River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-10-19
THE DOCTOR'S FORTCNE.
By HANDLY ". HExiY.

udIu Times.
These words were uttered in a half
distracted way by wealthy old doc
tor, who had been entertaining me
with almost incredible stories of his
early life in the Mississippi Valley,
when it was the far-off frontier, and
was claimed by the Indian for his
hunting ground. The doctor had a
partial home on the summit of noble
hill overlooking the river and country
| about three miles below st. Louis, and
we were seated on one of the broad,
| vine covered piaZZas about the resi-.
dence. lie was a well-preseryed, no.
BLOCKING old gentleman of more than
score-years-and-ten, and one
would hardly Judge him to be one of
the early pioneers in this region-as
| he really was.
Looking up suddenly from a brief
reverie. his cOuntenance all aglow, as
if his memory had struck rich vein
OF incidents of long ago, he said -
''Didn't ever tell you how | hap
pened to make this place my home g.
As | answered him in the negitave,
he continued in the same breath with
look OF surprise.
| @NOA VI lllC v diiA w VI llldl
lived under the hill near the mouth of
the creek 2
mo, sir.
well, well, | suppose so. Twas
| long before your day whcn the last
member of the family quit this life.
1t must have been forty, yes, more
than fOrty-five years ago. 1t does not
seem possible that it Is that long since.
| 1t was an uncommon strange affair,
and, though it looked hard then, it
seems to me now as if it was foreor-
dained.'
The doctor had charming, simple
way of talking, and, knowing that he
was going to give me a scrap of his eX-
perience worth listening to, settled
/ back into a large, easy chair with inf
mite satisfaction, preparatory to enjoy
ing it.
Il had just finished reading medi-
| cine" he continued, with DIR. Brad
ford, in BroOkfield, my native village,
i'll York State, and, there being no
promising opening to a young man in
that vicinity, determined to go West
to seek my fOrtune-and wise deter
minatiOn 1t proved to be, too. was
only One-and-twenty then. and tie
western fever and the golden dreams
Of the future rendered me so impatient
| that hurried off with scarcely any
preparation. My horse, saddle bags.
and some pocket money, and dog 'Ro-
YER were all of my effects.
by the time | had ridden as far as
/ Pittsburg a reaction began to take
place and | felt little blue over my
prospects, for the trip was lonesome
and tedious enough; but there | sold
my horse, and bought ticket TO st.
| Louis by steam. Oat. The journey by
| the river elated my spirits again. ON
| board the boat there was plenty of
company, the scenery was beautiful,
and. further, it was my first ride on a
steamer. At the end of a two week S
trip we had passed down the Ohio
river and out at its mouth, started up
the Mississippi River and were narrow
| ing down the last fifty miles between
us and st. Louis.
about that time. as | was begin
ming to wonder a little anXlouSly what
kind of a prospect | should find there,
we ran into one of those heavy fogs
that are frequent on the Mississippi.
1t was as impenetrable to the eye as
the darkest night, and SO the boat had
To run ashore and lie up until the fog
should lift.
1T was early in the morning, and,
as there was 10 prospect of the boat
getting away for several hours, call
ed Rover. nv dog. and we went
ashore. The river bank, to my sur.
prise, was more than one hundred
I HfnrH arn1 Gloon mud rlanopH
| | succeeded. however, in climbing to
the top, and was rewarded by finding
the fog much lighter there than down
low on the water. | could see out into
the woods quite well, and it was a
| lovely sight. Spring was well advanc-
ed, and the trees had leayed out in
full and all manner Of gay-looking
wild-fOwers and plants were growing
UP out of dead leaves that lay thick on
the ground. Around the roots of the
large trees, also, were thick beds or
fragrant flowers that filled the air like
some sweet incense. and go delighted
was nv boyiSh fancy, that | thanked
God had left old York State to come
to this new Garden of Edeni
= Rover was transported with JOY
at getting ashore once more, and after
shifting the air and frisking about me
in circle several times, he started
out into the woods. | followed him
leisurely. filled with pleasant thoughts,
and wandered about over the hills in
an aimless delightful manner. After
Il time, as turned and was on my way
to the river. noticed Rover on ahead
| barking furiOuSly-at something up a
tree. | supposed, and so FASTENED to
him. But, would you believe it, he
was standing on the brow of the cliff
overlooking the river, and was barking
at the boat as it disappeared around a
bend fully two miles up the river. The
fog had suddenly lifted. and the boat
had gone on and left me.
1T all dawned upon me 50 sudden
" and overwhelmingly that, | tell
YOU, if ever felt queer it was then.
Ii was impossible to hail the boat or
Overtake it-and there | was alone in
the wilderness no white man near,
nor nothing 10 protect myself with nor
to subsist on-nOught but the river in
front of me. the forest at my back,
and the sky above me. | had terror
of Indians. too, and, for the first few
moments, | was almost bereft of
reason. The joy of an hour just
past was turned into the bitterness of
I despair. and | cursed the day when
left my good home III BroOkiield.
After a time, however, my
| thoughts became more calm, and |
recollected that ii was only fifty miles
4 from there to ST. Louis. This was the
first CLEAN of hope. | was good
walker and knew could easily make
the distance afOot if | met with no
mishaps. The sun was well up toward
the zenith when, calling Rover, /
started out courageOusly on the jour-
ney. 1t was wild walk now over
rugged hills and again through thick
underbrush. Then great many