Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-05-05
Highly Amusing-A Cute Vermonter
Travels--He finds Gslena and General
Grants Leather Store Why the Ga
lenians were Brave. f

We copy from St. Adams paper
tht following amusing rates of travel
by some cute Yankee in search of
stock for hiscuriosity shop. His notes
on Galena are rich. In imagination
we travel with him from Chicago
where, to man of uncultivated mind
Wells Street, north of the river, is
not goodly to look upon. tits strik
ingly suggestive of mud, miasma,
plank pavements and rats. But a
more judicious observation will show
that it is - place admirably adapted
to show to strangers the depth and
fairness of Western soil 1t is also a
place, wherein according to st. Paul,
grace doth much more abound for
in the Epistle to the Romans he has
written that where sin abounds grace
doth much more abound.
After getting my baggage check
ed and making my usual reconnois>
ance, / started 10 get on board the
train. Now, you must know, that |
have very strong humanitarian in>
stinct. That is TO say, whenever |
see anything adapted 10 the comfort
and luxurious enjoyment of humans
ty-what | may term the humanities
Of life-I always appreciate them,
and if they cost nothing | strive to
enjoy them. Humanitarian instinct
always prompts me when | travel to
TO get on board the newest and most
comfortable car in the train. This
| was about to do at Wells Street de-
pot, but thereon hangs tale, and to
me, mournful tale. l was stopped
at tho door Stopped by a brake
man. | tried to put on the airs with
which had seen rich men those
mighty owners Of railroad stocks
sail loftily by the obsequious employ
ees of the road, but it was of no use.
lmpecuniosity was too apparent.-
| couldn't initiate that unspeakable
swagger OF a rich man, do the best l
could. "Have you q lady with you
sir ?" | thought of George Washing
ton and his Ratchet. I couldn't tell
q lie. Besides, that brakeman was
too sharp for that dodge. So casting
a long, lingering, mournful glance at
the clean car, it's comfortable cush>
ions, and il | must say it, the sweet
smiling faces of the Dutch women
sitting there, turned away more in
sorrow thanin anger to take my place
in the crowd of what the Book of
Common Prayer so aptly denomi.
mates "all sorts and conditions of
men," in ard>cushioned dirty car,
which despite myself was continual
ly suggestive of uneasy, craving
sensations, and unpleasant imagina>
tons of those many footed animalcu>
lac SO apt to be left in the seats
where gang of rebel prisoners have
been Many times during that day
did | reconnoiter that new car at
way stations but that brakeman was
always vigilant. He knew me, and
| could see in his eye twinkle of
malicious satisfaction as he foiled my
clumsy attempts to elude his watch-
fulness.
Westward the star of empire
takes it way" and 50 did we. EIgin
Belyidere and Rockford, where we
did'dt get dinner, and then Freeport
At Freeport, "Change cars for Gales
ma and Dunleith." This I did with
out regret. AS | crossed the plat
form / saw q lonely lady with fans
lily like that in the picture of the
martyr John Rogers in the Assem- i,
bly's Shorter Catechism. | saw she
was troubled to get her charge on
board the train, and with that great
gallantry and kindness which always
characterized me, | rendered her aid
and comfort, lifting her little ones
with paternal care. Under her pro-
lection, passed the new brakeman.
now learned one of the new secrets
OF travelling, and can make my way
into the ladies car a. well as if was
rich. So sitting comfortably in the
ladies car, ] journcyed pleasantly
on towards Galena. The only inter
esting incident was that the conduct.
or asked me to pay the fare of my
lady companion. But she had a
through ticket, and my gallantry
was just saved from that severe
strain.
The first impressions of Galena are
not very prepossessing A small
dingy looking Rail Road Station
very muck like the old Shelburn
Street depot, in Burlington,-and a
general impression ofrustiness, greet
the stranger on his first entrance in
to that city. But more careful ex-
amir -tion removes these first impros'
sions, and they give place TO a sense
of dilapidation, desolation and ruin
Gus decay. Il feel like one who
treads in banquet halls deserted, in
voluntarily came to my mind.
| had been advised to stop at the
De Soto House; and there it was. ]
saw on two sides of it in glaring red
and white letters, so large that he
who runs may read: ''DE Sore
House, only, that time which sub
dues all things had somewhat oblit-
| tEdIcQ phFb "a lDS itlbtEo.f Il lie Dt
Soto was built by some man of mag
niicent ideas. In size it is some
what larger than the Weldon House
and Judging from its appearance, al
ways excepting the National Hote
at Washington, it is the oldest house
in America. / know it 10 ancient be
cause ! saw sure proofs of its antiq-
uity ell about. The spots on the ia
bic cloth were Of no recent date. The
towels, and other equipments in my
room, had been worn quite thin. j
made an estimate, and calculating
from the amount of custom / saw
there it would have taken several
hundred years to have worn them tt
their present condition.
That must have been famous
house in the olden time. 1t received
its name from the fact of its being
the tavern wherein fernando d,
Soto put up when he discovered tn.
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