Portage City has had a sensation which, though at one time it looked
serious, turned out to be a farce. A girl was taken sick, and a physician
was called who pronounced it a case of yellow fever, and he made out a
prescription for that disease. Mr. Brannan, editor of the Portage
Register, who lives near, got the news, and imparted it to all whom he
met, and they in turn told it to others, and a stampede was looked for.
Fox turned the Fox House over to Bunker, and had his trunks checked for
the Hot Springs. Corning and Jack Turner hired a wagon to take them to
Briggsville. Hærtel, the brewery man, offered to sell out his brewery and
all his property for eight hundred dollars, and he bought a ticket for
Germany. Bunker left the Fox House to run itself, and went to Devil's
Lake. Sam. Branuan, telegraphed to George Clinton, at Denver, not
to come home, as the yellow fever was raging, and people were dying off
like rotton sheep. And Sam got vaccinated and went to Beaver Dam. The
excitement was intense. Men became perfectly wild, and were going to rush
off and leave the women and children to the mercies of the dead plague.
Chicago and Milwaukee bummers could be seen at the hotels, kneeling beside
their sample cases trying to pray, but they couldn't. Just before the
train started that was to carry away the frightened populace, the doctor
came up town and said that the girl with the yellow fever was better, and
that she was the mother of a fine nine pound boy. The authorities took
every precaution to prevent the spread of the yellow fever, by arresting
the brakemen whom the girl said was the cause of all the trouble. All is
quiet on the Wisconse now.
[Illustration: DRUMMERS TRYING TO PRAY.]