Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-10-24
Orlando Burnett Decribes the Yo-
Gentle of Wisconsin.
SCENERY THAT Is MATCHLEss
A Leisurely Railroad-Profits i'm To.
baccO- Growing-Gamef for Far
mers' Boys-Making Ex-
celsiOr.

little place eighteen miles west OF
Prairie du Chen. 1t is a valley shut
i'm by high hills and occasionally lead
ing out on the west and east into other
valleys. Parallel with the valley, to
the westward, is the Mississippi river
and between the two is high rolling
land, the scene of prosperous farms,
with some ridges but not SO rough and
massive as those that sentinel this
peaceful valley. Through the Kicka-
poo fifty-one miles runs a railroad,
with ten stations, beginning with
Wauseka and ending with La Fargo.
Here the scenery becomes rougher and
grander; one passes through Rocton
and Ontario and of the thirty miles Of
country with only stage connection
reaches the Northwestern railroad.
There is no finer scenery in the state
than this Kickapoo valley. 1t is Sc
Guided and for that reason not many
know it. One train day each way,
that's all. The train is mixed; it car
ries stock, and tobacco and excelsior
from Petersburg and Viola, and
students and politicians, for the in
fuence of Viroqua has spilled over into
this peaceful place. Jerry Rush still
lives in the men who sat at his feet
in things political: Casson, Rogers,
Munson, Mahoney, Smith, Groves.
Viroqua has been a veritable cradle of
men of public affairs. And Viroqua
is only thirteen miles to the west of
Viola, while Richland Center is TWEEN
ty-three miles to the eastward.
''Not many celebrities come to us"
said one Kickapoogian, Laurent, the
magician. is to appear at La Fargo,
three collegeprofes walked through
the valley last summer and the gov
ernor was at the Gays Mills fair; yes,
Mayor Rose, when campaigning for
the governship, got ais far as Viola,
but when we want to hear something
good, we must drive to a county seat"
In Belle Center Inn.
Human greatness is a comparative
thing. We were sitting about the
genial hearth at the inn in Belle Cen
ter. One of McVeagh's 200 grocery
drummers told us of the 143 orders
he sent in last month and we had con-
sidered the $500 rattle snakes on
which Crawford county this season
had paid fifty cents each bounty. Then
the villagers fell to telling of the won
derful clash of brains they had wit
messed each in their short lives. Serv-
ing ON jury is a great event in the
life of man of the valley. He then
sits near where he can almost touch
the hem Of the garments of the giant
lawyers of those parts. On the return
home, the Juror enlivenS the long
winter nights for his fellows by telling
how A. H. Long entered the court
room; what Judge Clementson said;
how Tom Richmonds cheek mantled
when Bancroft of Richland Center
threw a fling his way, and what
terrific plea Palmer of BoscObel made
for some poor fellow who had become
mixed up in the larceny of a buck
saw
Zone Of the greatest nights | ever
spent" said the livery man who had
brought drummer through the mud
and rain, twas when Mayor John
Blaine spoke at Blue River"
Clever fellow, that Blainev' echoed
one of the company.
1T was a proud hour when he drove
the governor to the fair grounds"
said another.
"Well," continued the liveryman,
quietly triumphant in his Renaissance,
''Mr Blaine came over to make
political speech. 1t was a big crowd
and he made powerful speech. When
it was over few of us went to the
hotel with him and had some refresh
ments, and / never had finer time
in ali my life. Why no one could be
more sociable than him. Mr.. Blaine
was just as friendly as any of us!
Finally he stood up and said with a
graceful wave Of the arm, Boys
don't call me Mr.. Blaine; call me
John"
"Well, after that he could have any
thing in the town he wanted and when
ever / meet hint don't make no diff
ference whether it's ON the road or in
Boscobel, l call him John and he
seems to like it,"
The Daily Train.
The trains on the valley railroad
are not fast Once a day each way
the whistles stirs the echoes up on the
hills, and drives the rabbits and squir-
rels to their coverts, no doubt. The
tracks hug the river most of the way
and beautiful lazy little stream it is
down which Lieutenant Governor
Davidson and other lumbermen floated
a good many railroad ties and larger
stuff in the early days. The pas
sengers divert themselves and annoy
the conductor a good deal with their
impertient wit about the leasure pace
of the train. One travelling man
raised some point about the subject one
day and the conductor said somewhat
sharply that if the man didn't like the
pace, he could get off and walk.
II would" explained the drummer,
"but my folks don't expect me until
train time
On another occasion / noticed pas