Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-11-15

guide board. I inquired the way to Ii
berty Pole and was answered, Think
you should know the way without II
guide board said, 'the law requires
a guide board, that should not mistake
the way" He said, "the law be d-d,
everybody knows the way to the Pole
keep the main travelled road. which
I did
While on the hill by the school house
look to the west, TO the home of the
late Justice Groh He was with the
tirst immigrants from Alsace to settle
On ''DutcE ridge" in 1852 Mr.. Groh
WAS an industrious man of high honor,
improved "a good ia.:n and died q few
years ago and they buried him
near the Liberty Pole, H3s widow re-
sides with Il daughter in Viroqaa Che
was hOrD in Ais4ca at the time OF the
rule of Louis XVIII. soon after the al.
lied armies marched back from Paris
after the fall of Napoleon. She was a
line ehnliche fran, line cute mutter and
lin liches vaib Also among the new
eomers OF the early SOS was Ferdinand
t3stfer, the tailor. He was the first
tailor 70 settle in the community, re-
( lieylDg the mothers who had previously
done the home manufacturing He came
down through the century from Presi-
dent Madison to Mckinley and then the
end came and they buried him at Liber-
~ Pole And further call to mind Ira
%itaaX, among the FIRST inhabitants and
the first ordained minister TO locate in
the town, He did not take q circuit,
but worked his farm, preached funeral
sermons, united some of the people in
the holy bonds and occasionally in the
school houses and homes, told of the
pure life of the Christ and the labor of
his disciples He was good citizen and
neighbor and bad had advantage of an
eastern college. He came down almost
through the Xix century Laehesis let
the thread OF life run out longer than
usually allotted to man, then Atropas cut
the thread and they buried him on the
bank Of the Mississippi, near Victory
Simeon and Frank Rogers, Richard
Gray and Nathan Slack came from York
State and located near Bad AK postoffice
one half century ago. They We're of the
few who came with money to ''pay
down for lands. Simeon Rogers after
a dozen years, returned to York State
and died His widow is spending sea-
son in ViToqua with her son, the city
marshal Frank Rogers looked for a
better climate, found it in Missouri,
where he lied Eve Years ago. Richard
Gray enlisted in the Sixth Wisconsin
regiment and at the battle Of Spottsyl-
vanja, was killed. He was one of the
one hundred and five Thousand immor-
tails who fell in battle, and they buried
him in the Arlington national cemetery,
one of the loYliest grounds on the Poto
moe and in view of Washington, ''On
Fame's eternal camping ground" His
widow lives in La Crosse. Mrs Slack
died few years age, lies in the Liberty
Pole cemetery, Nathan Slack is citi.
Zen of Vircqua, in business with his son
Charles.
Another name occurs, an old settler
in the lead diggings, who came to Bad
AK T. an early date-Father De Lap.
b. ncated on the hin, i1idway between
VIZ sqna and Bad AK. Father De Lap
vas Christian, an exhorter of the
Methodist faith At camp meetings he
was favorite at the hour of prayers.
He prayed long. earnestly and fervently
called on the Saviour to be manifest.
Once each winter in the school house at
Bad AK, ths Mcthodists held protracted.
meetings ATTENDED, with revivals Faith
or De Lap enjoyed the winter revival
even more than an autumn camp meet
ing, After some member had arisen and
in a tre-sbling voice told how Jesus had
comforted him, or her, then sat down
weeping, Capt. Cade, pitched on e,
would lead in a good timely hymn,
There Is fountain filled with blood,
etc, and then Brother De Laps time
came for prayer. On his knees, head
upturned, hts arm out-stretched, for
fully twenty minutes he would appeal
for continued blessings: Everlasting
God, Thou who art almighty, all wise,
all powerful, omnipotent, omnipresent,
omniscient '-high-sounding words used
bv the presiding elder at camp meeting.
Each winter Squire Henry would ask
prayers for more faith and to make him
steadfast, we have done those things
we should not have done. and have not
done those things we should have
done Yes, yes, bless the Lord, "
went up from the congregation when
Father De Lap took to bis knees
and prayipg asked, When the last call
comes for Brother H. may it come in
the winter after revival, as he might
be found wanting at other seasons. If
ever q man died in full faith of eternal
life this pioneer, praying Christian
died with that faith And they buried
him at Liberty Pole His widow atill
survives e NJ II.