Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1913-03-19
Letter from Herman Bushner.

CrOssoCC. ARK. March 4th. 191:
Mr.. B j. Lowrey, Lancaster.
My dear Sir: I noticed in the
issue of the Herald the Goth day of
February that on that day yourself
and the Herald passed another
mile stone on the road of life. 1t is
my fervent wish that you pass many
more in good health and happiness ]
cannot help to congratulate you in add
tion on the fact that you have brought
the Herald up to a standard that it
has not had for over forty years.
Since Joe Cover hung up his toga
as editor of the Herald. many
others have attempted to make
success of the Herald but none
of them have accomplished what
you did, In your hands it has be-
come paying institution and in
creased its circulation beyond the
number than it ever had before, and
believe to the satisfaction of its SUBJ
scribers.
[ noticed with a great deal of pride
and satisfaction the statement in the
Herald of the-arfor 4s4zo- nuanOra1 S.uU0s-
ments of the banks In the year 1860
when I came to Platteville there were
only two banks in the county, the
Ryland & Holloway bank at Lancas
ter and the Hodges bank in Platte
Vile. I doubt whether the resources
of either bank amounted to 800. 900. 90
and at present the resources of the
~ banks are over IS, 900 600 90
larger. Taking a retrospect of the
general condition of Grant county
since my advent and the present time
it is surprising. The people were
generally poor; land was cheap and
the farm buildings especially were
almost uninhabitable for a white
man, and stables for the stock there
were none. The moving machines
had just been introduced in the
country and there were not many of
them; besides that stubble plow,
breaking pillow and corn pillow were
about the only implements that were
used, besides the cradle, scythe and
hoe. Wheat, oats and barley were
threshed, and corn husked in mid
winter. cattle had to seek shelter
from the severe snow storms of the
winter in fence corners, excepting
perhaps few that enjoyed the COM
forts of straw rooted shed. Hogs had
to be butchered and taken forty miles
to Galena to market, grain had to be
hauled in the same way except at
places near the river, as there was
only one railroad in the county and
that was at Boscobel. and which was
only extended as far as Woodman.
The roads we're in deplorable con
dition. Farmers came to town in
lumber wagons and bobsleighs. There
was but little cash trade because there
was a scarcity of circulating medium
such as three cent and ten cent silver
pieces American money. Spanish silver
pieces called sixpence, shillings, two
| Sul1l1uS anu 4OuI SuI1AAuS PAOSOS
French five franc pieces and English
sovereign, besides the wildcat paper
money. that fuctuated in value daily
The farmer was then the scapegoa
of the country. There were few
money sharks in the country that blet
the farmers, charging as high as 1211
per cent on farm luans. remembe,
when 1 was clerk of the circuit court
my old friend James g. Blaine VIII
lived on Fennimore prairie, father o
ex senator Blaine, came to me ON
day to compute the interest due Franz
Barr on a farm loan. The origina
note was drawing 1919 per cent in
terest and had been gradually reduc
ed to ten, eight and finally seven pc
cent Most of the farmers that ha'
come to the county in early times ha'
but small means, perhaps just sutfi
Gent to stock the farm and build
shelter for their families. They wer
compelled to borrow money to pa.
for their farms. Many of them TO
) Years could not even raise money t
pay the interest on the loan, and con