History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Part 100

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 958

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The port of New Orleans was attained without any catastrophe occurring to detract from the enjoyment of the trip. Here, the midge of a craft attracted much observation from the assembled mariners of all nations, whose admiration for the pluck and hardihood of the crew was unstinted. Recruiting the stock of provisions and renewing the water supply, Vance, who was elected Captain, boldly put to sea, eschewing the customary formality of visiting the Custom House and procuring certain papers prescribed for such cases by the omnipresent Uncle Sam. Whether this step was taken advisedly, does not appear, but, from subsequent experience, the embryo mariners must have repented the indiscretion which induced them to violate the inter- national code of laws. Verily, the way of the transgressor is hard, and, in this instance, their path was paved with troubles dire and deep. While cruising off the coast of Cuba, keeping a sharp lookout for a bayou that promised safe landing and a copious supply of fresh water, they were espied by a Spanish gunboat. With magnified visions of filibustering expeditions in aid of the latent rebellion, the Captain of the cruiser bore down on the miners, and, by a significant grape-shot, ordered them to heave to. In the face of such a formidable display, the summons could not be disregarded : so, with reluctance, the peak halyards were dropped, and the schooner swung around into the wind. A swaggering Spaniard, fiercely mustached, with " fight" traced distinctly on every lineament of his countenance, sprang aboard, and, in the absence of all documentary testimony to the contrary, confiscated the vessel and contents as contraband. A prize crew was placed on board with instructions to make for -, which was reached toward sundown. Disarmed of their suspicions by the apparent contentment of the Americans, the officer took no measures to insure the detention of his captives, but allowed them the freedom of the deck. At dusk, a majority of the Spanish sailors went ashore to carouse, leaving a guard of three armed marines to protect the prisoners. The hours wore slowly away, and tho sleepy sentinels relaxed their vigilance. By a concerted movement, they were all seized, firmly bound hand and foot, and gagged to obviate an alarm. Sail was made. and, noiselessly, the

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HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

little craft cleared her way through the surging waters until an offing was attained, when, spread- ing her wings to the increasing breeze, she rapidly put distance to flight. When within sight of the Cuban shore, the marines were bundled into the ship's boat and cut adrift. Profiting by this experience, the voyagers were satisfied to abide at a respectful distance from the Cuban isle.

A similar fate befell them on the Mexican coast. Hovering around, and uncertain how to make the port, their action arrested the attention of the coast guard, and, for the second time, they were involved in the toils of captivity. The authorities were willing to hazard the safety of their prize by simply tying it up alongside a national gunboat. With the instinct of freedom irrepressibly active in their hearts, the bold sailors, at the instigation of Paddock, slipped their cables and put to sea. Owing chiefly to the insignificance of the capture, no attempt was made to retake them.

These hair-breadth escapes instilled a little caution into Capt. Vance, who. thereafter, con- ducted his voyage with circumspection, prudently avoiding war-like craft, and only venturing ashore for supplies after dusk. The Nicaragua River was eventually reached, and up the unknown channel of this stream Capt. Vance boldly pushed, using sweeps or long oars when the wind was light or unfavorable. At one of their anchorages, Don Ramirez d'Escobeda, a local trader, was so captivated by the adaptability of the boat for his trade, that he entered into nego- tiations and, finally, purchased the boat for an amount equivalent to $1,000. Satisfied with the barter, the crew relinquished their respective claims and pursued their course across the Isthmus to Aspinwall, where they secured passage through to the Golden Gate.".

In 1850, the exodus evinced no signs of abatement, as, in point of fact, more emigrants took their departure this year than in the preceding season of 1849. In the height of the ebb, sixty teams and two hundred persons left Mineral Point in one day. This is only a fair criterion of the progress in other sections of the county. When it is considered that each person or head of family took with him sums of money ranging from $200 to $500, an idea may be gained of the impoverished condition of a territory deprived of two thousand lusty laborers and a proportionate amount of wealth. Business was restored to equanimity in 1851 and 1852, when a reflux set in, and money was received from the gold fields to cheer the desolate ones at home.

It would be an ntter impossibility to approximate the number of persons who visited Cali- fornia during the reign of the gold fever, but herewith is presented a list of the principal men who staked their fortunes :

CALIFORNIA EMIGRANTS.

From Mineral Point and Dodgeville-William J. Tilly, John J. Ross, Alexander T. Tur- ner. Samuel Ettershanks, William Chesterfield, John Coade, John Martin, Richard Martin. Will- iam T. Henry. Elias Wiley, Samuel Rich, George T. Rich, Mrs. Rich, Joseph Roadhouse, wife and two children, James Wasly and wife, Joseph Hatch, I. N. Turner, wife and child, John Roberts, Morris Smith, George Myers, John Oliver, Thomas Sublette, Bennet Dumars, George Tilley, Polk Delaney. R. C. Kelly, Andrew Kelly, Nelson Angel, James Hitchins, Robert Turner. Edward James, Elias Jacka. Hy Howe, Carey Eliff, John Reed, Robert Hood, John Jenkins, Walter Richards, John Richards, William Richards, James Toay. Stephen Chenaugh, Matthew Goldsworthy, Ralph Goldsworthy. Thomas and John Tregaskis, Robert Quinn, Cyrus Woodman, Henry Nancolas, John P. Tramel, Hy B. Welsh, Hy Plowman, S. F. Rodolf and son, James, James Polk McAllister, Robert W. Gray, Robert Whitney. Edward B. Carson, Morris Lloyd, I. T. Lathrop, William A. Pierce, Jabez Pierce, Richard Pierce, John Clawney. Will- iam Sublette, Thomas Trimble, George Hardy, Joseph Langdon, Nelson Lathrop, Edward Cor- nish, Nicholas Meren, John Tangye, Henry Gray, Levi F. Craft, Charles Legate, Silas Page. Lewis Page, William Coade, William Cummins, John Hutchison, John Phillips, son and daughter, John Rich, wife and two children, William Phillips, wife and two children, William McLane and wife, Peter Toay, Edward Prideaux, John F. O'Neill, John O'Neill, Thomas McKnight. Edwin Buck, Daniel Hatten, Harvey Eliff, Richard Thomas, Tom Phillips, Charles Ettershanks. Lewis Mason, Rufus Henry, Andrew Park, H. Anderson, Ed Treguskis, Hugh MeDougall. John Jenkins. Robert Henwood and wife, John Goodchild, E. Sperry, Thomas Prisk, Paul and

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HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

Samuel Prisk, James Sproul, Daniel Jenkins, Andrew Elder, Steve Lean, Matthew Lean, Charles Bradley, John Lane, William Thomas, Richard White, George Whitelaw, Henry R. Martin, William Wren, Phillip Eden, George Phillips, Sampson Rodgers, William, John, Richard and George Odgers. John Gundry, James Carbis, John Wilkison, William Paul, Joseph Sehuyder, Ilenry Bishop, John Waters. John Hales, Amos Parsons, Robert Thomas, Sam White, William Bennett, John Bennett, Gilbert Bennett, John Grover, Edward Lloyd, C. Martin, James Berryman, Sam Osborne. Hy Palkinghann, Sam Terrill, Charles MeCabe, Henry Hed- rick, Sam Oats. William Thomas, William Jacka, Joseph Stephens, Samuel Richards, William Opey, Samuel Waters, John Gray, James Thomas, John Tregen, Joseph Maxwell, Joseph Pri- deaux, Daniel McMullen, John Prideaux, James Mack, Robert Riddell, Richard Osborne, Daniel Telly. Samuel Harris, Ole Torson, James Hitchins, Mrs. Wasley and child, Mrs. Emma Wasley, John MeFadden. - Squires, -- MeCabe, Mrs. Crocker, Joseph Murrish, Chris Bawden. Henry Martin, George Kislenbury, Thomas Martin, M. J. Levison, John Martin, William J. Tilley, wife and child, John Bascoe, Samuel Code. Thomas Lyons, Adam Gilts. Fifty from Willow Springs. Up to 1852, 700 had left.

From Linden-George Caldwell, Charles Harkins, William Goldworthy, Jr. and Sr., John Rule, Jr., James Goldsworth, Henry Trigloan, John Crase, Jr., James Burnes, John Wonn, David Diekson, James Prince, Henry Stephens, John Batten, Mark Smith, William Webster, John Pearce.

Waldwick-Derile J. Difley, Jonathan White, E. Bennet, John White, B. Gove, A. Bennet, Sara Bennet, George Bennet, Martha and Mellissa Benret, Pleasant Fields, B. Smith, Dan Minor. A. Graham, Charles Stewart, G. Stewart, John Bennett, Hardy Elf. Andy Elf, A. Munson, George A. Martin. M. Heath. Z. Van Norman, R. Gribel, William Ball, James Kitehen, John Phillips. William Welles, Abe Boyd, Milton Matthews, Franklin Cox, A. White and Thomas Flint.

From Mifflin-Joel Clayton, William Hope, James Clayton, Levi Welden, John Melburn, Jacob Melburn, Moses Beaman, Robert Winslerz, Ambrose Thomas, Henry Owens, William Hopper, Robert Johns, John Phillips, John Flucco, Francis Burett, Louis Helman, William Brown, T. J. Strong, G. P. Vaughn, Leburn Wells, George Hudson, William Whitcher, -- Lane, Edward Eatheant, Ilugh Leviston, Robert Moorehead, A. Moorehead, D. Greenwald, Thomas Bell, B. Stoddard, Woolsy Mayse, Nicholas Thomas, John Wrisley, Jesse Young, Will- iam Kylls, Thomas Pruestreal, James Kirkpatrick, W. Kirkpatrick, Joel Kay, Thomas Linkin, J. Crowden, Sr. and Jr., C. Louis, Mark Allison, William Kirkpatrick, William Hill, C. C. Mouney, Thomas Horriban, James Pettyjohn. Chester Messenger, P. B. Selhemer, John Spears, -- Palmer, Simon Tyre, James Carrico, A. Martinau. Alexis Sanville, William Fos- ter. J. Bartholomew, John Upton, Amons Young, D. Sylvester, Alberst Stephens, Ebin Syl- vester, Scott Kirkpatrick, -- Kirkpatrick.

On January 30, 1851, the California fever broke out anew in this district, and from pri- mary indications, promised to surpass the exodus of the preceding spring. Among the number were the following person who took steamer, via New Orleans, in February : Joseph Stephens. Henry Martin, Chris Boden, Samuel Waters, Mrs. Nancy Crocker, Mrs. Caroline Wasley, Miss Emma Wasley, John Prideaux, Samuel Richards, James Thomas, John Martin, William Opie. John O'Neill, John Tregal, Joseph Murrish, Robert Riddell, Daniel Tilley, John Grey, Joseph Prideaux, Ole Torson, Jonathan Meeker, Thomas Martin.

From Dodgeville-George Tregaskis, William Wallace, Henry Dunstone, Jonathan Car- penter, George Rule, Mrs. J. M. Todd and child, Mrs. G. W. Phillips, John Reed, James Stephens, John Knight, James Smitherann, Henry C. James, William Webster.

CHAPTER XIV.

MINERAL POINT AS A VILLAGE.

CHARTER AND GOVERNMENT-EARLY ORDINANCES-BUSINESS IN 1845-A TEMPERANCE MOVE-OLD MINERS' GUARD-NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS-HO FOR CALIFORNIA !- JAIL BREAKING-MINERS' HONOR-INCENDIARIES AND CHOLERA-THE ORDER OF 1001-LADIES' COLD WATER UNION- BUSINESS IN 1856-OLD BANKS-EDUCATION-NEWSPAPER COMMENTS-EARLY TELEGRAPHK. COMMUNICATION.

CHARTER AND GOVERNMENT.

The gradual improvements made in the tone of society, as well as in the size and needs of the village, up to 1844, necessitated a change in the local management of affairs. It became apparent by this time to every sensible resident, that the "slipshod" habit of gliding along must be abandoned or the general interests of the community would be damaged very materially. The old borough had done its duty in its day, but at this epoch something foreign either to borough or town government was needed. Without entering into unnecessary details of the preliminary proceedings, it may here be stated that the village was formally incorporated by an act of the Legislature of Wisconsin Territory. approved Feb. 11, 1844, entitled " An Act to Incorporate the Trustees of the Village of Mineral Point," which included all of the country in Section 31, the west half of Section 32, in Town 5 north, of Range 3 east, and the north half of Section 6, in Town 4 north, of Range 3 east, in Iowa County. The same was to be known and distinguished as the village of Mineral Point, and the inhabitants were to be incorporated under the name of the "President and Trustees of the Village of Mineral Point."

The legal voters were required to meet at the court house, to decide by ballot whether they would accept the charter or not. The election was held on the 4th of March, 1844, and Will- iain Henry, William Prideaux and Samuel Rich were chosen Judges. There were 157 votes polled, 80 of which were in favor of the charter, and 77 votes against it.

The first regular election was authorized to be held on the third Monday of March, when one President, ex officio Trustee, and four Trustees, one Clerk, one Treasurer, one Assessor and three Constables were to be chosen by ballot. Any other officers needed by the corporation were to be appointed by the Trustees. No one was eligible to office unless a voter of the village. and could not be elected except by a plurality of votes. The polls were only to be opened from 10 o'clock A. M. until 4 o'clock P. M. Vacancies in the offices of President and Trustees were to be filled by special election, while those occurring in the other offices could be filled by appointment.

The duties of the various officers were similar to those performed by the officers of any village corporation, and the Treasurer, in addition to the usual duties, had control of all the money accruing from the sale of town lots. The Constables were to receive the same amount of pay in the village as those in the county precincts. Numerous provisions of a valuable and necessary character were embodied in the charter, appertaining to the fiscal, prudential and municipal management, as vested in the President and Trustees, besides the provision allowing the making of special ordinances.

On January 22 of the same session (1844), an amendment was made to the charter con- cerning the duties of the Collector.

Notwithstanding the incorporation of the village, it was yet connected with the Mineral Point Precinct, except in the matters indicated by the charter, which did not materially alter the general relations sustained : but, as nearly all of the precinct voters lived in the village at that time, it to all intents and purposes constituted the precinet and town, and thereby the rela- tions maintained were not very unhappy for several years.

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HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

EARLY ORDINANCES.

Some of the ordinances of 1844 and a few years later are rather peculiar when compared with those of to-day. We note one permitting persons to kill and appropriate anything of the swine order that might injure or annoy them; also one preventing the ercetion of awnings to extend into the street. One of the first things done by the Village Board of 1844 was to order, for the use of the citizens of the place in case of a fire, two ladders eighteen feet long, two six- teen feet long, two twelve feet long, with spikes at the bottom, and two ten feet long, with hooks at the ends. Leather buckets were also supplied at a later date. As chimneys were the excep- tion and stove-pipes the rule for many years, one of the officers appointed by the Village Trustees in September, 1844, was a "Stove-pipe Supervisor," whose duty it was to perambulate the streets and see that the pipes stuck out of the buildings far enough, and that they were properly prevented from coming in contact with the wood. Another of the chief causes of trouble was powder. The people, being afraid that an explosion would occur, sent in petitions until an ordinance was passed restricting its use, and the manner of keeping it. On one occasion, a report was brought to the Village Board that a horse was lying sick with the glanders. A meet- ing of the fathers was immediately convened and resolutions passed, and, to make sure that the horse was removed, all of those who were present adjourned in a body to attend to the matter, as it was thought the presence of an animal siek with that disease might cause an epidemic in the place. Petitions of all sorts and kinds were being sent in constantly, and, taking the con- dition of affairs throughout into consideration, the holding of office at that time, even, was cer- tainly no sinecure.

BUSINESS CONDITION IN 1845.

In 1845, there were a large number of business firms, the most notable of which were Cur- tis Beech and W. Tilley ; John Milton, T. Foster and Charles Stevenson ; O. J. Minor and Francis Vivian, and I. T. Lathrop. The three principal hotels were the Mansion House, the Franklin House and the Central.

There were a large number of smelters also operating in the vicinity, and hundreds of miners were laboring among the surrounding hills, extracting the precious ores from their clay- lined or rocky beds.

High street by this time had become the principal street, and during a great part of the day was the scene of remarkable business activity. A throng of hardy miners were coming and going constantly. The prices for labor were good, and the cost of goods correspondingly high. and money was plenty, and that in the main, of a thoroughly substantial character. Each day witnessed the arrival of stage loads of tourists, capitalists and miners, who had come either to make, break, or to see the sights in the mining El Dorado of Wisconsin. Speculation of all kinds was rife, and, in a word, Mineral Point was at the height of its mining prosperity, a prosperity which was the real foundation for the present substantial wealth of the city. For, strange as it may seem, the greater part of the money derived from the mining resources was spent here among the merchants and business men, theirs being the real or permanent gain which accrued from the general labor.

A TEMPERANCE MOVE-OLD MINERS' GUARD.

From about this time comes the rumor of a temperance agitation that had taken possession of nearly all circles of society. Meetings were held, and as much of a crusade as the nature of the times and people would admit of, was inaugurated. This eventually resulted in the organi- zation of a lodge of that justly popular and useful order, the Sons of Temperance, the member- ship of which, at one time, embraced a large number of the prominent citizens of the place.

About this time also, a petition was sent into the town authorities. denouncing the groceries as a nuisance, and requesting the suspension of a number of them. However, the " groceries " still continued to operate with little restraint, except such as was imposed by ordinances, which were seldom fully carried out, and by the licenses, which were put as high as $75 for groceries, $50 for taverns, and $40 for merchants.

682

HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

About 1844 or 1845, the old Mineral Point Miners' Guard was organized, with Theodore Rodolf, as Captain ; A. W. Paris, as First Lieutenant ; and William T. Henry. as Second Lieu- tenant. At first there were about one hundred men, but, eventually, owing to the expensive uniform which was adopted, the number of braves dwindled down to less than fifty. The com- pany was supplied with full sets of accouterments and arms by the Governor of the State, and was, during its time, the craek institution of the place. No public gathering was perfect with- out the Guards, and if any young man of that day could afford it, he must needs be a member, and wear a cocked hat and brass buttons, and carry an old long-John Enfield, and enjoy all the glory of military splendor. About the time of the California gold-mines rage, the company was disbanded, the muskets stored away, and until the irruption of the rebellion nothing more was done in a military way. Then the " Miners' Guard " was re-organized with sixty men, the nucleus of whom were the old company. The "Miners' Guards " made their first appearance, armed and equipped, on the 9th day of June, 1860, and were the first to offer their services to the country, and eventually did distinguished service (see war history]. In 1846, while the Mexi- can war was rag.ng, for some inexplicable reason the price of lead ran discouragingly low. and many of the miners, for the sake of change and adventure, went off and joined the army. Dur- ing the summer of that year, Lieut. Francis Henry came to the village from the seat of war. His reception on the occasion was a perfect ovation ; a banquet was served. and toasts and speeches in honor of the heroes of the campaign were the order of the day. None then conjec- tured how much more terrible an ordeal than that, almost over, the country would be called upon to pass in a few years ; yet, when the time came, those here who had formerly celebrated the national achievements, were found ready with heart and hand to perpetuate the institutions sealed to them by their forefathers.

During 1845, in honor of the election of James K. Polk. one of the grandest celebrations ever witnessed here was indulged in by the people to which nearly all parties contributed regardless of political differences. G. W. Jones was the leading spirit of the enterprise, and being ably seconded by thirteen of the handsomest girls in town, on horse back, together with the never-to-be-forgotten Dragoons and Miners' Guards, and in a word, every one that could get out or make a noise. No elaborate description will be necessary to convince any one that the affair was one never to be forgotten by those who participated.

NEWSPAPER EXTRACTS.

The Tribune of 1847, in one of the issues, gives a glowing account of the thrift. enterprise and growth of the place. The " Point" stirred with the hum of busy industry of such magni- tude as to push to the front in advance of all the surrounding inland towns. The streets were thronged with a busy multitude. The stores and shops were filled to repletion with fresh sup- plies, and the miners, smelters and merchants were doing a prosperous business. Fifty new buildings were erected, the most of them of the most substantial materials, as brick and stone, and the greater part of these were scarcely completed before they were occupied ; in truth, the supply was, if anything, less than the demand. There were several commodious mechanic shops in operation, but the amount of work to be done was so far in advance of that of ordinary years that more were needed. Says the Tribune : " The arrivals and departures of prairie schooners are as numerous as that of vessels and steamers at the largest sea port town. There are now in the vicinity of Mineral Point five lead furnaces in successful operation. each produc- ing about 120 pigs of lead per day, which, averaged at 73 pounds, will make for each furnace 18,760 pounds, or an aggregate of 43,800 pounds of lead. We understand that one gentleman has paid for lead during the past season $30,000. The copper furnace of Beech & Co., which has been put in operation within the past two weeks, is now producing from 10,000 to 15.000 pounds of copper per week." But, amid all the prosperity, the editor of the paper was left in straitened circumstances, or paper-rags were scarce, for his sheet appears, coupled with an apology for the same, printed on ordinary wrapping paper. Such are the vicissitudes to which a journalist is exposed while trying to earn his bread in doing public service.

683

HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.

If the building done in 1847 was large, what must we say of 1848, when twice the number of houses were erected, some of them the best of the present day. Certainly, Mineral Point was then growing very rapidly, but a year had not gone by when the whole business aspect of the place was changed.

HO FOR CALIFORNIA !

Ifo for the glorious climate of California! was the cry. Gold ! Gold to be obtained as easily as lead. Hundreds of men of all ages and pursuits started for the land of bright dreams, and the business of Mineral Point came to a stand-still (see general sketch). Hardly had the emigration to El Dorado fairly begun, when a greater enemy to the happiness of the village made its appearance in the shape of Asiatic cholera. If anything was needed to "cap the climax " of unfortunate change, this was it; but now, as during preceding calamities, there was no alter- native for the people who remained, only to make the best of the situation and await the dawn of a better day.

JAIL BREAKING.

One of the exciting episodes of 1848, was the breaking of the jail by Patrick Walch, Henry Brown and Francis MeLary, three desperadoes who were accused of various heinous crimes. A general effort was made to recapture them, but the birds took flight to regions remote, and were never heard from again about the fastnesses of Mineral Point.

MINERS' HONOR.

Although the country all through the early years was over-run with the very roughest of characters, many of whom would not hesitate at any crime, yet, in one respect, they were exceptionally honorable, almost to a man. If a miner bought anything and promised to pay, the promise was almost sure to be fulfilled, sooner or later, as the following will illustrate : A rough-and-ready fellow stepped into Curtis Beech's store one day and asked to be trusted to the amount of $40 or $50, saying that he would pay when he came to town again. He was given the goods, and left, and nothing more was seen of him for two or three years; then, all unexpectedly, one day, he stepped into the store and informed the clerk of whom he bought the goods that he had come to pay his bill, as he said he would the first time that he came to town again. It appears that, when he made the purchase, he intended leaving the country and made an equivocal promise, very likely thinking he could pass his word to pay on his return and neither break his word or do so; but, as it suited his convenience to come back, he was bound, according to the miner's code of honor, to stick to the letter of his word, and he did so.

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History of Iowa County, Wisconsin, Part 100

Author: Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 958

Author:
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 958