Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-12-18

key was as free as water, and much
more used. The county seat (now
Plover) was at that time the grand cen
ter OF civilization. The post office was
there and it was the only one in the
pinery. Court was held there for all
the territory north of Madison.
HOughton and Batten built the first
tavern there, building sixteen feet
wide and 100 feet long and twelve feet
high. They sold out to John +.
Mitchell who kept it at this time. There
were some high old times there
'All the hay at that time was cut on
the big meadow near Plover, and was
drawn by teams in the winter, on the
ice, to all parts of the pinery, so it was
not strange sight to see twenty or
thirty loads of hay at a time there.
] Smallpox developed that year and
many deaths occurred among the peo
pie inhabiting the pinerY 1t also got
among the Indians, both Menominees
AID Chippewas, and it destroyed whole
families of them. Many heart-rending
scenes were witnessed among the poor
creatures. When one member of
the family would be taken i'll the
rest would be scared and leave
them in the cold where they
/ would, of course, soon die. One in
stance, was family of Indians, all died
but two small children, and they were
taken by the white men and raised.
| Harvey Bates, (who lived at the Bates
place and for whom Bates island, three
miles north of Wausau, was named)
took the boy, who was six yearSof age.
Patrick Fehely took the little girl, four
years of age These children were
Jack Bates and Mong of Jenny fame
and notoriety.
AT Little Bull (Mosinee) at this time,
was John Moore, who had just finished
his dams and was building his mill with
a crowd of French Canadians.
ION the Eau Claire, Brawley's mill
| stood just above where the high rail-
road bridge crosses, and where many
incidents of note happened.
At Big Bull (Wausau) there were
| three saw mills in operation, saving
the timber grown on the ground where
| Wausau now stands Hiram Pearson
run the McIndoe mill; Moore Il Berry,
| (Jas Moore and b I Berry, occupied
the Plumer mill and island; Peter S.
Kelly occupied the Clarke mill and
island There were no bridges or
means of crossing except on the
dams aud guard-locks. There were no
| bridges needed as there was not q
wagon or wheeled vehicle above Stew
ems Point; no road on which to bring
them, nor was there a road cut until
lS47. All supplies and machinery bad
| to come over roads made on the ice and
in the summer, by canoes"
| John &. Clarke was born on the isle
of Angelesea, North Wales, Great
Britain, Febuary nth, 1881. When 8
lad of IA years he caps 10 Ameri
ca with his sister and her husband
coming Immediately to Wisconsin
he first settled in Dane county, arrivil g
there in June. and in November of ths
same year, came to Wausau He weni
to work for Abram Brawley who owned
saw mill on the Eau Claire river
Being strong, active and robust, he
soon proved a handy worker about tht
mill. From this time he commenced
to forge his way to the front. and in 8
few years, Mr. Clarke was known a:
one of the best men in the pinery. Hs
could run every department of a lum
Der camp: he was an able river pilo
and for years run fleets from here Il
the Mississippi markets; he could oper.
ate saw mill with the best of them anC
withal, showing an intelligence which
brought him into prominence and KEEP
him before the people until old age anC