Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-10-19


But he who sees his native brooks
Laugh in the sun has seen them all,
The marble palaces of Ind
Rise round him in the snow and wind;
From his lont sweet-brier Persian
Hafiz smiIe.s
And Romess cathedral awe is in his
woodland a.sles.''
Leaving the Kickapoo valley at Reads
town. / took a northwesterly course to
Viroqua. Here, too, one follows great.
narrow valley, finally coming out onto
the fertile billowy prairie OF Vernon
county.
The Pleasures of Tramping.
There are 40 words to describe the
Pleasure Of the tramp, who enjoys ma
ture and the sensation of recruiting his
strength. Bicycling is less beneficial in
that fewer muscles find exercise. The
attention of the rider is converged on
his machine. but the tramp may lean
over fence to enjoy the landscape
and chat with the farmers He may
recline under a tree. and listen to the
restful hum of insects or the shouts of
the threshermen a mile away or look
up into the fieecy clouds as they build
gorgeous creations of dream-stuffs He
may sit by the side of a brook ami
battle his hot feet. taking from his
knapsack the change of shoes that ev-
cry tramp should carry. Arriving at
his destination he dashes cold water
freely over. his body, and finds himself
eager for his supper. Is there a man
who has no appetite? Who is prey
to dyspepsia? Who cannot sleep? Let
him do his twenty or twenty five miles
over country roads. apart from the
haunts of men. Let him rub up close
to nature and feel how good is fresh
air and the genial glow of warm
body, and busy lungs and purified blood
coursing in every artery and vein. Then,
as Christopher Worth in the Scottish
highlands, shall he run and leap, shout
ing il pure exhuberance of physical de-
light!
The Home of Jerry Rusk.
Viroqua is one of the loveliest little
cities in the state. 1t has but 1900
people, but the business blocks on the
main street are metropolitan. The
views in every direction are soul-satis-
flying. Senator Munson drove me to
the beautiful cemetery to see the me-
!; mortal erected to the late Governor
Rusk. 1t is plain and high and rich
shaft of marble Nothing could be
finer. mon Sibi but Patriae" reads a
marble tablet with martial symbols
Not for himself but for his country
The record of his attachments are en-
graved in the marble. BY the side of
, the old hero lies the beloved daughter
who died in the executive mansion in
a1c 10 he eli
farm, mile away from the city 1t
is a commanding stretch of rich--over
100 acres-soil, with fitting equipment,
BETTING the official head of the agri-
cultural interests of the republic Here
he died.
The people of Crawford and Vernon
counties are not yet through remin-
iscing of Jerry" Rusk I walked over
the road over which he once drove
stage He was a big. forceful person
atty from young manhood. When
ever he came into hotel office-when-
ever he opened the door," said one early
settler. you had feeling that some
thing was happening. He was the GEN.
ter of every company in which he found
himself"
What Ben Harrison Said of Rusk.
What a career was Rusk's! He was
not so great as Abraham Lincoln Rusk
lacked the profound mystic, solemn at
tributes that made Lincoln a mighty
co-worker of the Almighty. But in
their origin. and promotions and con-
tact with men. there is an analogy
Did you ever notice the caution with
which people of smallsh communities
discuss their hotels with stranger?
They are very tinlid and fearful some
landlord may be offended.
What is your best hotel?" l asked
an intelligent young man in Viroqua,
for the best is none too good for the
weary tramp.
He replied i'll a non-committal way
that this one was excellent, and that
one quite famous and the other one
| spread a fist. class dinner.
Young man." | said, severely, 'if
Cornelius Wander bit should come to
this town. where would he stop?"
II don't know where Vanderbilt would
stop. but when BENJAMIN Harrison WAS
| here To bury his fr.erd Jerry" Rusk
| he stopped at III Park. "
And the young man continued his
writing.
When President Harrison said he
knew of no man to whom in preference
| he would tie in time of stress to Jerry
| Rusk he placed wreath Of immor-
son ORLANDO BURNETT.