River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-01-27
CliftOn...Its Early History.
BY AN OLD SETTLER.

In 1853, the Hon. VIM. j. Copp, an
eminent attorney from the state of
Mississippi, bought out Lewis M.
Hamburger, and settled on the farm
in Clifton. Possessing high sense of
moral rectitude, and distinguished for
his literary and intellectual culture,
his genial bearing, and true Southern
hospitality, coupled with natural abil-
ity, and superior fund of attain
ments, he soon attracted admiration,
and had he been as reckless and elias
tic in conscience as most politicians
are, he doubtless would stand to-day,
far nearer the pinnacle of fame than
these shabby tricksters who, to gain
brief hour upon the dazzling summit
of power, sell peace, honor, and their
souls repose.
But our friend, too high minded for
that discrimination and cunning trick.
cry so necessary, of late, to success
in politics, stands. in dignified old age,
without place amongst his fellows.
Mr.. Copp served one term in the As
sembly, and one in the State Senate,
in the by-gone past, when there was a
lull in the political furies. AS city
proprietor, our talented friend is a
failure.
Now, having acquired modern adj
vantages in the way of roads, mails,
mills, &C., the neighboring prairies
were rapidly broken up, and the pro-
fuse yields of the great staple, wheat,
soon overstocked the Pioneer Mill.
Hence Mr.. Cox reasoned: 'tThere must
be other mills, and as milling is in my
line, why not sell this little property,
and build again on larger scale, and
at a place of more pretensions than
Gil IL"
A1oout this time A. P. Manning, right
from historic town of Billerioa, made
his appearance, and soon bought the
mills at five thousand five hundred
dollars. This was more than twice
the original cost. Besides this adj
vance, Mr.. Cox had made handsomely
during the three years that he had
run it,-so Uncle Charley left Clifton
with full pockets.
The wide-awake, ever-ready Man.
ming, full of ambition, and muscular
as reindeer, did, perhaps, more good,
and Except one) more mischief, than
any one person that ever appeared
within our borders.
Having some means, and indefatiga-
BILE energy, he built up the property
at a lively rate for time. Houses,
barns, and work shops spring up in
wonderfully magical manner; mechan-
les, common laborers, horse teams and
OK teams, swarmed to the 'HOllow"
by the score; farm produce of all
kinds found ready market at Man.
ning's, and the place had very lively
appearance for while. When the
purse of the proprietor became empty,
he borrowed of his neighbors, and
bought property right andlef on cred
it, and kept up the show of business as
long as his creditors would let him.
But the pocket and credit of Mr., Man.
ming Doth failed, and he went down
faster, if possible, than he rose, en-
tangling many of his friends IN fnan-
cial troubles, and very seriously Grip
ping the financial status of the neigh
borhood. Thus terminated his owner
ship in the property, and his abode in
the West.
Few men have shown a more re-
freshing zeal, and few have betrayed
a more reckless departure from pru-
dence. Full of kindness and good
will, had Mr.. Manning possessed un-
limited resources, all of Clifton might
have quaffed milk and honey ever
more.