Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-18

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The story of Cappie is one OF pioneer
LIE in Wisconsin half a century ago.
of such tales there are sometimes cur
rent numerous versions. ! here present
the one which came to ME from an actor
in the strange events. Yet l can imagine
no version more complete in the dra-
matte detail which goes to make up a
tragedy; for the story of the boy Cappie
is shrouded turnout in uncertainty and
ends at last in mystery.
Among the early settlers of Vinland,
in Winnehago county, Wisconsin. were
five brothers named Partridge. Ihey
were Alvin, Frederic, Thomas, Wliilam
and George. There was also sister
Mrs. Philip Harper, and in Waupaca
county, hard by, another sister, MIS-
Bouton, the wife of a surveyor. The
brother Frederic was free will Baptlst
preacher. The family came originally
from Pennsylvania, from there to ONO,
from Ohio to Vinland, and We're people
of consequence In what was then north
ern Wisconsin.
Alvin Partridge settled in 1S47 half a
mile south of what was afterward
IL,
Thompson's Corners. His family con-
sisted of his wife, a daughter and a son,
the latter bright little fellow OF 4
years named Casper: but his pet name
was Cappie-so Cappie he shall be to
us. Alvin Partridge had taken up fine
quarter section of farming land and
built on it pre- emption shanty OF pop
lar poles, consisting of only one room
with a portion curtained off for bed
ROOM Mark these details, for they bear
on the story.
The two children slept in a trundle
bed which in the daytime was pushed
under the bed used by the parents. On
the south side of the shanty was rather
a large opening floored with stone for a
fireplace and chimney. 1t opened out
into the main room and at the top was
drawn into a flue topped out with sticks
well daubed with clay. The main room
was some twenty feet square. serving,
my informant quantity says, as kitchen,
sewing room, sitting room and parlor.
The floor was made of poles dubbed
somewhat smooth with an adze after
being laid. On either side of the cabin
was q huge door SO that in winter the
hauled In by a horse.
Alvin Partridge was large, powerful
man, a good mechanic and a master of
wo,adcraft. He could shoe a horse or
build logging sleigh and could do the
work of two men any day.
The winter of 1852 he spent in the
pine woods on the upper Wolf river,
getting out lumber for a house and
barn. When his task was finished in
the spring of 40 he came down into the
neighborhood of How's, four or five
miles northeast of his homestead, where
was located a thick hard maple grove.
Here he built a sugar camp, set his
kettles and worked industriously until
near the end of the sugar season.
On a certain Saturday. having come
home the night before, he took his
family up to the sugar bush with him
for a days recreation, intending to
gather up his implements and carry
everything home that evening with the
team
The night before had been frosty and
the sun rising bright and clear made a
good sap day: they concluded to gather
some sap and boil 1t down so the chill
Gren could see how maple sugar was
made.
Partridge, busy gathering sap, saw
Cappie toward noon with one shoe off, a
few rods from the sap kettles.
go to your mother, Cappie, and have
your shoe put on" he commanded, and
giving the matter no further thought
proceeded to reset his sap troughs; but
the question of all this strange story is
whether he ever saw Cappie again. On
his return he asked his wife where
Cappie was. II thought he was with
YOU" she replied. But Cappie was no.
where to be found.
They began to search for the boy. He
has disappeared as completely as If the
earth had swallowed him up. In fact
the wilderness had swallowe dhim up,
just as effectually. The distracted par.
ents looked until dark in vain. That
night they sent word to Neenah and
thru the surrounding country. The next
day the entire settlement We're securing
the woods for Cappie, but in all the
heart breaking search they found only
one trace Of the missing boy. About
two miles west of the sugar camp
searchers detected, on a little patch of
snow not yet melted by the spring sun,
two childish footprints: one that of a
shoe and one of stocking foot.
The whole country was aroused.
Food and camping outfits were sent on
as required and the search was kept up
for week or more by nearly the entire
community; nothing but those two foot
prints We're ever found. Cappie had
vanished.
For two years following, stories
a white child among the Indians in the
north woods, and in the fall parties
would be sent from Vinland to the an
nugl gathering Of the Indians at Lake
Poygan, hoping to get some track OF
Cappie; no trace of him was found.
During the fall and winter OF lS5O-51,
settlers heard of white chile among
a band of Indians at Waupaca. The sis
ter of Cappies father, Mrs. Bouton, who
married the surveyor, had settled near
Waupaca and in time the story reached
her ears.
eff it is Cappie," said she when told,
81 should know him by scar on one of
his ankles"
Impressed by repeated rumors con-
corning the child she went to Waupaca,
hunted up the Indians, saw the reputed
white boy, and found the scar on his
ankle. She was fully convinced that
she had found Cappie and Immediately
sent her husband forty miles across
country at night on foot to inform her
brother of the discovery.
George Partridge, one of the younger
I,ro 1,itohod IN f,fo team when he