Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-02-10
For the Herald.

''.9H sort, Of people 10 make a ,0orld."
Some people have forsaken society 10 dose
away their lives ia dreams Of Heaven. Men.
yes, men have no, only sworn to everlasting
celibacy, but have become eiriliter norfuui,
have shut themselves up in monasteries, those
halfway houses between Heaven and earth,
and there made designations with the souls of
Saint Theresa and Saint Helena Aye, these
everybody refuses would shrink from the
snares of the devil. And women too, have
become too holy fer any earthly use-ihey
have sough. the mysterious reeesses of the
convent TO keep company with the ghosts of
Saint Patrick and Saint Louis and other ghost.
ly fathers whose natures are not yet SO fully
purified from heshly lust and passion. But
my only reason for adyerling to these folies is
to show some Of the yQious motives which
have separated men from society. Some men
cannot endure the restraints and mono,ony Of
civilized life. They forsake the "city full" 10
gaze on Nature as she is, before The Vandal
hand OF man robs her Of her glorious attire
Many such men, capable of adorning society
in any country, are found upon our frontiers.
Though our pioneers possess some traits 10
common, yet no class Of people exhibit great
er variety of character and motive. HaIe are
some who can only live where the scenery is
rude and wild; here is the man Of grand con.
ceptions and romantic soul. His next neigh
Dor may be refugee from justice; yes, like
" he prefers neighborhood ofhIngry wolves
to one Of hungry, impouunale creditors, and
then you will find man who senlimen,ally
prefers barbara N 10 refinement. If such a
man has the bold, independent soul Of the saw
age, you will respect him though he knows
nothing more of books than the Inca who held
the prayer book 10 his ear 10 hear it speak: bot
if his soul has been saturated in the slouphs
Of vice that collect in the precincts Of cisiliza-
lion We regard him with less respect than
brute. He has no redeening qualities.
Late in November, 1894, in the steam boa,
Winnebago we descended the Mississippi
from Prairie do Chen. Save here and there
an acre Of cultivated ground-ihe residence of
some Spectator who thus proclaimed his right
to the site Of some future city, the country
was tenaniless. Some distance above Bur
lington--then having dozen houses-we saw
miserable group of human figures. men, wo-
men and children half naked, exposed to all
the Pelsings Of the pi.iless storm. The bell
rung, the beat poised itself over the current,
like hawk sometimes does over Prairie,
The Captain was tender hearted Irishman,
and the yawl was sent 20 fetch them aboard.
The strangers excited considerable attention,
their destitute situation gave rise to many con.
lectures as to its cause among the passengers.
The head Of this giPsey band called himself
Ben Peeler-he was truly in state Of " dOu.
bic bessedness" in one sense. having two
wives. There was another man. crony Of
Bes's, belonging 10 the party and gang Of
children IN every respect so much resembling
animals that sheir parents had not fou nd it ne
eessary TO Distinguish them BY proper names
The exterior Of The party was grOissque and
wild-ssins composing their principal cover.
ing. We Guessed that Ben might be one o.