The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-03-31
OLD SETTLERS.

O1D SE IlLEhso.
George Dusold is the father OF the Ger
He was born in Bavaria in 1917 and came
to Milwaukee in 1916, where he remained
one year. Milwaukee was at that time a
place of no consequence and Mr.. Dusold
found It difficult to get steady employ
ment at his trade Of shoemaker. He had
decided to move to Chicago but learned
that he could get employment at Two
Rivers. He gave offense the first day to
the person who offered him employment
and he was told his services were not
wanted. He came to Manitowoc which
had then only few small houses, as it
had not yet begun to recover from the
extreme depression which set in during
the latter part OF the 30's. Many of the
houses were empty and not much work
of any kind was being done. Dusold was
to the Rapids. He entered large shanty
and found several men lying on coun-
ter. He asked them for work. He was
at this time In straits as he only had four
shillings in his pocket and was unable to
speak English. The men were unable to
understand him or he them. A man
named Brace took Linn up to house on
the hill il the direction of Hubbard's
mill, and to a man whom he addressed as
BILL" Here's man and we can't tell
what he is" Fortunately Bill" could
speak German and informed Bruce that
Dusold was a shoemaker in search OF
| work. A bargain was struck with man
named Mason who had charge of tan
| merry and shoe shop owned by Green Bay
lawyer named Bird. Dusold received SIS
per month and board, though in Mllwau-
kee he worked forS8 per month and board,
ed himself. Bruce,in order to test his work
manship had pair of brogans made.
They fitted 80 well that he went about
Dragging of his shoes and even visited
the Mouth" as tue Rapids people then
called Mani.owoc, to brag about the
skilled workman the Rapids had. This
led to bet with Lawyer Bird who
soon after visited the Rapids. One day
about II o'clock Mason brought hide
fresh from the vat to the shoe shop and
told Dusold he wanted pair of boots
made from that hide before II o'clock at
night. The boots were completed about
II P. NJ. Dusoll, when the work was
done, went to the shanty opened the door
and passing the boots to Mason said,
here are your boots" I've lost the bet"
said Bird after an examination of the
boots. Dusold then learned that the
calf had been killed that morning, that
whatever tanning it had received was
completed by II o'clock in the forenoon
of that day, ard the bet was that the
boots from this hide should be on the feet
of the person ordering them before II
o'clock that night.
While at the Rapids Dnsold set himself
to learning English. His stint was three
words per day but these he mastered
| thoroughly.
In 1S47 he came to Manitowoc and at
first lived in the little house on the cor
ner of York and Seventh street now occu-
pied by Kautsky. Glover had store
near where the Windiate House now is
and had large trade with the Indians.
They frequently stopped at Dusold's
house and obtained food. One day sew
eral of them were on their way to the
| store with venison. Dusold asked them
for some of it but they told him he
couldn't have any as Thompson wanted
it. They always called Glover "Thomp-
son." When they returned from the
store they asked for food but Dusold
told them to "go by Thompson" The
Indians perceived the justice of this and
begged no more food from Dusold.
He moved to the south side in 1917 and
built the little house on Jay street near
7th where he still lives. The building
was only 14x1S but he kept a boarding
house, saloon and shoe shop in it. AT
one time he had l6 boarders. His trade
came mostly from immigrants who came
in large numbers in 1917 and steadily
from that time on until the land in the
county was pretty well occupied.
In 1S47, before Dusold had purchased
his property on the south side, he hao
some thoughts of becoming farmer ano
in company with man named Bandt
went to the mouth OF Silver Greek to lool
over two 50 acre tracts. So difficult was
travel at this time that the distance tx
this point was called u miles, though il
could be reached with comparative eas,
by walking on the lake shore. On thei
way home they heard the whistle of ;
steamboat. As tie arrival of a steambos
was matter of some consequence in thes'
e arly days, they hurried on their wa,
| homeward and arrived just In time to SCI
| the boat back out from the pier. Blu