Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-02-23
CRANBERRY GROWING IN 1857.
Notes From J. H. Lang That viii be Of
Interest 10 the Old Settlers Club,

NOleS from j. H. Lang nat VIII De or
Interest to the Old Settlers Club.
In the fall of 1857, while I was liv-
ing at French Town, there was in our
employ a German by the name of
Louis Savall. He took day off and
went out exploring for cranberries, of
which there was a great crop that
year. He returned and reported the
finding of a fine show of berries few
miles west of the river. Thinking to
add little to my income | hired him
to go out and pick berries for me.
fitted him out with provisions and
camp outfit and sent team to carry
him to the marsh. The first day he
reported to have picked thirty bushels.
The marshes were very dry and the
following night fire was discovered
approaching his camp and my man
and many others had to flee for their
lives. Louis came in dirty and smoke
begrimed and just about played out.
Everything we had on the marsh was
lost and that was the end of my cram
berry speculation that time.
A few years later, after | had settled
in Grand Rapids, there was another
good crop and a company was organ
lied, consisting of John Compton,
Levi Powers, Fred Case and some
others whose names now forget, with
the writer as surveyor to locate the
productive lands when found, as OF I
plan was to purchase or pre-empt and
thus secure the exclusive right to the
crop. Our first point of attack was
the marshes lying west of French
Town and Nekoosa. Not being salts
fed with what we found there we
pushed on farther west. We camped
one Saturday night on dry island
under large spreading pine, cooked
and ate our supper and laid down to
the sleep of the just and to our pleas
| ant dreams.
But, the best laid plans of mice and
men gang aft aglee. A cold, drizzling
rain came on and we found that our
explorations were at an end for that
time. The worst of the case was, Our
provisions ran short or at least we
were nearly out of meat. Quails were
not exactly sent to supply the def
cheney, but one Of our party sighted q
flock of sand hill cranes labOring
| through the tall grass, SO wet that
they could not rise and fly. This was
our opportunity and we decided tC
run them down. One was to start in
and nm until he was tired and then
the next one take it and so on till the
birds were Oyertaken. | remember
that Powers came in last and after
the rest of us had tired the birds out
he came up and caught one and we let
the rest go. We felt little sore that
we should do all the running and
Powers have the credit of the catch.
ing, out the Sequal showed that al
the fun was not his. He triumphantly
wrung his birds neck and throwing il
over his shoulder marched at the heaC
of the bedraggled procession to the
camp. We soon had our catch dressed
AMI in the camp kettle cooking with
the little piece of pork we had left
When we began to warm up at the fire
we discovered something was the
matter with Powers. He commenced
wriggling and twisting rubbing hi;
back against the tree and making sun
dry demonstrations as if he was OF
fire. On stripping off his shirts We
discovered that his back was literally
covered with yermin resembling
chicken lice. While he was so proudly
carrying his crane on his back tht