Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-11-01

r. G. curtis, the FeneFdDlS farmer OF
Rocky Run, Columbia county, whose
present hobby is the circular barn, but
who conferred a considerable blessing
upou dairymen by inventing the shot
gun can, so-called comes to Madison
ON all manner OF agricultural or hor-i-
cultural occasions, and tires not in tell
ing of the advantages of the round
barn. The gain in space if such struc-
lures are used for cows is as to !,
he declares, and, though he is an old
man. he yet expects to live to see this
style of stable almost universally
adopted.
Mr.. Curtis has been on earth quite
long enough to have seen numerous
uotables and to have witnessed many
interesting events. Ancestrally he is
on the maternaI side only twelve re-
moves from that famous old Elder
William Brewster, from whose virile
pen came the memorable Mayflower
compact-the law of that day and CT
that community. Mr.. Curtis was born
while Napoleon was in exile-in 1919.
This very natural occurrence in his
life happened at Stockbridge, Mass.
He saw the immortal La Fayette at
Lebanon Springs, n. Y, in 1925, while
the great French patriot was being
feted by his grateful American friends.
For seven years along in the SOS Mr..
Curtis was learning all about harness
making and saddlery at Columbia, s.
O., and there he was wont to see John
C. Calhoun, cold cuss," according to
the homely estimate of the Rocky Run
pioneer. There, too, he knew, but not
well, w. c. Preston, United States
senator, and his brother, John s., SON
in-aw of Gen. Wade Hampton, not the
Wade Hampton of the present day but
his illustrious progenitor.
Preston Brooks. who later won an
Infamous name by brutally beating
Charles Summer in the capitol ct
Washington, was hot-headed, devil
maycare fellow of patrician blood, in
college at Columbia.
"Of course he had nothing to do with
plebians like me, rather gratefully de-
rlares Mr.. Curtis.
Rev. B. M Palmer was at that time
Columbia clergyman of high stand
ing who won great acclaim throughout
the south with a powerful sermon in
support of what he termed the divine
institution of slavery This address
was widely reprinted in the north and
it's obnoxious tenets exerted a tremen-
dOus influence, Mr.. Curtis asserts, in
arousing hostility to the cruel and bar
1arous institution. 1t was only some
- years since that Mr.. Curtis met Mr..
Palmer, this time in New Orleans,
where the reverend gentleman occu-
pies a fashionable pulpit and is held in
much esteem.
And he ought to be-" emphatically
declares Mr.. Curtis, despite his out
rageous views of earlier days, for he is
really a very excellent and talented
Gentleman whose themes no longer
have in them the poison once preached.
strolled into his church and after the
ormon went forward to greet the
speaker. Strange to say, he knew me
and we had a royal evening at his
home later talking over old times
Mr. Curtis and the famed Field fam
lily came from the same locality, the
"nrtiscs changing their abode early to
the New York side from their Nassa
0husetts habitat, and the whole lot
were to some extent boys together,
Ihough the Fields were older.
Henry Clay is well remembered, as
ne was seen while on an electioneer-
ng tour to Columbia, and likewise
Gov Pierce Butler, one of the 'unre-
instructed" who migrated to Mexico
after the Appomatox drama. At Pitts
Ield Mass, in 1896. Daniel Webster,
quite like the hustling politician OF
'oiay. attended the county fairs and
aptiyateu the gentler sex by dane
g freely at a hop in the evening.
urtis was a lad of II and cherishes
rla felicity of having had the greatest
at all American orators deign to speak
y him on that occasion.
Van Buren, was neghbor of the
uItises in New York and Mr.. Curtis
veil recalls the return of Martin to
0a old home, in 1887, just after he
"aa been elected president to attend
brothers funeral
Mr. Curtis came to Wisconsin at n,
citing on the land which is yet his
#1mc but two or three months later
uJriously worked his way back by
se and otherwise to meet one who
patiently waiting to become his
ride. She died eight years ago, and
aM at 81 the bereft husband is still
profound mourner, though CHEEKY
hopeful in the purview Of the little
I3 that knows his presence.-Madi.
Democrat.