Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-10-24
Down the Main TroDeied
Road and on Some By-Poths


done. Ciose by see the home of Den
ming, who voyaged to America and
made home for his family, worked on
to the end and was buried at the Sun
One of his sons is proprietor of the
North Star hotel in Viroqua. We re-
call names of Dolan. Finnegan, Melvin,
Burns, Finley, Sr. who left the home
Of their forebesrs in early fifties. dFiv-
en- away by famine and poverty they
buffeted the waves of the sea, undeterred
by the storms, to make their homes in
the new world, in the new west and
following the star of empire. found
land, built log houses, improved farms,
raised large families; the children were
christened in the faith of their fathers,
schooled in the log house; in due time
they fell out of the ranks of The living
and were buried on consecrated ground
l zee the late homes of my good friends,
Samr Rogers and Dennis Carney, two
good people who followed the star of
empire with the enthusiasm ana energy
characteristic of the emigrants who
pressed westward The fell from the
ranks of the living, were laii away with
the blessings of the church where they
had bowed their heads in prayer The
widows and children took mp the work
where their fathers left off and all as
well with them in the living rank. /
look for the home of noble man and
good citizen, Arthur Come oily The old
log house Is gone; a better one shelters
the family. Connolly was for many
years an honored supervisor of Bad AK.
He filled the full measure of life, splen-
did citizenship and received the bless
ings and last JUNCTION, and now sleeps
near the church.
To the west as we journey south, |
see the home of Patrick Harrison, s no.
BILE example of splendid manhood we'll
ripened in years, who has lived all these
years good neighbor and faithful fol-
lower of the church. He has diligently
tolled on his farm more than half cen
tury and has his reward in q splendid
home, farm and stock. His life compan-
ion, who labored by his side in the old
country in poverty and sorrow, toiled on
with him in the making of q new home.
Then in the fullness of years and with
Gods blessing, she left him alone and to
follow. Still in the ranks of the living
is my friend Christie Rogers, who has
lived nigh on hundred years, more than
half that time in franklin. Rogers is
living witness, of Ireland's poverty; of
the famine, yea even when he asked his
mother for potato and none to give
She who trothed her faith in him in the
old home church, went away and left
him to the care of good children with
strong faith in the cross We pass the
homes of Andy Parkinson and james
McCarty, two robust citizens who in the
vigor of manhood, met with violent
deaths Then | look for Neal Minis, the
dealer in Yankee notions, but he has
gone west VIM Mahan was the first of
the sons of Erin to locate In Bad AK, ar
irving as early as 1S49 He was splen-
did type of citizen needed in the pio-
neer life A faithful wife shared the
hardsI ips OK early days. They raised a
large family of boys and girls who are
good husbands aud mothers. After Sc
ventl five years of honorable life Mahau
WAS laid at rsst in the cemetery nearby,
hen in after Years the bride Of Ireland
followed to her eternal home Then
asll to mind Wilder and Sawyer, the
first smiths whose shop stood hard by.
Sawyer moved to Minnesota, was or.
dsined Methodist preacher and work
ed moreover, at his trade as smith.
Wilder died many years ago. ! fire.
quently see On our streets two of his
daughters, Mrs Frank Davis and Mrs
Wakefield
1t would be amiss not to mention the
the son of Crispin, the cobbler, John
Kellogg He was q perambplsting
worker of leather with many character.
istics of the life in Ireland. l ,eos to
the place where the O'Herrens lived
but they are gone, life ran ont. Farther
to the east, over the hills, see the farms
where Con and Billy Boyle improved
their American fal ms. Billy still liges
in the town of kitsspoo, having ptAsed
into his ninety-third year. The Boyles
were Gaelic scholars and were delighted
in spending hours in speaking the moth
or language, and taught me to say
car nathair alta ar nemah,
Naomi thar haium,
Tigeadh do rioghscd
Demitar do thail ar an Hhalamb.
The she llah in their hands was twirled
with mighty force and great dexterity
Hardly on my left, sheltered in fine
home and the possessore of a good farm,
Is the home of my good friends, Marin
Finly and wife. In their young life
they felt the pangs of scanty subsist-
ance, trothed their faith and then crossed
tbs ocean to America, the promised
land. In the town Of Badsx Martin
had willing hands, fiddle and bow, al-
80 "a small piece of rosin. His wife had
hope and willing hands; with little 10 do
with che did much.
ST. PatIick's day had been duly cele-
brated the previous March; Washing
tons birthday, 1854, was to be honored
with hoe-down in one of the neighbor {
log cabins, The elite in plain dress and
simplicity of the times assembled to dc
honor to the memory of the father OF
his country" The young and old, the
gay and the grave were there Buoyant
hearts formed for the cotillion; mirth
and pleasure abounded with the dancers.
Towards morning Marin was running
on three strings with no rosin. A jiP
was called for finalle. One of the jig
dancers led my friend, Mrs. Linn, to the
center; Martin started on the terpsichor-
can drama; the dancers with great agil-
ity heeled and toed, swung with right
then left. Martin lost Ills bSse string,
when d symphony which had been pro-
| vided came to his aid, fearful that the
heavy hands on the strings would cacse
them to give out. Martin played tue
| jig with great energy, the symphon
struck up Lutheran hymn, when the
commingling of different tones the nd
die bridge went down, the bow strin9s
broke and the keys OF the sympho 3
collapsed The morning dawned and
| the happy dancers went home, having
honored Washingtc l's memory in a
manner not forgotten, 10 more than q
half century has gone ty into the past.
+. NJ. r.