The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-01-05

In the summer OF lOf0 the HrSG ScnOOl
was taught by Lydia Coon in Jesse
| Saunders corn crib.
personal.
1T was thought best that should 60
| to school and Austin was detailed to
show me the way. There was no road;
only slight worn foot path through the
| tall marsh grass that came up to the top
| of my head and | could only see out by
| bobbing up occasionally and so afraid
that my terror of snakes and wild ami
mails knew no bounds
The following winter Thomas L. Coon
| taught in Horace Blivens house, the
neighbors chinking and mudding the
structure for the privilege of having
| school. The next summer Josephine
| taught in one of the rooms of Adm Bur
| dicks new house, the first and only frame
house for several years this side of Rock
| river. This house was stopping place
! for all newcomers and prospectors for
number years thereafter. Philip Eenner
| and family, four daughters and two sons
lived for the most part of the first win
er.with the family, making twenty four
| in number. Afterwards Barton Edwards
and wife, then Samuel p Burdick and
family, followed by his son, Rowland S.
Burdick, wife and two children one Of
whom became the wife of Geo. r. Peck.
Samuel O.. Head, husband of Julia
Ann, began his housekeeping in the
same room that had sheltered
all the others. If the walls of that hos
pitable room could only tell of the hopes
and fears, joys and sorrows of it's occu-
pants, what history they would make.
There were strenuous times in these
early days. yetnot without many pleas
ures and enjoyments. The boys were
fond of their guns and many hunting
excursions were planned and carried out.
Many brace of prairie chickens was
brought in, but deer hunting was the
greatest sport of all, when several would
start out with horses and sled and bring
| in the Beauties if not by the score, it
was often by the half dozen. But the
most exciting and anxious episode that
ever occurred was when the mother,
Perez's wife and little girl Priscilla were
lost in the woods. They had been over
| to another settlement mile east to
spend the afternoon at Mr.. Isaac Browns
and otter tea started for home. There
was no beaten path and night was fast
approaching, they lost their bearings
and soon saw they were destined to have
| a weary time. At last light was lighted
and they made their way to it, and found
| it to be atMrs. Egglestons about quar-
ter of mile from where they started.
In the mean time, as they failed to reach
home Perez started out to meet them
| and accompany them the rest of the
way. He kept on until he reached Mr..
Browns and found they had left more
| than hour before. Alarm was soon Civ
en- and every family in the vicinity joined
| in the search. Adm Burdick ordered a
light to be placed at every window in his
home, and detailed Austin to load and
| fire a gun as fast as he could, the rest of
the family starting out in different di-
| rections. When the lost were found the
news were soon spread and by nine
o'clock all was tranquil. Perez's wife
came home that night but the mother
| and little girl were so weary they re-
NAMED with Mrs Eggleston until next
day.
Singing schools and spelling schools
| were diversion during the winters and
many time a load of young people
| would, with team of oxen and sled,
| attend the schools and a jolly time
| there weuld be.
In 1850 the first family gathering was
on Christmas day and the custom has
| been steadily adhered to every Christ
mas since with two exceptions, First,
the Christmas previous to the golden we'd
ding of Adm Burdick and Martha CHEESE
brough on Feb. Ii, 1864, and Christmas
following the death of of J. S. Coon,
| husband of Maria,
| Lee. 10, lOOO.
On Christmas, 1850, the boys took the
| team and started for a little hunt and
| returned in time for dinner with five
! deer. 1t was no uncommon thing to see
several deer pass along in sight of the
| house and on one occasion there were
eighty counted that bounded along about
| forty rods in front of the house. Mr..
Adm Burdick was no mean shot himself
and on one occasion he drew his gun
upon poor lone quail and shot from the
kitchen window. When he went to re-
trive his game he found few feathers
attached to scrabs of meat where the
quail had once been.
AS the years passed by Adm Burdick's
interest in public matters increased. He
had always been a Wing until the Re-
| publican party was organized, when he