Incidents and Anecdotes of Early Days and History of Business in the City and County of Fond Du Lac From Early Times to the Present, Personal Reminiscences, Remarkable Events, Election Results, Military History, Etc.

              332 BirSINESS HISTORY OF FOND DU LAC
An Early Picture Maker.
The best picture gallery in Fond du Lac in 1857 was that of Geo. B. Green, and the best pictures made were called Ambrotypes and Pearltypes. Up to this time we had various changes upon the old Daguerreotypes. O. E. Wilkins, J. W. Taylor and one or two others made these sun pictures, and the photograph did not get its start until i860, and then in crude form. The photograph as we have it now, has been a growth. A vast number of changes have come and gone, as well as of operators in the business.
Early Day Waterworks.
Our present waterworks dating from 1885, were not the first pro¬ posed for the city of Fond du Lac. As early as 1850 a company was formed to lay a pipe line from the spring on the then Phillips farm, to the city, but it was found that the line would be useless in winter from freezing, or the pipe would have to be laid so deep as to be ex¬ pensive, and nothing further came of it. And about that time the discovery of the artesian wells was made, by which abundance of clean water could be had at 80 to 120 feet and there was need of nothing more.
When Judge David Taylor was on the bench of the circuit court for this county, he had a peculiar abhorrence of trivial cases, and many a time prevailed upon parties to settle them without trial. The attorneys were sometimes displeased, but he cared little for that.
The names of Reuben Simmons, F. D. McCarty and his father, Francis McCarty, Joseph Stow and some others, were often linked together in early day building operations. Many early day structures as far back as 1841, were erected by them, here and in Taycheedah. The remains of a few may yet be seen, but they are becoming very scarce.    In a little while none will remain.
Edward Pier used to say at tUe time our money was very poor and bank discounts very high, that no business man could pay twelve to twenty per cent for money. When asked how those with money and the banks could secure interest, his reply was, they can better afford to go without it than the business man can afford to go to the wall.    Who will say that Edward Pier's head was not level?