The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-04-20
OLD LANDMARK GONE.
Gubernatorial Mansion" of ri.
oneer Wisconsin Days.
WAS BUILT BY JAMES DUANE DOTY.


Madison, Wis, April 1.-THE oldest
and most interesting landmark III Mad
isOn is just now being torn down and
this fact following closely on the death
of Mrs. Rosaline Peck, the first white
woman in the Barab boo valley and Mad
isOn, has set the old settlers remain
ing to jogging their memories of the
days when the present site of Madison
was an unbrOken wilderness in all its
pristine beauty The landmark is the
old gubernatOrial mansion" Of pioneer
days, standing on DOty street, where
it was built by Governor James Duane
DOty of territorial days, the founder
and hopeful, persistent boomer of Mad
isOn, and to whom more than any 9th
0r man belongs the credit Of having
the state capital located and kept at
the city of the lakes. The house is a
small, low, One-stOry and half Struct-
IRE, built of massive Oaken frames
that have resisted decay even to this
day. The front parlOr, which was per-
hapS quite pretentiOus in it's time, is
about 16X20 feet il dimensions, and
herein, when DOty was governor, were
held the early state councils and din
nerS and many a merry party trIpped
the light fantastic to the violin Of Mrs.
Peck, who furnished the music at
many recherche functions of terrific
rial and early state times Only two
citizens now remain who have wit
messed all of MadisOn's history, they
being George w. StOner and Victor b..
Peck, both living in Madison, and both
of whom came here with their parents,
little boys, in 1881 When the gold
discoveries were made in California in
1S49 Eben Peck. Mrs. Peck'S huS-
band, set out overland for the new
EldOradO and was never afterWard
heard Of the presumption being that
he was slain by Indians. Mrs. Peck,
true to his memory, lived on through
n Wid0WhOOd of half a century, dying
at Barab0o at the home of daughter.
Quite cOmmOtiOn was created in
educational, political and social cir
cles here the past week by the rumor
that President Adams contemplated re-
signing as head Of the university on
account Of his illness and that eX-
Senator William +. Villas would be his
probable successor. \ positive denial
from President Adams at Hot Springs,
Va, that he contemplated resigning
Quieted the talk to a large extent ex-
cept as regarding the availability Of
Senator Villas as president and the
probability of his acceptance were the
position offered him. Indeed, so often
is the name of Senator Villas men
toned in connection with the presi-
dency of his alma mater that in the
contingency Of vacancy strong pres
sure from all parts Of the state would
doubtless be brought to bear on the
board of regents for his selection. a
member of the faculty said: 'The
feeling that Senator Villas would make
an admirable head of the university
is very strong among a large portion Of
the Institutional corps and particular
ly among the students and alumni
The idea that an eastern man of sci
entifc attanments should be chosen
does not meet with the greatest favor
among enthusiastic western minds of
different ideals from the east. And
in many respects Villas would make Il
magnificent president. He has great
and unquestiOned executive ability, his
prominent public service has given
him broad views on state and national
affairs. he is a good classical student
and deeply read in history and letters,
and as an orator of national reputa-
tion he would represent the university
grandly on festival and memorial Oc-
caSiOnS Furthermore, he is a pOliti-
clan of great ability and common
sense. and as universities are depend
ent upon legislation for appropriations,
who could succeed better in getting
them than Villas, the constant and
loyal champion Of the university, who
has already been the chief instrument
on several occasions in bringing about
the desired and necessary money from
the lawmakers. However, the hope is
universal that President Adams may
sufficiently recover to resume his du-
ties.
During The past week attention has
been called to another side of eN-COn-
greSSman La FOllette'S make-up-the
literary. At WaukeSha and at Evans
Vile he delivered lectures on Hamlet,
written in brilliant and mastery style
and showing deep and scholarly dis
elimination. But Shakespeare, anC
particularly Hamlet. has been with
Mr.. La Toilette a favorite study for
years and the social or educat ional cir
Gle that occasionally secured him fol
q reading therefrOm counted itself for
tunate. 1t is not generally known but
Mr.. La Toilette has lately confessed
that there was a time when he wav-
cred long between choosing the stage
or the law for his profession. This
was in 1880, Immediately after his
graduation from the university anC
after he had brought home to his alma
mater the Oratorical prize won from
the contestants of six other states by
his brilliant Grafton on Iago. This
Grafton fell into the hands of the great
tragedian, Edwin Booth, who declared
that it had modified his conception o.
the villain in Othello. McCulloch, an
other great tragedian, went even far
Their in his praise of Mr.. La Toilette:
analysis of 1ago, and engaged the
young man to write a similar analyst:
on Hamlet, In the meantime Mr.. L;
Toilette had been wrestling with thu
idea of going on the stage, which man,
tattering friends urged upon him. 4
visit to McCulloch, however, decided
his course. The tragedian advised