River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-02-10
Historical Incidents Of Clifton.
BY Az OLD SETTLER.


friends and the pleasures and conven.
fences of society to open up road and
prove the quality and capacity of an
unknown frontier, we owe more graft
tude than to ninety and nine who
came in after the achievement of civ
ilization; and now after the lapse Of
more than quarter of century we
find eight of the nine living, and sur.
rounded in the fruition Of these later
years with plenty. But two, however,
remain in Clifton, George W. NIcMur-
ply, and Ephraim Harnsbargel: tie
rest have wandered here and there.
Mr.. McAIurphy still sticks to the old
farm DIETER than any new one) near
Prescott, one Of the best if not the
very best farmerin town, rich in store,
Itch in devotion to truth and moral
integrity, and rich in the universal es-
TEEN his neighbors bear him. Here
numerous family have been given
several grown to man and womanhood,
al.1 gone forth to other fields; and here
the fathers brow is crowned with pa
triarchal silver, but the eye is bright,
the form erect and the step elastic al
most as in youth.
AARON Cornelison occupies capa-
cious farm in Trimbelle, and is blessed
with numerous grown-up sons and
daughters, and is the patriarch Of
Trimbelle.
Joseph ColEelison lives in Missouri
Dexter B. Bailey lives innorthein H.;
sylvester Bailey in Cottage Grove,
llinn.;,and Jas. NJ. Bailey in Prescott
the latter is decidedly solid man
of the county. still owning a full blast
farm Of FIVE or six hundred acres of
the best land in the town, besides city
property; Lewis NJ. Harnsberger owns
and lives upon large farm in Oak
Grove; and the cold ashes Of George
Rissuc repose under the tread Of the
Latter Day Saints in the valley of tie
Great Salt Lake.
AIr. Rissue landel upon the bank of
the st. Croix at a period prior to the
beginning of our narrative, and settled
upon the land where Mr.. Atwater now
lives, more particularly known as the
Smith & Bailey farm. With grow
ing and helpless family, without dol
lar in the pocket, nor neighbors to lean
upon, or look to for aid in case of ne
cessity-very deficient in mental cul-
ture. and every thing but muscle and
manly determination, this resolute
man proved himself a hero. Having
built log house and improved few
acres of land, he sold to Smith & Bal
ley III 1850, and went over west to the
lake shore, where the old stone lime
kiln of later years stood, and here
staked him out a claim in dimensions
worthy of his strong arm andwill; and
in a few years we find our friend
George we'll to do in the world, mas
ter of a MISUNDERSTANDING acre
wheat-field, and equipments to match.
But being, like too many of his race,
intoxicated with success, he forgot
that fortune, like other females, gen
orally bestows her smiles on young
men," and was lured by ambition to
neglect the honored vocation of his
first choice, and try steamboating;
farming was too tame, too slow. So
having bought the steamboat, "Ken-
lucky No. 3" and become Captain Ris-
sue, things went soon awry engulfing
boat, farm, moneys and credit, in one
promiscuous hasty ruin; and Mr.. Ris-
sue fled with his family to Utah.
Soon after Mr.. Manning permanent
location in Clifton, or about the be-
ginning of 1854, post-oflice was es-
tablished in the "IIollow" by the
name of "Clifton Mills, out of defer
u
ence to an Office by the name of Cliff.
ton in Monroe county, and \. p. Man.
ming was appointed Post Master.
This was still another link in the great
chain of civilized society so essential
to the proper maintenance Of social
intercourse and the promotion Of con-
tentment in the new settlements.
But this post.oflice Of Clifton has had
\ a hard struggle for existence. Not.
withstanding the superior intelligence
Of the people, and the great amount
Of correspondence, and the literature
of the day consumed in every family,
It'', Office has been an unwelcome
guest, and sometimes homeless out.
cast, wandering up and down beseech-
ing shelter, and subsisting upon the
bounty Of friends.
--%.s.N
IT, fT,uaa of peurpgentatiyps re.