History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 145

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168

USA > Wisconsin > Green County > History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 145

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that they could not find room on the ship, be- cause we men suffered greatly of wet and cold. We came to Laufenburg that day, and stayed over night in a large hall of a hotel, where we laid on straw during one part of the night, and walked through the streets of the village dur- ing the other, in order to keep warm. We came to Basel at the same time with the wagons. The landlords in the city were very friendly, and took very good pay for their friendliness. From Basel we started next morning on the Rhine, and came to a place in the evening where there was a very big hotel, but they only offered beds to single persons, and would not allow a family to come into the house. I, however, was quick enough to run into the house and take the key from a room with two beds, where I put my family to bed after dark without being noticed by any one in coming or in going. In Mann- heim we had to wait two days for the steamer. All our money, that we termed the "beginning fund," was used up for the journey, and still we slept on boxes and benches for many a night. From Dordrecht we were transferred to Rotter- dam in two small boats, which were so over- crowded that none of us could lie down, or even fall down.

At New Dieppe we were to embark for Balti- more, but we had to wait one week until the ship was fitted up for us. We slept in the ship, but we had to do our cooking on the shore, like the gypsies. On the 13th of May we bade good bye to old lady Europe, and trusted our lives to God and the ship. Any sea-sickness? Yes, lots of it, but excuse me from describing it; it is altogether too personal, and can only be understood when at sea. On the 21st we had a storm, which lasted nearly a whole week, and was fiercest on the 25th. The ship was laid over from one side to the other, dipping up tons of water, and dispatching the same down into the middle deck. Our trunks became liv- ing, every one of them traveling on its own risk now east, now west. A bag of potatoes fell over, and the potatoes were in a hurry to

* Small wooden casks, used for carrying drinking water into the fields.

+ Whey and spinach.

# Eat, bird, or die.

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

find the lowest place on the floor, but were un- able to do it in spite of their running to and fro. A little cask of wine, that some careful passenger has slyly hidden in the corner below his berth is coming forth lively to join the gen- eral promenade. A large basket-bottle with still higher graded contents follows the irresist- able law of attraction and tumbles clown-like on the battle-field, to be crushed the next mo- ment by two colliding trunks. Another pot of a more prosaic nature rolls forth and upsets. The wine keg of course loses its bung on the way, and mixes its contents with the indescriba- ble chaos. The floor of the deck is inclining at an angle of 45 degrees, and the occupants of the berths have to brace themselves up with all their power, in order to avoid an involuntary sommerset. "O, I wish I was at home!" was heard from many sides. But we were on the open sea, and the danger comparatively small.

We had poor board. Our crackers were made of middlings and bran, too hard for wolf's teeth, and coarse enough for a wolf's stomach. It often moved my heart with pity to see the children tire their jaws at them, to no purpose. We were actually suffering from hunger. This morning (June 5) the captain had a pig butch- ered, and treated every passenger to a ration of fresh pork, for which we were very thankful.

On the forty-sixth day of our sea-voyage we heard the joyous cry: "Land, land!" I tell you it made the roughest thank God. In the even- ing we saw the lights of the beacon. It made us all rejoice when the pilot came on board our ship. The next morning we were ordered to throw our straw beds into the water, and cheer- fully we obeyed; but yet we had to stay two nights on the ship. We landed on the 30th of June at Baltimore.

From Baltimore to Columbia, Penn., we were forwarded by railroad, for the first time on our journey. But we had hardly time to realize the glorious manner of flying through the country, until our glory was at its end again. In the evening we had to leave the cars and

walk over a bridge, two miles long, over the Susquehanna. We were placed in canal boats again, like a flock of sheep, from thirty to thirty-five persons in a boat of twelve feet length and about seven feet width. We could not all of us sit down at the same time. Our boats were each drawn by one horse. At Har- risburg the boats with all the freight on them were loaded on cars, which was done by run- ning the cars into an excavation under the canal. At Huntingdon our boats were again set into their element. We moved through laughing fields, over some hills and through others. We saw log-houses and finely dressed ladies in front of them, milking cows. At first we thought that it must be some holiday; but later we learned that American women always wear their Sunday clothes.

Whenever any of our party stepped out to bny victuals, the boatsmen used to let them walk along side the boat for three or four miles, before they would give them a chance to step in again. On one of these occasions, when several of the victims were completely tired out, I took a hatchet and threatened to cut the rope instantly, to which the horse was hitched. This made them stop, and from this time this trouble was ended. On the morning of the 9th we reached Pittsburg. As we moved into the city, we sang one or two of our Swiss songs, which drew the windows full of hearers. A great fire has destroyed about 1,200 buildings of this city this spring. But if the work goes along for a few months more, as it has done so far, there will hardly be a trace of the destruc- tion left. Americans are quick.

A steamboat forwarded us from Pittsburg to Cincinnati in one week, and our captain gave us an opportunity here to witness the barbarous custom of running one steamboat into another, much to our terror and indignation. The other ship was badly damaged. Cincinnati has now 72,000 inhabitants, they say. A great many of our party, misled by the cheapness of meat, bought more mutton here than could be used,

HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

1027

and we had to throw it into the river next day. The last two nights we have also made inti- mate personal acquaintance with another Amer- icah evil, the musquitoes. They are little, long-legged flies, which draw the blood out of a body, and leave a certain poison in exchange, of which the parts will swell up.

On the 23d of June we came to St. Louis. Here we expected to receive news from the two experts, that had been sent before us to select a place for colony. But instead of that we heard that they were probably killed by the Indians. We rented rooms in the city for a month, and moved into them, with all our baggage, two or three families into one room. After some days however we received a letter from W. H. Blumer, of Allentown, that our experts had gone to Peru, Ill., and it was thought best to send two messengers after them. Jacob Grob and I were chosen. We took passage on a steamboat that went up through the Illinois river. But we made more experience in suffer- ing than we liked. The water was low and our steamer run aground many times, which caused long delay. We had no money to pay for a cabin, and had to lay on trunks or on the floor, the mosquitoes feasting on us and nearly killing us. Mornings we were as swollen, tired and scabby as poor Job. We lost several days, sticking fast in the sand at five or six different places; only an iron patience could keep our spirits up. Finally the captain con- cluded that the ship had to be left altogether. Eight sailors entered a rowing boat and brought us in this way the last five miles to Peoria. The fact that several of them were drunk and re- quired the help of others to keep them in the boat, did not accelerate our progress any. From Peoria we were obliged to walk seventy-five miles to Peru. The fare by stage was $5, which we could not afford to pay, and no boats were going. We traveled through a country, the sight of which is able to encourage the most down-hearted. We saw innumerable herds of cattle grazing on the rich prairies, corn fields in

full splendor, pleasant groves and charming little log houses, scattered here and there. But however modest the place of abode may be, the people are able and willing to furnish a good meal on short notice. We arrived in Peru the 3d of August, and learned that Messrs. Durst and Streiff had been here, but had gone to Wis- consin. Now we were indeed in a worse situ- ation than ever. No money, no friends, no knowledge of the country. But we found a helper in our distress. The Lord has gleaners all over his earth. A certain J. Freuler, work- ing there, was not only willing to lend us the necessary money to go by stage to Galena, but he also concluded to go with us. We went by the way of Dixon, Forreston and Freeport to Galena, on a miserable wagon, but drawn by ex- cellent horses. (In Europe they have luxuriant stage coaches and very poor horses.) At Galena the aim and object of our search was again thirty miles from us. They have gone to Min- eral Point, we were told. And when we came to Mineral Point the same thing was repeated.

But the directions became more certain and definite. They have bought land on the Little Sugar river, thirty-two miles east of here. There we found them. And in the meantime the colonists at St. Louis had received news of the whereabouts of Durst & Streiff, and they came up the Mississippi to Galena, and reached there the same night that we returned-the seekers and the seekers' seekers. Hail, Colum- bia! O, the joy of meeting again! We all made for our new home, the men on foot, the women and children on wagons. Even this second tour had its difficulties. We missed the road, or rather the direction (there was no road) several times. But at last we got there. It was the 15th day of August, 1845. Every earthly trouble has its end, but most generally a new trouble links its beginning to that end."*

Here they were. "New Glarus" shall be the name of this colony. It is a blessed country.

* Here Mr. Durst's day book closes. It was of course writ- ten for friends in the old country, and describes things from an European stand point.

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

Little Sugar river is full of fishes, that feel very much like being at home in spite of the absence of the "Lord of creation," or perhaps because of the fact. Deer with number, rabbits in abun- dance; they came to inhabit these hills and val- leys long ago, without the leadership of any Switzer. Walnuts, hickory nuts, black berries, wild grapes are in great plenty. There is no need of starving. "Our meat market," says one of the settlers, "was round about us in the woods and in the water. Our cooking was done under the great dome of heaven. But our first house was a poor concern. It was a shanty 12x50 feet, just wide enough to hold two rows of sleepers. It was quite a spectacle to see us go to bed. Those that slept on the hind end had to lay down first, and this respective order had to be observed, until all were disposed of for the night. If one had the misfortune to have to step out in the night (which occurred very frequently, for our stomachs naturally re- volted against unsalted fish), it always created quite an uproar. 'Can't you keep off from my pillow?' 'O, you stand on my toes!' 'Ou! ouch! you -"' Who is here again?' Such remarks would be thrown at him both ways, and by them we could hear how far or near he was. The shanty was built in a hurry. The boards were hauled from Galena. All the fresh air that we cared for had access through the slits. The sides warped in and out, giving the wind a chance to blow all kinds of minor melodies, reminding us of home. Some of us had brought umbrellas from Switzerland, and we were glad to use them 'in the house' every time it rained, But we erected quite a number of log cabins before winter set in, which were occupied by two or three families each, and gave better sat- isfaction.

"For our clothes we were dependent on what we could earn or find at other places. Many a woman went to Monroe to wash, and carried her wages back in the shape of old clothes for her family. Even several years after, when we first assembled at our log church, the men

went in shirt sleeves, through which their elbows looked out inquisitively. And one of the most accomplished ladies made her appear- ance at a funeral service in a pair of old men's boots, that had been picked up in the streets of Galena, and brought to her as a present by a gallant landsman. Children's clothes were economically cut out of old bed clothes."

There were several squatters in the neighbor- hood-Armstrong, Greenwood, Slater, Morley, Britton, Harvey, Lemon, who are often grate- fully mentioned by the colonists, as having aided them in many respects during the first years. But the fight for an existence was a hard one, although it did not require more than one year, until they could live on the products of their own land. They broke small pieces of land and raised wheat, which they threshed with hickory sticks. But as soon as they had a surplus, they tried to find a market. And what did they find ? Wheat sold for thirty cents a bushel in Milwaukee, and it cost twenty-five cents to get it there. This was slow business to make up money for even a pair of boots. This they stood for several years, and the general impression was, that they could not stay and make any headway, other than merely provid- ing for their daily wants in the most primitive manner. But in 1850, when the railroad came as near as Janesville-forty miles-they com- menced to think that the land was worth hav- ing. Than the entering period came. Fifty dollars would buy a forty acre piece at the land office in Mineral Point, and every $50 that could be raked up went to the Point. This excite- ment must be observed in order to be under- stood. Several neighbors would often east their eyes on the same forty. The one that could make up $50 first was the victor. Some- times it was a close shave. It happened more than once, that a man, after he got wind that his neighbor was about going to the Point the next day, started in the night and bought the land before the other came. The land entering

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

period was not the most favorable for cherish- ing friendly and neighborly feelings.

The school at New Glarus was commenced under great difficulties. One of the scholars of the first English school describes the same as follows : The place where the school was taught was the largest and best house in the settlement, that is to say, a log-house about 18x20, a private house, the one room being kitchen, sitting room and dining-room of a large family, and school-room at the same time. The bed in it was the general depository of all the scholars' books, slates, dinner pails, hats, caps, mittens. etc. Mr. Kilroy, the teacher, had us seated on benches all around the room. He ordered us to learn all together at once. Every scholar studied spelling, reading and wri- ting after his own method, and at his own time. The only command of the teacher was, Chinese- like, that every scholar must learn aloud. He walked up and down in the room, stick in hand, and punished the disobedient, who did not speak up lond. When he was tired, he would demand and take room of the length of his body on one of the benches, and try to sleep. then we would learn pretty loud, so loud that Mrs. Schmid, who was cooking and taking care of her children, would emphatically raise her large wooden pot-ladle, and declare in full force and earnest, that she would certainly put a stop to this noise.

The teacher was boarded around, and was treated as nobly as possible. One of the ladies remembers now, that she borrowed a coffee cup for him, so he might drink his coffee from a cup, instead of dipping it with a spoon out of the pan with the family. Whether this was sincere courtesy, or whether she was afraid of the to- bacco juice, hanging on his mustache, would surely be an impertinent question. Mr. Kilroy did not teach but two terms. Since that the schools of New Glarns have advanced with the times. A new school house was built in 1849, and a fine bell was presented for it, by friends of the colony from the old home. When the

bell was rung for the first time, on a Sunday morning, just after it had been hauled from Mil- waukee, by Mr. Baumgartner, it was on the ground, on an elevation just behind the school house, and the people, standing around it were moved to tears. Now-a-days, it must be said, there is a great amount of bell-ringing done at New Glarus; but it leaves the great majority of the people cold, up to the heart. Worldly mat- ters are predominant.

The town of New Glarus has been a wheat- growing distriet for many years. Those hill- sides and plateaux have in many instances stood the abuse of being plowed and sowed with wheat for twelve or fifteen successive years. Little else was raised during the time of twenty years, from 1850 to 1870. But when the price of wheat came down, after the close of the war, when the hill-sides were cut up by numerous ditches, when the arable portion of the fields was washed away in many places, and above all, when the "chinch bugs" appeared, and ate up the wheat erop year after year, then the farmers were forced to think of the next thing on the pro- gramme. The old system had to be abandoned. "Ant Caesar aut nihil!" was the alternative of the captives of the old Romans, when the point of the sword was on their breast. So it was with the farmers of the hilly part of Green county . "Either cheese or nothing!" and happily we got the cheese. The old wheat fields were seeded with clover and grass. Cows were put on them. Cheese factories were built. After the fact was proved, that there was a ready market for cheese, it only took five or six years until cheese-mak- ing was the main branch of work for the whole farming population. At present, no less than 800,000 pounds of cheese are annually mannfac- tured in the town of New Glarus during six or seven months. This does not only pay better, but the farms are constantly made more product- ive.

The grubbing and breaking of land has not ceased yet, and will probably not, until every

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

available piece of land is plowed and turned into meadow. Fortunately nature has furnished some stony hill-sides and ravines, where they can do no better than let the timber grow, or else they would shave the whole town bald. An another important fact, tending to leave some bunches of timber, is, that the sons and grandsons of the first settlers are not quite so ambitious to change the face of the earth, as their fathers were in their days. Fruit trees have never done well. As a rule untime frosts will destroy the blossoms of the apple trees, and the trees themselves will die soon.

A vineyard was started in 1860, by Mr. North, formerly of Alsace, a great grape dis- trict in Germany. Mr. North's vineyard has been a success. It now counts 1,800 plants cov- ering about one aere, and has yielded as much as 500 gallons of wine in one season, 300 being the average. The many large and commodious barns are another pleasant feature of the town of New Glarus. Generally these barns are built on hill sides, with drive-ways from the backside into them, some twelve or fourteen feet above the hay floor, thereby greatly redue- ing the work of unloading hay. In the stone basement there is room for sixty or seventy, and sometimes over 100 head of cattle.

All practical, agricultural pursuits have been crowned with success. The good improvement of the soil, the fine buildings, the large herds of fine cows, the numerous cheese factories, the well patronized saloons, the comforts and lux- uries in every house, the grave-yards with their numerous costly monuments, all unanimously prove the wealth of the population, and even the annual tax roll sometimes involuntarily con- firms the general conviction.

But a historian, in order to be of any value, must be truthful, and present both sides. The progress in New Glarus has been one-sided. The nobler ideal pursuits have not kept pace with the materialistic. The society of New Glarus suffers from insufficient circulation. The social pulse is low. We are missing the

stimulating influence of other social elements. This is the case with all colonies, where people from one and the same district of the old world, exclusive of all others, are transplanted into the new world. Their moral and social development becomes suspended, owing to the fact, that they are secluded as well from the new world as from the old. They have no opportunity of observing their pecu- liarities and infirmities by comparing their con- duct with that of others. They are all so familiar with each other, that they fail to see the necessity of restraining those many improprieties that are commonly easily subdued in a society made up of different nationalities. Thus it has been with us. We stand right there, where society stood forty years ago in the canton of Glarus, with the only addition of the new impulse of making money, that was imparted to us by the superlative of good chances, which we found in this country for that impulse. And in a great many this is the predominant trait of character, and perhaps the only oue capable of manifesting itself to the outside world. Ap- parently no other exertion is made. If this confession is humiliating, it is at least true. And if it is true, a wise man may learn by it.

ORGANIC.

The first town election in New Glarus was held April 2, 1850. The following were officers of the election: John Westcott, chairman; J. F. Westcott, clerk; Rudolph Baumgartner and Joseph Trogener, inspectors. The following town officers were elected: John Westcott, chairman, Joseph Trogener and Oswald Banm- gartner, supervisors; J. F. Westcott, town clerk; Henry Hoesly, assessor; J. F. Westcott, treas- urer; John Westcott, superintendent of schools; Oswald Baumgartner, Joseph Trogener, Peter oung and John Westcott, justices of the peace; Henry Truempy, Henry Hoesly and J. F. West- cott, constables; Joseph Trogener, Henry Albly and J. F. Westcott, road overseers.

The town officers elected April 1, 1884, were as follows: Fred Kundert, chairman, Fred

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HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY.

Becker and Jacob Stuessy, supervisors; Matthew Stuessy, town clerk; Adam Schmid, treasurer; Christian Luchsinger, assessor; Christian Luch- singer, Thomas Hefty and Fred Luchsinger, justices of the peace.

SCHOOLS OF NEW GLARUS.

There are but three full school districts in this town-District No. 1 has a two story frame school house located in the village, valued at $2,150. Number of pupils 124. District No. 2, a good frame house located on section 33, valued at $400. Number of pupils, thirty-three. Dis- trict No. 3, stone school house on section 9; val- ued at $400. Number of pupils, fifty. There are six joint districts-Joint district No. 2, with New Glarus and York, school house in York. Number of pupils in New Glarus, eighteen. Joint district No. 3, New Glarus and York, with house in York. Pupils in New Glarus, fifteen. Joint district No. 4, New Glarus and Washington, house in Washington. Number of pupils in New Glarus, twelve. Joint district No. 4, New Glarus and Exeter, house in Exeter. Number of pupils in New Glarus, eight. Joint district No. 4, New Glarus, Primrose and Exeter, stone school house in New Glarus, section 1, valued at $400. Number of pupils in New Glarus, eight. Joint district No. 9, New Glarus and Primrose, house in Prim- rose. Number of pupils in New Glarus, three.

PHYSICIANS OF NEW GLARUS.

Dr. Samuel Blumer was the first resident physician of this town. He came here in 1848, and practiced until 1852, when he went to Cali- fornia. Returning to New Glarus, in 1855, he had an extensive practice until 1868, when he left here, and after a few months residence in Monroe, he went to Galena, and later to Sioux City, Iowa, where he died in 1871. 'The doctor is well remembered as a conservative, old school practitioner. During his residence in California, this town was without a doctor, but the minister of the Swiss Reformed Church, Rev. Mr. Streissgurth, who had a limited knowledge of

remedial agents, was often called to relieve his neighbors in sickness.

During a portion of the years 1861 and 1862, Dr. Fred Hees, who came here from Switzerland, practiced medicine. In 1862 he enlisted in the army and died in the service.

Dr. J. J. Blumer, a son of Dr. Samuel Blumer, located here in 1869, and. is now the resident physician. He has the confidence of the people and is in every way worthy of it.

CEMETERIES.

In 1884 there were three cemeteries in the town of New Glarus. The oldest one is adjoin- ing the church of the colonists. The grounds forming this quaint church yard, becoming filled with the dead of the congregation, a new ceme- tery was laid out about eighty rods west of the village, which is well cared for. The grounds are dotted with memorial monuments; for it is the universal custom of the people to mark the graves of their dead.

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History of Green County, Wisconsin. Together with sketches of its towns and villages, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 145

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1168