Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-11-26
Beotovn - Business Revival.--Porsonal
Items,

There has beea much building
and improving within q year or
two, and the roads and other inn
provements appear designed for per-
manency, as though the people in.
tended staying and making homes
for life. Such was not true OF the
Beetown settlers Eve years since and
before. They only meant to squat
and speculate, and, upon getting
something ahead, to up and off with
themselves. But those who STAYED
and made property appear now in
the majority and are life settlers to i
tolerable certainly.
The great business next north of
Beetowa is farming, and tor miles
about the country is inclosed for til
lsge. But east, south and west of
Beetown, for miles ia several direc-
tons, tho lands bear more or less
mineral and are valuable to some
unknown extent for digging. Many
forty and eighty acre lots are held at
big enough figures for supposed or
proven mineral wealth. For farm.
ing use, the same lands, such of them
as are level and nny-sided, have FIVE
to ten dollars per acre additional val
ne. Most of the lands about Bee
town are heavily timbered and of
late years, since the fires have been
kept away, the under growth of wood
has made dense jungles of these for
ests. 1t cannot be that the lands
about Beetown have any additional
value for their timber, because of the
vastness of the surplus above all pos>
sible consumption. But rather are
the lands Of less value on account of
the expense of clearing off the timber.
Beetown was settled thirty years
ago and WAS at first known rs Ed
wardsville, so named from it's earliest
settler, Mat. Edwards, upon whose
lands the town squatted without his
consent during mining spasm.-
Most of the buildings now used for
merchandising and the mechaoic
trades were designed for saloons,
having back room attachments for
private gaming, the same now con-
venient for ware rooms. 1t is to be
regretted that no register was ever
kept of the plots and conspiracies to
Jump claims" TO graft" mineral
holes and "veneer" the diggings in
view of roping in the green ones of
those days, when these back rooms
with darkened windows next the
bluffs were the resorts Of those who
gsmbled in the hard earnings of la
boring adventures. Not mention
the gambling with cards and the
tiger these dark halls we're the re-
sorts for dealers in mysteries more
alluring than ever loaded roulette
wheels end magic jcnnies that caused
any card in the pack to face to the
front. Short work was made cv-
cry miner who had "struck Q pros
pect" or a "lead." Every influence
was first set to rope him into the
"coloncl's rooms" and then cheap
drapery and we'll mixed wines soon
made him an easy victim to the viii
lains who planned in the light but ex-
| ecuted in the dark. Some years sf.
ter the settlement Of Beetown and
upon the exposure Of horrible case
of fraud, Sam. Lemon and others a.
sociated for driving off the gamblers
and cut throat knsves. IF we re-
member correctly they made up a
purse Of $4,000 to be usedin break
ing the CANDLES, and then some pre-
text was started upon which Grimm
al writs were sworn out, and the
rogues left in body never to return.
For near twenty years Beetown
has remained pretty much the same
in population, business and authority
of late years, however, reviving
greatly in moral standing. Forsome
months trade has been improving,
owing to the increase of settlers in
the vicinity and the opening Of new
farms. The Beetown mines have AL
so broke out in new places and scores
Of new hands appear at the rope and
the windlass Of the old and new dig
gings. The company mines,of which
we shall write more fully, are EN-,
ploying a good many hands and do.
ing service as consumers and dis !,
tributors of currency. 1t is to be
hoped they will soon yield for their
adventurous capitalists thousand
per cent. upon outlay risks.
We may safely report the present
condition of Beetown at 100 per cent.
improvement since this date last year
in true worth and business. 1t
may not be that our estimate is true
in every particular, but in general
way including rise of property and
improved prospects, we are certainly
sound.
Hitherto, confidence and capital have
not for some years made any invest
ments 1t Beetown. The buildings
sre old snd exposed TO drafts from
the elements. The great want is FIRE
and burglar proof business rooms
taken from the rock cubes stepping
distance in the rear. No where in
the country can store rooms, shops
and dwellings, be so cheaply erected
as at Beetown, and nowhere are
few such so greatly needed. Every
man in wide bounds having money
wishes to treasure it in some place
where neither fire nor thieves can in
truds. Strong store rooms. having
perfect securities and cheap insu-
rance, are the places whore number
one men prefer to trade. Capital
there 10 in Beetown, abundance of it,
but not . we'll secured store room
where capital and stock are secure
in whstever form existing. May our
hastily written article touch some
new spring for continuous revival
OF things at Beetownl
Aa IN late ehanvas there are sewers