The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-05-31
THE KICKAPOO VALLEY
Orlando Burnett, with knapsack
on His Back, Follows
the River.
80 MILES OF NOBLE SCENERY
Parallel with the Mississippi, and East
OfIt-SmaIl but Busy Saw Mills
Tobacco Acreage.
Madison, Wis, May %.

In beauty calm and grand.
[ linger lovingly and long
Besides these waters blue
And yearn to give thy name to song,
O peaceful Kickapoo."
This letter tells about the kickaDOo
valley, which girts the river by that
name flowing Southerly from spring
near Wilton. in Monroe county, to
Wauseka, point on the st. Paul ROAD
a little east Of Prairie du CHEN. No
part of the state shows more attrac-
tive scenery than this valley, stretch
ing nOrthward for eighty miles. In
fact, as one notes the huge hills, even
mountains that shut i'll the valley on
the east and west, he marVelS that
such scenery can be found in WiscOn-
sin. The valley lies in Crawford cOun-
ty mainly, but above Soldiers Grove,
it enters Vernon and touches the eX-
treme northwest corner of Rockland
above Viola.
The lower course Of the valley is
hemmcd in narrow limits at points by
steep cliffs. and this is true in the
northern part; but as q rule the val
lev brOadens out into Il rich bottom Of
a mile and more in extent. The high
way follows the river most Of the dis
tancc. but now and then leaves it for
q march up to the ridges, where are
fine farms and glorious yieWs-Of the
highlands of Richland county on the
east and of sunset glOrieS toward the
Mississippi. The KickapoO is an hun
dred feet wide in places, but often half
of that extent and less, and fed by lit
tie streams that course in from side
valleys some of them Of almost AL
pine dimensions.
The Glories of Spring Time.
Of course, | saw the valley at its
best-the fresh green covering every
thing. The surrounding hills are al
most invariably covered with trees
the hardWOOds-thOugh often cleared
for agriculture we'll up the sides, and
now carpeted with rich grasses that
feed great herds of cattle. AS [
tramped along-for the journey was
made afOot-there was abundant COM
pany. Quail arose frequently on either
side; [ saw many cartridges and Occa-
SiOnally other game birds. These
woods and fields are alive with song
birds. With the communities distant
in some cases by eight miles, there is
seclusiOn and protection for them, and
with the pleasant river, Overhung by
brush and often great trees the Kick
apOO is 4 birds paradise [ saw many
varieties that | feel sure must be
worthy of inspection by the enthusi-
asts of Madison and other centers who
are now making a study of these
feathered friends. Then there were
muskrats-fat, bluff, furry fellows
running along the banks or perhaps
swimming in the stream-making d
clumsy dive out of sight as soon as
the tramp-intruder was detected.
There were deer, elk and bear in the
valley in the early days and foxes
and wolves are still taken. EX-Sena-
tor Bennett, who conducts a large
store at RocktOn told me that as a
pioneer he shot eightytive deer in
three years with one gun. 1t was the
only fresh meat the people had. Elk
horns are occasionally found in the
bed of the stream or elsewhere. The
fishing is not as good as one might
suppose. perhaps due to the clOuding
of once clear stream by the wash
ings from cleared land: and vet there
are trout for those who know where
to get them.
A Private Fish Pond
Alley Peterson, the eX-railroad COM
missioner, who with State Treasurer
Davidson are the presiding geniuses
of Soldiers Grove, has fish pond
that is a joy and convenience forever
BY boring some 49, feet he has a per-
petual supply, the standpipe feeding
with the purest coolest water circu-
lar basin in which are thousands Of
fish. At present the carp are most in
evidence: but Mr.. Peterson proposes
to add the Wall-eyed pike, said to be
the choicest eating. The pure water
all through the valley is one of it's
chief recommendations to farmers and
StockgrOWers. Nor is it necessary to
go great distances 20 tap the supply.
Mr.. Peterson was after great pressure.
CreamerieS and cheese factories
abound through the valley and most
every community has its sawmill, the
power coming from the little river
The making of eXcelsiOr-for use in
packing drugs, ChinaWare, etc, and in
the making of mattreSseS-iS one of
the industries Of the valley. There are
four grades, varying from Gne-for-
tieth Of an inch in width to one-uuar-
ter, and it is One-two-hundredths of
an inch in thickness. For this bass
wood is a favOrite material The ex-
celsior is packed with the aid of ma
chimes that bale hay and sells for
from SIG to $50 Il ton, the finest quail
fty running up to $40 A beginning is
made in the making Of mattresses in
the valley.
One Train Each Way Daily.
You must understand, gentle read
~er, that 4 railroad extends its benefi-
cial tentacles up the Kickap0o valley
for distance of fifty miles. It's build
ing began about 1894 and now it
reaches Viola and north of that to
La Fargo. From this point to Wilton
on the main line of the Northwestern
road is a distance of twenty-three
miles. The ambition of the valley is
to have this or some other northern
connection made. But Norman James,
the manager, a Richland Center man,
is quoted as saying that the North
western company does not eyince any
enthusiasm at present. Meanwhile. he