Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-01-12
James Gordon.

James Gordon.
The following obituary notice was
written some time ago, but for some
reason failed to reach us until this
week:
Died, at the residence of his son, in
the town of Waldwick, in the county
of Iowa, ond Monday night, December
II, 1894, James Gordon; in the 8Sth
year of his age. He came to Wiscon-
sin from the province of Canada, in
1888, and located at Green Bay in this
state and from there to Mineral Point,
in 1884, was married to Miss Mary
Fowler, of Wiota, (whose father was
killed at Kellogg's Grove, by the In
dians, in the Black Hawk war, in
1885, by whom he had seven children,
four boys and three girls, Frank Cor
don, of Darlington, Joseph, of the
town of Waldwick. (the noted Poland
China hog raiser), being two of his
sons. In the same year 1885 he set
tlen on his present farm, in the town
of Waldwick, where by industry and
frugality he acquired handsome com
petence. He went to California in
1850. Mr.. Gordon was irst-class man
in all social and business relations of
life; good neighbor; firm and fast
friend; discharging with promptness
and strict fidelity all the duties and
obligations of good citizen; lived in
peace, harmony and good fellowship;
was extremely kind and generous to
the poor and worthy; many instances
of this kind might be related; but the
writer will suffice it to relate but one
which may be taken as a true indica-
ton of his nature in this respect. He
was the first man to introduce the
famous and world renowned "Poland
China Hog" into this part of the
country, and upon one occasion
when there was goodly number of
men at his house he invited them to
go and see his fine SOW and pigs, when
the multitude saw them they were
filled with admiration and commenced
beseeching him to sell them a pig Of
feriug most fabulous prices but he
modestly declined to sell, but on re-
turing to the house the writer over
heard him say in low voice to an old
man, who was a very poor man, but a
very good man" Uncle Johnny,
won't sell any of those hogs, but will
give YOU ONE" which he did,, and
from which Uncle Johnny got good
start of Poland China hogs. These
things may not in the minds of the
fastidious be just the thing to put in
an obituary notice, but at the risk of
criticism will relate another small in
cident as showing not only the gener-
osity of the man but his prudence and
precaution. Just in few days after
Mr.. Gordon located in the neighbor-
hood the writer was in great want of
a small amount of seed corn to finish
up planting and hearing that Mr.. Cor
don has some to spare, went imme-
diately to his house being the first
time that had ever seen him; told
him who 1 was and what my business
was, his reply was, eyes, sir" can let
you have it. When 1 asked him what
should pay him for it, he promptly re-
piled Nothing at ALL" and upon my
insisting upon paying him, he again re-
piled promptly "no sir, not one cent.
[ am not going to introduce my ac-
quaintance in this neighborhood by
selling peck of seed corn" I at once
registered him in my minds catalogue
of good men, and my long and init
mate acquaintance win him as a close
neigbor has made no change in my
good opinion of him. I have known
him for fifty years and during that
long period of time I never heard evil
spoken of him by any one. May
peace be to his ashes. ...