Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-02-17
TRIALS OF EARLY PIONEER LIFE
II. c. Haskell Recites Interesting Exper-
fences of Long Ago

EDITOR CENSOR |, together lgith my
father, Silas H. E. Haskell, and my
brothers. moved into Badax county,
arriving in Viroqua just at sun down
Nav II. 1855. At that time Gov. Pusk
was dfiving stage from VivOqua to Black
River Falls, or to Sparta { D connect with
that line. Our courts were held in a
little log house that stood la front of
the old court house and Jail. / settled
on Coon Prairie and lived in Even Olson's
granary, which had no windows in it.
/ vent to the grove and cut popular
oles and made two beadsteads with
cords and rough boards at head and
tot. At that time | had Is cents left
to start out with. | became homesick,
could not work, neither could | eat for
a whole week. Then | thought that
wouldn't do, and | said that | would
stay in this county until it paid ue to
leave Then | became perfectly happy,
although / tried to break 40 acres of
prairie land for Even Olson for 50. so
per acre and board myself. | went
barefoot and through the wet brush
half way to Bloomngdale after the
oxen, getting my breakfast some times
as late as o clock We had poor water
those times. | often drove the hogs
away from the water at night so as to
get clear drink in the morning. Some
times | would have given quite a sum
for a good drink of water which / could
get bg spending a half day going down
TO Farmers spring, but that took time.
Some days it was all Tlght when the
hogs let in alone Thele was more
solid comfort and happiness in this new
country in poverty than there is at the
present time with the wealth ard fashion
0t the times. | hauled rails from Nc
Mites to Coon Prairie. a distance of
eight miles, with two yoke of oxen. !
never ate a warm dinner the whole time,
just fried cakes; they wouldn't freeze.
didn't ride ten miles, | am satisfied,
all winter, it was so cold | went a foot
TO keep warm or from freezing. | did
! chill my nose.
/ | was twentythree years of age at
/ that time, the End of June, 1855. which
I is seventy-seven this June. Without
drinking Intoxicating liquors or chewing
or smoking tobacco, my nerves are
steady as ever just say this in be-
! half of the young men of this country.
/ Please cut out al of these things and
/ your health will be better, you will en-
( JOY life better, your wives will think
! more OF you, ana IL VIII bC bGtlcE iOI
/ you. There isn't any thing that will
help the human family out in old age
! like being temperate.
/ Now, in regard to our nations Abra-
1 ham Lincoln. President of the United
States | voted for him both times,
also lived within thirty-five miles of
( Springfield, Illinois, five years, and saw
/ him often with his large spotted horse.
! Also was there a; the time that the
village of Lincoln was laid out and
plated, and worked for Henry ID. Smith
on the first building that was built n
I that village Lincoln was q miles from
my fathers farm, half mile from
our voting precinct. There is where |
voted the first time. 1858, at Postville.
Since that time have been tried as
/ by fire. This life is a life of change
and disappointment, but still have no
/ fault to find. | have had some good
/ times with my old friends, and this
/ morning. haven't any enmity in my
heart against any living soul, although
. have met with many losses | have
( tried to bear them with Christian Tor
/ iiude. Truly yours.
H. C.. HASKELL.
Ontario, Wis, February 10, 1899.