USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > Pioneer history of Milwaukee > Part 36
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DURAND & LAWRENCE.
John M. Durand and Judah M. Lawrence ; these gentlemen came to Milwaukee from Keesville, N. Y., in 1850, and opened a store at 85 East Water, (now 283,) for the sale of green and dried fruits, &c. where they remained until 1852, when they built the brick store now No. 315 East Water, then the best store on the street, the puff upon it in the Sentinel occupying nearly a column, where they remained until 1856, (having added groceries to their stock in the meantime,) when they dissolved, Mr. Lawrence retiring. Since which time, he has been a capitalist, and out of the mercantile business. Mr. Lawrence is in many respects a remarkable man. He is of that class who are termed " self made " men. And his success shows clearly that he is at all times relf reliant. He first makes up his mind what is the best thing to do in business matters, and then does it, utterly regardless of what others would have done or thought he ought to have done in the premises. He is also very reticent, particularly with strangers. He walks very slow, usually with his eyes cast upon the ground, his head turned a little to one side, (the right,) as if in deep thought, his eyes being half closed and apparently oblivious to everything going on around him. This however is not so, nothing escapes his notice when on the street or in the Chamber
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of Commerce. He is one of the most conscientious men the writer knows and could under no circumstances be induced to do a mean act, or state what is not true, neither do I believe there is a man in the city, who ever heard him use a profane or vulgar word. He is at peace with all men, and intends to keep so. He has ac- cumulated a large property, that he knows how to take care of, and enjoys life as he goes along, in a quiet and unostentatious manner, and although not a member of any church, pays liberally for the support of them, as well as for every worthy charity. He has now reached the autumn of life, and holds himself ready for a call at any hour.
Mr. Durand is of a different mould. He is aggressive and loves money simply for the power it gives him. He removed to Chicago, many years ago and has become very wealthy ; but for want of an education, cannot enjoy it as he would like to. He also I believe has retired from active business, and is traveling in " Europe," where
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he is occasionally heard from. Mr. Lawrence always tries to do good for its own sake. Mr. D. for notoriety's sake.
Spring St. Bridge gets out of order again this spring, upon which Gen. King goes for it in the Sentinel; just hear his lament :
This venerable structure is, we regret to say, (he lied when he said that,) in a very bad way. Its back is broken, it is shaky in the knees, and paralyzed in its extremities, in fact its whole system is badly deranged. The City Fathers have held a consultation over it, and prescribed various remedies, but all to no purpose, it is evidently past cure. Would it not be an act of mercy to put it out of pain ?
The old thing, notwithstanding it was an eye-sore to every one, was patched up again by the city "dads," in hopes that it would last a while longer.
THEY HAD TO COME DOWN.
In order to divert the attention of the people from the "bridge," the Council passed an ordinance to cut off the awning posts on East Water Street, which raised another row among the "tailors," but they had to come down.
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS. AN ADDITIONAL SCHOOL BUILDING CALLED FOR.
There was an urgent call for an additional public school in the First Ward, to be located somewhere in the vicinity of Mason and Jefferson Streets, based upon a census made by A. W. Hatch, then the assessor, which census shows the following facts: That while it cost $9,540 to teach 607 in private schools, it cost only $6,600 to teach 2,000 in the public. Comment was unnecessary.
Commercial Herald changed to the Morning News this year. The following notice appeared :
Messrs. Daniel Shaw and Geo. Hyer, publish in yesterday's Commercial, the prospectus of a new daily Democratic paper, to be called the Milwaukee Morning News, and to be commenced on the 15th of May, or as soon thereafter as the new type, &c., ordered for the News, come to hand. The News takes the place of the Commercial, which dies with the other's birth. Mr. Shaw has been reputably connected with the democratic press in New York, and Mr. Hyer is well known to the party in Wisconsin. We do not doubt that their joint labors will secure to the democratic party in this city and vicinity, a much more efficient organ than they have hitherto enjoyed.
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APPLICATIONS FOR OFFICE.
We commend to all applicants for office, the model style of the public's old acquaintance, Chas. Grotke, who stands by the city authorities so faithfully and successfully. Here is his last proposition :
" My Lords, very high Sublime Select to the Gentle Office of Council, in the Chief-City Milwaukee, and especially I have reason to direct my own respectfully recommendation of myself, to the Gentle Aldermans of the first Ward, in regard on the Business of Tending the New Bridge of Division & Chesnut Street, 1 hope of Your Gentle Kindness, to put me again in the said watch care.
I almost respectfully entreaty your real Honesty my dear Sirs of Alderman, 10 grant me a monthly reward of Dollar 10, 50 cts. (it is very small in compare to the other Bridge tending man. )
With the highest estimation, and Divine Gratulation, I wish your integrity much health &, happy, by a very good blessed Arrangement of Jehova, & even the whole Gentle Council to
Your obedient Servant,
CHARLES GROTKE.
Milwaukee May 11th 1852.
Mr. Grotke favored the citizens with quite a number of similar epistles in his day, he was a gem, i. e., a literary one.
THE LICENSE QUESTION.
Milwaukee's bone of contention in 1852, was the license question,* just the same as it is to day.
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It commenced in 1849, grew to the size of a riot in 1850, and broke out again in 1852, several meetings were held at the Milwau- kee House, northeast corner of Main and Huron Streets, in the month of January, 1849, from Ist to 20th, at which as has already been seen, resolutions were offered requesting the Common Council to make those who had not paid, do so, or else they (the Council) step down and out. Neither was done, however.
CELEBRATION.
The celebration of the glorious Fourth came this year on Sunday, and the Germans, who did most of the celebrating in those days- the Fourth of July in particular-celebrated it on that day. A lengthy and somewhat bitter newspaper discussion grew out of it, in
** This question like Banquo's ghost, although often laid, still wouldl rise Io trouble its defenders, and will continue to rise until laid to rest in a proper manner.
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which Mr. Roesler, a German patriot, who had just escaped from a Prussian dungeon,* and some one who signed himself " Americus," were the combatants. The American part of the community were justly indignant at this insult to our laws. Some pretty strong lan- guage was made use of by " Americus," to which the Banner replied in language equally chaste. The Germans, however, were not all on the side of Mr. Roesler, as the following article will show :
Mr. Editor :
I have been in this country seven years, and a democrat all the time. I came, as thousands of others have done, to enjoy liberty, and expect to abide by the laws of the land. But some of my countrymen (shame to them) are bound to resist the laws by desecrating the Sabbath. They are a class of self rule or ruin men, who don't believe in God, or the devil. They did all they could to make the Germans celebrate on Sunday. I hope this question will be agitated until this wicked Sabbath breaking shall be stopped, and you will always find a large por- tion of the Germans with you in this matter.
A GERMAN DEMOCRAT.
'This discussion finally ended in a petition to the common council, as follows :
To the Mayor and Common Council:
The undersigned, citizens of Milwaukee, respectfully represent to your honor- able body, that in direct contravention of the laws of Wisconsin, the endanger- ment of public morals, and scandal of our order loving community, public balls are held every Sunday night at Mozart's Hall, on Spring St. Hill, and Bieldfeldt's Garden, in the First Ward, and at several other places in the city, and we humbly request your honorable body to take such necessary measures as shall prevent a repetition of it in future.
This petition was signed by over fifteen hundred of the best citi- zens, but it availed nothing. Neither was it checked in, the least, until Horace Chase was elected mayor, in 1862, who closed them up, during his official term, and for doing which they never forgave him.
These Sunday orgies are doing more to demoralize the youth of both sexes in our city than all the other evils of the day combined. The saloon we always had, but this was an attack upon the sanctity
* The articles of Mr. Roesler were published in the Banner and Volksfriend. They were scandalous and should have indcited their author. Mr. Roesler's idea of liberty was, to say the least, " un-American."
.
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of the Sabbath that the American people did not contemplate when they made this country a refuge for the oppressed from the old world. What think you would have been the result had we gone to Germany and undertaken to violate their laws? would the govern- ment have permitted it ? certainly not. neither should ours. This open violation of all that Americans have been taught to hold sacred should not be allowed. Will the politicians think of this before it is everlastingly too late ?
MIGRATION OF INSECTS.
Among the wonderful sights witnessed in Milwaukee connected with insect ology, was the migration of the dragon flies, or devil's darning needles, as they are usually called, on the 28th of June. Happening to go up to the lake bluff, at the head of Division Street, on the morning of that day, I found myself surrounded by a perfect cloud of these insects. They came from the northeast and flew to the southwest. They came directly up the slope of the bank and apparently out of the lake. There were millions of them. This hegira lasted for two days, during which the number did not appear to diminish in the least. Where they came from and where they went to is to this day a conundrum, but it was certainly one of the most wonderful sights that I ever witnessed; it beat the invasion of toads mentioned in Vol I.
IMPORTANT TO MANY -- A PUFF FOR NORTH POINT.
In the Sentinel of July Ist, under the above caption, we find the following :
Mr. Editor :
The respective merits and prospects of the east and west sides of the Milwau- kee River, within the city limits, (rather small at that time) has been the subject matter of much discussion among those whose residence or business gives an interest to their locality. North Point is destined to become a favorite building spot, and so also is the avenue which is the continuation of Spring Street for some three miles out. East Water Street is also a busy thoroughfare, but West Water will be equally good, as it has all the advantages of the railroad terminus.
If this writer was not a prophet, he was pretty good at guessing. The First Ward is a beautiful place for residences particularly the upper portion of it, and is now fast filling up with costly dwellings,
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but it was a long time in getting into line. It will, however, be all oc- cupied in time with the homes of the wealthy up as far as Ferny Brae, but it cannot after all excel the west side in beauty nor for residence property, as those living west of Eighth Street have all the advantages of a view of the lake without the disadvantages of its moist and chilly winter atmosphere, besides all those living south of Grand Avenue have an unobstructed view of the Menomonee Val- ley with its countless railroad trains as well as the whole southern portion of the city, and 20 years more will make the bluff along both sides of this valley (more particularly the north side) the most beautiful spot on the west shore of Lake Michigan, at least such is my prediction as to the future of this valley as the following rem- iniscence will show.
THE MENOMONEE VALLEY-ITS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.
When a stranger first visits Milwaukee and takes a stroll over the higher and thickly settled portions of the city, he cannot fail to ad- mire the beauty of the location, and, if he chance to be a business man, to see the natural advantages it can boast over many if not all western towns, advantages that will make it, at no distant day, the most beautiful, as well as the most wealthy commercial emporium west of New York. But while admitting this fact, he would naturally ask, what are you going to do with those immense marshes, (more par- ticularly the Menomonee) by which the south and west portions of your city are cut in twain, that is even to-day, although dotted here and there with the marks of civilization and improvement, nominally as completely in a state of nature as it was forty years ago, in fact a foul and fathomless abyss of mud and water, and in place of growing better, is rapidly growing worse, in consequence of the filth poured into it from the slaughtering establishments with which it is adorned, as- sisted by our splendid sewerage system, and such is the magnitude that had it been located on the other side of the lake it would have bred sufficient fever and ague to have shaken the hair off the heads of every man, woman and child in the Peninsular state inside of thirty days. Now I am not surprised that this problem should have presented itself first and foremost to a stranger, for its solution was an ever present conundrum to all the thinking portion of our own
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people up to the last fifteen years, since which time most of the present improvements have been made. And as several have expressed a wish to know how soon (if ever) this marsh would be filled and made available for business, I have concluded to tell them (in con- fidence) all about it. The laws that govern trade and commerce, are as arbitrary as are those of nature, consequently, this marsh which so nearly resembles that famous Florida plantation (upon which its owner claimed to have raised 200 bushels of frogs to the acre and alligators enough to fence it) and that could not have been sold or given away forty years ago, had it not been included within the section lines which bounded the adjoining hill sides has come at last into favor. The Hon. E. D. Holton, the Burnhams and a few others, thinking they saw a bonanza hidden beneath its murky depths, went in a few years since and obtained possession of a small portion of it for a song, and are happy. And now this unsightly place, the ancient home of the muskrat and the snapping turtle, (C-serpentinus) specimens of which have been caught there weighing fifty pounds ; the mud hen (or coot) the filthiest of all American water fowl; the bittern, whose euphonious American cognomen was such a puzzle to Johnny Crapo, and that frisky little yellow-legged water bird, the rail, (rallus carolinus,) who in the amount of noise he can make, and his ability to dodge, so much resembles the politician -a place where wild geese used to congregate by the thousands and ducks by the million, and off from whence I have seen them rise in flocks that fairly darkened the sun; that store house from whence the red man was accustomed to draw most of his supplies, from out whose sedges it was a daily occurrence, in the olden time, to see Paul Vieu, or Tee-pa-kee-nee-nee (alias Capt. Morgan) emerge with a hundred ducks apiece, the product of a morning's hunt within its hidden recesses, and from whence many an unsophisticated youth of Calvinistic proclivities has on account of the idiosyncrasy of his canoe (and his own inexperience in its management) returned a deep water Baptist,* to his great disgust ; and where the fish that came on
* This was a great place for duck shooting, and many a ducking has been taken there by the upsetting of the canoes of the unsophisticated youthis (and some of the sophisticated ones too), by turning partly round in order to hit the fleeing bird when rising. And there are probably fifty guns buried in its oozy depths that will never be recovered.
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it in the spring months could be taken by the cart-load-is soon to put on new apparel, and not only become a center of business but in some sense a thing of beauty.
Geologically speaking, that was the " eocine " period, the present is the " miocene," and the " pliocene," upon which it is about enter- ing, will make it, like the adjoining hill sides, a place where man can dwell and labor.
Twenty years more, with the present rapid march of improvement, will not only obliterate every trace of its former condition, but will convert it into the most valuable business property in the city.
Within that time Burnham's canal will have been extended up and beyond the present cut-off and cattle yard and will become the main outlet of the Menomonee.
Upon its southern bank will be located lumber, coal and wood yards (the brick yards will probably have disappeared) planing mills, etc., while the one next north, upon which stands the present ele- vator E, will also have been extended up to the cut-off upon which an additional number of elevators will be built when needed, leaving the space between these two canals to be occupied as now with tracks for passenger trains. The intervening space between the last mentioned canal and the present Roger's canal will at that time all be in possession of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Com- pany. The slaughtering establishments and the shipyard will have been removed to more convenient quarters, and the whole inter- vening space between these canals from the cut-off to the present elevator A, will have been filled up and covered with tracks for freight trains. The Rogers canal may perhaps be extended west to near the cut-off, in order to obtain more room for lumber and coal yards, and connect with the other by a transverse cut. This done, the whole marsh will have become one of the most convenient and mammoth railroad yards in the west, and, taken in connection with the magnificent shops recently erected above the cut-off, will afford a panorama unequaled. The bluffs upon both sides will then have more than doubled in value. Their tops will have been cut sufficient to bring the streets leading north and south of an easy grade, while viaducts will connect the Fourth and Eighth Wards, leaving the entire valley clear for the passage of the two hundred and
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fifty or more trains that will enter the city daily by that route alone when that time shall have come against eighty that enter to-day.
Along these bluffs will be seen many beautiful and costly dwellings, the abodes of wealth and refinement, for notwithstanding that our city contains many wealthy men it will contain many (Mr. Mitchell and one or two others excepted) that will be much wealthier twenty years from now, who will vie with each other in the costliness of their dwellings and style of living, and who will crown these hill sides with every thing beautiful that money can buy.
Such will be the appearance of the present Menomonee valley in 1900. In place of storing 3,000,000 01 4,000,000 bushels of wheat, we shall store 10,000,000 ; in the slaughtering of hogs we shall rival Chicago ; in place of being dependent mostly upon Iowa and Min- nesota for wheat and pork as now, the whole region to the Rocky Mountains will pay us tribute ; our population will then have reached 250,000, and our railroads (if we are true to our own interests) will connect us with every part of this broad land, and Milwaukee will be in fact, what she is already in name, the Queen City of the Lakes.
INVASION.
A second invasion of batrachians, (toads,) occurred July 28. They were like grasshoppers for multitude for a few hours, when they all disappeared as silently as they came.
FIRST GAS MAIN LAID IN THE RIVER.
The East and West sides were connected with a gas main laid up- on the bottom of the river at Wisconsin Street, this year, August 19. The main was of boiler iron, manufactured by John Cummings and put into place by S. H. Martin. A young German lad named Frank Batz, was accidently killed by the falling of a derrick used in laying down this main.
ASTRONOMY.
July, 1852, had two full moons, the ist and 30th a coincidence that has not occurred before since 1776, when it occurred on the same day.
P. S. This was not filched from Prof. Kroeger's Almanac : he does not know it yet.
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Eight hundred and sixty-five more voters made this year, for a $1 each, just before election. One hundred and eighty-eight Whigs and six hundred and seventy-seven Democrats. How is that for high?
YOUNG'S HALL REBUILT.
The fire in February last, which destroyed the large and handsome brick block, then just completed, on the corner of Wisconsin and Main streets, was a serious calamity to the enterprising owner, Mr. W. P. Young. Although he lost heavily by the disaster, he went to work to rebuild the block, and one-half is now nearly finished. In the second story of the new building is " Young's Hall," a spacious and elegant apartment, exceedingly well adapted to concerts, balls, lectures, &c., and other public entertainments. The hall is 120 feet length, 50 feet in width, and 24 feet from floor to ceiling. A large stage oc- cupies one end and a spacious gallery the other. It is to be lit with gas, two splendid chandeliers having been provided for that purpose. The Hall is about ready for occupation, and will be extensively " patronized " during the winter. We hear that Engine Company No. I proposes to give their second annual ball there on Christmas Eve.
MILWAUKEE'S FIRST DEPOT.
In the Wisconsin of August 19, 1852, is a mention of the erection of the "depot," at the foot of Second street, for the then Milwaukee & Prairie du Chien Railroad, now a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul. This was the first " passenger depot " ever erected in the State, and has a history. It was looked upon with pride at this time, as not only a wonderful piece of architectural skill, but also as an indication of what might be expected of the Company in the coming years. It was upon the platform of this little building, that the Mil- waukeans were wont to congregate to witness the arrival and depart- ure of the one daily passenger train, the neucleus of the present mammoth corporation, or to take a seat in the cars for Janesville or Madison themselves. It was a lively place, as the business of the road increased in volume, until the change of ownership, as well as the change of the business center, took the trains to the "South Side," after which like a lone pine in a deserted field, it was alone in that half abandoned yard, as a memento of where stood the first passen- ger train in the State, started on its journey to the Mississippi. It was finally converted in a freight office and used as such until the completion of the present mammoth warehouse and office on Fowler St. in 1883, after which it was removed to the East Side of Second
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street, directly in rear of No. 31 West Water street, and converted into an office for John Bailey, master car builder on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, by whom it is occupied to-day. What memories cling around this old building, the removal of which obliterated the last of the early railroad buildings, all but this having disappeared long ago. Here Edwin Bridgeman, the first conductor in the State, began his railroad life. Here Sherburne S. Merrill, the present general manager of the now mammoth corporation, began, at the foot of the ladder as the conductor of a gravel train, in 1851. Here Edward H. Brodhead began as superintendent, in 1852. Here Hubbard C. Atkins,* late general superintendent of the La Crosse, Prairie du Chien the Milwaukee and Chicago and Chicago & Coun- cil Bluffs Divisions, Lewis B. Rock, of the Northern, Daniel A. Olin, Racine & Southwestern, George W. Sanborn of the Iowa, Dakota & Omaha Divisions, all commenced their railroad life, at the foot of the ladder. Also Edwin C. Brown, superintendent of the Milwaukee Cen- tral and the Michigan Southern, and Sherburne Sanborn, the present superintendent of the Winona & St. Peter Branch of the Chicago & North-Western, are both graduates from this first depot. Here Ed- ward Emery sold candy, two sticks for a cent apiece, and Johnny Mitchell, answered " divil a know I know," to nearly every question asked him.t
Let us hope that the Railroad Company will keep this old first depot in good repair, and that its time-honored walls shall never be disgraced by being converted into a rag store or a saloon.}
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