Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-05-27
BADGER PEOPLE.

of Experience EstabrOok who was one
of the pioneers of Geneva, WalWorth
county, and was attorney general of the
state of Wisconsin in 1852 and 1858:
Henry D. Estabrook, formerly Of this
city, now of Chicago, narrowly escaped
being fined Tor contempt Of court in
Omaha Mr.. EstabroOk has been her
for over a week representing the As
sociated Press in the case brought by
the Bee TO restrain the Press FROM VIC
lating its contract for exclusive news
service within its Nebraska territory.
Judge Keysor's court was crowded WITH
attorneys and spectators to hear the
decision. The decision of the court
maintaining the injunction until the
publisher of the Bee should have an
opportunity to be heard and secure
compensation for its injuries evidently
did not please EstabrO0k. As soon
as Judge Keysor had concluded his re-
marks Estabrook was on his feet with
threats of cutting from news service
the papers which had interviewed unless
the court modify its order.
Calling him to time for this threat to
stop news service the court said, IF
your officers want to take that position
let them do it,"
Attorney Howe, for the plaintiff, said:
mo officers of any corporation dares TO
do it"
Estabrook retorted: MY dear fell
low, your preaching Of morality here
has become a drug on the market. You
are a political Pecksniff."
Upon this the court called Mr.. Esta-
brook to order.
Later Mr.. Howe Ventured the re-
mark: IF the court please, Mr.. Esta-
brook is utterly incOmprehensible tC
me. 1t seems to me that such re-
markable statement that this board OF
directors might refuse to give this ser
vice to these people and take the po-
sition of the Bee What fairness or
Justice is there in it? And you, as
laNyer. wish us to think that the StOcE-
holders meeting would do that and that
you would advise them to do that
q will advise my client" said Esta-
brook, land don't you advise me.
don't need any of it.
Estabrook becoming violent and shak-
ing his fist in the judges face with
renewed threats, the judge said: There
will be no complications unless 1t Is
of YOUR own doing. | tell you | am
not going to guide my judicial action
by what | think you will do or are
Ding to do" Estabrook said Par
les have rights on this side OF the
bench as well as you have rights on
that side, and | want to tell you what
nv rights are" The court answered.
If you want to practice in this court
YOU must take off your OVercOat ana
get back a little farther. | do not pro-
nose to be threatened here with your
fists under my nose. You confessed
here this morning you were mad.
Mr. Estabrook was compelled to re-
tire from in front Of the bench ana
remove his overcoat before he was per
mitted to continue. The court stood
upon its rights and adhered to its Or
iginal decision.
John A. Chandler of st. Paul writes
as follows to a Portage man VINO IN
ouiqes for facts of early newspaper his
tory of the city:
..Mv first appearance in Portage was
in the spring or early summer OF 1904
whittier | came with DR.. NJ. NJ. DAVIS
of excellent memory. He was looking
for a location and | was looking at the
country. We there met w. w. and
I Silon Noyes who were publishing and
irving to edit The Republic. The doc
tor had known them in Vermont hence
it was comparatively easy to make
their acquaintance.
THE following winter DR.. Davis, who
had located in Portage, and in partner
ship with DR. Prentice was peddlng
Mills wrote me at GAINESVILLE where |
was in the service of the old Milwau-
kee and Mississippi railroad, saying
that w. w Moves was dead from con-
sumption. and The Republic was dying
of the same disease and suggesting
that there was an excellent chance for
two bright young men Cike myself
and brother J. c. to acquire fame and
fortune by first acquiring the defunct
Republic outfit. Like an idiot | bit,
threw up my job, and went to Portage
to look the ground over" | found the
material of The Republic old and of
little value and the subscription list
crazier than the plant. | did not buy;
and Col. d. X. Moves, then and still
o. Baraboo moved the whole parapher-
MALTA to that town and commenced the
publication of the BaraboO Republic.
Being over persuaded by DR.. Davis,
0. Ward, H. S. Haskell, Dr.. MCCullOch,
and various others, | purchased new
outfit complete-small-jus enough TO
escape Indictment for false pretenses'
when we put up a sign Printing Of
fee over the door and commenced the
publication of The Independent. The
first number was issued, | think, in
February, 1855. | stayed by until it
was 'On its legs after a fashion, when
I turned the whole shebang over to J.
C. without money and without price,
and lit out to try to earn an honest
living in some respectable business.
j. G. continued the struggle for fame
and fortune until the spring of 1857,
when he sold out all but the name to
R. B. Wentworth, which name he took
with his own independence, to Adams
county.
You say you cannot find any file
of the paper Good, Console yourself
with the reflection that there was never
an original thing in the measly sheet
while l was with it, worth preserving
over night.