Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-04-22
Writes of Other DAYS
Kilbourn, Wis.

j Recent events have sent my thoughts
scurrying back over the years, and my
mind has been having perfect orgy
of looking over old time pictures in
it's many leaved album. was twelve
years old when we moved to Baraboo
and at that time one found on the
signs the once familiar names Of Peck
& Orvis, Ian & Camp, Avery & Green
Gattiker Bros. and M. J. Drown & Co.
The last to go were DR.. 3. f. Mills and
Ryan the jeweller.
T attended the Unitarian Sunday
school which was held on the upper
floor of the old courthouse. AT that
time some of the pioneers of BaraboO
were still throwing the shadow Of
their personality over the welfare Oh
the town and its people. The Pratts;
the Crandall brothers, David and ST.
neon; the Noyes brothers, D. K. ana
Henry; Mrs. Munson; the Canfields,
Flanders, Purdy, Updegraff and others
were few of the real pioneers con-
nected with the earliest days of the
then little village.
I was shy, r stood on the outside
looking on, thinking the thoughts of a
quiet girl wondering, and wearing ro-
mances over the people / saw, but did
not know. In this way I saw many
who had helped Baraboo to grow in
beauty and success pass by a few
times and then disappear, only to be
missed and remembered. Rugged
character and personality belonged to
the people of earlier days, each one
was cast in different mould. They
had worked, endured hardships, and
suffered side by side-a strong bond
for enduring fellowship.
Following are the names Of few
OF those that stand out in the spot
light of memory:
@Old Lady, Wood large and ;Iigni-
fled, always accompanied by a de-
voted daughter.
"Old Lady" Thomas in her Quaker
garb. She looked SO sweet to me-her
peaceful face framed by Quaker
bonnet wonderfully shirred on reeds.
She was a symphony in dove color.
Old Lady in those days was q title
equivalent to my Lady.
Mr.. Tom English, ST., as gazed at
him with awe for The first time, look
ed a veritable giant. He was taller
tnan his tall sons, large and very dig
go. d.
Ms. William Grubb, who never ne
glt. led to do kindness, in spite OF
htire handicapped ny size, was the
organizer and 1nnf;ng spirit in most
community gatherings.
Mr.. r. M. Warren, who worked
harder than any of his men, had an en-
ergy that was dynamic, wiry and not
large. He never seemed to tire.
Mr.. Thomas, the banker, to my mind
had reached the very pinnacle Of sue
cess and elegance. His house which
we called "The House of Seven
Cables" was a fairy place and his
daughter Hannah fairy princess,
she was so sweet and fair. Her play
house in the lovely yard back of the
house built especially for her seemed
rightfully to belong to princess. Her
mother and Mrs. Williams, who were
sisters, are more like dainty char
acters in book read long ago than
real people ! knew.
Miss Mcclure was little quiet WON
an who gave lessons in painting. At
one time her pictures of dead ducks
and rabbits were found in a number
of Baraboo houses. We have very
realistic hung by-the-heels dead rab-
bit painted by Alma Andrews, one of
her pupils, every one of the numberless
white hair having been put on not
by brush, but by the point Of
needle an endless careful task
l find pictures of the early doctors
Blatchley, Cowles, Slye and Des Anges
The latter pried out with some hor-
rible instrument two superfluous
teeth for me when | was thirteen. I
have reason to remember him, I near
ly tainted.
OF the teachers Professor J. S. Kim
ball and Miss Nettiaway are the most
distinct. Memory recalls many others
who added their quota to the life and
history of Baraboo. / recall how they
looked and | seem to see young and
old at their jolly get-totogether "old
folks" dances. Sandwiches in between
are memories of such pretty courtships.
Gone and scattered are most of these
actors in life's drama--comedy and