Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-20
Correspondence.
COLBY. Wis. AUG. 10. 1874

near Hep0rer.-It has been some
time since we hunted up our reporter
ial pen and we are afraid that it is
somewhat rusty, but nevertheless, we
are going to try and give you a few
sketches Of up the line of the Central,
rambling though they may be, and if
they do not reach your standard,
please consign them to your waste
basket and no harm will be done. As
our present letter is dated from Colby
we will commence there, although we
may have occasion to retrace our steps
in the direction of the Point before
finishing our sketches Colby, sit
uated on the line between Clark and
Marathon counties just at the west
quarter post of Sec. IS, T. %, r. /
b., one year ago last March was a
nonentity, a mere growth of hemlock.
and altogether hard looking place.
At that time the Graves brothers Of
Fond du Lac were trying to get a
mill started on the Little Eau PLANE
River, one mile south from Colby.
Mr.. S. i. Mason of your county came
here and built a Is x 40 boarding
house which was the first frame house
erected in Colby. But more than to
any one else is Colby indebted to Ira
and Leroy Graves and Lawyer Spence,
also Of Fond du Lac, for her present
growth and prosperity. These gentle
men have been untiring in their efforts
to promote our interests. Through
their efforts depot was located at this
place, which has now been supplied
with an agent tor nearly a year, and
it may not be out Of place to state
that the total receipts Of the same for
the month of March last were about
one-e;ghth of that of the city OF
Stevens Point. At present date we
have a population of not far from one
hundred and fifty, with two hotels,
five dry goods and grocery stores, one
drug store, a hardware store and tin
shop, furniture warehouse, three sa-
looms, one each blacksmith and shoe
shops, law office, real estate Office,
and barber shop. Our hotels are
well furnished and we'll kept, one of
them, the Colby House is as fine a
hotel as one can ask for, new, well
furnished, and pleasantly situated,
but short distance from the depot
and with G. w. Ghoca tor landlord,
1t will be found emphatically house
for the tired traveller. Our stores
boast as fine al assortment of goods
as can be met with anywhere. At
the hardware store you may find any
thing from a three quarter brad to a
hotel cook stove, from a baby's rattle
to a Davis Sewing machine. At the
drug store Dr. A. Wilues will be
found dispencing roots and herbs to
the million. But time and space for
bid my paying more attention to the
business men Of this place While
the Good Templars have not arrived
yet, we have an Odd Fellows Lodge
where members Of that fraternity may
find welcome.
The educational interests of the
young are already provided for Our
school this summer numbers sixty
scholars; has just taken vacation of
one week to be followed by a select
school of one month by the same
teacher. A Presbyterian church has
been organized under the ministry of
Rev r. A. Fuller who is young min
lister just commencing his work. Con-
nected with the same is a Sunday
School Of forty-fve members. But
your patience must be at an end and
L will wait until another week.
From your old correspondent.
= E.Tp