Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1861-09-04
Correspondence of the Journal.
THEN AND NOW.
LA CROSSE, Aug, 81. 1851


Ed. JoURNAL;-I take the liberty to
send you a communication, only premis-
ing that it is from one who has long ia
kan great interest in your place and
section of country. visited your coun-
ty when it was in its infancy, and marked
the rich promise of its unbroken acres, as
well as the thriving appearance of the
young and ambitious town Of Prescott.
l rambled over the county in the season
when the beautiful flowers were best rep
resented, and the woods were alive with
multitudes of birds. l angled in the
clear streams that ran through almost
perfect solitudes, and lured the trout from
sthe place of his nativity" near the pic
turesque Falls of the Kinickinie. / look
ed over the varied surface of the land,
and fancied it covered with waving crops
and dotted with farm-houses, as felt as
sured it would ere long be, and when l
left the scene which had delighted me so
much. carried with me many pleasant
pictures in my memory. And since that
time have gladly received every record
of Its growth and improvement, and
searched the papers that have reached
me from there for intelligence gifts prog
ress.
I welcomed the JOURNAL when it
made its appearance at River Falls, and
perused its pages with interest, and none
the less so since its removal.
also noted the career of the North
Western Democrat-brief but brilliant
some numbers of which / have care
fully preserved in my private museum of
literary curiosities; the style of the edito-
rails being worthy to be compared to that
of the acting of the immortal THALKs,
the tragediaD, who when the Theatre
was falling into desuetude, nightly drew
crowds to the old fremont, not, as he
imagined, to witness the triumphs of his
respondent genius, but attracted by the
ridiculous absurd;ty of bis travesties of
Shakespeare, and who rendered Richard
the Third with such OBJECT, that he was
crowned by an admiring audience with a
wreath of onions.
was prepared to see no inconsidera.
ble change in the appearance of things
when made another trip that way, some
two years ago. and landing at Prescott,
was unable to recognize scarce anything
except the site of the city, which [ think
is of great natural beauty. The business
portion of the place had greatly changed
while residences were built along the
brow of the bluff, and over the broad
prairie, and clustered thicky in that beau
tiful grove which forms such an attract
i've feature Of your town. Having bust
ness with the county officers, l found
them occupying pleasant rooms, and
was as much pleased as before with hat
1 saw and could learn during my short
stay.
Imagine then my vexation when on a
recent hurried trip, stopped al Prescott,
to visit the county offices, and found
they were about twenty miles from there
and when l asked lat what place." was
answered. ain the woods" After striv-
ing to impress upon the mind of him |
addressed that | had business which
made it necessary for me to visit the CO.
seat, aud that for that reason wished to
be informed of its precise locality, I clio
tied the reply, Township &c, Range H.
At first thought my desire for irforma-
ton was being trifled With, there was
something SO superlatively ridiculous in
locating county seat simply at T.27,
r II, but soon became convinced that
there was no further Information to be
given me, except some directions in re-
gard to the road, after rec Giving which I
started on my journey.
Leaving Prescott. passed many fine
farms, where thought the wheat might
have grown that won your far-famed
Prize Banner, and occupied in noting the
changes that had been wrought since l
looked upon the country frst-compar-
ing then and now-the time passed
pleasantly uutil reached the pleasant
village of Trimbelle, which had grown up
since I fished for trout in the river which
I now crossed and entered the timber.
As passed along, endeavoring to con-
lecture what freak of spite, or jealousy. or
causeless caprice had induced the people
to remove offices which it is necessary to
have access to, from their old location
to one which would seem to be convent
ent only for gopbers and mosquitoes, it
suddenly occurred to me what an exceed
ingly odd thing it would be, if by the
time reached Is II, some of tho Solons
Of Pierce county should have taken it in.
to their long heads to move the seat of
justice to some other indefinite point in
tie ''big woods" and so keep it "moving
on" like Poor 10 impelled by the vigil
ance of Mrs. Beckett, following like one
who follows sn ignis fatuus: till I found
myself laughing at the picture my imag-
instion hafconjured up ola man in pur-
suit Of county seat.
AT hast. deserted in the distance not
a 'solitary horseman," bnt n man driving
yoke Of oxen, and making speed to-
wards him exclaimed,
"Where is the Capitol Of the Banner
County" |
He, doubtless somewhat bewildered
by my manner. replied with the concise
interrogation. (which Z" 81
"Where is the county sent" 81
@Oh, it's just beyond here, about half