Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-05-05

sof the Capitol at Washington IS q
historic painting representing the
discovery of the Mississippi, by De
Seto. That is truthful picture. of
coarse. or else il would not have been
there, moreover as further evidence
of its truthfulness, | believe it is
printed on the backs of some of the
National Bank notes, but not having
seen any of these lately am unable
TO speak certainly on that point
| Now, that picture shows that Desc
to and his followers on the morning
on which they made the great dis
covery had changed their clothing,
andawere then gorgeously arrayed
in clean boiled linen, ruffies gold lace
and plumes. TO do this they must
stop at a hotel. Galena is about five
miles from the Mississippi river which
would be about the distance they
would have travelled the morning on
which that picture was taken.
Now, may ask and / think with
some degree of u triumphal argument
if fernando De Soto and his follow-
ers did not stop at the De Soto house
to put on their clothes, where in
the world else could they have done
| so.
| heard in Galena, fabulous stories
| about times, when there was bust
ness done there, trade was lively,
and steamboats, crowd and jostle one
another on the levee just as we have
seen high born ladies and gentlemen
crowd around the refreshment tables
at those other kind of levees at
| Washington but as saw nothing
of the kind, set these down as pleas
ant pictures wherewith nursery
maids beguiled the children.
Galena is built on site peculiarly
adapted to American customs. 1t is
on the edge OF a bluff, with its hous-
es SO arr hanged one above another
that the people can look into their
neighbors, house, and, without trou-
BILE discover all that is being done
there. ras
The bluff crops ont with a peculiar
limestone, of dirty brown color
| which is so abundant as to be used
quite common, for building. Its nat>
ural color, together with the fact
that there is in it large proportion
OF sand which in short time disin-
| tegrates on being exposed, makes it
admirably adapted to building town
like Galena for new building made
of this stone very soon acquire an
air of dingy antiquity.
Galena has been somewhat noLed
for its sidewalks. These are Pc
culiar institution. They are built in
the form OF stairs made of plank, ard
the popularity is that about every
third stair is wanting, which very
much tends to develope agility in its
population, and also affords the Lar
dies of that city excellent opportuni.
ties for showing their new CATERS.
So proud of these side walks are
the people that they adhere to them
with wonderful pertinacity, and in
SO doing have even conquered the
indomitable Grant. 1t will be rec
objected that sometime during the
war he gave outin speeches, that
WREN the war was over he intended
to go home to Galena and run for
mayor of that city, and have new
side walk built from his house to the
depot. This put the people Of Gala,
ma into great CONSERVATION, for after
Grant had gone away from them
| they had begun to get acquainted
witt, him, and knew that he had a
way of accomplishing whatever he
undertook.
They fanked him however in this
wise Grant never owned u house in
Galena, or for that matter, anywhere
else before the war. So they got to-
gether and built him a new house on
the other side of the river close by
the depot, and built new side. walk
from that house to the depot to please
him, and continue their old side
walks according to their good old
customs.
The people of Galona take great
pride in having furnished the great
| general of the war TO be sure they
never knew anything about him
while he lived there, and they were
never friendly to him, nor proud of
him while he was in obscurity, but
when be became famous they take
to themselves great satisfaction on
that account. Such is life. We are
all more ready to discover merit af>
ter it has become famous, and there.
| by do we each day, entertain angels
unawares.
They also pride themselves much
| ly on that account Of the number Of
soldiers and distinguished officers
they furnished for the war, and, with
that peculiar kind of modesty and
self abnegation that characterizes al
western towns, never weary Of de
failing to strangers the number OF
generals and other officers ip the war
that went from Galena. Their rec
ord is certainly a glorious one, and is
doubtful whether another place of its
size 10 the country Gao equal it.
i tried to philosopher on the reason
of this, and | think | have discover
edit the true cause OF their greatness ia
tthis respect.
| In the first place there is nothing
in the world better calculated to dis
ciplne a man, and fit him to endow
the hardships of campaign life thar
living in Galens. Again when it,
soldiers went into battle and founc
out they could have their choice be.
tween death and going back to Gale
ma, they could not be otherwise thar
brave.
Invent on pilgrimage to the leath
err store of Grant& Perkins, anu I'll
catholic fervor delighted mys 7
that in some room and over thos
shelves the hero had busted himself
that there he bad thought out tha
incipient greatness which was to save
} the country; and was so waking "
4 4 IL