The Fountain
Ceaselessly flows the fountain by the path across the bridge. This was erected by the poet in memory of his friends and literary heroes. The Christian and Jewish years will be noticed at the base.
The star at the top of the keystone is for Miss Anna Eliza Star, a friend of the family. She resided in Chicago for many years and gave parlor lectures on art.
A de V is for Aubrey Thomas de Vere (1814-1902), the Irish poet and miscellaneous writer. He was a son of Sir Aubrey de Vere, also an Irish poet.
The Greek delta is the nom de plume under which the poet wrote.
On the right, B is for James Booth, a carver and gilder. He was a friend of Mr. Durward in Manchester, England, and later came to New York.
FIRST HOME OF THE DURWARD FAMILY AT THE GLEN
P is for Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore (1823-1896), the English Catholic poet. He is best known as the author of "The Angel in the House."
Val Zimmerman, represented by the Z, was a merchant friend of the poet in Milwaukee. The sign for his store was the blue flag.
Captain John Nader, Madison, was a civil engineer and under his direction the wingdams along the Wisconsin River were built. He often made trips up and down the stream while supervising the work, frequently visiting the Glen.
VIEW OF THE GLEN
The letter H on the left is for Joshua Hathaway, another civil engineer, who resided in Milwaukee.
He it was who sent the artist-poet to make a portrait of Archbishop Henni.
The stone marked R was placed in memory of John Ruskin.
The remaining stone is for W. J. Onahan, politician and welfare worker of Chicago.
The four basswood trees at the mouth of the Glen, near the Maltese Cross, are often mentioned as the Melzl Quartette, musical friends of the family.
A view of the Potsdam sandstone and basal conglomerate is best obtained by crossing the stepping stones, moving adroitly, if one would not baptise his soles. The rounded pebbles are of quartzite, broken pieces from the Baraboo Mountains of ancient times. Hewing down this wall has been the work of the little trout stream, which has exposed to view the formation left by the waves and action of the Potsdam Sea.
The trout at play in the winding brook and the trees clinging to the fern-clad cliff are interesting sights in this niche of the great outdoors.
The path from the fountain leads to the gallery and low-eaved cottage, the home for many years of the talented family. In the cottage, studio, and gallery the father and sons wrote and painted while the mother made beautiful lace for albs, treasured in many a Catholic church. General Sherman's wife obtained one for her reverend son, Jesuit priest.
Guarding the forest on the crest of the hill to the right is a row of cedars planted in memory of the sons and daughter. Perhaps the Glenman or Glenwoman will tell you about the great Norway spruces of unusual height, about the studio, about "Auld Geordie," the ancient bachelor who gave the disappointing party for the girls of the neighborhood, about the moosewood and other native plants, as well as a word about the feathered visitors that come to the Glen.
[CHAPTER XV]
Spring Green, Helena Shot Tower, and Taliesin—Ableman and Reedsburg—Other Interesting Trips
The journey to Spring Green, Helena, and Taliesin makes a full day's program. From Baraboo the road leads over highway No. 12 to Prairie du Sac then follows the route through Witwen, Black Hawk, over the big hill and down past the Robson farm where there are a number of Indian mounds on the ridge. There is also a road from Sauk City, known as the river road, which passes Lodde's Mill and Cassell Prairie on the way.
After reaching the village of Spring Green, the road to Helena, the location of the old shot tower, crosses the Wisconsin River and deflects to the left. This shot tower was erected in 1833 as a result of the production of lead in Wisconsin and at the time diverted much of the business from St. Louis to Milwaukee. The enterprise prospered until 1861 when it fell into decay, the land being sold for taxes. Later the location became the site of the Tower Hill Congress and school directed for many years by the late Rev. Jenkin Lloyd Jones of Chicago.
It was here that the American forces crossed the river in the Black Hawk War.
A short distance west of the road which crosses the river near Spring Green is the location of Taliesin, Frank Lloyd Wright's 'love bungalow'. Here on Saturday, August 15, 1914, Julian Carlson, a negro servant, killed seven people with a hatchet, wounding two others. The dead:
Mrs. Mamah Borthwick, a woman, like the owner of the bungalow, with unconventional ideas.
Mrs. Borthwick's son and daughter, John and Martha Cheney, aged 11 and 9 respectively.
Emil Brodelle, aged 30, an architect.
Thomas Brunker, hostler.
Ernest Weston, aged 13.
David Lindblom, gardener.
The injured were William H. Weston and Herbert Fritz, the latter escaping with a broken arm and cuts.
With gasoline the negro set fire to the building and as the occupants attempted to escape through a door and window, one by one, he struck them with a hatchet. The murderer was found in the firebox of the boiler in the basement and died later in the Dodgeville jail as a result of taking muriatic acid soon after committing the crime.
Some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition. "All that was left of her" was buried at Unity Chapel, the Cheney children were cremated in Chicago, the body of Ernest Weston was placed in the Spring Green cemetery, Emil Brodelle was interred in Milwaukee, David Lindblom was lowered in a grave at Unity Chapel and Thomas Brunker sleeps at Ridgeway.
The owner of the property was in Chicago at the time of the tragedy, returning soon after. The building was partly destroyed and later rebuilt along more pretentious lines.
Taliesin was a Cymric bard, whom Welsh legends assign to the 6th century.
Frank Lloyd Wright is an architect of note, having designed the Imperial Hotel in Tokio and other artistic structures.
The return from Spring Green to Baraboo may be made over the scenic route to Plain, thence to Loganville, the County Farm, and Ableman Narrows.