National Republican., 1873-10-07

OAKLAND. Wis SEPT %, 1s7a
When last wrote we fully intended visit
Ing Aztalan the very next week, hut, rs the |
poet says, "the best-laid schemes o. mice and /
men gang aft aglco." We were forced by a
complication Of circumstances TO defer our
visit from day to day, and make trips during |
that week to Albion, jefferson and Fort Albion |
instead. Tho latter town Ia the chief shop |
ping resort Of the bellies In the nclghborhood. |
II Ia very pleasantly located on both sides Of |
the Rock river, and derives its name from the |
fact that temporary fort was built there by |
General Atkinson during the Black Hawk |
war. modern Don Quixotc could not hnd |
q more inviting field In which to try his skill |
in dcmolishing
than on the road over which we Travelled 10
this place through Oakland, for nearly every
house on the road had Its windmill; and very
fanciful affairs they are, with circular tops,
composed Of series OF bright-palntcd fans.
They stand considerably higher than the
houses, and look like skcletonizcd pyramids.
They are used for pumping water out Of the
wells into the huge troughs where the cattle
arc watercd, aud IRE doubtless a great saw
Ing, both In time and labor. About Ave miles
north Of Fort Atkinson lies jefferson, tho
county-seat.
1Ut pOpulNtiOn tNCeCuh tnHt VI Az
kinson by hundred or 80, and the German
element Is by far the largest; In fact, II would
be safe to say that three fourths Of the In
habitants are Germans. The courthouse Ia
understanding wooden structure, painted
white, and stands In the centre Of green
lawn bordercd with buttornut trees. Thorc
are several small hotels In the town, poor
house, convent, jail, bank and pork-packing
establishment, besides several saw mills, and
one or two manufactories. The principal
stores, bank, high school md many Of the
private houses are built Of crcam-colorcd
brick with dark brown trimmings. Outside
the town Is M enclosure containing about
forty acres Of level ground which serves as
an excellent race course. The annual county
fair Is held at the fair grounds 10 the suburbs
but once month cattle fair IL he'd In the
streets. On the 18Th we had most
uSwELcoNE VISITOR.
He came In the night, an unbidden guest.
His breath swept over the corn.lelds and the
leaves shlvered and turned pale. lie touched
the tobacco plants with his ley fingers, and
they drooped and hung their heads. Over
the hills he came and the fragrant, snowy
buckwheat tremblcd at his approach aud
turned a russet brown. The life jticc was
frozen in their veins.
Old Sol fOsc lazily up from beyond the hills,
and Jack Frost hed Back through the
forests he went aud while the sturdy trees
dched him, he nipped the tender buds and on
| their shining leaves he traced silvcry
bloom that, alas, but hastcned their decay.
ArouRTEEs-AiLE RIDE.
The next day Sunday we rode over TO
Albion, u distance OF fourteen miles In Il
southwesterly direction from Oakland. From
Cambridge we drove through IN avenue Of
| fine trees by the side Of Koshkowong creek to
Clinton, q small Norwegian settlement thence
on TO the open country. On both sides Of the
road stretched the rolling prairics-grcat bill
lows OF grass, wave upon wave, reaching out to
the horizon, where the pale blue Of the sky Is
lost In the purple haze Of the distant hills that
form the line Of demarkation. All along the
route the farmers we're out cutting down the
tobacco, determined no doubt, to save II from
return Of the dreaded visitor. Where tue
fields were sheltered the plants suffered but
| little, but In the exposed tracts their value
was considerably impaired. II the farmers
were busy, their wives were no less so, rs the
well-hlled clothes-lines fully testified. Most
| OF the people were ''Sabbatarians, or Seventh
Day Baptists, and so our Sunday was their
washing day. Albion does not boast Of Q
very large population-two or three hundred
at the utmost--but It has great many visit
ors from the fact that 1t contains the best
educational institution In the county this
side Of Madison. 1t Is attended by pupils
from oil the neighboring towns and villages
/
furnish their own rooms and board them
selves, going home every two weeks 10 stay
over Saturday and Sunday. They generally
carry provisions enough to last through the
two weeks.
We went through the young ladies' depart
mcnt and the chapel. The buildings were
undergoing repairs, and presented anything
but u cheerful appearance, with the excep-
tion of the museum, which was in very nice
ondition-ncwly.pa and whitewashed.
The collection here consisted Of variety Of
stuffed animals and birds and a geological
and mineral cabinet. II the school.rooms
look as well when flushed, they will fully re-
deem their present forlorn aspect.
1t was not until the carly part Of this week
that VIC succeeded in getting TO
AzTALAS.
Twenty-Five years ago Aztalan was q brisk
little place. Situated on the united States
road leading from Milwaukee, by way Of
Madison, to the Mississippi, Il was one Of the
principal stopping places for travellers and
traders on their way to and from the North
west. Shortly after plank road was built
from Milwaukee 10 Watertown, q 0ourishing
place on the Rock river, about twelve miles
TO the northeast. This changed the line OF
travel to the smoother road. The railroad
soon followed and Aztalan was disconsolatc,
and has remained so ever since. You could
almost count the houses on your fingers, and
about one half are tenautless, dllapidatcd
and forlorn, with boarded-up" windows
and battered sils. Even some Of those occu-
pied have woe-begone look, and would be
none the worse for little repairing.
Professor Lapham, In his history of Wis
consin, gives q minute description Of the
''ancient city" Immediately south OF the VII
lage. He describes 1t as an artificial earth
work, consisting Of an oblong inclosurc about
Ave hundred and fifty yards In length; the
| wulla hninn I'll hrar faat vida NJ ha
base and four or flye feet high, and having
an exterior scmi-clrcular enlargement or
buttrcss, and a corresponding Interior recess
every twenty-seven yards. The earth In
some parts Of the wall appeared D have been
mixed with straw and burned In such q man
ner as to resemble burnt brick. This was as
II appeared TO the Professor nearly thirty
years ago; and taking this description as our
only guide, VIC had some difficulty In finding
the ruins. We spled
Arrow OF MOUNDS ..
on the side of road leading from the vii.
lage to the south, and concluding that the
''ancicnt city" must be somewhere In the
vicinity, we drove round to investigate them.
We counted ten mounds lying nearly In q
straight line from north to south, the largest
measuring from ten to fifteen feet In dame
ter. They were quito prominent, and could
be seen for some distance along the road.
HOIbcs, VIC tllulUcu ONcT tue ltHCt
and walked up TO them. On examination
we fouLd them TO be composed entirely OF
sub-soil. They were shaped something like
an Inverted bowl, circular at the base slightly
tapering towards the top and smoothly
rounded off.
Looking down towards the river another
and smaller group was visible not far from
the waters edge. Scrambllng over briers,
through corn-felds and rank grass we came,
quite Unexpectedly, upon the site Of the IAN
Client CITY," A considerable portion OF the
ground was plowed up and under cultivation,
but enough was preserved TO show tho out
lines Of portion Of the earthworks described
by Professor Lapham. The high ridge of the
supposed wall, with the alternating buttrcss
and recess, could be traced for q short dis
tance with little care, although overgrOwn
With grass and somewhat troddcn down.
There were several small excavations In the
ridge that seemed 10 have been made by GU
rlous visitors, and these excavations showed
plainly the presence Of burnt clay or brick In
large quantities. We dug out a few small
pieces 10 take home US relics of the ''ancient
city" OF Aztalan These works, together with
tue mounds, arc supposed to have been built
by the Aztecs. Mr.. Lapham says "Aztalan
according TO Humboldt, Is the ancient name
Of the country from which the people Of
Mexico, called Aztecs, emigrated, and this Ii
described as lying far to the north. Hence 0
little fancy only Is necessary to locate this
country In Wisconsin, and ut the place where