Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-03-29
TAKES US BACK TO DAYS PRIMEvAL.
Coroner Dunlap Narrates Of FIRST Trip Tough This
Region.

ris, Dar Garden, my father and my
self, l lg a boy ten years of age.
We sts 1 from the town of Verona,
near = son, Dane county, about the
first of 5 ie, to explore the La Crosse
valley, z n three horses, wagon and
g tent - n cooking utensils and provis-
ions : first night we camped on the
banks : the Wisconsin river, opposite
Sauk : . The next morning we cross
ed tti5 liver on ferry boat into the
city, nee to what was called the
''eigI : lies Baraboo woods" The Ioad
was = tone, and rattle snakes-I never
saw az .lany in all my life. They laid
around on the stones everywhere. We
met two men carrying a pole strung
fail of those reptiles. They just came
from den where they shot them, but
said they didn't get half that they shot
for they would crawl back again. They
were taking them home to get oil. We
continued our journey over the rocky
road tc Daubbin and then passed through
the city of Baraboo, consisting then OK
three houses. Leaving there we got ln-
to the Leman valley, in the wilder
ness no white folks, nothing but In
dians and they very thick; no roaos,
nothing but Indian trails.
Coming to streams we could not ford,
we built pole bridges. When tired OF
travelling we would camp, and We didn't
camp any night but what the Indians
wouid sneak around. Thinking they
| n1ioht steal our horses, we took turn on
guard every night. We were told at
Baraboo of an Indian village TWO miles
south of the main trait at such point
| from the Lemanware river, which place
we found There were about four nun
| dred Indians in the camp. They had
/ fine garden and the squaws were hoe
| ING IL Indians would come in every
\ few minutes with deer on pony. Dns
nonv brought in bear and two others
| we're each loaded with wolf. One In
dian the interpreter liked to talk to us.
| had an old horse hitched behind our
| wagon and traded it to an Indian for
pony. Pretty soon another Indian came
along and claimed the pony. L nad 20
giva il up and then hunt for my horse.
Soon found him and also the Indian,
who was in hiding and sneaked away as
fast as he could go. All the lnoians
laughed heartily about the matter we
stuck pennies in split stick ana nao
the little Indian 'Bide" shc2S &C enen
with bows ard arrows. Their eyes
would stick Jut and away would go the
penny.
Going back to the main trail the next
I day. we came to where the Indians nad
recently buried small papoose, and TO
satisfy our curiosity thought we won!d
take a look. We laid down carefully
| the bark set up roof fashion, and scrap
l ed the HtGle mound down level Win Lne 1
t ground. Coming to birch bark CONN
. we lifted the top off and found the nttle
{ hodv with ear rings beads round lts
l mack and two bone finger rings. Fixing
r the grayn mn lust as we found it, we
7 moved on as we were running consider
r able ris, but luckily no Indians saw US
y a little farther on we saw another
a birch coffin stuck mp in the forks OF q
pine tree That night we came 20 sew
u eral log buildings and q very large farm'
d IL was not very attractive, for 1t was
e owned by an Indian farmer and tradel
" whose name was Yellow Thunder. Ht
Is was worth all kinds OF money; had lotl
Is of stock, such as cows, hogs ana PONIES
l. He told MS he made his property trading
with the Indians. He could talk as vel
+ as anv white man and dressed in citiZel
l. | clothes. He had two SONS and on
/, | daughter and sns was as pretty as
r picture Yellow Thunder made us pu
?, mn our horses and stay all night. Dur
h ing the evening he and his wife wer
10 talking about the white folks and tn
r. Indians and Yellow Thunder said b
ir would give any good white man half
hushel of silver If he woIld marry hi
girl and don't you know If hadn't beel
foo Young. would have taken the giT
~ and the silver
e, The next morning we started on on
III Journey through the scrub oak and pine
not another house to be seen, and cam
ss to the dividing ridge bill and 1t was
ey | hill. too. Some time the next day "
reached the point where Sparta nov
stands: there wasn't house there no
ls one within fifteen miles. The neares
70 one was the ,Mesker place, now calie
N Hazen's Corners, near Cashton. Judg
Romanzo Bum built on the groun
where we pitched our tent. Staid ther
s. fonr days. with Indians camped a.
vi around us, then took the track wnic
lk ire lumbermen used in the winter tim
4, tote their supplies in 20 their ioggin
g. caY1ps. Getting into Leon valley W
rs 7 storped for dinner. There we caugh
at all tas trout we could take care OF, 9
n they were so thick that you conld dro
as yonr hook in the stream, pull it up an
Won would get a trout. That night "
sh EARNED near where John Griffin used
he Keen tlpe Half Way House" pitchin
of our tent IN a little raise of ground, th
to horses standing in little sag. Il terr
HE storm came up and IL rained yer
hard In the evening heard the horst
| snlashing in the water and also terr
IL 1 bic roaring up the valley Quickly ge
81 ! ting the men up, we were not long
/, a getting to higher ground and in a fe
81 moments q perfect torrent the width {
4. 4 the valley, came down. SO think "
lu escaped that food lCekily.
" We then reached Mesker Corners; th
next place was Billy Rhodes then p
es ter I,amarse's, Frenchman, then Ge'
pc Smiths; next was Moses Decker's, wh
us owned the land on which Viroqua
70 built At old Mr. HaZen's we campet
ny | il rsined terribly that night and 'oT
| clothing got wet. At Prairie du Chic
10 we spread our bedding on the sand ba
an 20 dry, and when We made our beds
,as ,a the evening they were full of sand bur
m ne 1t was great fun to pick them out one
,ao t q time. Starting on our homeward jou
ne ney we crossed the Wisconsin river
the packet and went through on the o.
ma military road where the CITY of Fem
- more, in Grant county, stands; fro
there 70 Dodgeville, Win5ville, Miner
N. Point and Blue Mounds. When y
"a sn reached home we had been gone s
% weeks and were all fat and hearty.
~ o. w. w. DUNLAP.
Millinery Opening.
sed Iextend a cordial invitation to all
l.. kNa. .kr AnI -