Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-03-21

Out Of the Past.

oU S When W1Ilet s. Main was Sheriff
OF Dane county and under the law at
that time was the officer on duty be-
fore the supreme court, an exciting in
cident occurred before that august
tribunal that caused not a little mer-
rlment. 1t was when Edward V.
Wilton was chief justice and Abram
D. Smith and Samuel Crawford as
sociate justices. The court room was
dingy little place in the southwest
corner OF the old territorial capitol
1t was in this room with it's modest
surroundings that my story had it's
origin. The court was listening to
rather sleepy argument; the opposite
attorney was waiting impatiently for
1t to conclude; the sheriff was doing
IN his chair; but the court apparently
was all attention. There was in the
room an antique mirror of rather lib
eral proportions extending nearly to
the floor, there the lawyers and by
ISLANDERS could see themselves as others
saw them. During the argument of
the case, the door of the room opened
and countryman marched in, closely
followed by a ferocious looking dog
Which proceeded to size up the room
He saw his reflection in the mirror
and, supposing it to be another dog
about his size and with bellicose in
tent1ons, he sprang for him with all
his might and main. In a moment Mr..
Dog was enveloped in a shower Of
broken glass which flew in every direc-
tlon; the glass was badly demolished
and SO was the dog, and he made his
exit as speedily as possible. The
court was obliged to take a brief recess
until the broken glass was removed
and order was again established. No
body was hurt. and the court was soon
restored to it's usual equanimity and
the case went on, but the sheriff was
especially instructed to ever after
wards exclude dogs from participa-
ton in the proceedings of that court
After all no one was hurt
but the dog and its own
er was engaged in extracting
bits of broken glass from it's hide for
some time afterwards. Looking glasses
in those days were not made of
such thick material as now, otherwise
the dog would have met with greater
resistance.
Gen. William r. Smith of Mineral
Point was attorney general in Sc and
81. He was a gentleman of the olden
school, polished and accomplished
the very soul of wit and humor, al
though at times he was rather dry
He always wore his hair in long
queue rolled back from his classic fore
head At that early day the school
land commissioners, of whom he was
one, were under the law required to
visit the several counties in the state
and especially those in the extreme
north and west to make offerings of
the public lands for sale. At one
time the commissioners were on that
duty in st. Croix county, then the
most northern settled county. On one
of their trips through that hyperion
can region their stock of whiskey
gave out and the general thereby be-
came great sufferer. Search was
made for the article in every habita-
ton that they approached but not with
very good success. Finally, however,
a small quantity of the precious fluid
was secured, and it was conceded all
around that the general from his age,
dignity and inirmities should be en-
titled to the first drink, and he pro-
ceeded to take it. AS the liquor dis
silently down his throat, the
general made a curious face and when
asked if it met his expectations, he
said with wave of his hand, Gen
tlemen, it is very poor, but then it is
a great deal better than water"
The old general was very much given
to games of chance and his indulgen-
ces therein were frequent. A game
was in progress once upon time in
Madison, Gabriel T. Long, an old Vir-
gilman, and still favorably remembered
by the early settlers of Madison, and
who was called by his friends Lucy
Long" was in the game Lucy became
suspicious that the game was not al.
together straight and that the general
was becoming a little careless. He
stood it, however, for a while and
finally beloved out in high and ex-
cited tone of voice that some one was
cheating. The general arose in his
majesty and replied,
"Who says there is cheating here?"
I do said Lucy.
Who do you think is cheating?"
L think you are, general" but adj
ded Lucy, never mind; let's go and
axe a drink
All right, now you are talking sense
and | think it is pretty good law, too"
And the twain departed arm in arm
to refresh themselves, forgetful of
their dispute.
At one time, and I remember it very
well, the general became very serious
ly i'll fom an attack of the pneumonia
and it was thought the end was near.
His physician pronounced him in