Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-01-12

AiuOliB Inc very early arrivals 10
the lead mines of Potosi. not hereto
fore mentioned, were Isaac Spring
ston, Thomas l.. Hammonds, Ora and
Bluford Stone, Gerhard Feldhaar,
John Gambol Christian Schmidt,
Matthias Eslinger, William Harker,
John Eaton, Charles knight, Billings
Rice and brother, Ephraim Neaville,
John r. Jones, Michael and William
Grogan, William Hunt, Jonathan Huey
Christopher NJ. Jackson, ]. w. Bristol
and others whom we will make mem
ton of later on.
OF the early settlers many of them
engaged in business. Isaac Spring
ston was one of the first blacksmiths
| that pounded an anvil in Potosi, then
Snake Hollow. His shop was a log
building that stood near the present
Glennon brick residence and near the
Harper store building that was later
iremodeled and converted into a hotel
Thomas l. Hammond conducted al
harness shop in two-story brick
building that was situated on the lot
where the postoffice is now located
The building many years afterward
became the property OF Henry Swale
and it was where the big fire of June
O. 1910 III lou mI.
mond after disposing OF the brick
building to Joe Hall, built two-story
I frame building south of the Wiscon-
sin house and adjoining Paschal NAL
/ let's two-story brick building, and
removed his harness shop to the new
building Some years prior to this he
had built frame residence on White
street and occupied the same until he
I rpmnUn6 n WaUnrlI- in ~
| 1868 where he subsequently died
Ora L. Stone also conducted har-|
ness shop in early days and his shop
was in a small frame building that
stood partly on the lot where the Cap.
Schmitz building now stands. He
subsequently moved to the Hammond
building. He died in Potosi at ripe
old age some time in the early seven
| ties.
Bluford Stone followed mining and
for many years was a fearless con-
stable. John Gambol came from Fl.
Crawford to the mines at an early
| date. He was born in England and
was nicknamed by the miners as
English Johnnie" He was a man
lof fine education and gentlemanly
conduct though rather dissipated in
! lis younger days. He was educated
| Tor the ministry but the call was not
! to his liking. He left his native land
and came to America landing in New
| York in 1880 and being of joyful
nature proceeded III having a good
| time. He got on big spree and in
consequence got out of finds and be-
| ing too proud and not wanting his
! people in England to know of his
whereabouts and of his financial cir
cumstances and seeing nothing in
! view for position, he enlisted in the
| United States army Two or three
years after his enlistment the COM
pany to which he belonged was order
ed to Fit. Crawford, Wis. Col. Zachary
! Taylor, the cOmmandant at the fort
seeing that this young man was pos
| sessed of unusual abilities for pri-
vate soldier, summoned him to his
quarters, and after conyersing with
| him for a while, made him his secre-
tary He continued in this position
until the term of his enlistment ex-
pired and then he came to the lead
mines. He followed mining and in
| later years generally worked by him
| slf and lived bachelors life. He was
very reticent about family affairs and
no one could ever get any Information
| from him,b there is no question but
what his people in England were high
class After about forty years of hon
orable life in Potosi he passed away
in log cabin in 1876 tenderly cared
for by the people.
I In the early days there were four
chair and cabinet shops in Potosi con-
| Quoted by William Harker, John l..
| Sweeny. Gerhard Feldhaar and Christ
! ian Schmidt Harker was the first
undertaken in Potosi He died of the
cholera in 1852 He was succeeded
I in the undertaking and cabinet MAX
| ing by Matthias Eslinger, as fine
| joiner, polisher and cabinet maker as
ever walked in shoe leather. In
those days collins or caskets could not
/ be bought as now. They had to be
made and made with black walnut
| without the cheap, shoddy cloth COW
ering as is now used. ESlinger's
collins were marvels of beauty, though
of many pieces not a joint could be
detected after receiving a piano pol
ish finish that Eslinger was capable
/ of doing. He removed to Dubuque
some years ago and died there
/ John Eaton was one of the founders
OF Van Buren, and died there leaving
a widow, a son and daughter, Frank
| and Anna. The widow later married
Ephraim Neaville. Charles knight
was an early druggist as was DR.. Ben
Armstrong. Armstrong was succeed
! ed by man named Bristol. Billings
Rice and brother made small wind
mills used by the miners to drive out
the damp air from the shafts. They
also did some mining and were quite
successful John r. Jones was
brick mason and laid brick for many
OF the early day buildings. He also
operated brickyard up in the hollow
and near the Whitaker cabin and
/! did a successful business He built
| 4 brick residence on the hillside near
| the brickyard and occupied the same
with his family. This building is
still standing and occupied.
Like many others in Potosi, Mr..
Jones went TO the California. gold
l =, l.,