Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-04-12
st. George and
St. Daisy
By EPEs W. SARGENT


of st. Georges was due to the fact of
its being the first religious edif1ce in
Mangoon or whether credit should be
given Daisy Homer, to whose endeaV-
ors St Georges owed it's existence
when, as yet, there were only three
saloons in the town. AS a rule five
saloons preceded the first church.
Daisy was the daughter of the su-
perintendent of the Mangoon Mining
company, and Flemming was her cou-
sin, but lately graduated and filled
with a desire to benefit his fellow
man. He was clean-cut, sincere, and
a mans man, so the little congrega-
ton prospered amazingly. The miners
flocked into the church and stared al
ternately at the minister and Daisy.
The latter sat on the end seat in the
choir and formed by far more potent
attraction
Even the Twisted Dog shut its
doors during the hours Of service,
and Mangoon was inOrdinately proud
of its church, it's minister and Daisy.
These three were even more impor-
tant to Mangoon than the railroad,
though before Daisy came and the
other two followed in her wake, the
main line railroad was accounted
thing too important to ever be SUI
perseded in the boasts of the towns
men.
Mangoon was still a rather raw
mining town, but John Homer had
worked wisely when he brought his
daughter out to keep him company.
Her influence, the more potent be-
cause 1t was unconscious, made itself
felt in the whole town, and Ben
Challoner, the assayist, was wont to
credit Mangoon reforms to st. George
and st. Daisy, with the latter as the
strenuous factor for good.
But Challoner alone was not per
mitted to say pretty things to Daisy.
By virtue of his position he held the
inside track, but there was not man
in town of adult age and good moral
character who had not made up his
mind to win the girl for his wife, and
Daisy, 1attered by their homage, ac-
cepted them all as good chums and
resolutely shut her ears to pleas of
love.
81 like you all so much" she ex-
planned to Fenwick Tenton, editor of
the local paper, that I don't want to
give you all up for just one" That
was at once her platform and the
secret of her success. None of her
suitors had ever given up hope, and
she ruled her little court with gentle
despotism.
So it happened that when Easter
drew near dozen young men were
interested in the preparations for the
special services. It was to be the first
Easter vice at st. Georges, and
more than one man recalled the day
back home" with the f1ower-decora-
ted churches and the vari-colored
eggs. 1t was but natural that the in
terest of the town should center in
the tiny conservatory built into the
Homer cottage where Daisy faithful
ly tended their flowers that they might
be ready for the Eastertide. She had
had splendid luck with these and
dozen stately plants were depended
upon to relieve the masses of wild
flowers that the boys assured her
would be gathered in time.
Then came the catastrophe 1t was
Challoner who spread the news. He
had dropped in to see Daisy on his
way down to his laboratory and had
found her dissolved in tears. There
IL,
night and wandering burro had
made objection to this odd-looking
stable encountered on his travels and
let fly with his heels. In the morn
ing Daisy had found her beloved
plants wilted and dead and Easter
only three days away
A burro with cut heels was shot on
suspicion, but this did not bring back
the life of the CT erished plants, nor
could anyone suggest a remedy. Flow
ers might be sent down from Denver
by express, but word came back in re-
Spouse to a telegram that there were
orders booked for twice the visible
supply, and that no more orders
would be considered
81. LOUIS ana Kansas City and
Omaha all returned similar answers,
and by nightfall a consultation was
held in the lobby of the post office.
The loss of the lilies was a calamity
to the entire town. They had boast
ingly sent invitations to nearby places
to come over and join in a real Easter
celebration. Rev. Flemming had OBJ
jected to this as being uncharitable
and, therefore, unChristian, but he
had been overruled and the Mangoon
Times had openly Dragged that Man
coon was 20 years in advance of it's
sister cities" Men from Pine Bluff.
Central City, Sulphite and even Lame
Dog would come to wonder and re-
main to jeer.
When the committee had concluded
it's labors men set out to accomplish
things. Riders on stout horses were
instructed to scour the country for
possible homegrown flowers, especial
ly lilies. Gus Humboldt took the mid
night train for Denver to see if he
could not corner the market that had
already been cornered, and Tenton.
L