The following newspaper clippings tell me the story of a court case that never really came to be. And, if it wasn’t for the local reporting on the matter, I never would have known about it at all. (From what I have seen it appears that Joseph Pinkerton might have been the go-to carpenter in Gillett.)

1878-1-26, Saturday, Oconto County Reporter vol. 7, issue 13, page 3, col. 2:
It is reported that Jos. Pinkerton has instituted proceedings against Wm. Johns of Gillett for slander, laying his damages at $8,000.

1878-11-02 Saturday, Oconto County Reporter vol. 8, issue 1, page 3, col. 2:
The slander libel suit pending between Joseph Pinkerton and F. W. Johns has been amicably settled, and dropped from the court calendar. It would be better if more law suits could be disposed of in the same way.

1878-11-16, Saturday, Oconto County Reporter vol. 8, issue 3; page ? col 2:
Court Proceedings.
The following is a summary of the court business disposed of since our last report:
J. Pinkerton vs F. W. John, Settled

So it appears that hot tempers cooled and better natures prevailed. Good thing for William, otherwise that would have been an expensive bit of slander if he had lost the case.