11/16 "Some other people even claimed that the only reason the mile stakes were uniform on the state road that got laid out in 1849 between Prairie du Chien and Hudson was because the gallon jugs that the surveyors carried contained enough brandy to last them exactly 5280 feet until the next refill."
This is a very unusual book. Kind of coffee table picture book with shirt newspaper quips from the period, early 1900's and short essays from local folks, all back water Wisconsin.
This country was built on whiskey. fact.
True, that!
As I am now about 2/3's through the book I remain kind of mesmerized by the stories.
It covers the late 180''s, 1890's actually and reports small quips from the state newspapers, some fiction (paragraphs) local gossip tales, and asylum admissions. Lots of fires, suicides, crazies, and sp,e just funny things.
One of the funny things it that it brings back early memories of North Dakota. Some very similar stories resulting from the desolation of the environment!
Dtp
