USA > Wisconsin > Dodge County > The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin, containing a history of Dodge County, its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc > Part 55
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WHEREAS, Rumors having been industriously circulated throughout the county, charging the County Treasurer with defalcation, and insinuating other offenses amounting to crime ; and
WHEREAS, Said rumors having gained much credence in some localities, thereby greatly injuring the credit of the county and the reputation of the said Treasurer ; therefore
Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed by the Chairman (a majority of whom shall be Republicans), whose duty it shall be to thoroughly investigate all transactions of the said Treasurer with the county, examine alt the books, accounts, vouchers and other papers, and the general condition of the said Treasurer's office, together with the amount of money on hand in each fund available for the purpose for which it was designed, and report to this Board with all convenient dispatch.
The Chair appointed Messrs. George F. Wheeler, of Waupun ; A. J. Smith, of Beaver Dam; Charles Merwin, of Fox Lake; George Schott, of Herman, and John Bird, of Water- town, as such committee. The investigation was commenced at once, and in the Committee's report the following essential facts appear : That Ody W. Traynor, County Treasurer, came before the Committee and made a statement of the available funds in his hands, which showed a deficiency of $4,360.70; that, in answer to an inquiry, Mr. Traynor stated that this amount was in claims he had against the county, which were not then in shape to be presented ; that he
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declined to give any information as to the nature of these claims, on what account or to whom the money had been paid.
The Committee, in pursuing the matter further, found many of the county funds over- drawn, and upon reporting the result of their investigation to the full Board, a demand was made upon the delinquent Treasurer for a surrender of his office. Traynor, by advice of coun- sel, refused to comply with this demand, and, on June 6, 1878, a warrant of arrest was issued, charging him with the embezzlement of $7,000. The final report of the committee claimed the amount of moneys embezzled to be $27,397.30, but owing to a State law, exculpating all officers guilty of irregularities prior to January 1, 1878, Mr. Traynor could only be held in this amount (7,000).
Traynor was taken into custody and held in $35,000 bail, which, at the request of coun- sel, was reduced to $15,000, and afterward to $7,000. The prisoner was then released. The State having withdrawn the original complaint and filed a new one, an investigation followed, resulting in a postponement of the case to the October term, 1878. An information was then filed in the Circuit Court, charging Traynor with the embezzlement of $7,000. The case going over till the March term, 1879, a nolle prosequi was entered and a new information filed, charging him with the embezzlement in one count of $5,000, and in a second count of $1,000. This case was also adjourned to the October term, 1879, and at that term, upon the application of counsel, it was further adjourned to February, 1880.
On the 28th of August, 1878, a civil suit was commenced on the bond of the Treasurer and his bail, claiming a deficiency of $27,756.02. To that complaint the defendant demurred, the demurrer not being argued, and, on September 6, 1879, the District Attorney dismissed the action.
Three days later, another action was commenced, on behalf of the county, against Tray- nor and his bail, claiming a deficiency of $21,645.89. To this the defendant also demurred, the demurrer being sustained, with leave to the county to amend within twenty days. The amendment was duly made, the defendant again demurred, and thus the case stands at the pres- ent writing.
DODGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The chief ambition of the enterprising farmer who has the good fortune to be the possessor of a big pumpkin or a "likely shoat," is to see his peculiar productions exhibited at the county fair, where all his neighbors are sure to be present with similar samples, for which they confi- dently expect first premiums. These annual gatherings are the source of much good. Besides affording the tillers of the soil an opportunity for displaying their blood stock and superior specimens of beets and " sich," it is also a holiday for the children, and a splendid chance for the boys and girls to get acquainted is presented. Then, there's the balloon ascension ; a great many people never went up in a balloon-at one time. This is the leading sensation of the first day. Another feature of the county fair is the " wheel of fortune." No one should fail to see one of these institutions. It is a gem ; a miniature race track, with all the celebrated " fly- ers " entered for the purse. The race can't be "thrown," and the judge is always honest, pays four for one, only comes once a year, "and no humbug." Everybody wins, and the man who sells the blue cards has to telegraph to his wife's father for money to get home with. There are a thousand and one other features about the county fair, but they will recommend themselves. Every county in the Union has a wheel of fortune, and every wheel has a county fair.
But to return to the Dodge County Agricultural Society. It was organized at a public meeting, held in the Court House at Juneau January 22, 1853, by the election of the following officers : G. W. Green, of Beaver. Dam, President ; Martin Webster, of Fox Lake, Vice Presi- dent; Ephraim Perkins, of Juneau, Secretary ; Joel Rich, of Juneau, Treasurer. Executive Committee-Benj. Ferguson, of Fox Lake; H. H. Hendrix, Williamstown ; Gardner Bacon, Theresa; Lorenzo Merrill, Burnett ; Dudley Little, Elba; J. S. Van Orden, Rubicon ; C. S. Birge, Carlton Cleveland and David Barber, Juneau.
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A Constitution was adopted, and over 100 citizens of the county were enrolled as members of the Society, upon the payment of the annual fee of $1. Of the original members, only about twenty-five still remain as residents of the county ; many have gone to their "long home," and others have moved away. Hiram Barber, S. L. Rose, Allen H. Atwater, Benj. Ferguson, Eli C. Lewis, Joel Rich, David Barber, G. C. Gunn, J. C. Brown, O. F. Jones, William M. Den- nis, Charles Weston, G. A. Birge and S. V. R. Haughton are among those still remaining, while among those who have departed are found the names of Charles Billinghurst, Martin Rich, J. M. Sherman, Reuben Farnsworth, Paul Juneau, Isaac Chandler, A. P. Wyman, James Traverse and others.
The first fair of the Society was held at Juneau, probably the same year of its organiza- tion, although the record left shows that it was "on Thursday of last year." Among those receiving premiums were G. C. Gunn, Dr. Atwood, Joel Rich, David Barber, S. H. Coleman, George R. Clapp, F. H. Roper and S. J. Glover, for different kinds of stock; J. C. Brown for poultry and boots ; A. Olson, for buggy ; S. Streeter, for best thrashing machine; Paul Juneau, C. Billinghurst, G. C. Gunn, N. E. Allen, Herman Grube and S. W. Lyman, for vegetables ; and in the ladies' department, Mrs. George R. Clapp, Mrs. Atwater, Mrs. W. H. Lander, Mrs. S. H. Allen, Mrs. J. C. Brown, and others, received premiums for specimens of their handiwork. On miscellaneous articles, a premium of $1 was awarded to ." Rich & Grout, Horicon, for one bar of wrought iron, manufactured this forenoon from the Iron Ridge ore in this county, which is the first of the kind ever made in the county, and the Committee consider it equal to the best Swedes."
The second annual fair was also held at Juneau September 27 and 28, 1854, that place having raised $112.50 for the purpose, while Beaver Dam bid only $100 and Horicon $75; but in the following year Beaver Dam carried off the prize, having paid $177 for the privilege, and the third annual fair was held at " Bicknell's Grove, directly north of the village," on Septem- 20 and 21, 1855. Notwithstanding the fact that it appears extraordinary efforts were put forth to make this fair " far excel all previous exhibitions of the kind in the county," it does seem that the fair was not a success, owing mainly to stormy weather. The display of cattle was " quite limited ; " " in the sheep line, there was no great effort;" "but one pig was entered under the class for swine-but he was a fine one;" "the fancy department abounded with samples of needlework, etc., which is sufficient to convince any one that the ladies of Dodge County are not too proud to work." J. W. Gibson, A. Farlow and Charles Weston carried off a number of premiums for stock.
The first list of life members appears in 1856, and comprises the following : S. L. Rose, Charles Burchard, S. M. Hewlett, R. V. Bogert, H. G. Bicknell, Daniel Bicknell, I. B. Ster- ling, G. C. Gunn, S. N. Rice, Joel Rich and E. C. Hull.
The fourth annual fair was held at Horicon on October 1 and 2, 1856, that place having, previous to July 1 that year, bought and paid for the greatest number of certificates of member- ship. Of the doings at this fair there is no record ; but, at a meeting held at Horicon, December 31, 1856, the Society was re-organized under an act of the Legislature, and the following constitution, which is still in operation, was adopted :
The style of this Society shall be the Dodge County Agricultural Society. Its object shall be to improve the condition of agriculture, horticulture, and the mechanical and household arts.
SECTION 1. The Society shall consist of such citizens of the county as shall signify by writing, their wishes to become members, and shall pay on subscribing not less than one dollar annually thereafter ; also on honorary and corresponding members. The payment of ten dollars or more shall constitute a member for life, and shall exempt . the donor from annual contributions.
SEC. 2. The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, three Vice Presidents, to be located at various parts of the county, a Recording Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, a Treasurer, and Executive Committee con- sisting of the officers above named and the ex-Presidents of the Society, and a General Committee, one of the mem- bers of which shall be located in each of the towns or precincts in the county. Three shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee.
SEC. 3. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Society. The Corresponding Secretary shall carry on the correspondence with other societies, with individuals, and with the general committees, in the further- ance of the objects of the Society.
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SEC. 4. The Treasurer shall keep the funds of the Society, and disburse them on the order of the President or the Executive Committee, countersigned by the Recording Secretary, and shall make their reports of receipts and expenditures at the annual meeting.
SEC. 5. The Executive Committee shall take charge of and distribute and preserve all seeds, plants, books, models, etc., which may be transmitted to the Society, and shall have charge, also, of all communications designed or calculated for publication ; and so far as may be deemed expedient, shall collect, arrange and publish the same in such manner and form as they shall deem best calculated to promote the objects of the Society.
SEC. 6. The General Committee are charged with the interest of the Society in towns or precincts in which they shall respectively reside, and will constitute a medium of communication between the Executive Committee and remote members of the Society.
SEC. 7. There shall be an annual meeting of the Society on the first Wednesday in December, at the village of Juneau, at which time all the officers shall be elected by a majority and by ballot, with the exception of the General Committee for the precincts, which may be appointed by the Executive Committee, who shall have power to fill any vacancies which may occur in the offices of the Society during the interval. Extra meetings may be convened by the Executive Committee by notice published in all the papers of the county which will insert the same gratuitously. Nine members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
SEC. 8. The Society shall hold an annual cattle show and fair at such time and place as shall be designated by the Executive Committee, and also a meeting at the village of Juneau, the first Tuesday of each month during the months of June, July and August, for the purpose of examining, comparing and naming such specimens of fruits, flowers, etc., as may be offered for such purpose.
SEC. 9. No person shall be an officer of the Society, other than Treasurer, unless he shall be at the time of his election, or for a period not less than three years, at some time previously, actively engaged in some of the pursuits whose interest it is the object of the Society to foster ; and as far as practicable in the opinion of the Executive Committee, the same restriction shall apply to the election of the orator to deliver the annual address.
SEC. 10. Immediately upon the adjournment of the annual meeting, it shall be the duty of the Corresponding Secretary to transmit to the Corresponding Secretary of the State Agricultural Society, an official report of the doings of this Society, properly attested by the signatures of the President, Secretary and Treasurer, each to his own department.
SEC. 11. This Constitution may be amended by a vote of the members attending any annual meeting.
THOMAS MARSHALL, President. GEORGE A. BIRGE, Vice Presidents.
JOHN H. CLARK, A. H. ATWATER, Secretary. F. H. ROPER, Treasurer.
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Dated at HORICON, December 31, 1856.
Officers were then elected as follows : Thomas Marshall, President ; Charles Weston, George Birge and John N. Clark, Vice Presidents ; Allen H. Atwater, Secretary ; F. H. Roper, Treasurer. A General Committee, consisting of one from each town, was organized, and some 500 annual and 40 life-members paid their fees.
At a meeting held September 5, 1857, the fair was permanently located at Juneau, and the fifth annual fair held there October 14, 15 and 16, 1857.
For several years, there are no records of the transactions of the Society, or any account of fairs, although such were held every year, possibly with one or two exceptions. The fair of 1874 was held at Beaver Dam, but with that exception Juneau has annually been selected as the place of holding the same.
The annual meeting of the Society is held on the first Monday of each year, at the village of Juneau, at which time and place the officers are elected. The following rules govern the Society and its members :
All entries must be made on or before 10 o'clock Wednesday, September 17. On Tuesday, the fair grounds will be open for the reception of articles for exhibition and making entries. All entries must be made in the name of the producer, maker, inventor or agent, and until entered on the books and properly labeled will not be entitled to a place within the inclosure. Exhibitors cannot have access to the books during the fair, but may, on application to the Secretary, have such necessary explanations as may be deemed necessary. No person can act as judge in a class in which he may be an exhibitor. The decision of the judges is final, except upon the positive proof of fraud, col- lusion or gross mistake. They will report only the articles entitled to premiums. Articles for which no premiums are offered will be entered in the class to which they naturally belong and passed upon by the committee, with such recommendations as may be deemed proper. No article or animal deemed unworthy shall be awarded a premium ; but no premium shall be withheld merely because there is no cempetition. Proper care will be taken of all articles or animals ; but the Society will not be liable for any loss or damage. Bedding and hay for stock will be ample and free. No orders for premiums will be issued by the Secretary until after the expenses are paid. Due notice will be given by the Secretary of the time when the premiums will be paid, and all orders for premiums not called for within sixty days after such notice will be considered donated to the Society. No article or animal shall compete for more than one premium ; but horses entered for premiums in the general exhibition may also compete in all the trials of speed. No article or animal entered for exhibition must be removed from the grounds before 4 o'clock P. M. of Thursday. The General Superintendent will have charge of the grounds under the officers of the Society.
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He will be assisted by the Superintendents in the several classes. The Marshal will maintain order on the fair grounds, and is empowered to make arrests if necessary. The General Superintendent and Marshal may appoint such assistants as may be deemed necessary, subject to the approval of the President and Secretary. The regular entry fee is $1.00, the payment of which entitles the person paying it to exhibit as many articles or animals as he may desire, and to a ticket, which will admit him to the grounds during the fair. No entry fee, however, will be charged for articles entered under Division G.
Life Membership Tickets, admitting the lawful holder, his wife and minor children, to all the fairs of the Soci- ety, and a ballot in the election of officers, $10.00. Annual Membership Tickets, admitting the lawful holder, his wife, and children under ten years old, to the annual fair, and to a ballot in the election of officers, $1.00 Single Admission Tickets, 25 cents. Season Tickets for one person, good during the fair, 50 cents. Carriage Tickets, admitting single or double carriage once, the occupants being supplied with tickets, 25 cents. Season Carriage Tick- ets, admitting single or double carriage during the fair, the occupants being supplied with tickets, 50 cents. No admission fee will be charged on the first day of the fair.
The present officers of the Society are : President, J. H. Dunham, Juneau. Vice Pres- idents-James Goodwin, Rubicon ; S. R. Jones, Hustisford ; Henry Phillips, Oak Grove; James Webster, Elba, and Peter Davy, Ashippun. Secretary, W. T. Rambusch, Juneau ; Treasurer, Barber Randall, Hustisford ; General Superintendent, W. D. Warner; Marshal, George W Hargraves.
DODGE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.
In 1875, there was formed, at Juneau, a society having for its object the special mainte- nance of an agricultural society. The grounds on which were held the annual exhibition of the Dodge County Agricultural Society were about to be lost, and it became necessary that steps should be at once taken to obtain control of and hold them for that purpose. A company was formed, composed of some of the best citizens of the county, the grounds purchased, and, by them, held for the purposes named. No fair has ever been held by the Association as yet, the grounds being leased to the old society each year.
HEALTH OF THE COUNTY.
Upon the question of health in Dodge County, we have yet to find the " doctors who dis- agree ; " they all say that business is dull. Thirty years ago, the ague was the prevailing disease, and the "shakes" was a frequent visitor in almost every household, especially in the marshy regions. It is the belief of not a few scientific gentlemen that the main cause of so much sick- ness of this character was the great amount of decaying vegetation consequent upon the num- berless acres of new land then being plowed. The dire effects of the malaria thus created were intensified by the susceptibility of the fatigued and exposed settlers. The most economic home comforts were then regarded as luxuries. The main object was to have enough to eat, and that with regard to quality. The attention of the pioneer was so thoroughly absorbed in this direction that he was liable to pass his first winter here in a roofless shanty, and, when he lay down at night, the eyes of a thousand worlds winked at him through the cracks and openings in his log house.
The prevailing diseases in Dodge County, at the present time, are typhoid fever, pneumonia, consumption and scarlatina. Of the two former diseases, the percentage is about twenty-five of typhoid fever, and fifty of pneumonia. There are but few cases of consumption originating in the county. Scarlatina is the most dangerous; but the visitations of this disease are rare, and of mild type.
ANCIENT RELICS.
Dodge County affords a rich field for the archæologist. Hidden within the numerous earth- mounds and Indian graves to be found throughout the county, are very many curious articles, some the design of Indians, and others, scientists tell us, the workmanship of members of a pre- historic race. Arrow-heads, spears, axes and "fleshers," all made of stone, are common objects to be seen in the houses of almost every one with taste for preserving such things. Michael Shafer, of Beaver Dam, has, perhaps, the largest collection of curiosities to be found in the county. His specimens include a large number of interesting native articles and several
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wonderful relics, whose age, history and the circumstances of their discovery make them as rare as they are remarkable. Among other things he exhumed from the musty recesses of his curiosity shop and exhibited to the writer, was a signet or seal ring, weighing, perhaps, one-third of an ounce, and made of a composition not unlike that used in the manufacture of bells at the pres- ent day. The face of the seal is about the size of a twenty-cent piece, and bears the inscrip- tion, " G. B. 1575." An impression from it in wax reveals a corn-knife, an arrow-head and a wreath representation of Indian corn leaves. The ring was found by Mr. Shafer twenty years ago, eight inches below the sod, between the soil and clay, near the dam that confines Beaver Lake. Near it was also found an Indian tomahawk, of the same metal, artistically carved and finished, the bowl of a pipe taking the place of the poll of the utensil, the designer-who must have been a Yankee-evidently desiring to make it convenient for Mr. Indian to scalp his man and then smoke the pipe of peace over the quivering remains. The able county official who, when informed recently that "Old Dodge" was soon to be spread upon the pages of history, replied that he failed to see the necessity for anything of the kind, will certainly admit the great value of history when he is told that, though the wonderful articles just described are over three hundred years old, and were found where they had probably lain one or two hundred years before the advent of a people with hands deft enough to manufacture them, there exists-thanks to the historian-an insignificant-looking book called "Smith's History of North America," written in the last century, that explains the whole thing. We reproduce our friend Smith's version of the strange affair for the benefit of our learned friend, the aforesaid county official. Our authority states that, as early as 1575, there existed in London a firm whose business was the manufacture of trinkets of this character; that they owned two sailing vessels, which plied back and forth between the Gulf of Mexico and the river Thames, engaged in carrying these articles to America, where they were disposed of to the natives (Indians) for their weight in gold or silver. Mr. Smith, by virtue of his profession, having consigned to us the history of that ring until it reached the soil of free and glorious America, we have now but to record the very natural hypothesis that the "noble red man" into whose hands the ring first fell, was robbed by an Indian agent, who fled to Wisconsin and was drowned in the Beaver Dam pond while trying to escape from Mr. Shafer, who suspected the fugitive had upon his person "a valuable specimen."
Of coins, Mr. Shafer has a Prussian piece made in 1690, and one of French mintage, bearing date of 1392. Mr. S. is also the possessor of a book printed in London some time between 1666 and 1670, containing the court records of the trial and execution of twelve men who were concerned in the beheading of Charles I., of England.
There is, in possession of the family of Mrs. Shaw, of Beaver Dam, a relic of the Revolu- tion, in the form of a powder-horn marked "Hiram Cutting, 1776-Give me Liberty or Give me Death." It was carried by Mr. Cutting at the battles of Bunker Hill, Ticonderoga and several other historical encounters between our patriot forefathers and the British.
DODGE IN THE WAR.
The year 1861 will be an ever-memorable one in the history of Dodge County. On the 4th day of March, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President of the United States. For months previous, a portion of the Southern States had been threatening to destroy the Union in the event of the election of Mr. Lincoln. Their threats were thought to be but idle boasts, to which the loyal men of the country gave but little heed. Even after resolutions of secession had been passed by some of the States, the citizens of the North could not believe the evidence shown, but insisted that all that was wanted by the South was additional guarantees that their "peculiar institution " should not be disturbed. Soon there came a time when the "scales should be removed from their eyes," and they should see plainly the objects of the ultra men of the South. On the 12th day of April, after demanding its surrender, the rebels opened fire upon Fort Sumter. For hours, an incessant cannonading was continued; the fort was being injured severely ; provisions almost gone, and Maj. Anderson was compelled to lower the stars
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