Page 210 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

..2 0 6 WISCONSIN HI~;TORICAL COLLECTIONS.
Bast of the present generation shall have been "gathered to

their fathers. "
During the early years of my residence here, the social
circle, t~lthough limited, was by no means insignificant. It was
composed of the families of the garrison and thc Americans,
and several of thc "old settlers." If it was small, it was also
wnited by the ties of friendship and good feeling. Free from
<the formalities aqd customs which are observed by the ton of
the present day, we met to enjoy ourselves, more like members
of one family than as strangers. The young people of that
period (and all felt young then) would assemble on a few hours'
notice at the house of a neighbor, without form or ceremony.
Young ladies were then expected to appear at an early hour in
the evening, and not at the usual hour of retiring to rest, nor
were they required to appear in either court or fancy dresses.
The merry dance succeeded, and all enjoyed themselves until
an early hour in the morning. One custom prevailed univer-
sally, among all classes, even extending to the Indians: that of
devoting the holidays to festivity and amusement, but espe-
cially that of "calling" on New Year's day. This custom was
confined to no class in particular; all observed it; and many
met on New Year who perhaps did not again meet till the next.
All then shook hands and exchanged mutual good wishes-all
old animosities were forgotten-all differences settled, and
universal peace established. May this good old ;ustom be
long observed, and handed down to future generations as a
inemento of the good olden time. During the winter season,
Green Bay was entirely insulated. Cut off from communica-
tion with all other parts of the civilized world, her inhabitants
were left to their own resources for nearly half the year. Our
mails were "few and far between," sometimes but once a
month-never more than twice, did we receive them, so that
the news when received here was no longer new. The mails
were carried on a man's shoulders from Chicago to Green Bay,
through the wilderness, a distance of about two hundred and
fifty miles, and could not contain a very great quantity of