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

~ 1hO ihtciCSt Va tilc LleeliHR. aItDOugn
born and reared within the limits of
Grant County, my recoIections of it do
not extend back to that time fraupht
with the greatest interest to It's early
pioneers. This reason, alone, | felt
was sufficient to cause me to occupy
the position of listener to others better
qualified to speak of its early DAYS.
1t is apparent to all that a new gen.
Grafton is taking the place of those who
once composed this society. As a rep
resentative of that younger generation.
my remarks, / hope, will be accepted.
| shall leave to Others the relation of
personal incidents and recollec.ions,
as there are those here who can interest
you with their own recolections of the
time and who participated when the
foundations of civilization were being
laid in what was at that time the far.
thest point of western empire
The hands on the great dial-plate of
lime mark the passage of the years.
One by one they pass. bearing their
burden of human life down the great
River, past the beautiful vet transient
shores of Earth, out to that broad
ocean, upon whose limitless expanse,
beyond the bounds of mortal vision,
rests meath summer skies THE Islands
of the Blessed"
Each year we meet In commemora-
tion of that time. which, viewed through
the light of other days bears the halo
of the Long Ago.
More than 200 years ago it was writ
ten OF the Huron race that once in ten
or twelve years the scattered branches
of the tribe assembled in what was
known as 1.-The Feast of the Dead .
All of those who had died during that
period, and whose bones were sepul-
tured in various places, were brought
in silent procession and buried in one
common grave. Days of teasing pass
ed; there was mourning for the dead
and greeting for the living. We can
not but fancy that at that great festi-
val there was rejoicing at the meeting
OF friends, tempered and subdued by
the presence of the mortal remains of
those whom they never more would
meet, this side the happy hunting
grounds which were to be the fulfill
ment OF their savage dream of rest.
There, no doubt, while mourning for
their dead, vows of friendship were
renewed and oaths of fealty exchanged
with the living. From that great as
sembling where Joy and sorrow were
SO strangely mingled, even their savage
natures must have gone forth with
fresh strength for the barbarous contest
for life, which awaited them in the
wildernesses of America. How much
more then should The civilization of to-
day desire the reminding of friendly
watch fires, and The interchange of
friendly greetings, which to man. as n
social being, cheers and warns his
heart toward his felows? We meet
to-day to exchange those greetings,
and 10 strengthen and renew the bonds
which unite u.s.
To many of the old settlers of Grant
County these meetings have a tender
and deep-felt interest One by one the
old settlers, strictly speaking, have
passed away, and their familiar faces
comprise but a few of those who as
semble. Parents. full of years, have
passed over TO the Beyond and left to
their children, who once gathered. at
their knees by the humble hearthstones
of their lonely log cabin homes, the
honor of commemorative the struggles
and hardships of their pioneer life, in
which they planned and built for the
future. which has brought its blessings
to those for whom they toiled. As my
mind goes back and | seek to number
those who rs heads of families first set
in ri
but few who are living. each gray-h hair
ed and feeble with their burden of
years, and soon, soon to be called
To that fair land that lies away
Beyond life's utmost western hills
Bright with the ever beaming day
And free from mortal cares and ills.
Little did we as children Of these pi-
oneers know of the struggles which
were then taking place between daunt-
less men and nature unsubdued. Many
of us who never knew another home,
or dreamed of fairer Surroundings,
knew nothing of what loving parents
were undergoing for our dear sakes
They came and built their little cabins
and in them placed wife and babies
which was perhaps their all. Before
them lay the great wilderness with its
PROMISE of years of almost superhumah
toll. Day by day he fought the un-
equal battle, and while he worked and
cleared the fields which were in after
years TO bring their abundant harvests,
the wife and mother went her uuceas-
ing round of daily duties. Backward
and forward at the big spinning wheel
she spun the fleece, and at the great
handloom in the corner she beat to-
gether warp and wool, and faithful as
Penelope at her task, brought forth the
web which composed even the Sunday
rohas of sons and dauo HERS