Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-12-09

have invented such story. that
Christ's life aud teaching are them
selves indisputable evidence of divine
origin.
He was iovial, light-hearted aud a
good story-teller. lie has been Xix
ened to Abraham Licoo,r in this re-
spect. who was his warm personal
friend. He also had great self con-
troll. Probably no man ever heard
Mills raise his voice in anger, though
sarcasm and keen retort were his to
use if occasion demanded.
Mills was a fighter. 1t mattered
not whether the contest were intel
lectual or physical the man who
threw down the gage of battle to Joe
Mills must fight. He was an expert
in the use of fire arms, no man in the
state probably being able to excel him
with the shot gun. Enos Baker, sher-
if of the county, had proof of Mills
craftsmanship. Their trouble grew
out of remarks made by Mills in a
suit arising in the settlement of the
Thos. Burnett estate. Baker, who
was a brother-in-law of Burnett, took
) offense at some remark of Mills and
meeting him in front of the court
yard struck Mills with horse whip
| t. 81 aE ~ Il
follow and Baker made boastful threats
of what he woald do. Mills heard of
these threats and prepared himself.
} He loaded his shot gun-one barrel
lightly with fine bird shot-the other
heavily with slugs. The men caught
sight of each other where Madison
and Maple streets cross. Mills was on
the Baxter corner and Baker where
the Wright house stands. Business
began at once. Baker backed into
side door of the building Just as Mills
gave him the bird shot. Baker yelled
furiously and great commotion en-
sued. Mills went home in great mem
tai distress believing he had by mis-
take shot the wrong barrel and killed
him. Baker was but slightly hurt,
but his chagrin and humiliation made
hime resign his office and leave town,
never to return.
Judge Mills moral courage was even
more pronounced than his physical
courage. He was pronounced abo
litionist at a time when less brave
men were cowed into silence by the
scorn and contumely bestowed upon
the early abolitlonists. His house
was once attacked by mob of angry
men who demanded the person of an
abolition lecturer named Mathews,
who was in the house at the time. The
house was pelted and dire threats
made against the lecturer. While
Mills was at the front refusing the de-
mands of the mob and trying to argue
them into rational condition, Mat
thews slipped out the back door and
escaped. When Mills found that
Matthews had run he was more dis
gusted at him for his cowardice than
he was at the mob for their violence
Mrs. Young of Patch Grove was
member of the Mills household at the
time and remembers the incident well.
The building was part Of the one
now occupied by John Wright, Sr.,
but was located down the valley lit
tie from its present location.
Judge Mills was a thoroughly hon
est and conscientious man. A client
with a fat purse was no temptation to
Mills unless he was first convinced of
that clients being in the right. Then
nothing could swerve him.
He was not money maker. The
details Of business, keeping accounts
and carefulness in small matters that
distinguish business men, he cared
nothing for.
Besides the three children already
mentioned the deceased leaves two
sisters, Mrs. Jane Sharpe and Mrs.
Mary Floyd Of Greenyille, H. He
was one of a family of eleven or twelve
children the descendants of whom live
in southern Illinois. They are agri-
culturists and own some of the finest
farms in the state.
CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE
or JUDGE MILLS.
A large mind filled with lofty