Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-03
ANOTHER LETTER
OF INTEREST
Cedar Rapids, Iowa Resident
Writes of Early Days in Wood
County--Many of our Readers
Will Remember Some of the
Incidents.

INCIDENTS.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June %, 1913
Mr.. A. l. Fontaine, Editor, Grand
I'Rapidss Wis,
Respected Sir: Your letter of June
18th, and papers came to hand in
due time, and have all been read wit
deep, thrilling interest many times,
especially the letter, and l thank you
more than words can tell for the
pleasure and satisfaction they have al
| given me. Am constantly finding g
new names of friends l had almost
| forgotten, and none only those who
have had the experience of a long Sc
paration can even imagine the joy of
reunion of other days and friends.
Little did / think whenI talked with
Mr.. Tygart of Stevens Point, didn't
dream, what the result would be,
least of all that | should ever become
a newspaper correspondent. When
writing the second letter, thought of
saying, ''this is not for publication, .
but decided it wasn't necessary, for
| you surely wouldn't think of such a
| thing, but 10, and behold! the letter
| said you had done that very thing;
| for moment, | was paralyzed, then
| thought, if there was anything
| worthy OF space i'm your columns it
was all right, but was only conscious
of having social chat with you, over
old times, but if it has been of any
use to others, well and good; will
give you a few more items Am now
diving in a new world; think faster tn.
[ write, can hardly concentrate my
mind enough to express my thoughts
on paper consequently make mistake
tor which l fully believe I'm eXcusa-
BILE if anybody eyer was, for Am con-
stantly living over the past, and al
most forget where / am in the pres
ant. Memory carries me back to the
coy little sugar shanty, built by
man living near Portage, who used
to come up just for the novelty OF
the affair, bring his family along, and
camp out 3 or weeks taking home
a lot of sugar and molasses, better
vet, better appetitess stronger nerves.
and a Neener relish for the comforts
of their fine home for they were Well
to do people. How coZy We We're in
that one raonf. no loft, no shingles
on the roof; only SHAKES. Couio'
stand i'm the doorway and touch youn' :
saplings as they grew in the forest.
No drifts troubled us; when the SNOW
fell it came straight down and lald
there till it melted in the spring. NO
January thaws; no slop nr slush: just
keen, pure bracing cold Pa took
lob of cutting logs for mill owner;
We never saw him in daylight ex-
cept Sunday There being no school
I helped Ma with the work and then
[ would knit. Learned before | was
four years old; now was going on, Ii
We had visited in York State that
summer, and grandma gave us lot
oof nice wooden sock and stocking ya1
Thought it would be nice to do our
next winters knitting while l had
plenty of time. l knit two pairs for
Pa two for myself, three for my sew
en- year-old brother and two for three
year old sister beside helping care tor
my baby brother. A good winter S
work l hear you say. Alas, for hu
man hopes! Moved to our new home
Ma thought she would wash the new
| kni lifting and put them away till need
ed, having the lime full OF other
clothes she spread them on a brush
pile; when We brought them ill., one
of every pair was nipped clear around
except two or three threads, by the
sharp teeth of those measly red
squirrels, or chipm onks, that we had
| been admiring SO much, as they gam
boled in their graceful way hlthef
and yon, up and DOWN and around,
| times without number, fearing moth
ing But the scene is changed! My
| girlish heart was well niegh broken,
when beheld the beauty of my faith
| full hard work so wontonly destroyed
| Say you not, that children do not
know what trouble is Such would hav
been hard for anyone of maturey ears
to have borne. l was crushed with
Encouragement and justified A. N
G. E. R. If this was the beginning,
what would the end be? 1t took me
long time to forget it. We never
| planned SO long ahead again. We
soon had a space for a small crop,
cleared, and vegetation soon gave us
good promise, but there was one kind
we did not crave. l wonder if any
of the old settlers there now, remem
| Der the rich treat We used to have
the woods sometimes miles away, and
how crazy they were in the early
spring for something green, and that
one particular plant, about the first
to come up seemed to bewitch every
one of them, for their breathS were st
strong of its odor one could hardly
endure the milking, and the milk anC
butter was simply indescribable-
refer to the Leek, believe a species
of onions Did You ever smell one,
If not, ask some of htem to describe
it to you; words fail me- Did not
last many days, but it seemed an agt
and if | could see dear Old Wiscon-
sin again, would give the Leek a cor
dial welcome. What was once a
mountain is now a miniature mole
/ hill God Bless My Old Home The
18th of May '55, We were treated to