Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-05-15

nrst SUBJECTS mat came up at the
table was to sound me as TO my
views on slavery. | expressed my
self in the moderate Vermont style.
The conversation soon grew TO o
heated discussion. Although | knew
l had the argument, yet others bad
the might Oh their side and this,
perhaps, decided me in the belief
that was too sincere an opponent
of slavery in every feeling of my
soul or to make it agreeable for me
live, or attempt to live, in a slave
State.
One morning l strolled down the
landing, where the Heroine was
moo-ed. Her sign read that she
was bound for the Galena Lead
Mines. l resolved to go on board
as q passenger, and sometime in
April landed in Galena. My nat
ural instinct led me to hunt up a
printing office. found that of the
Northeastern Gazette and Gnlena Ad-
vertiser published by Sylvester NJ.
Bartlett. 1t had been started the
fall before by Loring & Bartlett,
with Benjamin Mills as editor. Mills
was one of the best and most bril-
liant lawyers that was ever in this
State but editing a paper was not
his vocation, Those who knew and
admired him expected too much OF
him and were disappointed. Mr..
Loring, also soon after left for ST.
Louis and Mr. Bartlett was alone.
In passing the press | saw a pistol
lying there and took it up with
some remark, Mr.. Bartlett caution
ed me that it was loaded. In edit.
ing a newspaper, Mr.. B. knew little
else than how to write short person.
al paragraphs and he remarked
that he had been threatened BY
some one here and was prepared for
an attack at anJ time.
Like most people who came here
at that time mining was the cotroll
ing idea. / mined that summer at
New Diggings and had | remained
there l should have done we'll. Ia
the fall / came to Galena to prepare
q siphon with which to take the wa.
ter off from some range there. Mr..
Bartlett was running his paper
then with Hugh l.. White of Ten ne.
see as his candidate for the Presi-
dency. White was one of our best
and ablest statesmen; but Harrison
and Webster were candidates also,
Mr.. Bartlett was abous to change
the political tone of bis paper to
that of neutrality. Van Buren, was
the Democratic candidate. Just at
that time Henry A. Wise, of Virgin.
ia came out in Congress with one OF
his scathing speeches against Van
Buren,. l told Mr.. Bartlett that !
would set up that speech 10 type
without charge, if he would publish
it. He assented and the effect was
such that nothing more was ever
heard about the neutrality OF the
Gazette
Soon after this Mr.. Bartlett off,r-
ed to sell half of the paper &c
me, and l was to pay for it in work
which did faithfully. To the mean.
time Bartlett got into a duel with
John Turney, lawyer of talent and
leading Democratic politician. Mr..
B. showed himself to be a brave
man. No blood was shed, friends
interposed to make it up the mo-
ment they ascertained that Bartlett
had pluck. Bot single shot was
fired. 1t took that to make Bart
lett mad,and his nerves were steady
and his aim would have been true
next time, it was generally thought.
The time to write the history of
this affair has not come and it ever
may come. When Mr.. Bartlett left
the Office, he left it, in case he fell.
all in my hands, with a promise that
l would do him fearless Justice,
which would have been done in the
contingency. Turney was defeated
for the Legislature, and soon after,
vacancy occurring, Mr.. Bartlett
was chosen to fill the vacancy.
In the spring of 1888 / bought
out the remaining half of the Ga.
xette adjustment of Bartlett. for
which paid him $500. Bartlett
really thought he owned it and
probably did by a verbal contract.
The original stockholders after.
wards came on me for pay for the
whole, principal and interest, aud |
paid them. The Office had beeo
bought by company of twelve
men, each of whom paid 500. NY
purchase included the books and &C.
counts, and of the latter, considera-
Bile collections were made, so that
my loss was not all that | paid. In
1912 sold the Gazette office to w.
9. Il. Thomas, now of Green Bay,
taking a mortgage on the same for
a part of my pay. The next year
| was back into it again, and 10
l848 found the whole as my proper
ty. was connected with the pa
per as whole or part owner till
1868, when | sold it to Messrs.
Brown & Shaw.
During the nearly thirty years of
my connection with the Gazette the
business was 80 discouraging, that
L could never get any one to con-
sent to remain in it long ia COM
pany in it's publication, though |
myself made it rule to do three
full days work in one. Partisan
ship in Galena has always been a
losing thing with newspaper men.
During the time of my connec.
ton with the Gazette, | saw the
commencement and end of perhaps
fifteen different papers established
in opposition. l do not know that
l could now recall the names of
them all in memory. The paper
however, never omitted a single
issue. Ihe losses incurred in the
publication of Democratic papers
here, that failed, was not less than
$4,000 If the loss of the labor of
were reckoned, that
sum might be easily doubled.
Were to go into oircumstanti-
al history of my connection with
the Gazette, it would be little else
than a history of Gslena and all of
the Lead Mining Region. and now,
| cannot attempt it.
10 pecunisry compensation. d.