Individuals are integral parts of a vast whole, and corresponding to the rise and fall of nations, of dynasties, in the history of the world, may be reckoned the rise, progress, and decay of influential organizations in larger communities, and a revolution or the downfall of a dynasty in a State are not more legitimately the subjects of history than the failure of a long established mercantile of manufacturing establishment in a city or country; although younger, more energetic, or more fortunate men may succeed in their places and positions in both instances, a kind of mournful interest attaches to those who once filled so important a place in the affairs of the this life but who must now subside into obscurity. At the close of chapter sixteen, it was stated that the officers of the company know as the Chippewa Falls Lumber Company, which had succeeded H.S. Allen and Company met at some place in Illinois and divided up the summer's earnings; it would be nearer the mark to say that some of the officers had been dividing the avails of their operations through the entire summer, as fast as the lumber could be converted into money; the result was, nothing for the creditors or for the stockholders, but the men were careful to take themselves out of harm's way, if their creditors or an exasperated community should choose to seek redress. But for Mr. Allen and Mr. Galloway, whose families were here, and who, have been members of the old firm, because of special objects of attachment by their old creditors, but their devoirs were paid by proxy, and the U.S. Marshall made it his especial business to hunt these two men down for several weeks, with a warrant of arrest, as though they had been guilty of some crime. And even the men whose wages remained unpaid, threatened violence to their persons, under the mistaken idea that large sums had been concealed, and it was with great difficulty that they could be satisfied to the contrary. Before spring, however, these difficulties were amicably adjusted, and the entire property was surrendered to creditors, Andrew Gregg, an eminent lawyer, who had lately settled at the Falls, was appointed receiver by Judge Miller, of the United States District Court; the mill and fixtures were leased to Adin Randall, of Eau Claire, and as no freshet or other mishap occurred, was enabled to pay the rent, although times were so hard that there was a little or no profit in any lumbering operations. But the depression of the lumbering interests was not without its benefits, as it induced great numbers of operators to resort to farming and in the fall of 1858 Chippewa County shipped the first wheat - about seventeen thousand bushel. It was handled in the interest of H.S. Allen, but not in his name, and was worth there forty-five to fifty cents a bushel; this marked a new era in the business operations of the country, and although the home marked caused by the various lumber industries has been immense, the county had shipped more or less wheat nearly every year since. A few noteworthy incidents have been omitted. A fatal accident occurred in the hay-meadow on O'Neil's creek, where the two brothers, George and Edward Warren, nephews of Mr. Warren, previously mentioned in these pages, were at work haying; the latter with a rifle in his hands, was passing through a thicket, by some means the trigger was caught by a twig, discharging the contents into his body in the region of his heart. He lived a few hours, and was greatly mourned, being highly respected by all who knew him. In 1851 an incident occurred to the writer that may interest some reader. It happened at Frenchtown. I was running some cribs of square timber over the falls, and, as usual, the boys drank pretty freely, and being a little 'set up,' one of them took it into his head that he must go home right away - he lived in Illinois -- and must have a settlement then and there. I asked him to defer it until the last crib was over, when quick as thought he caught up a loaded shotgun and discharged the contents at me, the shot taking effect in and just above both knees, shattering the left knee-pan pretty badly, and inflicting seriously wounds in the fleshy part of the right thigh. I was facing and hastening towards him with a view to wrench the death-dealing instrument from him when it was discharged, and if the aim had been a few inches higher, some pen besides mine must have written the history of this valley. As it was Mrs. Demarie had be on my feet again and attending to my business in six weeks, but, my family being in Illinois, it seemed a very long, weary time. It was about this time that a party of Sioux warriors came up into this neighborhood, and after skulking around back of French town awhile, succeeded in killing old Jack, a superannuated Indian, who lived mostly in the Demarie family, and was very much esteemed. For a while the little community was in a state of perfect terror, but the cowardly perpetrators were as much alarmed as the others for they fled so precipitately that they slipped the halters from the heads of their ponies where they fastened them, and I saw several that had been gathered by white persons. Another party of Chippewas were surprised and shot near Dunnville, the same year, but in the summer of 1857 the Chippewas made two Sioux braves bite the dust near the same locality, their heads cut off and set on poles, their faces, 'ghastly grinning' by the road, where it crosses Rock Run, in the town of Wheaton. Some time in the string of this year an unfortunate homicide took place in Frenchtown, which created a good deal of excitement and consideration for the offenders. William Wylie enlisted in the same New York regiment with Fred Bussy, was in every battle from the siege of Vera Cruz to the surrender of the city of Mexico, a brave soldier and a great favorite with his comrades wherever he was; he came on the river in 1849, and some years after married a Miss Warner, to whom he appeared to be very much attached, and very jealous of other men's attentions to her. One evening she was passing near a saloon, some fellow in liquor accosted her in terms deemed too familiar, and having heard her statement, Wylie the next morning sought the offender, and at one blow with a billet of wood crushed the skull of his victim, causing death in a few hours. Wylie surrendered himself to the authorities, was duly presented to a grand jury at the next ensuing term of the Circuit Court, but that conscientious body refused to find sufficient cause to indict him, and the ermine brow of Judge Fuller grew black with righteous indignation at the announcement, and calling this august branch of his court before him, gave them such a reprimand as they, if living, feel tingling their ears yet. An examination of the case was subsequently had before a justice of the peace and the offender bound over, but on some pretext a habeas corpus was issued by Judge Mead, of Eau Claire, who released the bonds so that Wylie was now free, and he soon took himself to parts unknown. But by what right this astute Judge issued such a writ is a question for 'men eminent in the law,' as the author of Waverly says. On April 30, 1857 Andrew Seitz was murdered by Charles Nethers, two Germans who occupied a room over the Receiver's office, on Eau Claire Street. A dispute about a small amount of money, while both were in liquor, led to the fatal deed; the offender being armed with a dirk-knife, inflicted a stab in the left side of the lower part of the abdomen. At the June term of the Circuit Court following, Nether was indicted and tried, but the jury disagreeing he was convicted of manslaughter in the third degree at the next term. He was sentenced by Judge S.S.N. Fuller to four years and twenty days at hard labor in the penitentiary; Bartlett and Mulks for the State. A Meggett for the prisoner - Eau Claire Free Press of December 20, 1857. A member of the legal profession, who had practiced in the courts convened in this valley since the organization of this district, would undoubtedly find data for much legal disquisition, and many laughable incidents might be told, and one occurs to me that may interest the readers, if not told in legal phraseology. It was while grand juries were in vogue in this State, and when the terms for Chippewa County were in January and July. It was the winter term, twenty-three grand jurors, good men and true, had answered to their names, had learned the history of juries from the days of Alfred down, the vast conservative power and influences of grand juries, form the learned judge, heard his charge, 'to present no man through fear, favor, or affection," and sworn to present all who were guilty of such and such offences, including bribery and every attempt of men in official positions to receive bribes or compound felonies; and having been properly locked up in a room, well guarded by a resolute executive functionary, they commenced their onerous deliberation, and then and there making inquest for the body and people of Chippewa County, ascertained that the District Attorney, the man whom the people in their collective wisdom had chosen to prosecute offenders and draw up indictments against those whose conduct was contrary to the peace and dignity of the State, was the man, the moral, and criminal turpitude of whose offending made it incumbent on that illustrious body to present him to the court for illegally and feloniously accepting a bribe and compounding felony, to the great detriment of the people of the said County of Chippewa, and contrary to the peace and dignity of the State. His Honor was therefore requested to send a good lawyer to that well-guarded room, to embody the result of their investigations as disclosed by the evidence into an indictment, charging him with heinous crimes and misdemeanors, that he might answer before the law he had sworn to help execute, in that he had received sums of money amounting to one hundred and fifty dollars, from a certain German arrested for assault with intent to kill, held to bail before a justice's court, and released through the interposition of this District Attorney, on the payment of the sum aforesaid to himself, and for his personal benefit. Such were the fact disclosed by the evidence before the jury, a stated by their foreman, when called before his honor to explain the cause of so strange of a request; the party implicated being present, who, of all the members of that bar, most shared his Honor's confidence. Here was a dilemma; no member of the legal profession in that court could be prevailed on to draw such an indictment, but how was he to satisfy that grand jury. He was equal to the occasion, however; and after the confusion of the moment had passed, delivered himself of the following peroration: "Gentlemen of the Grand Jury, we read in the Bible, 'Blessed are the peacemakers.' This man is a peacemaker; he made peace between the injured man and the wrong-doer by paying him fifty dollars out of the one hundred and fifty, and now they are good friends, and if for mediatorial services and influence he received the hundred, it is all right. The officer will attend you to your room. Sheriff, adjourn the court." The mill property at the Falls continued in receivers until 1862, leased to different parties, the last being Henry Coleman, a practical mill man, who had been employed as foreman under the old regime, and who assisted the new firm of Pound and Halbert, who this year bought the entire property, mill, lots, pineland, and personal property. The firm commenced business at a very opportune moment when property was low, and advances caused by the war a better currency, with favorable seasons and close attention to business, enabled them to rise at once to an enviable position in the business community. Schools and Churches The first district school organized in Chippewa County under the legal provision was in the town of Lafayette, in the fall of 1855, and Miss Irene Drake has the honor of teaching the first school. In the succeeding winter, 1855-6, a public school house had been commenced by remained unfinished; the school was opened in a private house. The school system in this State has been revised and improved since that time, and its provisions better understood by the people. But, at the time and in that little district, the people were so tenacious or their ancient customs and old notions, that the proposition to levy a tax to build a schoolhouse was strenuously opposed, not withstanding there was a large amount of non-resident lands on which the assessment would fall. "Where we came from," said these patriotic citizens, "the house was always built by private contributions," but school districts got bravely over those old fogy ideas, as many a speculator owning wild lands there can testify The first house erected in the village of Chippewa Falls of district purposes was built in 1857; was quite a spacious building, and frequently occupied for religious services by various denominations too feeble to have a house of their own. The Presbyterian Church was completed in 1857, and the Reverend Bradley Phillips was invited to become its pastor. The Catholic Church was commenced the same year, and after a hard struggle and many delays, completed n 1859, since which time its pulpit has been well sustained.

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