Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-08-09

i
From that point he writes some in.
teresting letters about Colorado and
especially the San Juan district
that vast field of silver. From one
of these addressed to his father, the
Hon. j. Mills we have the liberty OF
publishing the following extracts
"You ask if this
region is intended for the residence
of men-savage or civilized, nomad.
ic or settled p Pure air, | suppose,
is necessary for the support of life
whether that life be in the soul oil
savage or citizen. For this reason
| answer that in respect of climate,
San Juan is intended as much for the
residence, or at least for the preser
walton of the vital powers of the
most depraved human being as OF
the most exalted moralist. But
Colorado has a constitution and a
republican form of government and
Lake City possesses the charter
powers of a municipal corporation.
This, how
ever, is saying but little. For not
withstanding the fitness of the air
of Colorado and Lake City to pre-
serve the vital powers of the man
depraved, the laws and society of
Colorado and Lake City are not so
well calculated to preserve those
vital powers. When capital pun
ishment was in force In Wisconsin
the gallows was no more frequently
used than they are now in Colorado.
In the States prison.at Waupun you
will find felons guilty of as beinous
crimes as any to be found in the
Canyon City prison of Colorado.
Outside the prison at Waupun you
will find enjoying the free air OF
Wisconsin far greater host of Grim,
inals cleared by the quirks of the law
than you will find of like beings out
side of Canyon City enjoying the
pure air of Colorado.
1t is said that in England whom
William the Conqueror held royal
sway, 80 stringentIy enforced were
the rights of men and so exalted a
sentiment OF morals was made to
prevail, that the purse of peasant
might hang for days on a tree by
the road way and suffer no danger
of theft or molestation. Hume and
other historians have for this reason
accorded to William the Conqueror
and to England the highest praise.
The same fact il already true OF
Lake City and Colorado and the
praise for this reason due, only await
the coming historian to be heralded
| with grand ecldt to the astonished
world. The peasant here, like the
the peasant of old King William,
could hang his purse on tree on
the banks of Henson Greek along
the well travelled Lake City road,
for weeks and months and suffer no
danger of it's beng stolen; and this,
| too. tor the same reason that the
peasants purse could hang in Eng
land. First, because the people IN
this country, like the old Anglo
Saxons, are sharp enough to know
that a peasant never had any money
to put in a purse, and, second. the
passer.by Is shrewd enough to know
that if he found peasants purse in
such position it would be the wis
est course never to touch it: for
were he through cusioslty to open
it nothing would be found save a
note written with trem bling hand
appealing to his charity to contrib
ute at least mite to alleviate the
sufferiugs of the poverty stricken
peasant But, Jest aside. it ia fact
that miners outfits and provisions
can be left with safety along the
road side for days. Letters are put
into boxes nailed to trees, and gath
cred up or delivered, as the case
may be by the passing letter carrier.
A Wickee-up is any place of shelter
built with the boughs of trees or old
stats of lumber and occupied by the
transient camper. In these Dlchee-
ups provisions and mining material
are often left by the stage or a
chance wagon to await the coming
of tho miner from his place of work
Though there may be a change OF
campers 10 these wickee,ups every
night still these articles thus loose
ly bai!ed are unmolested. ! know
where there is key Of powder that
has been 10 one of these wlekee ups
for months and is still there and un-
mOlested.
As for intellect and education you
will find as admirable examples or
it in Lake City as in Madison or
even Lancaster. There are several
graduates of Yale and Harvard here
and other colleges, and coed many
men too, who never saw a college or
even high-school whose word is as
good as their note and whose note is
rs good as money ard yet are as
harp Is a Jew and better takers
than speaker Blaine and Matt Car
penter. We have two or three
Americans here. ducated at Frieberg
in Germany The other day | was
spirited into condition OF momen-
tary excitement hitherto inexper-
fenced and unparalleled. | was sit
ting in our little hut quietly enjoying
twi- light missing when | was sud-
denly startled by the voices of chill
dren singing in joyful tunes
"Heres to good old Yale
Drink her down, Drink her down,&c.'
| jumped from my seat, in wild
| astonishmeEt. My listening was in
turrup,ed by my thought of what
was indicated here by an old college
song coming from the mouths OF
froIicking children. Had their par.
ents received collegiate training and
taught them this, or was it the fruit
full teaching of an older brother or
sister who had just returned from
an eastern school or western col
lege 2 As these queries were pass
ing through my mind | opened the
door aud hastened back of the hut
from which the sound seemed to pro-