Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-06-16
A Strange Visitor.

of Wisconsin for twenty years came ON
a visit TO Dodgeyille Oh the 18th of
May. He came with the other May
flowers. and was a modest man, and
did not boast of his nationality or ped
igree. and the citizens of Dedgeville
have not been able yet to ascertain with
any degree of certainty whether he was
of the genus Johnny-jump-up or dande-
lion. He came unannounced and IN
heralded, and no one knew he was COM
ing or that he had been here until about
three weeks after his departure, which
made their grief all the more poignant;
and only then, when he informed them
by letter published in the Sunday
Sentinel. The hotel registers were
then examined to verify the correct
ness of the letter, and the handwriting
on the hotel register was very much
the same color rs that of E. 3. Bolens.
II It was not the handwriting of Mr..
Bolens, then the person who wrote it
was Johnny-jump-up; but if it was,
then the writer was evidently dande-
lion. Your correspondent inclines TO
the dandelion view for the reason that
the letter informs us that the writer
lived twenty years in Wisconsin, and
for many years not far distant from
Dodgeville, and yet this was his first
visit. This is the exact color of the
BOlens blossom, and has the same yell
low smell that is usually ascribed to
that flower.
The people of Dodgeville feel very
grateful to Mr.. Bolens for his brief
visit among them, since they have
found out he was here at all, and ex-
press lively hope that he may be able
at some future time to make them an
other visit when he cannot stay 50
long.
l gather from the fragrance of the
letter referred to in the Sentinel that
the writer was highly pleased with
Dodgeville, but entertained very I'M
favorable opinion of the houses and
their surroundings, the dilapidated
fences, the streets, alleys. sidewalks
and the people.
One thing that appeared to be very
painful to him was the fact that the
people of Dodgeyille never knew there
was such place is Milwaukee until a
short time ago. We admit the people
here are much to blame for this over
sight, and also for the oversight in not
knowing there was such a sensitive
plant as Mr.. Bolens until three weeks
after he had been here on visit, and
not then, except through the kindness
OF his own gushing heart. which shows
that even dandelionS are sometimes
born to blush unseen.
Mr.. Bolens' visit here was not as
pleasant as it might have been if peo-
pie had been aware of his coming; but
being totally unconscious of his pres
ence, and the delicate state of his
health, and the sacrifices he was MAX
ing in coming among us for recupera-
tive purposes, they carelessly left the
covers off the mineral holes throughout
the surrounding country, and the "pest-
ferrous fumes" which escaped from
them were offensive to him. The peO-
Mo bnra I1nopip1O,,clp ,,O,,rp tI,o loss
of these escaped fumes, and have re
sorted to vigorous measures to prevent
a recurrence. The village authorities
have ordered machinery for extracting
all the mineral holes, and the marshal
has been ordered to arrest all the fumes
found running at large without collar
on. Everything possible is being done
to make the blessings Of the village
government fall alike upon all, so that
a Johnny-jump-up and dandelion may
stand equal before the law
Mr.. Bolens urges another objection
to the people of Dodgeyille, of which
they are grossly guilty, but are making
preparations to remove as soon as pos
sible. lie says: "The people who live
here are mostly Welsh and Cornish,
with their descendants, and sprinkle
of Irish and Yankees. This fact affords
the reason for the lack of enterprise
and its hitherto isolated condition"
The fact of the people of Dodgeville
being mostly Welsh, Cornish, Irish and
Yankees is greatly deplored by the peo-
pie here, and the error will be correct
ed rs soon as means can be employed
to do SO. We want an act of congress
similar to the Chinese bill to prevent
any Welsh, Cornish, Irish OF Yankees
from coming to Dedgeville for ten years
and also to stop the descendants. This
descendant business is the most diff.
cult business we have to contend with,
but | am glad TO say it has perceptibly
diminished since Mr.. Bolens left. We
are sorry to publicly differ with Mr..
Bolens on matters of great public inn
portance, but the people of Dodgeville
have generally regarded the descendant
industry as an evidence Of enterprise
rather than lack of it. \ town must
be very Indifferent to its own interests
when it permits Welsh, Cornish, Irish
and Yankees to live in it, and just as
soon as it can be accomplished they
will all be removed TO reservations,
and Dodgeville will be made one of the
most enterprising towns in the state by
seeding it down in dandelions and
electing Mr.. Bolens mayor.
D.lI;ord Dool TobIoo Il -