The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-12-10

mo Sop3 NliiihH LIZ, puFCHdSeu Ullo DdVlS
mill property, at Davis City, and in 1875
father and two sons built the present
brick Touring mill at a cost of about
$4,000. The mill has a superior water
power and an important use to which
this power is applied is pumping water
to supply the tank of the Chicago, Bur-
lington & Quincy Railroad Company.
This work is done by contract. Clark
u Sons have contributed largely to-
ward the building up of Davis City; each
has fine brick residence and
they have erected and still own all the
brick business houses IN town, with one
exception. Another enterprise of pub
lie interest and one highly creditable to
the builder, was the erection, in 1878, of
a fine brick church at Davis City. Mr..
Clark built this church at his own ex-
pense and furnished it with fine town
clock. All of its appointments are Of
the best. The cost of the church and
furnishings was about $4,000. Mr.. Clark
has never identified himself with any
religious denomina ton, but recognizing
the Importance Of moral and religious
training, he resolved to construct an
edilice that should be free to all denom-
nations. 1t is called the First Union
Church of Davis City and is the only
church building in town.
Among the most noted characters of
early Hamilton history was Wyllis Dick
inson. He was born in Kensington, Con-
necticut, about 1893, came to Hamilton
in 1910. He first lived on the bottom
land by Grand River, but having had
an undesirable experience with an over
flow of the river, he moved farther back
to higher ground on the ridge, where he
would be safe from such casualties. He
put up the walls of a log cabin and
needing the shelter before he could get
the roof on, within these walls he made
a tent Of muslin bought at Cincinnati on
his way hither and in this he lived two
or three years before the cabin roof was
put on. In this rude and primitive
dwelling, without window, he lived
till his death which occurred in 1892,
period of ffty-two years from his com
ing to the township. For the sake of
exactness it should be said that towards
the very last single pane of glass was
inserted in the wall near the chimney
corner. Before indulging in this piece
of luxury his reading during daylight
hours was done by sitting with his back
to an opening in the wall made by re-
moving block of the chincking which
was replaced in cold weather, when his
reading was over for the time being. At
night he read by the light of a lamp
suspended from one of the beams which
supported the ceiling. 1t consisted Of
saucer like vessel of metal with lip to
it in which lay strip of cotton i'm
mersed in the oil or melted grease with
which it was partially filled. The part
of the cotton strip coming up through
the lip was lighted and as it burned
down was drawn up from time to time
with large pin or other sharp pointed
article.
In this simple way he was accustomed
to crafty his love of reading which was
intense as he was d man of more than
usual education for the time and plaee.
He resorted to these simple expedients,
not because he lacked the means to
supply himself with better things, but
because of the simplicity of his tastes
and character; there were plenty of
funds at his command to have provided
not only the substantial necessaries of
life, but to have given him the enjoy
ment Of refnements, it's luXuries, and
it's elegancies as we'll, if he had craved
them. 1t is said that when he was leav-
ing the New England home his father
wished to invest many thousands in
his interest, but he would have none of
it, preferring to push his way by natur.
al means into the wilderness, like an
other Thoreau, far from the rush of
modern life as it developed in the older
communities. His relatives were liberal
in sending him supplies of money so
that he never was without the power to
pay amply for even the simplest service
rendered him and in this matter he was
very independent. He was the owner
Of $40 acres Of land in the county, in
dicating that the simplicity of his life
wos not owing to poverty, but to in
herent characteristics which induced
sympathy with the natural rather than
with the artificial.
That he was fond of literature is not
to be wo ndered at seeing that he was a
cousin Of the poet Percival, born in the
same town four years before himself,
who was geologist as we'll. but was
known chiefly as writer of dainty and
picturesque verse. Mr.. Dickinson was
a nephew of Mrs. Willard, who main
tanned female seminary in the state of
New York, where she at one time enter
tanned Lafayette whose visit she after
wards returned at his home in France.
He was much interested in young
people making the struggle for an edu-
cation and was ever anxious for an OPP
portunity to furnish such with books
and magazines. A neighbours son, Mr..
John Holden, though now we'll advanced
in years has still in his possession a
valuable work which was the gift of
the old hermit.
That he was loyal citizen and patriot
is proven by the fact that during the
war of the rebellion he offered forty
acres of his land to neighbours son on
condition that he would enlist in the
army for the preservation of the Union.
1t is matter of regret that the offer
was not accepted. Under his influence
a nephew, Sherman Hart, who lived with
him and whom he intended to make his
heir, joined the Union army. He was
taken sick at Island No. 10, and being
taken to Cape Girardeau for hospital
treatment died there. This was more
to be lamented inasmuch as he was en-
gagged to an estimable young woman
whom he expected to marry on the close