Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-08-23
GOSTON HARASZTHY
Pioneer, Adventurer and Patriot



spirit known as Agoston Haraszthey
The exact location of the nest of the
family is said to be near Futak, place
not given on any available map of the
ancient Magyar dominion. He was the
only son of Charles Haraszthy, an ed
ucated gentleman said to be of old
family and noble lineage, although
there is no record that he claimed the
distinction for himself.
Early in the spring of 1910 Agoston
Haraszthy, accompanied by a cousin,
Charles Halasz, lad of Is, set off
1or America. 1t has been said that
Haraszthy' became entangled in some
OF the revolutionary movements of
those days led by Louis Kossuth. but
THIS lacks evidence and the stateme ut
afterward made by Mr.. Halasz that
weieft Hungary for no reason, except
TO wander is given preference. They
shipped from Hamburg March 8, 1910,
on the old sailing packet Sampson
bound for New York. Florida, then
IN the worlds eye as an colorado, was
their intended destination, but on ship
board they read, or were told of Ger
tain descriptions of the country of cen.
trail Wisconsin as contained in Captain
Frederick Marryat's Diary in America,
which, with the testimony of fellow
passengers bound for Mineral Point to
investigate zinc and lead deposits, de-
fected their purpose and led them to
strike out from New York to the then
unknown northwest. A fellow passen-
ger on the Sampson was Adolph
Relntdorff, who had a brother in
Illinois, Edmond Reintdorff, agreed
with them to meet on the Wisconsin
river, the site of an abandoned in
dian village, described by Marryat as
a veritable promised land.
From New York Haraszthy and
young Halasz went direct to Milwau-
kee and with little delay made an
entry of land in the public lands
office, hired guide and struck into
the country to make a location. This
guide proved to know little about the
country, but he set the adventures
down upon a quarter section near
Lake Koshkonong and assured them
1t was theirs by right of pre-emption.
With hired help they built a cabin of
logs, and shed for their stock, which
consisted of three head OF horses and
yoke of oxen Nearby were the great
expanses of marsh of the Koshkonong
region and between excursions of hunt
and fishing they cut stock of marsh
hay to provide for their stock through
the winter, which they were told was
inevitable and long. This was stored
in shed near the cabin; but the
marsh which gave them hay furnished
other things, for when the summer
was full upon them mosquitoes came
up out of it's Doggy stretches and
made life one weary waste. One even.
ing the pests were intolerable and a
fire was built to smudge them out In
a paroxysm of pain and rage Harasz.
thy gathered up a torch of hay from
the nearby shed and lighted it in the
fre and swung it about his head to
drive away the winged tormentors. A
spark caught in the hay shed and in
an instant is was in ablaze Here they
had laid their guns and pistols, all
loaded, under the stack was stored
their key of powder. They took to the
timber and hid behind the trees await.
ing the natural result of a combfna-
ton of gun powder and burning hay.
The weapons discharged in the air
and, as William H. Cranefield has re.
corded, the key of powder exploded
clearing the deck" All their possess
ions, except live stock and wagon,
went up in smoke, for they learned on
the heels of this catastrophe that they
were trespassers, as the lanu they
were occupying had been entered by
others months before they landed in
New York
So they set off for the Wisconsin
river country, light in all the needs
of pioneers, except in the one matter
of experience. AS they reached the
summit of the bluffs. on the Dane
county side of the river AMI looked
out on the beautiful expanse OF coun-
try comprising rich Sank Prairie
Haraszthy gave expression to that ex
clamation so often quoted since:
"Eurekai Eureka, Italial Italia,'
This was near the middle of July
1910, and they had wasted the earlier
part of the season. The best locations
on the river were already occupied
so they bought a small piece of land
from Burk Fairchild, one of the EARL,
est settlers at what is now Sank City
and began the erection of log house
The authorities speak often of the
hired help engaged ia making improv
ments byHaraszthy and as often OF
his prowess as hunter, SO 1t is d
fair inference that he spent more time
in the woods with dog and gun than
in the less lsborious affairs of mater
ial development. In the autum the
arventurers were joined by the two
Reintdorfs, about the beginning OF
the GernFln settlement in Sank City
The Reirtdorffs proved to be men Of
sterling. worth and brought about
themselves many desirable country.