Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-04-02

Packard no settled Wyoa where he followed mef-
chandizing for a time; then moved to Ekader lows
where he followed the same calling The next known
Of him by my informant e. G. Collins ESQ he was in
Lacon, Ills. where he resides
If you chose to publish any items have gave gather
cd, they at your service.
Truly Yours,
II. GILMORE.
A NIGHT OF PERTL-A FEARFUL ADVEN-
TURE WITH ROBBERS NEVER BEFORE
RELATED.
Twenty-there years ago, in the
winter OF 1914, the writer Of this,
then travelling for a heavy mercantile
firm and known to frequently have
large sums Of money in his possess
sion, was proceeding overland from
Prairie Du CHEN, Wis, to Galena.
The country bordering upon the
Mississippi river, and through Which
the route lay, is rough, and almost
mountainous, shooting up into Jagged
peaks and high ridges, their bases
covered with forest trees and low un.
derbrush, affording capital retreats
for wild animals still infesting the
country, while their tops, usually
bare Of vegetation, were crowned
with rocks of volcanic origin, present.
ing unmistakable evidence that this
whole section was once the scene of
some vast convulsion in Nature, to
which it probably owes the existence
of the rich mines OF lead ore, and 9th,
er minerals which abound in ans
known quantities. The country is
traversed by numerous streams en-.
tering into the Mississippi, among
which are the Big and Little Platte,
the Menominee, Grant river, and ot>
hers of lesser note, which afford the
later settler abundance of water pow>
er, and whose fertile valleys are now
thickly Inhabited and highly cultiva
ted. AS the time Of which | write.
but little attention was paid to agri
culture, and settlements were confin-
ed TO those localities where successful
mining was carried on. The popu.
lation, aside from a large foreign ele,
ment, (by far the most peaceable,)
was made up ofindividuals from eve
ry State in the Union, many ofwhom
had doubtless cleft their country for
their country's good" attracted hith>
or by the facility with which wealth
was &C luired, the excitement, or
enchantment thrown around all new
lead discoveries, and desire on the
part Of many to escape from the
restraints Of civilized society. OF
course, law and order were but little
regarded, though a certain rude JUS
tice administered by Judge Lynch,
restrained the lawless, and life and
properly were probably as safe in
those days as now. In most locals
tiles, there was large preponderance
of men, who lived in hastily con
structod cabins, half under ground,
and which were abandoned SO soon
as a more promising location was
found The rapidity with which
townssprungu up, has only been equal
cd in California. We have known a
bleak hillside, destitute of both wood
and water, pcopled with five hundred
inhabitants in single week. The
character of the population may be
judged from sucn names as "Hard
Scrabble" "Snake Hollow" "Black
Leg" "Vinegar Hill" "Black Jack,
&C., many OF which are retained to
this day
But to return to my subject AT
the time of which ! am speaking, the
road leading to Galena, after leaving
Snake Hollow, (now called Potosi,)
passed through desolute region for
near twenty miles, with but single
inhabitant or family along the entire
route. This was at the crossing or
the Big Platte, where some years be-
fore, during the speculation mania Of
1886, company of wealthy Phila>
delphians, headed by q Frenchman,
named De Zanzibar, founded a colony
and essayed to build city, which
was to not only rival Galena, but be
come the leading town in the North
west 1t was situated directly upon
the Platte, two miles from the Mis-.
sissippi, which, setting back to this
point, formed q deep and capacious
harper capable of floating the largest
steamers. The site for town was
very good, but l. was surrounded on
three sides by lofty and almost inac~
cessibe mountains, up the steep sides
ofwhicb the only roads leading to or
from the place wound around preci>
pieces and scaled rocks traversed on
ly at the imminent risk of horse and
driver. There was no more chance
for farms or gardens along their
shingly sides, than upon the steep
roof Of barn, and the nearest tilla
bic land lay over the mountains and
far away. Money, however, will ac-
complish any thing. and its enter
prising projectors bringing building
materials from below, soon had
stores ware houses, hotels, and dwell
ling houses, capable ofcontaining five
or six hundred inhabitants. Nor
was there any lack oftenantS. Emf
grants were locking to the country,
houses were in demand, and the bus
Ting Frenchman, literally Lord OF
all he surveyed" firmly believed the
success of his colony was assured.
Spring came, and there was nothing
to do In the meantime rich digg
ings had been discovered at Snake
80