Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-25

Old.Time Memories.

while the third had yet the unbcnt form
and virile action of vigorous manhood.
The first two were Mr.. James Paul, of
Patch Grove, and Mr.. Jerry Kingsley,
of Mt. Hope; the third was Hon. Henry
Keene, of Lancaster, who, though IN .'old
settler in the usually accepted dehni-
ton Of that term, a quite a young set
tier when his eyes first took in the seem
cry of Grant County. They had all as
sembled to pay their respects to their
~favorite paper, and it was quite natural
that thought and talk should drift into
the well-beaten paths of old times in the
county An old file of THE HERALD
turned the conversation in that direc-
ton, and brought out the fact from Mr..
Paul that he was one of the original sub
scribers to that paper.
Il was then living" said he, '.just
where | am now. The old homestead
was new then. and mail facilities were
not so good as now. We used to have a
post-ofice box, but it was nailed to a
tree, and the ~mail-carrier as he came
through would leave the mail for the
n~eighborhood there in the box. Early
in the spring of 1913, after the carrier
had passed though on his trip to Prairie
du Chen, we found the first copy of
THE HERALD. 1t is always a welcome
visitor, but it was doubly so then, when
we had but few papers. Ever since
that time it has been coming regu-
larly."
mo, l was not one of the original
subscribers" said Mr.. Kingsley, in an
swer to a question:" but l was carrying
the mail at the time the paper was
started, and took out the first load of
them. had commenced carrying the
mail in 1912, between Lancaster and
Prairie du Chen, over the old Patch
Grove road. | used to lay over here,
and many a time | have gone down and
helped wrap up the papers for the mail.
How did l carry the mail? Oh, /
had a good stage. There used to
be a great deal of through travel those
days. We were always loaded. Why,
| remember one young fellow, when l
reached Patch Grove, on one trip, COM
ing back wanted to get through the
worst way. The only place where l
could put him was on the top of a pile
of trunks on the rack behind. | told
him if he wanted to he could get up
there and / would tie him on. He did
so, and ! fastened him down and he
came through all right. Yes, we al
ways had good loads then"
Here Mr.. Keene spoke up and said he
was not one of the first subscribers to
TIE HERALD, but he could remember
the first n that came into that neigh
borhood. at was" said Mr.. Keene,
''down in the old school-house. Maur-
ice Zimmerman was teaching the school.
The house was a rude affair. When it
was first put up, we had to keep a great
fire burning outside, while inside we
had a large iron kettle, which we
kept constantly replenished with brands
from the outer fire, and that was the
way we kept warm. Finally we were
furnished a stove through the instru-
mentality of Squire Bonham, and then
it was a little more comfortable. 1t
was here. at the log school-house, that
the first HERALD came to us. 1t vas
quite a wonder then, and we were glad
to get il. From that first day it has
been q looked-for visitor.
The advent of other parties broke up
the little circle, and old-time reminis-
cences were laid aside for the practical
affairs of the hurrying present.
The Oldest %inhabitant was much in
demand the past week. Even this ven
cradle seer had to retire in disgust be-
forethe phenomenon which was revealed
when the curtain went up Saturday
morning on the three days drama of
misery that was played to disguised
houses. The scene was a snowstorm
with the mercury calmly resting from its
labors at sixteen below zero. The snow
came in large flakes and to the u%niniti-
ated presented the appearance of warm
weather outside. Some of the latter
class started out with t~heirthirty above
zero clothes on and were considerably
astonished to meet with the cold recep-
ton that was accorded them before they
had gotten a half block from home. By
noon the storm had ceased with the
thermometer at ten below. Then it be-
gan to drop until in the evening it
seemed as if all the restraining infu-
cnces had been removed and four de-
grees IN hour was the average drop up
to 1880 p. m. The morning register
was reported from 80 below zero to Al
below. The latter being at Mr.. John
Hurley's with a very accurate Their
mometer. This coolest mark was reach
ed about seven o'clock. Monday morn
ing, the coolest weather report came
from Mr.. L. A. Burr, his thermometer
showing SO below zero at sunrise. This
is by far the coolest snap known in this
section since the terrible January of 1864
and unless stock have been well shell
tered and looked after quite serious
losses may be expected. The cold was
SO intense that it was found necessary to
dismiss one room at the public school
Monday morning owing to the inability
to keep it warm.
A GOOD work has been done by Prof.
Wood in the public schools of this city
in instituting n fire drill among the
scholars. Children are proyerbially apt
to be seized by panic in the event of any
sudden accident and it is to remedy this
that the drill was inaugurated by the