Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-12-18

round at the 'digging-," and those
who came up from Illinois only te
operate during the summer season.
| The permanent residents. having
but little time or material to con-
s.ruct regular huts, were accus-
toned TO barrow into the hill.sides
semi-sub terranean cells large enough
for buuking and cooking purposes.
This peculiar mode Of life, being
similar to that of the badger an
animal then plentiful in the lead re
gioDs-suggested The term of 'oad
ger. holes," as applied both TO the
cave. ike homes and the Sun ken
-bafts Of the resident mioers.-
while the latter themselves were
termed Badgers" On the other
hand, the Illinois itiberan's would
come mp 10 the spring and return il
he fall. In he same manner as the
sucker" h~hes being 10 the dig
gings but short season. they did
not sink regular shafts, and bnrrow
under The earth along the mineral
veins, like the "Bsdg,r" miners, bui
opened large quarry tits, seeking
for float-lead aud that ore which
, could be easily obtained near The
~ face. The itiuerants were called
"Suckers." because of the similarity
OF their migratory habits IL those
OF the cdtdSt0mus. aud 20 dietiuguisb
Them from the resident Badgers :"
wolfe ;hs open pits scooped out ty
the former, were designated "suck
srsbolss" The lead mine region in
Southwestern Wisconsin is still
plentitully bespiiukled with these
sucker holes, exhausted and aban
doned by the early visitors firm
over the Illinois border. The dis
tinguisbipg expectations, Badger"
and Stacker" became, as an cbvi.
Gus sequence characteristic terms
applied to the entire people of the
States Of Wisconsin ami Illinois re
spac,ivelv, and TO the States them
selves. IL was, therefore. because
OF this time boncred aud accepted
designation of Wisconsin aud its 10
nabitants, that the badger was cho
sen as our armorisi crest--and we
pecan" officisly az well as popu.
laTly, The Badger Staee."
The Stnte Journal, while engaged,
few days since, in hunting up the
history of the State seal and he
badger, wrote letter to the Hon
Moses M. Strong, of Mineral Point.
ex. President of the State Historical
Society, and an early pioneer Of The
Lead regions. with u view to ascer
toihing whether It's previously-ob
tanned Information relative 10 III.
origin of the term Badger" woufo
be endorsed by ooe who might
considered as an absolute au hority
in the matter. The following reply
in confirmation. will be read with
general interest {:
MINERAL PoIxr, Wis, Dec. s, 1879.
EDITORS STATE JOURNAL = Your letter of
the 6th inst, requesting me to inform You
what know of the term "Badger.'a applied
to Wisconsin and its inhabitants, is received.
Whatever l know about it Is traditional.
and may not be entirely correct.
IL is known that with the exception of the
military posts of Fort Howard, Fort Craw-
ford and Fort Winnebago, few missionary
stations and the persons connected with the
Indian trade the v hole Of what now consti.
tutes tie State of Wisconsin was entirely
destitute of white inhabitants until about
1885. except those who had been attracted
hther by the fame OF the lead mines
The lead mines of Wisconsin were inhabi-
ted for about two years preyiens to this time
by II class of adventures, many of whom
were it'nerant, and few of whom, compare.
lively. had any fixed intention of remaining
permanently
The badger is plantigrade quadruped
1dxus or -Netes), with short thick itgs, and
long claws on The four feet. It's most dis |
tingusbed characteristic il its natural pro- |
penslty TO burrow in the ground, where il |
digs snbterraneous residence, often to
great depth below the surface, in which most
Of its existence j, spent. In the earlier set
Element of the 'mines. THE animals were very |
and their flesh was used by the |
miners as food, and til ir skins for caps. The |
badger is solitary animal. that retires from |
the approach of man, aud they are now rarely |
seen.
1t was the custom of the earlier itinerant |
Adventures to the lead mines to go--two to- |
sether, 81 "pards"-to prospect" in new and |
lne Explored parts OF the country, where Meth !
ar food nor shelter could be obtained TAX |
ing with them the few tools necessary to SILK |
a "pr ospect hole" and the necessary supply |
nt food having fixed upon the site, the first
Effort made was to secure shelter. Their |
limited means and the uncertainty of the dn. |
ration of It's occupancy forbade that any time |
Dr. expense not absolutely Indispensable |
should be devoted to providing their preca>
rious abode.
The result in general was an imitation Of |
The habits of the badger by digging hole In
to side-hill; extemporizing for root, rocks |
Or sods, or both, of such dimensions IA would |
suffice for two TO sleep in. and 20 cook their |
frugal meals. Ii the miner did not succeed |
N finding good "diggings" near the site thus |
selected it was abandoned But in many ia
stances the prospect" proved to be a''lead
ard the "Badger-hole" was occupied as res
Idence for long time, and often replaced by |
4 comfortable house, and was sometimes the |
nucleus of hamlet or village
The term"B adger"-according to tradition |
was FIRST applied to the occupants of these
temporary subterranean residences, in ders- |
ION AS the term Sucker" was applied to |
The migratory inhabitants of Southern lii |
nois, who, like the fish of the cary family, |
came TO the "mines" in the spring. and re-
turned on the approach of winter and
to all the inhabitants of the lead
nine region, and by a not unnatural adapta-
lion, has been applied to the people of the
State and to the State itself
Very truly yours,
MosEs ". STRosa.