Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-07-21
ssFLOODS CLAP
THEIR HANDS!''
Account Of the Coming Of the
First Passenger Train to
This City.
THE EVENT HAPPENED
ON NOVEMBER 8, 1872
Train Covered With Men, Women
and Children--Bells Ring
and Cann0ns Roar.

During the past six months the
REPORTER has published interesting
extracts from the the old files. From
the many expressions of commenda
zion, it would appear that this feature
is fully appreciated by both our ole
and young readers.
This week we republish an account
of the coming Of the first train, No
vember 1872. The editor, H. B
Philleo, had reasons to 90 int
ecstasies over this event. 1t meant g
great deal to the struggling burg. II
was the means of putting rest, for &
time at least, the bowling of the
''knocker.".
Many Of the old citizens are still
living who remem Der the sound of the
first Green Bay train whistle, seeing
that enthusiastic mass of people as il
Hurried toward the depot, anxious tt
witness the coming of the ''iron horse. ,
AS Mr.. Philleo says, it was an advent
of a new era, and if he lived today
he would have the pleasure of knowing
that his prediction, "With coming
years, other roads will have been con.
structed across our territories, has
been fully realized.
Grand Rapids in 1872 Grand
Rapids today Then about six OF
seven hundred people and one railroad
now a city Of over $500, four rail.
roads and over twenty passenger
trains passing daily from our gates!
The following is the article as pub
lished in the REPORTER. Nov. IA, 1872
The Poetry Of Situation.
''Let the floods clap their hands,
Let all the people rejoice, for the good
time coming is at hand.
For six thousand years we have been
without railroad.
Up to the time of the flood, we
were without even water communica.
tion with America: since that period,
a good long four thousand years, we
have only water means of transit
the old Wisconsin, doing excellent
service in that direction, though not
always reliable.
But change has come DER the
spirit of our dream. Today the iron
horse with nerves of steel and lungs
of fire goes laundering through the
heart of our county. His mighty
tread, like cohorts of old, makes the
earth to tremble, and it's shrill, pierc.
ing screech reverberates through
our forests. The untamed denizens
of the woods flee to their covertS
appalled, with widest dismay, and
''Lo, the poor India n whose untutored mind
Clothes him Ii, front and leaves him bare
behind
looks upon the mighty encroacher
upon his hunting ground and ask:
either to be avenged or granted free
pass to che mighty cranberry marshes
of the west. The iron arteries have
begun their pulSationS, and with eacf
throb new life is instilled into oul
commercial being. AS we stood upor
the track the other evening, ani
looked down the vista where the irOr
parallels were lost in a taperint
point, that seemed whitfield into tht
mighty forests beyond, watching tht
iron monster with his eye of blazing
fire, in his adamantinc forehead
making now sturdy obeiSance to the
left, now to the right, and now
plunging through excavations whose
walls were freScoed with the sands O
time, we thought how almost infalli
BILE. and yet indeed fallible is man
what mighty lever is money-wha
a mighty engineer is the human will
But we must away. with sentiment
The whole world is now upon US, OF
rather, we are now upon the Who'll,
world. An avenue is open to us, ant
to US belongs the duty of making tn,
most of our advantages. We hail th'
advent of a new era.
"With the coming years, Othe
roads will have been constructed
across our territories, and to us-tt
our men Of capital and enterpris
belongs the duty OF wedding interes
to interest, thereby laying the found
alton for future business.
$40 the energies displayed b.
MessrS. ketchum and Kelley, we ar
indebted for the Green Bay road
more than any other men. Th
obstacles they have overcome, ar
enough to discourage ordinary men
TO be sure they have had the &C
operation of the towns and countie
along the line, but they have bee
| the ruling spirit In the accomplish
ment of this great work, and to then
be awarded the just mead Of praise.
"By next week our merchants ca
receive freight by the above road
We understand that the company il
! prepared to arrange matters for tn
accommodation of business mer
\ nH - L. L.