Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-05-20

candidate and we sneered with right
good win after each cheer fos our
man from Mexico.
How that stage load Of passengers
and all of the home folks laughed and
clapped their hands as the tribe so
berly, with head thrown back,
marched past. How the head man
blushed and side-stepped when MS
father, an ardent wing, caught him
in his arms, planted a kiss on his lips
and said: Captain, that's a mighty
fine company you are commanding. =
To make it stiIf more embarrassing
Billy johnson, a fat little Ind
called for three cheers for the capt.,
and the gang, my white brother with
the rest, cheered as loud as they had
for Taylor, ending. as they always
did, with a regular war whoop.
That night we marched, eheered,
whooped and hammered tin pms until
late bed time and when, in few days,
news came to the Corners that Taylor
and Fillmore were elected and that
Cass had gone up Salt river, the reds
and whites of that campaign club
were sure that they had large part
in SECURING the result. am free to
confess that my part in the campaign
of fS4S was the only time have ever
deemed myself political leader.
And that was sixty years ago, the
year Wisconsin became a state, be-
fore any of the candidates for presi-
dent this year, were born-when
James K Polk was president; whFn
Webster and Clay were in the senate;
when the population was twenty mill
lions; when there was not mile Of
railroad in Wisconsin.
But enough of that picture.
The next April our people moved
through a dense forest, cutting our
road part of the way, to what is now
Hayton, Calumet county We saw
only one house on the journey east
from Lake Winnebago. twelve miles,
and that was made Of logs-the only
habitation then at what is now Gail
ton.
Our lean-to house was made of the
lumber hauled FROM Snake creek.
The nearest neighbor was two miles
away. Only a half acre had been
chopped The land was not cleared.
except the small spot leded for the
lean-to.
Through the trees and under-brush
we could see the dancing, singing
waters of Manitowoc river and Pine
creek, and a quarter of mile away
there was a camp of 300 Winnebago
Indians. Howling wolves made music
for us at night. Bear, lynx and deer
came close enough to see the new
corners and went away shaking their
heads, as some of the Indians did.
There were no game and fish war
dens, then. We had venison three
times day, with red-horse fish on the
side. and some times bread and pota-
toes. Fat from salt pork and honey
made a pretty good substitute for
creamery butter. There was always
plenty of honey, but the pork fat often
ran low. Bee-trees were abundant, A
dozen or more rich ones were cut
that summer. within half mile of our
house" The telling of a bee-tree
called out the townspeople-ou whole
family. The boy that could stand the
most singing while harvesting the
honey was looked upon as the best fel.
low. The child commander of the
whites and reds in the rough ard
ready campaign usually dug away al
the sweet riches until singers had
closed mis- eyes. Those were days oi
Hardship and often want, but there
was lot of happiness in them, too
for the children. No other honey has
tasted so sweet. No other waters
have sung, danced and laughed so de-
llightfully. No other birds so charm
ling with their songs.
They were pioneer days to remem-
Der.
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