The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-04-28

The minister was silenced for moment.
When he had time to recover himself he
replied. "Thank you, Price, 1 think i
can make sausage out Of one hog, II
can't make christian out of the other
one"
REMIN IsCENCEs.
The occasion of the silver wedding of
d. A. Slye, and wife, of Waneka, Wis, calls
forth the following "reminiscences, which
we give here by way of softening ruder
and rougher scenes:-
About thirty years ago young man
left his home in Vermont, to, seek his
fortunes in the gold mines of California.
He met with tolerable success, and being
possessed Of generous, home-loving ma
ture, he longed for some one to share his
prosperity with him. Sickness, too, re-
minded him that "it is not good for man
to be Alone" 80 he returned home, intend
ing to secure some tender, twining vine
from the garden of his, childhood, and.
transplant it to the summer regions of the
Golden Gate. He was not long in fixing
upon one of his old playmates, whose
bright eyes and raven curls had often been
in his thoughts while delving for the shin
ing ore. But to persuade her to leave her
quiet home and go with him to that land
of lawless brigands was not so easy task
as he had anticipated.
Not quite willing to settle down among
his native New England hills, nor to re-
turn to the gold diggings alone, as sort
of compromise he came out to Wisconsin,
looking for nice place to make home.
He spent winter in the La Crosse Valley
which was then becoming rapidly settled
up, and in the spring being joined by his
intended brother, they started up the old
stage route to st. Paul.
The whole city of Eau Claire, with less
than dozen small wooden dwellings, was
for sale at 81 20 per acre, but the soil was
too sandy, for men who were looking for
FARMS and it looked worse and worse as
they crossed the prairie, and they were
almost ready to turn back, thinking they
were getting beyond the far-famed West.
They stopped at "Old Fowlers Hotel" on
Mud Creek, for dinner and found that an
enterprising class of English people were
just beginning there, and that there
''was room for more," and at once they de-
cided to settle there. One of them went
back to the lumber regions and bought
two yoke of oxen, while the other put up
n rude shanty near the creek, and the
rough fare of johnny-cake and milk, was
sweetened by the sustaining thoughts OF
''the girl / left behind me-" who, mean
while, was as busy as a bee, with the prep
- .~.,~ Al -, l,
merous big boxes were filed with COM
forts and luxuries for that ideal western
home, and started off in advance, but they
reached Prairie du Chem too late to get up
the river that season.
The lady, and her father and mother,
left Vermont early in the month of Octo-
Der, but when near Suspension Bridge,
the old gentleman fell from the cars, and
came near losing his life. He recovered,
however, and after delay Of about two
weeks, the party started on. Mails were
rather slower then than now, and this
news did not reach Dunn county, until af-
ter the returned Californian, having put
up as nice a log house as the county at
forded, had yoked up the cattle and start
ed for Lake Pepin, where he expected to
meet his future wife, as per arrangement.
Imagine how, while lost in reveries ofthe
future, those innocent oxen must have
been hurried on out of their accustomed
gait, lest they should fail to reach the
lake in time. Imagine too, the anxiety,
nay, the anguish of that brave young
lovers heart as every day, for two NOR
tai weeks, he passed the road from that
hotel to the steamboat landing with
heart leaping with expectation, and
then sinking with disappointment. At
last, just as he was about give up and
return home, perhaps to write in his
journal-"O, womanl false, as well as fair"
he met on his last walk to the landing,
the cause of all these conflicting emo
tions.