Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-04-24
THE CITY OF GALENA.

If this biography should chance to
be read by any reader living east of
the Allegheny mountains, that reader
may be curious to know what. if not
even where, the city OF Galena is.
On the evening of the fifth dav of
September at about sunset. the Orion
turned her bow eastward into the
channel Of sluggish little stream
called Fevre River, and after wind.
ing her way between PERCEPTIONS
bluffs for a bstfraanrruo~ ss,nPlIneacre !
of hills; and at first view appears
like flock of houses coming down
to water. The river appears to have
its source under the towr. The
buildings back of Main street rise
one above the other like theatre box
es and in short, Galena, take it all
in all, is one of the most grotesque
little cities in the world. 1t has its
mayor, aldermen and common coun-
Gil, its ordinances and police regula
tons like the cities on the Atlantic
seaboard; and cuts figure mach
like boy who has just exchanged
his frock tor pantaloons and jacket.
When the traveller behods the large
quantities of lead piled upon the lie
wees and considers that Galena is the
principal outlet for the richest and
most extensive mineral regions in the
world he will no longer wonder
s"what the devil Galena is encamped
there for - 1t is easy to foresee
that in few years it must become a
wealthy and populous city. The
writer of this biography ventures to
predict that in ten years, let the
times be what they may, Galena will
not only he one of the largest but
one of the most opulent towns in the
valley of the Mississippi, and will no
doubt be the western terminus oftwo
or three railroads from Maine to the
Mississippi, which would make it a
place of large trade and business for
all the upper country on both sides
of the Mississippi. Il sincerely hope
however, that the reader will not sus-
pect that the writer of this sketch of
the west owns any lots in Galena,
the value of which he is trying to
cnhance.)
Ten years ago, Galena was mere
hamlet containing few miners cab
ms and groceries, and a few cour-
ageous-hearted men, who did battle
with Black Hawk and his warriors
and drove them across the Mississip.
ri. Since then the mines have been
in the peaceable possession of the
whites and the manufacture of lead
has gone on steadily increasing New
i. and valuable discoveries have beer
made every succeeding year; ant
the agricultural interest OF the min
ing region has advanced hand il
hand with the mining interests. Th'
: produce of the farmer has been pur
+; chased by the miner; and indeed tn
. demand for products Of the farm b.
g miners aud smelters, has never ye
e been entirely supplied by the farmer
l in the mines; although the lands il
g most parts of the lead district are a
n fertile and as easy to cultivate as til
!. best lands in Illinois. But this stat
: OF things cannot long continue 10
Q the farmers in the mines will 500
F! supply the home consumption an
e have produce to export. Galena
" situated in longitude forty-two d.
!. grees ana twenty-three minute
It north; being in the extreme nortf
= west part of the State of Illinois.
g is of course embraced within th
a limits of the disputed territory as
it is termed and claims to belong RICH
k fully to Wisconsin. The people
3, that portion or Illinois de factc
n who reside north Of line extendin
d due east through the southerly ben
l. of Lake Michigan to the Mississippi
p which line by the express terms I
ID the ordinance of 1887 is made Il
or northern boundary of the State of
tie linois, embracing Chicago and u
y most of Rock River country, are &
o most unanimously determined to r
le fuse allegiance to Illinois aud asse
re their right to be admitted into Il
IL Union as :. part of Wisconsin. p
be mary meetings will be holden by Z
,k voters in that district embracii
at thirteen counties, as well as in t
he rest of the territory of Wisconsin pl
paratory to the admission Of Wisco