Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-01-01
HE GROWS REMINISCENT
LAYNE'S THOUHTS ARE
ON OLD BROOKVILLE
Californians Bear Loyalty TO Their
Native Heaths-The Great Ex-
position to Come

the holiday season my thoughts turn as
ever to the local scenes ana days of
boy hood and earlier manhood Twelve
years of boyhood on the old Brookviie
farm, and then continued residence M
Niroqua until middle ife; these. in con
junction with my official connection with
the public, served TO form attachments
and store memories that passing de-
eades do not efface
Speaking of Brookviile the then im-
mediate and principal residents wee
Abram Stiles, DR.. Swain, Richard Viii
liams, Phillip B ddison, D. H Simole.
Burton Drake. my father. (James H
Layne), and their families though
neighborhoOd boundariee We're not well
defined in those days. and several mites
IN any direction were allowable so
that the COnkhn, Clsws0n. Slrieker,
Suuthwiek and other families more or
less distant were counted in for social
purposes, aC least These FIRST settlers
were reinforced by newcomers until
Brookvile became the center of one OF
the important settlements in the coun-
~. Scarcely 0ne % the fathers and
mothers who nomed there during the
hfties now survive, while their des-
pendants are scattered lac ana near
lands disappeared under the swing of
the wo0dman's axe. and the virgin soil
rewarded the toilers with bountifui
crops. Families were at pence with
their neighb0rs and Christmas DAYS,
and all the days of the year for that
matter, brought muca OF good ctirua
and real comfort. Eut | will not be-
come too reminiscent of those long past
years. or your readers viii saa pees hat
| have been living long time and must
be an old man some, hing / am re-
luctant to admit So / will branch Off
from the there and then to the here
and now. Though now twenty years
citizen Of California, and well on with
the new love, | do not expect ever TO
be wholly off with the old.
A characteristic of Californians is
zeal for their adopted state, bnt | am
glad to say they have another peeu-
iarity equally strong II not always so
much IN evidence, and that is loyalty TO
the old home states. This is evidenced
by the fact that nearly if not quite ali
of the people from other parts of the
union are organized into state societies,
holding annual or more frequent gath
erings, at which reunions a kindred
spirit prevails and the old home com
monwealths are lauded, il not magni-
fed, to the limit II is not unusual for
people from different states to engage
in warm discussions, IL not controver-
sizes, regarding the relative merits of
their former home sections. A Wis
consin man, for instance, will not con-
cede that his state is surpassed by any
other. This spirit is particularly aroused
and assertive Of late on the part of the
different state organizations, because
of the Panama California Exposition to
be held here during the entire year of
1915. One or two of the stronger go
cieties led off with the project of state
buildings and exhibits and the others
fell into line until now all have taken
the matter up. Now as ever, eager to
show California to tourist friends from
the east, we are anxious to show our
old home states to the world by build
ings and exhibits that will do credit to
whence we came and enable us to
point with pride" TO the lands of
birth or former residence.
Management of the exposition will
gladly grant to states adequate space in
the fourteen hundred acre park the site
of the exposition, and will improve the
same 80 far as driveways. walks, or
namental shrUbbeiy and flowers, grass
plats, water, lights, etc. leaving the
matter Of structures and exhibits to
the states interested. These ideas ana
plans fully outlined and detailed will be
submitted to the different legislatures
in the hope that they will avail them
selves Of the opportunities To exhibit
the Industries and products of their
people. Our Wisconsin folks are pre-
pairing to move on the sOlons soon to
convene at Madison. The fact is,
Sout fern California and all contiguous
territory offers market for things grown
ard manufactured in the Badger state
NOT yet thought Of We are importing
many products, such as your soil and
factories produce; the demand is rapid
| ~ increasing and the field Is well
worth your attention. Hundreds of
workmen are employed and thousands
Of dollars are being expended in gen.
eral preparation Of the great park'for
exposition purposes. Mean@h bile the
growth of our city is almost wonderful.
as the ten million dollar building per-
mits for the year indicate and the cor
responding increase in population gives
evidence.
| But this letter is already too long
drawn out, and wishing your readers
all the joys of the season, am
! Yours for Wisconsin and California.
p. J. LAYNE.
I San Diego California. Dee i6.