Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-11-11
LYMAN @. DRAPER.
His Extr aordinary Researches In Behalf OF
Original Wisconsin History.

nv iAo CONSTANTLY iuuuSSu IL Will
fresh food. Instinctively Selling on a
few representative names-Daniel
Boone, George Rogers, Clark, Lewis,
Simon Kenton, Tecumseh, Brant,
Brady, the Wetzels, the centers of
the pioneer history of the West-he
has for two-score years followed up
every clue till he has gathered in this
little hut complete manuscript his
tory of the development of the West
His Investigations comprise the whole
sweep of the Anglo-American settle
ment aud border warfare of the West,
from the first battle in the valley OF
Virginia, in l74l, to the death of
Tecumseh and defeat of the Indians
at Thames, in 1918. His investiga-
tons have been as thorough as they
have been wide. He follows the trail
of fact with the persistence of an
Indian and the scent of hound.
To collect these materials he has
travelled more than sixty thousand
miles since 1910; visiting aged
pioneers and Indian fighters, the men
who cleared the woods and laid the
foundation Of the State Living on
meager salary, and much of the
time without any income whatever, he
has travelled tens of thousands of
miles on foot. He has made several
of the journeys, going 800 miles on
foot and carrying his knapsack. This
involved great hardships and self
denial, and not a little danger. His
feet became sore at one time COMPEL
ing him to make his way on his hands
and knees to settlement. He came
near losing his lie on several occas-
ions, swimming swollen streams, cap
sizing in stages, and caught in steam
boat explosions; but he hazarded
everything to clear up an obscure
event in the life of one of his border
heroes.
His enthusiasm and keen scent
have yielded to no impeachment. The
walls are hung with the trophies and
relics of his extended search, and in
the shelves are packed $50 manu-
script volumes of crude history, all
original, and mostly new. Concern
ing the life and conquests of General
Clark, who he calls the "W ashington
of the West" he possesses twenty
five manuscript volumes.
There are ten volumes of manuscripts
relating to Boone and his ancestors,
including Boone's letters, his field
notes of surveying, and his private
memorandum and account books.
In one of Boone's letters he says:
cit was on the 1st of May, in the
year 1869, that | resigned my domes-
tic happiness for a time, and left my
family and peaceable habitation on
the Yadkin river to wander through
the wilderness in quest of the country
of Kentucke." 1t is not spelled like
this; indeed, the orthograpy conforms
more to the Josh Billings style; as on
the tree whose bark, cut with Boone's
knife, still records that he "cilled a
bar" He was gone to "Kentucke'
two years, and on returning to his
domestic happiness" in North Caro-
lima, found that his wife had just given
birth to child, Of whom his brother,
James, was the acknowledged father.
The grizzly hunter put on his think
ing cap and took it philosophically.
Although he had probably never
heard of Luculus, who lent his wife
to friend, he emulated that Roman
consul. He apologized to his wife
for being absent SO long, greeted his
brother cordially, alluded to the sur
prising arrival, and exclaimed :
"Wall never mind, Jim /; it's all in
the family! !" Thus James was not
obliged to get on the ragged edge"
and Daniel saved his domestic hap
piness"
Another of Diapers heroes is
General Simon Kenton, noted bor-
der fighter, and companion of Clark
and Boone, who was captured by the
Indians, and several times escaped
the stake and faggot, and who was
once tied on a wild colt, Mazeppa-
like, and left to his fate in the painless
woods. OF Brady, Wetzels, Brant,
Tecumseh, and others, Draper
has collected many volumes,
and he has about a dozen volumes of
manuscripts concerning Sumter, mat
ter new and exhaustive.
Dr. Draper is a small, wiry man,
aud while his head and beard is sill
yering, his eyes preserve the bright
ness and his step the elasticity of
youth. He has marvellous energy,
and persistence that never tires. "Our
woder is" says Sabin, shat man of
his slight physique could have accom-
plished 1.-THE of his work.
Another odd fact is that he has
published almost nothing. Unlike
Plutarch, to whom | have compared
him, he is naturally cleaner rather
than a compiler. He gathers facts
and boards them like a miser-not
because he is secretive or fails to com
prehend that they ought to be used
but because he takes more pleasure
in collecting than in editing. lie
more keenly enjoys going forth afoot
and searching every corner of the
West for an old scrap of letter or &c
end lost link in the chain of some
minor narrative than to acquire either
time or money in publication. Th'
love of accuracy and completeness il
a passion with him.
He is, however, at last making ar
rangements to furnish copy to thu
printer. He has published volum
on the Mecklenburg Declaration, ant
in conjunction with Mr.. c. W. But
ter6eld, the author of Crawford
Expedition, is now preparing vol
ume entitled Border Forays and Ad
ventures. For such book he ha