The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-08-04
OLDEST TOWN IN THE COUNTRY.
A Deserted Village In Wisconsin Wher'
Tramps Are Having a Picnic.
To BE CONTINUED.

SOGGS iSsN'N Nv -.
A Deserted Village in Wisconsin Wherr
Tramps Are Having a Picnic.
Ten miles from Brule, Wis, is about
the oldest town in the country. It has
800 inhabitants, every n of them a
tramp. It is also something of a
Utopia. No one pays rent; no one
works; everybody loafs, all are fat,
happy, and lazy. There may not
be $40 in the town, and there is
no reason for the possession OF
money. There is nothing to buy
and nothing to sell. Vulgar commerce
never disturbs the peace of the com.
munity. The houses are new, the
streets are broad. Near by are the
deep waters of Lake Superior, and ten
miles inland is the railroad running
between Ashland and Superior. The
railroad is handy when any member OF
the community decides upon taking a
little tour, and the lake is convenient
because of the fish it furnishes. Within
a radius of half a dozen miles are
enough farms to supply the village
with pilfered produce.
These farmers and the few people
who know of the existence of the place
call it Trampville. The railroad men
who have heard of it describe it as
Hobohurst -by-the-Lake The resi-
dents however, adhere to it's official
title-Clevedon.
Back in 1880 a syndicate of English
capitalists conceived the idea that a
town could be established at the mouth
of the Boise Brule River which in time
would compete with the city of Supe-
rior and attract much of the lake
traffic. Where the Brule River flows
into Lake Superior the land was cleared
and a town site mapped out. Mechanics
and builders of all kinds were en-
ployed with a lavish hand, and houses
and buildings grew up almost in a night.
Such quantities of money were poured
into the scheme that Clevedon soon at
tracted attention from the outside
world, and numerous families came to
the place, bought lots and put up
homes.
In a year Clevedon had a population
of about 100 people, and seemed
destined to become the great town the
syndicate had planned. A big hotel
was erected, streets were laid out, and
the3 well-built and brightly painted
cottages gave the place an air OF bust
ling prosperity.
But the tide of lake commerce re-
fused to sweep upon Clevedon. 1t
kept on moving toward Duluth and
Superior just as it had before the adj
vent of the new city. Then the popu-
lation began to fade away. Cottage
after cottage was deserted, and the
next calamity was the collapse Of the
fund behind the syndicate. Two or
three times the syndicate secured adj
ditional backing, and made powerful
efforts to revive interest in the place,
but the energy and money were
wasted. Clevedon could not be resus-
citated.
By 1890 it was as dead as any place
could be. Everyone had left. The
neat little houses were empty, the big
hotel took ON a ghostly look. Grass
grew up in the we'll laid streets. 1t
was as silent as the pine forests sur
rounding it. No one ever went that
way. It is many miles off the general
line of travel, hidden in thick woods on
all sides, except where it faces the
waters of the lake.
Three years ago some Wandering
Willie discovered it. Perhaps, years
ago, he was one of those who had put
his money and faith in the prosperity
of Clevedon. At any rate, other
hobos soon after began to pay it
aeeting visits. Last fall a score met
at Clevedon. Some of them were not
natural or voluntary tramps. They
were products of the hard times.
These saw the place, sized up the
comfortable houses and the big hotel,
and determined to spend the winter
there. When others came along they
were invited to join the permanent
colony, and many did so.-Milwaukee
Sentinel.