Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-03-14

Imaginary and Real-Rugged Country-An
Old Observation-Disclosures Mills
About Beer-vincy ard-Bonn,
Bacchus and ssB0edry."


ern bank of the Mississippi river, and upon
the southern margin of Grant County, town
regularly laid out, and substantially built,
numbering more inhabitants than any other
town within the limits OF said county; active,
thriving and business-like 10 appearance; con-
centrating an immense agricultural and miner
al trade, visited by eamboats nearly as regu-
larly as GaIena growing at pace which is
never to stop short of high and rapidly attain
ed commercial importance--and be told that
that town is Potosi.-GRANr County, HER.
AID, AUG. 10, '43.
Whether or no the aforesaid Iele-
graph has yet been "dumbfounded"
we cannot pretend to say, nor do we
know whether the man who made
the foregoing prophetic paagrap b
saw ao through glass darkly or not.
But certain it is that there is a differ
ence between the real Potosi and the
imaginary, palpable and clear-cut
difference that can readily be detect
ed without the aid of newspaperial
microscope This being the simple
truth, it gives us chance to tramp to
the end of this chapter without pur-
suing tho tedious path of historical
circumlocution. This is proceeding
that must meet the ready approval
of ;all .cogitative minds; as it fur
nishes us a capital opportunity to
give Madam History downright go
by.
There is deal of ruggedness about
this town. The parts lying along
the river are particularly broken, and
not very we'll adapted for the pur-
poses of agriculture. Yet the value
of its yearly farm products amounts
, TO nearly S1s5, 900, and it has, ac-
cording to the last census, 1850 in
habitants. About 5000 acres of its
land are improved. Timber is abun-
dant, and water not scarce. Along
the banks of Boice Creek, which
flows through the western part of
the town, there is heavy growth
of trees that promises plentiful yield
of fuel for many years to come.
Grant river enters the town not far
from the Mississippi, of which it be-
comes tributary, after running
nearly parallel thereto for distance
of several miles.
. The town of Potosi is one of the
very oldest in the State, and was
born, 80 tradition tells us, in a miner
al hole. There was time when the
{ place was no mean commercial rival
of Galena itself But that was not
the last week and not even the last
year Newspapers have already
been published 10 Potosi. Men have
grown old and died there schools
, and churches have been established
there business houses have been
built, and various manufactures
erected Potosi is now reviving
There is a tide in the affaiIs of towns
as well as of men, which will, if taken
at the food, lead either to fortune
or to glory The prospects of the
place are at present very flattering,
and if the Southport Telegraph il
still alive, it may yet have the pleas
ure of being thoroughly staggered
The town is to have the stimulating
! advantages of railway, and then il
, will begin To show some Of its neigh.
boring towns 'what's what fou'
brawly," and teach them on which
side OF the bread the butter belongs
Coming down to business, it is to
be stated that the number of Potosi
: merchants is not small, and their
} trade not insignificant Here are
| men like Kaltenbach and Seaton and
Lewis and Hunt, all aud any of
whom have constantly on hand full
supply of everything usually found
on the shelves and in the barrels of a
well-stocked and prosperous village
store.
Potosi is not wanting in good ho.
tells, as any one who has ever soiourn.
ed at NJ. Parenteau's Ennor House
can solemnly testify. Mr. Sprague
owns the Potosi House. Frank HolI
/, is also landlord, aud Joe Hall runs
a livery stable.
Kinney & Cos mammoth saw mill
is down near the river. This mill
one of the most completely furnished
,, in the State, was established more
than twenty years ago, but the large
,, new building has been quite recently
erected. In Feb, 1861, it became
the property of the present firm
The whole cost of the mill, when full.
ly completed in every department.
will not be far from $4,000, the rail.
way alone from the river to the
building having cost at least $780,
Last year, 100000 feet of lumber
were produced. Lath, shingles, etc.
are made here, and planning, trim.
ming and growing done on very
large scale. A powerful engine sets
the machinery in motion, and high
, solid, massive, tower-like chimney
: gives the establishment that external
appearance which strikes the behold.
, er's attention at once, and makes
him feel that there is not an atom OF
nonsense in the whole concern.
Presuming that there are yet, on
this part of the earth's wicked crust
q fen persons who know what beer
means, and who, unlike the underfed
Warehouses in the novel, have al.
ready had more than "a sip" of the
article, we will now introduce brief
account of what we saw in the vari.
GUS departments of Mr.. Heils Potosi
: beer brewery. 1t may not be your
fault, my dear temperate reader, that
frogs have no tails, and it certainly
: is not ours that there are such things
: as beer, wine, punch and other mud
ding beverages made and sold in
this vale of sin and tears. And it is
idle for us to fancy that it is all up
with cakes and ale because the reader
and the writer Of this article happen
to be so excrutiatingIy virtuous.
Aoonror,o .,so.t hrx NJ Hail ha