Dane County WI Archives History - Books .....Madison - Personal Recollections 1877
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Book Title: Madison, Dane County And Surrounding Towns...

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS.

  IN compiling a history in which events of a general character are recorded,
many interesting anecdotes and pleasing personal recollections are frequently
unintentionally omitted. We purposed giving our readers a chapter on "Personal
Incidents of Pioneer Life," but our space forbids recording more than the
following, the first of which, furnished us by the Hon. Geo. B. Smith, is a
simple narative of an act, so genuinely unselfish, that it will be rare to find
its equal any where.

  A GOOD many years ago an incident occurred here in Madison, illustrating high
integrity, great generosity and singular unselfishness, which I think should be
preserved.

  Among the early settlers of Madison were two single men, Robert Moore, an
Englishman, and James Dow, a Scotchman. Robert was always called "Bob," and
James "Jimmie." Jimmie Dow lived always, when I knew him, all alone in a sort of
hole in the ground on the Sauk road, about two miles west of Madison. "Bob"
lived in town with old Uncle John Mallow, a brickmaker, with a large family.
"Bob " often visited "Jimmie" at his cabin, in fact, I think he made "Jimmie's"
house his headquarters. They were both genial, jolly good fellows, and both
excessively fond of their toddy. "Bob " was famous as a whistler. Every year,
for many years, he used to whitewash the old Capitol fence, when he would always
draw crowds by his remarkable whistling. "Jimmie" was a well digger, and often
worked at day's work with his team of mules, which he always owned while I knew
him. He could repeat Burns' poems by the hour, and always, to use his own
expression, as "dry as afesh." One afternoon "Bob" went out to "Jimmie's" and in
the evening feeling quite unwell, he startled his friend "Jimmie" by telling him
he was sure he should not live until morning. "Jimmie" protested that he was
only fidgety and frightened. "Bob," was deeply impressed that he should die that
night, and he said: "'Jimmie,' I owe you for borrowed money thirty or forty
dollars, and I owe Uncle John Mallow more than that for board. Now, Jimmie, I am
sure I shall die before morning, and if I do, I want you to take my gun and a
note I have against a man in Columbus for $30, all I have in the world, and give
them to Uncle John, for he is poor and has a large family to support, and you
must lose your debt. If I live, I will pay you both." "Jimmie" said he would.
Sure enough, "Bob" did die that night. When the funeral was over "Jimmie" took
the gun and the note to Uncle John Mallow, and that very morning he brought the
note to me at my house for collection, and told me this story. I collected the
note, Mallow got his pay— "Jimmie" lost his debt. "Jimmie" remained here for a
few years after the death of Bob, but finally left; where he went to I do not
know. Two or three years ago he returned to visit his old friends, but this was
no place for "Jimmie." I did not see him, but those who did, said he was still
as "dry as a fesh."

  MR. E. M. WILLIAMSON says that Berry Haney and Pelkie, the Frenchman referred
to on page 26, had the dispute about a claim of land in Cross Plains, and Haney
shot the Frenchman through the thigh, the ball entering the folding leaf of a
cherry table, and which for years afterwards was shown by Haney to his friends
as a curiosity. Haney, however, took care of Pelkie until his final recovery.

  MR. E. BURDICK relates that Haney at one time borrowed $50 of him and tendered
him his note, which he, Burdick, refused, remarking that it was a matter of
honor between Haney and himself, and all he wished was that the money should be
returned at a given date. Haney was never known to honor his note, but this
matter of verbal promise to pay was the highest form of integrity to him, and on
the appointed day Haney passed over the lawful amount with a nervous earnestness
that he never was known to experience, at any other time when his note of hand
fell due.

  ADAM SMITH, of Sun Prairie, who was at one time a partner of Abel Rasdall,
relates an incident which, we believe, has never been recorded before. Rasdell
kept a trading store on the east side of King and Webster streets, and on one
occasion a young Indian entered his store and attacked him, with an open knife.
Rasdell was unarmed, but after guarding the blows, was finally able to wrench
the knife from the hands of the Indian, and though wounded across the back of
his fingers, pursued him out into the street, where he caught and threw him
down, and then struck at with the knife, while he held him down with one hand.
The knife each time struck a heavy buckskin belt the Indian wore, and thus
failed to injure him. The father of the young man coming up at the time, rushed
up to Rasdall and besought him to spare the life of his son and take his, as he
was an old man and had few moons to live. The appeal touched the heart of
Rasdall, and though naturally rash and vindictive, he allowed the young man to
get up and go off with his father without farther molestation.

  WM. WELCH, Esq., speaking of the good sayings and good things that are left
slumbering in obscurity, for want of proper care in the preserving of them, and
which would go far to the exclusion of so many trashy books that are palmed off
on the public, relates the following in his Home Diary: "In 1857, the law firm
of Welch & Lamb was established, and with their extensive acquaintance in the
county, clients multiplied apace, and among them Mr. John Foreman, late of
Deerfield. In 1860, the State Fair was appointed to be held in Madison; and Mr.
Welch, making Mr. Foreman a friendly visit at his farm, bargained for a dozen
spring chickens for home consumption, and a crock of good butter, which John and
his wife were to bring to Madison when they made a visit to the Fair, and to
stay over night at Mr. Welch's. John and his wife came according to agreement,
with chickens and butter, and passing on through town stopped at the house of
Mr. Lamb, who, eyeing the chickens, eloquently persuaded the couple to leave
their merchandise with him, as it would be all right, it making no particular
difference which of the partners were made happy by the possession of the fowls,
and so quietly passed them from John into a convenient smoke house that served
as a preservative by smoke or otherwise. John and his wife, after satisfying
themselves with sight seeing at the Fair, returned to Welch's for night
quarters, and after supper related their adventure with Mr. Lamb; and unwilling
to disconcert the sunshine and joy on the honest face of the two good souls,
Welch admitted it would be all right. But so foul a deed rankled in the breast
of Welch, and he mentally shouted revenge. Peter Parkinson, Jr., Mr. Welch's
respected brother-in-law, driving up to the house at the time, Welch opened to
him his budget of grief, and both agreed to carry the war out that very night."
Proceeding to the house of Lamb, and satisfying themselves that everything was
quiet in the house, they stealthily crept up to the smoke house, and carefully
removing a temporary door, commenced wringing the necks of the chickens, and had
nearly completed their operations when, to their horror and consternation, a
large dog rushed out at them, but which proving to be a six months old
Newfoundland, they readily made friends with him, and finishing their work of
blood, took with them both the dog and chickens. The following morning the girl
prepared the chickens for breakfast, and was assisted by Mrs. Foreman, who
declared that the chickens "looked for all the world just like those John and
her had brought to Deacon Lamb's." When Lamb reached the office in the morning,
Welch observed some perturbation of feeling on his countenance, but supposing
his own imagination was working equally strong, said nothing until asked by Lamb
if Foreman and wife had stayed with him over night, which being answered in the
affirmative, he again asked if they had come up town again the same evening, and
being answered in the negative, was asked why he made these inquiries, when he
proceeded to relate the night's theft, and how he had traced the foot prints of
both a man and a woman in his lot, and had them measured by stick and rule. At
this juncture, Welch involuntarily withdrew his protruding foot and sublimely
disclaimed against all hen roost thieves, until Lamb, thoroughly satisfied that
he had no clue to the robber, quietly charged himself with the chickens, and for
fifteen long years remained ignorant of the above facts, although brother
Parkinson with some twinge of conscience, tried to make reparation by presenting
Lamb with the half of a hog."

  MADISON has been long noted for her excellent staff of house and sign
painters, and sometimes in the display of the latter their patience and good
sense have been strongly imposed on. In one of the wards of our city lying
between here and Cottage Grove, one of our good, quiet and honest Germans had
started a small grocery store, and desired the aid of an artist of the brush to
prepare him a suitable sign for the proper announcement of his merchandise. The
terms and price not being satisfactory, our good neighbor bargained for the use
of paint and brush, as he had once some knowledge of the art himself, and could
do a "leetle dat vay." After a labored effort he produced the following: "Lager
Beer and So—me Groceries." Another equally as good might be seen in the First
ward of our city, and reads: "Going out doing whitewashing taken in here."

  EDUCATION" is a great helper if it is not always a great elevator; but which
it is, we are not prepared to say, after reading the following, prepared and
held by one of our painters for years for the expense incurred in its execution
for a practicing physician in a neighboring village, and which was tastefully
lettered: "Dr. Wilber B. Dodge, M. D., Physician and Surgeon." In the making of
books, says the wise man, there is no end, and so might it be added with regard
to professional titles. They are weightier than the pretended owners of them.

  WHEN Pinneo, the shingle weaver, was in want of a drink, he was accustomed to
go to Squire Seymour, who kept store for the Deans, and run his credit until the
shingles he had wove were sold. On one occasion, having reached the utmost limit
of his financial standing with the Squire, he endeavored by persuasive argument
to have him give him one drink more. The Squire, however, was inexorable, so
Pinneo returned to his shingle establishment, where he found Adam Smith, from
whom he borrowed an empty pistol, and with a bottle in his pocket started for
Deans' store. On entering he held the pistol in one hand and the bottle in the
other and demanded that the Squire should fill his bottle. The fierce attitude
of the belligerent brought the Squire to terms, and, after filling the bottle,
Pinneo coolly showed him the pistol was unloaded.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Dane County Towns Section

MADISON, DANE COUNTY AND SURROUNDING TOWNS;
BEING A HISTORY AND GUIDE
TO PLACES OF SCENIC BEAUTY AND HISTORICAL NOTE FOUND IN THE TOWNS OF DANE COUNTY
AND SURROUNDINGS, INCLUDING THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNS, AND EARLY INTERCOURSE
OF THE SETTLERS WITH THE INDIANS, THEIR CAMPS, TRAILS, MOUNDS, ETC.

WITH A COMPLETE LIST OF
COUNTY SUPERVISORS AND OFFICERS,
AND
LEGISLATIVE MEMBEES, MADISON VILLAGE AND CITY COUNCIL.

ILLUSTRATED,
MADISON, WIS.:
PUBLISHED BY WM. J. PARK & CO.,

BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS AND BINDERS, 11 KING STREET.
1877.

COPYRIGHT.
WM. J. PARK & CO. 1877.

DAVID ATWOOD, STEREOTYPER AND PRINTER, MADISON, WIS.

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