Page 185 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

fifty dollars and costs, and the court decided that Fox river
was a, public highway, and that any person had a right to
obtain license for a ferry at any point across the river, and the
military had no right to interfere. The guard was withdrawn,
and we had no further trouble about crossing and re-crossing
Fox River.
As Judge ARNDT and I were doing the most business on the
river, going to and from our mill with a small schooner and
amaller boats, the commanding officer, probably to gratify his
pride and arrogance, issued an order requiring all boats,
vessels, or canoes, passing up or down the river, to stop and
report at Fort Howard. I concluded in my mind that I would
pay no attention to this arbitrary requirement. So one day
aa I was coming up thc rivcr with a load of lumber in our
achooner, when I came near the Fort, the sentinel hailed me,
and ordered me to heave to and report. I had a fine breeze,
and under full sail, I replied that I could not stop. By this
time I was directly opposite the Port, when the officer of the
day ordered me to heave to and comc ashore. I replied that I
had not time. IIe said if I did not stop, he would fire on me.
He wheeled a cannon round, and prepared to fire; when all of
my men went below into the cabin. I told him to shoot and be
- But he didn't shoot; and this was the last time that
they attempted to stop me.
The mineral country took a start during the period of 1827-
'28. A great many fine citizens migrated to the Lead Region,
such ss Gen. DODGE, JOHN MESSERSMITH, Col. EBENEZER
B.
BRI~EAM, Col. ABNER NICIIOLS, Co1. JOHN TERRY, Gen.
CHARLES BHACKEN, Gen. JOTIN 11. ROUNTREE, Gen. GEO.
W. I-I~c~cos, and others. They did not cultivate much land,
but devoted their attention exclusively to digging mineral. I
think that Gen. DODGE built the first smelting furnace. About
this time, there were Government troops sent into the Mining
District to prevent the people from digging lead without a
license; and when the miners were driven from one point, they
would go to another, and renew their labors. At length the