and fat coon the Count had killed was gone. By climbing upon a high bluff we convinced ourselves that we were going straight ahead and right. With half empty stomachs, we calculated with joy at about what hour we should reach Sauk; but as it often goes - so here - we soon found we had made a miscalculation. We had to pass a great hindrance, which consisted of a large tamarack swamp, many of which at that time were along the Honey Creek valley. We were anxious to get home and not willing to march for miles round it; so we concluded to cross it in a straight line, but we had to suffer for it. At the commencement, for a good while, we did not care for the great elasticity of the ground, but our marching went over into a kind of jumping, somewhat like grasshoppers. It often happened that in jumping to what seemed a pretty solid place, on arriving we would find ourselves in mud - first knee deep, afterwards deeper - but the hardest trouble was our traveling companion, that independent horse, with all the baggage. O, Jerusalem! - hot and sultry it was; our bellies fallen in, our skin pretty near the bones, and no inside fat present, sweating all the time! Now that horse got stuck sundry times, not alone we had to carry the baggage! No - we had to carry the horse too, mostly through this mud and nasty smelling swampy concern. I consider it yet half a miracle how it was possible that we crossed this place, but it came to a fact that we crossed it, and we were thrown into astonishment at the fact ! Hut hurrah now for sweet home ; this we reached at sunset, totally torn and dirty, having been out eight or ten days. Our German settlers glared and stared at us. I believe they could not make out whether we

"The Count soon employed a carpenter, Mr. Morgan, an Englishman, who put him up a frame house for his family. This was the first one erected in Sauk City. I purchased it in later years, and have kept it in repairs. It stands yet. and is occupied by one Mr. Cowles.

.More frame buildings were then put up. That of Mr. John Gallards and one under the name of the United States Hotel, now occupied by Hiram Miller; that now occupied by J. Werner, Sr., then a part of the District School building; then that of the Catholic Church - but before this latter building was finished, during church time it caught fire, and burned down in a few moments. It was full of persons at the time who had to flee for their lives. It was supposed to have taken fire by some one emptying his pipe before entering the church. Prom the abundance of shavings which lay around, the flames spread rapidly.

"Provisions at one time being rather scarce, a civil rebellion broke out in the village among the workmen of the Count and Bryant. The motto of the rebels had previously been, 'pork and potatoes for breakfast, potatoes and pork for dinner, etc;' and seldom anything extra. A procession was formed, headed by a stout man, carrying on a long pole a picked ham bone for a banner, the rest following in single file like geese, each one carrying a piece of the cooking concern, such as teakettle, tin-pail, tin-pan, etc.; beating on them, shouting, joking, and making a tremendous noise - which from the clearness of the evening, was echoed back from the bluffs upon the opposite side ; and the reverberation came again and again, from the numerous islands up and down the river, as though all pandemonium was there. When the procession disbanded, the settlement was still and quiet. The supper horn was blown by the cook at an unusually early hour. In a short time a great hurrah was heard, the sequel of which was, that dishes were heaped with pies and cakes, etc. So ended the Sauk Revolution.

"Next day lumber, nails, hammer, plow, and everything was handled extremely fast. At one time I was requested by the Count to ride his mare to upper-town, to buy a few articles from D. B. Crocker's store, which was a very small one, and the only one in the country. After I jumped upon her back I found her willing to run off too fast, and therefore held the reins very tight, so she overthrew herself and myself backwards upon the hard ground. I was near losing my life at that time; but she gave me a lesson how to ride a mare. I did not know, and had no idea this female creature had such a soft mouth!

"Bears now and then made their appearance here, and in hard winter nights we often heard the yell of packs of wolves, whose tracks in the snow on the ice were to be seen in abundance all along the river.

"My neighbor, Lueders, and my brother-in-law, J. C. Grapel (deceased) arrived from Hamburgh. Orapel, my brother and I bought a claim of Ensminger, who was afterwards killed in the Mexican war. We settled on the land and kept bachelor 'shall in his log house, but took our meals with our neighbor, R. H. Davis', who lived in Esquire

Alban's house, at that time, which was situated where J. P. Mann's steam mill now stands, and was surrounded by a grove of timber which has since disappeared, and is supplanted by fences, buildings, etc., of Uerman people. To get a house built upon our place we sent to Galena, and got out the families of B. Ragatz, Louis Aceula, and Wolf. When they had finished the house, old Mr. Bartholomew Ragatz, a Swiss (now deceased), with his family moved out to his claim on Honey Creek, and this was the first settler in Honey Creek Valley. This valley is now settled mostly by Germans and Swiss.

"When the land came into market, most of the persons owning claims in Sauk County could be found at the Land Office at Mineral Point, to secure if possible, his piece of land. They passed resolutions to protect each other against speculators overbidding them. The land sale went off peaceably, however, and on the 27th day of October, 1843, the land where now stands Sauk City, was entered from Government by Charles Haraszthy, the father of Auguston Haraszthy.

"The Count and Bryant were somewhat engaged in steamboating ; they owned a share in the Rock River, of which, at that time I was clerk. We went three times from Galena to Fort Snelling (St. Peters) and back, and once from Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien) to Fort Winnebago, for which latter fort we brought numerous soldiers of U. S. Infan£ry, their baggage, etc., returning from their Florida war trip. At the Forts we were kindly entertained by officers and men. Our boat was frozen in at Prairie du Chien, but as a warm spell of weather came afterwards, the engineer, two other men and myself were sent off from Sauk City in a skiff to get the boat to Sauk, if possible. After we had started it commenced freezing very fast. Past sunset we were nearly blocked up with running ice ; we stopped upon an Island and camped, it being in the month of December.

"Without a fire we lay down to rest, and when we awoke, found about half a foot of snow upon our blankets. We hauled our skiff onto the ice, and carried it to where the river was open. We however had to leave the skiff about three miles from Prairie du Chien. We commenced our march from here, through the deep snow towards that place. Our engineer gave out, and if left alone would perish. We took him between us and supported him onward as best we could. We arrived at the boat and cut her loose, but the ice was too strong for her to work in, and our trouble was all in vain. We went home under great hardships, it being very cold. Later I was engaged as clerk in

William H. Canfield in his "Historical Sketch," 1891, has the following appreciative sketch of the late Capt. Levi Moore, and it is here reproduced, even at the risk of repeating certain facts in his life which have already been given. He says: "The Captain's first acquaintance with the Winnebago wilderness country on the Baraboo river was in 1840. Levi was the tenth and the next to the youngest of Joseph Moore's family, who was formerly from Massachusetts; thence moved to New York and thence to Ohio.

"At a very early age he had a fondness for sailing. He went onto the lakes and served in all the capacities from cabin boy to captain and owner and was familiar with the location of every town from Buffalo to the head of Lake Superior. He also learned the ship carpenter's trade. At the present time, at the age of 82, he has a beautifully constructed model for a wooden ship nearly completed that he believes to be extraordinarily strong. He thinks it could hardly he broken short of a terrible catastrophe. We think he expects to obtain a patent upon it.

"A captain must always have a mate. He chose his in the state of New York - Miss Adelia Titus. About one and one-half years thereafter she died, leaving Erastus for the captain's charge and comfort. When he came to the Baraboo country Erastus was put out to board in that estimable family of Prescott Brigham, Sr., on Sauk prairie. Erastus was old enough in 1861 to enlist in the war of the rebellion, in Company F, Wisconsin cavalry. He died at Vicksburg. Arkansas. He was a mild, pleasant boy.

"We conjecture that the love of adventure led Mr. Moore to abandon the lake country. He went to Illinois, thence to Grand Rapids, Wisconsin, and there built a boat, the first one that ever ran over the rapids. He also built a ferry boat at Haraszthy, now called Sauk City, and a boat at Baraboo. He first visited Baraboo in 1840. Spent the winter of 1840-41 in hunting deer and in becoming acquainted with the country, and located his claim about the falls of a creek, which he named Skillet, from the circumstance of conical holes being washed out in the soft sand rock, which made nice places in which to wash your hands, as they were constantly supplied by small streams of water. In the winter of '41-2. he. in company with Alex. Diaper, bunted deer in Back Woods near Whitewater. In June, 1842, we found Mr. Moore at his cabin at1 Skillet Falls. lie had a family keeping house for him by the name of Simon Griffith. This season, or perhaps the next, Moore entered into the mill business. He first helped put in the gearing to

Wood & Rowan's sawmill. At one time, 1846, the people thought to organize a military company. Mr. Moore was recommended as the proper person for captain. Governor Dodge gave him a captain's commission. The whole matter soon fell through, but he has the old parchment still. His being the captain of a lake vessel and holding a commission doubly made the title good, and he is now spoken of as the Captain.

"In August, 1846, he chose his second mate, Miss Deborah Stevens. Harris Searles of Sauk Prairie tied the 'knot.' Four grown up children and their mother and father constitute his present family. The children are Margaret {Mrs. C. H. Williams), Valloo, Carrie and Edith; the three latter are at home.

"The Captain dislikes high colored sketches of a flattering character; hence, we feel quite free to say that in the fore part of the county seat war he had a plenty of political enemies made by his action as one of the county commissioners. The seat of justice of Sauk county was by the legislative commissioners located at that one of the Sauk villages which would make the highest bid for it. The upper town bid was received. It consisted of a donation to the county of a certain number of village lots. In making out a deed of them to the county there was a proviso that if the county seat should ever be removed the lots shoidd revert to the original owners, with all the improvements upon them. This proviso was so ingeniously worded that it was difficult to discover the deception. Two of the county commissioners voted to accept the deeds.

"The Captain discovered the trick. The Prairie du Sac lawyers tried their best to convince him that the deeds were properly worded and did not convey the intent he thought they did; but he was invincible. Long discussions and explanations were had. He stood alone. The two other county commissioners voted Yes ; but he had put in a big No. The clerk, Andrew Garrison, recorded the vote. Moore told him to put down a big No, and insisted upon it. Not satisfied by Wing whipped out of justice by treachery, he ordered the clerk to write out a protest for him against the swindle and put that upon the record. The clerk said he could not do that, as it was all he could do to record his negative vote. Moore replied: 'Garrison, you are the clerk of this board to record our doings and not to be judge of them. T am one of this county's board of commissioners. A minority, as well as a majority, can be represented on the books as he chooses, and you are not to be judge of what is or is not proper. Sir, I demand of you to place upon record my protest to the infamous trick." Garrison wrote out a protest, according to Moore's dictation, and put it upon the book. Not satisfied yet.

he called at the meeting at the bluffs to show the .trick up to the people. It was largely attended, and the matter was so thoroughly sifted that the Sacites offered to make a new draft for the deeds, leaving out the ohjectionable feature. There was a motion made that for the present the matter be 'laid on the table.' A Baraboo unparliamentary backwoodsman moved to amend by having the whole matter put under the table. The amendment carried by a large majority.

"We retell this old quarrel story (which ought to be forgotten and all Sauk county be one loving family), for the purpose of showing what one indomitable will can do in an emergency. The good book tells us that 'one man can put 1,000 to flight.' This the Captain very nearly did. When he has a cause of justice to work in, Andrew Jackson could not excel him for stubbornness. WTe all know that. Some years after the county seat fight he arranged his affairs at Baraboo, went to Black River and bought a saw mill. This mill was destroyed, and he built a new one and ran it for two or three years. Lumber went down, and he sold out and came back to Baraboo. In 1878 he went into the cranberry business near Norway Ridge and made a great many valuable improvements on his bog. In 1886 and 1887 railroad fires burned his marshes over very deeply. He tried to get redress of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, but was offered a pittance for the damage. He finally brought suit against them and after two circuit court trials obtained a judgment of $6,000. He now is quite a hale man.

''We do not like to close this personal sketch without referring to an incident which happened while Mr. Moore, in company with Count Augustine Haraszthy, Edmund Rondtorff of Lower Sauk, T. B. Remington, Abraham Wood, and Wm. H. Canfield, of Baraboo, was going to explore the wilderness in the back part of Sauk County. Wood and Moore, old hunters, agreed to keep us supplied with meat; besides, the count had a shot gun and a setter dog, yet, away back in the wilderness, where now have grown up fine dwellings and broad, rich fields, we had a starvation feast. We subsisted three days upon one partridge, notwithstanding our three hunters and a hunting dog. We had labelled the dog for breakfast. Next morning, however, about 2 o'clock, as we were lounging in our tent, the three hunters being out, we heard the sharp report of a rifle, and soon there followed a loud halloo. We started instantly and soon found the captain with a nice young buck hung up. A feast we three had and *aved the dog." - H\ //. Canfield in "Historical Sketch, 1891."

W. H. C. in Sauk County Democrat: "The day for his funeral mentioned in your paper brought together a large collection of his old neighbors. It was indeed a sad 'old pioneers' meeting.' 'It seems too bad that he could not have lived at least a year or two longer to enjoy his new residence in the city of Baraboo' was a very common remark that passed between neighbors. This building and the tastily arranged grounds occupy an entire block. The buildings were erected by M. J. Drown in his prosperous days and purchased by Col. D. S. Vittum soon after lus return from the war of the rebellion, and recently by A. Barker. He had occupied it about thirteen months.

"Mr. Barker was a quiet, pleasant, prompt, active, honorable man, full of enterprise. His words needed no props or the scratch of. a pen. We think he never held an office of any kind in his life except school district treasurer. He was both physically and morally courageous and fond of adventure. He had enough of native combativeness and courage to take care of himself, but was far from being quarrelsome and was always just. He was brought up by Protestant parents and always had a regard for the Christian religion, although he made no open profession. At eighteen he left his comfortable home and came to America, landing at New York city; went to New Jersey and worked one summer; then to Philadelphia and wintered there; then came to Iowa to visit an old friend, Mr. Reed, and stayed with him one summer, helping him farm ; then went to the lead mines and spent one summer working and prospecting and got acquainted with Dunn and McFarland, pioneer Wisconsin pinery men, which took him to the pinery. While spending some tinjy^ at Ft. Winnebago he formed an acquaintance with Wallace Rowan and went in company with him in the Indian fur trade; this was in 1837. He became attached to the family, especially to the eldest daughter, Emily, and a marriage contract was entertained, but she died of consumption after several years' illness in 1847. He never lost his regard for the Rowan family.

"Mr. Barker assisted Wood & Rowan in putting up their sawmill ( the first one on the Baraboo river) in 1839. In the winter of 1840-41 he logged in the Seeley Creek pinery and ran down his logs in the spring. In the same summer he built a raft of about 10,000 feet and ran it out of the Baraboo river, selling it at Decorah. This was the first article of commerce run out of our river (1841). He joined in partnership with James I. Christie to log in the upper Baraboo pineries, which as yet had not felt the American ax, and in the late fall of 1842 in crossing a creek while going to his field of labor he got his feet wet and very badly frozen, which came near taking his life. On one foot he lost all of his toes. He was confined to the shanty all winter, and, in fact, a year's labor was lost to him and more, for he since was not the ironsided man he was before. Mr. Christie pushed the logging and made out a fair winter's work at a small expense, but did not get the logs down until next spring. After they were snugly boomed there came one of the greatest freshets the country ever experienced, broke the boom and carried the mill off. Mill and logs were scattered upon the mouth of the river. Mr. Barker sold his runaway logs to some Caledonia farmers for four yoke of oxen. These he took the next winter (1845) into the Lemonweir pinery and banked logs for Captain Joseph Finley for a stipend per M and to take his pay in lumber. In the spring he rafted his lumber. He had made arrangements with John B. Crawford and Wesley Clement to go with them by the overland route to California, Clement to bring the team (horses), and wagon to Galena. He then shipped them aboard the raft, and as they were floating down the river they changed their minds and determined to go via the Isthmus. Wm. Christie took the team and wagon back to Baraboo, and, after selling, they went according to the new arrangement. After arriving at their haven each went his own way.

"Mr. Barker worked a placer mine in company with an apparently honest, tine man. This mine proved to be a rich one. They quietly attended to their business, burying the dust they accumulated. It was the rule for one to go to town one week while the other stayed working and watching their hidden treasure. One day after his partner had gone to town he looked over their accumulation and found a large share of it gone. He followed him to town and met him and charged him with purloining. He declared his innocence. Barker, with revolver in hand, had him strip from head to foot. He plead innocence so sincerely that he believed him, but that night he left and shipped for Australia. Barker had a wealthy brother in the Australian gold fields, so he made up his mind to follow his partner and visit his brother. He did not succeed in meeting his old partner.

"He spent one season with his brother, adding some to his 'pile,' then went to Ireland and visited his parents; thence to England and purchased a stock of dry goods, largely silk, and shipped for New York City. While they were off the coast of Newfoundland the ship struck a rock, which opened a hole in her, and she sank. Their signals brought relief from shore, and no lives were lost; even some property being saved. He secured his trunk. He lost about $4,000 in this wreck, as he had nothing insured.

' Mr. Barker got back to his Baraboo home in 1854, after a nine years' absence. He now got some of his old claim put under the plow. Leaving John Rowan to take charge, he went onto the Mississippi river and bought and sold farm produce - pork and grain - occasionally coming home to look after affairs. From 1854.to 1858 he spent most of his time in this business, still making farm improvements. That proved to be the most lucrative business in the same space of time he was ever in. He invested in real estate about St. Paul. His agent swindled him out of about $4,000.

"The really best business arrangement the rover ever entered into was made with Sarah Jane Lamborn, of Jackson County, Iowa. An old schoolmate and intimate friend of Mr. Barker's married a sister of Miss Lamborn and in visiting his friend Sarah Jane netted him, and what was better she took him, or he took her, onto his old claim. There he was planted the rest of his natural life. She was an American woman of German and French extraction. No more roving or shipwrecks or robberies or duels or swindles. A year before his acquaintance with Miss Lamborn he had erected a comfortable outfit of farm buildings. The same week of the marriage, groom and bride were lord and lady in a well equipped manor; for the last fifteen or twenty years he had managed a large dairy of thirty or forty cows, making butter and running a creamery. Here they quietly lived on, to see grow up about them six boys and one girl. He had just purchased the Colonel Vittum place and got comfortably settled when the summons came. One great comfort the mother and children have is to know that they had a husband and father who was an honorable man. His early life was so varied and he so well acquainted with the world and rich in anecdotes and many practical jokes, that it made him always a cheery conversationalist, who will long linger in our memories."

Says Mr. Canfield : "John B. Crawford came to Baraboo in October, 1844, with a corps of government surveyors: James E. Freeman, the deputy, or contractor; Hugh Moore, James Bell and Rodgers, assistants. Freeman was taken sick in camp. I fell in with them one day while I was coming home from Sauk, and make an engagement to work for them. Moore was using Freeman's compass. I got up a party and commenced surveying December 11th. My party consisted of James Bell and J: B. Crawford, chainmen, Henry Webster, axraan. My cousin.

Bradford R. Remington, was engaged with us in Hugh Moore's party. This surveying job was a hard one on account of the deep snow. We also had the ill-luck to have our tent burned up, which obliged us to sleep on the snow for a couple of weeks. We would break off oak bushes with the leaves on and lay them on the snow about a foot in thickness and make our bed on them, which was buffalo skins and blankets. While on this surveying job, John. li. Crawford came near losing his life by getting lost in the night. And had it not been for James Bell, who heard John halloo just once, he probably would have died. But as a piece of good luck, the boys in camp led by Bell went directly to him. He was holding on to a little tree almost ready to fall down, and partially out of his mind ; but after one day s rest was able to go to work again. After the surveying job was finished I hired Crawford and Moore to help me log in Peek's pinery for one month. John wrote to his father to come and see the Baraboo country, which he did, and concluded to remain here. He came on and made claim of a piece of land one- fourth of a mile north of the Wood-Rowan mill and built a log house on the north side of the river near the bank of the old Indian ford, as is known to this day as the Crawford place. John was an only child ; a good and faithful one to his parents. As the country developed, he was an active member in all public enterprises, especially of a moral or religious character. In his two years' trip to California some gold dust stuck to his pocket, besides obtaining the heart and hand of his partner's sister. In a few years thereafter he bought up oxen and a great wagon and did freighting in the mountains in the Pike's Peak gold district. He has given his children good school advantages, and is now reaping some reward. The father, Alexander Crawford, and mother, Hannah, were universally respected. They were members of the M. E. church and he seemed to love to respond to ideas given out, and that too very heartily. The Amen never came from him with a whisper. His stalwart form and heavy voice would almost shake the building. For a series of years they entertained travelers and new comers. One of our early settlers that was traveling in an emigrant wagon intending to stop at Adams, the county scat, went through the place and did not know it, came to a log house and there stood a tall, stout-built man. I said, 'Sir, is there a place where a stranger could get accommodations over night?' 'I discovered in his features an open, manly expression, and intuitively felt that we were safe. He opened his broad, frank mouth and said: 'Yes, if yon will take up with such accommodations as I have in my little house, you arc welcome,' at the same time starting with me towards the house. On entering I found the house unsurpassed for cleanliness - in fact, one of the cleanest I ever had my foot in.' This was the home of Alexander Crawford. The Crawford family have played a pleasant and profitable part in the early settlement of Baraboo."