Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-08-12

ABSOLUTELY PURE

The following is an extract from
the address of E. P. Smith, of Omaha,
Neb., at the reunion of the Dodge
county Pioneer club, July II:
[ remained in Milwaukee as stu
dent of law until October, 1S49 I for
get the exact day, but about the latter
part Of that month | left Milwaukee,
taking stage by the way of Water
town to Beaver Dam. We left about
three in the morningin one of the old
fashioned mud wagons, looking like one
of the turtles of the Palezoic age. We
not only left in the wagon, but in the
mud, such mud and such roads! Do
any of you old settlers remember the
old Rock river woods on the main
travelled road, between these cities in
a muddy season, all along streWed with
the skeletons of wrecked wagons of un-
fortunate teamsters? There has been
nothing like it before nor since in the
history of the worlds high ways, or
rather loW-Ways. On that occasion AL
anson Bonne'l, of Milwaukee, and my
self, walked into Watertown at eleven
at night, having travelled the last
twelve miles from Kellogg's on foot
I through the mud and in the darkness.
If, however, the mud was thick and
slab and horrible, the woods were
glorious with their wealth of col
oring and irresistibly called to mind
Longfellow's description of the woods
in autumn:
The gentle wind, a sweet and passionate wooer,
Kisses the blusbing leaf. and stirs up life
Within the solemn woods of ash deep crimson
And silver beach. and maple yellow leaved
Where autumn like faint old man, sits down
! By the way side weary"
But to return, for / find [ have
great temptation to wander: [ remained
over night at the Planters hotel at Wa
| tertoWn, having to wait one day to take
the stage to Beaver Dam, it at that
i time being favored with only mail
and stage communication three times
week. Rising in the morning, L
/ stepped from the hotel upon the street
to see what kind of a land / had come
to. The first sight that met my eyes
was two stalwart Indians, drunk, and
naked as the day they were born,
struggling and fighting on the bridge,
swearing at each other in good honest
Chippewa or Winnebago; and it struck
me that here was something inspiring
for young lawyer seeking practice.
Visions of assault and battery were
rising before my eyes: but they did
not seem to require my professional
aid, nor even to be aware of my ores
ence, and in 8 little while got up from
their drunken struggle and went off
apparently good friends, and disap-
peared in the distance.
During the day, by invitation, [ rode
out with the landlord. He said he was
going to Oak Grove and would beiback
in the afternoon. / did not then know
that Oak Grove was directly on the way
reached the place that day by being
carried over from the Grove, but as il
was, | don't think / lost any clients by
not getting there day earlier. Before
the landlords team had reached his
destination, knowing that he would be
back IN short time, | got out for a
stroll along what was called the
'Hogs-back," while he went on to the
village. While | was walking along
and enjoying the scenery, there came
jogging towards me a good -natured
looking Irishman, with his pack on his
back; with the sociability of his race.
he stopped and began to talk, and in
qnired Had | ever been at Juneau?''
s'No; had not even heard of il" "Wen.
mention the name)? mo" FWell, sir,
| have just come from juneau, and the
j Judge is a fine man; and | bought an
acre of land from him here Just a mile
from the court house, and what do you
think it cost? Only one hundred dol
lars" [ have wondered since how
much my good Hibernian has ever re-
allied out of that acre; it is probably
worth $50 to-day:
/ Returning to Watertown that after
noon, the next day | took the stage for
Beaver Dam, riding with the driver in
order that [ might see what was to be
seen, and enjoy his highly embellished
conversation, in regard to that off
horse and that nigh leader, ETC., etc.