Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-01-06
B0SCOBEI..
our correspondent Speaks OF Trnde
and Business Aspects-A Word Ton
Hen Coates.

keSti COATES
BoscoBEI, Monday, Jan. 3, 1881.
Your correspondent pens hasty let.
ter from this place, and in consequence,
like the article called q Hasty Padding"
1t will be rather mushy. But we prom
lse greater attention to our work in the
future, and viii endeavor TO give TIM
HERALD such items of news MS may be of
general interest.
Although there is a dearth OF news at
present, we wish it understood that Bos.
cobel is still vigorous part of the body
politic, and is alive and kicking.
This has been an unusually good bust
ness season for the city. Never hardly
in lis history has the market shown such
stimulation, under the shipments Of
hogs, stock and cereals. Our hog buy
ers We're numerous and active during the
season, and succeeded in drawing into
the capaclous nav of this market an
amount Of pork that stonishes even the
oldest natives. But this was true in the
main of most of the towns of this coun-
ty, fact of self-congratulation that re-
| bounds to the benefit of numerous fal1n.
ers, who have had but little, save stock.
to depend on for their winters living.
Aside from an unusually prosperous
trade this season, there are other indi
cations of prosperity There is no doubt
but that in the coming season some
architectural additions will be made.
I-Our good-natured landlord of the Cen
trail House contemplates building an al.
dltion to his hotel soon. MIR. Bobel, the
proprietor, is one of the philosophical
men of the city and one whom we could
not well afford to lose. His career has
beer a success here. His first operations
here were directed toward making a liv-
ing out of a Farmers Hotel, " in con-
nectlon with lager-beer counter. The
hotel then stood where the saloon ad-
joining his present hotel stands now.
| About the year 1870 he erected the pres
SAaS AAAtN HNCAAV ohl anu kGltGAl II 10
James Barnett, who conducted it for
several years. Mr. Bobel then sue
| ceeded the lessee, ut the same time re-
furnishing it new Throughout. He has
now bought what is called the
Anderson property, which stands on the
corner of Wiconsin avenue and MAJ lie
street, north of his hotel, and pro
poses to put up stone building,
as an addition to his hotel, three stories
high, thirty feet front anu eighty feet
depth. The upper story is TO be used
expressly by the Masonic and other
orders, with entrance TO the hall on
Maple street; the second floor will be
| used for hotel purposes, and the first
story will be used either for billiard
rooms or for postoffice purposes. The
basement is to be finished off in good
shape, ard viii be used probably for tie
Dial Office, barber-shop, etc.
The schne is already under way.
the plans AMI specifications being fin
shed and paid for.
Other valuable additions will be made
of similar character to the business
buildings of the town, of which more
anon.
1t is not many days since bluff and
genial old Ben Coates was laid away in
the dreamless slumber Of the grave.
| His memory will not soon be forgotten.
He was the best-liked, and, by few,
the worst hated, man Of the day, and he
is consequently the most talked about
since his death. His queer ways and
sayings are frequently spoken of now,
and the good things that he did in life
| live uppermost III mems minds. He
was man of great individuality and
mark in many things, though possessed
of but little knowledge which is sup.
| posed to be bound up within the covers
of the textbooks of the schools. He
was q student of the world, and was an
| apt scholar III it. OF men and business
| he acquired an immense amount of
knowledge. His early life was spent in
the gold fields of California There he
acquired a large competency at mining
and other pursuits. Gaming was the
fashion of the day there, and Ben fol-
| lowed suit and took hand in it at
times. The writer has sometimes
heard him relate the losing of
$32, 900, which included his last cent, on
the turning of a single card When he
returned he married an accomplished
lady in this county, and became one Of
the first and leading citizens of Boscobel.
After marriage he never made gaming a
means of profit, but sometimes made it
an amusement. One of his amusements
was requiring his opponent to put up
stake He would then earn the stake
by skillful playing and return the money
| to the astonished loser. OF queer
worldly makeup, yet God had lowered
him with royal gifts. Kindness and
generosity were attributes of his, insep-
arabic from his life, and among tho eyes
that wept and hearts that achedwith his
sudden taking of, the poor and unfort-
innate Of the town remember his acts OF
charity with tender thoughts. No man
was kinder to the poor lie visited the
sick, not only among his friends, but
among the unknown poor. His visits
were always accompanied with gift of
money as well as kind words, and he
frequently made others the almouer OF
his generosity. His life was III may
respects noble one, and his dealt
leaves many true mourners on earth,
who loved the generous-hear,ed Ben as
a father. His estate is not yet settled
It will amount to about 81, 600,
goodly fortune to his living wife and
daughter.
We hear numerous kind words OF the
new firm now at The head of the Herald
"a good augury Of your future success.