Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-11-01

Rocky Run, Columbia county, whose
present hobby is the circular barn, but
who conferred considerable blessing
upon dairymen by inventing the shot
gun can, so-called, comes to Madison
on all manner of agricultural or horti-
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 8 to 1,
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
notables and to have witnessed many
on the maternal side only twelve re-
moves from that famous old Elder
William Brewster, from whose virile
pen came the memorable Mayfiower
compact-the law of that day and Of
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 30's Mr.
Curtis was learning all about harness
making and saddlery at Columbia, S.
c., 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. G. Preston, United States
senator, and his brother, John S., SON
in-law 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 brutality beating
Charles Summer in the capitol ct
Washington, was a hot-headed, devil
may-care fellow of patrician blood, in
college at Columbia.
"Of course he had nothing to do with
plebians like me" rather gratefully de.
clares MIR. Curtis.
Rev. B. M. Palmer was at that time
a 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
its obnoxious tenetS exerted a tremen-
dous influence, Mr.. Curtis asserts, in
arousing hostility to the cruel and bar
barous institution. 1t was only some
10 years since that Mr.. Curtis met Mr.
Palmer, this time in New Orleans,
where the reverend gentleman occu-
pies 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 very excellent and talented
gentleman whose themes no longer
have in them the poison once preached.
| strolled into his church and after the
sermon 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
Curtises changing their abode early to
the New York side from their Massa-
chusetts habitat, and the whole lot
were to some extent boys together,
though the Fields were older.
Henry Clay is well remembered, as
he was seen while on an electioneer-
ing tour to Columbia, and likewise
Gov. Pierce Butler, one of the "unre-
constructed" who migrated to Mexico
after the Appomatox drama. At Pitts.
field, Mass, in 1886, Daniel Webster,
quite like The hustling politician of
today, attended the county fairs and
captivated the gentler sex by dane
ing freely at hop in the evening.
Curtis was a lad of IL and cherishes
the felicity of having had the greatest
of all American orators deign to speak
to him on that occasion.
Van Buren, was ne:ghbor of the
Curtises in New York and Mr.. Curtis
we'll recalls the return of Martin to
the old home, in 1887, just after he
had been elected president, to attend
a brothers funeral.
Mr.. Curtis came to Wisconsin at 27,
settling on the land which is yet his
home, but two or three months later
laboriously worked his way back by
lake and otherwise to meet one who
was patiently waiting to become his
bride. She died eight years ago, and
now at 81 the bereft husband is still
a profound mourner, though CHEEKY
and hopeful in the purview of the little
world that knows his presence.-Madi-
son Democrat.