The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-08
A Leaf from tho Early History OF
Iowa that Is Better
THAN A VOLUME OF FICTION
Mystory, Adventure, Love aud Trngc.
dy Involved In n Plain Taic from
the Prairics...Iiit, the Queen Of n
Thousand Isles, Belle OF the Giddy
Capital and Heroine of u Frontier
Romance.
Romance,

1890 N'N'tS '' 'S hS"'y cofSe'iinSu
territory OF Iowa. Government com.
missioncrs were negotiating with the
Indians for II large tract OF land lying
between the two great western rivers,
q narrow belt commonly designated
"thc strip" stretching along the Mis-.
sissippi, having already been coded.
There tho machinery Of government
had been set up. There tho star OF en-
pirc paused in its western course.
Iowa City was tho center OF excite
mcnt and activity. Tho seat OF local
and national authority was there, it be-
ing the site OF the government land
Office and the territorial capital. To
the former came squattcrs to enter their
claims; to tho latter came members
electof the general assembly, also poll
ticlans and oiIice-seckers III general,
intent OH scizing any opportunity OF
icrcd BY the main chance.
Situated at the verge OF the border
land, IL was u popular rendezvous for
men OF all trades and professions, for
part OF whom there was ready employ
ment and to all OF whom the country be-
yond WAS Il land OF great expectations.
Later on the population was largely
augmented by tho arrival OF gamblers,
thieves, and 4 motley mob OF adventure
ers IN various ways and by sundry
means, bankrupt in morals and bust
ness, drawn thither by the hope OF find
ing i'll the changing state of affairs q
change OF fortune and regulations, rs
they had everything to gain and moth
ing to lose in exchanging old acquain-
tances for ncw mes.
Among these Adventures was Col.
William Johnson, who claimed to be
the same that led in the Canadian re-
volt OF 1888, and some account OF whom
is given in Scribncr'S Monthly OF April,
1878. His preposscssing appearance,
pleasing address, and talent Tor leader
ship would have OF themselves soon
made their posscssor Il favoritc among
the cosmopolitans who pioneer the way
to the land OF the Sacs and Foxes.
Moreover, these personal characters
tics were supplemented by other adj
juncts OF popuIarity-such, for instance,
as being the hero OF 4 border war, the
incidents OF which were then fresh in
the memory OF all Americans, being but
recently the subject OF official CORE.
spondcncc between the foreign minis
tiers oil Great Britain and the United
States.
There was still another circumstance
which readily introduced Col. johnson
to the favor OF the people: He was ac-
companicd by most fascinating girl
whom he introduced to the society oil
the pioneer capital MS Exit" and that,
too, without making any explanation OF
the doubtful relation, SO that whether
1t was that OF daughter, wife, or sweet
heart was left to the indul.ent surmises
OF 4 not very fastidious public opinion.
johnson at times referred to Kit as the
Queen OF Thousand Isles" and as
some oil the best informed remembered
that in the Canadian revolt a certain
girl had acted 4 very important part,
whether rightfully or not, she soon be-
came identified as the heroine OF the
St. Lawrence.
After having reigned rs autocrat OF
the capital OF the border land for some
months johnson cast his eye longingly
to other fields OF conquest, and it can
easily be surmised that there were rca-
sons for this. Having no money and no
means Of support, either visible or re-
mote, the courticrs OF him and his fair
companion at length tired OF the luxury
OF their society.
In those days there were no roads nor
clearly defined trails leading north from
Iowa City. Dubuque, which for some
time had acquired great prominence on
account OF its lead mines, needed such a
road or trail to the capital more than
any other settlement, and as persons
frequently got los. in making a trip it
was thought to be Il matter OF necessity
rs well rs IN exhibition OF public spirit
on the part OF the people OF Iowa City
to open some reliable means OF commu-
nication with their cnterprising
neighbors OF the north. Thus it was
that late in the iall OF 1871 q pioneer
who was the fortunate owner OF Il
"bull-plow" and yoke OF oxen, was en-
ployed to draw Z furrow from.thc cap
ital to Dubuque, 4 distance OF ninety
miles.
johnson had made his advent into
the society OF the capital astride q
shaggy mule, with Kit seated behind
him in true pioneer fashion. By what
means the mule subsisted during the
winter is a deep, dark question, but at
any rate when Johnson determined to
set out for Dubuque his means OF trans
portation did not fail him. Seated OH
the back OF this plebcan beast the hero
and heroine OF so many fcats and feasts
started early one morning in the spring
OF 1912, and, following the furrow, in
duo caursc OF time reached Dubuque.
Upon arriving there johnson would
doubtless have entered upon another
era OF prosperity but for q circumstance
invariably fatal TO the schemes OF adj
ENTHUSIASTICALLY waa busy. All
the energy OF the tkcn metropolis OF
Iowa expended itself on lead, and lead
was dull to one OF Johnson's mettle.
Ho was not long in making up his mind
to move on; so he moved, this time to
the center OF Buchanan county. The
boundaries OF that county had but re-
Gently been designated by the general
assembly, no organization had been
formed, and but few scattering settle
ments had been made. /.
Johnson's plans wore to found q city
at the geographical centre OF the coun-
ty, where he hoped to draw about him
4 sufficient number OF immigrants,
make the place the seat OF justice, and
by his address reap all the honors and
emoluments OF organizing the county.
His plans were we'll laid, and he would
certainly have succeeded but for the
presence in the county OF another adj
venturer OF equal address and more
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