Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-06-21

back and fourth from his place of
business, Robert H. Johnson, the
editor of The Central Wisconsin. AS
long as / can remember 1 have been
great lover of newspapers, and to
see the genius that could make one
was of more than passing interest to
me. / learned to read English by
studying the Central and Pilot.
Many of the items found in the
papers l knew about and so | could
figure out the meaning of a good deal
of matter though could not spell
word or even understand the mean
ing of half the words and sentences
in any given news item. If anyone
wants to learn to read and understand
English and cannot afford to go to
school / know of no better medium
than the local papers. 1t did not
take me long to learn to read by care
fully perusing the local newspapers.
AS Wausau boy l, too, can testify
to the greatness of the horses owned
by McIndoe, DeConrsey, Kickbusch
and Stafford, and the county fair Of
the fall of 1871 was the greatest event
l have ever attended before or since.
The races were the best ever, and the
good cheer and fellowship of the peo-
pie who attended could only have
been witnessed at Wausau. Then as
now, every one who could, attended
the county fair. At the fair were
Aug. Kickbusch, B. G. Plumer, ]. G.
Clarke, w. H. Stafford, w. c. Silver
thorn, Judge Bartholomew Ringle,
Alexander Stewart, the big men of
Wausau at that time. From the
country came the Gallons, Kelleys,
Nutter, Robert Plisch and others
whose names / learned.
The death of Hon. W. d. McIndoe
in 1872 cast gloom over the entire
population, foreign and native, such
as have never witnessed since.
While the Wausau of today Is ad-
mired wherever known, the Wausau
of the early seventies with her whole
hearted and whole-souled citizenship,
was paradise to be remembered for
ever and day. There has always
been something distinctly Wausau
about your town, Gene. A spirit OF
whole-hearteG generosity by all the
people, high or low, rich Iii or poor that
| doubt much if we ever could find
anywhere else on earth. A some
thing that cannot be expressed in in
telligible sentences, but which can be
expressed in one sentence, which
claim TO have coined myself a few
years ago, "The Wausau Spirit
That describes it because it is Wau,
sau, and there is no other Wausau.
Wausau has always enjoyed the dis
tinction of being an orderly town
but in those early days when the city
would be filed with rivermen wait
ing for the lumber to be RATED, at
times disputes would occur or rather
difference of opinion on various mat
ters would arise, and at such times
single group OF men forming circle
could be seen back of Hunts hotel,
and in the center were the disputants,
settling their differences, not exactly
according TO the Marquis Of Queens
bury's rules, yet perfectly on the
square. When the affair was over
and the dispute settled the boys
would generally be as good friends as
lever. These affairs were conducted
so quietly that not even that aatch-
full guardian Of the peace and dignity
of the town, Geo. Steltz, seldom even
heard of them. But woe 10 the river
man, or any other man for that mat
ter. who did commit any breach OF
the law, or decorum prescribed by
Geo. Steltz, the culprit was brought
before Judge B. Ringle and stern 0ui
eyen-handed justice was handed
down.
c. Y. JOHNSON.