HISTORY OF GREEN COUNTY. 
 
to return. He accordingly returned, and Roark 
and myself went on. In four or five days we 
reached our destination without any accident 
worth relating. We had plenty of snow to make 
a soft bed to sleep in, and wolves enough to 
howl us to sleep at all times of night. 
We found the members of the first legislatire 
of Wisconsin, or the last Territorial legislature 
of Michigan, at Green Bay, waiting for Gov. 
Horner to put them in motion; but that digni- 
tary was among the missing, and the whole 
matter ended in smoke. I found on examining 
the books at the town office, that all the land we 
had selected was sold, and I had my trip for my 
pay. So after looking at the town of Navarino, 
Fort Howard, and the sights we thought worth 
seeing, we laid in a stock of crackers, cheese, 
ham and tobacco, not forgetting some of the 
"critter," made our adieu to Green Bay, and in 
due time landed safe at home. Having made 
two trips to Rock river, and one to Green Bay, 
for nothing, and thinking perhaps the third one 
the charm; so I accordingly started the third 
time for Rock river in company with John Janes, 
a cousin of mine, who now lives in Bad Ax, 
now   Vernon Co., Wis., and crossed Rock 
river somewhere near where Rochester now 
stands, and continued on and explored the coun- 
try north of Janesville, to near the mouth of 
Whitewater; then turned down to St. John's 
and replenished our provisions; then explored 
the west side of Rock river up to the mouth of 
the Catfish, and up that to or near the First 
Lake; we then directed our course for Camp & 
Collins' Diggings, on Sugar creek, and made 
Mitchell's Grove in our route. We were some 
days traveling and exploring, and having run 
out of provisions, we concluded to repair to 
Camp & Collins' Diggings for supplies. Just 
at niglt we found the section, and quarter sec- 
tion , that we wre informed they were on; but 
they were not there. 
It had become dark, and very cold, and we 
were tired and hungry; so we concluded to make 
to some timl)Pr and b~uild up' a fire, aud do the b est; 
 
we could. After we reached the timber, and 
commenced dragging some limbs out of the 
snow, we saw a spark of fire rise, and after some 
circles in the air disappear. Soon after we saw 
others ascend in the same manner,and concluded 
it was Indians, and that we would go and camp 
with them, rather than build a fire and lie in the 
snow all night, hungry and tired as we were. 
But judge of our surprise on reaching the place, 
to find it occupied by a white man, Michael 
Welch, who received us with all the hospitality 
with which a Wisconsin miner could receive a 
stranger; and any attempt on my part to de- 
scribe that, would be but a failure to do justice 
to that noble hearted class of the citizens of 
Wisconsin. We were now snugly ensconced in 
a warm cabin, by a roaring fire, and soon had a 
stool placed between us, oif which was a pyra- 
mid of potatoes, and a dish of pork swimming 
in a minature lake of gravy, and each a tin cup 
of coffee. Ye tipper tens! How does your non- 
sense sink into utter insignificance when coi- 
trasted with the pure, genuine hospitality of 
the frontier adventurer. Nearly twenty years 
have passed since the time of which I am now 
speaking, I do not know whether Mr. Welch is 
yet alive or not; but whenever I think of his 
kindness, it makes my heart throb with grateful 
pleasure. 
We then went over to where New     Mexico 
was afterward laid out, explored there two or 
three days, and then to Hamilton's Diggings, 
and finally back again to Rock river.  I then 
selected the claim that Janesville is built on, 
and marked it as my claim, on the 15th day of 
February, 1836. By this time I had become 
snow-blind, and had to lay by some ten dafysbe- 
fore. I could see to travel.  My friend went to 
work for Mr. St. John, and as soon as I could 
see to travel I started for home.  I took the 
line at the south end of Janesville and followed 
clear through to Call's Grove,* without seeingn 
the face of ahuman being, or any trace of one. 
except the marks of the surveyors that had run 
the line that I was following. 
S*Stnce cihang~ed to' Iv6s' Gro've. -En. 
 
214