Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1923-08-29
MCCARTNEY A
PARADISE FOR
WALTON CLAN
Sport, Fishing, Tradition
Abound Along River
C. T. Smith in State JournaD


ney, Wis, are but the widening of two
Of the numerous sloughs along the
Mississippi to a width that can be
dignified by the name Of lake"
DAILY lake begins about half mile
from the little station on the Burling-
ton road and extends westward in a
cucumber shape up the river FROM
which it is at no time separated more
than 100 yards. The lake is filled with
"snags", any number of them tree
tops cut in the winter time by sports
men from Lancaster and hauled out
on the ice and weighted with large
stones wired to the butts. These tops
are left on the ice until spring when
the softening of the ice permits them
to sink to the bottom, where in the
summer time they become the objects
Of interest to anglers, for at their bot
tom is the feeding place of crappie,
sunfsh, bass and catfish.
Lotus Covers Marsh.
Along the northern side of the lake
are deep pocket-like mud flats filled
with yellow Egyptian lotus, which
covers acre after acre of this slough
and marsh land and fills the air with
fragrance. These lily pads are the
home of pike and pickerel, but the
tough rope-like roots are the despair
Of the fisherman with his casting rod.
The upper end Of the lake narrows
into a winding lagoon called the
wood chute, name given it from
early days when logs were floated or
| "chuted" down into the lake. Along
here are several big springs that aid
in keeping fresh the waters of the
lakes.
Bertram lake is separated from the
chute by a long narrow pond called
! Track lake, which is the home OF
countless bull-head catfish A cordu-
roy road leads to the lake from the
railroad track. This lake is different
from DAILY only in that it's shores are
heavily wooded. On the north side of
the railroad, which skirts both lakes,
rise perpendicular cliffs resembling
the palisades of the Hudson.
Rocks Shelter Fish.
The Mississippi here is cut up by
numerous rocky wing dams, whose
bases shelter every kind of game fish
known in the upper reaches of the
river. Along the sand bars in the fall
Of the year, Jack Salmon" as the To-
cal name is, or pike perch can be
caught literally by hundreds. Com
mercial fishermen have skinned out
much of the fishing in the river, but
the lakes and the rocky places are al
ways good.
The new government project of
draining waste land along the Missis-
sippi may affect these lakes, but there
are too many big springs feeding
these two lakes and the ground is too
high between the river and the lakes
to permit good drainage.
There is the usual number of tradi-
tons about the place Horse Thief
hollow cut is almost tunnel in
places, widening into a great cave
Though now filled with flood wash
ings), and a pocket that opens in the
center OF the hill to an entrance on
the opposite side. The story is that
river pirates in the early days used to
drive stolen cattle and horses in from
the outer side through cleverly con
cealed opening, to the pocket which
made a natural corral. AS the main
channel of the river then skirted the
bluff, the gang plank of steamer
could be showed into the tunnel and
| the stolen stock loaded on board and
shipped southwark to markets that
asked few questions
100000 Lost Treasure.
Another story is that of the train
I rObber who held up the G. B. & o.
{ some 30 years ago about a half mile
from the station, and secured 100000
in gold part of shipment by express
| from a western mine He was pur-
sued and killed within a mile of the
scene of the robbery, but during this
time he had concealed the gold, and
ii being a we'll fnown fact that dead
men tell no tales" the secret died with
him. If the booty had been several
quarts of "Old Crow, it would have
been found long before this time, but
being gold, and if the story is true
| some person will have a windfall.
1t is a fact, however, that the Sacg
and Foxes had their village here for
over so years. The village was called
! Penuin, state records show. There is
one chief of these tribes that has his
grave on the rocky peak of Point
! Lookout, between the railroad and the
driveway
Mr.. Roschi, game warden of this re-
sion, has erected few screened tents
with boarded floors and sides at the
! DAILY lake landing, and has also a few
boats to rent to fishermen who wish
10 Try their luck on the lakes. He has
placed tables for picnickers and all
necessary equipment for a tourist
camp. Parking places for cars are
also provided and everything careful
| ly looked after.
Six new cottages have been erected
during the past year, and more are
planned. There is a nucleus of a re-
spectacle summer colony there now,
| and If thin
the past year, a few more years will
put Mccartney on the map as a sum-
mer resort.
Tourists this summer are taking
considerable interest in Rib Hill, To-
Gated near the city of Wausau, in
| Marathon county. This has been def
nitely established as the highest point
/ in MiSnnr, ci,, rr-sth - as