Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-06-26


other supplies nearly xhausted; SO
after a short rest, my father once
more started for Milwaukee, our
nearest depot of supplies, the trip
there and back occupied a week. He
bought barrel of pork for which he
paid $40, and two barrels of flour,
paying 500 per barrel; butter was
fifty cents per pound, too much of a
luxury for us to indulge in, to any
extent, and other things in proper
ton. The small proportions of our
little cabin would not admit OF put
ting in all the stores he brought, so
Of necessity one barrel of flour was
left outside, but we'll covered, to hide
it if possible from the Indians who
were notorious thieves, but in the
morning our flour was gone, my
father followed them for two days,
but could not overtake them, they
had two ponies, and laid poles from
one to the other on which they rest
ed the barrel. it was great loss to
us, for aside from the money value
it took so much time to 60 and come.
My father had raised the body of q
hewn log house, which was consider
ed very nice then. but had been oblig-
eel to leave it, to meet us, before it
was finished. His first thought was
to finish that, SO we would be
more comfortable, as the weather
was very cold, and the snow, which
had fallen to the depth of two feet
the night of our arrival, still remain
ed. The boards for the floor, and
shingles for the roof had to be got
ten out by hand, a slow and tedious
process, but it was at last accom-
plished and some time in january
we moved into it, and from that
time were very comfortable. AL
though we missed vegetables, the for
est abounded in game, and the
streams in fish, SO we need not 60
! hungry. The next thought was to
obtain seed for the spring sowing, so
my father hewed out timber tor
building purposes, RATED it down the
river to GAINESVILLE, where he sold it
and bought potatoes, paying S5 per
bushel, and beans the same. That Of
course did not mean many to eat,
but as soon as they could grow we
had plenty, for the soil was rich
and yielded abundantly. When we
came here our nearest nelghbOr was
Dwight Foster, living at Fort -sAtkin-
son. They settled there the same fall
that we came here. We did not
quarrel, but lived, as all should do,
in peace and harmony, neither did
we exchange many neighborly civil
ties, being twenty-five miles apart.
My fathers claim embraced most of
the land, on the east side of the river
where our city is now located He
sold mis- interest in the water power
to Geo j. Goodhue, and in the sum
mer of 1887 the latter built a dam
across the eriver and erected a saw mill.
My paper would be hardly complete
without a fish story, so here is mine.
The dam built here was the first
across the river, and the next spring
when the fish started for their spawn
ing ground, they could get no farther
than this, they were bewildered, and
seemingly had no thought OF turning
back, but stayed on, while each day
their number was augmented until
there was literally millions of.them,
hook or spear was useless, you had
only to wade in and makeyour selec-
tion. We had them fried, baked broil-
ed and roasted, smoked and salted,
In fact we had fish enough.
For a time our little settlement, it
could hardly be called q town, went
| by the name of Johnson's Rapids,
and that was our first postoffice. In
| the days when it cost twenty five
cents to send letter and envelopes
were alot known, it was thought to
be quite an accomplishment to fold
letter nicely and seal with a wafer.
Judge Hyer named our city Wa
tertown; he, with Mr. Thos. Brayton
| had settled at Aztalan. There were
three brothers named Brayton and
an anecdote by which one obtained
| the nanle Of Honey Brayton, may
not be out of place. In those days
no one ever thought of charging a
traveller for a meal, or a nights lOdg-
ing, being only too glad to see some
one, and get tidings OF the world out
side, but then as now the spirit OF
money getting was strong in some.
Mr.. Brayton once entertained a
stranger, and in the morning charged
| HIM 75 cents, 25 cents a meal, and
the same for lodging. because he had
slept 0n a turnpost bedstead and
had honey on the table.
The first religious meeting held here
was at ney fathers house, the Rev.
Mr.. Hoastead officiating; he was a
| Methodist circuit preacher. He
reached here abou5 noon weary and
almost sick, my mother prepared
him some dinner, and he then went
to bed to refresh himself, SO he could
preach ia the evening. We children,
seven in number, were dispatched jim
all directions to notify the people
that there would be preaching at
our house that evening. "A bout twelve
or fifteen people congregated, but the
poor man was so tired and sick he
had to sit in his chair to preach.
| This was in the autumn of1837, and
| after that We had regular meetings
about once month, a Mr. Pillsbury
| being on the circuit with Mr.. Holstead
and sharing his labors. Some of my
most pleasant recollections, cluster
around our first school teacher, Miss
Dolly Piper, daughter OF Benjaman
Piper, of Piperville, She taught here