Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-04-20
The Plutarch of the West.


believe not permanently employed
writes this interesting letter from
Madison to tho New York Graphic,
descriptive Of q Wisconsin celebrity !:
"How came you to have such a
suptro library out in this neck of
woods?" l asked of q prominent
Madisonian to-day as | ssrolled
through the great historical coilec.
ton in the most unique State House
10 America.
"Draper did it," be answered
briefly.
"W no is Draper p
Lyman G. Draper came here
wheu there was only handful of
books, and by the aid of men whom
he inspired has increased the library
to more than $4,000 volumes Of
books; besides many tons of PAM
phlets and periodicals. You ought
to go down TO his den."
"I'il 60"
And down street to his residence
| strayed, to see the man who had
built a library that ranks among the
few mammoth libraries of the land,
one of the very richest in American
history. l found a good deal more
than | expected.
The "den" is he large parlor of
his dwelling, and here is gathered
Draper's large personal library and
his priceless historical materials.
Here, too, l found him, studying,
writing and accommodating certainly
the most remarkable literary anti
quarry in the United States.
His rare historical appetite dates
from boyhood, and during forty
years he has constantly INDUCED in
it with fresh food. Instinctively
selling on few representative
names-Daniel Boone, George
Rogers, Clark, Lewis, Simon Kenton,
Tecumseh, Brant, Brady, the Wet
zels, the centers of pioneer history
of the West-he has for two score of
years followed up every clue till he
has gathered in his little hut COM
plete manuscript history of the West.
His Investigations comprise the whole
sweep of the Anglo-American settle
ment and border warfare OF the
West, from the first battle in the val
ley OF Virginia, in 1742, to the death
of Tecumseh and defeat of the L.
dams at Thames, in 1913. His inves-
LEGATIONS have been as thorough as
they have been wide. He follows
the trail OF fact with the persist
ance of an Indian, and the scent of
hound.
To collect these materials he has
travelled more than 10000 miles
since 1910, visiting aged pioneers
and Indian fighters, the men who
cleared the woods. and laid the foun-
dations of the State. Living on a
meager salary, and much of the time
with no income whatever, he has
travelled tens of thousands of miles
on foot. He has made several of
the journey, going 800 miles on foot
and carrying his knapsack. This
Involved great hardships and self-de-
NAL and not little danger. His
feet became sore at one time, COM
peliing him to make his way on his
hands AID knees to q settlement.
He come near losing his life on sew
eral occasions, swimming swollen
streams, capsizing in stages, and
caught in steamboat explosions but
he hazarded everything to clear up
an obscure event in the life of one af
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 knew Concern
the life and conquests of Gen. Clark.
whom be calls "the Washington of
the West" he possesses twenty-five
manuscript volumes.
There are two volumes of manu-
script relating to Boone and his an
cestors, including Boone's letters,
bis feld-notes of surveying and his
private memorandum and account
books In one of Boone's letters be
says: cit was on the first of May,
10 the yearl769, that 1 resigned my
domestic happiness for a time, and
left my family and peaceable habita-
ton on the Yadkin river, to wander
through the wilderness in quest OF
the country of Kentueka." 1t is not
spelled like this indeed the orthog-
raphy conforms more to the Josh
Billings style, as on the tree whose
bark, cut with Boone's knife, still
records that he 'scilled a bar" He
was gone to "Kentucke" two years,
and on returning to his domestic
happiness 10 North Carolina found
that his wife had just given birth to
child of whom bis brother, James,
was the acknowledged father. The
grizzly hunter put on his thinking
cap and took it philosopbically. Al
though be had probably never heard
of Lucullus, who lent his wife to his
friend, he emulated the Roman con-
sui. He apologized to his wifs 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 to the ragged edge, and Daniel
saved his domestic happiness"
Another of Diapers heroes is Gen.
Simon Kenton, noted border fight
err, 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 wild colt, Mazzsppa-
like, and left to his fate 10 the path
less woods. OF Brady, Wetzels,
Brant, Teeumseh, and others, Draper
has collected many volumes and he
has about dozen volumes of mana~
scripts concerning Sumter-matter
new and exhaustive.