The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-11-09

complete. This coal is being mined
and sells at $3.50 a ton at the mines.
This coal which exists in large quaint
ties in parts of Dakota, makes an eX-
cellent fuel and was used quite extern
slvely by the army at the posts on the
. Missouri river after the war.
Badgers at the Buffalo Fair.
Ferry & Clas, the Milwaukee arch
fleets who planned the State Histori-
cal library. have drawn the accepted
outline of the Wisconsin building to be
erected at the Buffalo exposition. 1t
is estimated that the building, which
is to be modest affair compared with
what Wisconsin erected at the Column
bian exposition at Chicago, VII not
cost to exceed $4,000. The structure
will be two stories high, built Of wood
and staff. It will contain an Office for
the commissioners and will serve as q
place for Wisconsin visitors to the eX-
position to receive their mail WiscOn-
sins appropriation for all purposes is
5000. In the building which is to
be devoted to the exhibition of man.
ufactureS applications have been re-
ceived for twice the amount of space
it contains.
Street Car Franchises in Wisconsin.
Superior is having fuss over its
street car company and action has
been taken by the council and city at
torney to annul the charter, though
how serious the attempt is, l do not
know 1t is a thirty-year franchise,
granted eleven years ago and carried
the usual provisions as to excellence
Of equipment, heating of cars, fire.
Quencya of service and care of roadbed.
There is a good deal of complaint as
to the service. For companies Of
the smaller cities the laws of 1897 and
1899 provide license fee on gross
earnings under which the Superior
company paid 81 $3.50 in 1899, Of which
8 per cent. is diverted to support Of
county and state. One chair factory
in Superior pays more taxes than the
street railway company. 1t is assert
ed that in the organization of the
company the value of the franchise
was recognized in the capitalization
for a number Of hundreds, of thou
sands of dollars. The question of
taxes in Wisconsin is getting decidedly
warm" and it is fortunate we have
so trustworthy tax commission as
Messrs. ellison. Curtis and Anderson
to act as a safety valve for public ex-
element
When the Dutch Took Columbia.
Peter Fagg is well-known figure
about the Capitol and has held a pO-
litical position there for many years.
The Dutch from whom he springs, are
his hobby and he has as likely a fam
lily of Woodworking, God-fearing boys
and girls as one often meets.
Mr.. Fagg recently recited to me
something interesting as to the coloni-
zaton and settlement of the Holland
Dutch Americans at Randolph Centre,
Columbia county, Wis.
It seems that in the year 1864, two
young men imbued with the pluck and
perseverance Of their ancestors, came
from the prairie fields of Illinois to
find, if possible, future good home
for their aged parents and themselves.
The now popular and well-known (all
over Columbia county, and at Ran
dolph, Dodge county, Elders George
and Tjisse Tillema, located at Ran
dolph Centre and rented and worked
farm on shares for Il few years and
finally bought each for themselves a
farm. They are now known as good,
substantial, well-to-dO farmers. Elder
George Tillema early became inspired
with the colonization spirit and la
bored hard and jealous to form a
Dutch-American settlement at Ran
dolph Centre, paying the expenses of
nearly all the Hollanders that located
there and assisted them in every way
to purchase and pay for their farms.
There is now a strong and happy
Dutch settlement there. Since Mr..
Faggs visit there two years ago they
have built fine parsonage for their
minister, the Rev. John Engelsman.
pastor of the Reformed church, and
have nearly completed a handsome
church building, with all of the latest
improvements. In addition to this
church they have one of the most sub
Stantial stables anywhere in WiScOn-
sin, for the cover and protection Of
the farmers horses while attending
church worship. 1t is 1OS feet in
length and "A feet wide. with double
stalls. They have also recently built
one of the best cheese factories in
Wisconsin. the foundation of which at
the depth of eight feet was cut and
dug through solid rock. This cheese
factory is 1OS feet in length and "A
feet wide, with about $4,000 pounds
capacity. Elder Tjisse Tillema has
sold his farm here and has now
splendid home property at 9O6 Tenth
street, Milwaukee, Wis.
At present Elder George Tillema.
Samuel Tillema, Dove Tillema and
Watse Hanna are the substantial
farmers and general advisers of the
d-Dutch-Americans in the set
Element.
Volume of PostOffice Business.
Some figures of Wisconsin's postal
business are at hand The receipts
of all the offices for the year ending
June 30, 1900, were close to 100000
which means 81 for every man. woman
and child. paid for stamps, newspa-
per and book postage and the like.
The Increase over 1896 was nearly
100000. The Madison office business
in 1900 Iune 30 was $64,47S, against
$4S,9 $50 in 1896. LaCrosse's was only
S69,979, though with 10000 more pop
ulation. likely explained by the volume
of capital and university business.
Racine has an enormous business
through the postoffice, for which pat
ny,f ro1Qdicinn 40