Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1921-12-29
History of Kindschi Spring as Re
called by Resident of Kings
Corners
WRITER STATES HE
HAD INTERESTING NEIGHBORS
Bear Wanders Into Neighborhood
and Carries Off a Kettle and
Contents

With other events Of his vicinity
published in this paper E. d. King OF
Kings Corner writes of interesting
happenings there. also.
"Reminiscences Of early days contrast
greatly with these modern days, es'
pecially in the vicinity Of the spring
as mentioned in interesting quotations
of Mrs. A. K. Bassett while serving
delicious requirement to thirsty
tourists last summer. The place was
first labeled as Virginia Spring" per
haps in honor of Virginia Page,
we'll known Chicago lady. Later it
was named "Kindschi Spring be-
cause G. o. Kindschi of Sumpter owns
the land.
Early Owners of Spring
The first owner had a log house
about 20 rods west of the spring. Mel
tia Willis told the writer that he win
tered there when first he came to this
county. I do not know whether he
built the house or whether it was
built by Rev. Whitfield, who lived
there, or his family did, during one
summer. He was a weaver by trade
and preached occasionally. but was
not a practical farmer since he had
two, or three rods of ground cleared
which he planted to buckwheat in
hills. AS he could not support his
wife and two sons there. he worked
at his trade 1t was a lonesome place
then and aus the wife was very relig-
iOus she often came down, in her nus
bands absence, to attend meetings at
the old red schOolhouse at the Cor
ners. leaving the two little boys at
home. Harvey Fletcher sometimes
preached there and he like my moth
er, and others, did not blame her for
getting lonesome staying at home
there in the woods. Occasionally Mrs.
Whitfield came down to meeting and
Fletcher kindly escorted her home.
Some of the neighbors began to talk
about her leaving the little boys there
alone so much. Finally some mischie-
vous young fellows borrowed Mr..
Jameson's buffalo robe and concealed
themselves in the brush. AS the un-
suspecting couple approached the den
a huge "Teddy Bear" caught and hug
gel her. while she cried, Brother.
Save, 'Elp!" he having fled.
interesting Neighbors of Mr.. King
The Whitfields went to Aurora, Ill.
and S. E. King bought their so acres
of land B. Cornish cleared an acre or
so on top of the hill, southwest about
so rods from the Spring, and lived
there awhile. His brother, John Cor
nish, built log house 80 rods south
of the spring in Kindschi's pasture
about 25 rods from the road, also
clearing an acre or two. Thomas
DOnnelley when a young man. in
Pennsylvania, rode on Peter Cooper's
railroad, the first in America. In after
years he built the house where Nick
Rix lives, blacksmithing for liv v;ng.
During the reconstruction of the toll
bridge at Prairie du Sac, he rented
his house to Rev. Gould and moved 10
the later place and worked or Sam
uel Kelsey Gather of E& Judge Kel-
Sey), who did the iron work. The Job
vas finished sooner than expected go
he moved back to work in the shop
as his own house was occupied. Ee
moved in the vacant John Cornish
house mentioned above.
An UnweIcome Visitor
Mr. Donnelley owned cow that was
afflicted with 80 called hollow -horn''
and was advised to feed heI boiled
wheat, which he did. One evening
her ration was boiled and set in the
Iean-to woo1sned to cool &c" morn
ing feed. During the night hear IN
tered and carried the kettle ana con.
tents down in the garden where lie
devoured the wheat, leaving only the
kettle, and his huge tracks.
A Bear Scare
Later he was called to work a!
Prairie du Sac, leaving the family
of four daughters, and one son tC
''hold the fort" After the bear scare
the children were afraid to stay there
without their father at night time
SO the writer was asked to stay in
stead. My parents consented to let ms
take the cid shot gun and go. TIL.
Ioghouse was about IA by is feet anf
low place beneath the roof, where
the girls slept on the floor, was reach
ed by climbing a ladder The BET