Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-06-23
LOVED THE FOREST.
Lived Close to Nature Most of a Long
Life Time.

Lived close 10 ~ ature Most of Long
Life Time.
Who is there among the pioneers and
early settlers of Wausau and Marathon
county who is not either acquainted
with or has heard Of Dan Gagen For
over fifty years he has resided in North
ern WIsconsin-secluded at times, but
yet making the acquaintance of a great
many people. Dan has always been
non-communicative about his early life.
but from what little has been CLEANED
from his conversations, it is inferred
that he was born somewhere in the
East and either because of family differ
ences or of rowing spirit. or both, he
came west and settled far from the
marts of trade. Pioneers who came
here over fifty years ago met him occa.
slonally, and we have never been able
to determine the 3ASct year of his
arrival. Those WHO carried mail from
this locality to lake Superior points in
an early day met him, for he was en-
gagged at times in like capacity. AS
an incident of the dangers and hard
ship OF this work we would refer you to
the occurrences of Long Ago column in
this issue, as told by Wausau's oldest
living pioneer, Levi Fleming.
The Hudson Bay Fur Co. is one of the
Oldest, if not the oldest, and most re-
markable concerns doing business on
this continect. Its charter from the
king of England dates back hundreds
OF years. Its emissaries always travelled
IN advance of civilization and its agents
can invariably be found on the frontier.
Wausau's first whites found fur traders
here upon their arrival, and for several
years after their fur laden canoes could
be seen plying the river. Dan Gagen
the employ of this company
and soon found favor among the Indi-
ans
On the banks of a beautiful lake near
Crandon the remains OF an old trading
post which belonged to this company
can still be seen. 1t was here that Dan
got his first lessons in dealing with the
Indians. He was then young man,
tall, athletic, vigorous, fearless. His
dress was of buckskin While engaged
at this occupation he learned to speak
the Chippewa language fuently.
A little later he was engaged by the
government to carry mail. On one of
his trips late in the fall, while following
an Indian trail, he came to a maple
sapling bent across the path, with
fresh blaze on the upper side In learn
ing the Chippewa language he also
learned the signs of tie trail. The bent
,apling signihed, Turn here" and he
acted upon the suggestion He had not
gone far before he came to a stream
and he soon saw the bow of canoe
from a patch of wild rice
He spoke few words in the Chippewa
jongue and the canoe came toward him,
parting the wild rice as it moved. Soon
le discovered that it was occupied by
7oung Chippewa woman, above the
average in color and looks, with pierc-
ng black eyes ami two cleaning rows
of white teeth. She readily consented
20 take him across the stream and he
was on his way with his mail On his
return trip she granted him the same
iavor.
That winter while making one of
these trips he hal an engagement with
IN entrapped wolf which had been
caught near the carcas of partly
ievoured deer. In this encounter he
was so severely injured that he was
prevented from carrying the mail He
'ent for the Indian girl and stating his
she readily consented to
carry the mail, making five long trips
Tor him that winter.
In all his life no passion had he enter
.ained except that for the woods and its
All his tastes inclined to wild
life. The silence of the forest fed his
soul. But with the return of spring
when the wild geese were going north
ward and his wounds had about healed,
ne longed to go too. He could not
why he was so stirred. The
north woods were calling him the pine
,rees were beckoning him. The primi-
i've man was stirring him. The scent
If the fern, wild flower and pine; the
mysterious whisperings of the boughs
he ripple of streams the dreamless
sleep on balsam boughs. the chatter of
'quirre.s and song birds enchanted him
and he decided to GO
Twilight had faded as he climbed a
bluff one day and reached an Indian
village, situated in grove of pine,
where he received a hearty welcome.
The Indian girl who had carried hi,
mail was met and he accompanied her
10 the village spring. When they re-
turned they entered her parents tepee
and held council. an Indian we'd
ding followed and a few days later Dan
was on his way soutEward with an In
dian bride.
Later in life he settled at point or
Pine lake in Forest county short dis
tance from the military road far from
the haunts of white men, When the
writer last visited his place Dan had
of farm carved out of
the wilderness and was apparently
prospering in the degree that such
settlers do advance. When the 500
road was built across Wisconsin it
touched Pine lake and the crossing of
the Northwestern. which later became
a village was named Gagen in his honor.
Settlers began to drift in and civiliza-
ton was encroaching upon him-not to