Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1924-03-12
Free Williams.

Who in the history of the lead mines
of Southwest Wisconsin that never
knew or heard of Free Williams He
came to the Potosi, or rather Snake
Hollow mines from Missouri in the
thirties and was widely known for his
generosity and profanity. 1t is useless
TO say that Free" couldn't swear. He
was a good and kind hearted man, and
never failed to espouse the cause OF a
friend as will be noted further On III
this narrative.
There was founded village called
the CITY of Paris, namesake OF the
brilliant metropolis of France. The
little waif persisted in its infancy more
than 80 years ago. It's site was
point where, through pine crowned
hills and widening meadow bottoms,
the Big Platte river joins It's smaller
tributary of the same name. Here
their continent waters rejecting the
dark foliage of the native trees which
covers its green banks and casting the
shadows of the high, reced1ng DluHs
far up the slope on either side mlngle
in silence, and in those days formed
channel sufficiently wide and deep TO
float the largest craft that ever came
up the Mississippi, four miles below
The virgin purity is disturbed and
the calm shadows broken by the PROV
of a steamboat that makes its way
slowly up the placid waters of the
united river, casting off line and
making it fast to a large cotton WOOD
tree, the boat crew and others aboard
go ashore.
A Frenchman named Tou LIE Tou
and others of the same nationality,
surveyed the ground, mapped out the
place. and commenced the work OF
founding a city. A few months pass,
a clearing has been made, streets, pub
lie squares and avenues have been
staked off and defined. A log shanty
or two has been built and Paris on the
Platte has become an historical fact.
From this date, 1928, it's rise, progress
and decline, comprising period OF
barely two decades. Tou LIE Tou has
money, and under the quickening in
fiuence. Paris soon grows into respec-
table proportions and notoriety. A
smelling furnace, a store, a two-story
frame hotel, public boarding house
built from hewn logs with a long
porch were among the few noticeable
buildings first erected.
Coming down to the year of 1880,
we find the name of De Tantabaratz,
sometimes called De Tan or De Tante
bar for short) has usurped the place
of and over-shadowed all others in the
history Of Paris. He. was the Napo-
leon of his time, whose single name
involved the history of all others and
gave form and luster to the age in
which he lived. He was young man
from St. Louis, and came as an as
sistant clerk in the establishment OF
Tou LIE Tou. He had not been long
there when he arose to be chief mana
ger and soon succeeded to the controi
and ownership of the whole concern.
Enterprising, prompt, active, gener-
Gus to a fault and possessed OF an I'M
limited credit both in Galena and st.
Louis, he apparently prospered and
under his sway Paris fourished and
became a lively prospective city.
The peculiarities of the man soon
became proverbial throughout the
mines, and the influx of trade, pleas
ure, amusements and business center
ed around his name.
At balls and parties, horse races and
~
put in an early appearance, and was a
bright and particular star upon the oc-
casion until Gas it sometimes happen
ed he got a little Obscured by too
much wine Then some friendly hand
would put him in his little bunk and
natures sweet restorer, balmy sleep,
would soon make all things fair and
lovely. The ladies smiled in his pres
ence and courted his company because
they saw husband, home and family
Joys reflected in his countenance, and
the men bid the same for the more
patent reason that he was whole
souled. Jolly good fellow, from whom
they could get the loan of a dollar, a
suit of clothes, or a mining stake" on
credit
At this time David G. Bates was well
known throughout the mines as a
wealthy, influential citizen of Galena
He was the owner of much valuable
property, made advances on lead, op-
Grated furnace, ran store, and was
regarded as one of the solid men OF
the place.
In the usual course of business, De-
tan became intimately acquainted with
him, and as acquaintance often ripens
into confidence, the two were soon
upon the most confidential terms
Bates was a money loaner upon occas-
ion, and Detan often had occasion for
the use of large sums of money. While
everything remained smooth and
promising Bates advanced him freely
But there is tide in the affairs OF
men, which if not wholly scanned
leaves them night and day on the
shores of poverty. 1t was likely to be
so in the case of the hero Frenchman
and Bates, as a careful man began tC
look after him and his affairs. This
led to a GOODNESS between them, an al
tercation followed and finally open
hostilities, that was given on the part
of the Frenchman and resented by his
quondam friend and hacker. Bates be-
ing a man of Southern birth and edu-
cation could only be governed i'll the
settlement of the dispute between
them by the rules governing all
IN;I -, =,