Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-08-31
Old Settlers Meeting.

nearly all sections of the county,
though there was not full attend
ance. Tables were set the fnll length
of Judge McGonigal's office, and at
tho hour of IL the office became the
field of convivial havoc. Slight
skirmishing of the same sort was
done also in tho Treasurer's office aud
under the shade trees of the court
house lawn. After dining the people
assembled in the court room and en-.
joyed themselves in cheerful converse
ton until o'clock, when Major
Rountree called for quiet preparatory
for the business of the Society. The
Major, as is his custom, he having
been President of the Society from its
organization, accompanied the open
ing with appropriate remarks. He
stated that he had spent his life from
manhood in Grant County. When he
came here, in 1927, the county was
almost uninhabited. Now we have
populous and wealthy county. As
community we have shown ourselves
a patriotic people The monument in
the public square attests this fact.
We have also shown ourselves to be
an economical and we'll governed
people. That our county paper has
never been at discount, worth NAM
ing, is proof. And we have shown
ourselves an educational people. Our
well sustained public schools and our
Normal school are evidences. We
have all the facilities for education
that older countries have. The Major
congratulated those present upon
their fortune in having their lots cast
in a place so pleasant. He wished
that the association was made ayaila-
BILE by a greater number OF Grant
County people than it is, and he
hoped the members would SEQ that
the Society would perpetuate itself.
All citizens of the County who were
here as early as 1913 should be in
duced to enroll themselves as men,
bers, and the year indlcating..oligibility
should from time to time be set for
ward. Some of the old settlers have
been here within one year of half a
century. While celebrating the Gen.
tennial year of our country's inde-
pendence, they can celebrate the 10th
of their residence in Grant County.
Major Rountree called on the Asso-
citation to choose officers for the ensu-
ing year. A committee consisting OF
Messrs F. IL. Bonham, VIM. Hum
phrey, DR.. Davidson, Luther Basford
and Samuel Druen were selected to
name such officers. While they were
out Mr.. A. d. Ramsey, was called on
for remarks.
Mr. Ramsey said he was one of the
oldest settlers. Like Major Rountree
he had spent nearly all his years of
manhood here. He came here in
1927. Then not a furrow had ever
been broken of Grant County soil,
and Indians and wolves roamed over
the prairios. He came like others to
find a fortune in, the mines. He like
most others found mining unprofta-
bic. They then hardly knew what to
DO with themselves. They thought
they were too far north, and that the
country was too cold for farming, but
they tried it. At this they were sue
cessful, and it is wonderful to observe
| the changes that have taken place in
this country. Those here in the earliest
days had hard times. They had to
endure privations, of which those who
live now know nothing. Mr.. II said
he had slept on the ground where
Lancaster now is before any one lived
here. He was here in 1929 and spent
a night with Naham Dudley, who
built the first house ever built here.
Afterwards he was here when Mr..
Morcy was making a farm. Mr.
Morey made him welcome to stay all
night. When they set down to eat he
was invited to help himself and the
only victuals, all he had to eat, was
boiled dried peas. On this diet he
was mauling rails for his farm.
A letter from Mr.. Ralph Carver
was read as follows:
Muscoda, Aug. 10, 1875.
M McGoaigal.
Sir As an old settler Of Grant Comfy,
would be glad to meet my fellow Pioneers at
| the approaching anniversary, but circumstan-
ces forbid But still think this proper time
| to recall Renaissance of our old contempt
rary. James Gilmore, late of jamestown in
| this county.
Previous TO the late Black Hawk war, we
miners used iron drills and gads with steel
points, but in that year some Cornish miners
| came to Gratiot's Grove and introduced the in
cstmable poll pick and cast-teel CAD, but used
iron drills with steel points.
In the succeeding winter Mr.. Gilmore, my,
self and others were mining at Snake Hollow,
| tnow Potosil Our blacksmith, whose anvil
was on the stump of a tree with no covering
| but the skv and clouds was absent on q ST rec.
| Mr.. Gilmore and myself wanted new steel on
our drills. Mr.. Gilmore said he could sharpen
and temper tools but could not weld cast steel.
He proposed that we should get abar of cast
steel and cut il in two for each of Us drill,
and he could sharpen and temper the ends.
We got a square bar, as Octagon bars were
then unknown, beat down the corners and
had each Of Us an excellent drill, which l have
every reason to believe were the first casts
steel drills ever used. They soon came into
general use in the lead mines, and few
wears after were in general use wherever drills
were used.
Now, whether this universal use of them