Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-03-10
EARLY DAYS.

Editors Republican
As was one of the early pioneers in this
section, have thought that would give you
some OF the incidents connected with it's early
settlement, and by so doing perhaps be the
means Of drawing out facts from Others which
would be of interest to your readers. and es-
pecially to the few old settlers who remain.
The first settlers in this region differed not
much, suppose, from the class that always
push out first into p new country. They must
OF necessity be bold, don t-care-for-anythirg
kind OF men, who can strap their rifles to their
backs and with AK in hand commence the
work single handed and alone, of clearing the
forest and making Themselves homes in the
wilderness and when the days toll is over they
must be content to build their FIRE and, having
eaten OF the choicest venison taken from the
deer that had ventured to nip the buds from
the trees they had fallen, to lie down with
the sky their only cover and watch, as they
sleep, with one eye open, to guard against
proving wolves and thieving Indians say
such men must necessarily be bold, self reliant
independent men-not weak, sickly, dyspeptic
or lazy oh no, such will not do for a new
country, and if they come it is not to stay :;
they see big snake, a big wolf, a big bear
or big Indian, and immediately want to see
their mothers and are off.
In speaking particularly of the first settlers
in this vicinity hope | shall give no offence
to any of my old comrades who were here at
the time speak Of will mention first three
prominent characters, P, s. and B.
who made claims near each other As a mat
ter Of economy they agreed to go "snooks' for
a time, and built but one cabin for the three and
were to share labors and expenses equally.
But the result was not SO equal as proposed
as one OF them always had an eye to the main
chance and secured the lions share. For in
stance When the house was to be built it must
when the root cellar was dug it was in his side
hill as, for many reasons, it was better one
than they had, and so on to the end, he was
always reaping the benefit of their labors, aud
at the same time succeeded in making them
believe him to be the most dsin terested of men,
One cold day he proposed that they have key
of the good for cold and good for warm wealth.
er stuff They agreed, the key as obtained
and he of course must be the man to deal the
liquor out. Being sharp he filled his comrades
well before he drank himself One of them,
s. was Yiouc for p,ora but D
refused him. 'Why not?" asks Sd can't
pay for it and let you drink it up says P.
"Well I'll buy it'll clear five acres of land
for you if you will let ne have it, says s.
Otis bargain" says P and the key was
given up and soon emptied.
Early the next morning I was sent for
poor S., was in bad way. shall never
forget his looks as he stood on his bed with
both eyes fixed on the further corner of the
room and gazing upon one spot as if his life
depended upon it. The only motion he made
for one hour was to stoop to pull the snakes
from his legs. AT last he spoke in a voice but
little above whisper-and the expression up
on his face shall never forget-and said
There there there-see that little devil COM
ing, and as he spoke he sprung from the bed
and ran out of doors for the woods.
Poor s. recovered and worked hard to
clear the five acres but the story got out and
the result was temperance meeting, and in nv
next Will give An account of the great TEN.
perance speech made by a man who is still one
ofour most prominent citizens.
OH SETTLER.