Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1862-06-18
6raut Cpnrtp Aerald,
Ia Crosss-sa Acquaintance Wizard Oil Man.

la Crosse Old Acquaintance Wizard Oil Man.
Aneng other living places visited in oul
rounds north lately was the famed city o.
In Crosse, which we had not seen for neai
item years. That long ago La Crosse was
"a village Of but few houses; now the
population is claimedtto be three TO foul
thousand, with railroad and produce for
warding business range extending 10 Min
nesota, nor;her Iowa and heavy share o.
Wisconsin, and with river trade also
which must be large.
We found Judge Lord and Billy Hull
in their offices, apparently doing fair law
business; also, Mrs. Sam Barton, Sam, be-
Ing off surveying. Col Rodolf was about
riding, but we could speak to him only a
few moments. These are among the old
citizens of La Crosse, the same formerly
among the old settlers Of Grant. Many
others Of our neighbors went up to that re-
gion long years ago, some.to follow lam
bering, some t, buy and improve cheap
lands, many to speculate in lands, SO called,
really TO speculate off the labor Of those
who buy lands only for Improvement
Business moved. TOO slowly in these parts.
The proceeds Of year Of business and la
Dor brought but reasonable, wholesome
income to a man; one or two years in bus
mess or labor ought make man rich, en-
able him to live ever after in idlencss, lux
ury and bad habits, and thus shove himself
and family forward to the devil; so thought
most Of those who went to In Crosse in
carly times. They bought lands largely
and then sent out runners with hand bills
TO call in the world to their feast of lands,
entered a few days before at $1.25, next
day held at $1,000 per acre. Mullitudos
came, very many foolish, not many wise,
all hungry and landless. Profits seemed
governed for a while at La Crosse by the
Eples Of Geometrical Progression. All got
irich as Babylon and feasted as Nebuchad-
.nezzas neyeronce recurring to their billie,
wherein is taught that the foolish come
around TO grass, and the wise are turned
away to Craze upon the mountain. BY
and by, up rose the neglected valleys and
down came the mountain to the very palace
doors. Sober realities followed revelrous
imaginations--tru fiction, and the mouse
tracks were seen in the barren sand which
in the morning had glistened with gold.
TO be rich for a brief day was glorious
to be land poor for life time, inglorious
and confoundedIy uncomfortable, especially
in the face Of war tax and homestead laws.
Having bitof heavy work at La Crosse
Me called on Sheriff Usher, Foreman Reed
of the Republican and Brick Pomery Of
iho Democrat, these being the stoutest
men in the city, and they volunteered at
once to work for us half day 10y the job,
gratis, without money except for lager
beer. Editor Seymour Of the Republican
WIS not about and we missed form ing bis
acquaintance, which we regretted very
mucb as he is one of the Independent edi-
tors of our state. Swift, the "W<zard
Oil Man," was evening lecturing in the
street al La Crosse, and we stopped listen
ing to his oil songs, anecdotes, cure tales
and so forth for an hour. He sings and
talks as well and changeabie as the moeking
bird and speaks all the known dialects, in
Guiding raw Irish and bad English.