held in Milwaukee in September, 1871, and received a diploma of the society for the best System of Book-keeping and Business Practice."

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This occasioned severe criticisms from Minnesota colleges, in consequence of which, Mr. Atwell paid the Minnesota State Fair a visit, and at the exhibition of the State Agricultural Society held at St. Paul in September, 1872, he received the society's highest reward, a diploma for the "Best System of Book-keeping and Business Practice." Being awarded for two successive years the first premium at both these exhibitions, acquired for the college a reputation necessitating the procuration of still larger quarters, and so, from a very humble start, this school has grown to its present dimensions. Mr. Atwell having reaped an ample financial reward for his labors in founding the college and establishing a high grade of perfection in the methods of instruction, disposed of his interest to J. L. Wallace, and removed to the South. Since his departure, the college has continued to enjoy a large patronage begun under its first administration, until it now numbers among its graduates many of the most successful business men in the Northwest, and some of the most successful teachers in other business colleges.

The following is a list of the graduates of the college since January 1, 1876. A. Larson, L. J. Record, A. H. Button, C. B. Arnold, F. E. Aiken, M. Erickson, A. Cummings, L. Sabin, C. A. Gesell, O. L. King, G. W. Meyer, C. D. Medbury, L. E. Woodworth, L. Larson, T. E. Nelson, J. E. Willson, J. Beach, H. N. Cooper, G. H. Emmons, C. W. Babcock, L. Swenson, E. L. Leach, W. F. Zwick, H. Schwedes, J. Henry, E. W. Stebbins, N. Larson, H. Horner, F. Bartholemew, E. C. Willson, W. T. Horton, H. O. Weller, G. W. Smith, M. T. Hegge, J. E. Oleson, M. A. Dilson, B. T. Dale, H. Bellinghausen, N. Eggen, H. O. Larson, N. L. Bye, L. H. Emmons, N. T. Nelson, J. R. Williams, G. T. Hundland, O. C. Steenberg, X. St. Jacques, F. D. Shane, J. P. Walker, G. Zeisler, Anna M. Farnam, S. O. Loe, G. W. Martin, L. S. Hoyt, J. W. Natwick, B. Hahmann, Jr., Eva L. Fanning, F. E. Davidson, Sarah T. Whelpley, F. C. Angel, W. Gordon, F. W. Swarthout, W. Schneider, G. G. Dalen, L. Trantmann, P. O. Lolie, R. M. Elliott, A. F. Hollein, L. Q. Caldwell.

THE PRESS.

La Crosse has had abundant opportunities to test the value of newspapers as aids in buildingup a business center; and, as a general thing, its citizens have always manifested a liberal spirit or purpose toward the various journalistic enterprises that have been inaugurated in their midst It must be truthfully said that in dispensing their patronage to the press, the citizens of La Crosse have been tolerant and magnanimous, as they have been reasonably generous to journals of all parties. It may be difficult to correctly estimate the advantages derived by La Crosse, in a business point of view, from the influence of the press, which at various times has called into requisition respectable, if not eminent talent in the advocacy of local interests, which have had a tendency to inspire its citizens, as well as friends, far and near, with hope and confidence in its prosperity.

In every community there are shrivled souls, whose participation in the benefits of enterprises is greater than their efforts to promote the public welfare. These are the men who will never subscribe for a newspaper, but will always be on the alert to secure, gratuitously, the first perusal of their neighbor's paper. These are the croakers, who predict evil, and disparage enterprise. But, with very few exceptions, La Crosse has never been afflicted with such drones. On the contrary, as patrons of the press, La Crosse citizens have established a good name. As records of current history, the local press should be preserved by city and county governments in their archives for reference. But even now, it is difficult or impossible to find any complete files of the press of La Crosse. There should be some means devised by which press records might be preserved and made accessible, as part and parcel of the current history of the times. Still, by diligent search and much inquiry, enough data has been gleaned to supply a tolerably accurate record of the city press; but if any inaccuracies or omissions are noticeable, they may be attributed to the absence of completeness in the files.

Nearly all of the issues of the first newspaper published in La Crosse, the Spirit of the Times, have been scattered and lost. Several years' files of the second newspaper established here, the Democrat, have been removed from the State. The files for five or six years of the third newspaper instituted here, the Republican, were destroyed by fire in 1864. The presence of citizens who have been familiar with the history of La Crosse journalism, and the existence of many volumes of these publications, enable us to give not only a fair sketch of the journals, editors and publishers of this city, but also to reproduce some items of local incidents which the older settlers will verify, and which new-comers will peruse with interest. So, in order to impart value to this department, a feature of La Crosse history, we will endeavor to call up recollections of occurrences, which will cause many of the older settlers to say "that's so; while some of the more recent comers will confess that La Crosse pioneers were a lively lot of delegates.

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THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES,"

Under the proprietorship and management of Messrs. P. A. and A. D. La Due, in 1852, was the pioneer enterprise in La Crosse journalism. Their hand-press, type and small stock of materials for a newspaper and printing office were brought hither from Prairie Du Chien. It was a small paper, and ably edited in the interest of Mr. A. D. La Due and his friends in the Democratic party. Its proprietors and patrons had various purposes in establishing the Times, and it soon became evident that a conflict was inevitable. The village of La Crosse was very small, but the county, as then organized, was very large. The Assembly District in which was La Crosse, in 1851 and 1852, reached from the Wisconsin River to the valley of the Chippewa, and included Black River. This Senatorial District was larger than our present Congressional District. Thus, while the land-owners of La Crosse Village desired a journal that could keep the attractions of this locality prominently before the people far and near, this large tract of country embraced a good many bright and ambitious men, who had aspirations for political and legislative honors. It does not appear that the Times filled the bill as a satisfactory exponent of local business enterprise; but there is no doubt it kept Mr. A. D. La Due's claims for political honors prominently in view, to the annoyance of his enemies.

Hon. Albert D. La due came to La Crosse from Eastern Wisconsin; he was a man of no ordinary ability. He had little or no property to back his efforts in maintaining a position of influence in his party and in the community; but his talents as a writer and as a political manager called into requisition a powerful combination of ambitious and influential men to keep him in check. He had been in the Wisconsin Assemby of 1851 from Sheboygan, and succeeded in being elected in 1852, to represent the counties of La Crosse and Chippewa in the Assembly of 1853, after having encountered and overthrown the combined opposition of many abie antagonists, including such men as County Judge, subsequently Circuit Judge, Hon. George Gale, who had removed to La Crosse from Walworth County, which he had represented in the Second Constitutional Convention which framed the Constitution of Wisconsin in 1847-48, and also in the State Senate in the years 1850-51; Mr. Francis M. Rublee, who came to La Crosse in 1851, from Eastern Wisconsin, and had been Sergeant-at-Arms in the Territorial Legislative Assembly of 1840-41; Hon. William T. Price, who had represented the counties of Crawford and Chippewa in the Legislative Assembly of 1851; Col. Chase A. Stevens, who represented the counties of La Crosse, Buffalo and Chippewa in the Legislative Assembly of 1855, and other prominent citizens who did not relish the onward march of Editor La Due, who was backed by such influential men as Col. Thomas B. Stoddard, subsequently the first Mayor of La Crosse; Dr. William J. Gibson, who represented this Senatorial District in the Legislatures of 1855 and 1856, and many other gentlemen of influence and ability, who co-operated with La Due.

No one called another a carpet-bagger in those days, for they were all carpet-baggers. But there were bright, sharp, energetic and plucky men among those La Crosse pioneers; and any adventurer who encountered this crowd of vigilant citizens, and mistook them for unsophisticated "flats," would soon discover the mistake; for he would not be long at work before he would find they were abundantly able to stand their hand in any contest that tested manhood.

M

By reference to Mr. La Due's address to the electors of this large Assembly District, in 1852, there is no reason to doubt that the campaign was conducted with considerable bitterness. He was accused by Judge Gale of violating a written pledge about his action as to supporting Mr. W. T. Price for the State Senate, notwithstanding Mr. La Due's declared preference for Dr. Gibson for Senator; and the result showed that a man from the south end of the district, Mr. Sterling, won the prize. La Due cautioned Democrats to "beware of split tickets," as Mr. C. A. Stevens was circulating Democratic tickets, with the name of Mr. George Farnum, the Whig nominee, in place of Mr. La Due, for Assemblyman. At the very outset of a truthful and candid statement regarding the press of La Crosse, the fact cannot be concealed that, here as elsewhere, it is difficult to determine to what extent or degree the proverbial industry, civility, docility and amiability of the average editor or publisher of a newspaper are attributable to the salutary restraints that are thrown around him by that blessing in disguise-a chattel mortgage. Mr. La Due set the fashion in La Crosse, or brought it hither; and if his successors, heirs and assigns in journalism have not all followed his example in this respect, the exceptions have been so few, and the violations so void of flagrancy, as to entitle those who have departed from Mr. La Due's example to lenient treatment.

A chattel mortgage may be a spur to vigilance and industry, and perhaps prevents a newspaper from becoming arrogant, saucy, overbearing and dictatorial. But it is an awkward and troublesome encumbrance for a poor editor or publisher to carry, when he has foes who are on the alert to become his creditors long enough to foreclose the mortgage and strip him of his type and press. In thousands of cases, political vultures have prowled around to find some poor fellow who is struggling for existence in a printing or newspaper office, and demanded his servility or hurled him to ruin. Mr. La Due's Spirit of the Times was squelched by the foreclosure of the chattel mortgage within a year from its commencement. The rate of interest, or usury, in those days, on land entries and nearly all loans in the West, ranged from three to five per cent a month, three per cent a month having been regarded a moderate rate of usury on ample security. This mortgage was a small sum for a political and local organ of its importance.

Mr. W. W. Ustick, who was in no way identified with the contending forces, except as a compositor on the Spirit of the Times, accidentally became the purchaser on a bid that he regarded safe, and which he supposed would be raised by the other bidders, and sold the property to Col. Chase A. Stevens, who found journalism "a hard road to travel." Before he obtained possession or use of his printing materials, some portions of the type and press suddenly disappeared, and are supposed to be yet in the bottom of the Mississippi. Truth permits the statement that this was probably the only press in La Crosse that ever took strongly to water. Mr. La Due, who had also held the office of Town Superintendent, left La Crosse for Minnesota in 1857, and became engaged in land business that yielded him better revenues than he derived from the Spirit of the Times, which ceased early in 1853. Mr. Le Due's residence in La Crosse is now occupied and owned by Hon. John M. Levy, on South Fourth street, between Germania Hall and the dwelling of Messrs. C. & J. Michel. Mrs. Le Due died at Wells, Minn., in the autumn of 1880. Mr. La Due is yet in Minnesota.

THE "LA CROSSE DEMOCRAT."

Col. Chase A. Stevens replenished his printing-office outfit, and secured in Madison, Wis., as a partner and practical printer, Mr. William C. Rogers, who had been trained to the printing business and political journalism in Albany, N. Y., under the examples, inspiration and discipline of the two political newspaper giants of those times, Thurlow Weed, of the Albany Evening Journal, and Mr. Crosswell, of the Albany Argus. Col. Stevens was a Democrat, and Mr. Rogers was a Whig. The La Crosse Democrat, edited by C. A. Stevens, and published by Stevens & Rogers, commenced May 1, 1853. Those were eventful and stirring times in the history of La Crosse. The pioneers were hopeful, enterprising and persevering. Strangers were welcomed as long-lost brothers. Everybody who arrived was cordially embraced by the residents as if he were just the person they were waiting for to send to Congress, or to