Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-30

| Here and there giant applc-tree marks
the site of the old orchard, and the
| goldenrod mods its yellow plumes as of
old. In memory the rude walls of that
humble home again rose before me.
| saw the double lOg-cabin with its great
stone chimney at one end, and at the
other, one composed of sticks and mud;
between was the ENTRY" built under
their projecting roofs, and which opened
| into either cabin. | saw again their
walnut doors, with their old-fashioned
wooden latches from which the latch
strings hung. the hearthstones almost
as smooth as polished marble, and the
big fireplaces which in winter glowed so
| merrily and in summer were sometimes
filled with green boughs from the forest.
| again, in fancy, saw the willow which
grew near the doorway, the yellow
lowered woodbine that clambered be-
side it, and the wild plum grove that
stood beyond Dimly l remembered
how. many, many years ago, death
came and took unto himself the guardian
of that old home, and sadly / turned to
the long unused pathway which down
the sloping hillside once led to the
spring, around which stands the wall of
stones, placed there by the hands of
him who died long, long years ago.
Sadly strolled along the course of the
| little brook that wanders below. Midst
little fens and marshes it pursues its
course, with wooded hillsides on either
hand, from which other springs pour
forth their crystal waters to join its
murmuring current. Where one of
these breaks forth once stood miners
cabin. To-day no yestige of its walls
remain.
/ A little farther down, where the hills
rise more abruptly and the little brook
grows wider, stood another miners
cabin. Piecemeal its walls have crumbl-
ed to decay. One of its earliest owners
is to-day wealthy retired farmer of
our county. For a quarter of century
it was occupied by lone hermit, who
gained his humble livelihood from the
shallow ''diggings' on the hills beyond.
A mystery hung about his life previous
to his advent in Grant County, which
has never been revealed. Born with
| the stain of Ham upon him and smart
ing under the degradation heaped upon
his race, he viewed the world in no
favorable light.
He had studied in Oberin College.
and was man of more than average
intellect, and most wonderful men,
DRY. He was a man of original ideas,
and in their expression was often elo-
quent. Age gradually impaired his
powers, but the bitterness with which
he viewed mankind was never supplant-
ed by that calm equanimity so often be-
slowed upon the old. Gradually his
proud spirit yielded to the inevitable,
and beneath the rotten roof OF his old
decaying cabin he grew helpless from
disease. Although kind hands built for
him another cabin beside the old, he
was unable to occupy it, and the public
cared for him. Death came at last and
took the old mans wounded spirit from
its earthly tabernacle. and the ruins OF
his old home, lonely, wretched and de-
serted. are fast passing to decay meath
the shadow of the hills which rise
above them.
/ A little farther down where, between
rocky hills, the little valley opens to the
wider vale below, stood cabin which
had, during its history, various occu-
pants. Among them was German
from the hills of the storied Rhine who
came, a, stranger ina strange land. and
gathered his family under its sheltering
roof. Resolutely he went to work.
Grasping the opportunities within his
reach, and endowed with n keen insight
as to the advantages around him, IN
few years the little cabin was exchanged
for farm and homestead, and from
that to store, in the management OF
which he and his sons became noted
merchants of Grant County, and ac-
CURED a fortune through the exercise
of industry, frugality and close business
discernment. Years ago the lowly
cabin disappeared and the passer-by
beholds few signs of its former exist
ence. The little brook flows gently on,
deserted by the habitation OF men, and
bat for the presence of the domestic ami
mails that pasture along It's banks it
would remain as quiet as when nature
in her savage beauty reignea supreme
Imperfectly have sketched tho his
tory of this little glen, in order to
family illustrate the romance and his
tory to be found within the border OF
4 "Old Grant How tame it is TO what
may be related of many localities
i around us! Manv incidents which may
seem trivial to us would, if chronicled,
be scanned with interest by those who
shall follow after us. The full charm
of age is yet to be impaired to orr his
tory-the glamor of the past to be
thrown around it. These meetings add
to the stock Of knowledge of the past
to be gained by those who in later days
shall inhabit the fair heritage of Grant
f,ountv and II can vet be greatly en-