Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-12-22

journal ana the san francisco ENdIH-
liner. Miller is a delightful lecturer. He
| attempts no studied discussions or di-
| dactic treatises on letters, but talks in
| a charming way of trees and birds and
| flowers, occasionally resorting to his
| beloved Sierras, which he has made
| famous and they him.
MilIer's Rugged Personality.
| His mission lies not in the profound
| things which he says, but in the rugged
personality of the bearded poet and his
gentle responsiveness in directing men
| back into healthy ways of life. A
| quaint humor characteriZes his speech.
| Thus, speaking of his aged mother, who
| is still living, he said
"She looks pretty near as old as / am,
and perhaps she Is"
He gave as his sermon the following
| lines written by him at the grave of
Burns while abroad on his lionizing
tour while mere youth, nearly thirty
yeas ago:
'In men whom men condemn as Ill
| / find so much of goodness still
| In men whom men pronounce divine
/ find SO much of sin and blot
l hesitate to draw the line
Where God has not"
| The past week has been one of con-
siderable interest TO local Badger his
torians. At the annual meeting of the
State Historical society, held in the
capitol, sketches of forty-six pioneers
of prominence who had died during the
year were presented to be recorded
among the Wisconsin historical collec-
lions. A new interest has been awak-
ened in early Wisconsin history, and
the revelations made from early mis-
| sion records, traders and trapperS' an
nails and other unexpected sources open
a great field for romance and research.
| The old settlers who died during the
year 1898 can in one sense scarcely be
called pioneers of Wisconsin, consider
ing the length of time the state has
been occupied by white men.
Subject for Contem plation.
That a Frenchman should only
| twelve years after the landing at Plym-
outh Rock push his way through the
trackess wildernesses along the great
| lakes to the site of the present city of
| Green Bay furnishes an interesting
| subject for contemplation. This young
man was native of Normandy named
Jean Nicollet. He was the first white
man, so far as known, who eyer set
| foot upon the soil of the territory aft
erwards known in our political history
as the Territory Northwest of the
Ohio river" The story of his wander
| ings and discoveries is one of the most
romantic in history, yet, strange to say,
little had been published of his adven-
lures and explorations until recent
| years. To encourage a further study
in the history and traditions of the
early French occupation of Wisconsin,
the State Historical society, at its last
meeting, voted to hold an autumnal
convention next year in some histori-
cal city OF the state other than Madi-
son. The selection will undoubtedly fall
on Green Bay.
A bit of history interesting to Wis
consin people was revealed by Joaquin
Miller. the singer of the Serras, on his
visit here last week. But few people of
the state, perhaps. We're aware that
the city of Juneau, in Alaska, was
named after Joe Juneau, grandson of
Solomon Juneau, the founder of Mil
waukee. Juneau may be said to have
been one of the first discoverers of the
gold fields towards which such great
hegira has set in the past two years.
| was u EOOr
Miller tells Of the discovery in vivid
manner. Juneau was poor trader
and adventurer in the Alaskan city
which bears his name. One day an
Indian squaw appeared before him with
number Of large gold nuggets in her
possession. He questioned her as to
the finding of the precious specimens
and she informed him that she could
direct him to place up the river
where there were plenty more to be had.
He accompanied her. and on arriving
Mt q bend in the stream where the
freshet had washed away portion OF
the earth he saw spectacle that
caused him to sit down and weep for
ioy and surprise. All about the little
space before him We're scattered gilt
tering nuggets and auriferous dust. He
gathered up what he could convenient
" obtain. and, keeping the secret to
himself, HE'D away to pleasant Paris.
where he led pleasant life for a num-
Der of years always intending to re-
turn TO the ice fields for more OF the
precious stun When he did finally
return he found the gold all gone from