Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-09
Visit to Green County Monroe
Snow Storm and Business Personal
Old Settlers Monroe Sentinel.

recently the site of New Mexico
And then as now the county seat, it
was also the political center of
Green county. The village present
ed rather the appearance of dense
settlement than of shire town. A
dozen buildings fronting in regular
outline public square was all that |
reminded one of anything moro than |
3 cross roads dignitied with tavern
and ost office, and the country
about divided into FIVE acre lots, each
lot supporting a shanty AID rail
fence Enclosure. The country about
Monroe was finely watered and great
forests of tall timber covered most of
the land. The.soil was dark colored
and rich, the country rolling and cut
into lobes by rayines. the latter of
such descending grade as to conduct
the waters rapidly away to the SUI
gar and Rock rivers. Spots of prai-
RE openings come to light here and
there as we passed through the dark
forests There were no dead levels
or marshv campagnias TO sicken tho
human swarms then settling in that
section. In places the miner had
been prospecting, but no very large
mounds Of yellow ochre told of alb
stracted fortunes. The soil rested
upon lime clay and containing all
the elements of lasting fertility, men
had to pillow but one inch deeper to
treshen their lands.
Such was Monroe and the country
about as seen eighteen years ago.
We arrived at Monroe the first of
present February during the great
snow storm, and during the two
days Of our stay could make but
rev calls. The storm caused mark
ed suspension of business, and but
few were in from the country. The
cars barely escaped laying up for
days and but few persons were seen
from their homes. A few items are
noted from conversations with ac>
quaintances. which we reproduce in
disconnected way.
The present population Of Mon
roe is near four thousand and the
| place has had for nine years the BEN
etits of railroad, the same an ex
tension Of the Milwaukee and st.
Paul from GAINESVILLE by way of
BrOdhead. The trade is said to ex.
coed that of any town not q city in
the state. The shipments of pork
alone for 1868 were 1,278,050, and
the preceding years above two mill
lion pounds.
On the 27th January an Old Set
tiers Meeting was held, among them
we noticed the names Of Judge Dun>
widdie, J. w, Stewart, Allen Woodls,
Franklin Pierce, F. F. West, and
others widely known in the state.
Among the citizens Of newer resi-
dence thar twenty years whom we
met were Gen. Bintliff, Ex-senator
Westcott, Hiram Medberry, DIR.
Warren, who is our u. s. Collector
of Revenue. Lawyers Gardner and
Sawyer, DC. We also met Rev. E.
Morris, Rev. Mr.. Farmer, Albert
Stuntz and Lewis Rood, the latter
formerly Of Hazel Green and all
late of Grant County.
Green was frst a part Of Brown
county bat was detached and organ.
lied in 1888. In 1886. and before
the organization, Judge Dunn held
the first court at New Mexico, an ex-
tinct village q short mile south of
the present site Of Monroe, the lat
ter laid out in 1880 by commissioner
Woodle and others.
The chinese TRANSPORTATION theory,
perhaps, accounts why it is that the
| editor from home so naturally seeks
the sanctum Of some printing Office
for his retreat. We sought the Sen
tlneI Office. as the soul ofa blind phi>
losopher flies to his classical ideality
of home. Welcomed o: course by
the genial editors, Messrs High 4
Booth, we proceeded at once to our
usual labors of reading the exchange
es and TO clipping supply Of edito-
rails for the Herald thanks to the
mails.for carrying the like incendiary
matter at three cents d package.
High d Booth are making a growing
and useful institution OF the Sentinel.
Under their management it is one of
the ablesl and soundest county pa
pers IN the state. From Gen. Bin,l fl.
whose distinguished services in the
army are well remembered by
many in Grant County, ana who
edited the Sentinel several years, we
learned the following history of this
organ of Green county. In 1851 The
Green county Union was started by
| one Snow and two numbers issued.
This was the first newspaper enter
prise in that county, butin two weeks
it changed name and hands-O. D
Motion taking CHARGE who changed
the name to Monroe S,ntlnel. John
Walworth, now of the Richland
Co. Sentinel, became the editor and
proprietor in 1854, who sold to Ten
ney in 1856, and he to Bintliff 4 Bry-
ant in 1860. The latter went into
the army in 1851-leaving Bintliff
in charge who took in Carr in 1862,
about which time Bintliff raised
company and won't TO the war, serv-
ing three years and leaving Carr in
full charge. In 1865 High 4 Booth
became sole proprietors and at pres.
ent no further change is anticipated
This morning, Feb, 3, leave for
Boscobel, and this small city, born
and reared within my time in the
Badger state, soon disappears from
view but leaving upon the mind
picture not soon to be dissolved.
Though brighter scenes may ever
charm, nothing may ever appear
more enticing than Monroe envelop- |
ed in snow storm. Pretty little |
city, good hye-oome sgain when
the day morning wears the blush of
a mignionette, aud imparts the beau
" Of q mountain rose.
SENATOR HAZELToN.-The Senate