NORTHWESTERN U NIVERSITY LIBRARY EVANSTON ILLINOIS m A m m m m m fn m m m i^^îitinljfr '3îini'tcen<- ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ T ▼ T l3garly-(^hicago Jleminiscences Sr By CHA BLES CLE A VER. Esq. l-!i For Catalogue, See Inside and Last Pages of Cover. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. REYNOLDS' HISTORY OF ILLINOIS, HN Rkynolds, I.ate Index added. Cloih boards. Edition of 112 copies. Price, $7.50. Mv Own Times; Embracing also The History of My Life. By Jo Gov. of III., etc. Portrait. Reprint of original edition of 1855. with complete Inc Gilt-rop: Side and bottom uncut: Antique Paper; Pp 42^: ovo f879. We are pleased to learn that the Ferirufl Prlut- intf Company has undertaken the work of re- printine: the volume of "My Own Times: embrac¬ ing also the History of My Life," v^TÍttcu »>>' the late Gov. Joliu Keynolds. * , Copie.s of the volume referred to are cxceedinglv rare, ami hardly could be procured at any price. Ihe Publishers arc deserving of thanks lor their efforts to rescue from oblivion a nierltorious work like the above.—liellcville Atlvorntr, Dec. r2,187i>. This Is a reiiroduction, in an attractive form, and with the addition of a full index, of a bo^, the storv . The edition was small, and of it was destroyed before it was sold in a 11 Chicago. Thus it became one of the lost bd of the earth. Fortuiiatelv it wa« not totall>'l terminated, and n>iw its revival by the eil prising Chicago house whose imprint it beal no less important than it is gratifying to tf who have the interests of the Slate at heaT CJiicago Journal, /Vc. 30, 1879. Wont; l»y mull, i>OMt-|>a 1<1, nn ro^^i^lpt ol' i>rloo« EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. FERGUS* HISTORICAL SERIES, No. Í 9. Early-Chicago Reminiscences By CHARLES CLEAVER. [Revised from the Chicago Trihune.] FERGUS CHICAGO : PRINTING COMPANY. I 882. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1882, by Fergus Printing Company, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D., C. EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. (Revised from the Chicago Trihnnc.] Bv CHARLES CLEAVER. I. To the Editor of the Chicago Tribune; I SEK in ail article in your paper of Saturday, the lltli of De¬ cember. that J. L. Wilson bi-oiight my name before the public as one of the sportsmen of early days. It would be hardly just to iny.«lf to let this pass over without a little qualification; for. though I must acknowledge that, like most Englishmen, in my youthful days I was fond of all kinds of field-sports, yet I never let pleasure interfere with business, as many young men do now¬ adays, but all my hunting and fishing were done when I had nothing el>e to do. Both fishing and shooting, however, were a very different affair in tliose early days from what it is now, as the game was close at hand. Having my attention called to it by the article in question, I will jot down a few memories of the past. When we came over from London, in 1833, we not only brought guns and rifles, but some good-bred dogs. We had a foxhound, greyhound, setter, pointer, and spaniel. On our arriva! in New York, March 13, 1833, it being too early for the canal-opening, we had to wait until the 22d of April, during which time we made several excursions to Brookiyn and Hoboken with dogs and guns in seareii of game,—but witliout success, except the shooting of a few woodcock in New Jersey. Game of any kind seemed to be very scarce, altliough the country was then occupied by farmers and market-gai-deners. When we arrived in Buffalo, where we i-taiil some three or four months, we had more sport. Pigeons were plenty in the woods, and fishing was realiy splendid. Many a time did myself and friend walk three miles to the rapids at Black Rock, and return before breakfast with thirty or forty pounds of fish hanging on a pole between us,—some of them weighing five or .«ix pounds each ; and, as we pulled them out of 4 EARLY-CHICAGO KEMIXISCENCES. the t^ater, their scales shining and shimtneving in the snnnner-siin. the very sight of them would liave made an eiiicure's nioiith water. We left Buffalo, August 2ß, for a 600-mile journey by land for Chicago, and traveled a couple of hundred miles along the shore of Lake Erie through Pennsylvania and Ohio. Instead of finding it a wilderness as we expected, we found a heautiful farming coun¬ try. well settled by thriving farmers, good farm-houses, and fniit in abundance, and until we reached Cleveland, then a town of about 3000 inhabitants, first-rate macadamized I'oads. We hoped to find plenty of game, but were not quite so foolish as a young Englishman who was visiting at my house a few yeai-s since, who- asked the morning after his arrival if he could walk out a few miles and get a shot at a buffalo, but did exi)ect we might shoot a deer now and then; but, with the exception of two or three that crossed the road a few miles from Cleveland, and once again in Michigan, we saw none, and with small game it was about the same. We had two or thi-ee hours good duck-shooting on the Sandusky River, and once in a while shot a stray pigeon along our route, but that was all until we arrived at White Pigeon, when we came across a flock of prairie-chickens and bagged a few of them, and once again at Door Prairie, about ten miles from Michi¬ gan City, where we shot a couple, but with these few exceptions we saw no game in our two mouths' traveling. We arrived in Chicago the 23d day of October, .and when we hiul got settled in our new home, took a stroll with dogs and guns to see what the prospect was in this neighborhood, and, following the lake shore on the North Side for a mile or so, came to a gi-ove of fir-trees that were literally full of prairie-chickens. We esti¬ mated the fl-ock at from 200 to 250, but could not get a shot at them. They were continually on the alert, and kept one old rooster to give timely notice of our approach. He would give a peculiar call, and away the whole flock would go. We followed them up and down for three or four hours, scattering them in every direction, but at last had to give it up in despair and own ourselves beaten ; they were too wary for us. We only got two or three stray birds. I have never seen them congregate in such large numbers since, although it is well known among sportsmen that when the chiekens are full-grown they fly in flocks, and it is much more diflicult to get ¡i shot at them than when in coveys. In the fall, when birds were plenty, there was no better sport in KARI.V-CHIC.U;0 KEMlXISCKNCliS. 5 fliu world than to follow a couple of good dog-i and bag a bird or two every time they pointed. I brought a splendid young pointer with nie. the only one then in the village. She was admired all along onr route as a perfect beauty, such dogs being then scarcely known in America, I had no trouble in breaking her. She made her fii-st point at a lark, but, soon coming on a covey of birds and shooting half a dozen, she went at it with a will, and proved one of the best dogs that ever bad a gun fired over her, as two or three old sportsmen still with us could testify. They often followed her. and many times shot fifty to seventy-five birds a day. She was in such demand and I lent her so often, that at last she would follow any one with a gun, and was stolen. I used to shoot a few ducks occasionally on the North Branch of the River, and once shot a goose in the River near Rush Street. Shooting in those early times was done not only for the sport, but to supply the table. Common fowls were not to be had for love or money, but prairie-chickens in the fall were very numerous on the West Side, tiud when living on the corner of "Washington and Jefferson streets, 1 could in a few minutes' walk to the ridge Iteyond Carpenter's Addition and shoot all I wanted before break¬ fast, and sometimes would ride out two or three miles just at sun¬ down, when I would find them feeding in the road, and shoot half a dozen befe-e dark. In fact, shooting was one of the few .arause- inents of which the old settlers could avail themselves. Deer were not numerous enough around Chicago to induce many to follow them ; it l equired too much lahor. I remember one grand hunt that was organized in the fall of 1834, when a party of a hundred or moi-c went eight or ten miles out, Jind, scattering from the North Branch to the Lake, made a line and drove all before them to the village. Some five or six deer and a few wolves, scared by the noise behind them, swam the river about LaSalle street, i-an through the village, and escaped to the timber on the South Branch. A few were shot in trj'ing to break through the lines, but the hunt was not considered a success, and was never tried again. I once shot a deer myself, in 1837, about four or five miles west of Waukegan, and I never think of it to this day without seeing the beautiful eyes of the poor creature turned up to me in the agonies of death, with such a sad and mournful expression that I i-eally was almost sorry I had killed it. Then my horse utterly 6 KAKLV-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. refused (o carry it liomc on his back, or even go near it, which dU- gnsted rap; and my friends here, when I mentioned it, joked me about going up tliere after another kind of dear, which perliaps might liave been so as I got mamed soon after, and have never been deer-hunting since. The foxhound proved one of the best wolf-dogs in Chicago. Oapt. B., of the garrison, whom we met at White Pigeon Prairie, while acknowledging the merits of our noble hound, yet declared lie had a dog in Cliicago that would dive deeper, come up drier, and catch more wolves than any dog in America : and he would like to see the man that disputed it. 1 rather think he had beeii a little too near the corner of the bar¬ room wbere the bottles were kept, for his own good, when he made that assertion. But. on our arrival in Chicago, we found him a flr.st-rate fellow, and his dog .all he.had claimed for him. He was a mixture of lurcher and greyhound, of very powerful btiild. and, they said, had killed 150 wolves in his day. The way we broke our foxhound was rather unique. We lived, that flrst winter, on the North Side, about the corner of Kinzie ■and Rush streets. It was all heavily timbered down to the river- bank, between the North Branch and the lake, for some miles out. A neighbor having lost a calf, the wolves came prowling round, making night hideous with their quan-eling and howling oyer its carcass ; so we took po.ssesaion of it. dragged it farther into the woods, and set two or three spring-traps around it, covering them from sight with the scattered leave.». The first night one trap was sprung, but with no wolf in it. The second we were more successful, being rewarded in the morning by seeing a large wolf caught by his hind leg, which he had neai-ly cut to the bone in his ctforts to escape ; but we were too elated at our success to trouble ourselves about that. We started back to the house, got a large bag, and a rope, in the middle of which we put a slip-noo.se ; and, one getting at each end of the rope, soon succeeded in getting it over his head and around his neck, which we began to squeeze rather too tight for comfort, in spite of his snapping jaws, which might have been heard a block off. By each one getting close to him, we easily lifted him into the sack, and carried him home. After breakfast, we crossed the river in a canoe, for the prairie about the corner of Wabash avenue and Randolph street, accom¬ panied by two dogs, the foxhound and greyhound. We then turned the wolf out, giving him a hundred yards start before we li.VRLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 7 let the dogs alter him. He made fast time for the woods ou the South Brauch. The greyhound, with Iiis superior speed,- soon caught him, and, biting his haunch, brought liim to bay, when the foxhound, coming up, took hold of him by the neck, and never gave up the fight until she laid him dead at our feet. The grey¬ hound, getting his jaw locked witli the wolfs, wanted no more of it, and stood calmly by while the other killed him. This was my first afiidr with wolves. They were then icrv numerous. In crossing from Clark Street to Clybourn bridge, through the woods, one time, I saw five of them devouring the remains of a cow. They looked so savage that, having no gun with me, I tliought discretion the better part of valor, and made considerable of a detour to avoid them, though I never heard of them attacking any person. I often came across three or four on the i-oad between Elstou's and Lake Street bridge, sitting in the road, baying at the moon. The officers of the garrison, having nothing much to do, used lo kill large numbers of them. They met every Wednesday, with others, on horseback, and eight or ten dogs with them, in front of the old Saugauash, on Market Street, then kept by Mark Beaubien, who still may be seen at times, playing the same old fiddle with which he used'to electrify and amuse his patrons in the bar-room, forty-six or seven years since. Here they organized for the day s hunt, and often killed five or six wolves before night. Once, when I was coming down in the stage from Milwaukei.'. the snow being very deej), and the sleighing excellent, as it had been for sotne weeks,—so much so that Frink & Walkefs horses "had grown fat and frisky, and consequently were in good running Older,—there happened to he no one in the sleigh but myself, and thedi'iver was haidly able to control his spirited team. lYheu about six miles from town, we saw a large wolf making his tedi¬ ous way through the SHOW, evidently pretty well tired out. lie came into the ti-ack a short distance ahead of us, and laid down. I suggested to the driver that we might have a first-rate wolf-hunt, as I knew, after his late experience, lie would keep to the smooth ti-ack as long as he could, and, when he turned out, I was to jump ofi'and kill him with an ax-handle, a dozen of which haxipeued to be in the sleigh. The horses soon increased their speed, seeming to enjoy it as much as ourselves, and got into a full gallop after the wolf, who ran them a splendid race for a couple of miles, when 8 EARLV-CIIICAGÜ REMIMSCEN'CES. he turneJ, and I, In the excitement of the chase forgetting tlie gi'eat speed at which we were going, according to tlie program, jumped from the sleigli, and lollcd over and over in two feet of snow. When I recovered myself, the stage was half a mile ahead, and the wolf, fifty feet behind nie, lay panting on the snow. When I began to approach him, he showed such a splendid row of teeth in his jaws, and snapped them in such a significant manner, that I thought I might as well leave him, as evening was coming on, and I had to walk two or three miles to the nearest house. The horses had got past all control, and never stopped until they reached Powell's Tavern, their usual watering-place, about two and one-half miles from the village. The driver, however, put them on the back track to meet me,—expecting, as he said, to find me skinning the wolf ; but in that he was mistaken. 1 remember one other instance of a wolf-hunt in which I was engaged. It was usual, in those early times, to cut our own hay on the prairie ; and, having a couple of men mowing near Hard- scrabhle, as it was then called, about Twenty-second Street and Blue Island Avenue, I drove out to get a load; and, when jogging along homeward, about the corner of Halsted and Twelfth Streets. I saw a large wolf digging away after a chipmunk, or something of the kind. I stopped and shouted at him several 'times; but ho was so intent upon what he was about—no doubt being hungry for his dinner—that he took no notice of me. "Oh ! oh ! my fine fellow ! so you won't leave, won't you ? I will just see what l ean do to make >'ou." So, slipping ofi" my load. I took one of the horses from the wagon, stripped her of the harness except the bridle, jumped on her back, and away I went pell-mell across the prairie' after Mr. Wolf. It did not take long for him to move when he saw what I was after, and I gave him most likely the hai-desf run he ever had in his life for a mile or more ; and, had it not been for a neighboring swamp, in which he took refuge, I should certainly have caught him, for I was .armed with a pitchfork, which I car¬ ried in my right hand I'eady to jjlnnge it into him, and was close upon his heels when my horse, sinking fetlock-deep in the soft earth, warned me to desist,—much against my will, I assure you. So much for wolf-hunting and wolves. I presume I shall never see another, except some poor impi-isoned thing in an iron eage or ill the iinrk.s. .Vs for that bear story Mr. Wll.son told tibout. it is actually true EAKLV-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 9 insofar as taking a large boar in Lake Michigan, or rather out of the Lake, northeast of AVaukegau. 1 was going up to Milwaukee at the time, in one of the large steamers, and was sitting reading in the caldu, when tlie Captain rushed in. evidently very much excited, snatched his glass from the table, and. in answer to my inquiry of what was the matter, said there was something in the lake about two miles ahead, and they could not make out what it wjis. Of course my book was dropped in a moment, and I hastened after the Captain to the bow of the boat, where 1 found ttiost of the few passengers on board anxiously trying to mike out this strange object. Those used to sailing can form some idea of the coimnotion caused on board a craft when anything itnusual is sighted. The Captain, after examination by glass, first said it was a hor.se. then a deer, an:iy they could lay down a sixpence at the backdoor at night, and it would be a dollar in the morning? There was very little visiting done among the ladies, as thev had all they could attend to at home, servant-girls being verv scarce ; in fact, the houses of those days were not well calculated EARLY-CHICAGO UEMINISCENXES. 13 for company, most of them boiiiy' about 16x20, a stoi-y and a-lialf, with a Icnii-to. The liouse wo lived in that winter, on the corner of Kinzic and Rush Streets, was about as large as any in town; but unfortunately it was not completed, being neither latlu?d nor plastered, not even sheathed, and we had nothing to jtrotect us from the weather when the thermometer marked 20 degrees below zero but rough siding nailed on the studs. Fortunately we had warm clothing, and would almost roast in front of a huge wood- lire in the large chimney, common in those days, while our backs weie covered with thick cloaks to keep from freezing. I actually had my cup freeze to the saucer while sitting at the table at breakfast. Stoves were not to be had, and cooking was done under great disadvantages. Pots were boiled hanging from a hook over the firs, and bread baked in a baking pot, with hot wood-ashes above and below it. I wonder what ladies would think of such conveniences now, when girls turn up their noses unless they have hot and cold water at hand, aud stationary tubs to wash in. Then the water was brought from the river iu pails. The most fashion¬ able boarding-bouse was kept in a log-building about 16x24 feet; there forty persons daily took their meals,—^Itow many slept there I could not say. I know they took in our whole party of sixteen the first night iu Chicago, and set the table for brealifast until about dinner-time, aud dinner till supper-time. Chicago in those early days was but a small village on the very outskirts of civilized life, with very few of the conveniences, and, I may say none of the comforts of life. The furniture iu the houses was of the most primitive kind,—common wooden chairs and a deal table ; some even had to put up with forms to sit on. Befoi-e spring, fiour became so scarce that $28 a barrel was given for it, and it was a favor to get it at that. It was the same with other commodities that we now think absolutely necessary for our tables. Potatoes were not to be had ; butter the same ; and we were at last reduced to beef, pork, and corn-meal. 1 think the molasses did hold out. but corn-meal cakes were generally eaten with pork fat. I do n't know what we should have done had not navigation opened early that year and permitted the good ship Westward Ho. a small craft about eighteen or twenty feet long, the only vessel that wintered in the river, to make regular trips to St. Jo and bring back a cargo of ten or twelve barrels of flour each time. During the winter, if a stray Hoosier wagon or prai- 14 EAKLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. rie-schooiier, as wo used to call them, happened to find its way so far north, as they sometimes did, with a few crocks of butter, dried apples, smoked bacon, hams, etc., the whole village would be after the wagon to get hold of the precious commodities. This scarcity lasted till spring, when, on the 7th of May, we were glad¬ dened by the sight of a schooner in the offing, laden with flour and provisions from Detroit. She had to lay half a mile from shore, while the three or four Mackinaw boats used for that pur¬ pose made trips to unload her. The boats used were made of birch bark, very light, and were the only ones that could cross the bar at the mouth of the river with any load. Her freight was fortunately consigned to an honest man, who preferred to sell it at a fair price,—$10 a barrel, —although he was offered $25 a barrel for the whole cargo. Mr. Dole's name was known in that transaction over tlie whole country from here to the Mississippi for years after. From this time the village began gradually to improve. A bridge was built over the river at Dearborn St., doing away witli the necessity of the canoe ferry that had been run the season before. The number of inhabitants had increased to 700 or 800,— 400 or 500 more than were here the October previous. I went East in May and returned in the following November, when I found a great change for the better. There were two quite respectable hotels built on Lake Street, and several stores. The first xjerson who ventured to move so far south as the corner of LaSalle and Lake Streets was called "the prairie tailor." The Presbyterians, who before had worshipped in a small, rough building, on the corner of Franklin and South Water Streets, had put up a small church on Clark Street, neiir Lake. The ladies began to hold their society meetings regularly, and got up a fail- that was quite a success : and in the winter of 1834—5, a piano that had been brought from London by Mr. Brookes, then the only one in the place or in the State, for what I know, was taken from the store where it had been since our arrival, and Mrs. B., assisted by George Davis and others, gave several concerts, to the gi-eat delight and amusement of the citizens. What memories cluster around those names. George was the life and soul of any company he might be in, and there are many old citizens yet left in Chicago who will remember his comical songs,—" The Mogul " and " The Blue-Bottle Fly," for instance,—that always used to bring forth EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 15 roniids of applause, while Mrs. B.. who accompanied liim on the piano, played those old-fashioned pieces of martial music—"The Battle of Pi-ague '' and others—that were great favorites with the audience, who made the house ring with their plaudits. They have both passed away, I tnist to a better world, but to many of their old friends and descendants still with us these lines will bring back many pleasant memories. The summer of 1885 bi-ought still greater improvements, as well as a lai-ge increase in the number of inhabitants. The Lake House, a large, brick hotel, was built on the comer of Kinzie and Rush Sti-eets. There were also some stores erected on North Water Street, and a great effort made, unsuccessfully, however, to carry the trade to the North Side. On South Water Street, also, several stores liad been erected. In the winter of 1835 and 1836, weekly dancing parties were inaugumted at the Lake House, and four- hoi-se sleighs and wagons sent around to collect the fair ladies who attended them. The first winter here, there were but two unmarried ladies in the viliage of a suitable age, and one of them got married before spring, but in 183.5 and '36 their number had largely increased. From this time society seemed to take upon itself a more decided form, rising from the chaos in which it had before been. In the spring of 1836, in May, there was a large gatheriúg of speculators from the East to attend the canal sales, and Chicago began to be appreciated more than ever. The citi¬ zens made money and XJut on more airs. I remember that summer the boarders at the Lake House passed a resolution, partly in joke, of course, tliat they would not have any but rich men staying there, putting the sum tliat they were to be worth at $10,000. The contrast from that to a rich man of the iiresent day is great. From this time the city grew rapidly in wealth, numbers, and importance, and, as there are many who were residents at that time better able to write it up than myself, I will conclude this long article, trusting yon will jjardon me for taking uji so much space in your valuable jjaper. i6 KARIA'-CmCAGO REMINISCENXES. II. As some of your readers may have no idea of the hardships encountered by the first settlers in reaching our City in early times, I will make a few extracts from notes made some forty- eight years sinee, which I trust will be found iiitei-esting : Just fancy yourself standing on the road leading from the East into Michigan City, Ind., one cold, raw, wet afternoon, about the mid¬ dle of October, 1338, where you would have seen two covered wagons, one drawn by two hoi-ses, the other by one, wending their slow and tedious way along the muddy, miry road leading from LaPorte, then called Door Prairie, tlie place from which they liad started that morning, and though only fourteen miles distant, it had taken them the whole day to accomplish the dis¬ tance, and hard work at that, occasioned by the villainous roads over which they had passed, or, to speak more literally, through which the tired horses had dragged them, for it had been out of one mud-hole into another the whole distance; and the poor beasts looked pretty well fagged out from their day's work and the previous 500 miles tliey had already come on their journey. Some of the party were walking, and from their appearance and mud-bespattered clothing looked as if they liad put their shoul¬ ders to the wheel more than onee that day. "Walk with tiiem to the tavern, to which they are evidently bending tlieir steps, and, while standing there, let us take a look at the occupants as they alight from their vehicles. It is very evident from their appear¬ ance that they are not rough Hoosiers from Indiana, or Buckeyes from the backwoods of Ohio, for there is, notwithstanding their travel-worn appearance and the circumstances in which they arc placed, a something in their looks and manners which stamps them as far superior in mental culture and civilization to the rough, uncouth persons usually seen tumbling out of a movei-'s wagon, —though pi-obably not so well calculated to get along in a new country or to endure the privations experienced for the past few weeks, or the travel and hardships of the next few days, as the other classes would have been. Their very wagons look as if taste and neatness were not wholly forgotten. They are a large family, the heads of which are a gentleman and lady passed the meridian of life, an elderly lady accompanying them, nine children, the EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 17 oldest a young man just approaching manhood, and his four brothers, tliree young- girls not yet in their teens, and one just entering that important era. Two young men, friends of the family, travoHiitg with them, complete the party. Taken to¬ gether, they comprise a group not often seen so far "West in those early days when Chicago was on the very confines of civilization But they are now quietly seated in the tavern, a description of which will answer for nineteen out of twenty of all they have stopped at during their journey. The outer door opens into a large room used as a sitting-room for the memfolks, and also as a barroom, for in one corner, generally in the angle, you will see a cupboard with two or three shelves, on which are arranged in bottles, the diflerent colored liquors, for I suppose the color is about all the dillerence you could have found in them, as the biandy, gin, and whisky genetally came from one distillery in Ohio, with the addition of burnt sugar and juniper berries to suit the tastes of their customers. From this room you would enter the fiimiiy sitting-room, also used as a dining-room for travelers, and out of that usually a kitchen and small fRnily bedroom. The upper story, although sometimes divided into two rooms, was often left in one, with beds arranged along the sides. Once in a while you might find a curtain drawn across the further end of the room, atfoiding a little privacy to the female portion of the occupants, but often not even that, the beds being occupied pro¬ miscuously, on the first-come-first-served principle. Meals usu¬ ally consisted of "oread, butter, potatoes, and fried pork ; now and then you might get a few eggs, but not as far "West as our travelers now find themselves. Such were the accommodations travelers had to put up with in those early days. If they could find a tin washbasin and clean towel for the whole party to use, generally used on a bench outside the backdoor, they considered themselves fortunate. Nine times out of ten the beds were all occupied, or at least bespoken, but our travelers were well pre¬ pared for such occurrences, as the one-horse wagon was filled with mattresses, blankets, pillows, cloaks, and other articles to make up comfortable beds on the floor, which was done according to ciicomstances, sometimes in the barroom, and sometimes in the dining-room. The time spoken of in Michigan City it was in the inner room, where, at.lO o'clock, we will leave them for the night, the female portion of the family on the mattresses, the male on i8 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. tVie softest board tliey could pick out, wrapped up in a blanket and cloak. They were early astir the next morning, not that they need have been, had not the room been wanted for other purposes, foi- they had detei-mined to spend the day where they were to rest the horses before venturing on the forty-two miles of lake-shore, without a house between them and the Calumet River. Duidng the day they would have found ample time to have seen all there was to be seen in the embryo city, which then contained probably about fifty inhabitants. The buildings consisted of one small brick tavern, a frame one opposite, a blacksmith-shop, a store, and lialf-a-dozen houses, built in, on, above, and below the sand. It was literally a place of sand, being located on far more sand-hills than ever ancient Rome was on hills. It appeared to be about the southern point of Lake Michigan. A small creek emptied itself into the Lake, though apparently much too small for any harbor ever to be formed there. Altogether it was one of the most dreary-looking places imaginable, nothing inviting about it. Our party were making what preparations they could for the mor¬ row's journey, but provisious were very scarce. All they could get was a sucking-pig, two small pieces of pork, and half-a-bushel of potatoes ; no butter or milk was to be had for love or money. Fortunately they had flour and honey in the wagon, so they felt satisfied their provisions would last them through. From all the information they could get they had made up their minds to siJeiul one night on the lake-shore, either in the wagon or under the broad canopy of heaven. It is very evident fi-om their conversa¬ tion that they dread the journey, for two of their horses are about used up, and their loads aré heavy, but we will again leave them for the night. The next moi-ning found them up bright and early for a start, and after getting bi-eakfast and repacking the wagons, they made it by ].utting the three horses to the smallest wagon and hauling it over the hills to the shore, when the lady and chil¬ dren started on their toilsome journey, while the men folks took a span of the horses back for the double wagon. Thev soon found the depth of the sand and the difficulties of the way had not been exaggerated, for it tvas all they could do to reach the beach, on which they had barely traveled half-a-mile when the hoi-ses came to a dead stop, which delayed them some time, and they concluded the only way of making any progress at all was by traveling in KAKI.Y-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 19 the water 011 the edge of the lake. Even there they found the sand so heavy that they had to stop every now and then to breathe the horses, which made it very tedious traveling.' It was 8 o'clock liefere they overtook the first wagon that started. The family complained of great fatigue, but there was no help for it, they could not ride, the single horse was completely used up; all their urging could not move him. To add to these troubles, the wind and waves began to rise, driving them further up the beach. It became evident that a heavy .storm was blowing np. After a deal of useless trouble and (exertion, it was decided that the two- horse wagon should proceed with the family until they could find some sheltered spot in which to spend the night, leaving two of the young men to get the other on as fast as possible, and await the return of the team to take them to the stopping-place. It was after dark before they rejoined their party in the sand-hills, where they found supper prepared, and glad enough they all were to sit down to it, after the labors of the day ; but they had .haidly tasted a mouthful before the threatened stonn Inoke over their heads in all its fury. They had barely reached the wagon, whither they liastened with what food they could snatch up, be¬ fore the rain fell in torrents, the thunder rolled fearfully, and the wind increased to a perfect hurricane. The storm continued to increase in violence until after midnight, the family sitting oppo¬ site each other on cither side of the wagon listening to the war of the elements during the long and tedious hours of that dreadful night, holding on with tightened grasp to the bows of the wagon- cover, expecting every minute it would be' blown away. Fortu¬ nately the canvas-top was made of stout material, and withstood the fury of the blast, but still left them in no very enviable posi¬ tion, Buft'ering as they were from the fatigue of the previous day's walk, the cold-and-damp atmosphere surroupdlng them, and the want of a good night's rest. The thi'ee youi^ men crawled for shelter under the cover of the snaall wagon, closing up the back and front as well as they could to prevent the driving wind and rain from making a clean sweep through it. In the first few hours they had the best of it, laying on a piie of mattresses, with plenty to cover them, but toward morning, when the wind was at its height, they suddenly found themselves deluged with rain, the front and back of the cover having been carried away, and it was with the greatest difticulty they again secured it and sheltered 2 20 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES, themselves from the pitiless storm. None who went through the experience of that and the succeeding night will ever forget it. Glad enough they all were to welcome the flrst rays of the com¬ ing morn; even then the outlook was none of the brightest. Fortunately the rain had ceased, but a cold north wind continued to blow from the Lake, driving them up higher and higher on the beach where the horses had to travel fetlock deep in sand I'very step they took. After partaking of breakfast, cooked under the greatest ditficnlty, as the wood and everything around wa.s saturated with the rain, they again started on their journey, but soon came to the conclusion that the old horse, bought in Michi¬ gan only ten days before, could go no further, so after consultation it was determined to turn him adrift in the sand-hills, where 1 have no doubt he soon became food for the wolves. After hauling the heaviest wagon well up on the beach, secure from the waves, and filling it with all that could possibly be spared out of the other wagon, we fastened the covers down, and left it, fully ex- jjecting that half the contents would be stolen; but it was neces¬ sary to make some sacrifice, as it was beginning to be a serious matter how we were to e.xist until we reached Mann's tavern, on the Calumet River, over thirty miles distant, as the two horses left were pretty well tired out. There was no time to be lost, so putting one horse before the other, they pressed on, though still having to stop every half-hour to rest the team; about 9 o'clock four travelers on horseback overtook our xairty. Among the number wa.s Augustus Garrett and Dr. Egan, for nuiny years after well-known and prominent citizens of Chicago. They told us we could not be over ten miles from Michigan City, which greatly discouraged our travelers, as they fully expected they were at least twenty, but the continued stoppages to which they had been subjected had deceived them. From this time, they fully made up their minds to spend an¬ other night on the shore of the Lake, not a very pleasant pi-os- pect certainly, as it was still very cold, and a large amount of their bedding and blankets was loft behind, but there was no help for it, so they walked wearily onward until ..evening, when, finding a sheltered spot in one of the swales among the sand-hills, they pre¬ pared to spend the night there, by gathering wood, lighting a fire, and cutting a quantity of jumper and fir boughs to cover the ground, on which, after partaking of rather a slim supper, thov EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 21 laid down, covered with cloaks and what blankets they had, and. being completely tired out, really enjoyed a gopotatoes, were soon prepared to resume their journey, though not with a very comfortable feeling, knowing they could not taste an¬ other mouthful until they had traveled the twenty miles inter¬ vening between them and the nearest house, but they hurried oil', hoping almost against hope that a friend in Chicago, to whom they luid written, while at Michigan City, an account of their situation, would get the letter and send help, which, fortunately for them, he did, sending a yoke of oxen driven by a former acquaintance, who met them about 11 o'clock. This was a great relief to all, as it enabled the female portion of the family to crowd into the wagon and ride the remainder of the day. Leaving them comfortably provided for, throe of the yonng men walked on, arriving at Mann's tavern, on the banks of the Calumet, soon after dark, and no three young men ever felt happier than they did to find themselves again under the shelter of a roof, with' the pros¬ pect before them of a good substantial meal. The remainder of the party, with the wagon, arrived an hour or so later, and were highly delighted to find a good supper prepared for them. Thi' night was spent, as many before had been, part sleeping on the floor, while others occupied a couple of beds, which were fortu¬ nately found disengaged. The tavern-keeper was a half-Indian, but kept a good house of its sort, on the east side of the river, and also ran the ferry. The house was of logs, two buildings about 16 X 20 being put up, leaving a space between of about the same size, which, being covered with clapboards, like the other build¬ ings, and inclosed at the sides, made quite a commodious tavern, much better than most of those they had stopped at for the last 300 miles of their journey. In the morning, it was decided that three of the young men should start back after the other wagon, which they did, though much against their inclinations, taking with them both oxen and horses, carrying what provender they needed on their backs. 22 EARLV-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. After traveling ten or twelve miles on the back ti-ack, they came to a grove where two men were at work building a shanty, stabling, etc., for a new station for the stage-company, and not before it was needed, for our party di-agged one horse off to the woods,—¡1 \ ictim to hard driving, scant feed, and want of care ; hut what could the drivers do, with a route of forty-two miles of lake-shore without a house, but put the poor brutes through as best they could. That night tlie young men had to lie on two inches of snow, by way of a cliange, but with their heads pro¬ tected from the wind by boughs stuck in the sand by some other party before the frost set in, and a good roaring fire at their feet, they managed to spend a pretty comfortable night The second day, a little before dark, they found the wagon just as it had been left,—not a thing touched. It was not long before a fire was kindled, and slap-jacks were frying in the pan, which, eaten with the honey left behind, made an excellent supper, enlivened as it was with many songs and jovial talk. It took two days more to again reach the river, where they found the party fully recraited from the fatigues of their journey, and anxious to be again on the road for Chicago, some thirteen miles distant. The following day, about 11 o'clock, they left Mann's tavern, and towai-d evening arrived at the place of their destination, where they might reason¬ ably have expected to find a comfortable resting-place; but it was not to be. Every tavern and house was full, and they had to wait two or three hours in the cold before they could find a roof to shelter them; then a kind lady liad compassion on them, and took them into her already-crowded boarding-house, a log building about 16 x 20, where they had again to spread their mat¬ tresses on the fioor. Such was the reception of a family in the then Village of Chicago, and such were a few of the hardships and troubles experienced in getting there. EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 23 in. As before stated, T came from Buffalo by team, and, on leaving- the lake shore and rounding the point of woods about Thirty-first Street, we found ourseives, for the first time, on a wide expanse of level prairie, bounded on the west by a belt of timber which lined the banks of the South Branch of the river, a mile or two distant. Three or four miles to the north of the point where we stood lay the Village of Chicago, stretching from the lake some half-mile or more to the west, along the bank of the river, the white houses and stores, together with the buildings and fence of the garrison grounds, giving it quite a pleasant and cheerflil ap¬ pearance under the genial lays of tlie wintry sun, especially as seen after the storm and the tedious jonimey of the previous few days. The grass looked brown, for it was long enough to hide from view the slight sprinkling of snow that had fallen a few days befoi-e, but the ground was frozen solid, though yet in Octo¬ ber. There was but one building between us and the village, and that was a log-barn, standing about Twentieth Street. To the east of us was the beautiful Lake, on the bosom of which wc could now and then, between the hills of sand that lined its bank, catch sight of two schooners that lay at anclior half or three-quarters of a mile from land, lazily rising and falling with the swell of the waves as they rolled into shore from the eftect of the late north¬ easter. Again turning our eyes landward, as we slowly walked beside a yoke of plodding oxen, which a kind friend had sent to meet us and help our weary horses over the sandy beach from Michigan City, we gazed upon the scene before us. Wondering if the place would answer the glowing description we had heard of it and realize our expectations, we kept the beaten track to about Adams Street, where we turned directly westwaid across the pi-airie in the direction of the bridge thrown across the river between Randolph and Lake Streets, but changed our course about Clark Street, where we turned north and made for the cen¬ tre of the village, between Franklin and LaSalle Streets, near the river. Here we had to wait an hour or two until we could find some place in which to spend the night. We at last found shel¬ ter under the roof of a log boarding-house, kept by a Mrs. Bi'owu. as, I think, I stated in a former letter. While waiting around that afternoon, we had ample time to make a few notes of our 24 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. surroundiiifíe. "What few buildings thei'c were on the South- Side, were built on the prairie, about a hundred feet from the river, with an Indian trail, deeply indented in the soil, ninning elose to it along its bank. There was no road or street thrown lip. but the houses and stores were scattered here and there from about State Street, on the east, to the forks of the river westward. On the West-Side were several buildings, and on the North-Side, east of Dearborn Street, was also a cluster of small houses. From Dearborn Street west, the North-Side was one dense forest, with the exception of a couple of log-buildings and a house and barn, situated on the point made by the North-Branch as it emptied into the main stream, where Judge Harmon resided. Such was the general aspect of the place, as seen from the spot where we stood, near Franklin Street, The building that at¬ tracted most of our attention that evening, as it was near to us. and had five or six windows on the side fronting on Franklin Street, was the meeting-house, probably about 16x2+, owned, so we afteiTvard found, by the Baptists, but then used, being the only one in the village, by the' Presbyterians and Methodists as well. It was a common frame-building, void of paint or other outside adornment. The fitting-up inside was of the most prinai- tive character. The seats were made of common, planed, boards, without any backs, if I remember right The reading-desk, on a platform slightly raised, was of the same rough material, but the Gospel was preached there weekly, in all its purity, by three as good men as could be found in the pulpit of the present day,—the Kev. Mr. Freeman, the Baptist, who preached in the morning, and soon left this world, I trust, for a better; the Rev. Jere¬ miah Porter, still living among us, who preached in the afternoon ; and Rev. Henry Whitehead, yet a resident of the City, in the evening. The singing was led, such as it was, by a sergeant from the garrison, who usually sang " Old Hundred," or some such tune, with a nasal twang that was dreadful to listen to. The congre¬ gation generally averaged about thirty to thirty-five. The house in the afternoon was generally pretty well filled with children attending Sunday-school. The Rev. Mr. Porter, in his speech at the unveiling of the tab¬ let, said the first Sunday-school in the village was commenced by Maj. Wilcox in the garrison, but Mrs. Charles Taylor iufonns me that she commenced the first Sunday-school in their log-house on EAULY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 25 Wolf Point, or West-Water Street, a.s early as 1832, having five or six scholars, two of LaFi-amhoisc's being among them ; and she also says she was the only white woman that staid outside the garrison, in the Indian scare of that year. It was also stated at the same time, by the Hon. John Went- worth, in his speech, that Col. Beaubien brought the first piano into the City, whereas it was Samuel Brookes, who brought it with him from London in 1833, and rented it out to the Colonel for a few months, afterwai"d selling it to him. I don't know as it is of much consequence, but we might as well have it correct. Mr. Porter held the evening meetings weekly, in a small log- building, situated on Water Sti-eet, between Dearborn and State Streets, used in the day-time for a school-room, and occupied by Miss Chappel and a few scholars. Such was the commencement of three of the largest denominations in this City of beautiful churches. It seems hai-dly credible that forty-seven years should liave made such a cliange. But it is the same with everything. The first school, as I said before, was kept by Miss Chappel, now Mrs. J. Porter, followed by Miss Barrow, in the spring, who in- ci-eased the number with a few larger scholars. The first public-school was, I think, opened on the North-Side, sind taught by Mr. Watldus, in the fall of 18Si. A small building on Dearborn Street was occupied as a public-school, in 1835, Geo. Davis, a well-known character in Chicago for years aftei-ward, being the teacher. Such was the small beginning of the splendid school-system of the present day. Who could have thought, in their wildest dreams for the future, that such splendid structures as we now have, containing their thousands of children, would ever have been erected on the wet prairie surrounding the village at that time. The first brick public-school was built on Madison ijtreet, between Dearborn and State, in 1844. There were several hotels in Chicago, when we arrived—the ^Mansion House, near State, on Lake Street; the Sauganash, on Market, kept that winter by Mark Beaubien ; Ingersoll's on West- AVater, then known as Wolf Point, facing the main river,—a log- building with a piazza in front of it; and the Green-Tree Hotel, still standing I think, on Canal Street, north of Lake, the build- of which was then not quite finished. These were all filled to overfiowing with boarders and travelers, but how many each cared for I can not say. Of course the accommodations for the comfort of 26 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. their guests were of the roughest ami most primitive kind—a dirty bar-room, futl of smoke, was at I the sittiug-rooin provided for gen¬ tlemen at any rate, whatever they might liave. had for ladies. As for the tables they set—well. I suppose they did the best they could, for certainly there were few dainties to be purehased that winter for love or money, an.l the applianees for cooking were very far from what they now are. In many, a pot hung over a wood-fire, a frying-pan and a baking-pot was about all they had for culinary pui'itoses in those days. There were several stores. John "Wright's, between Dearborn and State Streets, was the most easterly. Then there wei-e two small stores near the corner of Dearborn,—one used as a bake-shop and the other as a grocery or saloon. Between Dearborn and Clark Streets were several buildings, used as stores and dwelling- houses. Medore Beatibien had a store just west of Dearborn. Then came two or three dwellings, and then the stores kept by Pruyne & Kimberly, C. L. Harmon, and Georgn W. Dole. Still west of those were Walter Kimball and P. F. W. Peck, on the corner of LaSalle. Philo Carpenter kept a drug-store in a log- building on the river-bank. Then John S. C. Hogan kept a store and post-office in an old log-building on the corner of Lake and Water Streets. John Bates, still living in Chieago, was clerking for him at that time. I have heard him say he used to keep the letters in an old boot-top. But they had got further advanced than that on our arrival, as they had a few rough board pigeon-holes back of the ccunteiv where they used to put the few letters or papers that came to the village. Just south of Hogau's store, on Market Sti'eet, was the Sauga- nash, where Mark Beaubieu, lately deceased, used lo keep taven» and play his violin every evening to amuse his guests. Opposite that was the bridge aeross the river. And such a bridge ! It was built of round logs, cut from the adjoining woods. Four logs, framed together, making a square, wei-e called » bent, one end of which was sunk in the river, leaving the top of it about thi-ee feet above the surface of the water. Thei-e were two of these sunk in the middle of the stream, about thirty feet apart. Then straight, round logs were tin-own from the bank of the river, from either side, on to these bents, others crossed fi-om bent to bent, and small trees, about six inches in diameter and ten feet long, wer-e laid EARLV-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 27 transversely on the logs, making the roadway. These were thrown on loose—no spike or pin being used. There were no i-ails on the sides, and, as it shook and trembled under every team that crossed over, it was not surprising that, once in a while, a span of horses sliould jump into the river. I saw one myself that winter—a splendid team, just driven in from Detroit, and the best in the City—plunge into the river and drown before we conld help them. The only wonder was that the four-horse stage-wagon managed to get safely over so many times. After crossing the bridge, at the corner of "West-Lake and West- Water Streets, Bob Kinzie, as he was familiarly called, kept the largest store in town, though chiefly fllled with goods for the Indian trade. There Was beside Kinzie's on the West-Side, but that would be about all, some three or four small groceries, where liquor was retailed. On the North-Side, east of Dearborn Street, there were two or thi-ee small stores and groceries, and several houses on North- Water Sti-eet, a small brick-house near N.-State St. being then the only one iu the village. It belonged to Charles Chapman, a notorious character iu those days. East of Bush Street, on the river-bank, was a building occupied by Newberry & Dole, who did the foi-warding business of the place in a co\iple of large covered wagons that made continual trips to Galena, which was then a flourishing town near the Mississippi, and doing quite an extensive business with the miners. Such was the Chicago of those days. You can fancy how many houses it would take to accommodate about 300 people, when half of them boarded in the taverns and boarding-houses, and the other half were crowded into small dwellings and rooms over the stores. Still east of the warehouse was a whitewashed log-house, with a row of poplar trees before it,—the former residence of John Kin¬ zie, whose son was, at this time living in a spacious log-house fronting the river on the North-Side, about State Street. Beyond, and still further to Ihe east, were to be seen the beautiful waters of Lake Michigan, the shores of which were not then disflgured by either buildings or piers. But it did not long remain so, as the coming winter saw the laborers, with the accustomed shanties, occupying the sandy beach on the north side of the river, where they were soon busily at work for the Government, constructing the harbor and turning the course of the river into its present channel. 28 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. To the south of the village was an almost intciminahle prairie, said to be 300 miles in length, with only one small belt of timber to break the monotony of its level surface, i-eaching, as we were told, to the most southern point of the State, to which you could travel by crossing only that one small belt of timber, before mentioned—^not a quarter-of-a-mile in width. The country immediately around the village was very low and wet, the banks of the river not being more than three or four feet above the level of the water. More than one-third of the river was covered with wild rice, leaving hut a .small stream in the centre. Parties informed us that, in the spring, we shoiild find it almost impossible to get around for the mud—a truth very forcibly Illus¬ trated when, a few months later, I got into a wagon to go about a mile-and-a-half northwest, to a house Daniel Elstou was building on the west side of the river. It was with the greatest difficulty that two good horses could pull the empty wagon through the two feet of mud and water aci-oss the prairie we had to pass. I once heard Mi-. Elston's place called "The Mud Farm,'' not an inappro¬ priate name for it at that time. A year or two later I saw many te.ams stuck fast in the sti-eets of the village. I remember, once, a stage-coach got mired on Clark Street, opposite the present Sherman House, where it remained several days, with a boai"d driven in the mud at the side of it bearing this inscription : "No bottom here." I once saw a lady stuck in the mud in the middle of Randolph Sti-eet at the crossing of LaSalle. She was evidently in need of help, as, every time she moved, she sank deeper and deeper. An old gentleman from the country, seeing the situation, ottered to help her, which had such an effect upon her modesty that, with one desperate effort, she drew her feet out, minus her shoes, which were afterward found over a foot deep in the mire,, and reached the sidewalk in her stockings. I could tell innumer¬ able tales of the dreadfully muddy roads we had to encounter, but a few such will suffice. In 1838 or '39, the only way two of our most fashionable young ladies from the North-Side could get to the Presbyterian Church, on Clark Street, near Lake, was by riding in a dung-cart, with robes thrown on the bottom, on which they sat. I once saw those same ladies dumped on the sidewalk in front of the churoh, through the negligence of their driver in not putting in the bolt Another story, told in a lectin-e given by Jas. A. Marshall, is rather more than EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 29 I can vouch for. It was this : that our minister, who was then a young bacheloi*, in walking home with a young lady from "Wed¬ nesday-evening meeting, got into a slough, and, in their endeavors to extricate themselves, kept sinking deeper and deeper, until they were more than waist-deep in mud and water, and that it was only from their screaming for help that assistance came, and saved tliein fiom a muddy and watery grave. I know of no slough that was deep enough for that, except one running south from the river about State Street, gradually lessening to about Adams Street. There was also a very wet spot, or slough, on Clark Street. soutli of Washington. The "Village Trustees, wishing to drain it. and having no fund on hand, applied to Stiachah & Scott, the first brokers that came here, for a loan of $60. Bnt the wary Scotchmen refused to let them have it^ unless E. B. Williams endorsed it,"Which he did. This was probably the first loan made by the City of Chicago. Compare it with the millions she has bor¬ rowed since; what a contrast! Before leaving the subject, I must say a few words respecting the early efforts of our City Fathers to effectually drain the vil¬ lage. As I liave said before, Chicago was very low and exceedingly wet. The first effort miide. was on Lake Street, where, after mature deliberation, our Village Solons passed an ordinance for the digging out of the street to the depth of three feet,—a little the deeper in the centre. This naturally drained the lots contig¬ uous to it ; and, on being covered with long, heavy plank, or tim- bei-, ninniiig from the sidewalk to the centre of the roadway, for a few mouths after it was finished made a very good street. But it was soon found that heavy teams going over it worked the timbers into the mud; and it was consequently squash, squash, until at last, in wet weather, the mud would splash np into the horses! &ces, and the plan was condemned as a failure. It was tried two or three years, when the planks were removed, and it was filled up two or three feet above the original surface. This was found to work better, as it naturally would, and the same system of fill- iiig-up has been continued from time to time, until some of the streets are five or six feet above the original surface of the prairie. The filling-up answered a double purpose, as it not only made better roads, but it enabled the owners of the adjoining lots to have good cellars without going much below the level of the prairie, thus getting a drainage into the river. The first year or EARLY-CHTCAGO REMINISCENCES. two WG were here, there was not a cellar in Chicago. A good joke was told about the first brick Tremont House that was put up. Of course it was at first built to the grade of that period; but, as the grade was every now and then established higher, and ■still higher, it at last left the hotel three or four feet below the surface of the road in front of it, and steps were built around it both on Lake and Dearboni Streets for the convenience of persons going there or passing along the sidewalk. A wag of a fellow, from New Orleans, while visiting here, wrote back to his paper that they need not talk any more about the low land of New Orleans, for Chicago had got a brick-hotel five stories high that was so heavy that it had sank into the soft soil severel feet, and had forced the ground up into the street around it. I must say it had that appearance. The building was afterward raised eight feet, bringing it up to the grade, and making cellars and basements undemcath. It was the first brick-building ever raised in Chicago, and the raising was done at a cost to the proprietors, Ira and James Couch, of some $45,000. The con¬ tractor, 1 think, came from Boston, and many were the pi'ophe- cies that the building would fall down during the process. But it was raised without the breaking* of a pane of glass, although it was 160x180 feet. After the success attending the raising of the Tremont, many others were l'âised to grade, and at last one-half of a block of heavy buildings on Lake Street were successfully raised. It took 5000 screws and 500 men to accomplish it. The North-Side, between the River and North-State Street, was very wet,—the water lay six to nine inches deep the year round,—and on the West-Side, for ten miles out, the water lay in places two feet deep, and in wet weather the whole surface was covered with water, with the exception of the two ridges between the City and the DesPlaines River. I built, in the fall of '36, on the corner of Washington and Jeflerson Streets, and many a time had to wade ankle-deep in water to get there, before I cut a ditch to the river to drain it. On taking a trip to the Northwest, in the spring of'35, the water was so deep a little nortlt of Fullerton Avenue, on the Milwaukee road, that it came into the wagon-box several times before we reached the ridge at Jeflerson. In going out to a convention, ,Tune 1, 1849, there was so much water on the prairie west of the City that it took us nearly the whole day to reach Doty's Hotel, on the ridge, about ten miles west of the EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 31 Coui't-House. We wero, of course, trnveliiig in wagons, as that was long before the era of railroads. But I have said enough to sliow the chaiacter of the soil of Chicago and surrounding country. It certainly ^ras decidedly a very low and wet spot on which to build a city, before It was drained and sewered, and the only won¬ der Is that It has become the magnificent City that we boast of at the present day, with blocks of buildings far-surpassing in elegance of structure, durability, and size, any that can be found In the business parts of either Liondoii or Paris. IV. In my last communication to you, I gave my views of Chicago and tlje surrounding' country as It was In 1S33 and 1834, and T supposed that everybody that was acquainted with the place In those early days would certainly have agreed with me that It was decidedly very low and wet. But Mr. G. 8. Hubbard, one of our oldest and most respected citizens, says I gave a wrong Impression in saying that the reads In the surrounding country and the streets of the city were always bad and Impassable. I did not say so, but did say that, on our arrival here In the fall of '33, parties told us we sliould find It a very muddy place In the spring. And so we certalidy did, and I gave many Items corroborating those views. But in a dry season, In the summer and fall, I admit the roads were as level and smooth as could be desired, and the only draw¬ back against comfortable traveling was the clouds of dust that enveloped us. But I am now going to give a few reminiscences of trips made in tliose early times to neighboring places, and also a journey to the East In the spring of '34, which I think will perhaps be Interesting to some of your readers, who now ride over the same ground with such comfort and ease In Pullman cars. The first trip I took was to the East, when the coinmou route was by stage-wagon that ran days and laid up nights, taking al>out five days to Detroit. But, preferring water to land, when com¬ pelled to ride In that style, I crossed Lake Michigan to St. Joseph in a small sail-boat called the " Westward Ho," about eighteen feet in length, that had wintered here, and had made weekly trips across the Lake biinglirg over about ten baiTels of flour as her full cargo. The forwai-d part was decked over for about eight feet, In 32 EARLY-CHICAGO REMtNISCENCES. which there were four berths, and in one of these the Captain ensconced himself as soon as we were fairly out in the Lake, leaving- a man who was working his passage to steer. But, knowing nothing of steei-ing or navigation, and the wind changing a little, he headed her again for Chicago, and on arriving outside, at the mouth of the Biver, he called the Captain up to take her in, at which he was mad enough, swearing he had a great mind to throw him overboai-d. But we headed again for St. Joe, arriving there about seven the next morning. Towai-d evening of the day we left, the Captain had again taken himself to his berth, leav¬ ing me to steer through the night, which, fortunately, was as lovely and calm a one as was ever seen in the month of >Iay. St. Joe was then like most Western villages. Consisting of a tavern, a pretty good one, at which we breakfasted, a black¬ smith-shop, store, and several houses. From there I walked through the woods to Niles, distant a little over thirty miles, and situated on the Biver St. Joe. Niles was a little larsrer, and a vil¬ lage of more iiviportance, than St. Joe, as it was on the stage-road from Chicago to Detreit. I walked over the road the next day about forty miles to White-Pigeon Prairie, and from there, the foliowing day, forty-five miies to Coldwater, another village of about the same size as those before described. I was there over¬ taken by the stage from Chicago and also by a farineris wagon, both bound for Detroit. I took passage with the latter, but exchanged with a friend from Chicago who soon after arrived on horseback, and, being weary of his ride, I gladly, took his place, and rode into Detroit, then a city containing 8,00U to 10,000 inhab¬ itants. From there I took the steamer to Bnfialo, which made semi-weekly trips between the two cities. Buffalo was hardly as much of a city as Detroit, although it claimed some 8,000 inhabitants. From there I took a little steamer that made daily trips down the Niagara Biver to the Falls and lauded us on the Caiiadiau side, above the Clifton House, which was then just built, and was the only hotel on either side of the Falls, which might then be seen in all its native grandeur, before the hand of man had done what it couid to destrey its sublimity. From there a line of stages ran to Niagara, a small village on the river a few miles from Lake Ontario, frem which place a steamer crossed the Lake to Toronto, my destination. I staid there until the foliowing November, when I relurncd to Chicago over the EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 33 same route, and in about the same manner, except that I walked IVom Detroit to Niles. Tlie roads for flfty miles west from Detroit were literally impassable ; at least twenty loaded teams were stuck in the mud and abandon^. From Niles I took stage to Chi¬ cago ; the little TCSsel in which I crossed the Lake in the spring having gone to the bottom. The next trip 1 took was in the spring of '35, when myself arid a friend hired a couple of Indian ponies, and, with blankets strapped behind us, started in a northwesterly direction to the point of land afterward known as Dutchman's Point. Then, striking an Indian trail that led to the Desplaines River, about flfteen miles from heia, where Allison Bridge now is, we crossed the river on the ice, following the trail on the west side of the stream, still in a northerly direction, until we arrived at a spot a little west of Waukegan. The country througb which we traveled was then just as Nature made it.—a beautiful rolling inairie, without fence or house to mar the delightful views that from time to time came in sight as we rode along. It was then not even surveyed by the Government.« I must make one exception as to fences, however, for old Mark Noble had a farm partly fenced in, about six miles from here, on the North Branch, which was the only fencing seen on our ride of forty miles. About thirty miles from the City, in the middle of a prairie, a pioneer had just started building a log- house, and there was a shanty some ten miles farther up the river to which we were directing our steps, or rather guiding our horses. The ostensible reason for our trip was to take up a claim. It was the fashion then ; everybody took up, or made, a claim on 160 acres of Government laud, on which they could get a pre-emp¬ tion, provided they made certain improvements, and, like our neighbors, we must of course have our claim, though what earthly use it was to be to us, unless we were going, to turii farmers, I could not say. After having a chat with the pioneer before men¬ tioned, and getting what directions we could from him respecting the location of the slmuty where we expected to spend the night, and which, if avc missed it, we should have to spend in the open air, we continued our journey. But it was not till about 10 oVslock at night, when we had almost given up in despair, that, by the light of the moon, which just then shed its rays on the roof, we, to our great joy, descried it, and though it was but about eight by ten feet in size, and before our arrival had eight occupants—one 34 EARI.Y-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. of them a black man—yet we gladly accepted their hospitality, and made a heax-ty supper of fi'ied poi'k and " corn dodgei'S." We spent the following day selecting our claims, which we duly staked off, axid futui-e pai-ties left them as we made them for more than a yeai', until sold. In the fall of '3.5, I drove out west to whei-e the city of Aui-oi-a now is. The first store was then just building, by Livingston & Powers, of Chicago, who opened a branch thei-e. I stopped at Naperville the first night out, then quite a fioui'ishing little village, just I'ecovei'ed fi-om the Indian scare under Blackhawk. I was shown the well whei-e they hid their valuables, and a blind mai-e in the stable, made so by carry¬ ing two men on her back fx-om thex-e to Chicago—about thix-ty miles. From Naperville to Auroi-a was about twelve miles, across a pi-aix'ie without the least sign of habitation. After delivering my load I dx-ove down the river thx-ough the wood to where Oswego stands, intending to go to Plainfield, acx-oss another ten- mile praix'ie, for a load of cox-n, it being very scarce in Chicago, and worth $1.73 a bushel. But my hoi'ses, feelixxg elated at having an empty wagon behind them, x'an away and broke an axle. Fort¬ unately, 1 was near the only dwelling within six miles. It was but a shanty, ten or twelve feet squax-e, occupied by a nxan, his wife, and thxee or four childx-en, but he had an ax, and, with his help, we fixed the wagon so that I could get along with it. By the time that was done it was neax'ly dax-k, but, x-eceiviixg dhec- tions fx'om him as to the road, with the assurance that I could not possibly lose my way, I started, and traveled hour after houx-, until, coming to a prairie fix-e, I was enabled to see the time. It was between 12 and 1 o'clock. I supposed befox-e that I was lost ; then I was assuxed of it. So I gave the horses the reiixs, and let them go their owxx way. About 2 o'clock 1 was gladdened with the sight of a light, and found myself in front of the same tavern at Napex-ville that I had left in the xnorning. After a little rest I nxade ailMher start for Plainfield, then about the oldest settlemexxt in the countx-y, and got my load of cox-n. In 1836, 1 dx-ove up to Milwaukee, whexx the most of the vil¬ lage was on the west side, at Kilbourne Town, although they had made a beginning to build up the Cream City even at that eai-ly day. The Milwaukee House, a large frame hotel, was just opened, being built on one of the highest hills in the city. It has since been lowexed about fifty feet, to bring it on a level with the EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 35 rest of the town, from my first visit for twenty years, I went there continually, marked its growth, and many a time listened to the boasts of its citizens that it was going to rival Chicago in its growth, and did actually contain as many inhabitants as the Garden City. The runnel's from the hotel would go on board the Eastern boats and tell passengci-s such tales of the dreadful sickness and daily deaths in Chicago that many a one was frightened and deterred from coming here. 1 was with Capt. Ward on the first steamer that ever entei-ed the river, which was then filled with numerous mud-banks, on which we grounded several times before getting up to where the wharves now are. The citizens were about crazy with delight at seeing the boat enter, and got up quite an impromptu glorification. Waukegaii was not then settled. Kenosha, or Southport as it was called, was just laid out, and Root River, on which is located Racine, was crossed about three miles from its mouth. In 1842 or '43 I firat visited Galena, then quite a city of note, doing a larger wholesale business than Chicago. It was the centre of the mining district for lead, and was the point at which all tlie shipments were made for the South and East, being the distributing point for the Upper Mississippi and Northwest. From there Chicago received its first shipment of clarified sugar, bought from the agent of the St. Louis refinery who was stationed there. It was only sixty barrels, but was the forei-unner of an immense trade afterward done with St. Louis, through an agent appointed here. In the ikll of 1842, 1 made two trips to St. Louis for the purchase of sugar and molasses, being the first ever brought into the City dli'ect from the South. The route was from here to Peru by stage, and from there by boat. The water was very low —so much so that there were only two small boats running out of about twenty in the trade. The rest were stuck on the different sand-bars, some ten or twelve being at Beardstown. The small boat on which I took passage only drew about two feet of water. Consequently she continued her trips, but was a whole woc» i-each- ing St. Louis. The deck-hands on board were all slaves, and the way the poor fellows were treated was really shameful. After meals in the cabin everything was swept off the plates into tin pans and then taken below, when the darkies would scramble for the «óptente like so many hogs. At Beardstown the boat grounded, and the darkies were driven into the water to fioat a hundred bar¬ rels of whisky over the bar. When thus lighiened, they pried her 3 36 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. over; and yet, with this wretched treatment, they were the jol- liest, merriest set of fellows ever seen, singing and playing when they were not at work—as if they had not a trouble or care in the world. Just opposite Alton, at the entrance to the Mississippir she struck a snag and nearly sank, but, after running ashore, they stuck their jackcoats into the hole and continued their journey as if nothing had happened, i-eaching the City a few hours afterward without further mishap. A second trip I made soon after took over two weeks on the river. There is one other episode in my early travels which I must relate, particularly as it was made with others, and was, I think,, the first political convention ever attended by Chicagoaus. It was in the Presidental canvass of 1840—the year Harrison was elected. Some seventy of us were nominated to attend a convention to be¬ held at Springfield, and, as we wished to make a sensation;'we determined to get the thing up in style. Great preparations were made. We secured foui-teeii of the best teams in town, got new canvas covers made for the wagons, and bought four tents. We also borrowed the Government yawl—the largest in the City— had it rigged up as a two-masted ship, set it on the strongest wagon we could find, and had it drawn by six splendid gray horses. Thus equipp'ed, with four sailors ou board, a good band, and a six-pound cannon to fire occasional salutes, made quite an addition to our cavalcade of fourteen wagons, we went ofl" with flying colors, amid the cheers and well-wishes of the numerous friends that accompanied us a few miles out. ]|laj.-Gen., then Capt. Hunter, was our marshal, and the whole delegation was chosen from the best class of citizens, of whom but few, very few, remain : Gurdon S. Hubbard, Stephen F. Gale, Thomas B. Carter, Robert Freeman, and, Mr. Carter informs me, two of the musi¬ cians are still living, being all we could call to mind. It was June 7,1 think, that we started, leaving the City between 9 and 10 o'clock. From the Three-Mile House to the ridge, ten miles from town, took us about the whole day to accomplish. It was past a o'clock before we got our tents pitched. The prairie was covered with water, and the wagons would often sink up to the axies in mud, making it a most tedious and fatiguing journey. But on reaching the tavern, and finding an old coon there, with a barrel of hard cider, on the stoop—emblems of the Whig party— we soon made ourselves jovial around the camp-fire, over which EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 37 some of our party were buey cooking' supper, as it was under¬ stood, before starting, that none of the party were to go to taverns, but all faie alike sleeping under the tents. We were, of course, ■well supplied with buffalo-robes and blankets. These, with a little hay under them, made comfortable beds. We set a watch in true military style, though it was hardly thought necessary, so near to the City. We were astir by sunrise the next morning, aud, after partaking of breakfast, started again on our journey, reaching Joliet, where we again encamped for the night. During the evening we were visited by a few of the citizens, who advised us to put on a strong guard during the night, as a party of Irish¬ men, at work on the canal, had determined to burn our vessel. On receiving this information, we took measures at once for its protection. The wagons were placed in-a circle, the vessel in the centre, and the horses corraled in the inclosure. Then we doubled the guaid, which was relieved every two hours, and, thus pre¬ pared for any emergency, sought our tents. About 12 or 1 o'clock the guaid arrested two men, found sneaking under the wagons, and held them till morning. With that exception we passed a quiet night, but in the morning received decisive information that we should be attacked in fording the river. When all prepara¬ tions were made for a start, our marshal rode along the line, tell¬ ing those who liad not already done so to load their arms, consist¬ ing of shot-guns and old horse-pistols (revolvers being then unknown), but to be sure and not fire until he gave the word of command. Fortunately we escaped without bloodshed, but it looked very serious for about half an hour. When wereached the ford we found a party of 200 or 300 men aud boys assembled to dispute our passage. However, we contiimed our course, sur¬ rounded by a howling mob, and part of the time amid showers of stones thrown from the adjoining blufi', until we came to a spot where two stores were built—one on either side of the street— and there we came to a halt, as they had tied a rope from one building to the other, with a red petticoat dangling in the midst used by the Democrats to show disrespect to Gen. Harrison, whom they called the "Old-Woman Candidate." Seeing us brought to a stand, the mob redoubled their shouts and noise from their tin horns, kettles, etc. Gen. Hunter, ilding to the front, took in the situation at a glance. It was either foi'ward or fight. He chose the formel-, and gave the word of command, knowing it would be 38 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. at the loss of our masts in the vessel. And sure enough, down came the fore-and-aft topmast with a crash, inciting the crowd to increased violence, noise, and tumult. One of the party got so excited that he snatched a tin horn from a boy and struck the marshal's horse. When he reached for his pistole, the fellow made a hasty retreat into hie store. After pi-oceeding a short distance, we came to the open prairie, and a halt was ordered for repairs, it took less than half-an-hour for our sailors to go aloft, splice the masts, and make all taut again. Then it became our turn to hur¬ rah, which we did with a will, and were molested no further. But the delegation that were to join us from the village, being deterred from fear, were set upon by the mob and pelted out of town with rotten eggs. This was Democracy in '4Ü—we were Whigs. From that time forward we had no further trouble from our opponents. In fact, the farmers along our route treated us with the greatest hospitality and kindness. One in particular, I lemember, met us with a number of hams, bread, etc., in his wagon, and, when we arrived at his home, said, "Now, boys, just help yourselves to anything you want; there is plenty of com in the crib, potatoes in the cellar, and two or three fat sheep in the flock," which he had killed for us. In the morning he escorted us on oúr journey some miles, with twenty or thirty of his neigh¬ bors. In fact, with the exception before mentioned, we met with nothing but kindness the whole of our trip. It took us about seven days to reach Springfield, where we met some 20,000 fellow- citizens from the central and southern portions of the State. There was one part of the procession that I shall never folget. It was a log-house, some twelve by sixteen feet, built on an im¬ mense truck, the wheels made of solid wood cut from a large tree. This was drawn by thirty yoke of oxen. A coux>le of coons were playing in the branches of a hickory tree at one corner of the house, and a barrel of hard cider stood by the door, with the latch-string hanging out. These were all emblems of the party in that year's canvass. With the above exception, Chicago took the lead in everything. What with the vessel—a wonder of won¬ ders to the Southerners, who had never seen, or perhaps heard of, a sailing-vessel before—the natty tents fixed up with buffalo-skin seats, interspersed with blue and red blankets, and festooned with the National flag and bunting, made such a display that the young ladies of the City paid us a deal of attention, making numerous EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 39 visits, and during the early part of the evening complimented us with a serenade, which we returned later. One person, a Mr. Baker, threw open his house after midnight, and entertained us in good style with cake and wine. We stayed two or three days, making many friends, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. But there was six or seven days' travel to reach home again, which was not so pleasant. We were delayed by two public dinners on our route back—one given at Bloomington by a right jolly lady, who made a capital speech. We returned by way of Fox River, avoiding Joliet, traveling through Oswego, Aurora, and Naperville, and,i though enjoying our three weeks' trip very much, were glad to meet a large number of citizens to escort us again to onr homes in Chicago. Such was a convention in old times. What a chanse forty years has brought about"! By rail, the journey would take one night, a day or two spent in Springfield, and by night home again in luxurious sleeping-cars. V. I HAVE pi-eviously written several articles describing the diffi¬ culties the first settlers had in reaching Chicago, as well as their experience in the first few years of residence here. I will now give you some idea of the trouble and difficulties they found in providing timber and material with which to build even the small houses and stores that were put up in those early days. There were no well-fil led lumber-yards, with an office adjoining, into which you could enter, as now, and leave your order for all the diflei-ent kinds wanted. The whole stock of pine lumber in the viilage when I came here amounted to 6000 or 6000 feet of boards, and that was held at $60 per 1000. Previous to 1833, most of the houses had been built of logs, some round, just as they came from the woods; while the moi-c pretentious, belonging to the officers of the army and the great men of the village, were built of hewn logs. There was a small saw-mill i-un by water about five or six miles up the North Branch, where they had built a dam across the stream, getting a thi'ee or four foot head of water ; there was also a small steam saw-mill run by Capt. Bemsley Hun- toon, situated a little south of Division Street, at the mouth of a slough that emptied itself into the river at that point, in both of 40 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. which they sawed out such timber as grew in the woods adjoining, consisting of oak, elm, poplar, white ash, etc. Of such lumber most of the houses were built, and any carpenter that has ever been com¬ pelled to use it, particularly in its green state, will appreciate its quality. Indrying it will shrink, wai-p, and twiste^ery way,draw¬ ing out the nails, and, after a summer has passed, the siding will gape open, letting the wind through every Joint. Such was the stuff used for building in 1833 and 1834. Some even did worse than that, and went into the woods for their scantling, cutting down small trees and squaring one side of them with the broad- ax. One of the largest houses built that winter, by Daniel Elston, was built with that very kind, both for uprights and rafters. During the summer of 1834, the supply of pine lumber was greatly increased, and the price much lower.* I think the most of it came from Canada, but even as late as 1837, timber was so scarce (and heavy timber was used in large buildings in those times, the frame being pinned together by mortise and tennon) that, wanting con¬ siderable of it to put up a factory, I found it cheaper to purchase ten acres of land, ten or twelve miles up the North Branch, from which I cut the necessary logs, hauled them into the City on sleighs, and had them squared on the ground with the broad-ax. But heavy timber for frame buildings soon after that came into disuse, as it was found the present way of putting up frame build¬ ings was much stronger and better. It used then to be called balloon framing. G. "W. Snow, an old settler, had the credit of first originating the idea. Lumber in 1837 had got to be more plentiful at $18 to $20 a thousand. I put up a building, 30 x 40, two-story and basement, on the corner of "Washington and Jefierson Streets. It was the largest building on the Wes't-Side south of Lake Street, and, stand¬ ing there alone for years, served as a beacon for many a belated traveler over the ten miles of prairie between the village and the Desplaines River. At that time, it seemed a long way out of town. There was but one shanty between it and Lake-Street bridge, and it really seemed quite a walk over the prairie to i-each it. The West-Side at that time contained but few inhabitants. When, a year or two later, the village took upon itself city airs, the Third Ward, extending frem the centre of Lake Street south, and all west of the river, contained but sixty votera, the majority of whom were Whigs. It was a Whig wai-d, but that did not pre- EARLV-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 41 xent the Democrats of that early day ñ*om colonir.ing about fifteen Irishmen from the North-Side to try and carry it. I merely men¬ tion tliis fact as showing that the Democrat of 1839 was very much like his brother Democrat of 1880. I might tell a good joke of two prominent politicians of that time—how they cursed and swore at us when they found we positively refhsed to receive their Irish votes, after they had furnished them for ten days with whisky and board ; but, as they ai-e still living in the City, I will not mention names. Fi"om 1838 to 1843, people began gradually to build a house here and thera on the streets adjoining, between the location I had selected and the river ; but the progi-ess made was very slow. We were right in the midst of the panic which commenced in 1837. I changed my location in 1843, and built on Canal Street, just south of Madison, and still had an unobstructed view of the bridge at Lake Stieet, and walked to it over the greenswai-d of the prairie. At this point it was foolishly supposed by many to be a good loca¬ tion for a residence, as it was a dry, good soil on the bank of the river, which was then a clear, running stream, and really looked pleasant. 1 built a brick house, surrounded it with a garden, and had fine, growing fruit-trees ; so also did two or three others, among whom were Chas. Taylor and Geo. Davis, whose widows are still living on the West-Side ; but before we reaped the fruits of it, busi¬ ness drew near us. Gates & Co. started a foundry within a block of us. and in 1848 a lumbei--yard was established on the adjoining lot That settled our idea as to residence property, and in 1852 I moved to the corner of Thirteenth Street and Michigan Avenue. Here I rented a house and garden that was nearly surrounded with prairie. But'business again followed us, and six months after we settled there the Michigan Central lîailroad put up a temporary depot directly opposit on the east side of the street. To be sure we had |he pleasure of seeing the iron-horse make his daily tilps to the city of our choice, but that hardly compensated us for the annoyance we continually received frem the tramps and others that came on the cars, begging for food and water; so we determined once more to pull up stakes and selected a place on the lake shore two miles south of the city, in the grove, where Fortieth Street now is. But before speaking of that I will give you some idea of the expansion of the City in a southerly direction of what is called the South-Side. 42 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. I think it was in 1836 or 1837, that the old Tremont was put up on the northwest comer of Lake and Dearborn Streets, uwned and kept by Ira and James Couch, though in a very different style to what it has been kept the last twenty-five years. It was then a common country tavern for the accommodation of fanners and others visiting the City. I have many a time met one of the pro¬ prietors on the prairie bring a load of wood from the Dutchman's Point, twelve miles up the North Branch, and once or twice, when business was slack, met him on the road to Milwaukee, with a sleigh-load of butter, dried apples, etc., to ti-ade off to the denisons of the Cream City and turn an honest dollar. In 1838, the City had got as far south as Madison Street. Two of my friends buUt on the south side of Madison, directly facing Dearborn Street. This was the very outskirts of the city and seemed a long way from the centre of business—Clark and South-Water Streets. But it kept creeping southward, until, in 1850, it had reached Twelfth Street, where, on the northwest comer of that and State Street, stood the Southern Hotel. In 1849,1 was offered the ten acres ad¬ joining, running from Twelfth to Fourteenth Street, and west of State, for $1200. Mathew Lafiin tells me he purchased it for $1000. It is part of the property that has lately been sold to the railroad for a depot at $200 to $300 a foot. In 1851,1 was offered, by the Marine Bank, twenty acres, rnn- ning from State Street to the Lake, for $600 an acre. A year or two later, I was one of a committee to locate Dearborn Seminary. I urged them to locate between Wabash and Michigan Avenues, just south of Fifteenth Street, which was ofiered us for $25 a foot, both frents ; but it was rejected with scorn, inquiring of me where I expected to get the young ladies to fill the school in that neigh¬ borhood, At this time there was only a single buggy track run¬ ning in a direct line across the prairie from the corner of State and Twelfth Streets to the " oak woods," as the groves south of,Thirty- firat Street were then called. In driving to that point, we only passed two houses—Mr. Clarke's, on Michigan Avenue and Six¬ teenth Street, who owned a farm there, and Myrick's tavem at Twenty-ninth Street, who owned sixty or seventy acres from Twenty-seventh or Twenty-eighth to Thirty-first Sti-eet. Then we came to the Grevés' tract of sixty or seventy acres, situated near the Lake in the beautiful grove between Thii-ty-first and Thirty-third Streets, on which was a house of resort called " The EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 43 Cottage." The adjoining property of the same description, south of Thirty-thii-d and north of Thirty-fifth Streets, was in 1852 purchased by Senator Douglas, who donated ten acres of it to the Chicago Univereity. This tract of seventy acres was owned before Douglas bought it by some bank in Philadelphia, and was ofieied for $7000. 1 urged its purehase by the City for a park through the papers of that day, but had my communications returned to me, with the remark that it certainly would benefit Cleaverville, but they did not think it would benefit the citisens rf Chicago, being so far out. Frem Thirty-fifth to Thii-ty-ninth Street was the Ellis farm, of 200 acres, owned by Samuel Ellis, who lived in a clapboard house on the southwest cor-ner of Thirty- fifth Street and Lake Avenue, where they had kept tavern for years, it being formerly the fii-st station out of Chicago for the Detroit line of stages. It was about half a mile fixjm " The Cot¬ tage," and thi-ee-quarters from Myrick's. These were then the only houses south of Thirteenth Street, except one or two small places on the river; but it was upon the Ellis farm I determined to build a factory, and, for that purpose, pur-chased twenty aci-es of him, on the lake shore, from the centi-e of Lake Avenue to the Lake, be¬ tween Thii-ty-seventh and Thirty-ninth Streets. It was thought to be a wild schenie, and many a time I was laughed at, and asked with a smile if I ever expected Chicago to reach as far south as that, being then two miles beyond the city-limits, which were at Twenty-second Sti-eet. However, that did not deter me, even when I got out plans for a thi-ee-story building and cellar, 80 x 160 feet, and was informed that it would take 100 cords of stone and 400,000 brick to complete it. But it did become a matter of grave import¬ ance, how I was to get the bi-ick, stone, lumber, etc., on the gi-ound, as the brick kilns were on the "West-Side, near Twentieth Street, and there was no bridge south of Madison Street. But being accustomed to face difficulties, and, after looking the matter over, concluded the cheapest way was to build a scow and run a ferry over the river about Twenty-second Street, which I did for three or fbur months. But the trouble was not then over. Before the teamsters had been hauling thirty days, the road track in some places got so deep in sand that they informed me that they should have to throw up the contract (which I think was only $1 a thou¬ sand) unless I would build some half mile of plank-road, which I accordingly had to do, and also build a bridge in front of the uni- 44 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. vei'sity over a slough 150 feet in length. The stone I had but little difficulty with, as I contracted to have that taken down by tug on -canal-boats. But for the heavy oak timbers and joists which were needed I built another smaller scow, and towed it down the lake- shore with horses. This was before the Illinois Central Railroad had put any piling or crib-work in the Lake, when the shore was a beautiful sandy beach, extending many feet from the high land to the water. I had, previously to this, put up several houses on the west side of the river, on the North Branch, near Division Sti*eet, for the u.se of my workmen, and wanted those moved to the lake shore at Thirty-eighth Street. The prablem to be solved was how to get them there. Many difficulties wáré in the way of taking them by water ; yet that seemed the only feasible plan. One great objection was tbat Chicago Avenue bridge had no di-aw in it to let a boat pass; but, after taking advice upon the subject, I notified the City authorities they must remove it, as they had no right or authority to obstruct a navigable stream; they removed it after a day or two's delay. But that delay cost me the loss of one of the boats employed in moving the houses. I hired two canal-boats, lashed them abi-east of each other, and chained two houses cross- ways on them. In this way we found no difficulty in going to the mouth of the river. But a storm had come up on the lake, which compelied us to wait two or three days until it subsided. A man who had been left on board as watchman, getting tii-ed of such a solitary life, of his own accord hailed a passing tug, and by him¬ self braved the ixilling waves of Lake Michigan ; and, though the stoi-m had in a great measure abated, yet there was a heavy swell washing shoreward, and the consequence was, the minute the tug ■cast them ofl" a couple of hundred feet from land, they began to drift in broadside to the shore, and were soon driven up on the beach, the outer boat sinking, leaving the houses, to all appear¬ ances, pitching into the Lake. But, fortunately, the chains held them, and, without further damage, they were landed on the shore. But we were not so fortunate with the boat, which was wrecked the following day before we could get a tug to lay hold of it- Two other trips were made and four more houses safely landed, without further loss. Those houses are still standing, just north of Pier or Thirty- eighth Street, on Lake Avenue, and are the same that were floated down in 1851, more than thirty years ago, and, with the brick EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 45 building and slaughter-house erected the same yeai-, were the com- ineucement of the large settlement in that neighboi-hood. The following year I built several more cottage^, and soon found it almost a necessity to build a meeting-bouse, which I did in 1854. In which school was kept and the Gogpel was pi-eached for many yeai-s. This building was afterward removed to Hyde Park, and I think is now used as the Village-Hall. In 1857, 100 acres was platted and laid out as the Village of Cleaverville — so named by tlie reporter for one of the papers of that day—and has since kept its cognomen, legally, at all events, although, from the station on the Illinois Central Bailroad being called Oakland, it has gradually been known by that name, until many suppose that to be the legal appellation, and want their title- papers so designated. It was but a year after I erected the fac¬ tory on the lake-shore, that the Michigan Central came thunder¬ ing along with their vails and iron-horse, within 100 feet of the building, thus rendering it almost useless for the purpose for which part of it was erected—viz.; a slaughter-house for the city butchers to kill in. They began killing there, but the cars frightened the cattle so, they dropped oif one after tl.e other, although Col. Hancock made his debut in it as a Chicago packer, killing a few hundred head of cattle that winter. But others, as well as myself, soon recognized the locality as one of the most beautiful around Chicago for residence purposes, and I soon had an öfter for a lot to build on, by Mr. Farrington, the well-known wholesale grocer, who was the first, except myself, to erect a build¬ ing on the viliage tract. Others soon followed, and, on the Illinois Central putting on a tinin to run three times a day, citizens began to be attracted by the beauty of the location, and the first week of their running I sold five or six lots. In 1853, I built a house for myself, where I have since resided, and still live to see the gradual but wonderful change that has taken ijlace in the country around ; from a farm, fenced in with a rail fence, to a populous neighbor¬ hood, filled up with elegant stcne, brick, and frame houses, acknowledged by all to be one of the most beautiful suburbs of the City, with its lai'ge brick school-houses, containing hundreds of chiidren each, churches of all denominations, and improvements of every kind. For the firat ten or twelve years of my residence there I had to depend on myself for everything that was done to improve the neighborhood. There were no Hyde Park officials 46 EARI.Y-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. and the City would have nothing to do with us, so far .">8 making streets and sewers were concerned. I well remember the maUng of Thirty-ninth Street. It was such a swamp, west of Cottage Grove Avenue, that I had to employ men to shovel it up, as a team could not work it. In fact, all the swales between the ridges were covered with water (he summer through, breeding musquitoes by the milion, which was supposed to be one of the gieatest draw¬ backs to the settlement of the neighborhood. But with the drain¬ age of the land they soon decreased, and, on running a sewer from the Lake in 1867, west on the street mentioned to Langley Avenue, thus draining all the lots contiguous to it, they disappeared alto¬ gether. When this part of the country was first settled there were no public conveyances of any kind. For years I drove in and out of the City in a buggy. Then came the first omnibus, running to Twelfth Street every hour. It was, after a year or two, extended to the city-limits at Twenty-second Street, and gradually more 'buses were put on. Then some public-spirited individual put on a four-horse omnibus, to run to Myrick's Tav¬ ern, on Thirtieth Street. That continued until about 1855 or 1856, when, I think, the horse-cars began to run, first to Twelfth, then Twenty - Second, extending soon (o Thirty-first, wheie they stopped for several years, until 1867, when the track was laid to Thirty-ninth, its present terminus. All who ride on them now know what success they have met \çith, as they are continually filled to ovei-flowing, though mnning every thi-ee or four minutes for sixteen hours out of the twenty-four. Could Dr. Egaii and Senator Douglas arise from their graves, they would indeed look on with astonishment. I mention them as the Doctor was the first to get a charter through the Legislature for a horse-railroad from the Calumet Kiver to Chicago. He, the Senator, and myself organized a company to build the road some time before it was commenced, but were defeated in the CityCouncil by their refus¬ ing us the right to lay down tracks in the City. Some, two or three years after,'the privilege was granted to others. While writing of public improvements, I will mention the water-supply. Citizens, the first year or two of my residence here, went to the river-bank and dipped it up by the pailful. Then, for a few yeai-s, it was carted from the lake shore, in water- carts, and sold at 10 cents a barrel. After that, if I remember right, a stream was pumped from the shore into a tank or reser- KARLV-CHtCAGO REMINISCENCES. 47 voir adjoining; the steam flouring-mill built on the north-east cor¬ ner of Lake Sti-eet aud Michigan Avenue; ran, if I remember right, by the late James H. 'Woodworth ; the two tanks were cer¬ tainly not over twelve feet deep, and stood probably four feet above the level of the ground, and from this, water was distributed through log-pipes to a small portion of the City. This continued until about 185ó-'56, when J. H. Dunham called a meeting of the citizens to meet over his store on South-Water Street, to take into consideration the need of a better and purer sttpply of water. At that meeting there were only five individuals present, but it was the first of a scries that at last accomplished the object sought, and was the commencement of the present system of supply through¬ out the City. For many years it was pumped from the shore at the present site of the Water-Works, but finding at length that they pumped about as much small fish as they did water, the tun¬ neling of the Lake to the crib, two miles from shore, was conceived and successfully accomplished. VI. Seeino in your valuable paper the late statistics published by you of the business done in this City, for the past year, both in Packing and in Grain, I thought it would be interesting to those connected with the trade to know from what small proportions it originally sprang. I will commence with the butchering and (uickiiig business, and to do that must go back to the early days of 1833, when Archibald Clybourn had a small log-slaughter¬ house on the east side of the North Broncli, a little south of the bridge now known by his name; he then killed weekly, a few head of cattle, supplying the Gairisou, and also the towns-people, and was one of the first who aftei-ward put up both beef and pork for tíie surrounding country and villages, north and west of us. He did quite an extensive trade as early as 1836-7, and was re¬ puted to be a wealthy man in those days, not onlj^ from success in his business, but also from his land speculations. It was about that time, or probably a year or two later, that he made his fa- 0MII6 trip to Milwaukee on horseback. He rode an old favorite gray horse of his, making the trip in ten or twelve hours, to secure 48 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. a certain 80 acres of land, in or near tlie city, by which transaction he made some $20,000,—considered a large amount in those times, and ever after gave his faithful old horse free fodder in his barns and pastures. In the winter of 1842-3, he slaughtered and packed for Wm. Felt & Co., two or three thousand head of cattle, to ship to New-York City—the first beef ever packed in this City for an Eastern market. The same season, Gurdon S. Hubbard packed some cattle for the East, and perhaps he is entitled to the first place ill Chicago packing, as he had a drove of about 300 hogs brought ill and sold to the villagers as early as 1833, and from that time for many years, was largely identified with the packing interests of the City, continuing in the business as late as 1855 or '56, perhaps later. Mark Noble also killed a beast now and then, and sold among the people in the early days of 1833-4, keeping it up for two or three years later—when he married and left for Texas, making several trips to the City years after with large droves of cattle. His brother, John Noble, still resides on the north side of the City. Sylvester Marsh also started a butcher-shop on Dearborn Street, between Lake and South-Water Streets, as early as 1834, carrying it on until 1836 or '37, when, from his success in the btisiness and land speculations, he thought he was rich enough, and left for Dunkirk, N. Y., where, in some unaccountable way, he soon lost all he had; and in two or three years was back in Chicago, in partnership with George W. Dole, under the flrni name of Dole & Marsh. They did quite an extensive business, both in killing for market and also in packing for them.selves and othei-s, at their slaughter-house on the South Branch. it was with this firm that Oramel S. and R. M. Hough served their apprenticeship to the packing business; who, for many years after, were extensively known among those connected with the packing interests of Chicago, as Hough & Co., and Hough, Brown & Co. Sherman [Oriu] & Pitkin [Nathaniel], an exten¬ sive dry-goods firm of 1842-3, also went heavily into hug-packing that winter, keeping it up for several seasons thereafter; they went into it when pork was at the lowest price ever known in Chicago. I bought sevei-al loads of dressed hogs out of farmers' wagons that winter as low as $1.25 a hundi-ed. Packing in those early days was quite an experiment, and few were found willing to risk their money in it, as they had to carry everything packed EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. 49 till spring and then ship East by vessel. William and Norman Felt, extensive fhrmers near Rochester, New York, were the first to make a regular bu.<íiness of it, as they continued killing at dif¬ ferent packing-houses in the City, until about 18S8 or '59, and after that, for years, were the moat extensive shippers of live stock from this place. Moshier & Clapp, [Wm. B.] also packed largely of pork for the Eastern market as early as 1844 or 1845, they packed for a time in a store of Col. Gurdon 8. Hubbard, in the centre of the City, used by him for that purpose. They kept in the business for several years, until the death of Mr. Clapp, about 1850. In comiection with the slaughtering business of the City, I must not forget Absalom Funk, later Funk & Albee, who for years kept the largest and best meat-market in the City. Mr. Funk had also several large farms near Bloomington, III., where he raised and fattened cattle for his own killing, making semi-monthly trips between the two places on horseback, follow¬ ing his di-oves of cattle; when railroads commenced, bringing cattle to the City, rendering his riding unnecessary, he soon felt the want of his customary exercise, sickened and died ; his pai-tner, Cyrus F. Albee, following him some years later. Reynolds [Eri] & Hay- ward [John] were also early packers of Chicago, taking Dole & Marsh's packing-house, on the South Branch, where they carried on the business quite extensively for many years, [packing for themselves and others. Tobey [Orville H.] & Booth [Heman D.] commenced business in their present location on the corner of J8th and Grove Streets, quite early. Mr. Tobey commenced first melting in a small render¬ ing concern he bought of Sylvester Marsh, and moved there from the North Side, and from that worked themselves up to be the most-noted shippers of pork to the old country, still keeping up their reputation to this day for curing the best of meats. Col. John L. Hancock came to the City about 1853, making his first venture in packing by killing some 1500 head of cattle in my slaughter-house, on the lake shore at 38th Street, but soon became one of the largest packers in the State, carrying on an extensive business at Bridgeport, both in beef and pork, for many years ; and I believe is still there at his old trade. I have mentioned all of the first packers of Chicago, at all events, all I remember. I think there were only about 35,000 head of cattle slaughtered during the season from October to January, as late as 1857, and EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. perhaps about 150,000 hogs;* this seems a small business when compared with these times, when hogs are counted by the million, but it was then thought to be a very large trade. Up to this time, 1857,1 had taken all, or nearly all, the tallow and lard from the various packing-houses of the City, rendering it in the melting- house adjoining my factory, on the lake shore at 38th Street, where I used to manufacture it into soap, candles, lard oil, neatsfoot oil, etc., supplying the country west and north of us, and also in the later years shipping tallow and oil to New York and Montreal. I commenced in the fall of 1834, when a few hundi'ed pounds a week was all I could get from the different butchers; it kept in¬ creasing slowly until 1843, when Felt and'G. S. Hubbard com¬ menced shipping beef, and Sherman & Pitkin pork, when, finding it coming in faster than I could melt it by the old process by fii-e, I conceived the idea of rendering by steam ; John Rogers had tried it a year befoie in a small way, but did not make a success of it; but I found no trouble in bringing it into practical use, and from that day to this it has been used for all melting purposes; and at this late day has been brought to such perfection, in the close tanks made of boiler-iron, putting on steam at 80 to 100 pounds to the inch, that a tank of lard or tallow can be melted in a few hours. The first tanks I used were of wood, and took 20 hours to render out. P. W. Gates & Co., who had just then started as boiler-makers and machinists, set up the first boiler for me, with all the necessary coils, pipes, etc., and, from that time until 1856-7, I did the melting, or nearly all of it, for all the packers then in the City. A firm from Cincinnati, Johnson & Co., put up exten¬ sive melting-works on the lake shore, north of 31st Street, where they purchased five acres of Willard F. Myrick, in 1852, and spent some $40,000 in setting up their iron tanks, etc., but had not capi¬ tal enough to carry it on, and it became a dead failure ; but after it had stood idle for many years, Johnson came on and commenced suit against the Illinois Central Railroad Co., for ruining their business by putting their tracks between the building and the lake, and managed to get a check out of the company for $50,000 damages. Gordon S. Hubbard did his melting there for two or three years. Hough & Co. were the next to put tanks and boilers * Beef Packing.—Capital invested, $650,500; No. of Cattle slaughtered, 2800; Bbls. Packed, 97,500. Annual Receipts, $824,000.—CAicago Directory, December, iSgo. EARI.Y-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. SI into their packing-house at Bridgeport, about the year 1854-5; others soon followed, and in 1857 I gave up the business, and from that time all tlie diflèrent packing-houses have had their own tanks and melting apparatus, and there I leave—all reminiscences of early packers and packing. 1 will now give my readers some idea of the beginnings of the present giain trade of the City of Chicago, which has now reached such enormous proportions that it is counted by the millions of bushels ; in speaking of its gixjwth it will be well to divide it into four different eras; which will also mark the prosperity and gi-owth of the City. * For the first three or four years, or until about 1837, we were indebted to other states for the larger part of what was consumed in the village and surrounding country, that would comprise the first era ; from that time to 1842 or '43, fiirmers began to raise enough produce for themselves and their neighboi-'s consumption, as well as supplying the citizens of Chi¬ cago with all that was necessary ; but those years began to show the necessity of having some foreign market to take off their sur¬ plus produce, for in the winter of 1842-3, farmers' produce of all kinds was so low it was hardly worth raising ; for instance, dressed hogs sold as low as ten to twelve shillings a hundred, lard three dollars and a half a hundred, tallow six and a quarter, flour three dollars a barrel, oats and potatoes ten cents a bushel, eggs four to five cents a dozen, dressed chickens and prairie hens five cents each ; such a state of things could not last, as farmers found it im¬ possible to raise it for the money, and gradually all classes of pro¬ duce were held till spring, for shipment round the lakes by vessel to New York ; this would end the second era. From that period, prices gradually improved; but the hauling of it so many miles took ofl" nearly all the profit. Farmers living on Eock River would take five days to market thirty bushels of wheat, finding when they got home not over ten or twelve dollars left out of the price of their load ; but for some purposes they had to have a little cash, and so continued to bring it. Xhis lasted until 1850 or '51, previous to that time I have seen fifty teams in a line crossing the preirie westof us with their loads of grain for Chicago. There was also another class of farmers from the south that used, in a meas¬ ure, to supply the City with necessaries in the shape of green and dried apples, butter, bams, bacon, feathers, etc. ; these men would bring their loads two or three hundred miles, camping out on the 52 EARLY-CHICAGO REMINISCENCES. way, cooking their rasher of bacon and corn-dodgers, and boiling their pot of coflee over the camp-fire, sleeping in their wagons at night, and saving money enough out of their load to purchase a few bags of cofiee, and the balance in salt—this was the invariable return-load of all Hoosiers, who used to come in great numbers in their curious-shaped covered- wagons, known in old times as prairie-schooners. I have seen numbers of their teams camped out on the dry ground east of State Street. I once counted one hundred and sixty from the roof of Bristol & Porter's warehouse, on the corner of State and South-Water Streets ; this closes the third era about 1852, when the iron-horse inade its triumphant entity into the City from the East, snorting forth its volume of steam and smoke, a blessed day indeed for the Great West, for without the railroad what could we have done. Before the Michigan Southern and the Michigan Central liail- roads entered Chicago from the East, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Company was laying' its tracks and pushing on to the West, making its first stopping-place at the Desplaines River, then at Wheaton, then the Junction, then on to Elgin, Pigeon Piairie, Belvidere, Rockford, and other stations, until at last it reached Freeport, relieving the farmers at every stopping-place from their long and tedious journeys by team, and enabling them to utilize their own labor and the service of their teams, in improving their farms, and adding every season to the amount of grain sown, until with the great increase in the last few yeai-s of farm-machinery, and the facilities for moving and storing grain, there seems to be no end to the amount forwarded; and although railroads have stretched their iron arms through every county in the State, and thousands of miles into other states and territories west of us, it is as much and more than they can do to relieve the farmer of his surplus produce. What will be done with it in the next fifty years, time alone will reveal. Fergus Printing Company Chicago FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE, Jlay 5(7i, 1881. The Fei'gus Printing Company of Chicago is doing an excellent work and one that has received too little recognition in bringing out, in suitable form, the lectures, essays, memoirs, etc., that have fbom, time to time, come into the possession of the Chicago His¬ torical and other Societies, relating to the early history of the City and State. The latest publication of the kind is entitled " Early IHinois," and its contents are : "The Earliest Beligious History of Chicago," by Rev. Jeremiah Porter; "Early History of Southern Illinois," by Hon. Wra. H. Brown, 1840 ; " Early Society in South¬ ern Illinois," by Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D.D., "Reminiscences of the Illinois Bar Forty Years Ago," by Hon. Isaac Y. Arnold; "Death of David McKee;"' "The First Murder Trial in Iroquois County for the First Murder in Cook County," by Judge James Grant, of Davenport, Iowa. These papers are beautifully printed in a large paper pamphlet and sold for the moderate price of 25 and 50 cents. Many other of the Fei^us Publications are equally meritorious. They have ii few copies of the rare Reynolds' "History of Illinois," 1855; and have lately issued "The Martyrdom of Lovejoy," by Henry Tanner, of Buffalo, an eye-witness, the only authentic account of that, memorable event. They have also put forth papers by Edward G. Mason, Esq., on "Kaskaskiaand her Parish Records; " "Recol¬ lections of Early Illinois and her Noted Men," by Hon. Joseph Gillespie. "Early Medical Chicago," by James Nevens Hyde, A.M., M.D. Miscellaneous Adresses before the Chicago Histori¬ cal Society, etc., etc. All this wotk is, to a great extent, a labor of love, as it has been uuremuuerative up to this time. But these volumes will have increasing value as time goes on, and a fuli set of them will, before many years, be rare. We do not. know a worthier undertaking in the line of local publishing, or one which more fully deserves the coi-dial support of the people of Chicago than this one of the Messrs. Fergus. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY. CHICAGO. THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVEJOY. An account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, killed by a Pro- Shvcry Mob. at Alton, ill ^ on the night of Nov. 7, 1^37. By Hemrv Tanner, of Buffalo, N.V . an Eye- Witnes*. Cloth boards; (»ilt-top: Side and bottom uncut; illustrated. Pp. 333; fivo. 1881. Price, S». This ifl a plain, unvarnished hintorr of the life and perils of the Rev. Fllljah P. Lorejoy. • • • rapid has i)«en the march of public sentiment that the generatioo of young men and women of to>day can not realize the bitter and deadly antagonism of slavery forty-three years ago. The book will give an Insight Into the bit¬ ter and unrelenting spirit which held sway even in the free North. It is not written to keep alive old antagonisms, bnt as history, which all should know, that they may better appreciate all that has been accomplished in the past, and ajipreciate the present. The story is told with¬ out any effort at embellishment, and wonder¬ fully free from every vindictive exi>ression. If the friends of human slavery object to anything in the volume, it will be the honest facts of the history, which need no embellishment or sharp phrase to make them abhorrent to every lover of the right and free institutions.—inter Ocean, Chicago, Feb. fi, iHgi. .\8 the narrative has reference to events long since past, connected with the earlv davs of the anti-.slavery contest, we had no idea until we began reading the book that we should find It so deeply interesting and well calculated to give an insight into the struggle for the Ilb<>nv of the press which led to the alwlltion of siavery. —yffseiaU's llt-raUi, Boston, March UO, 1881. Not only to those who at the time were person- 1 ally Interested in the career and heroic death of the Rev. Elijah Parrish Lovejoy, nor to those who now warmly sympathize with the noble purposes which prompted the martyr to the pursuit of ends apparently chimerical in the extent of their nobility: bnt to all students of the germs and first budding of a mighty refor¬ mation In the history of morals, and to all lovers of mysterious natural development this bonk will be valuable. Here is vividly portrayed the first blood-letting for out-spoken antagonism to the villainies of slave-tradlc and slave-holding, and the wonderful persistence in aim. as well as the power of thought and pen that prejiared Lovejoy for his glorious end. From the early articles on transiibstantiation and nunneries to the last fiery denunciation of negro subjection, the hero shows the same outsiioken boldness of couvictioQ, combined with a continual increase In ability of exiirt-ssion. That any pledge was vloIat<>d in the assumption of an anti-slavery tone in the leaders of the St. J^inan ijhuHrvcr, Mr. Tanner has clearly proved groundless: and that the life of Elijah Parrish Lovejoy is worthy to )s> ranked among the highe-it and pure.st, no candiii reader can pretend to doubt. "Ho shines a goo (J. (.'»».ski.ino, of Springfield. R-ad January ta, 1881. The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon. Thom.vs IImyní (portr.iitV Thursday Fvening, Fcüriiary to, i83i- P.iges 108. koy.il 8vo. 1883. Read at Fairb,ank Hall, Fricc, $1. Reception to the Settlers of Chicago, prior to 1840, by the Cam'.mi-I Cluh, May 27, 1879. Containing Cmb McmSeri" Name.s. Origin of Reception; Record of Old Settler» invited. Reception. SmccHcs of Rev. Stephen R. Bcggs. Gen Henr^' Strong. Ex.-Chief-Justice John Dean Caton, Judge Henry W. Blodgett Judge James Grant, Hon John Wentworth, Judge Grant Goxlnch, Hon. J Voung Scommoo, and Hon. Wm. Bross; Tables showing places of birth, year of arri\al. and age of those who attended and signed Register: Appendix with letters from John Watkins, Norman K. Towner. Rev. Flavel Bawom. Maj - Gen David Hunter, Judge Ebenerer Peck. Rev. Jeremiah Porter, and the names from whom brief letter» of regret were received; Extracts from CAica-iO Tribune and Ex. Reminiscences of Early Chicago. By Charles Clraver. Pp, 52; 8vo. 1882. Price, 25c. Î30. A Winter in the West. By Chas. Fenno Hokfman (portrait). London, 1835. Reprint, with Adaiiional Notes. Pp. 56: 8vo. 1882. Price, 50c. i 1. v. John Dean Caton, LL.I)., ex-Chief-Justice ^ Illinois, Biographical Sketch of. Portrait. By Koattr Fergus Pp. 48: 8vo, i?8i. Price 250. Recollections of Early Chicago and the Illinois Bar. By Hon. Isaac N. Akki'>ld. Read Tueiday Evening, June to, i83o. Recollections of the Bench and Bar of Cental Illinois. By Hon. Jami---C. Cosklim., of Spring¬ field. Read Jan 12, 1881 The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon Th* vas Hovne (portrait). Read at Faiibank Hall Thür*- day Evening, Feb. 10, i83i Pp io3;lvo i88i-7;<' i2 1. Hon. John Wentworth's Congressional Reminiscencea. Sketches of joho (Juiocy .Adams. Thomas H Benton, John C t.alhotm. Henry Clay, and Dauicl Webster. An Address read before the Chicago Historical Society, at Central Music Hall. Thursday Eve., March »6. i83j. With a fine Carbon Portrait, an Appendix, and a complete lode«. Pp. 12. ÍVO. i88t. (In Pre»».) ^^^^^ïlSTORICAl. S ERIE ST^ TTvTny« relating to chicago and illinois. Col. jchn H. Kinzie. by hi 1. : A Lecture read l J'"'»:' ' t . Emj . Republished from tlie ongi- ",f'i-ic with an Introduction, written Ln. ii.ii. r.C.-,, a Review ihe < ' N. 1. .al cilili"n I, - . the t > /ri/u>! Price. . ce.it'-. Fergus 1839; Pnl.ii. of C • Directory of the City of Chicago, ..ntv inti'c.rv, 1 iiurche.s. t ity : their Fir^t Lnt of I'ur- . IC teh. c!.,- nl o. h^t - cv rty-A Ma>o:> "f the City mim.. on; together with the Poil li^t of tht Lny Election (Tuesday. May A I? Î7)- , . chasers of Win Kort-Uearloni Addition the No. <.f the I.otsand the prices p.ud. etc. etc. (Histon- .M Sketch of City comp-kd for Directory of 184 ^ ei.- 1 Cc.mpiled by R'• 1 htv.-- ,Pp ';.8\..i. ,Pnce, 50 cent«; The Last of the Illinois; and a Sketch of the Pottawatomies; A Lecture read before the > hii.ago hi>-i .'i'-ril Society. Dec. it. i'?"- Also, Origin of the Prairies A 1 ecture read before the I itiawa A. .^'kmy of N.itural sciences Dec 30. 18^ l;y Hon I"Hs Dk'.' CsT'N. I.Î. D.. ex-Chief- Ji.ct.. e • f illinoi-. Pp 56; 8m-- 1-7' Pri-"'*, 25 cts. 4. Early Movement in Illinois for the Legal¬ ization of Slavery: An Historical >kttch rtad at itie Annu.al .Vlectingof the t hicago Historical Rocíe¬ te. Dec. s. if'4 l'y Hon. Wm H. I.kc.wv Pp. 32; •. , I >7' Price, 25 ccnf;. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. P^rt I: - Hon. S. Lisle Smith, (ieo D.tvi«., Iir Phillip Ma.swell. John J. P.rown, Richard 1. Wilson. Col l ewisC Kerchival, Uriah P. H.arris, Hcnrv R Clarke, and Sheriff Samuel J. Lowe By \S H P.Í--HML1 Pp. 48;8vu. 1876 PriLe, 25 cts. «. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part IL—Hon. Wm. H. Brown, with Portrait. P.. W. Raymond, Esq . with Portrait, Hon, I. Y. Scammon, Chas. Walker, Esq., Thos. Church, I «-q. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cents. Early Chicago: A Sunday Lecture read in McCormick's Hall. May 7th, 187Ó. With Supple¬ mental Notes, zd Lecture. By Hon. John Went- W..K1H. Portrait. Pp. çO: 8vo. 1870. Price, 35 cts 8. Early Chicago: A Sunday Lecture read in McCormick's Hail. .April 11, 1875. With Supple- ■iieiical Notc^. ist 1 ecture By Hon. Ions Wkst- w.-Rui Portrait. Pp.48: 8vo. Í». Price, ;5cts. k'iNzi'^ '^fudge Geo Manierre, Luther Haven, Esq., and other Early Settlers: also, of Billy Caldwell Md Shabonee. and the " U lnnel.a„'0 Scare, of J"ly. '827: and other important original matter connoted with I r.rlv Chicago." Pp s- "877. Price, 250. 1Í. Early Medical Chicago: An Historical Present and Future Prospects of Chicago : An Addre.s read before the Chic.ago l.v.eum, Ian ■il'?'''- f'ni aulho'r of sketch of the First Practitioners of Medicine: with 1 the Present Faculties, at d (Iraduates since their Or- , ganieation of the Medical Lolleges of Chicago By , ^ y 1.1, f.s H hi-:, A.M., M D. Illustrated with - niimeroiisWood Kngriving« and bjteel Engravings of , Professors J Adams .Allen. N S. Davis, and the late Darnel 1 traînard Pp. 84: 8vo 1S79. Pnce, 50 cts. Illinois in the 18th Century.—ÏCaskaskia and its Parish Records. -A Paper read before the Chicago Historical bociety, Dec. i6, 1879. Old Fort Chartres. -A Paper read before the Chi- i Hi-itoricai Society, June 16. 1880, With Dia- i;ram of Fort. ' Col. John Todd's Record Book, A Paper read bt-f re the Chicago Historical .Society. Feb. 15, 1881. By Fwr mail tMay 1, iSS2. 1«. Early Chicago — Fort Dearborn: An Ad- dres-4 read at the unveiling .f a tablet on the Fort sue. under the auspices of the Chicago Historiad Society, Chicago. May 21. 1881, 3d Paper. By Hon. John Wi-.stwortm, LL.D With an .Appen- u'" 11"" Capi.Wni. Wells .and Mrs. Capt Hi-i d. \lso. Indexes to i.st and 2d Lecture«", and ■t I'liiinei-Club KeLcption " 8\o., 112 pp. 1881. 75c- 17. Wm. B. Ogtlen; and Early Days in ChU ^ Arnold. Read befo« the Chicago Historical Society, Tuesday, Dec. toi 1881, Pp 40; 8vo. 1882. (1,1 Prcssi| h or later iiiinihers, see inside of cove on rcdn ot pncv, po.tpaij. t , .,nj p„t of ,ho I,-, s . by the PublUheiJ c. omimiiv. Oliioniro >-M Bintpp in BfsH iCÍ'^VJ, J^ergu0+Çi^^oricaf+^éné0 -;^umüfr SiDfutt) - ' For Catalogue, See Inside and Last Pages of Cover Charles Fenno Hoffman FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. REYNOLDS' HISTORY OF ILLINOIS. My Own Times; Embracing also The History of My Life. By John Rf.ynoi.ds, I.ate Cov of III etc Portrait Reprint of oriiîinal edition of 1855. with complete Inde* added. Cloth boards. Gilt-fop: side and bottom uncut: Antique Paper: Fp 4^^: 8vo Edition of tia copies. Price. $7.50. We are jilcaaecl to learn that the Ferirufi Print¬ ing Comiiaiiy ha« tinrlertaken the work of re- printinß the volnme of "My Own Times: embrac¬ ing also the History of My Life," wTitteu by the late (ÎOV. John Ileynolds. * * * Coinea of the vnl ume referred to are exceedingly rare, and hardly could be procured at any price. The Publishers are deserving of thanks lor their efforts to rescue from oblivion a meritorious work like the above.—I)ec. l'¿, 187H. This is a reiiroduction, in an attractive form, and with the addition of a full index, of a iiook, the story ot which is an illustration of the diffi¬ culties which all who have tlevoted themselves to historical investigation have had to encounter in this conntrv. (Governor lievnolds was one ol the most 1 r 'tninent figures In western public life, and it would be supjiosed this epitome of the story ot the voung days ot the western country would have commauded a ready sale. Not so. t'omiileted in IH.54, the first edition, probably not more than four hundred copies, was jiriiitetl in a small job office at Pclleville, and taken by a single bookseller of Chicago, at the author's personal instigation. Nearly the whole edition was destroyed in the great fire ot 1857. Practically out of print, the present volume Is rather a new work than the reprint of an old ; audái creditable one it is. The extensive range of politics, internal improvement, pnlilic life and jiersonal exiierience, naturally traversed in this bulky volume, render even a slight analysis impossible. It is discursive and sketchy, and abounds in details of purely local value, but it contains al.su a mass of information wh ch the enquirer would look for in vain elsewhere. Above all it is stamped with an originality and individuality which act well upon the shoulders of a we.stern man.—of .im. ///.s/.,Aug, isso. The year isin found the territory now occu¬ pied by the populous State of Illinois a savage wilderness, with a total white population— American and Fn nch—of about 2,n(io scattered throngliont 1 s domain. Ot these it is e.sti- mated that the French creóles numbered some 1,2(1(1, and the negroes (.••laves and freemen) about '200 more. The white colonies extended in sparse seitleraents, from Kaskaskia, tifty miles or more, to Cahokia, and liack east from the Kaskaskia river only a few miles. The colo¬ nies of Kaskaskia. Turkey Hill, the New Desicn, Horse Prairie, another not far from Kaskaskia, PJggot's Fort, Whiteside Station, Pelle Fountain and another very small one, comprised all the American settlements in Illinois at that period. Their pupulation was about 800 strong, alt told. This period of the history of Illinois is noted here, and probably will be for many genera¬ tions, as the time when the iiarents of Gov. John Ueyiiohls removed to Illinois from Ten¬ nessee and added the seventh family to the popiiiatiou of a white settlement two and a-half miles from Kaskaskia. Gov. Reynolds was then 12 years old. In the volume before us he de¬ scribes the condition of the country, the Ind¬ ians, the privations of the whites, their jirogress in agilciilturo, education, government and so¬ cial characteristics during the next nine years, at considerable length, and thus furnishes a tund of u.seful and interesting information. About tills time, having reached his 2nth year, the Governor entered a college some six miles from Knoxville, Tënn., where he spent two years in improving his mind, returning to Illinois in 1811. Afterward he studied law at Knoxville. Then began the War of I«12 with Great Brit¬ ain, and then, too, the growing State of Illinois liecame the theater of stirring public events which gave her a prominent place in the history of tlie West. Four chapters are devoted to this period, including the massacre at Chicago, the (lestnic inn of Peoria and affairs in that vicini tv, etc. Then came the organization of the Territory of Illinois, the administration of Governor Ed¬ wards. the revision of the laws, and the first liegislatiire ; Lewis and Clark's expedition t(i the Pacific coast; the < xtension of the settle ments ; the reign of " regulators " and mob-law the history of religious denominations in Illi nois; the professions; the history of slavery in the Territory, and the author's domestic record with numerous other events of more or less in terest. In 1818 the State Government was formed, anc Its progress is noted in detail. A large space 1» given to the subsequent political history anc internal imjirovement of the State, until th( breaking ont of the war with the Winnebagc Indians. Several chapters are filled with.thi history i f the Blackhawk war and its atiendan excitements and events. The history of educa lion and early newspapers in Illinois receive due attention. The Governor also relates the national situa tlou during bis term in C'ongre-s from 18:)4 t 1841, inclusive; his visit to Europe in ls:i9; tl pioneer railroad operations in the State; tí construction of the Illinois - and - Michigan Ci nal, with other internal improvements, ar the liistory of the Mormon troubles and cxcii ment Such is a brief outline of Gov. Reynolds' boo It is valuable as reflecting the spirit of the pi neer days of Illinois, and as the record of young and eutorprising State struvgUng agaii adverse circum-tances, and becoming one of t most prosperous of American commonwralF Nor will the private historv of Gov. Reynol the sturdy pioneer Executive and Represen live of the State, fail to interest the reader, belongs to Illinois, because he aided in lirint her to the present prosperity which she enj' He passed nearly half a centurv in promim public life in Illinois—as Judge .Vdvocate, Ju^ of the Supreme Court, member ot the Legi ture. Governor, Congressman, Canal ComnJ sioner and Speaker of the House—and is closely identifled with the State that their tories can not be separated. This volume wa« first published by Gov. I, nolda in 1855. The e lition was small, and n] of it was destroyed liefore it was sold in a t: Chicago. Thus it became one of the lost bi., of the earth. Fortuiiatelv it was not totallu terminated, and unw its revival bv the ei I prising Chicago house whose iiiiprlut it beal I no less important than it is gratifying to t Wr'ho have the interests of the State at hei ' 1 Chicago Joumal, /Vc. 30, IS70. Wont. l>jp' mull, i><>Mt-|>uIcl, on ot* i>rlc»i-. FERGUS' HISTORICAL SERIES, No. 20. A WINTER IN THE WEST LETTERS DESCRIPTIVE of CHICAGO AND VICINITY in 1833-4- hy CHARLES FENNO HOFFMAN, author of *Wii.d Scenes in Forest and Prairie;" "GRAvstAER:" "The Life of Jacob Lbkler;" "The Vigil of Faith; and other Poems;" "Love's Calendar;" "The Echo; or Borrowed Notes for Home Circulation;" etc., editor of "Knickerbocker Magazine;" "American Monthly Magazine;" and "New-York Mirror." Reprint, with thk Original and New Notes. FERGUS CHICAGO: PEINTINU COMPANY. I 882. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S82, by Fergus Printing Company, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C^ PREFACE. Charles Fenno Hoffman, an American author, born in New York, 1806. Son of Judge J. Ogden Hoffman. Sent to Academy at Poughkeepsie, and ran away to escape harsh treatment. In 1817, his leg was crushed between a steamboat and the wharf, and had to be amputated. This did not prevent his becoming proñcient in manly sports, for which, in Columbia College where he was educated, he was more noted than for s^olarship. Was admitted to the bar at the age of 21, practised three years, during which time he made contributions to literature, and became associated with Charles King in the editorship of the New' York American. In 1833, he went West for his health, and published a series of letters entitled "A Winter in the West," 1835; also, "Wild Scenes in Forest and Prairie," 1837; his only novel, "Grayslaer," in 1840; "The Life of Jacob Leisler;" and numerous essays which have never been collected. He was a lover of nature and the natural, and spent most of his leisure in excursions on the Hudson and into the Adirondacks, at that time a trackless wilderness. Of these wild haunts he was passionately fond, and took great interest in the hunters and Indians, at that time the only inhabitants. In Dec., 1832, Hoffman established the Knickerbocker Magazine, of which he edited several numbers. He afterward edited the American Monthly Maga' sine and the Nezv' York Mirror. In 1842, a volume of his lyrics was published, entitled "The Vigil of Faith; and other Poems." A more complete edition speared in 1845, entitled "Love's Calendar." "The Echo; or Borrowed Notes for Home Circulation, " was the title of a second volume of poetry. In 1846-S, he edited the JMerary World,' znái, after leaving that' journal, con¬ tributed to it a number of essays and stories, entitled " Sketches of Society. " A mental disorder has, since 1850, kept him in complete retirement from the world; his writings have been for many years out of print; and his reputation has been only kept alive by "Monterey," "Sparkling and Bright," "Rosalie Clare," and other of his most popular songs which have found their way into 4 PREFACE. the various compendiums of American literature. He possessed ñne social qualities, conversational powers of a high order, taste, scholarship, and » chivalrous personal character which made him a favorite with all. A new edition of his poems, edited by his nephew, Edward Fenno Hoff* man, was published by Porter & Coates, Philadelphia, \%T}^.-^AppUton, etc. A WINTER IN THE WEST." Niles, Berrien Co., Mich., Dec. 28, iSjj. *«»*»* My journey through Michigan is now nearly finished, as it began, entirely alone. At White Pigeon, where I found quite a pretty village of four years' growth, I seemed, in getting upon the post- route fi-om Detroit to Chicago, tq^get back once more to an old country. I found a good inn and attendance at Savary's, and discovered, by the travelers going north and south, that traveling was not as yet completely frozen up. There are a great many English emipants settled upon this prairie, who, I am told, are successfully introducing here the use of live hedges instead of fences in farming. They are generally of a respéctable class, and seem to be quite popular with the American settlers. The morning was fine when I left White Pigeon to-day; and as the sun shot down through the tall woods, nothing could be more cheering than my ride among the beautiful hills of Cass County. The road, which is remarkably good, meanders through ravines for a distance of many miles, the conical hills resting upon the plain in such a manner as barely to leave a wheel-track between them, except when at times some pretty lake or broad meadow pushes its friths far within their embrace. A prairie of some-ex¬ tent was to be traversed on this side of these eminences, and the floating ice on the St. Joseph's was glistening beneath its shadowy banks in the rays of the cold winter moon when I reached its borders, and arrived at the stage-house in this flourishing town of Niles. Mine host, who does not seem to be the most accommo¬ dating person in the world, has refused to provide supper for my¬ self and two other gentlemen at so late an hour, assigning as a reason, that "his women are not made of steel,"—an instance of cause and effect which I nierely put upon record as being the only one of the kind I have met with in all Michigan. My * A Winter in the Far West; by Charles Fenno Hoffman, of New York. I Volumes. London: Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street. 1835. 6 A WINTER IN THE WEST. fellow-sufferers appear to be both agreeable-men; and as we are to travel in company to Chicago, the sympathy arising from our present melancholy condition may ensure a pleasant intercourse under happier auspices. The county of Cass, through which I have passed to-day, has a population of more than two thousand; and contains seven prairies, of six or eight miles in diameter, besides many smaller ones. They produce, when cultivated, from thirty to eighty bushels of new corn, or forty of wheat, to the acre. The mode of planting the former is to run a furrow, drop the corn in, and cover it with a succeeding furrow, which is planted in a similar way, and the field is rarely either plowed or hoed after planting. There are several pretty lakes in this county; but it is not so well watered as St. Joseph's, through which I passed yesterday; which, for local advantages of every kind, as well as fertility of soil, is generally considered one of the best in the peninsula. 1 like Kalamazoo County, however, as much as any part of Michigan I have seen. I am now within eight or ten miles of the Indiana boundary, and some twenty or th|irty only from the shores of Lake Michigan, having described nearly a semicircle in my tour through the peninsula, including, with some deviations, the coun¬ ties of Wa3fne, Monroe, Lenawee, and Washtenaw on the east, Jackson in the centre, and Calhoun, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph's, Cass, and Berrien on the west; and I have not met a resident in that whole range but what was pleased with the country, and, I may almost say, attached to its soil. The females, indeed, will sometimes murmur; and in some remote places I have heard those whose conversation indicated, that they had not been brought up with the most ordinary advantages complain of "the want of society!" But even these would love to dilate upon the beauties öf the country when the flowers were in bloom. Others, again, who had been more gently nurtured, would sigh at one moment for the comforts and elegancies of their maternal homes, while their eyes would kindle with enthusiasm the next, when speaking of the appearance which the woods around their new dwellings wore in summer. Small communities form but slowly in a coun¬ try where the settlers, instead of gradually pushing their way to¬ gether into the depths of the forest, as at the eastward, drive their wagons in any direction a hundred miles through the openings, and plant themselves down a day's journey apart, just where their fancy prompts them. This will account for my so often lighting upon a pleasant hamlet, after a day's travel through a perfect wilderness. The River St. Joseph debouches into Lake Michigan in this A WINTER IN THE WEST. 7 county J and as a steam-boat will probably run the next season from the town rapidly growing at its mouth to Chicago, a railroad Aora Detroit to this steam-boat harbor is only wanting to bring the visitor of Niagara within a few days' travel of Chicago, and carry him through the flowery groves of Michigan to one of the most important points in the Union, and what may be termed the cen- ti^ head of the Mississippi Valley. Delmonico may then stock his larder with grouse from the meadows of Michigan, and Gassin his skill upon the delicious fish that swarm her lakes and rivers; (would that I could at this moment witness some of their curious orgies!) while sportsmen will think no more of a trip hither than they do now of an excursion to Islip, Rayner-South, or Patchogue. In the meantime, I have secured you the seeds of more than twenty varieties of wild flowers, which I shall send to their destination as soon as possible, lest, from the rapid increase of internal communication, they may lose half their value from ceasing to be a rarity. Door Prairie, Indiana, Dec. 2Ç, iSjj. Being now on the mail-route between Detroit and Chicago, I am traveling very comfortably in a four-horse wagon, with the gentlemen mentioned in my last. I found my horse's back so chafed at White Pigeon, that it was unpleasant to use him longer under the saddle; and having met with my trunk at Niles, which was forwarded frclm Monroe by a friend, I am in a measure com- pelled to adopt what is certainly the most agreeable mode of travel¬ ing at this season through a bleak prairie country. The cold winter moon was still riding high in the heavens as we ferried over the St. Joseph's at Niles this morning. A low- sided scow was the means of conveyance; and, after breaking the solid icp near the shore to loose us from our moorings, it required some pains to shun the detached cakes which came driving down the centre of the dark-rolling river; while, near the opposite shore, they had become so wedged and frozen together, that it required considerable exertion to break a way with our long poles, and make good our landing. At length, ascending the bank, a beautiful plain, with a clump of trees .here and there upon its sur¬ face, opened to our view. The establishment of the Carey Mis¬ sion,* a long, low, white building, could be distinguished afar off * The Carey Mission-house, so designated in honor of the late Mr. Carey, the indefatigaUe apostle of India, is situated within about a mile of the river, and twenty-6ve miles (by land) above its mouth. The ground upon which it is erected is the site of an ancient and extensive Pottawatomie village, now no longer in existence. The establishment was instituted by the Baptist Mis- s A WINTER IN THE WEST. faintly in the moonlight; while several wintert lodges of the Pot- sionary Sopiety in Washington, and is under the superintendence of the Rev. Mr. M'Coy; a man whom, from all the reports we heard of him, we should consider as very eminently qualified for the important trust committed to him. The plan adopted in the school proposes to unite a practical with an intellect¬ ual education. The boys are instructed in the English language, in reading, writing, and arithmetic. They are made to attend to the usual occupations of a farm, and to perform every occupation connected with it—such as plowing, planting, harrowing, etc., in these pursuits they appear to take great delight. The system being well regulated, they find time for everything, not only for study and labor, but also for innocent recreation, in which they are encouraged to indulge. The females receive in the school the same instruction which is- given to the boys; and are, in addition to this, taught spinning, weaving, and sewing (both plain and ornamental). They were just beginning to embroider —an occupation which may by some be considered as unsuitable to the situa- iion which they are destined to hold in life, but which appears to us to be very judiciously us^ as a reward and stimulus : it encourages their taste and nat¬ ural talent for imitation, which is very great; and, by teaching them that occupation may be connected with amusement, prevents their relapsing into- indolence. They are likewise made to attend to the pursuits of the daiiyp such as the milking of cows, churning of milk, etc. The establishment is- intended to be opened for children from seven to fourteen years old; they very properly receive them at a much earlier age, and even—where a great desire of learning was manifested—older persons have been admitted. All appear to be very happy, and to make as rapid progress as white children of the same age would make. Their principal excellence rests in works of imitation; they write astonishingly, well, and many display great natural talent for drawing. The institution receives the countenance of the most respectable among the Indians, who visit the establishment occasionally, appear pleased with it, and show their favor to it by presents of sugar, venison, etc., which they often make to the family of the missionary. The establishment, being sanctioned by the War Department, receives annually one thousand dollars from the United-States^ for the support of a teacher and blacksmith, according to the conditions of the treaty concluded at Chicago, in 1821, by Governor and Mr. Sibley, commissioners on the part of the United States. [The above interesting account of the Carey Mission is abridged from that given in the narrative of Longos expedition. The time that has elapse4 since it originally appeared has of course diminished its present value; but the author not having had an opportunity of visiting the establishment, and finding from- all the inquiries be could make regarding it, that the institution is sustaining itself efficiently upon the plan above detaUed, he has thought that it would be more satisfactory to the reader to have this compendium of an official report than to dwell upon any hearsay information which he might have supplied in the text.] t " They made their winter cabins in the following form : they cut logs about fifteen feet long^ and laid these logs upon each other, and drove ]x>sts in the ground at each end, to keep them together; the posts they tied togeUier at the top with bark ; and by this means raised a wall fifteen feet long and about four feet high, and in the same manner they raised another wall opposite to this at about twelve feet distance : then they drove forks in the ground in the centre of each end, and laid a strong pole from end to end on these forks; and from these walls to the pole they set up poles instead of rafters, and on these they tied small poles in place of laths, and a cover was made of lynn-bark, which A WINTER IN THE WEST. 9 tawatomies, three or four hundred of which tribe inhabit this fine district, were plainly perceptible over the plain. The moon, indeed, shone with an effulgence such as I have never witnessed, except beneath the pearly skies of the West. Morning came at last; still, but excessively cold; our horses' manes and our own clothes being covered with hoar-frost, while each blade of grass that shot its wilted spear above the snow glistened like a diamond's point beneath the uprising sun. About ten o'clock, we reached a shanty on Terre Coupé prairie, and finding no one at home, we rummaged the establishment to find the materials for a breakfast, which we cooked ourselves, and left payment upon the table. Our next stage carried us over a rolling prairie to Laporte. The undulating surface resembled the ground-swell of the sea; and nothing could be more dreary at this season, when the bright sky of the morning became overcast, than moving mile after mile over this frozen lake—for such it appeared—with nothing but its monotonous swell to catch the eye wherever its glances roamed. It was afternoon when we reached the little settlement of La¬ porte, which is situated on a pretty lake, in a prairie of the same name, the Skirts of which are beautifully timbered. There was just light enough remaining when we reached our present stop- ping-place, a comfortable log-cabin, to see the opening ahead through the timber, from which this prairie takes its name. It forms a door opening upon an arm of the Grand Prairie, which runs through the States of Indiana and Illinois, and ,extends after¬ ward, if I mistake not, to the base of the Rocky Mountains. I am now in the land of the Hoosiers, and find that long-haired race much more civilized than some of their western neighbors are willing to represent them. The term "Hoosier," like that of Yankee, or Buck-eye, first applied contemptuously, has now be¬ come a soubriquet, that bears nothing invidious with it to the. ear of an Indianian. This part of the State is as yet but thinly set¬ tled; but the land is rapidly coming into market, and it is calcu¬ lated to support a dense population. A new town and harbor, called Michigan City, about thirty miles off, on the shore of the will run (peel) even in the winter season. At the end of these walls they set np split timber, so that they bad timber all round, excepting a door at each end: at the top, in place of a chimney, they left an open pl^e; and for bed¬ ding they laid down the aforesaid kind of bark, on which they spread bear¬ skins: from end to end of this hut, along the middle, there were fíres, which the sqnaws made of dry split wood ; and the holes or open places that appeared Che squaws stopped with moss, which they collected from old logs; and.at the docMT they bung a bear-skin; and, notwithstanding the winters are hard here, our lffdg'"g was much better than 1 es^ected."—Col. Smith's Narrative. to A WINTER IN THE WEST. Jake, is fast coining into notice, and giving a spur to_ the settle¬ ments in these parts. The country is, however, still wild enough, and I have a wilder yet to pass before reaching Chicago. Chicago, Jan. i, 1834. We left the prairie on the east, after passing through "the door," and entering a forest, where the enormous black-widnut and syca¬ more trees cumbered the soil with trunks from which a comforta¬ ble dwelling might be excavated. The road was about as bad as could be imagined; and after riding so long over prairies as smooth as a turnpike, the stumps and fallen trees over which we were compelled to drive, with the deep mud-holes into which our horses continally plunged, were anything but agreeable. Still the . stupendous vegetation of the forest interested me sufficiently to make the time, otherwise enlivened by good company, pass with sufficient fleetness, though we made hardly more than two miles an hour throughout the stage. At last, after passing several un¬ tenanted sugar-camps* of the Indians, we reached a cabin, prettily situated on the banks of a lively brook winding through the forest A little Frenchman waited at the door to receive our horses, while a couple of half-intoxicated Indians follbwed us into the house, in the hope of getting a'netos (vulgarly, "a treat") from the new¬ comers. The usual settlers' dinner of fried bacon, venison cut¬ lets, hot cakes, and wild honey, with some tolerable tea and Indian sugar,—as that made from the maple-tree is called at the West,— was soon placed before us; while our new driver, the frizzy little Frenchman already mentioned, harnessed a fresh team, and hur¬ ried us into the wagon as soon as possible. The poor little fellow had thirty miles to drive before dark, on the most difficult part of * Thé ordinary appendages of a " sugar camp, " and the process of making sugar, are described in the following extract from the work above quoted. " In this month we began to make sugar. As some of the elm-bark will strip at this season, the squaws, after finding a tree that would do, cut it down; and with a crooked stick, broad and sharp at the end, took the bark off the tree; and of this bark made vessels in a curious manner, that would hold about two gallons each : they made about one hundred of these kind of vessels. In the sugar-tree they cut a notch, and stuck in a tomahawk : in the place where they stuck the tomahawk they drove a long chip, in order to carry the water out from the tree, and under this they set their vessel to receive it; they also made bark-vessels for carrying the water, that would hold about four gallons each; they had two brass kettles that held about fifteen gallons each, and other smaller kettles, in which they boiied the water as fast as it was collected; they m^e vessels of bark that would hold about one hundred gallons each, for con¬ taining the water; and though the sugar-trees did not run every day, they had always a suHicient quantity of water to keep them boiiing during the whole sugar-season."—Co¡. Smith's Narrative. A WINTER IN THE WEST. the route of the line between Detroit and Chicago. It was easy to see that he knew nothing of driving the moment he took his reins in hand; but when one of my fellow-travelers mentioned that little Victor had been preferred to his present situation of trust from the indefatigable manner in which, before the stage-route was established last season, he had for years carried the mail through this lonely country—swimming rivers and sleeping in the woods at all seasons—it was impossible to dash the mixture of boyish glee and official pomposity with which he entered upon his duties, by suggesting any improvement as to the mode of per¬ forming them. Away then we went, helter-skelter, through the woods—scrambled through a brook, and galloping over an arm of the prairie, struck again into the forest. A fine stream, called the Calamine, made our progress here more gentle for a moment. But immediately on the other side of the river was an Indian trading-post, and our little French Phaeton—who, to tell the trjith, had been repressing his fire for the last half-hour, while winding among the decayed trees and broken branches of the forest— could contain no longer. He shook the reins on his wheel-horses, and cracked up his leaders with an air that would have distin¬ guished him on the Third Avenue, and been envied at Cato's. He rises in his seat as he passes the trading-house; he sweeps by like a whirlwind: but a female peeps from the portal, and it is all over with poor Victor. "Ah, wherefore did he turn to look? That pause, that fatal gaze he took, Hath doomed—" his discomfiture. The infuriate car strikes a stump, and the un¬ lucky youth shoots off at a tangent, as if he were discharged from a mortar. The whole operation was completed with such vfelocity that the first intimation I had of what was going forward, was on finding myself two or three yards from the shattered wagon, with a tall Indian in a wolf-skin cap standing over me. My two fellow- passengers were dislodged from their seats with the same want of ceremony; but though the disjecta membra of our company were thus prodigally scattered about, none of us providentially received injury. Poor Victor was terribly crest-fallen ; and had he not un¬ packed his soul by calling upon all the saints in the calendar, in a manner more familiar than respectful, I verily believe that his tight little person would have exploded like a torpedo. A very respectable-looking Indian female, the wife, probably, of the French gentleman who owned the post, came out, and civilly fur¬ nished us with basins and towels to clean our hands and faces, 12 A WINTER IN THE WEST. which were sorely bespattered with mud; while the gray old Indian before-mentioned assisted in collecting our scattered baggage. The spot where our disaster occurred was a sequestered, wild- looking place. The trading establishment consisted of six or eight log-cabins, of a most primitive construction, all of them gray with age, and so grouped on the bank of the river as to present an appearance quite picturesque. There was not much time, how¬ ever, to be spent in observing its beauties. The sun was low, and we had twenty-five miles yet to travel that night before reaching the only shanty on the lake shore. My companions were com¬ pelled to mount two of the stage-horses, while I once more put the saddle on mine ; and leaving our trunks to follow a week hence, we slung our saddle-bags across the cruppers and pushed directly ahead. A few miles' easy riding through the woods brought us tt> a dangerous morass, where we were compelled to dismount and drive our horses across, one of the party going in advance to catch them on the other side. A mile or two of jSine barrens now lay between us and the shore, and winding rapidly among the short hills covered with this stinted growth, we came suddenly upon a mound of white sand at least fifty feet high. Another of these desolate-looking eminences, still higher, lay beyond. We topped it; and there, far away before us, lay the broad bosom of Lake Michigan,—the red disk of the sun just sinking beneath it, and the freshening night-breeze beginning to curl its limpid waters on the shore; and now, having gained their verge, whichever way we turned there was nothing discernible but the blackening lake on one side and these conical hills of shifting white sand on the other. Some of them, as the night advanced, and objects were only discernible by the bright starlight, assumed a most fantastic appearance, and made me regret that I could not visit the "Sleep¬ ing Bear," and other singularly-formed mounds, which, many miles farther to the north, swell from two to three hundred feet above the level of the Lake. The deep sand, into which our horses sunk to the fetlocks, was at first most wearisome to the poor brutes; and having twenty miles yet to travel entirely on the lake- shore, we were compelled, in spite of the danger of quicksands, to move as near the water as possible. But though the day had been mild, the night rapidly became so cold that, before we had proceeded thus many miles, the beach twenty yards from the surf was nearly as hard as stone, and the finest macadamized road in the world could not compare with the one over which we now galloped. Nor did we want lamps to guide us on our way. Above, the stars stood out like points of lights; while the resplen- A WINTER IN THE WEST. 13 dent fires of the Aurora Borealis, shooting along the heavens on our right, were mocked by the livid glare of the Kankakee marshes, burning behind the sand-hills on our left. The Lake alone looked dark and lowering; though even its gathering waves would smile when touched with light as they broke upon the shore. The intense cold seemed to invigorate our horses; and dashing the fire from the occasional pebbles, they clattered along the frozen beach at a rate that brought us rapidly to our destina¬ tion for the night. It was a rude cabin, built of stems of the scrub pine, standing behind a sandy swell about two hundred yards from the shore. My fingers were numb with cold; and seeing a rough-looking fellow moving from the door toward the horses of my companions, I requested him to take mine also; but, upon his politely rejoin¬ ing that "he was nobody's servant but his own," I could only wish him "a more civil master," and proceeded to take care of the animal myself. A brake of stunted evergreens near-by sup¬ plied the place of a stable; and passing a wisp of dry grass over the reeking limbs of my four-footed friend, I flung my cloak over his back and tethered him for the night. The keeper of the rustic hostelrie came up just as I had got through with this necessary task, and explaining to me that the insolent lounger was a dis¬ charged mail-carrier, returned with me to the house for a measure of com; while I, guided by the light flickering through the crevices of his fiail dwelling, rejoined my companions; nestled with two other half-fi^ozen travelers around the grateful fire within. The strangers were both western men; one, I believe, a farmer, for some time settled in Illinois, and the other an Indian trader of long standing in Chicago. Warlike incidents in border story, and the pacific dealings between the whites and Indians, formed the chief subjects of conversation, which soon became general, and was prolonged to a late hour; finally the late treaty held at Chi¬ cago—at which, as you have probably seen in the newspapers, several thousand Indians were present—was discussed, and the anecdotes that were told of meanness, rapacity, and highway rob¬ bery (in cheating, stealing, and forcibly taking away) from the Indians, exasperated me so that I expressed my indignation and disgust in unmeasured terms. The worthy trader, who was a middle-aged man, of affable, quiet, good manners, seemed to sympathize with me throughout; but the whole current of my feelings was totally changed when, upon my observing shortly afterward to another gentlemen, that "I should have liked to have been at Chicago a year ago," n¡y warm coadjutor ejaculated from under the bedclothes, where he had in the meantime bestowed 14 A WINTER IN THE WEST. himself, "Ah, sir, if you had, the way in which you'd have hooked an Indian blanket by this time would be curious." The chivalric knight of La Mancha himself could not have sustained heroics under such a home-thnist, but must have burst into the hearty laugh in which I was joined by all present. The hour of sleep for all at last arrived, and a couple of wooden bunks, swung from the roof, falling to the lot of those who had come in first, I wrapped myself in a buffalo-skin, and placing my saddle under my head for a pillow, soon "slept like a king;" a term which, if "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" be true doctrine, is, probably, quasi lucus, etc. Our transient acquaintances parted from us in a most friendly manner in the morning; and after waiting in vain till near noon to see if by any chance little Victor might not be able to forward our trunks to this point, we mounted once more, and pushed ahead with all speed, to accomplish the remaining twenty or thirty miles between the shanty and Chicago. Our route was still along the shore; and after passing round the end of the Lake and tak¬ ing a northwardly direction, the way in which the icy blast would come down the bleak shore of the Lake "was a caution." We galloped at full speed, every man choosing his own route along the beach, our horses' hoofs ringing the while as if it were a pave¬ ment of ñint beneath them. The rough ice piled up on the coast prevented us from watering our beasts; and we did not draw a rein till the rushing current of the Calamine, which debouches into Lake Michigan some ten miles from Chicago, stayed our course. A cabin on the bank gave us a moment's opportunity to warm, and then, being ferried over the wintry stream, we started with fresh vigor, and crossing about a mile of prairie in the neigh¬ borhood of Chicago, reached here in time for an early dinner. Our horses this morning seemed none the worse for this furious riding ; their escape from ill consequences being readily attributa¬ ble to the excellence of the road, and the extreme coldness of the weather while traveling it., For my own part, I never felt better than after this violent burst of exercise. We had not been here an hour before an invitation to a public ball was courteously sent to us by the managers;* and though my * During the winter of 1833-4, Chicago, for the first tinte, was enabled to present a scene of social intercourse and gayety. A large emigration had rushed in from all parts of the country. Chiefly young people, full of vivacity and enthusiasm, mostly strangers to each other. * Naturally they sought to cultivate acquaintance and by social intercourse to lay the foundation for what A WINTER IN THE WEST. IS soiled and travel-worn riding-dress was not exactly the thing to present one's self in before ladies of an evening, yet, in my ear¬ nestness to see life on the frontier, I easily allowed all objections- to be overruled by my companions, and we accordingly drove to the house in which the ball was given. Tt was a frame-buildings one of the few as yet to be found in Chicago; which, although might be called society. Frequent gatherings at private houses, where danc¬ ing, plays, and charades constituted their amusements, and familiarized thenv with each other. But beyond this, a number of what might be called public balls were given, to which everybody of respectability were invited. Among the first of these was the one so graphically described in the text. The com¬ pany could not be called select, in the strict sense of the term, but it was every way respectable. The female population was considerably less than the male, so it was necessary to secure the presence of all to equalize the sexes as far as possible, and to secure respectable numbers. If the servant-girls were invited and danced in the same sets with their niistresses, it must be remembered that those servant-girls were well-educated daughters of respectable families who had lately arrived, with more energy and intelligence than wealth, and who were willing to work at high y^ages to secure the means for a start in the new place. Indeed, there was no place for drones or luxurious idlers in Chicago then, and industry and frugality were alone respectable. Those girls >Hio\vere not ashamed to wait upon the table then were destined soon to become the wives and mothers of whom Chicago has ever had cause to be proud. Then- were Udd the foundations of Chicago society, and the result has shown they were weU laid. A printing-press had lately been established here by John Calhoun, so that ball-tickets could then be printed. We copy one of these tickets issued for a given at the same ball as the one attended by Mr. Hoffman, and a few weeks later, to show how such things were done nearly fífty years ago, and in the very infancy of society in Chicago : Misses H. and L. Harmon are respectfully solicited at Mr. Graves' Assembly Room,* on Wednesday, February sth, at 6 o'clock P. M. R. A. Kinzie, i Í I. D. Harmon, G. Spring, > "e < E. K. Smith, J. D. Caton, J s (m. B. Beaubien. Chicago, February i, 1834." I* In the tear part of what is now Ros. 82, 8., 86, and 88 Lake Street.] It may be interesting to notice that three of the managers whose names i6 A WINTER IN THE WEST. one of the most ancient French trading-posts on the Lake^ can only date its growth as a village since the IncUan war, eighte^ months since.* When I add that the population has quintupled appear upon this ball-ticket are still living after the lapse of forty-eight yeurs, 'viz. : Caton, Harmon, and Beaubien. We may note, too, that at that time it was considered quite the thing to borrow a word from the Pottawatomies, who still had their home here, which signifies a social dance as distinguished from a war-dance. The month of January had been very cold, and early in February the thaw came and made the streets, or rather the low wet prairie, almost impassable; so that the company had to be taken to the ball in lumber-wagons, or ox-cartsj or other similar heavy conveyance. Indeed, there were but few carriages in the town and they could not be used when the mud was deep. ' For several years after this, in place of carriages, one-horse carts were used by the ladies in making calls, or in attending church, parties, or weddings, and when all did it, it was considered quite the proper thing to do. In truth, in deep mud, it was the most comfortable conveyance that could have been invented. A cart half-ñlled with prairie-hay, covered with a buffalo-robe, and others for cover¬ ing, which could be backed up to the door—sidewalks, except a single plank, were then unknown in Chicago—out of which the passengers could step into the house, and was the most comfortable and convenient thing imaginable. As late as 1837 or 1S38, and probably later, ladies did their shopping in these horse-carts, and thus met each other wading through the mud with a merry salutation, or at the stores and shops, in front of which their carts were ranged, with a jolly, happy greeting, far more joyous than later, when they could go in their landaus at any season of the year.—John Dean Caton, Chicago, March 20th, 1882. * The town of Chicago has become so important a place, and is so rapidly developing its resources, as to call for a more particular notice than it receives in the text. Its sudden strides to prosperity can be best estimated, however, by fírst perceiving the condition and prospects of Chicago as they presented themselves to Major Long's party when they visited it ten years since. "The village presents no cheering prospect, as, notwithstanding its antiquity, it con¬ sists of but few huts, inhabit by a miserable race of men, scarcely equal to the Indians, from whom they are descended. Their log or bark-houses are low, filthy, and disgusting, displaying not the least trace of comfort. Chicago is, perhaps, one of the oldest settlements in the Indian country. A fort is to have formerly existed there : mention is made of the place as having been visited in 1671 by Perot, who found 'Chicagou' to be the residence of a power¬ ful chief of the Miamis. The number of trails centering all at this spot, and their apparent antiquityindicate that this was probably for a long while the site of a large Indian vulage. As a place of business, it offers no inducement to the settler; for the whole annual amount of the trade on the Lake did not exceed the cargo of ñve or six schooners, even at the time when the garrison received its supplies from Mackinac. "—Long's Second Expedition^ vol. i. p. 164. Contrast this desolate picture—not with the representation made in the' text A WINTER IN THE WEST. last summer, and that but few mechanics have come in with thé prodigious increase of residents, you can readily imagine that the influx of strangers far exceeds the means of accommodation; while scarcely a house in the place, however comfortable-looking outside, contains more than two or three finished rooms. In the present instance, we were ushered into a tolerably-sized dancing room, occupying the second story of the house, and having its unfinished walls so ingeniously covered with pine branches and flags borrowed from the garrison, that, with the whitewashed ceil¬ ing above, it presented a very complete and quite pretty appear¬ ance. It was not so warm, however, that the fires of cheerful hickory, which roared at either end, could have been readily dis¬ pensed with. An orchestra of unplaned boards was raised against the wall in the centre of the room ; the band consisted of a dandy negro with his violin, a fine military-looking bass drummer from the Fort, and a volunteer citizen, who alternately played an accom¬ paniment upon the flute and triangle. Blackee, who flourished about with a great many airs and graces, was decidedly the king of the company; and it was amusing, while his head followed-the direction of his fiddle-bow with pertinacious fidelity, to see the Captain Manual-like precision with which the soldier dressed to the front on one side, and the nonchalant air of importance which the cit attempted to preserve on the other. As for the company, it was such a complete medley of all ranks, ages, professions, trades, and occupations, brought together from all parts of the world, and now for the first time brought together, that it was amazing to witness the decorum with which they com¬ mingled on this festive occasion. The managers (among whom were some officers of the garrison) must certainly be au fait at but—^with the existing condition of the place, with the alterations that have taken place since the writer left there, not yet a year ago. He is informed by a gentleman, recently from Illinois, that Chicago, which but eighteen months since contained but two or three fiame-buildings and a few miserable huts, has now five hundred houses, four hundred of which have been erected this year, and two thousand two hundred inhabitants. A year ago, there, was not a place of public worship in the town; there are now five churches and two school-houses, and numerous brick stores and warehouses. The shipping-lists of daily arrivals and departures show how soon the enterprise and activity of our citizens have discovered and improved the capabilities of that port. There have been three hundred arrivals this year, and more than 50,000 dollars worth of salt has been sold there this season, and of European and domestic mer¬ chandise to the amount of 400,000 dollars. A line of four steam-boats, of the largest class of lake-boats, and regular lines of brigs and schooners, are now established between that port and the principal ports of the lower lakes. It is gratifying to hear of such improvement in the western country, and to have predictions so recently made of the growth and prosperity of this point in particular, thus far more than fulfilled. 2 i8 A WINTER IN THE WEST. dressing a lobster and mixing regent's punch, in order to haver produced a harmonious compound from such a collection of con¬ trarieties. The gayest figure that was ever called by quadrille- playing Benoit never afforded me half the amusement that did these Chicago cotillons. Here you might see a veteran officer in full uniform balancing to a tradesman's daughter still in her short frock and trousers, while there the golden aiguillette of a handsome surgeon* flapped in unison with the glass beads upon a scrawny neck of fifty. In one quarter, the high-placed buttons of a linsey- woolsey coat would be dos à dos to the elegantly turned shoulders of a delicate-looking Southern girl; and in another, a pair of Cin¬ derella-like slippers would chassez cross with a brace of thick-soled broghans, in making which, on^e of the lost feet of the Colossus of Rhodes may have served for a last. Those raven locks, dressed à la Madonne, over eyes of jet, and touching a cheek where blood of a deeper hue mingles with the less glowing current from Euro¬ pean veins, tell of a lineage drawn from the original owners of the soil ; while these golden tresses, floating way from eyes of heaven's own color over a neck of alabaster, recall the Gothic ancestry of some of "England's born." How piquantly do these trim and beaded levins peep from under that simple dress of black, as its tall nut-brown wearer moves, as if unconsciously, through the graceful mazes of the dance. How divertingly do those inflated gigots, rising like windsails from that little Dutch-built hull, jar against those tall plumes which impend over them like a commo¬ dore's pennant on the same vessel. But what boots all these incongruities, when a spirit of festive good-humor animated every one present? "It takes all kinds of people to make a ^orld," (as I hear it judiciously observed this side the mountains); and why should not all these kinds of peo¬ ple be represented as well in a ballroom as in a legislature? At all events, if I wished to give an intelligent foreigner a favorable opinion of the manners and deportment of my countrymen in the aggregate, I should not wish a better opportunity, after explaining to him the materials of which it was composed, and the mode in which they were brought together from every section of the Union, than was afforded by this very ball. "This is a scene of enchant¬ ment to me, sir," observed an officer to me, recently e.xchanged to this post, and formerly stationed here. " "There were but a ffew traders around the Fort when I last visited Chicago; and now I can't contrive where the devil all these well-dressed people have come from! " I referred him to an old resident of three months * Dr. Philip Maxwell, born at Guilford, Winham Co.,Vt., April 3,1799; app'd Ass't-Surg. U.S.A., 1832; arr'dat Chicago, Mar. 15, 1833; diedNov. 5', 1859. A WINTER IN THE WEST. I9 Standing, to whom I had just been introduced, but he could throw no light upon the subject; and we left the matter of peopling Chi¬ cago in the same place where philosophers have put the question of the original peopling of the continent. I made several new acquaintances at this new-year's ball, and particularly with the officers of the garrison, from whose society I promise myself much pleasure during my stay. The geographical position of Chicago is so important, that I must give you a more minute description of the place in my next. Would that in folding this I could enclose you half the warm wishes for your welfare which the season awakens in my bosom ! Chicago, III., Jan. 10, 1834. I have been here more than ten days, without fulfilling the promise given in my last. It has been so cold, indeed, as almost to render writing impracticable in a place so comfortless. The houses were built with such rapidity, during the summer, as to be mere shells; and the thermometer having ranged as low as 28 be¬ low zero during .several days, it has been almost impossible, not¬ withstanding the large fires kept up by an attentive landlord, to prevent the ink from freezing while using it, and one's fingers become so numb in a very few moments when thus exercised, that, after vainly trying to write in gloves, I have thrown by my pen, and joined the group, composed of all the household, around the bar-room fire. This room, which is an old log-cabin aside of the main house, is one of the most comfortable places in town, and is, of course, much frequented; business being, so far as one can judge from the concourse that throng it, nearly at a stand¬ still. Several persons have been severely frost-bitten in passing from door to door; and not to mention the quantity of poultry and pigs that have been frozen, an ox, I am told, has perished from cold in the streets at noonday. An occasional Indian,* * The Indians that frequent the neighborhood of Chicago (pronounced Tshicawgo), though not so numerous, are composed of the same mixture of different tribes which Major Long noticed ten years since. They are chiefly Pottawatomies and Ottawas, with a few Chippewas (ô-chè-pe-wàg), and a straggling Kickapoo or Miami; and a great admixture of the different lan¬ guages (or rather dialects, for they are radically the same, ) of the three first prevails there. Among them are many who have borne arms against the Americans; and some who doubtless took a part in the massacre at the fall of the place in 1812. The particulars of that bloody affair are yet mentioned with horror by the old settlers. They may be briefly summed up as follows : It was soon after* the infamous surrender of Gen. Hull at Detroit, when, in pursuance of the terms entered into with the enemy by that officer, who was commandant-in-chief upon the North-west frontier, Capt. Heald, the com¬ mandant at Chicago, prepared to surrender! his post to the British. The Pot- The day befisre, Aug. 15, 1812. t Evacuate. 20 A WINTER IN THE WEST. wrapped in his blanket, and dodging about from store to store after a dram of whiskey; or a muffled-up Frenchman, driving furiously in his carióle on the river, are almost the only human beings abroad; while the wolves, driven in by the deep snows which preceded this severe weather, troop through the town after nightfall, and may be heard howling continually in the-midst of it. The situation of Chicago, on the edge of the Grand Prairie, with the whole expanse of Lake Michigan before it, gives the freezing winds from the Rocky Mountains prodigious effect, and renders a degree of temperature, which in sheltered situations is but little felt, almost painful here. "The bleak winds Do sorely ruffle; for many a mile about, There's scarce a bush." The town lies upon a dead level, along the banks of a narrow forked river, and is spread over a wide extent of surface to the shores of the Lake, while vessels of considerable draught of water can, by means of the river, unload in the centre of the place. I believe I have already mentioned that four-fifths of the population have come in since last spring; the erection of new buildings during the summer has been in the same proportion; and although tawatomies and other hostile Indians in the vicinity were on the watch for the movement; and on the morning when the garrison evacuated the place, they had so completely succeeded in duping Capt. Wells, the credulous and unfor¬ tunate Indian agent, that the fatal march of the 15th October,* 1S12, was pre¬ cipitated by his advice. The Americans were about seventy in number, with several women and children; and they were escorted from the shelter of the Fort by a band of about thirty Miamis. The road led along the beach of the Lake, with those short san^'hilis, spoken of in a previous letter, extendii^ along the route between the Lake and the open prairie. Behind these the British Indians lay concealed; and when the Americans had proceeded about a mile from the Fort, the wily enemy sprang from his lair, and poured down a mur¬ derous fire from the beach. Capt. Heald immediately brought his men to a charge, and drove the Indians from the nearest sand-hill; but their numbers were so great that they formed instantly again upon his flank. His party was surrounded; and while the Miamis in a manner withdrew their protection, and helped to swell the number of his opponents, the little force of Captain Heald was completely cut off from the women and children, who were cower¬ ing beneath the bagage on the lake-shore. The Americans fought with des¬ peration: but such a handful of men was soon cut to pieces; and scarcely a man survived to witness the atrocities that were practised upon the helpless creatures upon the beach. There were four officers killed upon the spot; Capt. Heald and his wife were both badly wounded; and twelve childrent were butchered on the shore, or shared the fate of their mothers, who ran shrieking over the prairie. The unhappy Indian agent, who was among the slain, is said to have had his breast cut open, and his heart roasted and eaten by the savage foe. " August isth, 18x9. t Captain Heald's Letter, dated Pittsburg, October »3, xBxa. A WINTER IN THE WEST. 21 a place of such mushroom growth can, of course, boast of but little solid improvement in the way of building, yet contracts have been made for the ensuing season which must soon give Chicago much of that metropolitan appearance it is destined so promptly to assume. A.s a place of business, its situation at the central head of the Mississippi Valley will make it the New Orleans of the North; and its easy and close intercourse with the most flour¬ ishing Eastern cities will give it the advantage, as its capital in¬ creases, of all their improvements in the mode of living. There is one improvement to be made, however, in this section of the country, which will greatly influence the permanent value of property in Chicago. I allude to a canal from the head of Lake Michigan to the head of the steam navigation on the Illi¬ nois, the route of which has been long since surveyed. The distance to be overcome is something like ninety miles; and when you remember that the head-waters of the Illinois rise within eleven miles of Chicago River,* and that a level plain of not more than eight feet elevation above the latter is the only inter¬ vening obstacle, you can conceive how easy it would be to drain Lake Michigan into the Mississippi by this route; boats of eigh- • "The Chicago River, is about two [onej hundred and fifty feet wide, has snfficient depth of water for lake-vessels to where it forks in the centre of the town. The southern and principal branch takes its rise about six miles from the Fort, in a swamp, which communicates also with Desplaines, one of the head branches of the Illinois. This swamp, which is designated by the Cana¬ dian voyageurs as Le Petit Lac, is navigable at certain seasons of the year: it has been frequently traveled by traders in their pirogues; and a bateau from St. Louis, loaded with provisions for the garrison at Chicho, has through this medium passed from the Mississippi into Lake Michigan. Major Long ob¬ serves, upmn passing through this marsh in a canoe, "We were delighted at beholding for the first time a feature so interesting in itself, but which we had afterwud an opportunity of observing frequently on the route; viz.: the divi¬ sion of waters starting from the same source and running in two different direc¬ tions, so as to become the feeders of streams that discharge themselves into the ocean at immense distances apart. * « * When we consider the facts above stated, we are irresistibly led to the conclusion that an elevation of the Lakes a few feet (not exceeding ten or twelve) above their present level would cause them to discharge their waters, partly at least, into the Gulf of Mexico, liiat such a dischaige has at one time existed, every one conversant with the nature of the country must admit; and it is equally apparent that an expenditure trilling in comparison to the importance of the object would again render Lake Michigan a tributary of the Mexican Gulf." "In July, 1833, Giles Spring and myself went in a large canoe from Chicago (O Riverside, passing through Mud-Lake. At the dividing part of the waters we paused, and diverted ourselves by sending the water either into the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of St. Lawrence by a single motion of the paddle.— John Dean Caton, Chicago, April 7, 1882. 22 A WINTER IN THE WEST. teen tons have actually passed over the intervening prairie at higli water. Lake Michigan, which is several feet above Lake Erie, would afford such a never-failing body of water, that it would keep steam-boats afloat on .the route in the dryest season. St. Louis would then be brought comparatively near to New York; while two-thirds of the Mississippi Valley would be supplied by this route immediately .from the markets of the latter. This canal is the only remaining link wanting to complete the most stupen¬ dous chain of inland communication in the world. I had a long conversation this morning on the subject with Major H.,* the * Henry S. Handy, born about 1804, and educated at Pontiac, N. Y. Practised law and edited a newspaper at Salem, Indiana Annotator, for three years, about 1827. He was afterward, for a time, in the Pension Office at Washington. Came to Chicago June 17, 1833, as Assistant-Superintendent of Chicago Harbor; appointed by President Jackson. Died at Byfield, Mich., in 1846. Chtcago, III., April yth, ¡882. Dear Sir:—Complying with request contained in your note of the 23d ult., I have made investigation in relation to the " Major H. " referred to in " Hoff¬ man's Winter in the West, 1834," and am satisfied that through some mistake, probably in copying from the original manuscript, the letter "H" has been substituted for "A." In 1834, the construction of the pier was in charge of Lieut. James Allen, ist-Dragoons, U. S. Army, serving on Engineer duty at this place from Janu¬ ary 10, 1834, to October 15, 1836. A synopsis of his military record, taken /rom " Cullom's Register of the Graduates of the U. S. Military Academy, " is as follows ; James Allen. Graduate No. S7S- Class Rank, jj. Bom in Ohio. Appointed from Indiana. Military History:, Cadet at the U. S. Military Academy from July i, 1825, to July I, 1829, when he was graduated and promoted in the Army to BvL- 2d-Lieut., Sth Infantry, July i, 1829. 2d-Lieut., sth Infantry, July i, 1829. Served on frontier duty at Fort Brady, Mich., 1829-33, and Fort Dearborn, 111., (2d-Lieut., ist-Dragoons, March 4, .1833,) 1833-34. On Engineer duty, Jan. 10, 1834, to Oct. 15, 1836. On Frontier duty, (ist-Lieut., ist-Diagocms, May 31, 1835,) at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., 1837. On Engineer duty, April 10, 1837, to Dec. 28 (Captain, ist-Dragoons, June 30, 1837), 1838. On Frontier duty at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., 1839 and '40. Pottawatomie coun¬ try, 1840. Fort Leavenworth, Kan., 1840-42. Fort Gibson, I. T., 1842. March to Fort Atkinson, lo., 1842. Fort Sanford, lo., 1842. Raccoon Fork, lo., 1843. Eort DesMoines, lo., 1843-44. Raccoon Fork, lo., 1844. Fort DesMoines, lo., 1844-45. Expedition to Lac qui parle, 1845. Fort DesMoines, lo., 1845-46; and in the War with Mexico, 1846, as Lieut.- A WINTER IN THE WEST. 23 United States' engineer, who is engaged in superintending the construction of a pier at this place.* He was polite enough to sketch the main features of the route with his pencil, in such a manner as to make its feasibility very apparent. The canal would pass for tlie whole distance through a prairie country, where every production of the field and the garden can be raised with scarcely Any toil, and where the most prolific soil in the world requires no other preparation for planting than passing the plough over its Colonel, commanding Mormon Battalion of Missouri Volunteers, on the march to New Mexico, July 16 to August 23, 1846. Died, August 23, 1846, at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Aged 40. In addition to the above, it may be of interest to note in this connection that while on duty at Fort Brady, Mich. (Sault Ste. Marie), in 1832, being then a lieutenant of the 5th Infantry, he accompanied Schoolcraft on an expe- your eye long before a battalion could attain it. these ancient works, and their only mode of explaining their existence is by supposing that the country was inhabited, at a period anterior to the most remote traditions, by a race of white men similar to those of European origin, and that they were cut off by their forefathers. 'It is said that tomahawks of brass and other metals, differing from those in use among the present Indians, have been found under the surface of the ground.'—\^Keaiing.\ And stories are told of gigantic skeletons being often disinterred in the neighborhood. Mr. Brisbois, who has been for a long time a resident of Prairie du Chien, informed me that he saw the skeletons of eight persons that were found in digging a cellar near his house, lying side by side. They were of a gigantic size, measuring about eight feet from head to foot. He added, that he took a leg-bone of one of them and placed it by the side of his own leg, in order to compare the length of the two; the bone of the skeleton extended six inches above his knee. None of these bones could be preserved, as they crumbled to dust soon after they were exposed to the atmosphere. "—\Afajor Lonfis MS. as quoted in his Second Expedition. \ * See Fergus' Historical Series, No. 3. "Origin of the Prairies." By Hon. John Dean Caton, I.E.D., late Chief-Justice of Illinois. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVEJOY. An account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, killed by a Pro- Slivcry Mob. at Alton, III , on the night of Nov. 7, 1^37. By Henrv 1'annbr, of Buffalo, N.V',. an Eye- Witness. Cloth boards; (.ilt-top: Side and bottom uncut: Illutirated. Pp. 333: Svo. 1881. Pnce. $s. t-top : Not only to thone who at the time were percon- ally Intereated in the career and heroic death of the llev. Elijah Parrlah Lovejoy, nor to tboee who now warmly aymjiathlze with the noble pnrpoaeH which prompted the martyr to the purauit of endfl apparently chimerical in the extent of their nobility : but to all atudentH of the germa and tirft budding of a mighty refor¬ mation in the biatory of morala, and to all lovera of myatcrioua natural development thia hook will be valuable. Here Ik vividly portrayed the ñrnt hlood-Ictting for outspoken antagoninm to the villainies of alave-truttic and alave-holding, and the wonderful peralatence in aim. a» well as the power of thought and pea that prei)ared Lovejoy for his glorious en«l. From the early articles on triinsnbstantlatiim and nunneries to the last ticry denunciation of negro Bubjectlon, the hero ahows the same outBi>oken boldness of conviction, combined with a continual increase in ability of expri-ssion. That any pledge was vlolati'd in the assumption of an autl-slavery tone in the leaders of the St. fyb.serre;-. Mr. Tanner has clearly proved groundless: and that the life of Elijah Parrlsh Lovejoy is worthy to Im* ranked among the hlghe-«t a'ul pure.st, no candid reader can pretend to doubt. "Ho shines a good deed in a naughty world "—IluffaU) EX' pre«.*. May IH, 1881. This is a plain, unvarnished historv of the life and perils of the Hev. PHlJah P. Lovejoy. • • • rapid has l>een the march of public sentiment tbiit the generation of yonng men and women of to-day can not realize the bitter and deadly antagonism of slavery forty-three years ago. The book will give an Insight into the bit¬ ter and unrelenting spirit which held sway even in the free North. It is not written to keep alive old antagonisms, but as history, which all should know, that they may better appreciate all that has been accompitshed in the past, and ai)preciate the present. The story is told with¬ out any effort at embellishment, and wonder¬ fully free from every vindictive expression. If the friends of htiroan slavery object to anything in the volume, it will be the honest facts of the history, which need no embellishment or sharp phrase to make them abhorrent to every lover of the right and free institutions.—Inltr Ocfan, Chicago, Feb. .1, lS8i. As the narrative has reference to events long since past, connected with the early days of the anti-slavery contest, we had no idea until we began reading the book that we should Und it so deei>ly interesting and well calculated to give an insight into the struggle for the liberty of the press which led to the al>olltlon of slavery. —.Ves.sia/t's Jirrahi, Boston, March M, im. CHICAGO BAR-ASSOCIATION LECTURES.—Part I. Recollections of Early Chicago and the Illinois Bar. By Men. Nw N. AkN«'i.n. Read Tuesday Evening, June 10 x58o. Recollections of the Bench and Bar of Central Illinois. of Sprmgheld, K-ad January 12, 188 By Ho . J.WIKs C. (.'oNKI.lNtî, The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon. Thomas ILiYNf (porlmitK Read .at Kairbank Hall, Thursday Kvening, February 10. i83i. P.iges 108. Roy.-»l 8vo. 1882. Price, $1. Reception to the Settlers of Chicago, prior to 1840, by the Cai.i'.mi.i Cluh, May 27, - o - , - -a - ^ ' -• • Judge and Hon. Wm. Bross; Tables showing places of birth, year of arrival, and age of tho. of the IrOts and the prices paid, etc., etc. (Histon- cal Sketch of City compiled for Directory ot 1843. etc.) Compiled by R-.rkkt Pp 68; 8vo. ,3j(; Price, 50 cents. The Last of the Illinois; and a Sketch of the Pottawatomies: A Lecture read before the • hicago Hit-torical Society. Dec. n, 1870. Also, Origin of the Prairies; A Lecture read before the I utawa -Academy of Natural Sciences. Dec. 30. 1869 Hy Hin. Iohn Df.a.n Cafon, LL.D.. ex-Chief- luAti.e of Illinois. Pp. 56; 8vo. 187^. Price. 25 cts I. Early Movement in Illinois for the Legal¬ ization of Slavery: .An Historical Sketch read at ihe Annual Meeting of the Chicago Historical Socie¬ ty. Dec. 5. 1(64 Hy Hon Wm. H. Brown. Pp. 32; 8vo 187'. Price, 25 cents. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part I:--Hon, S. Lisle Smith, Geo Davis, Dr Phillip Maxwell, John J. Brown, Richard L. Wilson, Col. Lewis C. Kerchival, Uriah P Harris, Henr\ B. Clarke, and Sheriff Samuel J. Lowe By W H Bf-H\ELi. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876, Price, 25 cts. «. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part II —Hon. Wm H. Brown, with Portrait. B. W, Raymond, Esq., with Portrait, Hon. I Y. Scammon. Chas. Walker. Esq., Thos. Church, Ls-. ciiioiiir« Trice aUc. f .idwnt', -j-fluutfic*: g:wcní9-otte^ |^€iaí]o Ö) BY m R OBER T FER G US. ■ EEMIMBBJMiÄSJEljEElE^S st S(j! .«.'ta H|^ For Catalogue, See Inside and Last Pages of Cover. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. REYNOLDS' HISTORY OF ILLINOIS. My Own Times; Embracing also The History of My Life. By John Kevnoi.ds, (;ov of III , etc. Portrait. Reprint of original edition of 1855. with complete Index added. Cloth boardi| Gilt-top; side and bottom uncut: Antique Paper; Pp 43^: 8vo rSjt). Kdition of 112 copies. Price, $7.JA| We arc iilcased to learn that the Fergus Print¬ ing Companv has undertaken the work of re¬ printing the volume of "Mv Own Times: embrac¬ ing also the History of My Life," written by the late Gov. John Reynold.s. » * • Copies of the volume referred to are exceedingly rare, and hardly could be procured at any price. The Pubilshera arc deserving of thanks tor their efforts to rescue from oblivion a meritorious work like the above.—¡{pUcviUc Aih't>cn1i\ l>ec. 1'2,187'.». This is a reproduction, in an attractive form, and with the addition of a full index, of a book, the story of which is an illustration of the diffi¬ culties which all who have flcvoterl themselves to historical investigation liave had to encounter in this country, (iovernor Hcvnolds was one of the most 1 V minent figures in western ijublic life, anfi it would be supjiosed this epitome of the story ot tlie young days of the western country would have commanded a ready sale. Not so. Completed in IH.'íi, the first edition, probably not more than four hundred copies, was printed In a small job office at lielleville, and taken by a single bookseller ot Chicago, at the author's personal instigation. Nearly the A-hole edition was destroyed in the great fire ot 18.'>7. Practically out of print, the present volume is rather a new work than the reprint of an ohl: aniUi creditable one it is. The exten.slve range of politics, internal improvement, public life and personal experience, naturally traversed iti this bulky volume, render even a slight analysis impossible. It is discursive and sketchy, and abounds in details of purely local value, hut it contains al.su a mass of information wh ch the entpiirer would look for in vain elsewhere. Above all it is .stamped with an originality and individuality which set well upon the shoulders of a western man.—.Va^. of .Inj. //í.s7.,Aug,lK8(i. The year l.sdi found the territory now occu¬ pied by the populous State of Illinois a savage wilderness, with a total white population- American and French—of about 2,000 scat! ered throughout i s domain. Ot these it is esti¬ mated that the French creóles numliered some 1,200, and the negroes (slaves and freemen) a))Out 20'j more. The wliite colonies extended in sparse seitlemcnts, from Kaskaskia, tifty miles or more, to Cahokia, and back east from the Kaskaskia river only a few miles. The colo¬ nies of Kaskaskia, Turkey Hill, the New Desien, Horse Prairie, another not far from Kaskaskia, Pjggot's Fort, \Vhite.side Station, Belle Fountain and another very small one, coniiirised all the American settlements in Illinois at that period Their population was about 800 strong, all told. This period of the history of Illinois is noted here, and probably will be for many genera¬ tions, as the time when the parents of Gov. .lohn lleynolds removed to Illinois from Ten¬ nessee and added the seventh family to the population of a white settlement two and a-half miles from Kaskaskia. Gov. Reynolds was then 12 j^ars old. In the volume before us he de¬ scribes the condition of the country, the Ind¬ ians, the privations of the whites, their progress in agriculture, education, government and so¬ cial characteristics during the next nine veurs. at considerable length, and thus furnishes a fund of useful and interesting information. About this time, having reached his 2etb year, the Governor entered a college some six milgg from Knoxville, Tënn., where he spent two yeari in improving his mind, returning to Illinois !■ ]8ii. Afterward he studied law at Knoxville. Tiien began the War of 1812 with Great Brit-' ain, and then, too, the growing State of lllinoisi liecame the theater of stirring public event» which gave her a prominent place in the history of the We.st. Four chapters are devoted to this period, including the massacre at Chicago, the ilestnie ion of Peoria and affairs in that vicini¬ ty, etc. Then came the organization of the Territoff of Illinois, the administration of Governor Ed- warrls. the revision of the laws, and the first Legislature: Lewis and Clark's expedition t« the Pacific coast; the > xtension of the settle» inents; the reign of " regulators " and mob-law; the history of religious denominations in Illi¬ nois: the professions ; the history of slavery ix the Terntory, and the author's domestic record with numerous other events of more or less in¬ terest. In 1818 the State Government was formed, anë its progress is noted in detail. A large space ii given to the siibseciuent political history ami internal imiwovcment of the State, until thi breaking out of the war with the Winnebaei Indians. Several chapters are filled wlth.thi history i f the Blackhawk war and its attendan excitements and events. The history of edud ti'«n and early newspapers in Illinois receive due attention. The Governor also relates the national sitM tiou during his term in Congre-^s from 18:14 1 1841, inclusive; his visit to Europe in 1s:í9: fl pioneer railroad oper.itions in the State: tl construction of the Illinois - and - Michigan Ci nal, with other internal improvements, ar the history of (he Mormon troubles and vxcii. ment. Such Is a brief outline of iJov. Reynolds' boo It is valuable as reflecting the spirit of the pi ne>r days of Illinoi«, and as the record of young and enrerprlsing State strucgling agaix: adverse circiim-tances, and becoming one of tl most prosperous of .American commonwealtlf Nor will the private history of Gov. ReynolJ the sturdy pioneer Executive and Represenl tive of the State, fail to interest the reader, belongs to Illinois, because he aided in bring her to the present prosperity which she enjOL He passed nearly half a centurv in promini public life in Illinois—as Jndge Aiivocate, ju«f of the Supreme Court, member of the Legi 1 ture, Governor, Congressman. Canal ComnI sioner and Speaker of the nou-*e—and isf closely identified with the State that their 1 tories can not be separated. This volume was first published by Gov. li nolds in 18.5.'). The eilition was small, and of it was destroyed before it was sold in a r 1 Chicavo. Thus it became one of the lost hd of the earth. Fortuiiatelv it wa< not totally! terminated, and u.iw its revival bv the eil prising Chicago house who.se imprint it bexl no less important than it is gratifying to tl who have the iuterestsof the State at thica^o Jounial, J)pc. 30, 1870. l>j'- mull, 1<1, inï I |»t of i»rl4u- FERGUS' HISTORICAL SERIES, No. 21. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOHN DEAN CATON, Ex-Chief-Justice of Illinois. BY ROBERT FERGUS. CHICAGO: FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY. 1882. JOHN DEAN CATON. The career of Ex-Chief-Justice Caton, of Illinois, has been signalized by arduous labors and by deserved success. If the details of his life could be laid before the world, they would afford a record to be commended to every young man who is struggling with adversity, and is desirous of creating for himself an honorable name. At the age of fifly-two, he voluntarily resigned the highest judicial posi¬ tion in the State, at a time when his mind was capable of putting forth its most vigorous manifestations, and when his physical powers were unimpaired. He has stamped the impress of his mind upon the jurisprudence of the State; and in the volumes of the Reports which contain his decisions, there is not a page which his warmest friends would seek to blot, not a sentence which betrays the spirit of the partisan judge. No man ever illustrated more ad¬ mirably the precept— " Justum et tenacem propositi virum;" no man ever held the scales of justice with a steadier equi¬ poise. John Dean Caton was born on the 19th of March, 1812, in the town of Monroe, Orange County, New York. His father's name was Robert Caton, whose immediate ances¬ tor, of the same naihe, was born in Ireland, and emigrated to Maryland before the Revolutionary War. He ultimately settled in Virginia, and became possessed of a plantation on the banks of the Potomac, where the father of the sub¬ ject of our memoir was born, March 22, 1761. Upon the breaking out of the Revolutionary War, Rob¬ ert Caton, the son, and his brother John, ran away from the paternal roof and joined the American army, then en¬ camped before Boston, and remained with it until, on the declaration of peace, it was disbanded. The two brothers then took up their residence in the vicinity of the Hudson 4 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. River, Orange County, New York, where the father ot Judge Caton passed the remainder of his life. Robert Caton was married three times, his last wife being Hannah Dean, and the issue of this marriage was four children—two daughters and two sons—the elder of whom is the subject of this notice. At four years of age, young Caton left the place of his birth, which he did not again revisit until after the lapse of twenty years. This change in his circumstances was brought about by the death of his father, when his mother, with four orphan children, removed near Brothertown, in what was then the town of Paris, in Oneida County, New York. Here she rented part of a house, with about an acre of land attached, of her brother. Her straightened circumstances required the ex¬ ercise of the strictest economy; and every member of the family, so soon as able, was required to contribute to make the little patrimony self-supporting. Here Caton's boyhood was passed, and here in the district-school his mind re¬ ceived the first rudiments of knowledge. He was kept pretty constantly in attendance upon tííis school until he was nine years old; but .he confessed that, from his disin¬ clination to study, this became a difficult task. Mrs. Caton, as well as her husband, belonged to the So¬ ciety of Friends; and among the visitors to her humble abode was Solomon Bass, who resided at Smyrna, Che¬ nango County. Attracted by the appearance of the boy, or wishing to relieve the mother of a portion of her burden, he persuaded her to let the lad accompany him home, promising to bring him up as a farmer. This was in March, 1821. Friend Solomon's farm was anything but an earthly para¬ dise. It was situated in the midst of hills, covered with gloomy forests, in which a small clearing had been made and a rude cabin erected. The boy found ample occupa¬ tion in bringing water to the house from a neighboring stream, in driving cattle up the hill-sides to enable them to browse, in cutting fire-wood, and in tending the fires of the sugar-camp, where the sap of the maple was gathered and evaporated. So onerous were the tasks imposed upon him by Friend Solomon, in carrying pails, that to this day the man cannot straighten the muscles of his fingers; and so great the exposure tô which he was subjected, that his feet became frosted and the flesh in places came off. When- HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. S ever the Judge refers to this episode in his life, it is with a feeling of shuddering. At the end of nine weeks the boy was returned, with frosted feet and crushed spirits, to the maternal roof, where he once more received that love and kindness which a mother only can bestow. In the spring of 1823, he "hired out" to a Mr. Saxton as a farm-hand, at three dollars a month; but this engagement abruptly terminated, for the boy being directed to harrow the greensjvard in a certain field, which consisted of part meadow and part sod-land ploughed or broken up the previous fall, effectually tore up the meadow, much to the indignation of the proprietor. The result, however, was that he mowed a larger crop of bay than he had been able to obtain for many years pre¬ viously; but Mr. S. concluded that he could dispense with his further services. Thus time passed on, the lad working alternately for the neighboring farmers and attending the district-school, until he arrived at thé age of fifteen; when his mother, in obedience to the provisions of their father's will—by which it was required that the two bojrs, on arriv¬ ing at a suitable age, should be put out to learn a trade— apprenticed John to Job Collins, a saddler and harness- maker, residing at Smyrna, a place by no means associated in the mind of the lad with agreeable recollections. The boy proved an apt apprentice; and studying the philosophy of a harness and the strain which the several parts are required to' endure, he suggested many changes which his master was not loath to adopt. But young Caton had an ambition that his life had higher aims than to become a "horse-tailor," and without determining what his future course should be, he resolved to terminate his engagement with Job—honorable if he could, but at all events to terminate it; and an accident, as it were, enabled him to accomplish his resolution. He was seized with a severe cold, which culminated in an in¬ flammation of the eyes; but for some inexplicable reason, after the inflammation had subsided, his eye-sight was left so impaired that he spoiled nearly every job he undertook; and when Job saw no hopes of an amendment, he rather urged the departure of his apprentice, and kindly suggested that, as his physical powers were unimpaired, he might suc¬ ceed in some occupation requiring muscle but not clear eyesight—say the occupation of a butcher. Transferred 6 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. once more to his home, as if by a miracle his sight re¬ turned; and from that time to the present hour, the Judge has never suffered from weak eyes. He found that his mother had already resolved to remove to Utica and there open a boarding-house; and he Ment her all the aid in his power in effecting the removal, while he remained in the region working for a Mr. White. That fall he took a de¬ cided step toward personal independence. Having hired the horses and wagon of his employer, he became a com¬ mon carrier, transporting highwines between Watervillc and Utica; but ere long he formed a connection with a Mr. Green, to peddle his wooden wares through the adjoining counties. In 1829, however, he joined his mother at Utica. He entered the academy there, and for the first time applied himself resolutely to study, commencing with English gram¬ mar, arithmetic, and surveying. Here he remained nine months, when he had become so far a proficient in survey¬ ing that by odd jobs he was enabled to add to his scanty funds. His preceptor regarded him as qualified to teach ; and accordingly young Caton proceeded to Ovid, near the residence of his uncle, where he succeeded in securing the charge of a district-school. Gathering up his earnings for the winter, which netted him about thirty dollars, he re¬ turned to the scenes of his childhood, where he again "hired out" on a farm; buf having the misfortune to cut his foot, in the fall he'proceeded to Rome and became a pupil of Mr. Grosvenor, where he first entered upon a clas¬ sical course of study. That winter he was again occupied in teaching, and in the spring, resumed his connection with Mr. Grosvenor. Thus, then, with these slender means of education, he took the next step toward the active duties of life. In December, he entered himself in the office of Beardsley and Mattison, as a student at law, and was enabled to -add to his scanty fund, by practicing before Justices of the Peace; and subsequently he entered the office of James H. Collins, Esq., who allowed him a compensation for office- work. Having acquired the rudiments of law so far as to enable him to enter on its practice, young Caton set his face West¬ ward, and arrived at Chicago in June 19, 1833. With the exception of Judge Spring, who had preceded him a few HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 7 weeks, he was the first lawyer to hang out his "shingle" in that city, where now the members of that profession are to be counted by the thousands. He brought the first suit ever instituted in the Circuit Court at that place. In the fall of that year, he obtained his license to practise, from Judges Lockwood and Smith, making a long journey to Greenville, Bond County, for that purpose. In July, 1835, 'is married Miss Laura A., daughter o. Jacob Sherrill, Esq., of New Hartford, Oneida County, New York. In 1836, the first house was erected by him on the ■"school section," west of the Chicago River. Judge Caton had inherited from his parents a sound con¬ stitution and more than ordinary physical powers, and he was thus enabled to endure without exhaustion an almost unlimited amount of physical or intellectual exertion; but by an unfortunate exposure he contracted a severe cold, which was succeeded by a fever which brought him to the verge of the grave, and permanently impaired his constitu¬ tion. His physician prescribed less devotion to office- work, as a sine qua non to his recovery; and accordingly, in 1839, Judge Caton moved on to a farm in the country where he resided until 1842, meanwhile keeping up his practice in three or four of the neighboring counties. His health becoming restored by this out-door life, he again returned with renewed zeal to his profession; and such was the estimation in which he was held, that when, in 1842, Judge Ford, of the Supreme Court of the State, was elected Governor, Judge Caton was appointed his successor. He was then but thirty years of age; and at such a moment, in reviewing his past life — the struggles which he had undergone in lifting himself by his own exertions alone out of the depths of poverty; gathering the rudiments of an education at the district-school, rounded off by a term or two at a select-school; then, still struggling on, a student at law practicing before a Justice's Court, or performing cleri- * Judge Lockwood examined the candidate on a moonlit evening, they standing on either side of a low, oak swamp on the bank of the Ulinois River, at Pekin, in Tazwell County. At its conclusion, he said, " Young man, I shall give you a license, but you have a great deal to learn to make you a good lawyer. If you work hard you will attain it, if you do not you will be a failure." In nine years from that time he was sitting beside Judge Lockwood on the Bench of the Supreme Court 8 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. cal labor to gain a support,—it must have awakened in him a feeling of proud satisfaction thbs to find himself elevated to a post of such grave responsibility. At that time, the Judges of the Supreme Court were elected by the General Assembly, and the commission which had been conferred on Judge Caton expired with the adjournment oi that body, when John M. Robinson, who had just retired from the Senate of the United States, was chosen to that position; but as that gentleman died the following April, Judge Caton was again commissioned by Governor Ford as his- successor. The gravest objection to electing Judge Caton in the first instance had been that he was too young; but now, with a commission which was to continue nearly twO' years, he had the opportunity of demonstrating his fitness for such a position. But, suffice it to say, that at the next sesssion of the Legislature, he was elected by the united vote of his party. In 1848, the Constitution of the State was revised, and the Judiciary system was so far altered as to provide for the creation of a Supreme Court composed of three Judges, elected by the people, and who were relieved from Circuit duties. At the first election, S. H. Treat, now United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois, Lyman Trumbull, now a Senator of the United States from the same State, and Judge Caton, were chosen as the mem¬ bers to constitute the Supreme Court. At the first session, it was required that they cast lots for the respective terms, of three, six, and nine years. The short term fell to Judge Trumbull; the middle term to Judge Caton; and the long term to Judge Treat, who became Chief-Justice. The lat¬ ter resigned in April, 1855, when Judge Caton succeeded to his rank, and so continued until the expiration of his commission, which occurred in June of that year. He was reëlected to the position of Judge, and in 1857, on the resignation of Chief-Justice Scates, he again became the head of the Bench, and continued to occupy that position until 1864, when he resigned. Thus, after an almost uninterrupted service of twenty-two years, Chief-Justice Caton, in the vigor of life and with mental powers unimpaired, retired from the active duties of a profession, which had been the great object of his devotion and which he had adorned by his example, to indulge in other pursuits less exhausting in their nature and HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 9 more congenial, perhaps, to those who do not feel the spur of necessity. And yet, exacting as were his judicial duties. Judge Caton, having early learned how to economize his time, was enabled to turn his attention to other pursuits, and to identify his name with many of the leading projects of the day. In 1849, he became incidentally interested in the O'Reil¬ ly Telegraph Company, and, much against his wishes, was elected a director. He found himself one of a board who knew little of the principles of the art of telegraphy, or of the manner in which the business should be conducted. But Judge Caton had that inquisitive mind which could not rest content until it had penetrated to the hidden causes of things. He got such books as could be pro¬ cured, treating of electricity and galvanism, and mastered their contents ; and at the same time he instituted a series of experiments as to the best methods of transmitting intel¬ ligence by means of this subtle and invisible fluid. He became sufficiently expert as an operator to be able to transmit and interpret messages. At that time the register was in universal use, and the operator who could read by sound was regarded as a prodigy. This company was organized under the name and style of "The Illinois and Mississippi Telegraphic Company." Their line was cheaply built and of poor materials. Their business was not sufficient to pay expenses, and their stock drooped lower and lower, until it hardly showed a symptom of vitality. At a meeting of the board of directors, at Alton, in 1852, the affairs of the company were found to be in a most desperate condition;—the treasury was empty, very few of the offices paid expenses, not half of the lines were worked, there was a floating debt of seventeen thou¬ sand dollars, the company's credit was so low that not a druggist would trust them for a pound of acid, and it was the opinion of every one, except Judge Caton, that the enterprise had proved a total failure, and that the only available assets to offer to the creditors were the instru¬ ments. He, however, took a more cheerful view, and sketched out a plan to retrieve the desperate fortunes of the company. He proposed that an amendment to the charter be procured by which the stock might be assessed to the extent of five dollars a share, with power to sell in case of non-payment. The board assented to the plan. 10 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. on the condition that Judge Caton would assume the pres¬ idency and execute it. This he consented to do. The amendment was obtained, an assessment of two dollars and one-half was levied, enough was voluntarily paid to get the lines in working order, and under a rigorous supervision the affairs ot the company began to brighten and its credit to improve. To accomplish this. Judge Caton not only drew largely on his private means, but borrowed largely of his friends,—so confident was he as to the ultimate value of this stock under good management. To replace the hard-wood telegraph poles that were ready to tumble down, he visited in person the cedar swamps on the north shore of Green Bay, exploring the rivers in a bark canoe paddled by Indians, and there con¬ tracted for a large supply of cedar poles to be delivered in Chicago. He entered into negotiations with railroad com¬ panies contiguous to the lines to remove them within their right of way; he secured the unappropriated territory in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota, and made contracts on his own account with companies, whose roads were then con¬ structing, to place the telegraphic wires along their lines; so that ere long he had a greater length of line than was owned by the old company. But both of these interests were subsequently consolidated. Under the vigorous su¬ perintendence of Judge Caton, the telegraph company became dividend-paying, and in 1867, a negotiation having been effected by which these lines were leased to the West¬ ern Union Company, Judge Caton retired from its active management. Judge Caton, amid the scenes of an active life, has found time to indulge in a course of varied reading; and upon the well-filled shelves of his library there is hardly a book which he has not read, and many of them at least twice over. He has devoted much time to natural history. His communication to the Ottawa Academy of Sciences, on the Cérvida or deer family of the United States—particularly in reference to the common deer ( Cervus virginianus) and the American elk or wapiti ( Cervus canadensis), two repre¬ sentatives with which his ample i>arks are stocked—^is of exceeding interest. It is well known that this family, with the exception of the giraffe, have solid horns, and at the same time they are deciduous—that is, they are shed each year. Judge Caton has noted, more exactly than any pre- HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. II vious observer, how the horns are first covered with, skin similar to that upon the rest of the head—what hunters call "being in the velvet;" the progress of development of the bony tubercles at their base; and how, as they en¬ large, they compress and obliterate the blood-vessels* of the skin, which peels off, leaving the horns bare and bony; and how, when the circulation of the blood ceases, or nearly so, they drop off, to be succeeded by a new growth. These changes are minutely noted in the paper referred to, which really form a valuable contribution to natural history. The salient points of Judge Caton's character may be briefly summed up: He possesses a mind not naturally brilliant, but solid, capacious, and investigating, united to a physical frame capable of great endurance. What he has accomplished has not been the result of inspiration, or of the possession of that faculty which we call genius—which, by the way, is a very vague term—but of patient thought, advancing step by step to a given goal. The power of dis¬ criminating between what is substantial and what is merely accessory, in a combination of facts, he possesses in an eminent degree; and hence his decisions, whilst they may not bristle with citations, are characterized by eminent good sense, and will stand the test of time. The very habits of self-reliance which, from early youth, he was com¬ pelled to cultivate, impart additional vigor to his mind and confidence to the conclusions in which he rests; and at the same time he has that intuitive sense of right and. wrong, that sturdy honesty of purpose, which cannot be broken down by legal technicalities nor perverted by legal soph¬ isms. Viewed in other phases, we find in him the practical and sagacious business man, capable of originating and direct¬ ing the most complex affairs;—founding a vast system of telegraphy; engineering water-works; organizing starch-fac¬ tories, glass-works, copper-mines, coal-mines, and other en¬ terprises; and in fact his whole nature is pervaded by a restless activity. • This is a mistake of the author ; and is an old theory of natural¬ ists, that the enlargement of the bone compresses the outer blood-vessels of the horn, which are thus destroyed, and, in consequence, the horn drops oil. This paper disproves that theory, and shows that the horn is loosened by the action of the blood-vessels which pass into the articulation between the pedicle and the horn. This is more fully shown in his subsequent and mOre elaborate work, " The Antelope and Deer of America," pp. 167-181. In this work the whole process of the growth and casting of the deer's horns is particularly described. 12 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. He is also a country gentleman, surrounded by his flocks and herds, and his ample parks are stocked with deer and elk, whose habits he notes and describes with the trained ejre of the naturalist. Many years ago, he selected as a place for a residence one of the bluffs which overlook the rich valley of the Illi¬ nois. Here, surrounded by alternate groves and lawns, he erected a fine mansion, a portion of which is set apart for a library. This site is one of great natural beauty, and has been rendered more beautiful by art. A mile off, and bris¬ tling with activity, lies one of the most beautiful villages of Illinois; and taking the whole panorama within the range of vision, nature nowhere presents a lovelier scene. Here, then, Judge Caton lives, possessed of all the accessories which make life agreeable, and beloved and respected by his numerous friends and neighbors, who are ever welcome to his hospitable board. As he reviews his past career, his thoughts can not be other than those which result from the recollections of a well-spent life. Since the above sketch was written, in 1870, Judge Caton has devoted much of his time to travel and to literary and scientific pursuits, still keeping up, however, his law-reading, and attending to some important cases in the courts. When he had retired from judicial life, an important question had to be decided as to his future. His literary tastes and laborious habits forbade the thought that he should abandon letters and devote his entire time to the many business enterprises in which he was engaged. His professional friends strongly advised him to 'write treatises on some branches of the law, as, for instance, the law of corporations, and especially as applied to railroads and telegraph, to do which they thought him well qualified. But however agreeable this might have been to his tastes and habits, he finally concluded to pursue a different course, and to direct his studies more to literary and scientific subjects. He had always been a great reader, upon a great variety of subjects outside of his profession. He generally had several books upon different and dissimilar subjects in hand, and some portion of almost every day of his life was devoted to their perusal—yes, their study. In this way an immense amount of work may be accomplished in thirty years' time, if that work is done with a discriminating judg- HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 13 ment, with the aid of a retentive memory. He had early schooled himself, with severe discipline, to think of but one thing at a time—to study or think upon one subject without the intrusion of any other subject, no matter how engrossing might have been his interest in it, and when he had finished or pursued that as long as he chose, to lay it aside com¬ pletely to take up another precisely where he had left it off when it had last occupied his thoughts, and devote all his mental energies to that alone. For instance, after the mind had become weary with wrestling with some abstruse or difficult question of law, he would banish it entirely from his thoughts, and take up the subject of some telegraphic plan he was maturing, or why the prairies are not covered with trdes, or some book he had in hand, as Livingston or Speke in Africa, or Perry or Back in the Arctic regions, or some work on navigation or hydraulic engineering, or some other of the various studies in which he was always engaged, ornome literary work, as history or the classics, and instantly his mind was completely absorbed with the new subject, without the least intrusion of any other. Such diversion was not a labor but a recreation, from which the mind would return to the main subject of study, rested and invig¬ orated. His rule was never to pursue a study when the mind was wearied with it. This capacity of mental abstraction he has always insisted is the true secret why some men are enabled to do a very large amount of varied business, and dq all well. Thus we see that at the time of his retirement from judi¬ cial life, at fifty-two years of age, this habit of study had laid a good foundation for literary and scientific pursuits. Up to this time, it must be remembered, that he had written scarcely anything but law arguments and law opin¬ ions. For this class of writings he had formed a style peculiar to himself, lucid, argumentative, and methodical. If it was vigorous it was easy and agreeable as well, and the reader had no trouble in following the writer closely, and without an effort. Now, however, when he proposed to write on an entirely different class of subjects, it was neces¬ sary to adopt a quite different style of composition. This he did, and with marked success. This style is not an imitation of that of any other author, but is quite original. It is easy, simple, and unaffected, though vigorous and often pungent. It is so plain as to be easily understood, but 14 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. varying to a certain degree with the character of the subject treated of, whether narrative, descriptive, reflective, imagi¬ native, or philosophical. On occasion his compositions fall into a sort of cadence or rhythm—on the whole his style is easy, clear, and unaffected. His first effort in this new style is found in his address to the Bar on his retirement from the Bench, and is the first selection in his "Miscellanies," selected and published by Houghton, Osgood & Co., Boston, in 1880. We extract two small paragraphs closing this address : "I can not express my sensibilities at parting with my present associates. Long and anxious labors and weighty responsibilities have we for years shared together, each earnestly endeavoring to assist all in the discharge of duties. So has grown up among us a warm personal friendship, which has greatly lightened our labors. "At last, gentlemen, I go down from this high place with many regrets. I now hold my fifth commission on this bench. Twice have I held the position of Chief-Justice the last time for more than six years. Here have I labored more than tavo-fifths of my whole life. Long habits and present associations and remembrances have struggled hard to dissuade me from the course which I have finally adopted, but I felt it my duty at last to yield, and other considera¬ tions have prevailed. I fully appreciate that this is a place worthy of any well-regulated ambition. A wholesome desire for an enduring fame may here find a theatre in which it may toil to a useful purpbse, and with a well-grounded hope of attaining so desirable an end. I resign the great trusts which have been reposed in me with the comfortable reflec¬ tion that I have discharged them with fidelity and with the utmost ability with which I have been endowed." His official announcement of the death of Abraham Lincoln, on behalf of the Bar, to the Supreme Court, has been generally admired. A couple of extracts will illustrate its style and character. In the first we see his figurative mode of expressing thought: "Little more than four years ago he was, by the voice of the American people, taken from among us at the bar and placed over this great nation. In administering the affairs of this government, he has, undoubtedly, displayed a very high order of ability. At the very commencement of his administration a great rebellion broke out, and presented hon. John dean caton. 15 the question whether the light of this Republic, which had for a few years shone so brightly, was but the brilliant flash of a meteor to illuminate the political horizon of a civilized world for a moment, and then to go out in darkness, or was the fixed shining of a luminary which should point out to- future ages the pathway to liberty, prosperity, and happiness. With the aid of the great men, whose names history will write on the same page with his own, and the support of a patriotic people, he had put down the rebellion, and already saw the angel of peace arising 'with healing in his wings' to- bless his native land, when he was struck down by an assassin's hand. He is mourned by a whole nation as few have been mourned before him." "His personal characteristics were of the most pleasing kind. His heart was full of benevolence, and he was ever prone to put the most favorable construction upon the frailties of his fellow-men. His hand was open to relieve the unfortunate, and his efforts were at the service of those in distress. By his genial nature he enlivened every circle- of which he was a member, where he was ever welcome.. Who of this bar does not remember him as of yesterday,, when he was among us relieving the hard labors of the- profession by his enlivening presence? He will ever be- remembered as one of our brightest ornaments, whose prac¬ tice reflected honor upon the profession. If these elements of character inspired love for him as a professional brother, how much must they have endeared him to his own domestic circle—around his own fireside? If we feel his loss as irre¬ parable, where but in God can be found the consolation for his loss as a husband and a father? Those bereaved ones may well look to us, who next to themselves knew him best of all, for that deep and abiding sympathy which tends ta soften the most poignant grief; and they will not look in vain. Nor to his professional brethren alone may they look for sympathy. With them and us a nation mourns his untimely end. I may say, without the least exaggeration,, that humanity and civilization throughout the world will feel the shock which has draped our natioii in the habili¬ ments of woe." His address at Hamilton College, in 1868, on "The Growth of the Law," found in the "Miscellanies" at p. 32, has been commended by the faculty of that college as a model. In the opening of this address we get a very distinct glimpse i6 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON, of the early struggles of the author. His childhood had been passed in the vicinity of that college, and in his youth he had worked by the month on an adjoining farm, and by these surroundings was his ambition first awakened to place himself, by his own efforts, on a plane with those who were there afforded the advantages for an education, which were denied, to him, and, when after long years of labor had intervened, was conferred upon him unsolicited the degree of Doctor of Laws by that college whose walls he had longingly looked upon in boyhood, but whose portals he could not enter, he should be pardoned if he experienced a feeling of gratification, not to say exultation, which was enhanced by the action of the Western alumni of that college, who had selected him to represent them in the delivery of that address, and the favor with which it was received : "After long years of absence, filled with the trials and the vicissitudes of life, whether successful or unsuccessful, we return to the scenes of childhood with emotions indescriba¬ ble. Objects long forgotten rise up around us, each with a tale of pleasure or of pain. They remind us of our early efforts, of our little triumphs, and of our many pleasures. We forget the intervening years, with all their varied inci¬ dents, and, as in a dream, are transported back to that time when a trifle was a mountain of trouble, a toy was a foun¬ tain of joy. But with those even whose cares commenced almost with infancy, and who early knew privations, the period of childhood is the time when happiness predomi¬ nates; hence are the scenes of childhood and the memories of early years so pleasing. In truth there is no wide differ¬ ence between the joys and the griefs of the children of afflu¬ ence and the Children of indigence. The latter surely have as many hours of pleasure, and no more moments of pain, than the former. The improvised playthings of the one are as gratifying as the finished toys of the other. The sor¬ rows of childhood are generally transitory. They flit by, leaving scarcely more trace than the shadow of the passing cloud, while juvenile joys leave impressions like sunlight pictures, passing before us in after years like a pleasing panorama of by-gone scenes. The green, wild lawn where we played our little sports; the bid, dark wood whose shade we sought; the apple-tree whose fruit we gathered, 'are still to memory dear,' though changed they may be, or even gone, some of them, forever; enough is left as it was in the sunny HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 17 time of childhood to revive within us the record of the past. The most pleasing and the most lasting of all these memo¬ ries are tlie reminders of parental love. If some of us can not remember a father's face and a father's voice, the mem¬ ory of a mother's kiss and of a mother's blessing may still glow warmly in our hearts, whose brightness time or change shall never fade. Surely it is no unmanly weakness, nor beneath the dignity of age, to be for a moment a child again." "When God stood on quaking Sinai, from out the fiery cloud he declared his laws for the government of his pecu¬ liar people, and with his divine finger he registered these in visible characters on slabs of stone, and by the hand of his chosen intrument published them to all the tribes of Israel. Worthy indeed is it that the first of all the written codes to control the conduct of fallen man should come from that Divine Legislator who had already, and from the beginning, graven on all human hearts the fundamental principles of right and wrong. Till then, nqt only the descendants of Abraham, but also, as I have no doubt, the polished people of Egypt, as well as the peoples and tribes of Asia and of Europe, were governed by a few simple laws, told only from the mouth of man, which were often perverted and dis¬ torted by rulers to gratify their ambition, their avarice, or their pleasures."' .\n extract frorn the "Last of the Illinois" will, describ¬ ing the Pottawatomie Indians, show his style of descriptive writing : "Since their emigration from the north, a sort of distinc¬ tion had grown up among the different bands of the Potta- watomies, arising from their several locations, which seem to have stamped upon their tenants distinct characteristics. Those occupying the forest lands of Michigan and Indiana were called by themselves and by the traders, the Indians of the Woods, while those who roamed these great grassy plains were called the Prairie Indians. The former were much more susceptible to the influence of civilization than the latter. They devoted themselves, in a very, appreciable degree, to agriculture, and made the tillage of the soil to supplement the fhiits of the chase. They welcotned the missionary among them with a warm cordiality. They lis¬ tened to his teachings, and meekly submitted to his admoni¬ tions. They learned by heart the story of our crucified Redeemer, and with trembling voices recounted to each other the sufferings of the cross. They bent the kpee and 2 i8 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. bowed the head reverently in prayer, and raised their melo¬ dious voices in sacred songs taught them by the holy fathers. They received the sprinklings with holy water, and partook of the consecrated elements, believing devoutly in their sav¬ ing grace. They went to the confessional with downcast looks, and with deep contrition told the story of their sins, and with a radiant joy received the' absolution, which, in their estimation, blotted out their sins forever. Here, in¬ deed, was a bright field of promise to those devoted mis¬ sionaries, who deeply felt that to save one human soul from the awful doom which they believed awaited all those who- died without the bosom of the church was a rich reward for a whole life of pinching privation and of severe suffering; and their great ambition was to gather as many redeemed souls as possible to their account, each of which should appear as a bright jewel in the crown which awaited them in the future state. "It was very different, however, with the Prairie Indians. They despised the cultivation of the soil as too mean even for their women and children, and deemed the captures of the chase the only fit food for a valorous people. The com which grew like grass from the earth which they trod beneath their feet was not proper meat to feed their greatness. Nor did they open their ears to the lessons of love and religion tendered them by those who came among them and sought to do them good. If they tolerated their presence, they did. not receive-them with the cordialit}' evinced by their more eastern brethren. If they listened to their sermons in re¬ spectful silence, they did not receive with eager gladness the truths they taught. Even if they believed for the moment what they were told, it made no permanent impression on their thoughts and actions. If they understood something of the principles of the Christian religion which were told them, they listened to it as a sort of theory which might be well adapted to the white man's condition, but was not fitted for them, nor they for it. They enjoyed the wüd, roving life of the prairie, and, in common with almost all other native Americans, were vain of their prowess and manhood, both in war and in the chase. They did not settle down for a great length of time in a given place, but roamed across the broad prairies, from one grove or belt of timber to an¬ other, either in single families or in small bands, packing their few effects, their children, and infirm on their little Indian ponies. They always traveled in Indian file upon HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 19 well-beaten trails, connecting, by the most direct routes, prominent points and trading-posts. These native highways served as guides to our early settlers, who followed them with as much confidence as we now do the roads laid out and worked by civilized man." Again, for the same purpose, we copy from the same paper a description of a war-dance, as follows : "I shall close this paper with an account of the great war- dance which was performed by all the braves who could be mustered among the five thousand Indians here assembled. The number who joined in the dance was probably about eight hundred. Although I can not give the precise day, it must have occurred about the i8th of August, 1835. It was the last war-dance ever performed by the natives on the ground where now stands this great city, though how many thousands had preceded it no one can tell. They appreciated that it was the last on their native soil—that it was a sort of funeral ceremony of old associations and memories, and nothing was omitted to lend to it all the grandeur and solemnity possible. Truly, I thought it an impressive scene, of which it is quite impossible to give an adequate idea by words alone. "They assembled at the council-house, near where the Lake House now stands, on the north side of the river. All were entirely naked, except a strip of cloth around the loins. Their bodies were covered all over with a great variety of brilliant paints. On their faces, particularly, they seemed to have exhausted their art of hideous decoration. Fore¬ heads, cheeks, and noses were covered with curved stripes of red or vermilion, which were edged with black points, and gave the appearance of a horrid grin over the entire coun¬ tenance. Tne long, coarse, black hair was gathered into scalp-locks on the tops of their heads, and decorated with a profusion of hawk's and eagle's feathers, some strung to¬ gether so as to extend down the back nearly to the ground. They were principally armed with tomahawks and war-clubs. They were fed by what answered for a band of music, which created what may be termed a discordant din of hideous noises, produced by beating on hollow vessels and striking sticks and clubs together. They advanced, not with a regu¬ lar march, but a continued dance. Their actual progress was quite slow. They proceeded up and along the bank of the river, on the north-side, stopping in front of every house they passed, where they performed some extra exploits. 20 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. They crossed the North Branch on the old bridge, which stood near where the railroad bridge now stands, and thence proceeded south along the west-side to the bridge across the South Branch, which stood south of where Lake Street bridge is now located, which was nearly in front, and in full view from the parlor windows of the Sauganash Hotel. At that time this was the rival hotel to the Tremont, and stood upon the, ground lately occupied by the great Republican Wigwam where Mr. Lincoln was nominated for the presidency—on the corner of I^ake and Market Streets. It was then a fashionable boarding-house, and quite a number of young married people had rooms there. The parlor was in the second story fronting west, from the windows of which the best view of the dance was to be obtained, and these were filled with ladies as soon as the dance commenced. From this point of view my own observations were principally made. Although the din and clatter had been heard for a considerable time, the Indians did not come into view from this point of observation till they had proceeded so far west as to come on a lilie with the house, which was before they had reached the North-Branch bridge. From that time on, they were in full view all the way to the South-Branch bridge, which was nearly before us, the wild band, which was in front as they came upon the bridge, redoubling their blows to increase the noise, closely followed by the warriors, who had now wrought themselves into a perfect frenzy. "The morning was very warm, and the perspiration was pouring from them almost in streams. Their eyes were wild and bloodshot. Their countenances had assumed an expres¬ sion of all the worst passions which can find a place in the breast of a savage ; fierce anger, terrible hate, dire revenge, remorseless cruelty, all were expressed in their terrible feat¬ ures. Their muscles stood out in great hard knots, as if wrought to a tension which must burst them. Their toma¬ hawks and clubs were thrown and brandished about in every direction, with the niost terrible ferocity, and with a force and energy which could only result from the highest excite¬ ment, and with every step and every gesture they uttered the most frightful yells, in every imaginable key and note, though generally the highest and shrillest possible. The dance, which was ever continued, consisted of leaps and spasmodic steps, now forward and now back or sideways, with the whole body distorted into every imaginable unnatu¬ ral position, most generally stooping forward, with the head HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 21 and face thrown up, the back arched down, first one foot thrown far forward and then withdrawn, and the other simi¬ larly thrust out, frequently squatting quite to the ground, and all with a movement almost as quick as lightning. Their weapons were brandished as if they would slay a thousand enemies at every blow, while the yells and screams they uttered were broken up and multiplied and rendered all the more hideous by a rapid clapping of the mouth with the palm of the hand. "To see such an exhibition by a single individual would have been sufficient to excite a sense of fear in a person not over nervous. Eight hundred such, all under the influence of the strongest and wildest excitement, constituting a rag¬ ing sea of dusky, painted, naked fiends, presented a specta¬ cle absolutely appalling. "When the head of the column had reached the front of die hotel, leaping, dancing, gesticulating, and screaming, while they looked up, with hell itself depicted on their faces, at the '■chemokuman squaws' in the windows, and bran¬ dished their weapons as if they were about to make a real attack in deadly earnest, the rear was still on the other side of the river, two hundred yards off; arid all the intervening^ space, including the bridge and,its approaches, was covered with this raging savagery glistening in the sun, reeking with streamy sweat, fairly frothing at their mouths as with unaf¬ fected rage, it seemed as if we had a picture of hell itself before us, and a carnival of the damned spirits there con¬ fined, whose pastimes we may suppose should present some such scenes as this. "At this stage of the spectacle, I was interested to observe the effect it had upon the different ladies who occupied the windows almost within reach of the war-clubs in the hands of the excited savages just below thehi. Most of them had become accustomed to the sight of the naked savages dur¬ ing the several weeks they- had occupied the town, and had even seen them in the dance before, for several minor dances had been previously performed, but this far excelled in the horrid anything which they had previously witnessed. Others, however, had but just arrived in town, and had never seen an Indian before the last few days, and knew nothing of our wild Western Indians but what they had learned of their savage butcheries and tortures in legends and in histories. To those most familiar with them, the scenes seemed actually appalling, and but few stood it through 22 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. and met the fierce glare of the saVage eyes below them with¬ out shrinking. It was a place to try the human nerves of even the stoutest, and all felt that one such sight was enough for a lifetime. The question forced itself on even those who had seen them most, what if they should, in their maddened frenzy, turn this sham warfare into a real attack? How easy it would be for them to massacre us all, and leave not a liv¬ ing souL to tell the story. Some such remark as this was often heard, and it was not strange if the cheeks of all paled at the thought of such a possibility. However, most of them stood it bravely, and saw the sight to the very end; but I think all felt relieved when the last had disappeared around the corner as they passed down Lake Street, and only those horrid sounds which reached them told that the war-dance was still progressing. They paused in their pro¬ gress, for extra exploits, in front of Doctor Temple's house, on the corner of Lake and Franklin Streets; then in front of the Exchange Coffee House, a little further east on Lake Street ; and then again in front of the Tremont, at that day situated on the northwest corner of Lake and Dearborn Streets, where the appearance of the ladies in the windows • again inspired them with new life and energy. From thence they passed down to Fort Dearborn, concluding their per¬ formance in the presence of the officers and soldiers of the garrison, where we will take a final leave of my old friends, with more good wishes for their future welfare than I dare hope will be realized."* Among the scientific papers embraced in this collection by Houghton, Osgood & Co. may be mentioned his "Origin of the Prairies," "The American Cervus," "The Wild Turkey and Its Domestication," "The Philosophy of the Yoseraite Valley," and. "The Philosophy of the Petrified Forest of California," but the publishers have selected but few of his scientific papers, which have appeared in the various scien¬ tific journals of our country. His most elaborate and complete Work, which has been laid before the public, is " The Antelope and Deer of America," published by H. O. Houghton & Co., Boston, in 1877. This work embodies the results of many years of careful observation of these animals, under exceptionally favorable circumstances, having long had them in large numbers in his acclimatization grounds, at his residence in Ottawa. The book contains nearly one hundred well-exe¬ cuted illustrations. It has been received with great favor * Fbrcus' Historical Series, No. 3. p. 06-30. HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 23 by the scientific world, a second edition having been issued more than a year since. It is accepted as standard authority on tlie subjects of which it treats. All the reviews of it by the scientific journals, arid, indeed, by the newspapers, were of unqualified approbation. Judge Caton has always had a great fondness for field sports—for hunting and fishing, for camping, out, and the wild life of the woods and the mountains, where the wild- ness of nature remained undefaced, and in the pursuit of bis favorite recreation, in hunting the deer and the antelope, he had excellent opportunities for observing these animals in their wild state. To this habit of life, whenever he could find time to indulge in it, he attributes, to a large extent, his robust health at the age of three score and ten. We here insert a few extracts from his writings to show his great love of natural scenery. From the " Last of the Illinois,"* on page 117 of the "Miscellanies," we quote: "Wild scenes have always had a charm for me. I have ever been a lover of nature, and the enjoyment of those scenes where prairie and woodland, lake-shore and river were almost everywhere as nature made them, have left behind a pleasing memory which sometimes makes me almost wish that I could live over again my younger days. Since nature's handiwork has been defaced all around us by the hand of civilized man, I love to hie away to distant shores and the far-off mountains, and, with a few friends of tastes similar to my own, enjoy the wild scenery among the rock- bound islands of Puget's Sound, or the still solitude of the high Sierras. "Who would have thought, at the time of which I speak, that he who then here ehjoyed the charms which nature throws over all her works would ever seek the far-off scenes of the Pacific slopes in which to indulge his favorite rever¬ ies? There are some who hear me now who remember the lake-beach, with its conical sand-hills covered over by the evergreen juniper, whose fragrance loaded with a rich aroma the soft breeze as it quietly crept in from the rippling waters of the lake. That old lake -shore, fashioned as God had made it by his winds and waves for ten thousand years be¬ fore, had more charms for me than since the defacing hand of man has builded there broad avenues and great marble palaces, which are as far beneath the works of nature's archi¬ tect as man himself is beneath Him who made all things well. I thought it then a romantic place fit for the meeting ♦ Fergus' Historical Series, No. 3. p. 5. 24 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. of native lovers, in viihich to say soft words, and I felt as¬ sured that it was so regarded by them when once I was called upon to unite in wedlock there a happy pair, whose ambition it was to conform to the white man's mode in that solemn rite, and, as the dusky bride explained, to have it last forever. "As might have been anticipated, neither history nor tra¬ dition pretends to go back to the origin of any of the native tribes who occupied this land when first explored by civilized man. At that time, the country where we live was princi¬ pally occupied by the Illinois Indians, an important people who ranged from the Wabash to the Mississippi, and from the Ohio even to Lake Superior, although there were a great many other tribes occupying the same territory." Again, for the same purpose, we quote from "The Ante¬ lope and Deer of America," page 344, the opening paragraph into the chapter on "The Chase": "No saint in the calendar has had more devoted or more painstaking disciples than St. Hubert. In savage life, the pursuit of wild beasts, or the capture of fish has always been a necessity, and in all ages and in all civilized countries many persons have found them most exquisite enjoyment in the same pursuit. As a general rule, these persons are lovers of nature unmarred by the hand of man. They love tb hear the rushing of mighty waters and they love to hear the cadence of the murmuring brook. They love the deep shade of the primeval forest, and they love the broad e.\- panse of the wild prairie with its green, grassy carpet joined all over with brilliant wild flowers, whose fragrance they in¬ hale with a new delight. The cañón and the mountain crag, where the throes of nature h^ve upheaved the earth's deep crust and thrown all into a wild confusion, as if in anger an almighty hand had there dashed the debris of an¬ other world. They love to sleep beneath the old pine tree and listen to the sighing of the wind as it softly creeps through its long and slender leaves, or upon the soft grass, by the side of the sweet spring of water under the broad- spreading oak, the rustling of whose leaves soothe to quiet repose. They love to listen to the raging storm, and see its wild mark all around them; and so they love the soothing influence of the quiet cabin, where nature seems in profound repose, and all is still as the infant's sleep. At the break of day upon the mountain side they love to count the stars and witness the waking of animated nature, when the birds. HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 25 fly forth to sing and the beasts leave their lairs to seek their food, while yet the dew softens the herbage which they love the best. They love to catch the sun's flrst rays as they dart from beneath the distant horizon, feeling new life and vigor as they shine upon them, and with swelling heart they watch him rise as if from a bed of rest and cast his smile upon the new-born day. Oh, it is a glorious joy to be where the defacing hand of man has never marred the harmoni¬ ous beauty which pervades Nature's handiworks. There we look with reverence and awe upon what God has done, and what God alone could do, and rejoice, even in our insignifl- cance, that we are permitted there to contemplate such sublime display. Far away from ever-restless city life, and its surging crowd, and its tainted air, we love to breathe the air of freedom, sweet and uncontaminated, where every breath revives the spirits, stimulates the circulation, awak¬ ens the dorment energies, and inspires new life within us. If this be savage life, then am I a savage still. If these be traits of character inherited from remote barbarous ances¬ tors, I rejoice that civilization has failed to strangle what in them was purest and most elevating." Judge Caton claims to be but an amateur naturalist, and, with a refreshing disregard of the dry technicalities ot the professional scientists, he has presented his facts in a popular garb which lends to science a charm, for the general reader who takes an interest in the habits and peculiarities of wild animals as well as to the student of zoology. As an extemporaneous public speaker Judge Caton acquired a fine reputation while at the bar and before ho went on the bench, and the old settlers speak of some of his efforts with admiration and enthusiasm, but during his seclusion for nearly a-quarter of a century in the Supreme Court this was quite forgotten, or only remembered by the very few. Indeed a new génération had grown up, who knew nothing of it, who felt some surprise at hearing a voice which had been so long silent addressing them, with a harmonious accent, in an easy and graceful flow of lan¬ guage, with complete and well-turned sentences logically arranged, which would bear printing without correction. This is well illustrated in his speech before the Circuit Court, in the case of Milward v. Telegraph Company, the closing part of which was reported for the press at the time, and is given under the head of "A Lawyer's Retrospect" at page six in his "Miscellanies." 26 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. "I have now finished what I propose to say in reference to the case. Here our responsibility ends, and that of your Honor commences; but I will crave the indulgence of the court for a brief reminiscence. It is now more than thirty- eight years since I commenced my professional career in the ■little hamlet where this great city now stands. Its site was then covered with wild grass, or native and tangled shrubs, while the river was broadly bordered with aquatic vegetation, leaving a deep channel along its centre, of clear and whole¬ some water, which was used exclusively for culinary and drinking purposes. Our two hundred and fifty persons were sheltered in rude cabins or small dwellings, and our only streets consisted of winding tracks along the banks of the river or leading away to the interior. "Clients were then scarce, but as there were but two of ■us to do the business, the only rivalry between us was as to who could most zealously serve his client with the greatest courtesy and kindness to each other. The late Judge Spring, who was then my social companion and ray only professional competitor, has long since closed his professional career, and passed beyond the precincts of earthly courts, but not until he saw gathered around him a bar distinguished for numbers as well as for its learning. How great the change which these few years have wrought ! How few are left of those who lived here then! Their numbers can be told on the fingers of a single hand. With what a throng are their places filled, among whom they are scarcely missed, except by a few old friends who knew them long ago ! The village has grown into a great city, where hundreds of thou¬ sands are hastening with busy steps through the thronged streets, intent upon the accomplishment of individual enter¬ prises, which aggregate into a great whole and make the wonder of the commercial world. As our profession must of necessity keep even pace with the other affairs of busy men, a long list must be told before its members can be counted. "This, then, was the only court of record to settle the suits of contending parties, and a single judge, in three days' session, could close the business of the year. Now, seven judges, in almost perpetual session, are unequal to the task. Judge Young was your Honor's first predecessor, and he here held the first court of record in which I ever appeared professionally. Governor Ford was then state's-attomey in attendance, and also from abroad appeared Ben. Mills, HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 27 whose smooth flow of eloquence exceeded that of any man to whom I ever listened; there were also William L. May, of Springfield, and James M. Strode, of Galena. James H. Collins had now joined our ranks at home, and he, with Mr. Spring and myself, then represented in this court the Chicago Bar. Though their numbers were but few, many of them have filled large pages in the history of our State, and their names will long be remembered even outside our professional circle. I succeeded Judge Ford upon the supreme bench, when he was elected governor, less than ten years after the time of which 1 speak, and I sat upon that bench with Judge Young, after he had served a term in the Senate of the United States; and, in 1846, I sat upon the bench which your Honor now occupies, in his place, when he was kept away by sickness. Of all these not one is left ! I was the youngest of them all, and I stand here alone, the last representative of the court and bar of Chicago of thirty- eight years ago. Those whom I have named were young men then, full of glowing hope and ardent ambition which rapidly ripened into fruition. They filled their places hon¬ orably, and have passed away to their long account. It ;eenis to me but as yesterday, when we all first met together in the unfinished loft of the old Mansion House, just north of where the Tremont now stands; and yet the chánges about us have been such as, in other times and in Other countries, centuries would not have accomplished. The great advance in the arts and sciences, which one might think had culminated in our day, have made this progress possible, so that only when memory spans the space between now and then does it seem so short; when the mind slowly and carefully retraces the way, noting but the important in¬ cidents strewn along the path, then it is that the road seems long. The years of patient and unflagging toil; the thou¬ sand obstacles met and overcome ; the difficulties and un¬ certainties attendant upon every step of human progress; the hopes realized or broken ; the ambition gratified or blasted; alternate success or failure which have left their record on the human mind,—all these tell us how long the way has been ; and as advancing years slowly creep upon us, we feel less and less inclined, were the offer made to us, to take the chances of another journey over the road of life, though the first may have been full of happiness, the memory of which alone is the sweetest joy, and though more than ordinary success may have crowned our efforts. 28 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. "The incident to which I have referred may serve to ex¬ plain why I have felt a desire, after a lapse of thirty years, to appear again, and, probably, for the last time in this court in the simple capacity of a lawyer. Here I com¬ menced my professional life. In this court I first appeared as an advocate. This was the first court of record which I ever addressed, and before it I first addressed a jury. The place, too, has its pleasing associations. Although for many years official duties required my residence in another city, yet Chicago was my first Western home, and has ever seemed more than half a home to me. The uniform kindness, cor¬ diality, and support which I have ever received from her citizens, as well those who came after I left as those who were my neighbors before, have made me always feel at home here ; and the respect and consideration which the bar of this city has ever manifested toward me have most keenly touched my sensibilities, and left an indelible impression on my mind. Again have I appeared in the Cook-County Cir¬ cuit Court, and have done the best I could respecting a client's cause. Again have I received a patient and atten¬ tive hearing, and now with gratified satisfaction I retire, deeply sensible of the indulgence shown me, wishing your Honor and my professional brethren long and happy lives, crowned with honor and with usefulness." Again, his response on behalf of the Old Settlers to the Calumet Club shows with what facility he speaks on the spur of the moment, for he had received no notice of the part he was expected to take till he entered the îoom that evening.* ^'■Gentlemen of the Calumet Club:—The pleasing duty has been assigned me by my associates of years gone by of expressing our feelings toward you for your kind words and generous hospitality. It is a task I feel quite unable to per¬ form. Words are wanting adequately to express the sensi- * The Calumet Club, representing the wealth and culture of Chicago, invited to its parlors all persons whose advent to the City dated back of the year 1840, and a special effort was made to bring together at the reception all those whose life had been coincident with the growth of Chicago. A large attendance was secured, and Gen. Henry Strong, in behalf of the club, delivered an address of welcome to the survivors of the founders of Chicago. It was in response to this address that Judge Caton spoke, taking the chair and acting as president during the remainder of the evening. HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 29 bilities which are awakened in the bosom of each one of us —whom your generous forethought has brought together here—who forty years or more ago made the little ham¬ let of Chicago our home, and devoted our energies to laying the foundations of this great city. It is gratifying to us to know that, as we are passing down the road that ends,— where, we can not see, - those who are rising up to take our places in the labors of life feel kindly toward us and appre¬ ciate what we have done, or, at least, attempted to do. As I look about me and see gathered here friends of so many years ago, I am transported back to the time when we were all young. Even then there were old men here, at least so they seemed to us, among whom I may recall Col. Jean Baptiste Beaubien, Dr. Elijah D. Harmon, and John Wright. They have long since passed away, but their names should never be forgotten. The old men called us boys then, with more main-spring than regulator, but we thought we were well-balanced men. You call us old men now, but we feel somewhat boyish still. It is a pleasant retrospect to go back in memory forty years—let me go back forty-six years, when I here set my stake and commenced the business of life. There were then not two hundred people here. I was an old resident of six weeks' standing before two hun¬ dred and fifty inhabitants could be counted to authorize a village incorporation under the general laws of the State. Colonel Beaubien presided at that meeting, and at his re¬ quest I sat beside him as prompter, for official honors and responsibilities were new to him. When we had attained the dignity of a village corpora¬ tion, with the wild waters of the lake on the one hand, and the broad and brilliant prairie, still untouched by the hus¬ bandman's plowshare, on the other, we thought we were a great people, and even then, though feebly, discounted the -future of Chicago. Of those who were present at that memorable birth, I rejoice to see many here before me. How can I express our feelings of gratitude' to that Divine hand which has so long sustained us, and bounteously lengthened out our days, and again brought us together under conditions of so much happiness, and in the enjoy¬ ment of so goodly a measure of health. I think I can county twenty, at least, who were here forty-six years ago, when Chicago had no streets except on paper; when the wild grass grew and the wild fiowers bloomed where the court-house square was located; when the pine woods bor- 30 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. dered the lake north of the river, and the east sides of both branches of the river were clothed with dense shrubbery forests to within a few hundred feet of their junction. Then the wolves stole from' these coverts by night, and prowled through the hamlet, hunting for garbage around the back¬ doors of our cabins. ].-ate in 1833, ^ reported in the skirt of the timber along the South Branch, when George White's loud voice and bell—he was as black as night in a cavern, his voice had the volume of a fog-horn, and he was recognized as the town-crier—summoned all to the chase. All the curs and hounds, of high and low degree were mus¬ tered, with abundance of fire-arms of the best quality in the hands of those who knew well how to use them. Soon Bruin was treed and dispatched very near to where the Rock- Island Depot now stands. Then was the time when we chased the wolf over the prairies now within the city-limits, and I know some here were of the party who pursued one right through the little hamlet and on to the floating ice near old Fort Dearborn. Oh, those were glorious times when warm blood flowed rapidly, no matter how low stood the mercury. Then in winter the Chicago River was our skating-rink and our race-course. Let me ask John Bates over there if he remembers when we skated together up to Hardscrabble,—where Bridgeport now is,—and he explained to me, by pantomime alone, how the Indians caught musk- rats under the ice? And let me ask Silas B. Cobb if he remembers the trick Mark Beaubien played on Robert A. Kinzie to win the race on the ice that winter? See, now, how Mark's eye flashes fire and he trembles in every fibre at the bare remembrance of that wild excitement. This was the way he did it. He and Kinzie had each a very fast pony, one a pacer and the other a trotter. Mark had trained his not to break when he uttered the most unearthly screams and yells which he could pour forth, and that is say¬ ing much, for he could beat any Pottawatomie I ever heard, except Gurdon S. Hubbard and John S. C. Hogan. The day was bright aud cold. The glittering ice was smooth as glass, the atmosphere pure and bracing. The start was about a mile up the South Branch. Down came the trotter and the pacer like a whirlwind, neck and neck, till they approached Wolf Point, or the junction, when Kinzie's pony began to draw ahead of the little pacer, and bets were two to one on the trotting-nag as he settled a little nearer to the ice and stretched his head and neck further out, as if HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 31 determined to win if but by a throat-latch. It was at this supreme moment that Mark's tactics won the day. He- sprang to his feet in his plank-built pung, his tall form tower¬ ing above all surroundings, threw high in the air his wolf¬ skin cap, frantically swung round his head his buffalo-robe,^ and screamed forth such unearthly yells as no human voice ever excelled, broken up into a thousand accents by a rapid- clapping of the mouth with the hand. To this the pony was well tra-ned, and it but served to bring out the last inch of speed that was in him, while the trotter was frightened out of his wits, no doubt thinking a whole tribe of Indians- were after him, and he broke into a furious run, which car¬ ried him far beyond the goal before he could be brought dowm. Hard words were uttered then, which it would not do to repeat in a well-conducted Sunday-school, but the winner laughed and pocketed the stakes with a heartiness and zest which Mark alone could manifest. There is an inspiration in the memory of those glorious days of fun and frolic which quickens the pulse to full youth¬ ful vigor, and now to see so many of those around me who were the life and soul of those hilarious times, transports me back to them, and makes me feel as if no long years of toil had rolled along since then. We forget for the moment the intervening time, and remember only the broad, unbro¬ ken prairie, which then extended for miles around the spot where this hall stands. But you must not think that all our time was spent in fun and frolic. Our sports were but epi¬ sodes, while our days and nights were spent in labors inspired and sustained by vigorous health, indomitable will, and a full appreciation of the life-long task before us. We felt and knew that wisdom and energy and industry could alone build up such a city as its geographical position seemed to require. The spirit manifested by those who commenced the work would be likely to make its impress upon the teeming throngs which were already hastening to- join us from the East and the South, and the wonderful work wrought by those who joined and came after us, and which have just been so truthfully and so eloquently de¬ scribed, we flatter ourselves were in part at least the follow- ings of what we began. To us of the olden time, who as your guests feel ourselves so much honored, contrasts are continually presenting them¬ selves. Then and now ever present themselves side by side. Here I commenced my judicial career at the age of twenty- 32 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. two as a justice-of-the-peace. On the 12th of July, 1834, a judicial election was held in this town, including the viU läge and surrounding country, for one justice-df-the-peace. The canvass was very warm and active by the friends of the two candidates, though no party politics were involved in the contest, as I think there never should be in judicial elections. One candidate received 172 votes, and the other received 47 votes. But 219 voters could be found in Chi¬ cago and vicinity. Probably this was the last election ever held here when every voter came to the polls. Indeed, I regret to say that the most enterprising and thorough-going men here have rarely taken time to go and vote, and their example has been too largely followed, though not by the baser sort. At the last presidential election, three years ago, Chicago polled 62,448 votes, and yet a large number of voters took no interest in the matter, or at least took more interest in their stores or their shops. I doubt if much more than two-thirds of tire voters in this City have voted since 1840. How can we resist noticing the contrast be¬ tween 219 in 1834, and 62,448 in 1876, especially when we remember that the latter number was heavily handicapped. On that same 12th of July, an event occurred of a com¬ mercial character which should render it memorable, and deserves to be recorded. On that day, the first commercial vessel passed the piers into the Chicago Harbor—the Illi- nois, Capt. Pickering. Early on that morning, the friends of the successful candidate assembled at the piers, which consisted of a few wooden cribs, and dragged the schooner across the bar into deep water, where all got on board and sailed in her up the river to the point where the election was held, shouting merrily, and were answered by those on shore manifesting an appreciation of the important event. She was gayly decorated with all the bunting which could be raised, and we thought presented a splendid appearance, the rigging manned by all who could climb the shrouds. This kindled an enthusiasm which lasted till the last vote was polled, and no doubt contributed more to the success than the merits of the candidate. The most active and efficient man on that day, as I remember, was the late George W. Dole, who was always thoroughly in earnest, whether electioneering for a friend or attending to his com¬ mercial affairs. His memory should be ever cherished, and his name never forgotten when the founders of this City are recalled. HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 33 The contrast of the hotels and of the mode of living in Chicago is scarcely less striking. The first night I slept in Chicago was in a log-tavern, the name such hotels went by then, west of the junction of the rivers, kept by W. W. Wattles. The next day I learned that the best entertain¬ ment was to be had at the crack boarding-house of the place, kept by Dexter Graves, at five dollars per week. It was a log-house near the middle of the square, just north of the present Tremont House. If it was a log-house I assure you we had good fare and a right merry time too. There were seven beds in the attic, in which fourteen of us slept that summer, and I fear we sometimes disturbed the family with our carryings on o' nights. I know of but one of those fourteen boarders, besides mysfelf, now living.* Edward H. Hadduck knows who slept with me in that attic. Hadduck was a sly fellow then, for before one of us suspected what he was at, he made sure of the flower of that family, and a real gem of priceless value she was, who still survives to promote the happiness of those around her. Young ladies were in demand here in those days. The first frame tavern ever built in Chicago was by Mark Beaubien, upon whose geniality advancing years seem to have no influence. I am sure there are some here present who were then his guests. There he kept tavern, to use his •own expression at the time, like—(the speaker hesitated. A voice—"How?") Shall I say it, Mark? (Mr. Beaubien answered, "Yes!") Well, then, he said he kept tavern "like hell!" To go back to that primitive time, and to think of those who are gone and those who are left, we may gratefully acknowle^e that a very large proportion have been spared through so many years of active life. General Strong has recalled the names of a number of the prominent early set¬ tlers of Chicago who have passed beyond the reach of your hospitality. Allow me to recall the names .of two who have been taken from the ranks of my own profession, and who.came to Chicago the same year with myself—1833. Their learning and their talents would have made them con¬ spicuous at any bar. All who knew them will join me in paying a tribute of respect to the memories of Giles Spring and James H. Collins. Besides these there were several other lawyers established in Chicago during the same year, among whom I may mention the náme of Edward Casey, a • E. H. Hadduck died May 30, 1881. Aged 70 years. 3 34 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. most genial gentlemen. All of these are long since gone, and I alone am left to represent that earliest Chicago Bar.*" To those who have not been eye-witnesses, it seems in¬ credible that in the adult lifetime of so many of us here present a city of half a million of inhabitants has grown up from nothing, and that what was then a rich wild waste for five hundred miles or more around has been subdued, cul¬ tivated, and populated by millions of hardy, industrious, and intelligent agriculturists. The marvel is the growth of the country rather than the city. The latter was compelled by the former, and indeed has never kept pace with it. Still, to those who have witnessed all this, it seems more like a dream than a reality. Many who have not witnessed the growths of cities and country in this Occidental land can hardly believe that he who addresses you now opened the fjrst office for the practice of the law in Chicago. They have often called me the father of the Chicago Bar, and proud I am of such a progeny. In numbers they are truly great, and in ability, in learning, in integrity, and in patriot¬ ism I will proudly compare them with any other bar in the United States. I have ever tried so to bear myself that no- one should blush at the mention of my name, and I most gratefully acknowledge that they have always shown me a filial affection, ever treating-me with the greatest respect and confidence, omitting no opportunity to do me honor. This, is a consoling reflection and a sweet experience in the decline of life. Would time permit, it would not be unbecoming in me to- follow my friend, who in your behalf has extended to us so cordial a welcome, in the great changes which have been here wrought in so short a time— for, remember that the period of one human life is but a day In the life of a people; but I must forbear. Really it seems like mystery that what was but yesterday a very little village—for it seems but yes¬ terday that I was a very young man—has today grown to be so great a city. Sometimes despotic power has builded • Here a question was raised by some of the old-timers as to whether Mr. James H. Collins came in the year 1833, but Judge Caton settled it, stating that he finished his legal studies in Mr. Collins' office in New York, and came directly thence to Chicago, when he wrote back to his former preceptor an account of the country, on the receipt of which Mr. Collins made his arrangements to come West, and arrived in Chicago in September, 1833, and in February following. Judge Caton entered into partnership with Mr. Collins, in the practice of the law, constitut¬ ing the firm of CoLi.ins & Caton. HON. JOHN DE.'VN CATON. 3S cities in the frozen North and in the genial South; but a Peter and a Constantine, with national resources, could never equal the magic results which we have here witnessed as the voluntary works of freeborn enterprise,—here in the temperate zone, where no ancient civilization had left its work. It lacks but antiquated ruins and crumbling columns to persuade the traveler that he is in some great city of the Old World, where modern architecture has wiped out many of the evidences of departed grandeur and supplied its place with the improvements of later times. But the end is not yet. If we saw the very beginning, you, too, have seen but the beginning. When the youngest man among you shall have passed through the active scenes which lie before him, and shall feel that his work is nearly done, he will stand amid a succeeding generation, and tell those who shall have arisen to take the places of him and his contem¬ poraries of what he remeiribers of the present time as of the beginning of Chicago, or at least of its early youth. Then our voices will be hushed, to be no more heard forever, and may we not fondly hope that he will still kindly remember us, and that we here lived and labored before his time. So, too, may we hope that this Calumet Club may flourish those forty years or more to come, and that its members still will stretch forth the hand of welcome to those who shall survive from now to then, as cordially as you have extended your courtesies to us. If we have talked only of Chicago and its progress, we must not forget that Chicago is not phenomenal, but it is the whole great West that is phenomenal. We have other great cities in this grand, magniflcent valley, whose growth, whose enterprise, and whose greatness should equally com¬ mand our admiration; many of whose early founders are yet spared to hear the expressions of gratitude, and to re¬ ceive the honors which they so richly deserve. Let us not say that there is a rivalry between these great cities of the West; but there is a noble emulation as to which sháll do most for the honor and the glory of our beloved country. Nothing would be so agreeable to me as to talk to you by the hour of ancient Chicago, when the wild waters of the lake, on the one hand, were rarely vexed by the ships of commerce, and the wild flowers whicii covered the broad prairies, on the other, were undisturbed by cultivation, and uncropped by flocks and herds—save the wild deer that roamed at large over their broad bosoms; but I fear you 36 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. will think I am becoming a little senile in my enthusiasm. Especially do I like to talk of the olden times, when I see around me-so many of those old-time friends, with some of whom I have not clasped hands for twenty or thirty years. Here is my old friend, Mark Beaubien, of whom I have so often spoken—because he is so worthy of mention, and be¬ cause his name is so closely interwoven with all our sports and joyous gatherings, when we were all young together. He used to play the fiddle at our dances, and he played it in such a way as to set every heel and toe in the room in active motion. He would lift the sluggard from his seat, and set him whirling over the floor like mad ! If his play¬ ing was less artistic than Ole Bull, it was a thousand times more inspiring to those who are not educated to a full ap¬ preciation of what would now create a furore in Chicago; but I will venture the assertion that Mark's old fiddle would bring ten young men and women to their feet, and send them through the mazes of the dance, while they would sit quietly through Ole Bull's best performances—pleased, no doubt, but not worked up to such enthusiasm that they could not retain their seats. That was long years since; but if he has that same old fiddle still, he can, I doubt not, draw the bow now in such a way as to thrill those at least in whom it will awaken pleasing memories of days and nights when young blood coursed wildly, and joy was unrestrained. To show you that this is so, and how he did it then, I call on him to play some of those sweet old tunes, if he has that same old fiddle yet."* Indeed, no one hesitates to call upon him to speak on any occasion or on any sijbject,' without a moment's notice, and he never fails to respond in an interesting and instruct¬ ive way. His extensive reading and great fund of general information always supply him with ideas, and his com¬ mand of language enables him to express them with facility. We may add of Judge Caton as an ex-tempore speaker, he knows when he is done and stops. He has traveled pretty extensively since he left the Supreme Bench. He has gone to Europe twice, visiting England, Ireland, and Scotland, France, Italy, and-Austria * Mark Beaubien had not forgotten his ancient cunnings and taking an old violin which he averred to be the one he handled forty years before, struck up "Money Musk," "The Devil's Dream," and the "Indian Solo," the last tune bringing out Mr. Gurdon S. Hubbard, who went through the Indian dance to the great admiration of the company. HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 37 on his first visit, and Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, and England on his second visit. Soon after his return from his second European tour he published the result of his observations in Scandinavia in a work entitled "A Summer in Norway," which was received with great favor by both the press and the people, the second editioni of which is now nearly exhausted. During this trip he went as far north as Hummerfest, the most northerly town in the world. He is an observant traveler, and in this work gives a graphic description of the Lapp and his reindeer, and of the Norwegians, their habits and their industries, of their country, its scenery and its products, of its institutions and its jurisprudence, and of its crops, of its history as connected with interesting objects which came within his observation. The bold mountain scenerey refiect- ing the beams of the midnight sun, hanging high in the heavens, is spread out before the reader in such vivid colors that he sees it as distinctly as if he were standing beside the observer, and the beauty of its fjords—inland seas, which far surpass that of the celebrated inland sea of Japan —is described in a charming way. In our own country he has visited all of the States and Territories of the Union, except Montana and Idaho, extend¬ ing his journeyings into Canada, Manitoba, and British Columbia. One of his southern trips was extended to Cuba. While upon this trip he wrote a series of letters to his neighbors at home, which were published in the Ottawa Free Trader, and which are republished in the "Miscellanies" under the title of "Letters From Low Latitudes." These letters, four¬ teen in number, are characterized by the same careful and instructive observations and vivid descriptions which are found in his other similar writings. One of these letters will give us a vivid description of the condition of the Chinese in Cuba, and of slavery there, and a graphic account of the slaughter of the students, which created so much comment and sympathy in this country: "At the best the Spanish government in Cuba is scarcely more than nominal, even in those parts of the island pro¬ fessedly loyal. The real power is in the hands of the vol¬ unteers; they dictate who shall be appointed their nominal rulers, but real servants. Here, then, we have an irrespon¬ sible government, which foreign nations can not treat with 38 HON. ;OHN DEAN CATON. or hold accountable. Wliile the volunteers govern in fact, they have no recognized head to answer for them in the actual influence which they exert in governmental affairs, nor is there any formal mode in which their views or their wishes can be expressed. Their will is manifested by the turbulence alone which gives the turbulent the principal sway, while the orderly and better disposed, who, I am in¬ duced to believe, constitute by far the greatest number, exert no influence upon public affairs. It is easy to see how a corrupt, bad man, by pandering to the prejudices and the passions of the wicked, and especially by the judicious use of money, can erect for himself almost a throne, defraud the government at home, rob the people here, and complacently smile a sort of defiance when kings or cortes threaten to call him to account. The consequence of all this is, that probably a more venal set of public men never cursed any country than those that now prey upon this fair and beauti¬ ful land. The New-York Ring is washed in innocency com¬ pared with them. Individual fortunes were not made the spoil of the oppressor there, and a price was not set upon innocent blood. If suspicions have there been excited that the judiciary was not immaculate, at least festering rotten¬ ness did not preside in all courts, nor could judgments at all times be purchased with a price. "The volunteers are not native Cubans, or creóles, as they are here termed, but they are immigrants from Spain, gen¬ erally of the middle or lower class, who have sought this country to better their fortunes, which at home were no doubt bad enough. A large majority of them are mechanics and laborers, who' are more or less industrious, and very many of them really good and useful citizens under all ordi¬ nary circumstances. Their exact number is not known to the outside world, but is variously stated at from forty to fifty thousand. While all are organized and drill at irregu¬ lar periods in small bodies, most of them are at their daily labor, but with their uniforms and arms close at hand, ready to be resumed at a moment's notice. A limited number, however, are in constant service, garrisoning the barracks and forts, of which they have managed to get possession; and bodies of these may be seen marching through the streets every morning at eight o'clock, with fine bands of music, as a constant reminder to the people that they have a living master, much as I have seen the French troops marching through the streets of Paris in the days of the HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 39 Second Empire. These are for the most part young, active, well-made men, two inches shorter than the average stand¬ ard of American or Englishman, but rather more stockily built. "These volunteers decline to expose their lungs to the malaria of the rebel districts, or their precious persons to the knives or clubs of the rude bands, but prefer to stay at home and guard the gates. The actual fighting must be done, if done at all, by the regulars sent over from Spain, of whom over seventy thousand have come since the war commenced, but very few of whom yet live, and hardly one in a thousand will ever see his native country again.. Still they come, for during my stay another thousand arrived, and were disembarked in a violent rain-storm, as I observed. They remained but two days in the city to stretch them¬ selves and get off their sea-legs, when they were gallantly escorted out of the city on their way to the battle-field by their loving brothers, the volunteers. "I took pains to inform myself as fully as I could, and I feel warranted in saying that there is really no loyalty to the Spanish Government among the creóle population in any part of Cuba. In Havana and in all the loyal districts necessarily these must constitute a considerable portion of the population. They execrate the present Government all the more bitterly that they dare not express it except to those in whom they feel sure they may repose confidence. Hence it is that an American can learn more in a week of the feeling of discontent here than one of another nationality could in a year, for they seem to look to our Government as their hope and trust. But few sympathize with the pres¬ ent rebellion, or revolution if you choose, for they lack con¬ fidence in the men at the head of it; and as for the, masses, they pronounce them more ignorant and worthless than any other population on the island. In fine, they do not believe that the movement will succeed as a revolution, nor do they believe that the rebellion will ever be put down, but that this petty, cruel, relentless warfare will continue an indefinite length of time. And this is what they most lament, for while the rebellion still exists, Spanish pride will scorn to entertain a thought of parting with its even nominal sover¬ eignty over the island. They believe Spain would be glad to get it off her hands, could she do so without wounding her sensitiveness of her honor. Yes, they believe if the last vestige of the rebellion were extinguished today, as 40 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. soon as a little time had elapsed that it might be forgotten, the island would fall into our hands, without the shedding of a drop of blood. Such are the sentiments and views of the native Cubans, both in the city and country, and even in the far interior, as I learned them from various and inde¬ pendent sources, which so far harmonize as to win my con¬ fidence in their reliability. "Señor Castañon was a Spaniard, a colonel among the volunteers, and the editor of a newspaper which was devoted to their interest, and exerted a great influence among them. They were more devoted to his person than to any other living man. As some expressed it, he was their idol. Many of the Creoles had contracted for him a corresponding hatred. Offence was given and a challenge sent, which was accepted on condition that the affair should come off at Key West, on the ground that his adversary could receive no protection in Havana under the rule of the volunteers. The condi¬ tions were agreed to, the time appointed, and the parties and their friends accordingly repaired to the island. At Key West are gathered quite a number of native Cubans, whose known sentiments rendered Cuba an unsafe resi¬ dence, Here they import Cuba tobacco, make Havana cigars, and roundly curse the Spanish Government and all its sympathizers, and long for the time when Spanish rule shall be driven from the West Indies, and they may return' to the lovely land from which they have been exiled. The night before shots were to be exchanged by the principals, Castañon in some way got into a quarrel with a number of these exiles and was shotj and his friends believe that the whole was a preconcerted scheme to murder him in a for¬ eign land, where it might be done with impunity. The- sheriff of Key West, who related to me the particulars of the affair, was present at the time, and once succeeded in quelling the quarrel, but it was renewed in spite of him, as if both parties were anxious for the fray. In the excite¬ ment of the crowd it was impossible to say who fired the- fatal shot. All dispersed almost instantly, nor have those most violently suspected been heard of since, notwithstand¬ ing the liberal rewards offered for their apprehension. Es¬ cape to the neighboring keys, and thence to the main, could be eft'ected with the utmost facility during the night, where it would be impossible to find them. There was a rumor that the supposed leader had been seen at Nassau, and a detective was sent to search for him, but he returned HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 41 empty-handed ; and so the murderers are still unpunished, which is much to be regretted, for the outspoken sympathy for the Cubans by a large proportion of the Americans on the islands is well calculated to create an unfortunate im¬ pression on thp minds of those to whom the murdered man was so dear. I was told in Havana that the man—an Englishman—who first reported the murder of Castañon on shore was actually torn to pieces, in their uncontrollable rage, by the volunteers. The body was taken to Havana and placed in a tomb with great pomp and splendor. "We had arranged, the evening before, an excursion to Castañon's tomb, and to the scene of the atrocious murder of the students, so we all took an early breakfast, and by nine o'clock were assembled in the stone hall for the start. Mr. Knickerbocker, of Chicago, who had already been care¬ fully over the ground, kindly consented to act as our guide. The morning was deliciously fresh and cool, a smart north wind coming in from the Gulf. A loud hist from Angeleno, with that repulsive wave of the hand peculiar to this peo¬ ple, brought up the cabs with a rush, and we werç soon roll¬ ing over the pavement toward the westerly outskirts of the city. Our course led us along by the fish market and near the shores of the Gulf, and some of the time through by-ways and over most execrable roads, which tried the strength of both horses and cabs, until at length we came to a halt on a considerable elevation, by the side of a high stone wall pierced with grated windows and one large door. Here was the place where the boys, charged with desecrat¬ ing Castañon's tomb, had been confined, and there, right against that wall, did they stand when they were shot. There was no mistaking the place. At four places, be¬ tween the grated windows, the wall was newly painted with a dull yellow color, of a considerable lighter shade than the original paint. The stone wall was stuccoed, and so pre¬ sented the appearance of a plastered wall, when painted. That new paint was to cover up and conceal from view the young and innocent life-blood which had been spattered against it, through the bullet holes, in the dying struggles of the poor victims to — I dare not trust myself to charac¬ terize it. If the blood had been covered up, the marks of the bullets upon the walls had not been obliterated. Yes, there were four such places upon that prison wall, thus painted to cover the crimson stains and the indentations of the wall; and against each of these four places two of the 42 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. •boys had stood before twenty Remington rifles, in the face of a sorrowing—1 may say indignant—crowd, and were ■there shot down by those worse than savage volunteers. That foul deed must cause a great red blot, not only in the Jiistory of Spanish rule, but in the history of Spaniards. Nay, it is a blot upon humanity itself, for it is the reproach of mankind that we are of the same species as those -wretches. When the bloody deed was done, when the re¬ ports of the rifles were no longer heard, and all was still, save the dying groans of the writhing victims upon the sod, even the terror of the cruel volunteers could not produce a -single shout of applause from the concourse of spectators; •and it is a happy evidence that there was something of •humanity, besides the form, in the volunteers thertiselves, for of all the companies their drawn up, not one voice was raised in triumph or in approval; they seemed abashed at their own cruelty and wickedness, and hung their heads in very self-disgust. "But let us hasten on to the desecrated tomb, and see if I am right in calling this a foul murder, although perpetrated under the shadow of a legal form. A short drive brought us to the.cemetery, where repose the remains of the mur¬ dered Castañon. All was still, for it was an unusual hour for visitors, but the great gates, like the gates of a walled city, which swung beheath a lofty arch, were open; so we alighted, traversed the broad flagging which leads up from the street, and entered. An attendant seemed to know in¬ stinctively what we had come to see, and pointed the way -which led to the desecrated tomb. " Perhaps because there is but little earth upon the rock which underlies the soil, interments are not in excavated graves, but in tombs built of stone or brick upon the surface. In some of these may be deposited the remains of one, in others many. There are hundreds of these tombs, well built in a uniform style of architecture, some more elaborate and expensive than others. They are in double rows, back to back, with broad plats between those facing each other, in -which are roses, or beds of flowers, and immediately in front of the tombs are flag walks. Although there may be excep¬ tions, these tombs are not private property, but are rented out to those who have dead to bury. Their mortality is allowed to remain for twenty years, when it is supposed to have turned to dust, which is then taken out and burned, and so room is made for another. It is said that over eighty HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 43 thousand have thus been disposed of in this one cemetery. "Mr. Kniekerbocker led the way directly to the narrow house which contained the remains of the idol of the volun¬ teers of Cuba, that we might see the outrage for which eight young lives had been blotted out, and a number of others still languish in chains, and wear out the dreary days in hardest toil under a tropical sun. Oh, what must be the anguish of those boys' parents who but too tenderly reared them; when they lie down to sleep and when they awaken in the morning, if indeed they can even sleep, and think of the situation of those they so much love? Think of it, you who know the yearnings of parental love, and you will not withhold your sympathy. "If the blood had boiled with indignation when contem¬ plating the scene of the bloody tragedy, we were fairly struck dumb when we saw before us the offence for which the boys had suffered. They had died for desecrating a tomb, and we expected to see some real outrage—some demolition which must shock the feelings of the living, and tend to bring reproach upön the memory of the dead. Now all was revealed, and before our eyes. Three scratches upon a piece of plate glass about twenty by twenty-four inches in size. One scratch was about fifteen inches long in a slightly curved vertical line, with a short loop at the bottom. Another ten inches long, commencing near the top of the first and de¬ scending in a curved line at an angle of forty-five degrees ; and the third, five inches long, projected from the upper side of the second and about three inches from its upper end. This was also a curved line in ilearly a horizontal direction, —and this was all ! There was no design, no idea in these marks. Their form and extent show that they were merely for the purpose of marking and nothing more. It is said, however, that in addition to this some filth or dirt was put upon the walls of the tomb. This is the full extent of the offending, and for this the boys were- shot. "They were students in a college close by. While it was an act to be severely censured, no matter whose remains might have there reposed, in no other country since the dawn of civilization, would it haVe been considered worthy of death; and yet I met one man,—I blush that he ever learned to speak the English language,—who, without pro¬ fessing to justify or palliate the bloody deed, showed in his heart a desire to do so. 'Why,' said he, 'suppose the same outrage was perpetrated upon the tomb of Mr. Lincoln, 44 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. whose memory you love, and whose virtues you revere, would not your whole nation cry out for vengeance, and not be appeased until the blood of the offender atoned for the dese¬ cration?' I told him, no; that we should feel our sensibili¬ ties outraged, no doubt, and should think it the duty of their teachers or parents to punish the boys, and that, perhaps, severely; but that not an individual could be found through¬ out the whole nation who would not be ready to rise up in arms to prevent the shedding of their blood for such an offence, which, after all, appeared to be rather thoughtlessness than a malicious outrage. 'Besides,' said I, 'after they had been tried and acquitted in a civil court, they were again seized by the volunteers, dragged before a drum-head court- martial of volunteer officers, where they were tried, convicted, and condemned in defiance of all legal forms, though at most they we're guilty of but a civil offence, if guilty at all, of which the civil tribunals alone had cognizance, and whose Judgment of acquittal should have been conclusive.' " 'That all may be true,' said he, 'but then there are offences for which the public sentiment requires the forms of civil law to be dispensed with, and a tribunal resorted to which is npt tied down by legal technicalities. Whether this be such a case or not, we will not now discuss, but that there may be such cases I may refer you to the trial and execution of Mrs. Surrat and her associates.' I made no reply. "For a long time we looked sadly and silently upon these slight marks which had served as the signature of the death warrant, the execution of which so soon followed, nor could we refrain from picturing to ourselves the anguish of the mother of the youth whose hand had traced the marks with a diamond in a ring which she had a few days before pre¬ sented him as a mark of her affection, and an approval of his good conduct. And there, too, we recalled the many anecdotes we had heard of the incidents connected with the sanguinary affair. After all, sympathy for the bereaved parents even dominated over the feeling of compassion for the youths themselves, for the anguish of those must still continue, while the sufferings of these were quickly termi¬ nated. When will that mother forget to mourn in unspeak¬ able grief for her son, but fourteen, years of age, who, pass¬ ing from prison to the place of execution, asked and was denied by the savages the one final gift of his mother's kiss and blessing? HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 45 "I am prepared to believe what is asserted by their friends, that this execution was not in conformity to the wishes of a large majority of the volunteers, but that they deeply sor¬ rowed at what they deemed a sort of necessity, or had not the courage to prevent,—that there were among them a few turbulent spirits whose violence ruled the rest, and whose cry for blood silenced the voices of tíie more compassionate. Again, it had come to their ears that the civil governor, in whose hands was the supreme control in the absence of the captain general, had agreed to pardon the youths in consid¬ eration of two millions of dollars, to be paid by their parents, who are among the most wealthy upon the island, and that in order to balk him in this speculation, more than from a real desire for the blood of the victims, they threatened to tear him in pieces if he attempted to carry out his part of the contract, and thus entitle himself to the blood-money. There is strong reason to believe that such an arrangement had been concluded, and would have been carried out by the venal governor but for threats that he dared not dis¬ regard, and I am willing to hope that even the turbulent portion of the volunteers would have acquiesced in the par¬ don had it not involved such monstrous corruption. Had the money been coming to themselves instead of the cor¬ rupt governor, they might probably have been more placa¬ ble. The captain general claims that he would have prevented the execution had he been there at the time. Why then does he not pardon those who are still suffering imprisonment and chains for the same cause, and by the sentence of the same court-martial, composed of the officers of the same volunteers, by whose will he is retained in his place in defiance of the real wishes of the home govern¬ ment? "But I have occupied too much of your time with this sad subject, which is so well calculated to sound the deep¬ est feelings of the human heart. We have lingered too long in the city of the dead, whose very atmosphere is now loaded more than ever with sadness and sorrow. Let us hasten away, and, if possible, forget our melancholy in a visit to the Gardens of Acclimation, which are but a short mile distant. I am, however, too sad to describe the bright r&ses and brilliant flowers, which their bloom in perpetual spring, but ask you to sit down with me, and for a moment rest upon the rustic seats under the broad-leafed palms, which in long lines border the walks and avenues. Here we breathe a 46 HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. sweeter fragrance, and would gladly forget that sickness, sorrow, and death are all around us, and shut our eyes to cruelty and oppression which so sorely afflicts a land .so lovely." The winter of 1877-8 he spent in the Sandwich Islands, where his usual habit of careful observations was continued. He wrote a series of papers on the agriculture of the Islands, which were published in the Prairie Farmer. His paper on the vital statistics of the Islands was published in a medical journal in Chicago, and attracted great attention at the time. His description of the surf-bathing by the natives there is the only accurate description of that won¬ derful feat which has ever been published, and his extended paper on the volcanoes of the Islands taxed all his powers of description. He camped a night on the rim of the great extinct crater of Haleakala, and enables the reader to look down into the fearful abyss of two thousand feet in depth and seven miles across as if he stood on the very edge and looked down with his own eyes. He had the rare good fortune, to witness a clear sunrise from that high perch of ten thousand feet, while all the country below was covered with a fleecy cloud, on the upper surface of which the rays of the rising sun fell with a brilliancy and a weird effect which no effort of description could adequately portray. He spent a day in the crater of Kilanea, in which he met the flowing lava of an eruption and also saw the burning lake, the shores of which were lashed by billows of liquid fire. Both these latter papers are first published in the " Miscellanies." The winter of 1879-80 he spent in a visit to China and Japan. The account of his observations there have not yet been published. He has visited the Pacific coast six times, coasting all the way from San Diego on the south to Victoria on the north, and visiting all the most interesting points in the interior, navigated Puget's Sound, and crossed the country from Olympia to Portland, and up the Columbia to the Dales. The Yosemite Valley he twice visited, which great wonder he carefully studied, and three times he took note of the great groves of Big Trees. In all his journeyings he has been accompanied by Mrs. Caton, and generally by some other members of his femily. Indeed the beneficial effect upon Mrs. Caton's health has prompted to most of these journeys, which, however,, have been turned to good account in other ways as well. HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. 47 As a business man Judge Caton is entitled to be men¬ tioned as occupying a high position. Possessing a high order of mechanical genius, his business enterprises have all been more or less connected with mechanism, demanding^ great organizing capacity. In his estimation the first and indispensable element for success in important and varied business enterprises is the capacity to judge men, to deter¬ mine, almost intuitively, what a man is capable of doing, to select the right man for a given place. Then, if he is capable of forming wise plans, he may be sure of having them well executed, when success is highly probable. He has been exceptionally self-reliant. When he has once made up his mind, after having maturely examined a subject, he acts upon his own judgment, unaffected by the doubts or misgivings of others. His telegraph enterprise was under¬ taken against the advice of all his friends, and yet he made it a grand success. His glass factories, his starch factory, his large stock farm, all show the bent of his mind and tastes, and the wisdom of his mode of management. Energy, sound judgment, self-reliance, stability of purpose and great industry are characteristics of the man, and constitute the true explanation of his marked success, if we add to these an unbending integrity, in which all men who have ever come in contact with him have ever had the utmost confidence. His literary and scientific studies and writings, his legal attainments and judicial success, with his large and varied business enterprises, all testify to a versatility of talent and varied accomplishments rarely found combined in the same person, and yet with all this he is a man of leisure; that is, he is never hurried or pressed with business, always has leisure to see and converse with a friend or to spend an hour in social intercourse in the quiet of his family circle. His disposition is of the most equable and uniform char¬ acter, slow to anger and ready to forgive when forgiveness is merited. Indeed, he claims to have been mad but three times in his life, but then he was pretty mad. In his domestic relations he has been singularly fortunate and happy. During their conjugal life of more than forty- five years, it is their boast that not a cross word has ever passed between him and his wife. For several years past Judge Caton has spent his winters with his family in Chicago, where he has a home, although his residence is still in Ottawa, where he has made many improvements to his house and grounds. He has always 4« HON. JOHN DEAN CATON. had a large circle of friends in Chicago, whose manifesta¬ tions of respect render his associations there very agreeable; and all his children being settled there adds much to the ligaments which bind him to his old home, where first he commenced the practice of his profession, forty-nine years ago ; when there were not two hundred and fifty people in the little village. All now living who were here then can be counted upon one's fingers. If a life of industry has also been a life of usefulness (and he has succeeded in earning and securing the respect and confidence of those who know him well), then has he accomplished the object of a life-long effort, and may hope to leave a legacy to his children which they will value above price. After all, he looks upon his career as a jurist with the greatest satisfaction, and relies upon it to secure him his most enduring fame. When this shall be reviewed and illustrated by some competent member of the profession,' the services which he has rendered the State in his oflScial life may be fully understood, but not till then. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. FERGUV PRIi riÑi COMPAHY, CHlCAOtfT THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVEJOY- An account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, killed by a Pro- ; Slavery Mob. at Alton. Ill , on the night of Nov. 7, 1^37. By Henry Tanner, of Buffalo. N.V,. an Eye- i Witness. Cloth boards: (iilt-top; Side and bottom uncut: Illustrated. Pp. 233; Svo. t88i. Price. $>. ¡ Not only to thoHe wbo at the time were pernon- ally interested in the career and heroic deatli of the Rev. Elijah Parrlsh Lovejoy, nor to those who now warmly sympathize with the noble purposes which prompted the martyr to the pursuit of ends apparently chimerical in the extent of their nobility; but to all students of the germs aud tirst budding of a mighty refor¬ mation in the history of morals, and to all lovers of mysterious natural development this book will be valuable. Here is vividly portrayed the first blood-letting for outspoken antagonlsni to the villalnie"« of slave-trattic and slave-holding, and the wonderful persistence In aim. as well as the power of thought and pen that prepared Lovejoy for his glorious end. From the early articles on trunsubstantiatiun and nunneries to the last fiery denunciation of negro subjection, the hero shows the same outspoken boldness of couvictton, combined with a continual increase In ability of expn-sslon. That any pledge was violated in the assumption of an anti-slavery tone in the leaders of the St. ¡jomn Ott^frvfr, Mr. Tanner has clearly proved groundless: and that the life of Elijah Parrlsh Lovejoy is worthy to )>e ranked among the highest atid purest, no cand'ii reader can pretend to doubt. "Ho shines a gocKl deed In a naughty worhl "—¡iuffato Ex- j/rfttM, May IH, I8HI. This is a plain, unvarnished hlstorv of the life and perils of the Rev. Elijah P. Ix)vejoy. • • • So rapid has l)een the march of public sentiment that the generation of young men and women of to-day can not realize the bitter and deadly antagonism of slavery forty-three years ago. The bcx»k will give an insight into the bit¬ ter and unrelenting spirit which held sway even in the free North. It is not written to keep alive old antagonisms, but as history, which all should know, that they may better appreciate all that has been accompltshe' Strong. Ex.-Chief-Justice John Dean Caton, Judge Henry W. Blodgett Judge James Grant, Hon John Wenlwortn. Judge Grant Goslrich, Hon. J \ oung Scammoo, and Hon. Wm. Bross; Tables showing places of birth, year of arrival, and age of tho^ who attended and signed Register: Appendix with letters from John Watkins. Norman K. Towner. Rev. Havel Bas^ jm. Maj - Gen. David Hunter, Judge Ebenerer Peck. Rev. Jeremiah Porter, and the names from whom brief of regret were received; Extracts from Chka^o Tribune and Evening Jeumnl; and Register of Old • - " Compiled 1^ Hon. John rrice, 50 cents. Settlers: with name, date of arrival, tirthplace, age, and present addres». Wentworth. Pp 90; 8vo. 187Q. FKK(il;S' HISTORICAL SKHIES—Conthiuptl from last pape; IK. Chicago River-and-Harbor Convention; July 5, 6, and 7. 1847. An Account of its Origin and PrfK ccdings byWM Moslsv Hali. fpfirlrait), John Wkniworth. Sam'l l1si.b Smith, Hohsce Ghee- J.Hv. Thuki.íiw Wkrü; and a List of Delegates; to¬ gether with St.Ttisti.s concerning Chicago, by Jesse B Th imas and James L Barton. Compiled by Roíiert Fergus. Pp, ao8; 8vo. 1882. Price, $1. Reminiscences of Early Chicago. By Charles Cleaver. Pp. 52; tívo. x88a. Price, 25c. ao. A Winter in the West. By Chas. Fknnu Hokpman (portrait). London, 1835. Reprint, with Additional Notes. Pp. 56: 8vo. 1882. Price, 50c. ai. John Dean Caton, LL. I)., ex-Chief-Justice ^ Illinois, Biographical Sketch of. Portrait. By Roeert Fergus Pp. 48; Svo. 1882. Pnce 25c. Recollections of Early Chicago and the Illinois Bar. By Hon. Isaac N. Arn 'LP. Read Tuesday Evening, June 10, i8?o. Recollections of the Bench and Bar of Cental Illinois. By Hon. Jamhs C. Cosnli.s- . vf Spring¬ field. Read Jan ti, 1881 The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon. Th.»ma* Hovnb (portrait). Read at Faiibank Hall Thür»- day Evening, Feb, 10, i83i. Pp 10Î: Iv«. 18S2. 75 1 ! Hon. John Wentworth's Congressional ; Reminiscences. Sketches of John (^uiocy .Adaias. Thomas H. Benton, John C. t.alhoun, Henry Clay, and Dauiel Webster. An Address read before the Chicago Historical Society, at Central Musk Hall. Thursday Eve., March 16. 1882. Wuh a fine Carbon Portrait, an Appendix, and a complete lode*. Pp. 8vo. 188*. rin Press) FERGUS' HISTORICAL SERIES: relating to chicago and illinois. John H. Kinzie, by his wife, Juliette A. Annals of ChicagoLecture read before the Chicago Lyceum, Jan. 2i..,»84o. By Joseph \ Balestier, Esq., Republished from the origi¬ nal edkiSi of':84o: with an Introduction, written by the Author in 1876: and. also, a Review of the Ucturc. published in the Chicago l^bune, m 1872. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876. ^ P"«' 25 cents. Fergus' Directory of the City of Chicago, 1839: with City .md County Otficcrs, Churches, Public Buildings, Hotel«, etc.: also, list of Shenffs of Cook County and Mayors of the City since their organization; together with the Poll-list of the hirst City Election (Tuesday, May 2, 1837). List of Pur¬ chasers of Lots in Fort-Dearborn Addition, the ^o. of the Lot-sand the prices paid, etc., etc. (Histori¬ cal Sketch of City compiled for Directory of 1843, etc.) Compiled by Robert Fergus. Pp. 68; Svo. jg-r,. "* Pnce, 50 cents. The Last of the Illinois; and a Sketch of the Pottawatomies: A Lecture read before the Chicago Historical Society, Dec. 13, 1870. Also, Origin of the Prairies; A Lecture read before the Ottawa Academy nf Natural Sciences, Dec. 30, 1869. By H'in. Johs Dean Caton, LL.D., ex-Chief- JusiIlC of Illinois. Pp, 56; 8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cts. -1. Early Movement in Illinois for the Legal¬ ization of Slavery; An Historical Sketch read at the Annual Meeting of the Chicago Historical Socie¬ ty, Dec. 3. 1864. By Hon. W.m. H. Brown, Pp. 32; 8vo 187''. Price. 25 cents. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part 1; - Hon. S. Lisle Smith, Geo. Davis, Dr. Phillip M.ixwell, John J. Brown, Richard L Wilson, Col. Lewis C. Kerchival, Uriah P. Harris, Henry B. Clarke, and Sheriff Samuel J. Lowe. By W. H. brbiinell. Pp. 48;8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cts. O. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part 11:—Hon. Wm. H. Brown, with Portrait. B. W. Raymond, Esq., with Portrait, Hon. J Y. Scanimon, Chas. Walker, Esq., Thos. Church, Esq. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cents. 7 ■ Early Chicago ; A Sunday Lecture read in McCormick's Hall. May 7th, 1876. With Supple¬ mental Notes, ad F.ecture. By Hon. John Went- woRTH. Portrait. Pp. 56; 8vo. 1876. Price, 35 cts. 8. Early Chicago : A Sunday Lecture read in .^LCormick's Hall, April 11, 1875. With Supple¬ tiv iital Notc.s, ist I.ecture. By Hon. John Went- w.'kth. Portrait. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876. Price, sscts. I Present and Future Prospects of Chicago: I .An AddrcbS read before the Chicago Lyceum, Jan ao. 1846. By Judge Henrv Brown, author of History of Illinois." Rise and Progress of Chicago: An Address read before the Centennial Library Association, March 21, 1876. By jamei A. Marshall, Esq. Chicago in 1836: "Strange Early Days." By . Harriet Maritneau, author of "Society in Ameri¬ ca. etc. Pp. 48; Svo. 1876. Price, as cents 10. Addresses Read before Chicago Histori¬ cal Society, By Hon. J. V. Scam.mon, Hon I N Arnold, \Vm. Hickhnq, Esq., Col. g. s Hunl »ard, and Hiram W. Beckwith. Esq.; Sketches of Any of the above books sent by mail Ki.szik; Judge Geo. Manierre, Luther Haven, Esq,, and other Early Settlers; also, of Billy Caldwell and Shabonee.and the "Winnebago Scare." of July, 1827; and other important original matter connected with "Early Chicago." Pp. 52:8vo. 1877. Price, 250. 11. Early Medical Chicago: An Historical Sketch of the First Practitioners of Medicine: with the Present Faculties, and Graduates since their Or¬ ganization of the Medical Colleges of Chicago, Br James Kevins Hyde, A.M., M.I). Illustrated with numerous Wood Engravings and Steel Engravings of Professors J, Adams Allen, N. S, Davis, and the late Daniel Brainard. Pp. 84; 8vo. 1879. Price, 50 cu. 12. Illinois in the i8th Century.—Kaskaskia and its Parish Records. A Paper read before the Chicago Historical Society, Dec. 16, 1879. Old Fort Chartres. A Paper read before the (Chi¬ cago Historical Society, June 16, 1880.. With Dia¬ gram of Fort. Col. John Todd's Record Book. A Paper read before the Chicago Historical Society, Feb. 15, 1881, By Edward G. Mason. Pp. 68; 8vo. 1881. 50015. 13. Recollections of Early Illinois and her Noted Men. By Hon. Joseph Gillespie, ed-, wardsville. Read before the Chicago Historical Society, March 16, 1880 With Portraits of Author,' Govs. Reynolds and Bissel!, and Henry Grn-i it Pp. 52: Svo. 1880. Price, 50 cents. 14. . The Earliest Religious History of Chicago. \ By Rev. Jeremiah Porter, its ist Resident Pastor, An Address read before the Chicago Hist. See., 1859. Early History of Illinois. By Hon. Wili.iam H. Brown. A Lecture read before the Chicago Ly¬ ceum, Dec. 8, 1840. Early Society in Southern Illinois. By Rev. Robert W. Patterson, D.D. An Address read before the Chicago Historical Society, Oct. 19, 1880. Reminiscences of the Illioois-Bar Forty Years Ago: Lincoln and Douglas as Orators and Lawyers- By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold. Read before the Sute Bar Association, Springfield, Jan. 7, 18B1. First Murder-Trial in Iroquois Co. for First Mur- derinCookCo. Pp. 112; Svo. 1881. Price.socu. 1.3. Abraham Lincoln : A Paper read before the Royal Historical Society, London, June 16, i8ii. By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, of Chicago. Stephen Arnold Douglas : An Eulogy. Delivered before the Chicago University, Bryan Hall, July 3' 1861. By Hon Jas. W. Sheahan, of The Chicago Tribune. iSSi. Svo., 48 pp.: paper. Price, 25 cts. 10. Early Chicago — Fort Dearborn: An Ad¬ dress read at the unveiling cf a tablet on the F^rt site, under the auspices of the Chicago Historical Society, Chicago, May at, 1881. 3d Paper. Byi Hon. John Wkntworth, LL.D. With an Appen¬ dix, etc. Portraits of Capt. Wm.Wells and Mrs. CapL Heald. Also, Indexes to ist and 2d Lectures, and "Calumet-Club Reception." 8vo., 112 pp. 1881. 7SC. 17. Wm. B. Ogden (portrait); and Early Days in Chicago. By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold. Read before the Chicago Historical Society, Tuesday, Dec. ^,1881. Also, Sketches of Wm. B. Ogden. By Hon. J. Young ScAMMON. Pp. 72:8vo. 188a. 40c For later uunibers, see inside of cover. ¡bbSíüb on receipt of price, postpaid, to any part of the U. S.. by the Publishers,! £i:ÍBÍÍBa:_Comr>a.ii-y- dhtt-Mgoi Wee 75c» s-^umßer fwent^-íwo^ ;Í^l)icago ^liar-Mssociatioii Iplectures-^- Part One ;- I. RECOLLECTIONS OF EARLY CHICAGO AND THE ILLINOIS BAR. By Hon. ISAAC N. ARNOLD. E II. RECOLLECTIONS OF THE BENCH J AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. ^ By Hon. JAMES C. CONKLING. III. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. By Hon. THOMAS HOYNE. ri For Catalogue, See Inside and Last Pages of Cover. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. REYNOLDS' HISTORY OF ILLINOIS. My Own Times; Embracing also The History of My Life. By John Rkynoi.ds Ute Gov of 111 etc Portrait. Reprint of original edition of 1855. with complete Index added. Cloth b^rds;, Gilt-top: side and bottom uncut: Antique Paper; Pp 43^: 8vo f^79- Kdition of 112 copies. Pnce, $7.50. We are pleased to learn that the Ferizus Print- inK Company has undertaken the work of re- prlntini? the volume of "My Ow-n Times: embrac¬ ing also the History of My Life,' written by the iate (rov. John lleynold.s. * * * Copies of the volumc referred to are exceedingly rare, and hardly could be procured at any price. The Publisher.s are deserving of thanks lor their efforts to rescue from oblivion a meritorious work like the above.—/{plffvillp An of Peoria and affairs in that vicini¬ ty, etc. Then came the organization of the Territory of Illinois, the administration of Governor Ed¬ wards. the revision of the laws, and the first Legislature; Lewis and Clark's expedition tc the Pacific coast; the < xtension of the settle ments ; the reign of " regulators " and mob-law the history of religious denominations in Uli nois; the professions; the history of slavery in the Territory, and the author's domestic record, with numerous other events of more or less in terest. In 181H the State Government was formed, anc its progress is noted in detail. A large space li given to the subsequent political history anc internal improvement of the State, until th« breaking out of the war with the Winnebagi Indians. Several chapters are filled with-thi history i f the Blackhawk war and its attendan excitements and events. The history of educa tl'ui and early newspapers in Illinois receive due attention. The Governor also relates the national .«sitna tion during his term in Congress from 1S:44 t ÎH41, inclusive; his visit to Europe in 1839; ti pioneer railroad operations in the State; ti construction of the Illinois - and - Michigan Cj nal, with other internal improvements, ai the history of the Mormon troubles and excip ment. Such is a brief outline of Gov. Reynolds' boo It is valuable as reflecting the spirit of the pi ne r days of Illinois, and as the record of young and enterprising State struggling agali adverse circum-tances, and becoming one of t most prosperous of American commonwealtl Nor will the private history of Gov. Reynob the sturdy pioneer F.xecr.tive and Represen tive of the State, fail to interest the reader, belongs to Illinois, because he aided in brin; her to the present prosperity which she enjoj He passed nearly half a ceñturv in promin puldic life in Illinois—as Judge Advocaio, Ju of the Supreme Court, member of the Legi ture, Governor, Congressman. Canal Comni sioner and Speaker of the Houee—and isl closely identifled with the State that their tories can not be separated. This volume was first published by Gov. nolds in The edition was small, and of it was destroyed before it was sold in a t Chicago. Thus it became one of the lost of the earth. Fortuoatelv it was not totall' terminated, and u«>w its revival hy the . prising Chicago house whose imprint it bej_ no less important than it is gratifying to t who have the interests of the State at bi ' Chicago Journal, Ihc. 30, IS79. Houl; l>y mall, i><>w|-pa Id, <»ii of prliio. CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION. Thursday evening, June loth, 1880, Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, for many years a leading lawyer of the Chicago Bar, delivered, in Fairbank Hall, the first of a series of lectures to be delivered before the Chicago Bar Association, on questions of interest to the profession. Gen. I. N. Stiles, the president of the association, presided. The Lecture Committee, consisting of Robert Hervey, Esq., Henry I. Sheldon, Esq., and Hon. Elliott Anthony, occupied seats upon the platform. Quite a number of the older members of the Bar, who remem¬ bered Mr. Arnold in the palmy days of the long ago, were pre¬ sent It was noticeable that at this, the first meeting of the As¬ sociation at which women were admitted, they outnumbered the men in attendance. Gen. Stiles, in introducing Mr. Arnold, paid a deserved tribute to Samuel W. Fuller, one of the ablest, fairest, and best lawyers that ever practised at this Bar. Mr. Stiles said: The lecture this evening is one of a series to be delivered be¬ fore the Bar Association, upon topics of special interest to law¬ yers. I am sure this evening's lecture will be of interest also to others. The lecturer is of the old school of Chicago lawyers, and has achieved distinction, not only at the Bar, but in the halls of legislation, and of late in the walks of literature. Some years since, a distinguished Chicago lawyer, now dead, after an eight days' struggle in a closely-contested and important cause, on hearing the verdict of the jury read—which was against him—rose from his seat, and in his grand, chivalrous way, said to his opponents: "I congratulate you on your victory—it was fairly won. " Had the victory been for him, it would have been fairly won also; he won his in no other way. 8 CHICAGO BAR ASSOCIATION. That man was Samuel W. Fuller [applause], I should have won¬ dered if those of you who knew Sam. Fuller had not cheered at the mention of his name, for a finer gentleman, a grander soul, a nobler man, never arose to address a judge or jury; and to the class of lawyers to which Sam., Fuller belonged, belongs, also, Isaac N. Arnold. [Applause.] He represented Chicago in Con¬ gress in a manner which was an honor to Chicago. In faultless English, and with the purest style, he has, in his life of Benedict Arnold, lately given us the brighter and better side of one of the great soldiers of our Revolutionary War—^but hear him. [Mr. Arnold then stepped forward, and spoke as follows :] RECOLLECTIONS of the EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR, By Hon. ISAAC N. ARNOLD. Mr. President and Gentlemen : The Bar of Chicago could scarcely ask of me a service which I should not at least try to perform. When, therefore, I received your official invitation to read before this Association a paper upon "The Bar of Early Chicago and the State," I could not decline however incompetent. Recalling the idea of Lord Bacon that every one owes a debt to his profession, which he should try to discharge, and remembering many of my old comrades, dearly loved brothers, whose memories I cherish, and upon whose graves I would gladly cast a flower, I have accepted your invitation. It is curious to observe the fascination and romantic interest which time and tradition throw over the past. We all realize, that as the names of those who have departed, fade into the twilight of antiquity, they become more and more the objects oi sentiment and poetic admiration. In every State there exists, among the members of the Bar, traditions of great lawyers and advocates. Sit down to a Bar dinner in New York, and your hosts will go back to the days of the Revolution, and tell you of Hamilton and Burr; of Henry and Emmet, Ogden and Wells, of Kent and Elisha Williams, and' later of Spencer and Van Buren, and so on down to O'Conner and Everts. 10 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE In Boston, you will hear of Harrison Grey Otis, of Dexter and Webster, Choate and Curtiss. In Providence, of Whipple and Green; in Philadelphia, of Hopkinson, John Sargent, and Binney; and, in Baltimore," of Pinckney, Harper, and Reverdy Johnson. In Richmond, of Marshall and William Wirt; in Ken¬ tucky, of Clay, Crittenden, Prentiss, and Tom Marshall. And we, too, in Chicago and Illinois, have had our great lawyers and great advocates, not inferior it seems to me to those of our sister States. We ought to honor and cherish their memories. The disposition so conspicuous in New England, and especially in Boston, to honor men in every department of intellectual labor is worthy of imitation. It has aided largely in giving to that city and section their high character and excellence. It has both stimulated and rewarded effort. In a visit to London, made not long since, the morning after a late arrival, I started from the Charing-Cross Hotel to visit West minster Hall and Westminster Abbey. Passing along the Thames embankment, fragrant with a profusion of June ffowers, I entered the venerable old Abbey, and lingering there, I appreciated how highly England honored her great men; I paused a moment by the monument to Lord Mansfield, near which is that of Sir Wil¬ liam Follett, the great advocate; and also that to Grattan, the fiery and impassioned Irish orator. Crossing to Westminster Hall, the silence was broken by the familiar voice of a Chicago friend* repeating these words of Macauley: "This is the great hall of William Rufus ; the hall which has resounded with acclamations at the inauguration of thirty kings; the hall which has witnessed the just sentence of Bacon and the just jibsolution of Somers; the hall where the eloquence of Strafford had for a moment awed and melted a victorious party, infiamed with just resentment; the hall where Charles confronted the high court of justice with the placid courage which has half redeemed his fame." "And in modem times," continued any friend, "these walls have echoed to the eloquence of Burke and Fox and Sheridan, where, with a power equalling that of Cicero himself, they hurled their denunciations against Warren Hastings." "And here, too," he • Rev. Edward Porter. EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR II exclaimed "Henry Brougham defended Queen Caroline, and by his superhuman efforts triumphed over all the power of the crown." "This," said he, "this is the grandest forum of the world." "And yet," I replied, " I have seen justice administered on the prairies of Illinois, without pomp or high ceremonial, everything simple to rudeness, yet justice has been administered before judges as pure, aided by lawyers as eloquent, if not as learned, as any who ever plead or gave judgment in Westminster Hall!" What a contrast to a Western lawyer, between that old historic forum, and the log-cabin in which the courts were often held in the early days of thç Northwest! The comparison is like that of religious worship in an old gothic cathedral, with its painted windows, its "dim religious light," with all the imposing cere¬ monial, the formal ritualisip, and the grand organ and choir music, contrasted with the simple, sincere, reverent, pious praise and prayer of the humble chapel and .camp-meeting in the groves on the frontier. I insisted that justice in its purity was as faith¬ fully administered by judges as honest and as immaculate, aided by advocates as eloquent, in our rude Western court-rooms as in that grand old hall of Westminster, and I will try and make good my words. Passing then from one extreme ko the other, let us come back to the rude, rough log-court-houses of early Illinois; let us inquire what manner of men sat upon the Bench, and what men com¬ posed the Bar, which aided courts and judges in administering justice. THE EARLY COURTS OF ILLINOIS. The Judge usually sat upon a raised platform, with a pine or white-wood board on which to write his notes. A small table on one side for the clerk, and a larger one, sometimes covered with green baize, around which were grouped the lawyers, too often I must admit, with their feet on the top of it. From one to another of these rude court-rooms the gentlemen of the Bar passed, following the judge in his circuit from county to county, traveling, generally on horseback, with saddle-bags for a clean shirt or two, and perhaps one or two elementary law-books. Sometimes two lawyers would travel together in a buggy; and 12 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE young lawyers, who were still in the condition which a great English judge declared was the one indispensible qualification for success—poverty, on foot. Such an one, without a dollar in his pocket, sometimes walked to court; but a horse was not an unusual fee in the early days when horse-thieves, as clients, were but too common, and it would not be long, if a young man had ability, before he would be well mounted. There was in those days great freedom in social intercourse ; manners were at times rude, but genial, kind, and friendly. Each was ready to assist his fellow, and as none were rich, there was little envy or jealousy. The relations between the Bench and Bar were free and easy, and flashes-of wit and humor and personal repartee were constantly passing from one to the other. The court-rooms" in those days were always crowded. To go to court and listen to the witnesses and lawyers was among the chief amusements of the frontier settlements. At court were rehearsed and enacted the drama, the tragedy, and comedy of real life. The court-room answered for the theater, concert-hall, and opera of the older settlements. The judges and lawyers were the stars; and wit and humor, pathos and eloquence, always had apprecitative audiences. The leading advôcates had their partisans, personal and political, and the merits of each were canvassed in every cabin, school-house, and at every horse-race, bee, and raising. The lawyers were stimulated to the utmost exertion of their powers, and having few law-books, were compelled to solve every question by the -application of principle. This was the best possible training and discipline, and produced great men: a body of men of far higher ability than those who look for and find an adjudicated case to settle every point which may arise. The mere case-lawyer was a pigmy in the hands of one of those intellectual giants, whose mind had been trained for years in the application of principle, and in reasoning from analogy. I need but name some of the prominent men at the Illinois Bar, thirty and forty years ago, to show that the mode of trial and argument then prevailing, produced very able men. A new and sparsely-settled State, which had at its Bar such men as Lincoln, Douglas, Trumbull, Butterfield, Browning, Baker, Archy Williams, >EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 13 Bissell, Calhoun, Linder, Stephan T. Logan, David Davis, Wash- bume, McDougalJ, and very many others, as lawyers, nearly if not quite as distinguished, certainly could justly claim equality with any part of the world in intellectual power. I know not whether it was the elixir of early life, but those days, with their adventures and romance, our rides across prairies where every footstep of our horses crushed out the perfume of prairie flowers,— 'Flowers whose glories and whose multitude rivalled the constellations." Those were the days when we saw "The light which never was on sea or land." I know not whether it was a youthful fancy, but it did really appear that "The great heavens Seemed to stoop down upon the scene in love, A nearer vault, and a tenderer blue, Than that which bends aloft to-day. " And now, when after a checkered life of forty years, "O'er the verdant waste I guide my steed," I think of those, the dead of other days, and of those I will speak, JUSTIN BUTTERFIELD was one of the ablest, if not the very ablest lawyer we have ever had at the Chicago Bar. He was strong, logical, full "of vigor and resources. In his style of argument and in his personal appear¬ ance he was not unlike Daniel Webster, of whom he was a great admirer, and who was his model. He wielded the weapons of sarcasm and irony with crushing power, and was especially effec¬ tive in invective. Great as he was before the Supreme Court, and everywhere on questions of law, he lacked the tact and skill to be equally successful before a jury. Coming to Chicago in mid¬ dle life, he was an oak too sturdy, too old, and of a fiber too tough to be transplanted, and he did not readily adapt himself to the new environment into which he came, and he never was at his best before a Western jury. Indeed, in an ordinary case be¬ fore a jury, as compared with himself before the Supreme Court, he was weak. At one term of the Circuit Court in this county, being opposed to him in several trials, although, as I need hardly 14 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE say, greatly his inferior, I had the good fortune to beat him sev¬ eral times in succession. We came at length to the trial of a case in which we both felt a special interest, and each of us made un¬ usual efforts. At the close of an argument of great ability, he turned round to me and exclaimed: "Arnold, unless .all hell has broke loose and been packed on that jury, I'll beat you this time, anyhow." Nevertheless, I got a verdict, as I thought I ought to have. TRIAL OF REV. W. F. WALKER BEFORE BISHOP CHASE. Thinking of Mr. Butterfield, I am reminded of an incident which occurred on the trial of the Rev. W. F. Walker before an ecclesiastical court, over which presided the venerable Bishop Chase. Mr. Walker was an Episcopal clergyman of some promi¬ nence, at one time Rector of St. James, and afterward of Trinity parish, in this city. Charges were made against him, and among others, that of breaking the Sabbath, by hunting on the Lord's day. I believe the proof showed, that in keeping his appoint¬ ments in the country, to which he drove in his buggy, he was in the habit of placing his double-barrelled gun on the bottom of his wagon, and he generally returned with a stock of game, which supplied his table. There were other and more serious charges. He was ably defended by Justin Butterfield, John J. Brown, and James A. McDougall, and I had the honor of conducting the pro¬ secution. Bishop Chase was the pioneer bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Illinois. He had purchased of the United States some 3000 acres of land, near Peoria, and founded "Jubi¬ lee College," in a beautiful grovè upon these lands. His own home he qalled "Robin's Nest." He was a man of indomitable will, of great energy and zeal, and of imposing presence and dig¬ nity of manner. He was the uncle of the late Chief-Justice Chase, and was a man of the same magnificent physique. The trial was contested with great vigor, and there were earnest controversies between the counsel, and sometimes between the counsel for the defense and the Bishop. The Bishop was an old gentleman, quite decided and independent, and disposed to maintain both his personal and official dignity. Indeed, it is not putting it too EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 15 Strong to say he was somewhat arbitrary. Mr. Butterfield stood at the head of the Bar, not only in Chicago, but in the State, and was not in the habit of being overruled with equanimity. He had not too much reverence, certainly not toward bishops, and as both he and Bishop Chase were very decided and determined, colli¬ sions were inevitable. The court was always opened with prayer, and a portion of the morning service. One day, when the Bishop was about to open court, Mr. Butterfield, who, with his associates and client, sat at a table directly in front, continued a very audi¬ ble conversation, after the president of the court had entered and was standing before the altar. The Bishop paused a moment for silence, but Mr. Butterfield, indifferent and careless, or what I thought more probable, intending to rebuke what he regarded as unjust and arbitrary rulings, continued loudly and rudely the con¬ versation. But the old Bishop was quite equal to the occasion. He was a man of majestic presence; turning and advancing directly in front of Mr. Butterfield, he fixed his eye upon him, and then in a voice, the deep, low, and reverential tones of which created instant silence, he said : " The lord is in his Holy Temple, Id alt the earth ke^ silence before Him." GOV. WM. H. BISSELL. Among the eloquent advocates of Central Illinois, few, if any, were superior to Gov. William H. Bissell. He was a native of Otsego County, in the state of New York; born in the same town with myself, our relations were always very friendly. Judge Gil¬ lespie, of Edwardsvilie, in a late address before the Chicago His¬ torical Society, has drawn a parallel between Edward D. Baker and Bissell, and expressed the opinion, and he is a very compe¬ tent judge, that they were "the best extemporaneous speakers in the United States." He said "Baker's speeches appear best in the reading, Bissell's in the delivery; Baker seldom gained his point, Bissell never lost his; Baker had the more poetic imagina¬ tion, Bissell the best appreciation of facts; Baker could entrance an audience, Bissell could carry them with him; Baker spoke for fame, Bissell for immediate effect." Judge Gillespie gave a gra¬ phic description of the closing argument of Bissell in the trial of i6 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE one Raney, for murder, at Carlyle, in Chester County, as of sur¬ passing eloquence. He says, when listening to him on that occa¬ sion: "I realized to its fullest extent the power of a master-orator over the feelings of mankind. The picture drawn by Bissell on that occasion has stamped itself indellibly on my mind. I see it in the visions of the night, I hear his burning eloquence to this day ringing in my ears." Few speeches have ever been made in Congress, which pro¬ duced a greater sensation than his made on the axst July, 1850, upon the slavery question, and in defense of the Illinois soldiers in the Mexican War. After a brilliant career at the Bar of Illi¬ nois and in the State Legislature, he went a volunteer to the Mexican War, and upon the field of Buena Vista, it was his for¬ tune, at the most critical moment of the battle, to command the soldiers of our State. No experienced officer could have dis¬ played more coolness, presence of mind and heroism, than the volunteer colonel. His conduct, and that of his command, were the theme of admiration throughout the Union. He saved the day. Returning to Illinois, a grateful people elected him to Con¬ gress. At the session of 1850, the well-earned fame of the Illi¬ nois troops was assailed by a distinguished member of Congress from Virginia (Mr. Sedden). After vindicating the free States and their devotion to the Union, Bissell spoke of the conduct of the Illinois soldiers at Buena Vista. He said : "I must now refer to a subject I would gladly have avoided. I allude to the claim put forth for a Southern regiment, by the gentlemen from Virginia, of having met and repulsed the enemy on the field of Buena Vista, at that most critical moment, when the Second Indiana Regiment, through an unfortunate order of their colonel, gave way. Justice to the living as well as to those who fell on that occasion, demands of me, a prompt correction of this most erroneous statement. I affirm distinctly, that at the time the Indiana regiment gave way, the Mississippi regiment, for which this claim is set up, was not within a mile and a half of the scene of action, nor had it as yet fired a gun or drawn a trigger. I affirm further, that the troops which at that time met and resisted the enemy, and thus to use the gentleman's own Ian- EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 17 guage, 'snatched victory from the jaws of defeat,' were the Second Kentucky, the Second Illinois, and a portion of the First Illinois Regiments. It gives me no pleasure, sir, to be compelled to allude to this subject, nor can I perceive the necessity or propriety of its introduction into this debate. It having been introduced, however, I could not sit in silence and witness the infliction of such cruel injustice upofl men, living or dead, whose well-earned fame, I were a monster not to protect. The brave and true hearts of too many of them, alas, have already mingled with the soil of a foreign country, but their claims upon the justice of their countrymen càn never cease, nor can my obligation to them be ever forgotten or disregarded. "No, sir, the voice of Harden—that voice which has so often been heard in this hall, as mine now is, though far Bre elo¬ quently, the voice of Harden and of McKee, and the accom¬ plished Clay, each wrapped now in his bloody shroud, would re¬ proach me from the grave, had I failed in this act of justice to them, and to others, who fought and fell by my side." For this manly, truthful, fearless defense of his fellow-soldiers, he was challenged by Jefferson Davis, and he promptly accepted the challenge, and they were to have fought with rifles, but the rumor of the duel reached President Taylor, the father-in-law'of Davis; and he and other friends interfered and the combat did not take place.* E. D. BAKER. I The name of Baker has been mentioned. I.et me add a few words in regard to him. An anecdote, incredible, but yet indic¬ ative of his intense ambition and therefore cjiaracteristic, haf been often told around the mess-table of the early circuit-rideis and judges of Central Illinois. It is said that soon after he settled in Springñeld, a friend found him seated on a fallen tree in a grove near that place, weeping very bitterly. On being pressed to tell the cause of his grief, he said, "I have been reading the Constitution of the United States, and I find a provision in it, • See Speech of I. N. Arnold, in reply to John A. Logan, made in the Houseof Reps., January, 1857, and republished in Chicago Legal News, January 24th, iggo. 2 i8 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE that none but native-bom citizens can be president; I am at» Englishnlan by birth and I am ineligible!" However intense his ambition, he was a natural orator. After serving in Congress, as the successor of Abraham Lincoln, he removed to California, where he pronounced, at San Francisco, the far-famed funeral oration over Senator Broderick, killed in a duel. Assassinated; as he declared, after receiving his death wound, because he opposed the extension of slavery and exposed a corrupt administration. Going to Oregon, Baker returned as senator from that State. After a short and brilliant career in the Senate, he entered the military service and fell at Ball's Bluff, pierced with nine bullets; falling ai his post, because, as he said, "a United States senator must nA retreat." I would be glad to recall the great speech he made in the Senate, in reply to John C. Breckenridge. Breckenridge, you will remember, was vice-president and presided over the Senate during the administration of Mr. Buchanan. After dividing the Democratic party in i860, and possibly preventing the election of Douglas for president, he returned to Washington at the special session of 1861, as senator from Kentucky. He found the seats of nearly all his old Southern' associates deserted, many of his old friends being now in arms against the Government. I remember seeing him very often at this session. He looked grave, gloomy, and sometimes sad, as I saw him riding alone in his carriage to and from the capitol, and he soon came to be looked upon as a spy as well as a traitor. He reminded me of Cataline plotting the destruction of, Rome. While the rebel troops were gathering around Washington, and the rebel flag could be seen from the dome of the capitol, across the Potomac, he made an elaborate speech in the Senate, full of sympathy and encouragement for the rebels, and trying to show that the National Goverment had no constitutional power to coerce the seceding States. To this treasonable speech Baker replied with consúmate ability. He charged Breckenridge with uttering trea¬ son and with giving aid to armed rebellion. The scene in the senate chamber, on that day, was as dramatic as when Cicero EÀRLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 19 denounced Cataline before the conscript fathers of Rome. At length, Baker turned directly toward Breckenridge, upon whom every eye was fixed, and said : "What would have been thought if, in another capitol in an ancient republic, in a yet more martial age, a senator as grave, not more eloquent or dignified than the senator from Kentucky yet with the Roman purple flowing over his shoulders, had risen in his place, surrounded by all the illustrations of Roman glory, and declared that the cause of advancing Hannibal was just, and that Carthage ought to be dealt with in terms of peace? What would have been thought if, after the battle of Cannae, a senator there had risen in his place and denounced every levy of the Roman people, every expenditure of its treasure, and every appeal to the old recollections and the old glories?" At the close, Baker paused, and for a moment there was not a sound, not a movement: then the silence was broken by the voice of Senator Fessenden, who, in low, deep tones, thrilling with in¬ dignant feeling, said: "In Rome, such a senator would have been hurled from the Taurpeian Rock !" Baker, resuming his speech, said, "Sir, a senator, more learned than myself, tells me, in a voice that I am glad is audible, he would have been hurled from the Tarpeian Rock." Breckenridge left the senate chamber for the rebel camp, and it was Trumbull who thereupon impeached and convicted him of treason. Senator Trumbull introduced a resolution which was unanimously adopted, "That John C. Breckenridge, the traitor, be, and he hereby is, expelled." JAMES A. M'DOUGALL. And now I am reminded of another brilliant lawyer from Illinois, who emigrating to California, came back its senator. James A. McDougall was attorney-general of Illinois in 1842. Coming to Chicago, he rode the circuit with us several years, and was regarded as one of our ablest lawyers. Calling upon him one evening, I found him on his parlor floor with maps of California and tlie United States spread out before him. He was studying the overland route to the Pacific. He started soon after, lost his 20 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE way, wandered long in the mountains, barely escaping starvation, and finally reached San Francisco in rags, clothed partly in skins, without money, and not having seen a barber or razor for months. He went to the best hotel in the city, and was at first refused ad¬ mittance, but after explanation was received. He immediately sent for Hiram Pearsons, then a California millionaire, and formerly a client" of McDougall's in Chicago, by whom his wardrobe and every other necessity was liberally sup¬ plied. Pearsons then gave him some important cases in court, and very soon Mr. McDougall returned a member of congress, and soon after senator. I heard Charles Sumner say that Senator McDougall spoke better English than any other man in the United States senate. It was the good fortune of President Lincoln to be sustained by three senators who had been his old friends and associates at the Bar of Springfield: Douglas, Baker, and McDougall, the two latter as senators from the Pacific coast; one. Baker, elected as a Republican, the other, McDougall, elected as a Democrat. LVMAN TRUMBULL. A very conspicuous member of the Illinois Bar, in what we now call its early days, was Lyman Trumbull. The distinction he ac¬ quired then as a lawyer and on the bench of the Supreme Court, has been so eclipsed by the national reputation he made as a United States senator, that the former has been almost forgotten. He was elected to the Senate in 1855, and served in that body eighteen years. As he is still among us (and long may he remain) I cannot speak of him as freely as I have of some of his contem¬ poraries. But I should like to do something toward making our people appreciate the great public service rendered by one now living so quietly and modestly among us. I do not think it ex¬ travagant to say, that there are few of our public men now living, if we except two -or three great soldiers, to whom our country owes more. In Great Britain, or in any of the great nations of Europe, a man who had rendered such service would have been rewarded with titles of high nobiltiy and wealth. As a practical legislator, as a man for useful, thorough, and honest work, guided EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 21 by the purest motives, and the clearest good sense, he had no superior in the Senate. As chairman of the judiciary committee during the rebellion, he largely shaped and guided the legislation of Congress. The constitutional amendment abolishing and prohibiting sla¬ very was reported from the judiciary committee by him. The committee wisely adopted the language of the ordinance of 1787, and his able advocacy did much to carry the amendment through Congress. He was a practical statesman, always a conservative, and still a reformer. No greater contrast can be conceived than that between him and the learned, eloquent, scholarly, and pure, yet sometimes impracticable senator from Massachusetts, Charles Sumner.. As a leader in the great anti-slavery revolution; as a man to attack a moral wrong, Sumner was very great, but for practical legislation, as a judge of the best means of remedying an evil, he was comparatively weak. On a question of right and wrong, none surpassed him, but he was not pre-eminent for con¬ structive ability. A striking illustration of the difference between tliese two able men, was afforded in their treatment of the anti- slavery amendment. Trumbull wisely adopted (as has been said) the language of the ordinance of 1787. Lawyers will appreciate the importance of this when they remember that it had been the subject of judicial construction. The exact meaning of the words had been settled. Mr. Sumner proposed to substitute for it the vague, indefinate, theoritical language of the French Constitution of 1791. Mr. Trumbull said: "I would not go to the French revolution to find the proper words for a Constitution." After discussion, Mr. Sumner withdrew his proposed amendment, and the joint resolution was adopted as Mr. Trumbull had reported it. There was another act of his which, at the time, required a cour¬ age higher and much more rare than that of the soldier who faces death on the battle-field, but which I suppose to-day is approved by all, or nearly all, thoughtful and intelligent men. I mean his decision against the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. He sac¬ rificed himself as a party-leader, in the discharge of a high duty. I have no sympathy with his present political associates, but I honor him for the great service he rendered the country, and for his bold, self-sacrificing discharge of duty. 22 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE THE PLEA OF INSANITY ON AN INDICTMENT FOR MURDER. And now I trust I shall be pardoned the egotism of introduc¬ ing two or three personal reminiscenses. Our profession has been often reproached for interposing the plea of insanity to prevent the punishment of crime, hjy own experience leads me to the conclusion, that irresponsible persons have more often suffered than that the guilty and justly responsible have escaped. In one instance, at least, it was my good fortune to save from the gal¬ lows a wholly irresponsible homicide. More than thirty years ago, the people of McHenry County were shocked by what seemed a most horrid murder. A young German farmer, about twenty- one years old, respectable, easy in his circumstances, was engaged to marry a young German girl. They were at work together har¬ vesting a field of wheat; the field was remote and secluded, and with no known motive he killed her. Immediately arrested, he was saved by the officers, with some difficulty, from the summary indignation of the people. I was sent for by his family to defend him, and when on my arrival he was brought into the sheriff's office, that I might confer with him, the moment I looked into his eyes, the conviction flashed upon me that he was insane. No suggestion of that kind had been made, and when I made inquiry of his relatives, I could hear of no facts confirming my impression. No one of his intimate associates had suspected anything wrong about him. He spoke very imperfect English, and I was baffied in seeking proof tending fo show unsoundness of mind. Still his eye was wild and had .that peculiar look, which I believe no man can simulate, that indicates madness. It happened that a young friend of mine, a physician, who had been an assistant in the New- York Insafie Asylum, was visiting at my house, and he had ac¬ companied me to McHenry. I turned the prisoner over to him for examination, and after several interviews he pronounced him insane. At length his trial came on, and the only issue made was on the subject of sanity. The people became so excited and ex¬ asperated, by what, in their honest, but blind prejudice, they regarded as a sham defence, that some of them threatened to lynch both lawyer and prisoner, but fully persuaded that he was EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 23 mad, I determined to save him from the gallows. I sent for Doctor John Evans, the founder of the town of Evanston, and after whom it was named. He was an expert in cases of insanity, having had charge of the State Insane Asylum of Indiana. He also pronounced my client insane. The trial lasted some ten days, and on the Sunday which intervened, the jury were taken to a camp-meeting, in a grove near by, to attend religious service, which consisted among other things, of prayers that the guilty might not escape, through any device or sham defence of counsel, and that the jury might have the firmness to do their duty. A sermon was also preached to them, in which they were admon¬ ished not to be misled by the prisoner's counsel. After a fearful struggle, I succeeded in convincing two of the jury that-the pris¬ oner was insane, and after having been out forty-eight hours, un¬ able to agree, they were discharged. I took a change of venue, and on a second trial, in Chicago, the evidence of madness was so clear that Patrick Ballingal, the State's-attomey, said he would not ask a conviction, and the jury without leaving their seats, found him not guilty, because—^insane. He was sent to an asylum, and died within a few months a maniac. A post-mortem examination showed an ulceration of the brain, which doubtless caused his madness. I have always felt that in saving poor Henry Brydenbecker from the scaffold I had prevented a grievous wrong. MANSLAUGHTER OR MURDER? I will now narrate another case, showing upofi what slight circumstances the verdict of a jury sometimes turns. I can not now recall the year, and my notes of the case were burned in the great fire of 1871. I think about 1846, my friend Brohson Mur¬ ray, who then lived at Deer Park, LaSalle County, sent for me to come to Ottawa and defend his hired-man, who, killing a neighbor in a quarrel, had been indicted for murder. A sudden quarrel had arisen, and the prisoner, seizing a hickory stake from his sled, had struck the deceased one hard blow on the head, pro¬ ducing death. I sat down to the trial, supposing I had a clear case of man- 24 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE slaughter, and one free from difficulty, and that the only question would be the extent of my client's imprisonment. There was no controversy about the quarrel and the blow, and that death was the result. These facts having been proved, the prosecution called the officer who had arrested the prisoner. He was a large muscular man, very dark and sinister in his appearance, and as he took the stand I saw him scowl at the prisoner, who was an impulsive, passionate Irishman, in a way that startled me. I immediately asked the defendant if he had ever had any difficulty with the witness. "Yes," replied he, "the witness hates me, and has threatened to have me hanged." After describing the arrest, the witness was asked: "Did you, on your way to the county jail, have any conversation with the prisoner in regard to the killing, and if so, state what he said?" He replied, "On our way, as we were riding across the prairie, I asked him what made him strike the deceased, and why he struck so hard. Prisoner answered, 'Damn him, I'm glad he is dead; I have long had a grudge against him, and I am damned glad I have killed him.'" "Take the witness," said the State's-attorney in the tone of a man who has made out his case,—^and he had. The witness had supplied the proof to change the killing from manslaughter to murder, and unless I could break down or contradict him ray client was lost. By one of those impulses, which I cannot explain, but which all of us have often experienced, I felt that the witness had been swearing false. I knew it, but how could I make it manifest to the jury? The terrible confession was made as the witness said, when he and the prisoner were alone upon the prairie, and therefore there was no possibility of contradiction. "It is a lie, every word of it," whispered the prisoner; I knew it perfectly well, but how to prove it? I began the cross-examination without a plan; at first putting a few questions quietly, and studying the man, who I had never before seen. After a few unimportant questions, asked to gain time, and try and make out what manner of man he was, I led him back to the confession. I asked him if he was sure he had repeated the exact words of the prisoner? He replied, "I have EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 25 told you the very words. I have not altered one of them." I saw he was one of those who, if he once swore the horse was sixteen feet high, would stick to it. I then asked him to repeat the confession, which he did, and as I expected, with variations from his first statement. I then called his attention to the fact that some months had passed between the confession and the trial, and then asked him why, if in his direct evidence he had given the identical words, he could not now on the stand repeat them twice in the same way. He thought it necessary to Strengthen his statement; and he said: "I wrote down at the time what the prisoner said, so I might not forget it, and I have got the paper yet, and I have read it over to-day, and it is in the very words I first stated." I knew that he was lying, I felt it, and I arose and asked him, sternly, "Where is the paper? Tell me instantly." "In my pocket," said he. "Produce it," said I. I knew that he had no such paper. He turned pale, the sweat rolled down his face. On my repeating my demand for the paper, he refused point, blank. I repeated, "You have sworn you wrote down at the time on paper, the statement of what the prisoner said; that you brought that paper with you to court; have read it over to-day, and that you have it now in your pocket. Is this true?" "Yes," said he, <eringly. "Then," said I, "will you ijroduce it and let me see it?" "No," said he, "no lawyer shall see my private papers." "Is there anything on the written paper besides the memoran¬ dum of what the prisoner said?" inquired I. "Yes, on the same paper are private writings, which no man shall see." "Hold the paper in your own hands then, so that I can see and read only the memorandum. Have you any objection to that?" said I. "You shall not see any of it," said he. He was sinking deeper and deeper in the morass. "Very well," said I. "Perhaps you will allow the judge or the jury to see it, if you don't wish me to see it?" 26 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE "Nobody shall see it," said he. "May it please the Court, this has gone far enough," said I. "The witness has no such paper, and never had, and I now ask the Court to make an order that he produce the paper, or be com¬ mitted to jail until he does produce it." The judge made the order, and as the hour for dinner had come, adjourned. I knew that my client was saved; not by any skill of mine, but by what I hardly know how to characterize; but I think we old lawyers often see results which indicate that there is something outside of ourselves, or any known agency, which sometimes leads to the triumph of tmth and the protection of the innocent. On the coming in of Court, the witness was forced to acknowl¬ edge that he had no such paper, and the State's-àttomey said; "I will not ask the jury to place any reliance upon this witness." A verdict of manslaughter;*and a short imprisonment was the upshot of the trial. LYNCHING OF THE DRISCOLLS, ON ROCK RIVER. Pardon one more incident connected with my professional ex¬ perience, and I will pass to other themes. The very crest of the wave of emigration to the borderland, seems in many cases to bring along a body of bold and reckless criminals. The imperfectly organized society of the frontier, and the frequent failure of criminal justice in the established courts, often caused the better part of the settlers to supplement the regu¬ lar courts by Judge Lynch. Whether upon the whole this wild and too often blind, very blind justice, 'has been productive of more good than evil, may well be questioned. The far-famed vigilance committee of San Francisco, like a tornado, seemed, for a time, to purify the air and the body politic. In 1840, Northern Illinois, and especially the Rock River coun¬ try, sought the aid of Judge Lynch, to drive out and exterminate horse-thieves and other criminals; and, in 1841-2, there were or¬ ganizations known as "Regulators," which exercised arbitrary power of banishment, confiscation, and lynching. These organi¬ zations generally originated with the better class of citizens, but EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 2J tiiey were sometimes abused for purposes of personal vengeance and private gain. They sometimes inflicted grevions injustice, and even deatli, upon the innocent. Early in 1841, one John Campbell, of Rock Grove, in Ogle County, a very respectable man, was elected captain and leader of the Regulators. A family, by the name of Driscoll, who were suspected of being horse- thieves, and some others of bad repute, were notified to leave the country within twenty days, under penalty of being lynched. The threats of Campbell roused the tiger passions in some of these threatened men. Some of them were criminals and outlaws, and some were probably innocent When notified to abandon their homes and fly, they determined to resist, and some of them re¬ solved to anticipate the threatened lynching by killing Campbell. On Sunday, the 26th of June, 1841, Campbell, who had been to Rockford, at church, was seated quietly smoking in front of his house, with his family around him. Two strangers were seen approaching, on horseback, with rifles in their hands. They stop¬ ped at his gate, and inquired the way to a place called Killbuck. Campbell stepped forward to show them the road, when one of them, as he came near, shot him through the heart. His wife caught him as he fell, and as the other stranger was about to fire, she cried: "Boys, you need not shoot again, you have killed John Campbell—dead !" Their son, a brave lad of twelve years, ran into the house, seized his father's gun, and snapped it several times at the men, but it missed fire, and they fled, and got away out of the country. But John Driscoll, the father, and William Driscoll, the brother, of those who were believed to have committed the crime, were arrested by the exasperated settlers. Their houses were burned and their property was destroyed, and they were taken to Mrs. Campbell's house, while her husband's body was still unburied, to see whether she could recognize either as the murderer of her husband. She declared that neither of them was the person who shot him, nor were either of them present. When she was told to look at William Driscoll, she did so, and said: "I never saw that man before." She added: "David Driscoll shot Camp¬ bell; him I knew; the man with him I did not know, and I 28 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE should not know him if I should see him." Her son said the same, that neither John nor William Driscoll was the person who shot his father, nor were either of them with the man who fired. Nevertheless, the mob, wild with passion, determined to avenge Campbell's death, and as David Driscoll and his companion had escaped, yet as John and William were Driscolls, and by many believed to belong to the same gang, the crowd took them with ropes around their necks to White Rock Grove. Here gathered a large crowd, and after going through some rude forms of trial, it was voted to hang the Driscoll's, but the mode of execution was changed, and it was decided they should be shot. It was a very natural incident to this barbarous tragedy, that the trial, so- called, being near a distillery, a barrel of whiskey was rolled out into the grove, the head was knocked in, and the frenzied crowd added to their madness by drinking freely out of its fiery contents. They decided to give the wretched prisoners an hour's time to prepare for death, and that they should have what the crowd, with a grim and savage humor, called "the benefit of clergy." A preacher, one of their leaders, first going to the whiskey barrel, and taking a dipper of raw whiskey and drinking liberally, kneeled on the grass and prayed loud and fervently for the doomed men. Then the old man John was^led out in front of one hundred rifles, blindfolded, made to kneel facing his executioners, and was riddled with the bullets of a hundred rifles fired into him. Wil¬ liam was then led out and made to kneel by the side of the mangled remains of his father, and the rifles were again dis¬ charged, and thus ended the horrid tragedy. William is said, in a late history of DeKalb County, to have been a man of noble bearing, generous, hospitable, and industrious, with a large prop¬ erty honestly acquired. Both father and son died with the courage of heroes. The mob then went to the late residence of their victiig^ burned their barns and destroyed the remains of their property. No one dared give food or shelter to the houseless family, and they were compelled to live in a com-crib, until they could get away. Such was mob justice in 1841. May we never see any .more of it. EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 29 I became familiar with the above facts as the counsel of Taylor Diiscoll, a son and brother of those whose execution I have des¬ cribed.* At the time of the murder of Campbell, he was seven¬ teen years old, on the 9th of April, 1847, six years afterward, hav¬ ing been indicted for the murder of Campbell, he was brought to trial at Woodstock, in McHenry County, before Jesse B. Thomas, associate-justice of the supreme court. I was associated with Judge Barry, of Kane County, in his defence. Mrs. Campbell, al¬ though she had declared at the time that she did not know and would not know who was with David Driscoll when he shot her husband, now testified that it was the prisoner. It was proved that she had been mistaken in identifying the brothers of the accused on several occasions, when she was equally positive, and that she had made statements conflicting with those she now made on the trial. We sought, and I think succeeded, in making the jury believe she was mistaken in identifying the prisoner, but the fact that the father and the brother of our client had already died for the crime, was not without its influence upon the jury. A few sentences from the argument in the defence will show how the trial was conducted. After describing the scene of the trial of the Driscolls, the shooting of the old gray-haired father; it is said, "a young man in the full vigor of life walks with a firm step to kneel beside the remains of the old man, and as he walked he could see in the distance, across the prairie, the smoke of his burning cabin. A homeless, widowed wife, and orphaned children looked in vain for his return. "Alas, nor wife nor children more shall he behold." As we look back upon the scene, it seems almost incredible that it could have occurred, less than forty years ago, among a people so law-abiding as those which settled Northern Illinois. The counsel for the defendant added; "The prisoner was, at l||at time, only seventeen years of age. He fled in terror from the ashes of his bumed-up home, the graves of his father and brother. He fled, and after years of wandering and hardship, * 1 have a copy of the argument in defense of Taylor Driscoll, printed by Geer & Wilson, at Chicago, in i8.',7, in my possession. 30 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE trusting that time had weakened the rancor and the prqudice against his family, he returned, but soon the old enemies, sleep¬ less and implacable, were upon his track. A blood-hound in pur¬ suit. of his prey, an Indian savage on the trail of his deadly foe is not more fierce than the unrelenting vengeance with which this young man has been pursued. An Indian's vengeance has its limits, a life for a life, blood for blood, heals the red-man's feud. In this case, two have already suffered for the death of Campbell; two probably innocent men, and now another innocent viètim is demanded." The mother of young Driscoll was awaiting the result of the trial, with an anxiety which I should vainly attempt to describe. Her joy, her raptiure, when this, her youngest, and favorite son, was pronounced not guilty, and set free, I shall never forget. LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS. I have detained you already too long, but I cannot close with¬ out saying something of the two great lawyers and statesmen, Lincoln and Douglas, whose names are as household words throughout the Republic. You know that Congress has set apart the old Hall of the House of Representatives at the capitol, in which each of the States has the privilege of placing statues of two of her great men. Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, and several other of the old States, have already placed statues of those of their citizens, thought most worthy, in this old historic room, and it is already appropriately called the Hall of Statues. I suppose the people of Illinois would, by common consent, designate Lin¬ coln and Douglas, as the proper persons to be thus commemo¬ rated, and I would suggest to our next Legislature to provide that it should be done. I wish I could reproduce, or give you some adequate idea of the argument of Douglas in the case of the Canal Trustees v. Daniel Brainard, argued at Ottawa in June, 1851. The case involved several hundred thousand dollars in amount, and arose upon the construction of the statute giving to the owner of improvements on canal lands in this City, the right to purchase the land on which such improvements were situated, at EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 31 the appraised value. Should the owner be limited to such lots and blocks as his improvements covered, or had such owner the right to purchase at the appraisal the whole quarter-section, or other subdivision, on which his improvements were placed. Property had risen greatly in value since the law had been passed and the appraisal had been made, so that if the owner of the improvements should be confined to the lots and blocks covered by his improvements, he- would still have a great bargain, but if he could take the quarter-section at the appraisal, it would be a fortune. I had argued the case in the Circuit Court, in behalf of the Canal Board, against James H. Collins, Judge John M. Wilson, and Norman B. Judd, each of whom had studied the case with great care, and argued it with great ability. In the Supreme Court, Judge Purple, of Peoria, and^obert 8. Blackwell were associated with me, and two days before the argument came on, Douglas, then senator, was added to the able counsel against us. He had only a few hours for preparation, and his asso¬ ciates gave him their briefs and all the advantage of their full and exhaustive preparation. All of us, on each side, made argu¬ ments, and the associates of Douglas displayed more than usual ability, but when Douglas came to close, his presentation of the case was so fresh, so strong and vigorous, as to astonish us all on both sides. He displayed on this, as on many other occasions, his wonderful power of taking and vivifying the ideas of others, and bringing them out so that they seemed quite new and origi¬ nal. He gave to everything the stamp of his own masterly mind. The brightest days in the career of Douglas were the last. His conduct toward Lincoln, on the day of his inauguration, and afterward, was magnanimous, noble, and patriotic. His speech at Chicago and at Springfield, a few weeks before his death, was a rallying cry for the Union and the Constitution, worthy of the brightest name in American history. His eloquent words, carried by the press to every section of the Republic, were the means of calling many gallant soldiers to the front. Senator McDougall, his devoted personal friend, arriving from California, and hearing as the pilot came on board his ship, off the harbor of New York,' of the death of Douglas, says: "Before I left home I heard this- 32 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE battle-cry of Douglas resounding over the mountains and valleys of California and far-off Oregon." "It is a far cry to Lochow," but the war-cry of Douglas reached there. I do not say that had Douglas lived, President Lincoln would have offered him a high military command, but I do say, that the President was very carefully considering the subject, when death decided it. The name of Douglas is a familiar word in Scottish story, common alike in history, in poetry and romance, but among all who have borne it, from him of "The bleeding heart," all the way down, it seems to me the greatest of them all was Stephen Arnold Douglas. It fell to me, as the representative in Congress from Chicago, the home of Dougks, to make some remarks in the House, on the occasion of his death. I attempted to compare Lincoln and Douglas, and to do justice to both. Neither Mrs. Lincoln nor Mrs. Douglas were pleased with the comparison. Each expressed to me afterwards her astonishment; one, that anybody could compare Douglas to her husband, and the other, that anyone could think for a moment of comparing Lincoln to Douglas ! Such was the proud appreciation of her own husband by each, and I honored both for their partiality. I wish I had time to-night to retouch the canvass on which, in other days, I attempted to sketch these two great leaders, but this must be reserved for another forum and another occasion. These great men, their discussions, their virtues, their lives have passed into history. Each was the acknowledged leader of the great party to which he belonged—rivals and opponents, until the fear¬ ful peril gf their common country brought them together; and then, like two brothers, they grasped hands to save the Republic, and their names, thus associated, will go down to the remotest posterity. In the life of this Nation, there have been many great debates. TJiere were great debates in the old Continental Congress on the question of Independence, and other vital topics; great debates on the Missouri quetáon in 1820-21. The debate between Web¬ ster and Hayne, and between Webster and Calhoun, were memor. EARLY CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS BAR. 33 able, but I think the 'udgment of the future will declare, that quite the equal in historic interest to either, was the great debate of 1858, between Lincoln and Douglas. Thus, gentlemen, I have given you some random recollections of a few of the great names of those who were among our leaders at the Bar, in the earlier, may I not say, the better days of our noble profession. They have passed away—nearly all of them. Butterfield, Baker, Bissell, McDougall, Blackwell, Ballingall, Brown, Judd, Douglas, Lincoln, Tracy, Spring, "The names we love to hear. Have been carved, for many a year. On the tomb. " But they have left an unstained record, unsullied honor, pure in¬ tegrity, truth, fidelity to client and every other trust; seeking suc¬ cess by honorable means alone. For these traits we loved them while they lived, for these trails we will honor and cherish their memories, now that they are dead. Wednesday Evening, January 12th, 1881, the second lec¬ ture before the Association was delivered by Hon. James C. Conkling, of Springfield, Illinois. Quite a large number of ladies graced the occasion by their presence, and it was remarked that more than half of the judges of the Cook County Courts were in attendance. In the absence of the President, R. Biddle Roberts, Esq., Vice- President, presided. Mr. Roberts said : Ladies and gentlemen! The agreeable duty devolves upon me of introducing the distinguished and eloquent Lecturer of the evening. Mr. Conkling has selected for his subject " The Early Bench and Bar of Central Illinois," and when we remember that he was contemporary with, and an active associate in practice dur¬ ing the palmy days, professionally and politically, of those great men who adorned the Bar of this State in passed years, we can realize, in some degree, the rich field from which he can draw for our information and entertainment. Some few of those men survive; some, very distinguished in the annals of our country, have passed away. The testimony 01* one who was with them and »of them can not fail to interest us all, more particularly the Bar Association. Mr. Conkling has been a resident of Springfield and a distin¬ guished member of the Bar of this State for nearly forty years, and in giving us, in this way, the benefit of his ripe experience he does us high honor. Ladies and gentlemen, I have the honor to introduce to yon the Hon. James C. Conkling. RECOLLECTIONS of THE BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS By Hon. JAMES C. CONKLING, Springfield. Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Bar Association: Biography is merely history in miniature. It may occupy only a brief space, but it is more or less connected with the great drama of human life. The personal reminiscences of some may be confined almost entirely to the vale of obscurity,' while those of others may be so interwoven with national affairs, that it may be difficult to determine where biography ends and where history begins. Each possesses its peculiar characteristics. History instructs, biography pleases. The one addresses itself to the intellect, the other to the affections. The one expands the mind, the other intensifies its energies. The one affords a grand and sublime exhibition of the powers of the human will, when driven by the fierce gales of passion and ambition, while the other gratifies the taste and appeals to the pleasurable emotions of a refined and cultivated mind. The one resembles old ocean lashed into fury by the tempest, terrific in its majesty, awful in its grandeur, relentless in its stem decrees, regardless of its victims and involving an universal catastrophe; while the other is like a peaceful river, meandering through pleasant vales, and amidst beautiful meadows, imparting freshness to the ver¬ dure and elegance to the scenery. The personal reminiscences of the mere lawyer, however, have few charms to captivate the popular mind. It is true he may, to 36 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE some extent, control events; but like him, who moves the ever- shifting panorama of the stage, he keeps studiously out of sight. His pen may, possibly, be mightier than the sword; his whisper¬ ings may be-more efficient than the thunders of artillery, his opinions may reach far beyond the din of battle, yet his life may possess none of the pomp and circumstance of glorious war, but may move quietly onward in almost unrecognizable obscurity. How this is avoided! It is only when he throws aside the dusty tomes of the law, when he turns his back upon the worm- eaten volumes of his library, when he brushes away the legal cobwebs that have obscured his intellect, it is only when he comes out into the pure sunshine of heaven, when he steps upon the broad platform of active humanity, when he comes in con¬ tact with the conflicting interests of society, when he plays, with the fingers of a skilful master, upon the excited passions of political life, when he debates, with fierce enthusiasm, the ques¬ tions of peace and war, when he hurls the quick retort, the fiery invective, the terrible denunciation, when he exposes error, denounces treason, glorifies patriotism, when he upholds thé constitution, advocates the integrity of the union, aye, and even apostrophizes the old flag, as the symbol of our country's great¬ ness and glory, it is then that the mere lawyer sinks into insig¬ nificance and he stands revealed as the grand and magnificent statesman. Webster, and Clay, and Benton, and Calhoun, and hundreds of others, profound and eminent as lawyers, might have worn out their lives in haranguing courts and mystifying juries, and have gone down to their graves,' "unwept, unhonored, and unsung," except by a few mourning relatives and friends, unless they had shivered their lances in senatorial contests, and gallantly struggled in the political arena with illustrious foes. It is true, that some lawyers have acquired distinction as legal authors, and as such will be remembered through many genera¬ tions. Their works may be dry and uninteresting to the general 'eader, they may abound in too many nice distinctions and subtle abstractions, they may be filled with technicalities and even BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 37 absurdities connected with black-letter lore, but yet they contain the broad massive foundations upon which is reared the legal superstructure of the present age. There are, however, some notable exceptions. Blackstone, by the elegance of his style, has thrown a charm over the pages of the law, and almost con¬ structed a royal road for every student who aspires to obtain a knowledge of its principles, while Kent and Story, and a host of others in our own land, have shed a flood of light upon its elementary doctrines, which will reflect honor upon their names, and render them illustrious forever. It is true, also, that the judicial ermine has graced the shoul¬ ders of many lawyers who have won an enviable fame as learned and honorable judges. Mansfleld, and Eiden, and Ellenborough, have become famous in the annals of English history as pioneers of English law, while Marshall, and Barbour, and Curtis, and Woodbury, and McLean, and Taney, and others, will always 'maintain a distinguished position in American courts as profound and learned jurists. The mere lawyer, however, whose name is not inscribed upon the roll of fame as statesman, author, or judge, is liable to be soon forgotten in the lapse of time. He may have been too well contented with the dull routine of courts. He may have become too familiar with contingent remainders and executory devices. He may have striven too earnestly to master the doctrine of uses and trusts. Estates in entail and reversion may have afforded too extensive a subject for his study and reflection. Shelly's rule, like the pons asinorum of the mathematician, may have absorbed too much of his time and attention. Or perhaps the intricacies of special pleading may have captivated his mind, and the entire legal system, with all its absurdities and incon¬ sistencies, may have been esteemed by him as the very perfection of reason. He mourns, therefore, over the march of modern improvement, which tramples with a ruthless heel upon the antiquated remains of the past, and protests against the innovations which have swept away the dust of former ages, and let in the clear sunshine of a more enlightened period. 38 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE But though many such specimens may be found at the English bar, yet this is not generally the character of the American lawyer, particularly of the western type. Society here has been, and still is, in a formative condition. Forty years ago, the wants and necessities of the profession did not afford an opportunity for a minute investigation into the records of the past, or a pro¬ found study of legal principles. There were but few libraries of a respectable size, either public or private, in this State. In Springfield, there were not more than two or three that contained over fifty volumes. In Peoria, Quincy, and Belleville, the pro¬ fession was not much better supplied. In Chicago, probably not more than half-a-dozen libraries contained over one hundred volumes. The Revised Statutes, the Illinois form-book, and a few elementary treatises const tuted the usual outfit in the smaller towns. Fortunate was the attorney who could boast of a few English reports, or those of New York, Massachusetts, or Ken¬ tucky, which were then considered of standard authority. There were but few cases in the courts that required an extraordinary amount of learning to manage. There was no necessity for the application of the rule, stare decisis, for there were few or no decisions to stand upon. Good sound common sense, the gift of speech, a mixture of natural shrewdness with politics, and a regular attendance upon the courts in circuit, were the principal requisites for success. Forty years ago, business was not so great in extent as to occupy the full time of the lawyer. Suits were not so numerous, or so important, as to afford a support for himself and his family. He engaged in political life as an employment, and solicited office to improve his slender income. A much larger number of the prominent members of the legal profession then became ■members of the State Legislature or of Congress than at presentí The people demanded their political services, and they were happy and anxious to accommodate the people. A political contest gave them notoriety among the masses, and afforded them an opportunity to display their abilities. A reputation for eloquence and skill in debate was a recommendation as lawyers in the practice of their profession. Hence, we find the names of BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 39 Reynolds, Edwards, Cook, Casey, Breese, Browning, Hardin, Baker, Williams, Shields, Douglas, Trumbull, Lincoln, McCler- nand, and numerous others âlmost as frequently, in the political annals of our State, as upon the records of our courts. As lawyers they were eminent. As statesmen many of them became illustrious. Forty years ago, the suits that were instituted were generally -simple in their character. The terrible financial crash of 1837 had left the country in a state of bankruptcy. The vast system of internal improvements which had been projected in this State had been left unfinished. Contractors were unable to perform •their obligations. Merchants found it impossible to collect their claims, and could not satisfy their own creditors. The masses of the people were poor, and deeply involved in debt. The two-thirds law was invented for their protection, and the bankrupt law became a refuge for those who were hopelessly insolvent. A very large proportion of suits was for the collection of debts, and to set aside fraudulent conveyances. Actions ot slander, and trespass for assault and battery, engendered by the state of feeling incident to pecuniary embarrassment, were frequent The records of our courts, and the earlier volumes of our reports, were not burdened with many cases of a very serious or complicated character. The history of the law, as included in these reports, affords ¡1 striking illustration of the remarkable growth of our State in population and wealth. The rapid publication of the former has been commensurate with the enormous development of the latter. The sums involved in the earlier actions were small and trifling when compared with those of recent years, which have frequently been colossal in size, amounting to millions of dollars, •while the questions to be decided have been of the most difficult and intricate character. Almost an entirely new system of law has been developed, which has required the exercise of sound judgment, clear preception, profound study, and extensive re¬ search by our legal tribunals. The rapid increase of municipal corporations has required the establishment of discriminating rules, by which to regulate their 40 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE complicated interests and determine their relative rights and duties. Questions concerning the validity of bonds, involving many millions of dollars, had to be decided in such a manner as to protect the people against the imprudence or the vUlany of their public agents upon the one hand, and maintain the rights of innocent purchasers upon the other. The vast increase of life and fire insurance institutions has occasioned investigations of the most complicated kind, while our commercial transactions have multiplied to an almost infinite extent, affecting every department of industry and enterprise, and continually presenting' novel questions for settlement by the courts. The enormous expansion of our railroad system has also demanded the utmost prudence in determining how far the right of Kondemnation, founded upon the doctrine of eminent domain, should be exercised, and how far the power of the legislature extends in establishing a system of rates and freights, and when it may become necessary and proper to curb the fearful demands and exactions of these overgrown monopolies upon the rights and interests of the masses. It is yet to be determined, either by legislative or judicial authority, how far the present absolute, illimitable imperium shall be tolerated in a republican imperio, and how long railroad monarchs, with hundreds of millions at their command, shall defy the government made by the 'people and for the people. But little assistance could be obtained from the old EngliJi reports in regard to the novel and complicated questions that have arisen within the last forty years. The genius of our in¬ stitutions required our courts to break the shackles and fetters of the old feudal system, and to apply the principles dictated by sound common sense, an enlightened judgment, and a progressive age to the altered and peculiar circumstances in which they were placed. Our judges have found abundant material in the decisions of the courts of our sister States to sustain their opinions, illustrate their arguments, and enforce their decrees, without resorting to English authority; while English judges have drawn inspiration from American foun- BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 41 tains of equity and law, and have generously complimented our courts upon the extent of their learning, the diligence of their researches, and the correctness of their decisions. As long ago as 1821, Judge Story remarked that the mass of American law was accumulating, even then, with almost incredi¬ ble rapidity, and that it was impossible not to look without some discouragement upon the ponderous volumes which tlje next half-century would add to the groaning shelves of our jurists. The half-century has already passed away. If Judge Story were now living he would not "only look with discouragement, but with absolute amazement upon the perfect avalanche of legal works which issue yearly from the press. It would now require a princely income to embrace them all in a single library, but taken en masse, the American reports constitute a monument of enlightened wisdom, erudite scholarship, and profound learning which the world never before has witnessed, and which will com¬ mand the utmost veneration and respect in the courts of future ages. Lawyers, however, with that commendable pride by which the profession is characterized, have taken great pains to enlarge their libraries by selecting the best reports and the most exhaus¬ tive elementary treatises that can be obtained. In Chicago, especially, many of them, before the great fire, possessed inval¬ uable collections of legal works that would do honor to any city. They were not satisfied by law as modified by our peculiar institutions and the progressive ideas of this enlightened century, but rare works in black-letter print, antiquated binding, and Latin jargon graced their shelves. The vast commercial interests of this City; the rapid develop¬ ment of real-estate values; the enormous expansion of the railroad system; the unexampled increase of an industrious, energetic population; the municipal regulations, intended for the determination of the rights of meum and iuum—all demanded whatever assistance could be obtained from the profound learn¬ ing of former ages, as well as the enlightened wisdom of the present But the fire of 1871 swept away these accumulated treasures, as well as the wealth and palaces of her merchant 42 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE princes. 'WTiile these latter, with an indomitable energy unsur¬ passed in the history of any age, were laying the foundations of new and more splendid edifices amid the smoking ruins of the old, it is also true that her lawyers were active and vigilant in ransacking the libraries of the world in order to replace the losses incurred by that terrible calamity. As the stranger looks with amazement at the marble palaces, adorned with colonnades and statuary and all the ornamentation of an improved architec¬ tural taste, which have arisen, phcenix-like, from the ashes of the past, he may also regard with astonishment the splendid libraries, public and private, which adorn the City, and prove that lawyers are not drones in society, and that energy and enterprise are not confined to the mercantile and manufacturing classes of the com¬ munity. Forty years ago, many of the lawyers who had assisted in the formation of the original Constitution of our State, and who had helped to mould the character of our institutions, had passed away. Among them were Gov. Edwards, who is generally recognized as a gentleman of the old school, courtly in his manners, with knee-breeches, ruffied-shirt, and fair top-boots; but a lawyer and politician of distinguished ability. Elias K. Kane, who was United States senator, and to whom principally we were indebted for many of the peculiar features of our first Constitution. Daniel P. Cook, who was our first Attorney-General, and afterward member of Congress, and who is represented as "a man ol eminent talent and accomplishments." George Forquer, who Avas also Attorney-General and a member of the Legislature o. 1832, and chairman of the committee on internal improvements at the session of t834. Also Benjamin Mills, who was one 01 the most brilliant orators of his time, and who was engaged in prosècuting the impeachment of Judge Smith, and who spoke for three days during that proceeding in a strain of unsurpassed eloquence. But John Reynolds, Sidney Breese, Zadoc Casey, Henry Eddy, Samuel D. Lockwood, Nathaniel Pope, William J. Gatewood, and others, still survived, and were engaged more or less actively in BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 43 the duties of their profession, in judicial positions, or in the more exciting affairs of political life. About that time younger members of the bar began to appear upon the public stage in Central Illinois, hiany of whom have since acquired great eminence in their profession, and high distinction in the political history of the State and Nation. Among them are Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, John J. Hardin, James Shields, John A. McClerqand, O. H. Browning, Archibald Williams, John T. Stuart, Lyman Trumbull, E. D. Baker, and Stephen T. Logan, whose names may be frequently seen in the earlier reports of the Supreme Court and some ot whom still survive. Our first Constitution was framed in the summer of 1818. It established a Supreme Court of four judges, who were also required to hold Circuit Courts, and who, with the governor, constituted a Council of Revision. They were elected by the General Assembly. Joseph Phillips was the first Chief-Justice, and Thomas C. Browne, William P. Foster, and John Reynolds were Associate-Justices. Phillips was represented as à lawyer of fine intellectual endow¬ ments. He resigned his seat upon the bench in 1822, and became a candidate for governor against Edward Coles, but was defeated. Thomas Reynolds was appointed in his place. Judge Foster is described, historically, as no lawyer and a great rascal. It is said that he never read or practised law, but obtained his appointment by his winning and polished manners. He was assigned to the Wabash district, but resigned his position before he entered upon the duties of his office, and William Wilson was appointed his successor in August, 1819. Judge John Reynolds says that the material for the bench was not at that time as good as it might have been; but the State government was launched into existence, in the hands of com¬ mon-sense men, and sound and honest patriots; that the judges were all young and had not that long practice at the bar that was necessary to give standing and character to their decisions; but the law was administered with less form and ceremony, yet with as much equity and justice as at the present time. 44 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE As an evidence of the want of form and ceremony, he relates that he held his first court, in the spring of 1819, in Washington County, among his old friends and comrades. The sheriff was an old ranger like himself. Sitting astride a bench at the court¬ house, at the commencement of the term, he proclaimed, without rising: "The court is now open ! John is on the bench." Not long after, in Union County, where he presided, the deputy-sheriff exclaimed: "Oh yes! oh yes! oh yes! the honor¬ able judge is now opened." In January, 1825, the Legislature elected Wm. Wilson, Chief- Justice, and Thomas C. Browne, Samuel D. Lockwood, and Theophilns W. Smith, Associate-Justices, and required them to hold the Supreme Court twice a year, at the seat of Government It created five judges, John Y. Sawyer, Samuel McRoberts, Richard M. Young, James Hall, and John O. Wattles, who were to perform Circuit-Court duties at the munificent salary of $600 per annum. But the people were so dissatisfied with the extrava¬ gant expenditure of the public money that the next Legislature repealed the law, divided the State into five circuits, retained R. M. Young as judge of the Circuit Court in the military district, and required the Supreme judges to hold Circuit Court. Judge Wilson; at the time of his elevation to the honorable position of Chief-Justice, was only twenty-nine years of age. He had already been upon the Supreme bench five years as Associate- Justice. He was born in Virginia in 1795, ^nd came to Illinois in 1817. Within a year after his arrival, he was chosen to the place of Judge Foster. He was remarkably correct in all his transactions, and secured the confidence and esteem of the people by his gentlemanly deportment and the urbanity of his manners. He remained upon the bench until the Constitution of 1848 went into effect, when he retired to private life. As a writer, his style was clear and distinct. As a lawyer, his judg¬ ment was sound and discriminating. As a judge, his learning and impartiality commanded respect, and his public opinions are characterized by sound reasoning and good sense. Judge Browne also remained upon the bench until the new Constitution was adopted, although a strenuous effort had been BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 45 made to remove him by impeachment at the session of the Legislature of 1842-3. He had been a member of the Supreme Court since the adoption of the Constitution of 1818. He was kind and gentle¬ manly in his deportment, and friendly to all, but possessed no legal attainments, and was utterly unfit for the high and respon¬ sible position which he occupied. The few decisions which he rendered were upon the points of practice, or upon questions ol the simplest character. The estimation in which he was held by his brother judges may be inferred from the following incident: On one occasion, when a case had been referred to him for decision, he requested time for deliberation. "O pshaw, judge," said one of the court, "you may as well guess now as at any otlier time." The attempt to impeach him was on the ground of incom¬ petency. His home had been at Shawneetown, but upon the reorganization of the Supreme Court, he had been assigned to the Galena district, with the hope that this stroke of unfriendly legislation would be unsatisfactory and induce him to resign. But as he was willing to accept the position with all its incon¬ veniences, a determined effort was made to remove him, and specifications were filed before the Senate by Thos. Drurrimond, S. C. Hempstead, Thompson Campbell, and A. L. Holmes, charging that he did not possess that natural strength of mind, nor the legal and literary learning, indispensable to the proper discharge of the high and responsible duties devolving upon him as a judge of the Supreme Court; that his opinions in that court were written and revised by others ; that his decisions upon the Circuit were the mere echoes of the ideas of some favorite attorney; and that by nature, education, and habit, he was wholly unfit for his position. The Senate, however, declined to examine into the charges. The House, in committee of the «diole, went several times into their investigation, but finally asked to be discharged from their further consideration. Judge Browne therefore retained his position, and remained upon the bench until the Supreme Court was reorganized under the new Constitution. 46 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE Judge Lockwood had been Attorney-General in 1822. About that time an attempt was made by many prominent politicians to convert Illinois into a slave-state. The Legislature of 1822 passed a resolution, recommending the electors to vote at the next election for or against a Convention, tl\e avowed purpose of which was to amend the Constitution, so that slaves could be introduced into the State. The late Chief-Justice Joseph Phillips, the newly-elected Chief-Justice Thomas Reynolds, Judge The- ophilus W. Smith, Judge Samuel McRoberts, and R. M. Young, afterward judge of the Supreme Court, were all in favor of the amendment. But Judge Lockwood, and other able writers and orators, were zealously opposed to it. A bitter canvass raged for nearly eighteen months, in which the question of introducing slavery was discussed in the midst of great excitement. The Convention scheme, however, was finally defeated by a majority of about eighteen hundred, and Illinois remained a free-state: - Judge Lockwood was elected Justice of the Supreme Court by the Legislature, in January, 1825, and remained upon the bench until the adoption of the Constitution of 1848. He was remark¬ ably modest in his character, but a man of great intelligence, energy, and determination. He was inflexibly honest and up¬ right, a sound lawyer, an impartial judge, and an ornament to the bench. Judge Smith was also elected as Associate-Justice of the Supreme Court by the Legislature, in January, 1825. Judge Ford says; "He was a sagacious, active, and blustering poli¬ tician. He had for a long time aimed to be elected to the United States Senate. His devices and intrigues, to this end, had been innumerable. In fact, he never lacked a plot to advance himself or to blow up some other person. He was a laborious and ingenious schemer in politics, but his plans were always too complex and ramified for his power to execute them. Being always unsuccessful himself, he was delighted with the mishaps alike of friends and enemies; and was ever chuckling over the defeat or the blasted hopes of some one. But he made nothing by all his intrigues. By opposing the Reform Bill, be fell out and quarreled with the, leaders of his party. He lost BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. the credit he had gained by being the Democratic champion on the bench. He failed to be jlected to the United States Senate, and was put back to the laborious duty of holding Circuit Court."' At the session of the General Assembly of 183 z, he was im¬ peached and tried before the Senate. The House reported four different specifications for malpractice and corruption in office. The managers on the part of the House were Benjamin Mills, John T. Stuart, James Semple, Murray McConnell, and John Dougherty. The defendant's counsel were Sidney Breese, Thos. Ford, and Richard M. Young. The trial attracted great attention, not only at the seat of government, but throughout the State. It occupied about one month. The vote in the Senate was about equally divided ; but, as the Constitution required a majority of two-thirds to convict, the judge was acquitted. He retained his seat upon the bench, until December, 1842, when he resigned. Notwithstanding his reputation as an unscrupulous politician. Judge Smith was recognized as a man of strong mind and con¬ siderable mental vigor, and as a good lawyer. In 183s, the Legislature again created Circuit Judges, and continued to add to their number until there were nine circuits. But by the act of 1841, it legislated the nine judges out of office, increased the number of the Supreme judges from four to nine, and elected Thos. Ford, Sidney Breese, 'Walter B. Scales, Samuel H. Treat, and Stephen A. Douglas, all Democrats, in addition to . the four judges then upon the bench. The change was a bitter partisan measure, and, in the language of Governor Ford, "one confessedly violent and revolutionary, and could never have succeeded except in times of great party excitement. The con¬ test in the Presidential election of 1840 was of such a turbulent and fiery character, and the dominant party in this State had been so badly defeated in the Nation at iWge, by the election of General Harrison, that they were more than ever inclined to act from motives of resentment and a feeling of mortification. The dominant party, therefore, came to the work, thirsting for revenge, as well as with a determination to leave nothing undone to secure their power in this State at least." 48 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE Two important suits were connected with this change in the judiciary system. An attempt wasanade to remove Alexander P. Field from the office of Secretary of State. He and three of the Supreme judges belonged to the Whig party. When Governor Carlin came into office in 1838, he claimed the right to appoint a new secretary before any vacancy existed. He nominated John A. McClernand; but the Senate, by a vote of twenty-two to eighteen, declared that the executive did not possess the power to nominate a secretary, except in case of vacancy, and they therefore rejected the nomination. After the adjournment of the Legislature he undertook to appoint McClernand as secre¬ tary, who thereupon demanded possession of the office, but was refused. McClernand then filed an information, in the nature of a quo warranto, before Judge Breese, in the Circuit Court of Fayette County, who decided in his favor. Field took an appeal to the Supreme Couft, where the decision was reversed. Aside from the political questions involved, the case was of con¬ siderable importance. Able counsel appeared on each side. For the appellant were Cyrus Walker, Justin Butterfield, and Lew Davis. For the appellee, Stephen A. Douglas, Jas. Shields, and Wickliffe Kitchell, the Attorney-General. Wilson and Lock- wood, the Whig judges, concurred, and Smith dissented. Browne being connected with the relator, declined to sit in tlie cause. The Court decided that the Governor did not possess the power of removing the Secretary of State at his pleasure; that when that officer was once appointed, he cbntinued in office during good behavior, or until the Legislature limited the term or authorised some public functionary to remove him. The decision caused great excitement in political circles against the "Whig Court," because it prevented the Democrats from occu¬ pying one of the principal offices of the government; and it had a considerable infiuence in causing a reorganization of that tribunal. But there was another suit which was considered of far greater political importance, and which threatened the Democratic party with the danger of losing their political control of the State, and consequently all their power and patronage. This was the BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 49 celebrated Galena alien case. The Constitution of 1818 pro¬ vided that in all elections,»all white male inhabitants, above the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State six months next preceding the election, should enjoy the right of an elector. Nine-tenths of the foreign vote were Democratic, and as the aliens numbered about ten thousand, if they were excluded from the polls, the approaching Presidential election Would be determined in favor of the Whigs. In order to test the right of aliens to vote, without having been naturalized, an agreed case was instituted-in the Circuit Court at Galena, between two Whigs, to recover the penalty of $100 under the law of 1829, because the defendant, who had acted as judge of the election, had received the vote of an alien. Judge Dan Stone, before whom the case was tried, decided that an alien was not entitled to exercise the electoral franchise, and therefore imposed the penalty prescribed by the statute. The case was immediately taken to the Supreme Court, and abïy argued upon its merits at the December term, 1839, but was continued to the next June term, during the heat of the Presi¬ dential canvass. There was a general apprehension that the case would be decided by the Whig Court against the right of aliens to vote, whereby the State would be carried by the Whig party. But Judge Smith came to the rescue of his friends, and pointed out to the counsel a clerical defect in the record, which caused a continuance of the case to the December term, beyond the date of the Presidential election. When it came up for final decision, the constitutional question was avoided, and the Court very properly decided that as the alien, whose vote was in ques¬ tion, was, by admission of both parties, possessed of all the qualifications required by the law of 1829, the Court erred in imposing the penalty. Meanwhile, the bill to reorganize the Supreme Court was pending before the Legislature. It was boldly charged by Douglas in a speech before the lobby, which in those days had considerable political influence, that the main question had been purposely evaded by the Court, so as to conciliate Democratic favor and defeat the bill. Its introduction had created a great 4 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE deal of feeling and excitement among all parties. It was not only opposed by the members of .the Supreme Court, but also by the nine Circuit judges, a majority of whom were Democrats. It finally passed, however, but was returned by the council of revision with their objections. They regarded it as physically impossible for nine judges to hold Circuit Courts in all the counties of the State, and discharge tjieir duties as a Supreme Court, and also attend at the seat of government as a council of revision. The nine Circuit judges had found it impossible to attend to all the business, in consequence of the vast increase in the number of suits. To impose this burden upon the Supreme judges, in addition to their other duties, they con¬ tended would result in great delay, if not in an absolute denial of justice. The bill, however, was repassed in the Senate, not¬ withstanding the objections, by a large majority; but in the House of Representatives by only a majority of one. A protest was signed by thirty-five members of the House and spread upon the journals. Among the names we find those of the following lawyers, who have become distinguished in the annals of the State and the Natioç: Cyrus Edwards, a brother of Gov. Ninian Edwards. He was a candidate for governor of this State in 1838, in opposition to ßov. Carlin, who was elected, and who, in the felicitous language of John Reynolds, made a wise and prudent governor, and "retired to private life with the decided approbation of the people." Also John J. Hardin, who Was popular in his manners, and bold and impetuous in his character. He enlisted in the Mexican war, was elected colonel of the ist regiment of Illinois volunteers, and fell, gallantly fighting, at the battle of Buena Vista. Also D. M. Woodson, who has since been elected as Circuit judge, and occupied the bench a number of years. Also E. B. Webb, a man of great decision of character, eminent as a lawyer, and influential as a politician. Abraham Lincoln was also among the members who protested against the passage of the bill. And also Jos. Gillespie, who was judge of the Circuit Court of the Madison judicial circuit for some years, who has always taken a deep interest in political affairs, and who is the only surviving lawyer who signed BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. SI tíM protest The five additional judges above named, were elected under the provisions of this act. As thus constituted, the Supreme Court continued to exist until it was dissolved by the Constitution of 1848. It is not the only instance in the history of our country, where courts have been reorganized for the express purpose of securing some political advantage. As the courts of the United States and the Supreme Court of the State were held at Springfield about 1840, many of the prominent lawyers from various portions of the State were regular in their attendance. Among them were O. H. Browning, Archibald Williams, Thomas Drummond, Justin Butterfield, Cyrus Walker, J. Y. Scammon, John D. Caton, I. N. Arnold, Charles Ballance, William Thomas, Lyman Trumbull, Walter B. Scates, Joseph Gillespie, Gustavus Koerner, E. B. .Washbume, and others, whose names are frequently seen in our earlier reports, and who acquired a wide reputation as sound and able lawyers. Were it our privilege to discuss the merits of the living, as well as the virtues of the dead, it would be a pleasure to dwell upon reminiscences connected with their history. We éould point to the munificent liberality of one; to the fine literary taste and varied accomplishments of another; to the extraordinary forensic eloquence of several; to the judicial honors worthily bestowed upon many, as well as to the profound learning and extensive legal attainments of all. But we forbear. Time is rapidly hurrying them onward, while the angel of history is patiendy uaiting to inscribe their honored names upon the roll of fame. The State having been divided, in 1841, into nine judicial circuity, the territory embraced by each was of considerable extent. The Sangamon district included Woodford County on the north and Shelby County on the South, and extended as far east as Coles. The sessions of court were held twice in the year. As legal business at home during the long vácations was very inconsiderable, the lawyers were compelled to travel upon the circuit In the spring, they generally went on horseback, on account of muddy roads and swollen streams. Bridges, in the unsettled portions of the counties, were scarce, and the sloughs 52 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE were frequently difficult to cross. The grass was so thickly- matted together, and its roots so densely entwined, that the rains passed off very slowly. The roads generally ran through the middle of the prairies, and often there were stretches of twelve or fifteen miles without a house or any sign of improvement. I have traveled sometimes nearly all day without meeting a human being or passing a single farm. Almost everybody con¬ sidered it his duty to exercise the rights of hospitality, and the latch-string generally hung out. On one occasion I rode from breakfast time until after dark, through prairies covered with water, after heavy rains. At length I stopped at a cabin and knocked for admittance, but receiving no answer, I opened the door, and saw, by the bright moonlight, chairs and beds arranged in perfect order, but no inmates. Being very hungry I searched for something to eat, and fortunately found some meat and com- bread in nicely covered dishes. Of course I levied upon the provisions for supper; and took possession of one of the beds, where I slept comfortably and undisturbed until morning, when I went on my way rejoicing. On another occasion, in 1838, I stopped at a cabin in Logan County, near the site where the magnificent institution for the feeble-minded, has recently been erected by the State. The woman complained very much because the population was becoming too dense. She said her family would be compelled to remove further west, where they would not be troubled by so many neighbors. In the morning, I discovered one house in sight, and no more, and in the direction of Springfield it was about eight miles to the nearest farm. In the spring, to my young and ardent mind, the prairies were siu-passingly beautiful. Covered with luxuriant grass, interspersed ■with flowers of every hue, which gracefully bent with every passing breeze, they possessed a charm that can never be for¬ gotten. These are the gardens of the desert, these The unshorn fields, boundless and beautiful, And fresh as the young earth, ere man had sinned— The prairies—I behold them for the first, -And my heart swells, while the dilated sight Takes in the encircling vastness. Loi they stretch BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. S3 In aiiy undulations far away, As if the ocean in his gentlest swell Stood still, with all his rounded hillows fixed And motionless forever. The hotel accominodations at that early day were of the humblest kind. Sometimes we were fortunate enough to sleep on a bedstead, but frequently upon the floor. The rooms were generally crowded with jurors, witnesses, parties litigant, and others, who had come not merely to attend court, but to witness a horse-race, or a circus, or some theatrical performance, which were generally the side-shows of a Circuit Court in those primi¬ tive times. At the first session of the court held at Taylorville, in Christian County, the county-seat consisted of two houses, each containing one room. One was occupied by the court and the other as a saloon. The business was dispatched the first afternoon, and the judge and the bar rode ten miles in a drizzling rain to find shelter for the nighf. When not engaged in business, lawyers spent their leisure hdurs in social conversation, singing songs, telling stories, and playing cards or practical jokes upon each other. Hon. William L. May, who had been a member of Congress, having some musical taste, carried his violin with him. Mr. Lincoln abounded in anecdotes, of which he seemed to possess an inexhaustible fund. No one could relate a story without reminding him of one of a similar character, and he generally capped the climax. His stories, though rude, were full of wit. He relished whatever had a nib to it, as he expressed it. He generally laughed as loudly as others at his own witticisms, and provoked laughter as much by the quizzical expression of his homely features, and the heartiness of his own enjoyment, as by the drollery of his aaecdotes. Mr. Lincoln was a slow thinker. It seemed as if every' prop¬ osition submitted to his mind was subjected to the regular process of a syllogism, with its major proposition and its minor proposition and its conclusion. Whatever could not stand the test of sound reasoning he rejected. Though honest by instinctive impulse, he became still more so by the logical operation of his mind. He would not accept a fee in a bad cause. He would 54 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE not argue a case before a jury for .the sake of argument, when he believed he was wrong. No man was stronger than he when on the right side, and no man weaker when on the opposite. A knowledge of this fact gave him additional strength before the court or a jury, when he chose to insist that-he was right He indulged in no rhetorical flourishes or mere sentimental ideas, but could illustrate a point by one of his inimitable stories, so as to» carry conviction to the most common intellect. He used plain Saxon words, which imparted strength to his style, at the expense, it may be, of elegance, but which were understood and appreciated by the masses of the people. Dr. Leonard Bacon, of New Haven, whose learning and scholarship are well known, once told me that he considered the Cooper institute speech of Mr. Lincoln one of the purest specimens of composition in Saxon words to be found in the English language. Mr. Lincoln's power of overwhelming an adversary by anec¬ dote, or an illustration, was demonstrated on one occasion, when he was a member of the Legislature. A gentleman who had formerly been Attorney-General of the State was also a member. Presuming upon his age, experience, and former official position, he thought it was incumbent upon him to oppose Mr. Lincoln, who was then one of the acknowledged leaders of his party. He therefore took especial pains to reply to Mr. Lincoln's speeches, and was so persistent in his assaults that he became positively annoying and offensive. He at length attracted the attention of Mr. Lincoln, who replied to his remarks, and then told one of his humorous anecdotes, and made a personal application to his opponent, which placed him in such a ridiculous attitude, and which was so apropos, that it convulsed the whole house of representatives with laughter. All business was at once sus¬ pended. In vain the Speaker rapped with his gavel. In vain the door-keepers endeavored to preserve order. Members of all parties, without distinction, were involuntarily compelled to laugh. They not only laughed, but they screamed and yelled. They pounded upon their desks. They thumped upon the floor with their canes. They clapped their hands. They threw up their hats. They shouted and twisted themselves into all sorts BEMCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 55 of contortions, until their sides ached and the tears coursed down their cheeks. The lobby was as badly infected as the House. It was a scene of indiscribable confusion. One par¬ oxysm passed away, but it was speedily succeeded by another, and again they laughed, and screamed, and yelled. Another lull occurred, and still another paroxysm, until they seemed to be perfectly exhausted. It is needless to add that the ambition of Mr. Lincoln's opponent was abundantly gratified, and that for the remainder of the session he relapsed into a condition of profound obscurity. One of Mr. Lincoln's most intimate friends, and a partner' in the practice of law for some years, and one of the most success- fiil lawyers of this State, was Stephen T. Logan, of Sangamon County. He came from Kentucky when thirty-two years of age, bringing with him a high reputation, and soon obtained a leading position at the Springfield bar, which was then and afterward, during his career, adorned by such distinguished lawyers as Baker, Stuart, Lincoln, Douglas, McDougal, Edwards, Hay, Palmer, Mc demand, and others. In 1835 he was elected Circuit judge by the Legislature, and after serving in that capacity about two years, he resigned because of the inadequacy of the salary. He was elected several times to the Legislature, and always took a prominent part in debate. His. opinions were received with deference, and he exercised an extraordinary influence -by the integrity of his character and his fairness in discussions. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1848, and by his characteristic wisdom, prudence, and economy mater¬ ially assisted in the adoption of some of the best provisions of that Constitution. In 1848 he was nominated as the Whig candidate for Congress in his district, in opposition to Col. Thomas L. Harris, who had just returned from a brilliant career in Mexico, with his brow adorned with military laurels. Lincoln, Baker, and Logan then constitated a triumvirate, and were the three political leaders in dieir congressional district. Each was ambitious to serve his country at Washington City. It was understood that they would RECOLLECTIONS OF THE be candidates in rotation. Baker had been elected, and was occupying his seat when the war with Mexico commenced. Lincoln succeeded him according to agreement. Logan, in his turn, became a candidate, but, being utterly destitute of those qualities which win the popular heart, and being opposed by a gallant soldier, who had achieved success upon the battle-field, he was signally defeated. He was too honest in the declaration of his principles to succeed in political life, and would never condescend to the arts and chicanery by which demagogues are accustomed to clamber into office. He was appointed, by Governor Yates, one of the seven com¬ missioners to represent the State in the celebrated Peace Con¬ vention, which met at Washington prior to Mr. Lincoln's inaugur¬ ation. His efforts there were conservative in their character, and he pleaded powerfully for the preservation of peace. In one of his speeches he remarked: "Instead of dreaming of news from the seat of war, and of marching armies, I have thought of a country through which armies have marched, leaving in their track the desolation of a desert; I have thought of harvests trampled down; of towns and villages, once the seat of happiness and prosperity, reduced to heaps of smoking ruins; of battle-fields red with blood, whidi has been, shed by those who ought to have been brothers; of families broken up, or reduced to poverty; of widowed wives, of orphaned children, and all the other misfortunes which are inséparably connected with war. This is the picture which presents itself to my mind every day and every hour. It is a picture which we are doomed soon to witness in our country, unless we place a restraint upon our passions, forget our selfish interests, and do something to save our country." In his professional career he stood prééminent. He possessed the rare faculty of perceiving almost intuitively the strong points of a case, and the remarkable power of making clear and distinct to a court or a jury, the perceptions which he himself entertained. Distinctions, which to others would possess no difference, were recognized by the extraordinary keenness of his intellect and magnified by the lucid character of his argument. BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 57 until courts and juries were convinced of the correctness of his views. He won many a triumph by the fairness of his state¬ ments and the logical precision of his speeches. He disdained the arts of sophistry and appealed geiierally to the understanding of his hearers, though there were occasions when he would indulge in the flowers of rhetoric and attempt to move a jury by an earnest and impassioned eloquence. He was universally recognized by the bench and the bar as the great nisi prius lawyer of the State, and clients, who were fortunate enough to' secure his services considered it as a sure presage of victory. He was small in stature and frail in constitution, but a piercing deep-set eye and a large cranial development, imparted a highly intellectual appearance to his almost infantile features. He died at the age of eighty, although I have heard him say, nearly forty years ago, that he did not expect to live beyond sixty years of age. He will long be remembered for his public services as a legislator, for his ability as a judge, and for his eminent success as a lawyer. Allusion tas already been made to Col. E. D. Baker. He was an ornament to the bar. Although somewhat abrupt in his manners, he was pleasing in his address; but the charms of his eloquence overbalanced every other consideration, and courts and crowds were alike captivated by his oratory. Possessed with a powerfully retentive memory, the acquisition of knowledge was an easy matter. He reveled amidst the fields of literature, as well as of law, and culled many a flower of rhetoric, which he scattered again with rich profusion. Before the Mexican war he delivered three lectures without notes upon the arts of Greece and Rome, before large and fashionable audiences, showing great research and remarkable tenacity of memory. He was a mem¬ ber of the last legislature that was Held at 'Vandalia, and, as an evidence of his versatility of his tastes and habits, it is said that at one moment he would be playing at marbles with the boys, and the next he would be addressing the House of Representa¬ tives in strains of lofty eloquence. He was intensely ambitious. Arnold says a friend found him sitting on a fallen tree weeping bitterly. On being pressed to tell the cause of hig 58 RECOLLECTIONS OF THE grief, he said : " I have been reading the Constitution of the United States, and I find a provision in it that none but native- born citizens can be President. I am an Englishman by birth, and therefore can not be elected." I have only to say that Baker himself always denied this charge. He said he was not sitting upon a fallen tree on that occasion, but upon an old stump. Not only the refined and the intellectual listened with pleasure to the easy flow and the musical cadance of his language; not only did courts and juries wonder at the extent of his legal knowledge con¬ sidering the carelessness of his habits; not only were representa¬ tives and senators carried away by his eloquent strains, but the masses of the people recognized his ability and received him with apturous applause whenever he was pleased to address them. He was greedy of popular favor. I remember his electioneering-coat ' It was rather small for his well-made and graceful figure. The flaps were widely separated from each other. The inexpensive garment hung awry upon him, and looked like an old dilapidated flag at half-mast. But he performed wonderful feats in his affected dress, and swayed the multitude at his pleasiure by the magic power of his eloquence. He was bold as a lion. In those early days, when politics ran high, he was sometimes sur¬ rounded by danger, but no threats could intimidate him; no peril could make him quail. He became representative in the Legislature of 1837, and Senator in 1840. He was elected to Congress in 1844, and at the commencement of the Mexican war he left his seat, raised the 4th Illinois regiment, and united with the army. When the gallant Shields fell wounded at the battle of Cerro Gordo, Baker instantly took command of the brigade, charged magnificently upon the enemies' guns, and helped to complete the utter route of the Mexican army. In 1852 he went to California. There he became popular, notwithstanding his politics. The enthusiastic impulses of his genius corresponded with the fiery energies of the population. He applied himself assiduously to the practice of his profession and took a conspicuous position in the first rank of the members of the bar. At the funeral of Broderick he delivered one of the most magnificent orations that ever adorned the English Ian- BENCH AND BAR OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS. 59 guage. For an hour or more the homage of tears was paid to Baker's genius and Broderick's memory by the vast multitude which had assembled to pay the tribute of their love and affec¬ tion. The closing words of this wonderful eulogy are remarkable for their touching pathos. Said he: "The last word must be spoken, and the imperious mandate of death must be fulfilled. Thus, O brave heart! we lay thee to thy rest. Thus, surrounded by ten of thousands, we leave thee to the equal grave. As in life no other voice among, us so rang its trumpet-blast upon the ear of freeman, so in death its echoes will reverberate amidst our mountains and our valleys until truth and valor cease to appeal to the human heart. Good friend! true hero! hail and farewell!" After the death of Broderick, Baker went to Oregon and entered with great zeal into the canvass of 1859, and was elected by the Legislature, Senator in Congress from that State. He had now arrived at the summit of his political ambition. By the urbanity of his manners; by the elegance of his style; by his readiness in debate, he took a leading position in the delibera¬ tions of the Senate, and exerted all his energies, and all the powers of his eloquence, in the support of Lincoln's administra¬ tion. But the ardent impulses of his nature, and his thirst for military glory led him instinctively toward the battle-field. The last time I saw him was at the eastern portico of the capitol at Washington. Solitary and alone, he was leaning against one of the pillars absorbed in deep reffection. What were his thoughts and what the promptings of his fierce ambition were only known to him and his Maker. A few minutes after he was mounted upon his charger, at the head of his California regiment, march¬ ing through Pennsylvania Avenue, amidst all the pomp and dicumstance of war, and amidst the thousands that had assem¬ bled to witness the grand but mournful display. His military career was brief and sad. In October, 1861, he fell at Ball's Bluff helplessly contending against a concealed and superior foe, a willing sacrifice upon the alfar of his adoptqd country. In his own language we may well exclaim: "Good friend! true hero! hail and farewell !" But time would fail me on this occasion to refer in detail to 6o RECOLLECTIONS OF THE many others who are entitled to honorable mention as members of the early bench and bar of Central Illinois. We can occupy your attention only for a moment with refer¬ ence to Stephen A. Douglas, who was also a member of the Springfield bar, and who won the soubriquet of the "little giant" forty years ago. The language of eulogy has been exhausted by his admiring friends. No man ever had more enthusiastic adher¬ ents. As a young man he was extremely affable in his manners, and endeavored to make himself agreeable, in his private inter¬ course, to men of all parties. Ambitious of distinction, he assiduously endeavored to ingratiate himself with the masses of the people, and by his deferential manners, as well as by his extraordinary talent, he succeeded in winning the popular favor. He took advantage of every opportunity to advance his political prospects. He became the idol of his party, and was rapidly elevated from one political position to another, until he became a distinguished member of the United States Senate, and a prominent candidate for Presidential honors. The great debate between him and Lincoln will long be remembered, and history will record this grand intellectual contest as one of the most extraordinary that was ever witnessed in any age or any country. Lincoln and Douglas were the honored chiefs of their respec¬ tive parties, and are the grandest characters, intellectually and politically, which have graced the annals of our State. In many respects they were preeminent among our most distinguished lawyers and statesmen. As their destinies were associated in their early manhood, and intertwined with each other in their maturer yeps, so their memories, indissolubly united, will be embalmed together in the pages of history with those of the most remark¬ able men of our nation. The remains of one repose upon the shores of your lake, whose dashing waves will forever sound his praises and sing a requiem for his departed spirit; while those of the other slumber beneath a magnificent monument, whose lofty column will for many ages awaken the recollection of his numerous virtues and his illustrious career. Illinois has reason to be proud of her statesmen, her judges, and her lawyers. Thursday evening, February loth, 1881, Hon. Thomas Hoyne, of Chicago, delivered the third lecture of the course in Fairbank Hall. The President of the Association, Edward G. Mason, Esq., presided on the occasion, and introduced the lecturer as follows : Ladies and gentlemen:—You will be addressed this evening upon the subject of "The Lawyer as a Pioneer," by one who was himself one of the pioneers of our bar, and one of the first among our lawyers. I have the pleasure of introducing to you the Hon¬ orable Thomas Hoyne. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. By Hon. THOMAS HOYNE. This was the Language of a Toast prepared to be offered at the last annual dinner, in saratoga, of the American Bar Association. It suggested the subject of my lecture. The part performed by the profession, and the influence it has exerted upon the infant settlements of the West; the part it has performed in framing the laws and founding institutions, their development and the progress of western culture and art, are all very appropriate subjects of discussion before associations like this! The legal profession, or the profession of the Jurisconsult, has, in all times, perfonned a most important part in the government of mankind. It is unnecessary to repeat the statement of writers, with respect to the Greeks and Romans, that the pro¬ fession of advocacy comprehended the whole public business of the State, in war and peace—military as well as civil. The general in the field one day, not unfrequently expected to appear •in the forum on the next, pleading some cause—prosecuting or defending some public criminal ! In all countries and in every age where human thought has been free to express itseB) and in which the profession has been recognized, it has universally been found to have promoted the utmost freedom of opinion, while leading up to and establishing the fundamental axioms of liberty that now lie at the foundation of all popular forms of government. The value of the profession in respect to human liberty and the protection of society under the forms of law, were never 63 64 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. more remarkably illustrated than by the Terrorists of the French Revolution, when that tribunal of assassins, called the Revolu¬ tionary Tribunal, sent hundreds of innocent victims, men and women, daily to the Guillotine. They first procured a decree of the National Convention, that the Order of Advocates should be abolished, and that no advocate should be heard before them in defence of those who were condemned without trial. Does any one doubt that if the Order that had been known in France as the "Noblesse de la Robe" had been free, during those days of terror, to appear before those fanatics of blood, even these desperate men could not have carried on for months their work of cruelty and slaughter? In fact, it may be demonstrated as impossible, taking history as our guide, that despotism and cruelty can live in the same atmosphere with a free legal profession. Such free¬ dom, as is well known, has been suppressed in Russia. At first Napoleon abolished it in France, but he at last found it for his interest to restore it. But in England, the profession, as we know, has entered into every change through which that government has been passing for nearly five centuries, or it may be said, since the time Thomas More fell a victim to the low cunning of Rich and the ambition of Henry VIII. During every struggle which has resulted in curbing prerogative and privilege, nothwithstanding the servility of the times, the champions of right have come from the bar and bench. They were found among the Hales, Cokes, Erskines, and Mansfields of the English bar. After centuries of progress the science of Jurisprudence has so modified the spirit and forms of the British government, that the body of the Common Law is to-day the most reliable guarantee of representative government in Britain and America, and the very highest security for the liberties of the people. In our own country, the lawyer occupies, if he will, the most exalted position of trust as an officer of the courts. And it may be said, that in all his relations to the laws, the legislative and coordinate branches of government in every State, that taking the same number of men, there is no other profession in our THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 65 country which exercises so great an influence, or controls to the same extent the welfare and destiny of the United States, or the happiness of the people. In view of all this, considering the extent of their influence, is there any body, of equal numbers, more exemplary in private morals, and in all respects so faithful to every obligation and duty of the citizen, or animated by higher motives of patriot¬ ism and duty? ' A French writer, speaking of lawyers in relation to the great trusts they assume, says: "Let us imagine some brilliant and eminent lawyer, distinguished also by want of principle—great intelligence united to a depraved soul ! We may then go further and suggest, that, while ordinary criminals attack their victims at some risk of punishment and discovery, involving moral courage as well as turpitude—the base wretch, who, under cover of a robe which his profession sanctifies, betrays his calling to do a wrong— slays, like the poisoner, in the dark, ruining his victims beside the altar and the hearth, making society an unwilling accomplice." Lord Campbell turns away in disgust from the shame he feels in touching the infamous life of Lord Chancellor Rich, whose servile and base nature, whose cunning and perjury sent Thomas More to the block, at the instant his acquital wa? assured. That man (as Macauley says of Bacon), the glory and shame- of the profession, might have saved the life of his greatest benefactor and friend, the gallant Essex;—instead of which he lent himself to the murder of his reputation as well as his ife. When we come to the lawyer, as a pioneer in the Northwest, we find a grateful field, in which to gather honors for our pro¬ fession. Here the lawyers appear as the heralds (pilgrim fathers) of that civilization in tha wilderness, leading those advancing multitudes, which, as Bryant said, "were soon to fill those populous deserts." The State of Illinois owes to the legal profession a debt of gratitude, which only the absence of authentic written history has prevented all classes of the population from acknowledging. The judges and lawyers of this State, from the organization oi Ilhnois Territory under a separate government, in 1809, have 5 66 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. not only framed her codes of jurisprudence and laws, but their intellectual activity has led in every enterprise from the begin¬ ning, which developed her resources, founded her institutions, whether of an educational, political, or judicial nature, and, it may also be said, protected religion and enforced all the axioms of its morality. The high rank which Illinois has recently taken among her sister States of the Union, under the Constitution of 1870, and the policy which has prevailed in extinguishing the State indebtedness, are so noteworthy as the work of the emi¬ nent lawyers of the State—that they are of themselves a testi¬ mony of no ordinary kind—to their wisdom and patriotism. Illinois has much unwritten history. And here let us return thanks to such lawyers as Brown, Reynolds, Ford, Breese, and Edwards, who have all left us rich materials;—while, considering the amount to be written, we must admit that the historian of Illinois is yet to come. The late Judge Henry Brown, in his History of Illinois, pub¬ lished in 1844, at New York—^while he was residing in Chicago, in the practice of his profession—in his preface to the work, says, in respect to this State, "The Spaniards once claimed it; the French once occupied it; the English once conquered it; and finally, the Americans held it by right of conquest. Thus, he •says, the Gaul, the Saxon, and the savage—the Protestant, the Jesuit, and the Pagan—for more than a century have struggled for mastery." The late Judge Breese' has left a manuscript address (in the writer's possession) which was delivered by him before the General Assembly of this State in 1842, in which he divides the history of the State into three distinct epochs, each having its own peculiar and marked characterifcs. The first period em¬ braces ninety years, and takes in the period of discovery by the French in 1673, and its dominion by them until its cession to Great Britain in 1763, to which period the address confines itself. This address should be published. Although it goes over some of the same sfubjectS embraced by Mr. Parkman in his four volumes of "New France in the West and the Discoveries THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 67 made by the French," yet it is more interesting to us, because Breese follows that ninety years of French rule at Kaskaskia, where the deputy of the French Government lived. He gives us details of habits, manners, occupations, and illustrates the intel¬ lectual character of the Illinois French, the first inhabitants ot our territory who planted the first Christian church, and intro¬ duced the habits of a civilized community. Judge Breese, in a highly picturesque style, leads us into all the details of that early French life. He draws a picture of the piety and self-sacrifice which the humble pastors, with their small docks of parishoners, made year after year, while endeavoring to con¬ vert the Indian tribes to their own faith in God. Speaking of white settlers, Mrs. Kinzie relates in her work, "Wau-bun," that the Indians, giving an account of Chicago, always said that the first white man who ever settled in Chicago was a negro! As a matter of fact, in 1796, Jean Baptiste Au Sable, a native of St. Domingo, did settle in Chicago, and died among the Indians some years after, near Peoria. But the discovery of the Mississippi River in the year 1673, by the humble missionary Marquette, is a principal theme oí Judge Breese in this history. The Judge follows the missionary from the home of the order to which he belonged in France, and gives a most glowing account of the rise of the Jesuit order and the work it had accomplished in all climes and in all the countries of the habitable globe. Marquette, inspired by the single motive of redeeming the savage and seeking him in the hope to save him to Christianity, embarked at Mackinaw. In the year 1673, he reached Green Bay and the Fox River, and crossed to the Wisconsin, finding his w^ down to the great river, as the Mis¬ sissippi was then called. He returned to Point St. Ignace, at St. Mary's, and in the fall of the next year, 1674, he started again, coming up Lake Michigan. During a storm his small canoe run up the Chicago River. Here he was detained by sickness untili the following March, 1675, when he was able to resume his voy¬ age to visit the mission of St. Louis'which he had established at Peoria. 68 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. Parkman, as well as Breese, say, that in that memorable winter of the years 1674 and 1675, Chicago was visited by, probably, the first human being of European origin, having any knowledge of Christianity or civilization. And it is a fact, also, well attested, that, in the same year Marquette left Chicago, he returned up the Illinois River from Peoria, reaching Lake Michigan, he crossed its waters, and, upon the opposite side of the Lake, entered the small stream in Michigan bearing his name—went apart from his companions—knelt in prayer alone—and died. His companions buried his remains—erecting over them a cross, and left them alone with that only monument—in the solitude which his presence had consecrated. Breese, speaking of Marquette's discovery of the Mississippi, says: "It is strange that this meek and humble missionary—the good old Father Marquette,—should be the first who made such a voyage upon the majestic and great river. That his slender bark should be the first to float upon the current, and its light paddle the first to break its ripple; for at that period a settlement of men of our own lineage had existed' in Virginia sixty-six years, in New York about fifty years, and in New England more than forty years." "Is it not then remarkable that its existence should have been unknown to all these colonists? that the natives of thosfe several and distant regions, should have had no legend connected with it—no tradition or other story of a far-off and mighty river running to the south—and what had become of the relations made by DeSoto's companions—now admitted to be true? "Yet it seems that no such story was generally current among the people, and to Marquette is ascribed the glory and renown of communicating the fact to the world, Hius adding another to the many trophies acquired by members of his order in all parts of the globe." Mr. Joseph N. Balestier, formerly of Chicago—now residing in Brattleboro, Vermont, of which he is a native—in 1840, speakipg of the French missionaries in Illinois, said that, "while the Puritan gave to New England her worship and her schools, the priests of France gave the West their altars, their hospitals, and THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 69 their seminaries. Neither should it ever be overlooked, that the French left their country from motives of religious zeaj alone, while the Pilgrim Fathers were driven by persecution from theirs. And much," he says, "as we must admire their sublime energy, the palm belongs to the dauntless sons of France." With this only glance at the first settlement of Illinois, and the lawyers as historians, let us trace them down the current of our State history, until we arrive at Chicago. Governor Ford, in his History of Illinois, begins with the year 1818, at the time when Illinois framed her first Constitution, and was admitted as a State into the American Union. Soon after the peace of Paris, in 1763, the British Government took possession of Illinois as a part of what was French territory. This included Fort Chartres, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, and Vincennes. Many of the French settlers then left and settled in Louisiana, the territory still retained by France, and purchased in 1804 by the United States. A change was soon to take place in the relations between Great Britain and her American colonists, which was destined to have far-reaching effects upon the French community; and, in 1776, the Declaration of American Independence finally settled the juris¬ diction and government which was to extend over the future setdement of questions affecting these inhabitants. But it was not until 1778, two years after the American revolu¬ tion began, that George Rogers Clarke and the troops placed under his command, under the authority of the Virginia State government, marched from Kentucky into Illinois, and obtained peaceable possession of Fort Chartres and Cahokia. The French gladly changed jurisdiction, and consented to defend the new government which offered to protect them. They aided Col. Clarke in securing a friendly alliance with the Indians, and their good French pastor interposed his kindly offices and influence with the French at Vincennes, and the whole Northwestern territory, with Detroit excepted, yielded itself up to the jurisdic¬ tion and government of the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the first council he held with the Indians, Clarke said to hem; "Your old father, the king of the French, has come to 70 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. life again. He was mad at them for fighting with the British, and if they did not want the land to be bloody with war, they must be at peace with the Americans." The justly celebrated Patrick Henry, the orator of the Revolu¬ tion, was then governor of Virginia. As soon as Clarke had made his conquest as a military commander. Governor Heniy selected a lawyer, John Todd, and commissioned him as a civil commandant, to take charge of the civil and political affairs of that far-off region. Illinois was organized, placed under Ameri¬ can jurisdiction, and the Republican flag for the first time dis¬ played to the Indians and French in these quarters. The whole territory was organized under Col. Commandant Todd, as a county of Virginia—known for some years, untU 1787, as the "County of Illinois, in the State of Virginia, west of the Ohio River." It was the largest county ever created for such a jurisdictional part of state government. It exceeded in dimen¬ sions the whole of Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales—and over all this, one lawyer had entire charge of its civil and military affairs—while, as a county of Virginia, the governor ruled over State and county. Virginia, in 1784, some six years afterward, made a cession of her Northwest Territory to the United States; and in 1787, the greatly-famed ordinance for the government of the Northwest, was framed, and a territorial government put into operation. This ordinance, as is well understood by lawyers, constituted the great organic law of the five States of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In 1800, what was known as the Indiana Territory, was carved out as a separate territory, which included also Illinois, and the capital of this territory was located at Vincennes, Indiana. But at length, in 1809, Congress created Illinois into a separate territorial government, and located her capital at Kaskaskia, which also became afterward the first capital of the State. As the first governor of the new territory. President Madison appointed a distinguished lawyer—Ninian W. Edwards—then the chief-justice of Kentucky, to that oflSce. Another distinguished lawyer—the late Judge Nathaniel Pope, to whom reference THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 71 will be made hereafter-^—was appointed the first secretary of the territory. Governor Edwards was a native of Maryland—had been educated with the celebrated William Wirt—and partially, under his tuition, but at the age of twenty-three, was admitted to practise at the bar of Kentucky. He was contemporary with Henry Clay, Felix Grundy, Hamilton Rowan, Chancellor Bibb, and other eminent men of that day. He rose rapidly from one judgeship to another, until he became chief-justice of that State, and appointed by Madison, as already stated, to be governor of the new territory of Illinois. Governor Ford says: "He was a large, well-made man, of princely appearance, which was a circumstance greatly in his favor, as a governor of a rude people, of whom it may be said, that the animal greatly predominated over the intellectual man. He showed an extensive knowledge of public affairs, and became distinguished as a man of fine talents throughout the Union." The Governor says, "that he never condescended to the common low arts of electioneering. Whenever he went out among the people, he arrayed himself in the style of a gentleman of the olden times, dressed in fine broadcloth, with short breeches, long stockings, and high fair-topped boots; was drawn in a fine carriage, and driven by a negro in livery. For success, he relied upon his speeches, delivered with great pomp, and in a diffuse and ñorid eloquence." In 1826, when Mr. Edwards was elected governor of this State, he appeared at his inauguration, before the two houses of the General Assembly, with a "gold-laced cloak, and delivered to them his first message, with great pomp and dignity." In the same year that Illinois was admitted into the Union, a young man of some twenty-one years of age, came into the State, a stranger, and settled at the old French town of Kaskaskia, then and for a long time the first capital of the State government. He was a man recognized, always, as distinguished for great capacity in affairs, as he was for his profound learning and scholarship—and, was it also fortuitous or providential, that he was destined to become identified with the history of the 72 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. public service for sixty long years bf unbroken energy and health? Less of an orator than a judge and a statesman, he moved among the great men in the State. He was seen and felt in every movement and work, and every work that devel¬ oped the natural resources of the State manifested his wisdom. He cultivated among the people an intellectual standard of taste- He planted, with others, every foundation of educational enter¬ prise through which the culture of the people was raised, and the ultimate prosperity of the State assured. Hon. Sidney Breese landed in Cario, in the year 1818. He located at Kaskaskia. He occupied the same office with Elias- K. Kane. He dedicated the first book ever printed in this State —Breese's Reports—to his friend and patron, Mr. Kane. He was United States attorney in 1824. He represented the people in the General Assembly at various times. He was made a judge, and presided in a Circuit Court, at Chicago, in 1835. He was made a United States Senator in 1842; and when he died, in 1878, he had served in the judicial office some thirty-five years, and, at the time of his death, he had been twenty-five years of his life an associate-justice of the Supreme Court, and three times a chief-justice of the State. He was a distinguished statesman, ever mindful of the material interests of the people, and devoted to public improvements. He made the first report in Congress, in favor of the great Pacific Railroad; and to him. the citizens of Chicago are greatly indebted for his wise fore¬ sight and progressive measures. There were other giants in the land in those days. Judge Nathaniel Pope, first Secretary of the Territory, is identi¬ fied with, perhaps, one of the most important measures ever adopted as an act of successful statesmanship ! To him we owe the fact that Chicago is now the great City of Illinois, instead of a part of Wisconsin. Judge Pope, as I have said, was first Secretary of Illinois Ter¬ ritory in i8t8, and as 'such received the petition -from the inhabi¬ tants to enter the Union as a State. By the Ordinance of 1787, it will be remembered that it was provided in the fifth article, that there should be formed in the said territory not less than three nor THE LAWVER AS A PIONEER. 73 more than ßve States, and the Ordinance defines the boundaries of the three States of Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana. But there is a proviso which declares that if Congress at any time shall find it expedient, "they may form one or two States in that part of said territory which lies north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend of Lake Michigan." It became evident to Judge Pope, that, as Wisconsin was to be erected north of that line, Illinois would be excluded from any port on Lake Michigan, and the port of Chicago being north of the line, Chicago would be in Wisconsin, and the Illinois and Michigan Canal (which then had become a near certainty) would be partly in and partly outside the State of Illinois, unless the line of the latter State could be extended further north. He at once consulted with senators and representatives, and induced them to agree to the ordinance which he had drawn for the admis¬ sion of the State into the Union, with a new rjorthern boundary line, which he located at 42° 30' north latitude, the present northern, line of our State. Could he, or could others, have looked into the future, even twenty-five years, there might have been many objectors found, as there have been since, but no prescience could have supposed that in sixty years the part of Illinois included by that change of boundary, would have given her the fourth largest city of the Union, and that in the fifteen counties, organized out of the / territory, then taken from Wisconsin, there would be a majority of the population of this State, by the census of i88o, while three-fourths or four-fifths of all the wealth of the State would be found north of the southern bend of Lake Michigan. In other respects also. Judge Pope showed the forecast of a truly great statesman. He obtained for Illinois a three per cent fund set apart, arising out of the sales of all United States public land within the State. Daniel P. Co»k, afterward our representa¬ tive in Congress obtained a grant of the canal land, some 300,- 000 acres, to aid the State in constructing the Illinois and Michi¬ gan Canal. Judge Pope, however, laid the foundation for those large educational grants which gave the State every thirty-sixth section in every township of the State, for school purposes, which 74 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. Governor Ford estimated at one million of acres, and which the governor said, " If kept, would be worth twenty millions of dol¬ lars." Gov. Ford greatly underestimated the future value of this property. The single section reserved in town thirty-nine, now the School-Section Addition to Chicago, is alone worth more than the twenty millions at which he estimated the value of the whole. But in 1837 and 1838, the amount the school-fund realized from the sales of this section, known as the schooMand, did not exceed fifty thousand dollars. This was loaned out at interest. The organization and support of schools, however, was, with Judge Pope and the men of that day, one of the primal objects secured to the State, through their efforts, for posterity. The people of this generation owe them the acknowledgment of that service. It is not certain, even, whether had this one million acres set aside for schools, been reserved from sale until now, that the schools would have been more prosperous, or the people have been less taxed. In the first State administration of 1818-19, there were lawyers of high rank, and some of the best men whom history will place among her benefactors, as founders of the State. Elias K. Kane was the first Secretary of State. His name has been given to Kane County. There was Daniel P. Cook, the first Attorney- General of the State, who advocated our canal grant in Congress. His name is perpetuated in the name of Cook County. John Thomas was the first State Treasurer, and Governor Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas were elected our first U.S. Senators. The most noted exceptions of those, not lawyers, in the administra¬ tion, were Shadrach Bond, the governor, and Pierre Menard, the lieutenant-governor. Menard was a Frenchman, and an old set¬ tler, but he had not been naturalized as a citizen of the United States until two years before the Constitution took effect. Now, the Constitution required that the lieutenant-governor as well as governor should have resided in and been citizens of the State for thirty years, but the Convention kindly provided in a schedule to the Constitution, that any citizen who had been two years a citizen, and resided in the State, as long as Pierre Menard, might be lieutenant-governor. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 75 The first Supreme Court of the State was organized by Chief- Justice Phillips, and Justices Thomas C. Browne, John Reynolds, and William P. Foster. Governor Ford says that Foster was a great rascal and no lawyer. The governor seems to have supposed, with Lord Coke, that he never knew a great rascal who was a good lawyer. But it turned out, in this case, that Foster never had been a lawyer. " He was the mildest-mannered man That ever scuttled ship or cut a throat, With such true breeding of a gehtleman. That you could ne'er divine his real thought." But, although he had a circuit on the Wabash, for fear of ex¬ posing his utter incompetency, he never went near it, never held a court in the State, pocketed his salary for a year, and became a noted swindler. In 1824, the judges of the Supreme Court were instructed to prepare a code of laws, and report at a subsequent session, and in 1827, the first revised code of Illinois statutes was passed and printed. The first revised code was framed and drawn up by Judges Lockwood and Smith, and it received the general approval of the bar. Some chapters of that code have borne the test of time, and been standard laws, retaining their place in all subse¬ quent revisions. There was one act of that code, which, by adopting the com¬ mon law of England, down to the fourth year of James I., saved the pèople from the endless legislation of perennial code-makers, who, in so many other states have increased litigation and lowered the standard of authority and learning. Their entire ignorance of what the common law is, has been often the stimulus to their zeal in providing for cases which the common law had long anticipated, and judges had settled in repeated oases. The judiciary was reorganized at the session of 1824-5. The Legislature made provision for five additional judges to perform circuit duties, which, under the first organization, were performed by the four supreme-court judges. But in 1826-7, the circuit judges were deprived of their offices by a repeal of the law appointing them, and again the supreme-court justices were boiind to discharge circuit-court duties. 76 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. This was on account of the extravagant cost of the judicial system. And when you hear that the judges of the supreme court had a salary of $800 each, and the circuit judges $600 per annum, you will perhaps think the present judges overpaid. It seems that a certain demagogue thought $6200 extravagant for five judges of the circuits and four judges of the supreme court— a sum which any one judge in Cook County could pay at this day and have a surplus sufficient to pay another supreme-court judge $800 out of his own salary. In 1830-31, Cook County was made a part of the fifth judicial circuit, which included fifteen counties, north of Springfield; and Richard M. Young, afterward a United-States Senator fi-om this State, was the first circuit judge elected by the General Assembly. Two terms of the Circuit Court were provided for in each county, and in this. Cook County, the Courts were to be held on the 4th Monday of April, and the second of September. The County of Cook was first organized in 1831, by the late Col. Richard Jones Hamilton. He had been appointed by Governor Rey¬ nolds, and came with commissions for all the officers, which one person could legally hold, and he continued to hold and faithfully discharge them for many years. He was the first circuit-court clerk, clerk of. the county-commissioners' court, recorder ot deeds, under the Recorder's Act of 1827, probate judge, school commissioner, and a notary pnblic. Thus, it will appear, he was full of honors and of offices. He was of Kentucky origin, and an old settler of the State. He was of a generous and open nature, a good citizen, a kind man, and one of those men who were then shaping the future destiny of the State. It may be well imagined, that, although holding so many offices, he, of himself, could not perform all the duties. Henry Moore, a young lawyer from Concord, Massachusetts, was the first deputy clerk of Col. Hamilton. In 1835, Mr. Moore's business required so much of his attention, that he was obliged to resign his position as deputy, and Jonathan Young Scammon, then a young lawyer from the State of Maine, who had recently arrived in Chicago, was appointed to succeed him. Mr. Scammon's business increased so fast that he was obliged to avail THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 77 himself of the assistance of George Manierre, (the late Judge Manierre), who was then a law-student in his office, and having confided the care of the clerk's office to him, on the resignation of Mr. Scammon, in 1837, Colonel Hamilton appointed Mr. Manierre to succeed him as deputy. The law business of Mr. Manierre, in 1838 or '39, had so increased that he, in turn, sent in his resignation. The first term of the circuit court held in Cook County was in September, 1833, by Hon. Richard M. Young. In 1834, he also held the term in May, in an unfinished frame or wood tavern, known as the Mansion House, upon Lake Street, opposite the present Tremont House. The late Sidney Breese held a term here in the spring of 1835, '^e first year of his judgeship; and the latè Stephen T. Logan came here and held a term in the fall qf that year. It will be understood that the circuit-riding of that day was done on horseback, or by the modest stage or wagon driven over unimproved roads, across swollen streams without bridges, and that the judges all came from, or resided in, the southern part of the State. They frequently exchanged circuits if they did not swap horses in crossing streams! So far as Judge Breese is concerned, it is easy to suppose that he wanted to visit a location which, commanding the great water highways, to be connected by a canal at Chicago, would ultimately bring to its doors the commerce of the two Gulfs—Mexico and the St. Law¬ rence—and finally make it the greatest commercial metropolis of the American continent! That distinguished writer, Mr. Maine, in his work on Ancient Law, says: "That instead of civilization expanding codes, of law, the law has limited civilization." I think if the writer could have taken the revised code of 1827, and laid it alongside of the code of laws which had been passed in the territory of the Northwest during its territorial condition,, under the celebrated ordinance of 1787, he would admit that civilization was expand¬ ing codes, and that the last codes were expanding, instead of limiting, civilization. By way of instructive comparison, and to show the advance Illinois had made in her legislation and on the revised statutes of 78 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 1827, I will detain you a moment with a brief reference to a few laws contained in the statutes of 1791 and 1800, passed by the government of the Northwest Territory under the celebrated Ordinance of 1787. It seems that General St. Clair, of revolutionary feme, with James M. Vamum and Samuel H. Parsons, had been appointed the governor and judges of the territory, in 1789-90. They were authorized to adopt such laws of the original States, civil and criminal, as might be necessary and best suited to the circum¬ stances of the district. In the library of the late Judge Breese I picked up some original volumes of these laws, as published in Philadelphia in 1791, to which I am indebted for what is here stated of their contents, and the definition of crimes. 1. Larceny. We have larceny defined here and made punish¬ able by thirty-one stripes, well laid on the bare back, and the thief required to restore the value of the thing stolen. But where he had not the means to pay the mulct or damage, he was to be sold by the sheriff to any person who would pay it. But there was no imprisonment in jail or penitentiary provided. He was sold to labor to the man buying him, for any term not exceeding seven years, or any person who would undertake to discharge the fine. 2. Forgery. Besides being subject to a judgment of fine in double the value of the sum for which the offender attempted to defraud another, he was punished by being set in the pillory for three hours. 3. Arson was punished by death. 4. Hog stealing was made a special offence, subject to a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100, and the offender was to receive on his or her bare back any number of lashes not exceeding thirty-nine, nor less than twentj'-five. 5. Horses were apparently singled out from all othpr per¬ sonal goods and chattels, and protected by a law which made stealing that animal a crime punishable with death! And, further, any person who was convicted of altering any brand or mark of any other person's horse or horses was to be punished by fine, and forty lashes on his or her bare back, well laid on. THE LAYWER AS A PIONEER. 79 In case of a second offence, the offender, in addition, shouldi stand in the pillory two hours, and be branded on the left arm,, with a red-hot iron, with the letter T. And every person who-was a witness, and who saw any of these offences committed, and failed to discover or complain of the person committing them, was subject to fine, and because, as this law declares, it is difficult to convict any person who had seen such crime committed, if he chose to deny the same, there¬ fore a new rule of evidence is introduced to meet the case.. And the law declares, "it shall be sufficient proof that any person has committed the offence of having been a witness and fidled to reveal it, or Uell of it,' if it should be proved that he ever told any other person that he had seen any person commit such an offence." Again, any person receiving a "stolen horse, knowing the- same to have been stolen," was declared to be guilty as principal, and in that case was, upon conviction, to also suffer the pains, of death!! In contrast with this, we find mayhem, or mutilation of a. human being, only punishable by imprisonment in a jail for not less than one month, nor more than six months, and by fine not exceeding $1000. In case of non-payment, the offender could, be sold, as in other cases. Bigamy was punishable by whipping on his or her bare back,, not less than 100 nor more than 300 stripes, well laid on. The morals of the people were secured against obscene con¬ versation and profane swearing, by a law without a penalty or sanction. It is a curious piece of legal literature ; the language- is here given as an example of how a moral lecture, spread out upon the statute books, and, enacted as a law, was intended to- correct the manners of the early inhabitants of this Territory: "Whereas, idle, vain, and obscene conversation, profane cursing and swearing, and more especially the irreverently men¬ tioning, calling upon, or invoking the sacred and supreme being, by any of the divine characters in which he hath graciously condescended to reveal His infinitely beneficent purposes to mankind, are repugnant to every moral sentiment, subversive of- 80 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. every civil.obligation, inconsistent with the ornaments of polished life, and abhorrent to the principles of the most benevolent religion. "It is, therefore, expected, if crimes of this kind should exist, they will not find encouragement, countenance, or approbation in this Territory! It is strictly enjoined upon all officers and ministers of justice, upon parents and others, heads of families, and upon others of every description, that they abstain from practices so vile and irrational, and that by example and precept, to the utmost of their power, they prevent the necessity of adopting and publishing laws, with penalties upon this head. And it is hereby declared that government will consider as unworthy its confidence those who may obstinately violate these injunctions." CHICAGO, 1837-40. Chicago was first organized as the town of Chicago, under an act of the Legislature passed in 1835, under which the govern¬ ment of the village was vested in five fbwn trustees. The first act of incorporation under which it was organized as a city, was passed on the fourth day of March, 1837, and on May second, thereafter, the first election was held, and the Hon. William B. Ogden elected mayor, with ten aldermen, who were to con¬ stitute the common council. The City was divided into six wards, and after 1839, they were entitled to two aldermen from each ward. But until this time, the third and fifth wards were entitled to only one alderman each. The mayor and aldermen were to be annually elected, after the first election, in 1837, in March, and aldermen and officers elected or appointed held their offices for one year. Immediately after the annual election, every year the common council appointed, by ballot, a city clerk, city attorney, police constables, and other city officers, who, like the mayor, held their offices for a single year. The first clerk ever elected, upon the organization of the common council, was our honored friend, Isaac N. Arnold. He resigned before his term expired, the duties of the office en¬ croaching too much upon the regular practice of his profession. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 8l The late Buckner S. Morris was elected mayor, at the second election, in 1838, and Benjamin W. Raymond in 1839. In 1840, the late Alexander Loyd was elected the fourth mayor, and Thomas Hoyne was appointed the city clerk. All the records and papers were then contained in a single ordinary pine desk, in the council-room, on the lower floor of the City Hotel, just opposite the classic pine-columned court-house, where the Sherman House now stands, on the northwest corner of Randolph and Clark Streets. The total of entire City revenue from all taxes was $7000 per annum, which the clerk generally collected in that office. The City had then a debt of about $60,000. The clerk paid all claims against the City, which were audited by the council, in script. This was a form of check on the treasury, redeemable in payment of taxes, and subject to a. discount of twenty-five per cent in trade or exchange. During the two years Mr. Hoyne was city clerk, 1840-41, the commercial statistics of the City, for all the preceding years, were compiled in a memorial to Congress, signed by Mayor F. C. Sherman and all the aldermen, asking for harbor appropriations. Thé total value of all exports in 1841 was $342,000; total value of all imports, $1,500,000. The names of twenty-eight or thirty business firms were given—being the entire total of those merchants then in any mercantile business in the City—and the population was estimated at 4400. It is needless to add, that in making a manifest show of rapid growth for three years, since the City had been organized in 1837, that eloquence of language was not wanting to impress Congress that there was here a city, the like of which, in coming time, no legislator's eye would ever see, nor country claim. I have observed that a recent print accredited Mayor F. C. Sherman and myself with appointing the first Thanksgiving-Day ever observed in this State! It need only be said that among the early settlers of the State the custom had not been observed, as that had not been a custom of the Southern States, whence the. great majority of settlers had emigrated. But in our common council were men of New Eng¬ land origin,' Julius IVadsworth from Connecticut, among the others. We framed a resolution which was passed, directing 6 82 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. the mayor and clerk to issue the proclamation. The proclama¬ tion was of stupendous length, and great sound. It was signed by his Honor, Mayor Sherman, and his city clerk. And it was religiously observed by all the churches then in Chicago; the turkey was eaten, and the people were happy ! I trust I may be pardoned if I take my hearers with myself to see the Chicago of 1837, for the first time. I left New-York City while a student at law, on the nth day of August, and I reached Chicago on the nth day of September.. One month was consumed on the way, without making any un¬ necessary delay at any point except Detroit, where I took passage on the brig John H Kinzie which landed me, after a two weeks' tempestuous passage, at one of the two only docks then upon the Chicago River! These docks were on the north side, immediately adjoining the site of the present Rush-Street bridge. Here was then the great tavern or hotel, known as the Lake House, just erected. There was also to be seen the tower of St. James Episcopal Church— then the only brick meeting-house in Chicago. Just previous to the great fire, you might have seen the same tower covered over with commercial signs—advertising flour and provisions—not that heavenly food, for whose dispensation it was originally built. At that day, all the fashionable stores, the leading society people, and the handsomest dwelling-houses, were on the north side. It indeed strongly insisted upon being the main side and future City. But I did not stay long on that side. Chicago River was crossed at Dearborn Street by the only bridge, with a draw raised by chains and crank; and to that bridge I hurried upon that September afternoon. My objective point was the Chicago, court-house, or clerk's office, where I was to find the earliest friend and companion of my boyhood, the late George Manierre, who was then deputy of the circuit-court clerk. Col. Hamilton. We had parted in sorrow from each other two years before, at a dock in New York. As I sped on my way, on foot, with satchel in hand, along the high, rank grass of streets newly opened, I was fain to observe the length of the streets laid out without either THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. .83 sidewalk or house. I stood upon that antique bridge. I looked toward the junction of the streams, up to what is now West-Water Street, and for the first time, caught glimpses of that mighty land— "the far-off West" of my imagination—it had gilded my dreams of the future and bounded every possibility of my life. I stood upon that antique bridge and recalled Byron's Bridge of Sighs, "but instead of a prison and a palace," here was a bridge with a past and future on each hand. All along these level banks and beyond these river shores shone the brightest of skies, bending down upon those unten¬ anted fields—wild in their vastness and glory, the same as they had appeared to human eyes for thousands of years ! Here was the dreamland of the poet Bryant! and here those prairies, he had enshrined forever in immortal song. Here was the Garden City:— "These are the gardens of the desert— These the unshorn fields. Where lingers yet the beauty of the earth 'Ere man had sinned. I beheld them for the first, and my heart swelled While the dilated sight took in the encircling vastness! Lo! they stretch in airy undulations far away, As if Ocean, in her gentlest swell, stood still With all her rounded billows fixed and motionless forever!" I reached that corner of Randolph and Clark Streets—the open field, or court-house square! which appeared like an out¬ lying forty-acre tract of this day in some addition or suburb. And here stood boldly out the columned Greek portico of the court-house, or clerk's office, clear pine in white lead in classical outline. It was as near an image of the Partlienon at Athens,, as a boy's sketch in charcoal would resemble an original. The main front faced upon Clark Street. Its broad stairways and double doors led up into a long room, fifty feet wide. Here was my old friend, George Manierre, deputy clerk, alone among the papers and records of the clerk's office, of which he seemed sole custodian. We had a joyous meeting. The year 1837 will be ever memorable over the country as a year of financial disaster; a year of discredited notes; land 84 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. funerals, and a general break down of all values. In 1835, two years before, the population of the town was reckoned at 3500. In five years after, the United-States census of 1840 counted the population at 4479—not much progress in that. In 1836, the second sale of canal-lots had taken place, and everyone was wild with his own hopes. The whole State had commenced work on a general system of internal improvements. The place was full of strangers; and in 1836 had occurred one of the most signal events in the history of Illinois. The first ground was broken at Bridgeport for the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. It was the National Anniversary. Barges were full of people, attended with bands of music, and firing of cannon; and a Judge of the Supreme Court, Theophilus W. Smith, delivered the address of that occasion. It seemed to the people as if an era of luxury and universal wealth had been just ushered in. Chicago was no longer a frontier village or military post, it was a city, and soon to become the seat of empire or of imperial things. '■^Imperium m Imperio." But alas! the year 1837 brought on the crisis, from which it took years to recover, while it disciplined the people in thrift, industiy, and wisdom. Let us now for a moment look upon the early bar, that we may preserve a memory of the work they accomplished, and the char¬ acter they bore. If we should walk into the little pretentious piece of architect¬ ure which was called the court-house, upon any day in the tali or spring, when the circuit court was in session, we should probably find every member of the bar in attendance. There was no district telegraphs nor telephone, and during term time the lawyers kept no office hours. Besides the entire number was only 27 persons, and that number may be counted now in any one of our various chambers on any motion day, while there is no lack of service at the office all the time. I think it may be interesting to call their names in the presence of this association, that the present bar may have an introduction. Eleven of the whole number whom we are still glad to meet, survive the number then living. Of this pioneer class or band I call the following: THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 85 Hon. John D. Caton, Judge Grant Goodrich, Hon. Ebenezer Peck, Judge James Grant, of Davenport, la., Hon. J. Young Scammon, Judge Mark Skinner, Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, Hon. Alonzo Huntington, Hon. Hugh T. Dickey, now living in New York, and Hon. Joseph N. Balestier, now living in Brattleboro, Vt, who, in 1840, delivered a lecture on Chicago, before the Chicago Lyceum, recently republished by Fergus Printing Co. The Hon. John Wentworth, for nearly twenty years publisher, proprietor, and editor of the Chicago Democrat, should not be for¬ gotten. He was a student at the law-school at Harvard, in 1841, and afterward became enrolled as an attorney of the supreme court of this State in the same year. Mr. Wentworth, it was said, learnt at Harvard how to indite libels without making them actionable. Judge Giles Spring, his personal and political enemy, while presiding as a judge of the Common-Pleas Court, came into court one morning, and finding a case of libel docketed against Wentworth, cried out, to Mr. Jas. H. Collins—who was Wentworth's lawyer—"Here, Mr. Collins, you must remove tliis case out of my court!" "Why, so? We know, your Honor, that the plaintiff brought his case here because he relied upon your friendship to carry him through; but we rely upon our legal defence !" "Well," said the Judge, "I can not try the case, because, while the plaintiff would have all my sym¬ pathy, and I would beat you if I could, the defence would have all my rulings in his favor, to make me feel impartial." But I can not call the Hon. J. Young Scammon without stop¬ ping to note him as my early tutor, as the most generous o. patrons, aß well as he has ever been, the most liberal of citizens. While in his profession he was one of the most learned and in¬ dustrious of lawyers—tlie four first volumes of Illinois Reports, which at the time they were issued, did great credit to his enter¬ prise, as well as learning, and was then the best record of his labors. But in all fields of business and knowledge, his acquisi¬ tion of wealth was employed in promoting every beneficent and benevolent enterprise, united with the highest culture and progress. And this very wealth was at length lost in his zeal to rebuild, from its aäies, the city he had contributed so much to raise, before and after it was destroyed by the great fire of 1871. 86 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. If we had called the roll of that early bar last year, we could also have summoned Hon. Edward G. Ryan, Chief-Justice of Wisconsin, Judge Buckner S. Morris, and Hon. Mahlon D. Ogden, an early Justice of the Probate Court, and my immediate predecessor in that office, who, with those before mentioned, con¬ stituted fourteen survivors of the original twenty-six members. Let me again refer to the illustrious dead. Their reputations are still fresh and green in the memory of their still living associates, though surrounded by a second generation who never saw them. Before speaking of their merits as individuals, let me call their names over: Justin Butterfield, Jas. H. Collins, Geo. A. O. Beaumont, E. G. Ryan, Judge Henry Brown, S. Lisle Smith, Norman B. Judd, Mahlon D. Ogden, Daniel Mcllroy, Patrick Ballingall, Giles Spring, Francis Peyton, Jas. M. Strode, and William Stuart. The last named was, in 1841, postmaster of Chicago, and editor of the American, a Whig paper, the fore¬ runner of the Chicago Express, which was merged into the present Chicago journal. He removed to Binghampton, N.Y., where he originated, and edited a newspaper, and was postmaster there. Of this number, it is worthy of note, that one, Hon. E. G. Ryan, filled the office of chief-justice of the neighboring State of Wisconsin; Justin Butterfield was Commissioner of the General Land Office; N. B. Judd, Minister of the United States at the Court of Berlin; and Giles Spring, Judge of the Court of Com¬ mon Pleas, and Mahlon D. Ogden, Justice of the Probate Court. Of the living, James Grant filled the position of chief-justice of Iowa, and John D. Caton the like office in Illinois; Ebenerer Péck was Judge of the United States Court of Claims; 1. N. Arnold, Member of Congress from the Chicago District; and Hugh T. Dickey, Grant Goodrich, and Mark Skinner, judges of the Courts of Cook County, and James Grant and Alonzo Hun¬ tington, State's Attorneys for this judicial district. But in the respective spheres of life which they filled, good may be done as well as evil. The vital question in all cases is not, what offices they have filled, but what was the character of their performance, and the reputation which attended their lives? In reply to this, it may be stated,—that in such a niunber THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 87 of (twenty-six) persons, constituting the whole body of the pro¬ fession, in so distant and outlying a forum, and comparatively rude period of society, in a pioneer mixture of all casts of culture and nationality, it is a memorable fact, that the annalist or historian can impute to no individual of the number, a single professional scandal; and I never heard of a single complaint against any one of them which imputed a dereliction of duty, or an instance cited of gross professional misconduct. All were distinguished for professional and moral excellence, for fidelity in in discharge of private and public duties. While in office they manifested great fitness for judicial and political magistracy. Chicago was, in many respects—as I have shown the State to be—indebted to this professional corps for several of her educa¬ tional foundations. The school-land had nearly all been sold. If, as Gov. Ford ■said, the school-section had been preserved out of the hands of speculators from sale, $100,000,000 would probably have been realized, in this City, instead of $40,000. The lawyers took the first steps to save what was unsold, and then established the common-schools. The names of Scammon, Wra. H. Brown, and Manierre, remain inseparably associated with the schools and the care of the school-funds. In 1835, when repudiation of the public debt was imminent, the lawyers protested, and saved the credit of the State. The canal project had been almost abandoned in 1839 and 1840. But in 1845, the late Justin Butterfield laid down the programme ■with capitalists, and drew the Act of that year, which the canal bondholders in Europe and this country were induced to advance the additional sum of $1,600,000 necessary to complete that great work. Under it the State conveyed all the canal-lands in pledge for the ultimate payment of the whole canal-debt to trustees. The money was raised, and the State began again to advance in population and prosperity. After work on the canal had been renewed, Chicago started out upon the race for empire she has been since making, and Illinois, to-day, ranks among her sisters the third or fourth in power and prosperity of the American Union. 88 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. I have spoken of the court-house. Let us look at some things about it. If there, some morning, at the opening of court, you would hear an old gentleman of short figure, light, cheery face, about sixty-five years old, but active and consequential, open court as a crier. His name was Heartt. His wife made the best pop corn in town, and he generally fed it round about noon, at every day's session. So he was called "Pop-Cora Heartt." When he opened court, he cried "Oh Yes! Oh Yesl This court now meets pursuant to adjournment. All jurors take back seats. Witnesses draw nigh to the court; and lawyers mini, their own business.'' One of the scenes which took place in the fall of 1837, I have never seen referred to by any one. Hon. Thomas Ford (afterward governor) had just been appointed judge of the Muni¬ cipal Court of this City, which had been created by the first charter. It was a court of superior or general jurisdiction within the City. It was to be held that winter for the first time. It was. a time of great pecuniary distress, and all obligations created dur¬ ing the speculative times were just maturing and unpaid, and there was no money to pay them. The dockets were crowded, in both the circuit and municipal courts, and something must be done. Some of the debtors re¬ solved that no court should be held; a public meeting was called to prevent it. It was held at the New-York House—2. frame building on the north side of Lake Street, near Wells. It was held at evening in a long, low dining-room, lighted only by tallow- candles. The chair was occupied by a State senator—^the late Peter Pruyne. James Curtiss—nominally a lawyer, but more of a Democratic politician, who had, practicallyj abandoned his profession, was active. But the principal advocate of suspension of the courts was a judge of the Supreme Court of the State, Theophilus W. Smith. Upon the other side, were Butterfield, Collins, Ryan, Scammon, Spring, Goodrich, M. D. Ogden, Arnold, and others. ■ And among them the Hon. Wra. B. Ogden, the mayor of the City, who was subsequently admitted to the bar of this State. We will count him in, for he did manly service at that meeting, in sustaining the law and its regular administration. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 89 and in repudiating and denouncing any interference with the courts. He was a noble, generous man, whose hand was seen in all public works. The battle was bitterly fought. It was shown by the opponents of courts that it meant ruin if they should be held, and judgments rendered against the debtors,— that $20,000,000 were then in suit against citizens, which was equivalent to a sum of $500 against every man, woman, and child in Chicago. What was to be done? "No one was to be benefited," Curtiss said, "but the lawyers," and he had left that profession some time before. Then Ryan—a man of large muscular frame, eyes large, wide open, as great lights in his luminous intellect—^great as he ever was in debate, but then active—and in his wrath, like Mirabeau, "fierce as ten furies and terrible as hell,"—when he rose to the full height of his great argument,—pointing to Curtiss, asked that body of debtors if that was the kind of a lawyer they expected to save them. If so, it had long been a question whether he had left the profession of law, or the law had left him; but of one thing they could be sure—that if he succeeded in his present unlawful attempt, he (Ryan) would guarantee them justice, and the sooner the law discharged that obligation the better it would be for the community. Butterfield, tall in stature, stern of countenance, denounced die Judge of the Supreme Court who could descend from that lofty seat of a sovereign people,' majestic as the law, to take a seat with an assassin and murderer of the law like Judge Lynch. Others followed; but the good sense of the meeting laid the resolutions on the table, and the courts were held, as they have been ever since. It was in a similar spirit the Hon. Lyman Trumbull, with the undaunted cburage of his profession, faced a mob of his own Republican partizans in court-house square, during the late civil- irar, and took such action as led President Lincoln to suspend a military order of General Burnside, to have the Chicago Times suppressed for some criticisms it contained on the conduct of the war. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. FIRST IMPEACHMENT CASE. The independence of the bar was memorably illustrated in the case of Judge Pearson—^who held the courts of this circuit in the years 1839 and 1840. The case of The People ex rel. Bristol V. Pearson, in 2 Scam., 198, contains an affidavit containing a Statement of facts which include a history of one of the greatest local and professional agitations, in which the bench and bar of that day were the immediate actors. Judge John Pearson, who resided at Danville, outside of this judicial circuit, had been elected, or appointed, judge of this circuit by the Legislature. He was known to be incompetent for the position, and to be sadly wanting in the qualities which make a good judge. His appointment had, consequently, been unpopular with the Chicago bar from the beginning. It may as well be understood, that there was a strong feeling of prejudice in the southern part of the State among that population, a laige majority of whom were originally emigrants from the Southern States, against the north part of the State, and that as Judge Gillespie stated, last winter, in his historical sketch before the Chicago Historical Society,* the people of this section were spoken of as "Yankees," in no tone of implied praise or affec¬ tion. This feeling was strongly betrayed in legislative debate during the pendency of canal measures in the General Assembly. In illustration, it may be said, that more than one speaker had predicted, that if that "d d ditch" was ever opened, it would let down upon the people of that section, "every Yankee peddler" of this region "and corrupt and debase the primitive virtues and habits of the southern people"! The Democratic party was in power in the State, and John Pearson was a Democrat. It is true he had never manifested any fitness for such an office. But he was of the straftest of the sect and he had not been corrupted by office, as he had never held any official position. It might as well be said, that he was a poor lawyer and an industrious office- seeker. He lived at Danville, on the Wabash, and was there¬ fore backed by a politically strong section of the State. This judicial circuit was among the Yankees in what was then regarded as a far-off region; and here was an opportunity in • No. 13, Fergus' Historical Publications. THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 91 which friends could provide him a place, in the same manner that peers in England sometimes dispose of younger children, by a kind of exile in some jiew colony. It may now be understood that Yankees in Chicago had no desire for cast-off or damaged goods. The Butterfields, Ryans, Collins, Scammons, Arnolds, Ogdens, Goodriches, Skinners, Judds, and Springs, of Chicago, knew very well what a judge should know, if he came as a judge in this Israel, and finding that in this respect he knew little of the "law of the land," a determination was formed that he should be taught it, or driven from his position. He had not held more than three or four terms here, when on the nth day of November, 1839, at the close of that term, the opposition of the bar culminated in a scene of first restrained passion, then open contempt, and, finally, the wildest tumult, as well as revolt against longer forbearance. Scammon had tried the case of Phillips v. Bristol, as counsel for Bristol, the defendant, and had taken exceptions to Judge Pearson's ruling in the case, and tendered a fair bill of excep¬ tions, which the Judge refused to sign. Scammon had applied to the Supreme Court and obtained a mandamus against Pearson, commanding him to sign the bill of exceptions. Pearson know¬ ing this fact, and fearing Scammon would serve the writ of man¬ damus upon him, refused to recognize Scammon when he arose in court to make motions, Pearson claiming to be engaged in some other matter for the time. Pearson had previously fined Scammon for alleged contempt of court, and it was strongly suspected that the latter was quite willing that Butterfield should share with him the honors of being fined or punished by the arbitrary judgment of Pearson for alleged contempt of court. Be this as it may, Scammon quietly and privately put into Butterfield's hands the bill of exceptions and writ of mandamus, which he wished served on Pearson. Butterfield was only too glad of the opportunity. He was a large, bold man, of intellectual countenance and commanding presence. It was in the afternoon of the day. The term of the court was 92 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. drawing to an end. The chiefs of the bar were present in court, and Butterfield impatient to set the ball in motion. He rose from his seat with great deliberation and dignity, holding two papers in his hand, and then, as the affidavit of the clerk declares : "Mr. Butterfield with marked politeness of manner handed one paper to the judge, saying, that it was a bill of exceptions in the case of Phillips v. Bristol, tried at a former term." The judge said, "I did not sign that bill of exceptions." To which Mr. Butterfield graciously replied, "I am aware of that, sir, but here," presenting the judge the other paper, "is a writ of mandamus from the Supreme Court of this State, commanding you to sign it!" "What's that, sir?" said the Judge. Again, Butterfield graciously repeating his language, "Here is a writ of mandamus, commanding you to sign it." The Judge held the paper toward Mr. Butterfield, saying, "Take it away, sir." Mr. Butterfield replied, "It is directed to you, sir, and I will leave it with you. I have discharged my duty in serving it, and I will leave it with you.'' It was at this point that the Court turned to me—as clerk— and said, "Mr. Clerk, enter a fine of twenty dollars against Mr. Butterfield," and then thr«iv the papers (bill of exceptions and writ of mandamus') on the floor in front of the desk. He con¬ tinued, looking at Butterfield, "What do you mean, sir?" It was now that Butterfield, raising his voice (hitherto restrained), fired the first gun of what was to be a campaign. "I mean, sir, to proceed against you by attachment, if you do not obey that writ." The Judge, replying, cried out, "Sit down, sir! Sit down, sir!" and to me, saying, "Proceed with the record." The record was read, the fine of twenty dollars entered up against Butterfield, and the court adjourned. The judge wras descending the bench and proceeding to pass through the bar, when all the lawyers jumped to their feet, while Butterfield promptly marched up to Pearson, saying, "Sir, You now have disgraced that bench long enough. Sit down, sir, and let me beg you to immediately attend a meeting of this bar, to be held instanter, in which we are about to try your case, and rid our- THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 93 selves and the people, once for all, of your incompetency and ignorance!" The judge left, but the bar prepared an impeachment, and that winter a long trial followed the presentation of articles before the House of Representatives, at Springfield, where all the elo¬ quence of the bar was invoked, with that of others, to impeach Judge Pearson; but the House, which was largely composed of the political friends of Judge Pearson, refused to give the im- peachers a hearing. He, however, never recovered from the effects of this attack and prosecution. The party paraded him as a martyr, and it was said that he had achieved a triumph over Butterfield, Scammon, Collins, Spring, Skinner, and Goodrich, as they were old Federals and Whigs, and wanted only to be rid of an «»corruptible judge —a Democrat—who was not to be terrified by such enemies of the Constitution, the Democracy, and the Union. But Ryan, a life-long Democrat established a newspaper, called The Tribune, to drive Pearson from the bench. Its leading articles were such as Junius might have written, animated by a spirit of determination to drag from the bench a Jeffreys or a Scroggs! Pearson was finally disposed of by the party taking him up as a State senator, and electing him from the counties of Cook and Will, in 1840; and from thence hitherto the bench has heeded the lesson, for there has arisen no other occasion for the violent and irrepressible confiict of a bar and bench so divided, by ignorance and incompetency on one side, and great independence and intelligence upon the other ! It would be exceedingly pleasant to recall by sketches many of the men of that early day. With few exceptions, all were men of rare culture; but there were two or three exceptions of men whose school education was very deficient. Such were Giles Spring and Buckner S. Morris. Spring was a very bright man, with remarkable legal talent, great energy, but little culture. I performed one of the saddest duties of my life last year in pre¬ paring a sketch of Judge Morris' life, and reading it before the United States Circuit Court in this City, at whose bar I also pre¬ sented, according to my appointment, the resolutions passed by 94 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. his brethren ot the bar. Both these gentlemen rose to high position, from the native force of their characters and the possession of vigorous intellects. And what seemed singular in their case is, that, in the absence of regular culture in the art of advocacy or oratory, they were among the most successful speakers of that day! In many respects they attained in jury trials a preëminence in advocacy over their more highly-favored brethren who had been sedulously prepared in universities and schools, both in New York and New England. Both of them were elected to the bench, and Morris was also the second mayor of this City, succeeding Wm. B. Ogden in 1838. It would be amusing also if we could recall many of the bon mots and eccentric humors of the profession. Soon after I arrived in Chicago, I was standing upon Lake Street, opposite the old Tremont House, a three-story frame building or tavern, standing diagonally across from where the present house of that name now is. It was then on the northwest corner of Lake and Dearborn Streets, instead of the southeast corner, where it now stands. The late Gov. Ford, then a judge, in 1838, was holding a term of the court which the mob would have suppressed but for the lawyers in 1837. He had been to dinner, and he stood picking his teeth on the frant stoop. He smiled significantly, as a coarsel/'Clad country stranger inquired of him and others standing by, if they could tell him of a place in this State called "Stillman's Run or Defeat?" Ford said: "There (pointing) is a gentleman crossing the street. Colonel Strode is just the man that knows all about that defeat! Quick, hail him!" He did so. Strode turned, and saw Ford looking at and watching him. The Colonel, suspecting the trick, abruptly answered the countryman by saying, that if there was such a place as "Stillman's Defeat," he could not prove it by him. The point of the inquiry was an anecdote told of the Black- Hawk war, preserved by Ford, in his history of this State. At "Stillman's Run," there was a panic and surprise of a small detachment of troops, sent out against the Indians, in which Col. James M. Strode had a command. The whole detachment took THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 9S to their horses, full speed, and as each arrived at headquarters in Dixon, each runaway supposed he was the only one left to give an account of what was called an engagement with Black Hawk's whole force of 20,000 men ! Col, Strode, Ford declares, stated that all his companions fell bravely "fighting, hand to hand, with the savage enemy, and he alone was left upon the field of battle to tell the story." And then he continues : "The gallant Colonel said that at the time he discovered a body of horsemen to- his left in tolerable order, I immediately deployed to the left, when leaning down and placing my body in a recumbent posture upon the mane of my horse, so as to bring the heads of the horsemen between the eye and the horizon, I discovered by the light of the moon, that the whole body were 'gentlemen without hats,' and then I knew (by all the Gods!) they were no friends, of mine. I therefore made a retrograde movement, and recovered my former position, where I remained meditating what further I could do in the service of my country, when a random ball came whistling by my ear, and plainly whispered: 'Stranger! You have no further business here.' Upon which I followed the example of my companions in arms, and broke for tall timber; and the way I ran, and the horse ran, was never equalled in Spain or at Waterloo.'' I knew the gallant Colonel well. He was tall and straight of person, and prided himself upon a Kentucky origin. He wore a ruffled shirt, as in the olden times. He delighted in a pompous and grandiloquent style of narrative and speech. He was a genial companion, and he talked magnificently and well. His style might be illustrated by a single anecdote, where, being asked by some lady if he would take sugar in his tea, the reply was: "Madame! The flavosity of sugar, don't you see, minifies the flavosity of tea, and renders it vastly obnoxious. I never did like sugar, madame.'' Colonel Strode was the kindest of citizens. He was full of information in regard to the West. He was of commanding person, and besides, he had talents of a high order. He held the office of register of the U.S. land-office, at Chicago, in 1837—40, and had been at one time a member of the General Assembly of 96 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. Kentucky, I think, as well as a Senator from the entire northern part of this State. The anecdote that Governor Ford tells could be supplemented by many others, if time permitted, and especially by a stage-coach scene between Strode and the late Justin Butterfield. Colonel Strode himself amused us, sometimes, by telling us that he was "on the way from Fort Clarke, now Peoria, to Galena," at the time of Black Hawk's appearance with his savage troops on Rock River. The Colonel said, " I was on horseback, having my linen in one side of my saddle-bags, and Chitt/s Pleadings, aad Black- stone's Commentaries in the other. As I approached Dixon's Ferry, where we usually crossed the river, I espied the advancing host. When I saw they were gentlemen without hats, I knew they were no friends of mine, and I whirled, and turned my horse's head to the rear, and put my stirrups into his flanks. He stumbled and fell, but I did not wait for him to rise, or to secure my saddle-bags. I was in great haste, and at once escaped to the thicket. But what do you suppose happened the next day? Upon my word, old Black Hawk was seen strutting up and down the banks of Rock River with one of my ruffled shirts drawn over his deer-skin, with Chitty's Pleadings under one arm, and Blackstone's Commentaries under the other." He said, on one occasion, that when he was running for office in Southern Illinois, they had charged him with "almost every crime in the code, from robbing a hen-roost up to high treason—and the worst of it was, the fellows came d——d near proving it too!" But I must draw to a close. I could folldw this train of remark for hours. It would afford me pleasure, did time permit, to speak of the great orator and declaimer—the brilliant, gifted, and noble S. Lisle Smith—and the more humble, but in many respects, no less useful member of community — the sharp, caustic intellect of Patrick Ballingall—who rose to take a high rank in public life from his place in the ranks of the profession, while he came self-educated from the very humblest walks of life. It has been my lot, after enjoying their friendship, personally, to stand at the graves of many who have passed away! I studied my pro¬ fession among them, and never wanted for encouragement in my THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 97 needs, nor in the instruction which they taught did I miss the very highest motives.of honorable ambition in the struggle upon which alone and unfriended I was entering. Whatever ambition they entertained, and whatever worldly objects they aspired to master, they seemed to have remembered what Judge Henry Brown was accustomed to write in his lectures; "They were just and feared not, and all the ends they aimed at was their country's, their God's, and truth's.'' While the weather-scarred tombs and_ head-stones of many have been removed from the old cemetery —^to plant Lincoln Park on the spot where théir virtues were commemorated,—their memories live in the hearts of all who knew them. I sincerely trust they may ever be cherished by the profession which they honored, and the City which their lives adorned. I think up to this point I have stuck to the text of my lecture. I have endeavored to follow the lawyer as a pioneer. I have shown that in this State the members of the profession have not only made the laws by which it is governed, and to a great extent conducted its political destiny, inaugurating all the measures (a few of which have been referred to), that have secured its pro¬ gress, prosperity, and civilization ! Tocqueville, the most sagacious and profound thinker who has ever written upon Democracy in America, has given two chapters of his work to the influence exercised by the legal profession upon the institutions of our country. He says : "Tha lawyers in this country form the highest political class and the most cultured portion of our society." He ques¬ tions whether democratic institutions could long be maintained, or a republic could hope to exist at the present time, if the influ¬ ence of lawyers in public business did not increase in proportion to the power of the people. But he shows, also, how the profession might become, "as it did become in England under bad reigns,—the most servile and- useful instruments of a sovereign nobility to oppress and tyrannize over the people." There may be danger ahead of the profession, but its past is inspiring. The lawyer, as a pioneer in Chicago, has been in 98 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. every stage of her progress, judicious and enlightened, conserving the forces that have secured the permanent advancement of the City to the high place she occupies at the head of municipal civilization. Had I time I could show that between the years 1837-40 and '42, the first common-schools of the people were provided for in the liberal grants of school-land by Congress, and were organized by members of the profession, and that the school-fund, derived from the lands sold, was husbanded and made available by them. That the University of Chicago was planted by Judge Douglas in 1856. That Dearborn Observatory was founded, and an astronomical society organized at the univer¬ sity, by Scammon and others in 1862. And while many generous and enlightened citizens subscribed for the purchase of the large telescope, the largest then ever made, and the greatest now mounted in any observatory in the world, except that in Washings ton, constructed, subsequently, by the same great maker, Alvan Clarke, Mr. Scammon, then grown to be opulent as a banker, furnished the tower, built in 1863-4, at his own exclusive cost of $40,000. Up to the time of the Great Fire, he supported it by an annual endowment to that accomplished director, Truman IJ. Safibrd. 1 could bring before you the evidence showing the liberality of Mr. Scammon, to whom I could add the names of others like E. B. McCagg, E. H. Sheldon, the late S. W. Fuller, I. N. Arnold, M. D. Ogden, Mark Skinner, and others, who led the way in founding what are now the growing and prosperous institu¬ tions of our civilized life, such as the Academy sf Sciences, and the Historical Society, while it is not to be overlooked that the late Henry D. Gilpin, formerly Attorney-General of the United States, endowed this society with a sum equivalent to about $45,- 000 by a legacy in his last will. It is not generally known that the largest medical school of Homoeopathy in this country, with college and hospital attached, is the special foundation of this same benefactor, Mr. Scammon. It will be understood that Mr. Scammon, himself, would not claim, nor is he alone entitled to exclusive credit for the numer¬ ous charities with which his name is prominently connected. But to his culture and generosity, as a lawyer, was added the THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. 99 possession at one time of large means. He is to be credited OTth a munificent spirit in the use of this wealth. I know of no citizen, living or dead, in this city, who has equalled him in such benefactions. Nor, it will be recollected, has legal education been neglected. Of that, however, I have not time to speak. But of the Law Institute, which, in some way, is claimed as of very recent origin, I will say a word. I know that it was inaugurated before the Mexican war, in 1846, by the old lawyers, at which time, instead of contributing money, the profession contributed books from their own libraries. The late Judge Manierre was one of the most active in the infancy of the enterprise, and afterward in its reorganization. His portrait in the rooms of the Institute is most appropriate, as well as an honorable tribute to one óf the original founders of that institution. While mentioning the bed-rocks upon which rest the structure and maintenance of our present civilization, in the midst of schools of science and history, educational and literary, let us not leave out the foundation of a public library the Great Fire brought us; although we can not but regret that it has been deprived of its location in the Monumental Building, saved from the flames, which was provided by both the nation and the City, as a most appropriate and enduring monument, both of that great disaster, and of that sympathetic benevolence, which, bounded by neither land nor sea, made the first contribution to this great Public Educator. It is to be lamented that the mer¬ cantile spirit of ■ single municipal board, should have so con¬ trolled a legal technicality as to override the pledges of public faith, and render the Providential Monument unavailing of its most appropriate and manifest destiny. I do not think the professional spirit is in accord with the con¬ clusion, that mercantile narrowness of view in the interests of education, marked by an unjust parsimony in public affairs, should be perpetuated, at the expense of the national government, by a monument like that of the old postoffice building. All commercial centres are alike, in this, that the greater in¬ terests centre in the material wants of the people. We are sur- lOO THE LAWLER AS A PIONEER. rounded by the clamor of trade, grain houses, boards, banks, railroads, boulevards, hogs,- com, and whisky. Few stop ever to consider what would become of their idols if the light and heat of the spiritual universe, the supports of law, philosophy, literature and science, and philanthropy, were withdrawn, and they should be left to the "mammon of unrighteousness," in his own darkness. "Nothing," says a certain senator, "is more despotic, selfish, cmel, and corrupting, than a million of dollars, except a million and a half." I think the time has come when the Fairbanks, the Fields, and Leiters, who justly lead the "Merchant Princes" of our metropolis, should advance to the front rank of our own profession, in appre¬ ciating these needs of our civilization. With them, to wish, is to perform ! I have followed the lawyer as a pioneer in this State to merely introduce this association to the early bar of Chicago, in the years 1837-40. In a biographical sketch of the life of the late George Manierre, delivered before the Historical Society of Chicago, I said his death, in 1863, had marked an epoch in the history of the Chi¬ cago bar. Nearly all of the men, among whom he had com¬ menced his career as a student-at-law, and a deputy clerk of the circuit court in this county, had then passed away, or retired from the active duties of professional life. Among all those of the number enrolled, as I have named them, the administration of justice had never suffered a scandal, nor tha bar a reproacL The ermine and robe were unspotted. The standards of profes¬ sional conduct were such as would bear comparison with those of the oldest communities. Mr. Forsythe, in his History of Lawyers, contrasts the purity and nicer sense of honor of the English bar, with that of the rest of Europe: He says, that for centuries it has been subjected to no statutes or rules, other than those which the bar framed for it¬ self, and that its "immemorial traditions have preserved it as a body, from all that is mean, base, and disreputable." It is much to say—^very much of a community of lawyers in so THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. ICI early a stage of civilization as ours—that against all temptations to servility and dishonor, no single exception occurred, no branch on the tree had fallen off from rottenness or decay. Mr. Conkling, in his eloquent address before this Association, the other evening, declared, "that it is yet to be determined, either by legislative or judicial authority, how far its present illimit¬ able imperium shall be tolerated in a republican 'imperio,' and how long railroad monarchs. with hundreds of millions at their command, shall defy the government'made by the people for the people." I find in the Chicago Tribune, of the 14th January, 1881, the very day after this address was delivered, an article complaining of the power of these corporations over the government—and it continues thus: "That railroad managers are filling both houses of congress, especially the senate, with retained and.pensioned attorneys;— they bid defiance to the country—they are in possession and con¬ trol of all the highways of trade. They are practising extortions in every direction. All they need is to defeat legislation. The so-called representatives of the people at Washington are para¬ lyzed ! Men who fought, valiantly fought over the battles of the revolution and the last war, stand mute in their places, when it is proposed to assert the powers of the government to protect the interests of the people !" This is fearless, wholesome, and patriotic teaching in a leading journal of the times we live in. It has long been a clear and manifest fact, to my own mind, that the railroad corporations have come to assume the same dangerous relations toward the legal profession in this country, that formerly existed in England be¬ tween the aristocracy and the bar. The railroad magnates claim, by virtue of the unscrupulous use of money, to command the most abject servility from their legal service. They assume that the profession can be hired with money, and commanded to engage in their basest service, for whatever purpose, either ta establish or subvert as well public as private rights ! The people of this City, in a recent case, have been alarmed by a decision of the Supreme Court; which has gone further in overturning long-settled axioms 102 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. of municipal law, and by the flagrant subversion of the clearest common-law rights, as respects public and private property, than any declarations heretofore made by that judicial tribunal. There are rumors of fearful import—that in our courts, corporations ate favored litigants. And it has been noticeable that the newspaper press of this City has not always been so nobly outspoken and courageous as to the encroachments of these monopolies. But the bar and the press must go much further, if they would succeed against the dangerous exercise of the powers which these gigantic money combinations are wielding to coerce courts, and subordi¬ nate society ! Inside the bars of courts, and beside the very altars of justice, their notorious arts are employed, and their basest instruments at work, with diabolical industry, to prostitute justice and corrupt jurors, and obtain unjust verdicts. In 1869, an address to a class of law students, which appeared in the public prints of that day, called attention ta the conspiracy organized by certain corporations, and their paid agents, who controlled the legislature of that year (1869), to obtain a law, which, if it had not been since repealed, would have taken a property from this city, in submerged lands, larger in extent than three school sections, and of more money value than the entire property of the Illinois Central Railroad ! In this great land-steal, the greatest ever attempted, even by these corporate robbers, it was charged to have been the work of lawyers, in the legislature as well as out of it ! To the same extent as any honorable body of men may be charged with the crimes or scandals of its individual members, it was perhaps true ! There was a man as well known in Chicago and Detroit, as in Washington, Springñeld, and Boston, who in¬ spired the scheme ! He had worked his way into the service of the capitalists, who organized the unscrupulous combinations which the master-mind controlled. He was not so much a lawytr as a corrupiionist. He made himself a necessity which his railroad masters could not dispense with. He never lived in this State! The law of 1869 made a grant of land, to the Illinois Central Railroad Company, extending a mile out beyond its break-water, in front of Michigan Avenue, and running from the south pier of THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. the Chicago Harbor (extended), to the roundhouse of the railroad at Park Row, with power to fill it out, and build thereon docks, piers, and storehouses, which, no doubt, was intended to put in possession of the corporation the future commerce of the lakes, and the greatest harbor of the Northwest! The law, on account of the open scandals connected with its passage, was repealed within three years afterward. Good repre¬ sentative lawyers, like Senator Ward and Judge Knickerbocker, condemned and opposed its passage, at the time. While it was really a grant for 2000 acres of land, the press of the conspiracy, to this day, represent that it was simply a permission to the road to occupy three blocks of land between Monroe and Randolph Streets, while the City was to receive a munificent donation of $800,000 for that privilege ! One of the agents, employed to carry out the scheme, revealed the guilty secrets of the conspiracy, and, before his death, sued for his compensation in the courts; and the measure, it is known, was carried over a veto interposed by Governor Palmer, who could not be secured, either as governor or lawyer, to favor the grant. Allow me, before closing, to say, that if the Tribune is war¬ ranted in making the statements of the article to which I have referred, there would seem to be instant need of reform ! I The . press and the profession should work together to this end I It would not be the first time, in the history of both, that their joint labors have saved the liberties of the people ! It is very obvious, in view of the very imperfect sketch which I have made of our past progress as a State, that had such a combination of malign and powerful influences, as described by that journal, taken pos¬ session of our early legislation and infant settlements, that we would have had a government of corporations and attorneys, while these latter, as servants of the most unscrupulous monopolies are worse than the numopolies which control their action, would have been masters, instead of servants, of the people. The rail¬ roads would do for Illinois what landlordism is doing for Ireland, under difleient circumstances, perhaps. It may well be imagined that had such been the condition of I04 THE LAWYER AS A PIONEER. the infant commonwealths of the Northwest, our civilization could never have developed the patriotism of two such states¬ men in our political history as Douglas and Lincoln. The loftier impulses of their great manhood would have scorned the base nature of the services at this day required by the corpora¬ tions in question. The progress of freedom and the emancipa^ tion of slavery would have been prevented, while history would have been deprived of the grandest chapters which those great names illustrate. It will be observed that I have confined myself to the Demo¬ cratic level of the profession. I have sought to bring before you the great rank and file which constitute the morale and strength of an army making success probable, and leadership a necessity. The truest work of a pioneer corps, charged with leadership in a wilderness, is improvised and created from the enterprise and daring of a people. Heroes and hero worship come afterward. The people of this State have been really led by the legal profession. In this leadership the people always trusted. The trust has rarely, if ever, been abused. On the contrary, I' have reasonably demonstrated that the confidence reposed in lawyers, as governors, judges, or senators, as statesmen and patriots, whether in public or private life—^all of it hâs been justified, and the hopes of the people realized in the most substantial civil and moral triumphs' of the State. I think that the "lawyer as a pioneer" has insured for the legal profession the gratitude and reverence which the posterity of all nations of people have, in after times, ever since awarded to the wise and patriotic founders of all the great States and Common¬ wealths of history. PUBLISHERS* NOTE. The pioneer history of lawyers in Illinois and Chicago can not be written unless the name of Thomas Hoyne be included. We have taken the liberty to add this note to his Address. Thomas Hoyne is a character too well known to need eulogy from us. We shall, therefore, confine our remarks to little more than the bare mention of some of his public deeds. We will not forget to mention, that while he is indebted for his birth to parents from the Emerald Isle, he is in all respects a representative Republican American. But it is of Mr. Hoyne, as a pioneer only, that it seems appropriate for us to speak of him here. Born in New York in 1817, a graduate of its Public Schools, before his majority he had learned, by experience, that earnest diligence was the only road to success. He had, even then, commenced the study of the legal profession, in which he has not only held high official positions, and inscribed his name among the leaders of the bar, but has illustrated, both intellectually and pecuniarily, that "nothing is so successful as success." As Justice of the Probate Court of Cook County, in 1847-49, United States District-Attorney from 1853-57, and United States Marshal in 1859, and Reform Mayor of the City of Chicago, in 1871, his official record needs no praise. He was elected Mayor by 33>oo° majority, as a Reform Pioneer. In the establishing and endowing of a Law School in the North-West, in connection with the University of Chicago, and creating therein the chair of Constitutional and International Law; as a Trustee of that University; in the restoration of the Chicago Law Institute after the destruction of its Library in the Great Fire of 1871; in the purchase of the renowned Clark Equatorial for the Dearborn io6 publishers' notice. Observatory, and the creation of the Chicâgo Astronomical So¬ ciety, of which he was the first Secretary, and is a life Director; in the founding of the Chicago Public Library, of which he was the first President, his pioneer and efficient character and ser¬ vices have made their indelible record. This is not the place to speak of him politically; but if we were permitted to do so, we should like to say, while always a Democrat, he was never an old fogy, and his love of freedom and equal rights was so strong that in the pioneer national battle for the removal of the badge of slavery from our national es¬ cutcheon, in 1848, the Free-Soil party found him among its most ardent and zealous leaders. He is a Chicago American—illus¬ trating in his life and its success, as much of the ideal of suc¬ cessful, upward, onward American progress as any other man in our midst. Fergus' Historical Series RELATING TO CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS. I.—Annals of Chicag^o. A Lecture by Joseph N. Balestier, Esq., $ 25 а.—Directory of the City of Chicag^o for 183g. By Robert Fergus, 50 3.—The Last of the Illinois; Origin of the Prairies. J. D. Caton, 25 4.—Early Movement in Illinois for the Legalization of Slaveiy. By Hoh. William H. Brown, of Chicago, 25 5.—Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. By Wm. H. Bushneil, 25 б.—Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part II. 25 7.—Early Chicago. A Lecture by John Wentworth, LL.D, 35 8.—E^ly Chicago. First Lecture, by John Wentworth, LL.D., 35 9.—Present and Future Prospects of Chicago; Rise and Progress of Chicago; Chicago in 1836, **Strange Early Days.'* 25 la—Addresses Read before Chicago Historical Society, 25 II.—Elarly Medical Chicago. By James Nevihs Hyde, A.M., M.D., 50 12.—Illinois in the zSth Century. Kaskaskia and its Parish Re¬ cords; Old Fort Chartres; Col. John Todd*s Record Book. Read before the Chicago Hist. Soc. By Edw. G. Mason, Esq., 50 13.—Recq^ections of Early Illinois and her Prominent Men. By Hon. Joseph Gillespie, of Edwardsville, 50 14.—The Earliest Religious History of Chicago; Early History of Illinois; Early Society in Southern Illinois; Reminis¬ cences of the Illinois-Bar Forty Years Ago; First Mur¬ der Trial in Iroquois Co. for the First Murder in Cook Co. 50 15.—Abraham Lincoln. Paper read in London by Hon. I. N. Arnold, Stephen Arnold Douglas. By James W. Sheahan, Esq., 25 16.—Early Chicago—Fort Dearborn. By John Wentworth, LL.D., 75 17.—William B. Ogden; and Early Days. By Hon. I. N. Arnold, 25 x8.—Chicago River-and-Harbor Convention, July, 1847. Compiled, i.oo 19.—Reminiscences of Early Chicago. By Charles Cleaver, Esq., 25 20.—A Winter in the West. By C. Fenno Hoffman, Esq. In Press, Reception to the Settlers of Chicago—prior to 1840, by the Calumet Club, May 27, 1879. Compiled by Hon. John Wentworth, 50 CHICAGO BAR-ASSOCIATION LECTURES Recollections of Eaily Chicago and the Illinois Bar, By Hon. I. N. Arnold. Recollections of the Bench and Bar of Central Illinois. By Hon. James C. Conkling, of Sprlngñeld, 111. The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon. Thomas Hoyne. Fart I, 1.00 REYNOLDS' HISTORY OF ILLINOIS.—My Own Times. By John Reynolds, Late Governor of Illinois, etc. Portrait, 7.50 THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVEJOY.—An account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy. By Henry Tanner of Buñalo, N. V., an Eye-Witness. Illustrated, 2.00 JhsKf of die abo\'e bocAs sent by nail to any part of the U. S., postpaid, on receipt of price by the publishers. Ilhrrti t;. 1882. Px-intiiig' Co., Oliioa.g'o. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVEJOY. An account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, killed by a Pro- Slavery Mob. at Alton. Ill , on the night of Nov. 7, ib37. By Hcnrv 1'annb*. of buffalo. N.Y., an Eye¬ witness. Cloth boards: (»ilt-top: Side and bottom uncut. lUu'.trated. Pp. 333; Svo. 1S81. Price. $>. Not only to thOHe who at the time were person¬ ally interested in the career and heroic death of the Kev. Elijah Parrlsh Lovejoy, nor to those who now warmly sympathize with the nobie purposes which prompted the martyr to the pursuit of ends apparently chimerical in the extent of their nobility; bat to all students of the germs aud first budding of a mighty refor¬ mation in the history of morals, and to all lovers of mysterious natural development this bonk will be valuable. Here is vividly portrayed the first blood-letting for outspoken antagonlnm to the villalniex of slave-tradlc and slave-holding, and the wonderful perslstence in aim, as well as the power of thouglit and pen that prepare{l Lovejoy for his glorious end. From the early articles on transiibstantiatiun and nunneries to the last fiery denunciation of negro subjection, the hero sliows the same outspoken b ddness of coQvictlon, combined with a continual increase In ability of expression. That any pledge was vlolat4'd in the assumption of an anti-slavery tone in the leaders of the !if. Ijtmitt ()fmerci'r. Mr. Tanner has clearly proved groundless; and that the life of Elijah Parrlsh Lovejoy Is worthy to Ih> ranked among the highe-it a'ul pnr&st, no candid reader can pretend to doubt. "80 shines a gooeen the march of public sentiment that the generation of yonng men and women of to-day can ni>t realize the bitter and deadly antagonism of slavery forty-three years ago. The book will gire an insight into the bit¬ ter and unrelenting spirit which held away even in the free North, it Is not written to keep alive old antagonisms, but as history, which all should know, that they may better a|>preciate all that has been accomplished in the past, and appreciate the present. The story is told with¬ out any effort at embellishment, and wonder¬ fully free from every vlodlctive expression. If the friends of human slavery' object to anything in the volume, it will be the honest facts of the history, which need no embellishment or sharp plirase to make them abhorrent to every lover of the right ancl free institutions.—/nfer Ocean, Chicago, Feb. 5, iHgi. An the narrative has reference to events long since past, connected with the early days of the anti-slavery contest, we had no idea until we began rea snd 7. 1847. An Ac-ount of its Origin and PrcK-eedings byWM Moslbv Hall iportrati), John Wkntworth, Sam'l Lislb Smith. Horace Gkeb- LEV, Thurlow Wehu; and a List of Delegates: to¬ gether with St.ttisti.s concerning Chicago, by J esse B Tti imas and Jambs L Barton. Compiled by RoBttT Fergus. Pp, ao8; 8vo. 1882. Price, $1. » . . Reminiscences of Early Chicago. By Charlbs Clbavbk. Pp, 53; 8vo. 1882. Price, 25c. ao. A winter in the West. By Chas. Fenno Hoffman (portrait). London. 1835. Reprint, with Adouional Notes. Pp. 56: 8vo. 1882. Price, soc. ai. John Dean Caton, LL.I)., ex-Chief-Justice ^ Illinois, Biographical Sketch of. Portrait. By Rozirt Fergus Pp, 48: 8vo. tfSj. Price 25c. Recollections of Early Chicago and the Illinois Bar. By Hon. Isaac N. AmA'HD. Read Tuesday Evening, June 10. i8?o. Recollections of the Bench and Bar of Cental Illinois, by Hon. Jamrs C. Cosklia«., of Spring¬ field. Read Jan 12. 1881 The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon. Th^imas HovNE (portrait). Read at Faitbánk Hall Thurs¬ day Evening, Feb. 10, 1881. Pp ioî;8vo 1882.750. a 1. Hon. John Wentworth's Congressional Reminiscences. Sketches of joho (juiocy .Adams. Thomas H Benton, John C. Lalhoun. Henry Clay. • and Daniel Webster. An Address read before the ¡ Chicago Historical Society, at Central .Music Hall, Thursday Eve.. March r6. i83». With a fine Carbon Portrait, an Appendix, and a complete Inde*. Pp. Z2: 8vo. 18B2. (In Press )^ FERGUS' HISTORICAL SERIES: relating to chicago and illinois Annals of Chicago: A lecture read before the Chicaco Lyceum, Jan. at, »840. K> Joseph N IÍaSst.er; Esq., Republished from the ongi- „I1 edS of '.84o?Vlth';n ¡"troductton, wntten by the Author in 1876; and. also, a Revie» of the iJecture, published in the C/ncago 1 nbunr, m tSya. Pp. 48: 8vo 1876. ^ Pn«. =5 cents. Fergus' Directory of the City of Chicago, 1830: with City .miJ County Officers, Churches, Public Buildings. Hotels etc.: also, list of Sheriffs of Cook County and Mayors of the City since their oreaniiation, together with the Poll-list of the First City Elertion (Tuesday. May 2, 1S37). List of Pur¬ chasers of Lots in Fort-Dearborn Addition, the aNo. of the Lots and the prices paid, etc., etc. (Histori¬ cal Sketch of City compiled for Directory of 1843. eta) Compiled by Robert Fergus. Pp. 68; 8vo. ,876. ^ P"ce. so cents. The Last of the Illinois ; and a Sketch of the Pottawatomies: A Lecture read before the Chicago Historical Society, Dec 13, 1870. Also, Origin of the Prairies: A Lecture read before the Ottawa Academy "f Natural Sciences, Dec. 30. 1869. By Hon. Jf»hn Dean Caton, LL.D.. ex-Chief- Justice of Illinois. Pp. 56: 8vo. 1876. Price, 2j cts. •l. Early Movement in Illinois for the Legal¬ ization of Slavery: An Historical Sketch read at the Annual Meeting of the Chicago Historical Socie¬ ty, Dec. 5, 1864. By Hon. Wm. H, Brown. Pp. 32. 8vo 1876. Price, 25 cents. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part 1.—Hon. S. Lisle Smith, Geo. Davis. Dr. Phillip Maxwell, John J. Brown, Richard L. Wilson, Col. Lewis C. Kerchival, Uriah P. Harris, Henry B. Clarke, and Sheriff Samuel J. Lowe. By W H Bi'bhnell. Pp. 48,8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cts. ÍÍ. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago, Part II —Hon. Wm. H. Brown, with Portrait. B, W. Raymond. F^sq., with Portrait, Hon. ¿Y. Scammon. Chas. Walker, Esq.,Thos. (Church, sq. Pp. 48; 8vo. »876. Price, 25 cents. 7. Early Chicago : A Suitday Lecture read in McCormick's Hall. May 7th, 1876. With Supple¬ mental Notes. 2d Lecture. By Hon, John Went- worth. Portrait. Pp. 56. Svo. 1876. Price, 35 cts 8. Early Chicago : A Sunday Lecture read in McCormick's Hall, April 11, 187^. With Supplc- iu mil Notes, ist Lecture. By Hon. John Went- WüRTH. Portrait. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876. Price. 35015 iK Present and Future Prospects of Chicago : An Address read before the Chicago Lyceum. Jan ao 1846. By Judge Henev Rkow n. author of History of Illinois. Chicago; An Address read ■? Library Association. March ai. r8;6. By James A. Mahshai.i.. Esq. Chicago in 1836: "Strange Early Days." By H akkist M aktineau. author of " Society m Ameri¬ ca. etc. Pp. 48. 8vo. 1876. Price. 25 cents. Adilresses Read before Chicago Histori- cai Soctety. By Hon. J. Y ScammIn Hon I N Arnold. \V m Hickling. Esq.. Col G S H,..' "ard. and Hiram W. Beckwith. Esq.; Sketches of Any of the above books sent by mail a\t:k'. I, 18S2. For Col. John H. Kinzie. by his wife. Julietts IS1N7IP- iiidge Geo. Manierre. Luther Haven. I rnd oth;rEariy Settlers; also, of Billy Caldwell Shahonee.and the "Winnebago Scare, of July. 1 and other important original matter connected "Early Chicago." Pp. 52: 8vo. 1877. Pnce, 11. Early Medical Chicago: An Histori Sketch of the First Practitioners of Medicine:^ the Present Faculties, and Graduates .since thei ganization of the Medical Colleges of Chicago. James Kevins Hyde, A.M., M.D. Illustrated numerous Wood Engravings and Steel Engravini Professors J. Adams Allen, N. S. Davis, and the Daniel Brainard. Pp. 84; 8vo. 1879. Price. 50 12. Illinois in the i8th Century.—Kaskas and its Parish Records. A Paper read be^ the Chicago Historical Society, Dec. 16, 1879. > Old Fort Chartres. A Paper read before the «p cago Historical Society, June i6, 1880. With gram of F'ort. Col. John Todd's Record Book. A Paper 1 before the Chicago Historical Society, Feb. 15, i By Edward G. M ason. Pp. 68: 8vo. 1881. 50 13. Recollections of Early Illinois and ! Noted Men. By Hon. Joseph Gillespie, wardsville. Read before the Chicago Histob- Society, March 16, 1880. With Portraits of AiriSi Govs. Reynolds and Bissell, and Henry Graíj^ Pp. 52; 8vo. 1880. Price, 50 ce The Earliest Religious History of Chicaj By Rev. Jeremiah Porter, its ist Resident Pas An Address read before the Chicago Hist. See., i| I Early History of Illinois. By Hon. William ] Brown. A Lecture read before the Chicago ^ ceum, Dec 8, 1S40. j Early Society in Southern Illinois. By R Robert W. Patterson, D.D. An Address r- before the Chicago Historical Society, Oct 19. Reminiscences of the Illinois-Bar Forty ÏÎS Ago : Lincoln and Douglas as Orators and Law|^ By Hon. Isaac N. .Arnold. Read before the St Bar Association, Springfield, Jan. 7, 1881. First Murder-Trial in Iroquois Co. for First M der in Cook Co. Pp. 112; 8vo. 1881. Price, 501 Abraham Lincoln : A Paper read before t Royal Historical Society, London, June 16, 18* By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, of Chicago. Stephen Arnold Douglas : An Eulogy. DcIín'«« before the Chicago University, Bryan Hall, luly W Sheahan, of The Ckica,^ irtbune. 1881. 8vo , 48 pp.; paper. Price, 25 c IG. Early Chicago—Fort Dearborn: An A dress read at the unveiling cf a tablet on the Fc site, under the auspices of the Chicago Historii Paper. * Hon. John Wentworth, LL.D." \Í^th an'^Amji u • of Capt.Wm. Wells and Mrs. C3 fodexes to tst and ad Lectures, 3 talumet-Club Reception." 8vo., iia pp. 1881. 7« IT. Ogden (portrait) ; and Early Daj i'sf hi. Arnold, Rk Tr Vi "1" Historical Society. Tuesday. De ííó t'V of Wm. B. Ogden. I Won. J. Act no Scammon. Pp. 72;8vo. 1882. 40 F or lat4ir numbers, see inside of cover, receipt of price, postpaid, to any part of the U. S., by the PuM ,xi!w Px-intiiiir Coiiiixaiiv- «HU- ^ísíoríeaf i «ä-^umöcr §uteníj;-tí»rce-í' ^%m\] Illinois fiailroads-^- BY ^ IVM. K. ACKERMAN. ' For Catalogue, See Inside and Last Pages of Cover. (REYNOLDS') MY OWN TIMES. [A History of Illinois;] Embracing also The History of My Life. By John Reynolds, Ute Gov. of 111., etc. Portrait. Reprint of original edition of 1855, with complete Index added. Cloth boardi; Gilt-top; Side and bottom uncut; Antique Paper: Pp 42S; 8vo. 1879. Edition of na copies. Price, $7.50. (REYNOLDS') PIONEER HISTORY OF ILLINOIS. Containing the Discovery in 1673 and the History of the Country to the year i8i8, when the Stale Government was organized. By John Rkvnold.s, late Governor of Illinois, Member of Congress, State Senator, and Representative, etc., Belleville, 111., 1852. Reprinted from the original edition, to which have been added Notes and a complete Index. Portraits. Pages 45^; 8vo. Cloth Boards; uncut; Toned Paper. Press) THE MARTYRDOM OF LOVEJOY. An account of the Life, Trials, and Perils of Rev. Elijah P. Lovejoy, killed by a Pro- Slavery Mob, at Alton, 111., on the night of Nov. 7, 1837. By Henry Tanner, of Buffalo, N.Y., an Eye¬ witness. Cloth boards; Gilt-top; Side and bottom uncut; Illustrated; Pp. 233; Svo. 1881. Price, $2.^ (Vol. I.) HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH SETTLEMENT In Edwards County, Illinois : Founded by Morris Birkbeck (portrait) and George Flower (portrait), in 1817 and 1818. By George Flower. With Preface and Foot-Notes by Hon, E. B. Wash- burne. Complete Subject and Personal Indexes. Cloth Boards; uncuL Pages 408; 8vo. 1882. Price, $5,00 (Vol. II.) SKETCH OF ENOCH LONG. An Illinois Pioneer (with portrait). By Harvey Reid. Cloth boards; uncut. Pages 212; 8vo. 1884. Price, $2.00 (Vol. III.) THE EDWARDS PAPERS. Being a Portion of the Coll. of the MSS. of Ninian Edwards, C.-J. of Ct of Appeals of Ky. : first and only gov. of 111. T'y; one of the first two U. S. senators and third gov. of III Presented to the Chic. Hist. Soc., Oct. 16th, 1883, by his son, N. W. Edwards, ex-Att'y-Gem of IIL Edited by Hon, E. B. Washburne. With Steel Portraits of Gov. Edwards and Dan'l P. Cook; and 20 íac-simile (litho¬ graph) letters. Complete Index. Cloth boards: uncut. Pages 631; 8vo. 1884. Price, $6.00 THE DEARBORNS (portraits). A Discourse commemorative of the Eightieth Anniversary of the Occupation of Fort Dearborn, and the First Settlement at Chicago. Read before the Chicago Historical Society, Tue»- day, Dec. 18, 1883. By Daniel Goodwin, Jr. With Remarks of Hons. John Wbntworth, J. Young ScAMMON, E. B. Washburne, and I. N. Arnold. Pp. 56; 8vo. 1884. Paper, 50 cts; Cloth, 75 cts. The Towne-Family Memorial. Compiled from the New-England Historical and Genea¬ logical Register, Towne Manuscripts, Public and Family Records; for A. N. Towne, San Francisco, CiL By Edwin Hubbard. Pp. 124; 8vo. z88a Paper, $aoo The Powers Family: A Gen. and Hist. Record of Walter Power and some of his Descend¬ ants to the Ninth Generation. Compiled by Amos H. Powers. Pp. aoo; 8vo. 1884. Cloth, J3.00 The Goodrich-Family Memorial. (Part Two.) Containing the American History and Four Generations of the Descendants of William and Sarah (Marvin) Goodrich of Weihersfield, (^oon* Compiled by Edwin Hubbard. Pp. 102; 8vo. 1884. Paper, $2.00 Annals of Fort Mackinac: Its Legends, Early History, and Events, with a list of French, British, and American Military and Civil Officers, Priests, and Marriages, etc., etc. By Lieut. D. H. Kelton, U.-S. Army. Illustrated. Pages 102; 8vo. 1882. Price, 50 cents. The Gentle Shepherd. A Pastoral Comedy. By Allan Ramsay. With a short Sketch of the Author, and a Glossary of Scottish WmM FERGUS" HISTORICAL SERIES, No. 23. Early Illinois Railroads read before the CHICAGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Tuesday Evening, February 20, 1883. by WM. K. ACKERMAN, president of the illinois-central railroad. Notes by Hon. John Wen.tworth. also, AN APPENDIX with the BREESE-DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE On the Inception and Origin of the Illinois-Central Railroad, anq^the Origin of Names of Stations on the Illinois-Central Railroad. CHICAGO: FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, ILLINOIS STREET. 1884. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1884, by Fergus Printing Company, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. It is generally conceded that the first railroad constructed for passenger traffic in England was the Stockton-and-Darlington Line, projected by Edward Pease* and executed by George Stephenson.t It was that Mr. Pease who said: "Let the country but make the railroads and the railroads will make the country." Royal assent was given to build the line April ig, 1821. Its first rail was laid with considerable ceremony at a point near St. John's Well, Stockton, on May 23, 1822, and it was opened for traffic on September 27, 1825. Its length was about fiftedh miles. The first railroad constructed for freight traffic in England, on which steam was used as the means of propulsion, was the Hetton Railway, a short track of eight miles, built from the Hetton Col¬ liery to the docks at Sunderland, on the banks of the River Wear. It was opened on November 18, 1822. Stephenson was the engineer of the line, and he used five locomotives upon it of his own design, which were called by the people of the neighbor¬ hood the "iron horses." Here possibly we have the origin of the phrase now become so common. The Liverpool-and-Manchester Road, thirty-seven miles long, was commenced in 1826, and opened for traffic, September 15, 1830. Its gauge was four feet, eight-and-a-half inches. The surveys for this line were made in the face of strong opposition. * Edward Pease was a wealthy iron manufacturer. t George Stephenson was an Englbh railroad engineer, born at Wylam, Northumberland County, England, June 9, 1781, and died at Tapton Park, Derbyshire, England, August 12, 1848. 4 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. The surveyors were sometimes driven from their work by a mob, armed with sticks and stones, urged on by the landed proprietors and those interested in the lines of coaches on the highway. Frances Anne Kemble,* in her "Records of a Life," under date of September, 1830, tells of a ride taken by her on this road, seated alongside of Stephenson, the projector. From these small beginnings grew the present immense and costly railway system of the United Kingdom, an aggregation of 18,000 miles of road, costing $3,750,000,000, or an average of over $200,000 per mile. Turning to the United States, we learn that in August, 1825, a wooden-rail track, that proved very efficacious, was in opera¬ tion under the direction of a Mr. Randel, an engineer, for the purpose of removing the excavated earth of the Delaware-and- Chesapeake Canal, below Philadelphia. There was also a wooden railway employed for the purpose of transporting ice from the bank of the river, where the depot was established, to the shipping in the Delaware. This latter enterprise was introduced by Turner Camac, who was largely interested in pro¬ moting internal improvements in Pennsylvania. In 1826, Hon. Stephen Van Renssaleart and others procured from the New-York State legislature a charter for the construc¬ tion of a railroad from Albany to Schenectady, that was known as the Mohawk-and-Hudson Railroad; and was opened for busi¬ ness in September, 1831. Thurlow WeedJ was a passenger on the first train that run over this road, on August 9, 1831. It was drawn by the American locomotive De Witt Clinton. This was * Miss Kemble was born in London, England, 1811. In 1832, she accom¬ panied her father, Charles Kemble, to the United States, and in 1834 married Fierce Butler of Philadelphia, a son of the senator from South Carolina of the same name. She was distinguished as a writer, reader, and actress. t Stephen Van Renssalear was a prominent man in New York for many years, lieutenant-governor, member of congress, and major-general in the war of 1812, and died at Albany, January 26, 1839. Í Thurlow Weed was born at Cairo, Greene Co., New York, November 15, 1797, and died at New-York City, November 22, 1882, having passed his life mainly in conducting a newspaper, and gaining great prominence whilst editing the Albany Evening Journal, EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. S undoubtedly the first railroad built in the State of New York. The road built at Quincy, Mass., in 1826, which has often been referred to as tlie first railroad constructed in the United States, was employed simply tq bring out granite from the quarry near that place to the Neponset River, a distance of about three miles, and was worked by horse-power. It was built with granite sleepers, seven-and-a-half feet long, laid eight feet apart; the rails, five feet apart, were of pine, a foot deep, covered with an oak plate, and these with flat bars of iron. The Mauch-Chunk Road, nine miles in length, was a short spur employed to transport coal from the mines at that place to the River Lehigh, and was built in 1827. This line was operated by gravity, though mules had to be used for returning empty cars to the mines. In 1828, the Delaware-and-Hudson Canal Com¬ pany built a short line from the coal-mines at Honesdale to the terminus of their canal. The first locomotive-engine permanently used in this country was employed on this line; it was built by Foster, Rastrick & Co. of Stourbridge, England, and first put in use August 8, 1829, by Horatio Allen, who had himself purchased it in England. It was called the Stourbridge Lion, its front being ornamented with a large and fierce-looking face of a lion. The charter of the South-Carolina Railroad was granted Dec. 19, 1827; it was the first road built expressly for use of locomo¬ tive power. A small portion of the road, connecting Charleston with Columbia, the capital of the Stale, and having a branch to Augusta, Ga., or rather to Hamburg, on the opposite side of the Savannah River, was partially constructed and in operation as early as February, 1829. It was a short piece of experimental track over which, it is stated, a mule drew without difficulty a car containing forty-seven bales of cotton. After making every rea¬ sonable allowance for the average physical strength of that animal, we are constrained to believe that this haul must have been on a down-grade. In June of that year, a plan for active operations was instituted, and in December, the legislature authorised a loan by the State to the company of $100,000. 6 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. There was at the time a great prejudice against the scheme, and to save themselves from satire and ridicule, the directors stole quietly out on the night of January 9, 1830, and turned the first sod of what is known as the South-Carolina Railroad. In April, a car propelled by a sail was used. In November, steam-power was introduced. The first locomotive consiructed in America, under a contract, for actual service on a railroad, was for this line. It was built at the West-Point Foundry in New York in r83o, and was called the Best Friend. There is a story told that when this road was completed to Cheraw, thirteen miles from Charleston, a traveler arrived at the former place and inquired of a negro man working in a field, what distance it was to Charles¬ ton, he replied: "Massa, if yer's gwyne a horseback, it's 'bout 'leven miles; if yer's gwyne to walk, it's up mountain all the way; but if yer's gwyne by the railroad, you 're thar now." On October 2, 1833, the entire road to Hamburg was completed, and was at that time the longest road in the world. It was the first railroad that carried the United-States mail. The Lake-Ponchartrain Railroad, from the City of New Orleans to the lake, four-and-a-half miles, was opened April 16, 183t. By an ordinance passed by the board of aldermen of the City of New York, in January, 1832, permission was given to the Harlem-Railroad Company to lay its tracks from Twenty-third Street through the centre of the Fourth or Broadway Avenue to Harlem River, at a point about three hundred yards above the bridge. On May 4, 1832, an additional privilege of laying a single track from Twenty-third Street down the Bowery to Prince Street was granted. The ceremony of breaking ground for the first railroad in the city was celebrated on February 25, 1832. Cars were run for the first time over a part of the road to Mur¬ ray's Hill, in June, 1833. The road was completed from Prince to Eighty-fourth Street in the spring of 1834. On April 24, 1832, the act incorporating the New-York-and- Erie Railway was passed. There was considerable opposition to the construction of railroads in that State, and to this road in -particular, coming more particularly from those who looked upon EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 7 the railroad as the great enemy of the canal, at that time the pride of the State. It is claimed that the Baltimore-and-Ohio Railroad Company was tlie first chartered and fully-organized company in the United States for the construction of an extended line of railway, though it was not originally designed for the use of steam-power. Ad¬ mitting this, Maryland has the honor of having been the first state in the Union to incorporate a company for the construction of a railroad, and she claims also to have been the first to devote the public resources to the support of the system. The construction of this line was the result of frequent con¬ ferences, held in Baltimore, in the fall of 1826, in relation to the loss that city had sustained in consequence of a large portion of its trade with the West, having been drawn to the cities of Phila¬ delphia and New York by the public works of Pennsylvania and the Erie Canal. An act of incorporation was granted by the State of Maryland, February 28, 1827, ten months before the South-Carolina road was incorporated, and the company organized on April 24, of that year. It is a singular fact that, although Baltimore was at this early day looking to the West for a sustaining traffic, yet its system was not extended to Chicago until November 16, 1874, nearly fifty years after. The beginning of the work was inaugu¬ rated with becoming ceremonies; July 4, 1828, was chosen as the most fitting day, and "Charles Carroll of Carrollton,"* then in his ninetieth year, was selected to begin a work, regarding which he remarked : " I consider this among the most important acts of my life, second only to my signing the Declaration of Inde¬ pendence." The first division of the road, from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills, fourteen miles, was opened for the transportation of passengers by horse-power on May 24, 1830. The Relay House, eight miles from the city, was, as its name indicates, the point for changing * Charles Carroll, born at Annapolis, Maryland, September 20, 1737, Ü. S. senator and last survivor of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, died at Baltimore, Md., November 14, 1832. 8 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. horses. Steam-power was introduced on August 30, in the same year. The first loçomotive used, an experimental machine, was built by Peter Cooper,* the now venerable philanthropist, who celebrated his ninty-second birthday a few days since. It made its first trip August 28, 1830, and outran a horse-car in a trial of speed. It was the first built in America, and the first used in the transportation of passengers on this side of the Atlantic. It did not weigh over a ton, and was appropriately named the Tom Thumb.t In many of the communications which appeared in the columns of the Baltimore papers in 1831, for and against the ex¬ tension of the road through the city to tide-water, an effort was made to excite the prejudices of the draymen, on the ground that it would ruin their business and deprive them of the means of livelihood. During the early days of construction, the enterprise met with very bitter opposition from the Chesapeake-and-Ohio Canal Company, and the old battle between rail and water trans¬ portation still rages as fiercely as ever. In advertising for proposals for locomotives in January, 1831, the notice specified that the engines were to be of sufficient power to haul fifteen tons ; and that the engine itself should not weigh * Peter Cooper, the owner and builder of Cooper Institute, was bom ia New-York City, February 12, 1791, and died there, April 4, 1883. + It was simply designed to prove the feasibility of the locomotive, and after mnning a short time between Baltimore and Ellicott Station it was taken off the road. The locomotive was a small affair, weighing about a ton, with wheels not two feet in diameter, and 3>¿-inch cylinders. The upright boiler was of the size of those now to be found in kitchens. A blower was provided to increase the draught. At first the locomotive was fitted with a contrivance by which the wheels were turned by the rectilinear motion of the piston-rod instead of by a crank, and by which an increase of power in the proportion of 8 to 5 was gained over the crank. It broke twice during the locomotive's trial trip, and Mr. Cooper was obliged to substitute the ordinary crank. When the public experiment was made this locomotive drew a car containing thirty-six persons, including ex-Mayor John H. B. Latrohe of Baltimore, besides carrying six persons and its fuel and water. Mr. Cooper acted as engineer. The thirteen miles were made against an average ascend¬ ing grade of eighteen feet to the mile and around many tums in one hour and twelve minutes, and the return trip was made in fifty-seven minutes. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 9 more than 3 tons ; and of those offered only one was found capable of hauling the specified weight. This was built at York, Pa., by Davis & Gartner, and was called' the York. It made a trip from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills, fourteen miles, in one hour. A year later, they had put on the road a second engine of greater weight and power called the Atlantic. To the Baltimore-and-Ohio Company belongs the credit of solving many of the problems which presented themselves first in connection with the great system of travel and inland transporta¬ tion.* In the preface of a little work recently published, an old story is revived of a punctiliously polite Greek who, while performing tiie funeral services over the remains of an infant daughter, felt bound to make his excuses to the spectators for " bringing out such a ridiculously small corpse to so large a crowd;" and in looking over the very early records of railroad-building in the State of Illinois one ñnds comparatively so little of real interest to note as to require almost an apology for presenting it. Here and there was heard a faint cry for a railroad, followed in some instances by a feeble attempt at construction. On January 28, 1831, an act was passed by the general assem¬ bly of this State for the survey of a route for a canal or railroad in St Clair County; this is the first reference made to the subject of railroads on the statute books of the State. Commissioners were appointed to examine and survey the American Bottom in St Clair County from the bluffs to the Mississippi River opposite St. Louis, in order to ascertain the practicability and probable expense of constructing a canal or railroad, and make report thereof to tbe next legislature. At the same session, by an act, approved February 15, 1831, to amend an act to provide for the construction of the Illinois- and-Michigan Canal, it was made the duty of the superintending commissioner to cause the engineer employed by him to ascer¬ tain, as early in the spring as the weather will permit, whether • "History of the Baltimore-and-Ohio Railroad Company by a citizen of Balthnore," published in 1853. 10 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. the Calamic will be a sufficient feeder for the part of the canal between the Chicago and Desplaines Rivers, or whether the con¬ struction of a railroad is not preferable or will be of more public utility than a canal. And if the commissioners shall be satisfied of the sufficiency of said river, and that a canal will be of more public utility than a railroad, it shall be their duty to commence the excavations without delay. This is the second reference to the subject of railways.* * James M. Bucklin, in a letter published in the Railway Age of February 21, 1878, says: "The first road projected and located by the legislature of Illinois was the Illinois*and-Michigan Railroad, extending from the City of Chic^;o to the navigable waters of the Illinois River, which was designed by the legislature as a substitute for the Illinois-and-Michigan Canal in consequence of a defi* ciency of water on the Summit level, and of the enormous cost of a through¬ out to draw a supply of water from Lake Michigan, which was reported by me as the result of my first examination of the route in 1830, a season of extreme drought. " Thereupon the legislature memorialized congress to change the character of the improvement, without forfeiting the endowments of land to aid in the construction of a canal. Upon this being granted, the legislature required the canal commissioners to examine into the practicability of constructing a rail¬ road in lieu of the canal. "Accordingly, in compliance with an order of the canal commissioners, I proceeded to Chicago in the spring of 1831, and, after completing the survey and location of the canal, selected the junction of the north and south forks of the Chicago River, then called Wolf Point, as the point of departure for the Illinois-and-Michigan Railroad. " From this point a straight line, thirteen miles in length, was run to the rapids of the Desplaines River, called Laughton's Ford, the name of an Indian trader who lived there and made use of the water-power to run a small mill. Crossing the Desplaines at the ford, the line was then continued down the right bank of the river to the Illinois'River, below the mouth of the Kanka¬ kee, forming a junction with the line of canal previously located. No heavy work was required on the whole route; the profiles exhibited only a continu-' ous light fill, with a maximum graduation of twenty feet to the mile, the minimum curvature, 2000 feet. " Before reporting to the canal commissioners on the subject of the Illinois- and-Michigan Railroad, I took all the maps, profiles, and computations to Baltimore, for the purpose of consulting a friend whom I thought capable of EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. II The legislature, at its session begun and held in Vandalia, Dec. 3, 1832, incorporated the Springfield-and-Alton Turnpike-Road Company, for the purpose of constructing a turnpike-road from Springfield to a point on the Mississippi River in St. Clair County, opposite St. Louis, "to transport, take, and carry property and persons upon the same by the power and force of steam, of atii- mals, or of any mechanical or other power, or of any combination of them which the said corporation may choose to employ." giving good advice on a branch of engineering with which I was not familiar. This was Mr. Jonathan Knight, chief-engineer of the Baltimore-and-Ohio Railroad. 1 found him and Mr. B. Latrobe at Washington, having just com¬ pleted the location of the Washington branch of that road. They examined vrith some interest the profíles of a road no miles long with a maximum grafe of twenty feet per mile, almost coincident with the surface, the long, straight lines and large curvatures, especially when contrasted with the profile of the Washington branch, its fifty-foot grades and fifty-foot cuts and fills, coniaining ten times the quantities required for the graduation of the whole route of the lllinois-and-Michigan Railroad, which was yet quite equal to the branch in operative power and business capacity, although nearly three times as long. *'Mr. Knight advised *the construction of ten miles of double track at each terminus; that the bridges and culverts should be double tracks; to ballast the road well; to makes the curves as large as possible; and to recommend die use of T rail, eighty pounds to the yard in weight.' "But notwithstanding that, in my report to the canal commissioners I dem¬ onstrated, as I supposed, that to construct a canal and make it a reliable work would cost over $100,000 per mile, and that the cost of a railroad would not exceed $25,000 per mile; that its construction would require but a short time comparatively; that it would greatly facilitate the construction and diminish the cost of the canal; and that the land-grant, if reserved, would in all proba¬ bility ultimately pay for both the railroad and the canal. Nothing could be urged by the friends of the measure of sufficient force to overcome the popular prejudice then existing in favor of transportation by water. If that had been possible, the lllinois-and-Michigan Railroad would have been in full operation before work was fairly commenced on the canal, and continued down the valleys of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers to Alton, the object of those who advocated a railroad, with the view of making it one of the most power¬ ful, most efficient, and economical freight lines in the United States—the grades not to exceed twenty feet per mile. " If this project had been consummated, Chicago long since would have bera in effect almost as near the Gulf of Mexico as St.Louis now is." 12 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. Four commissioners were appointed, and it was made their duty to be in the cities of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,' and St. Louis, to open books to receive subscriptions to the capital stock of said corporation, "and to do such other things as in their opinion is best calculated to get said stock taken up." Imagine, if you can, what a sensation these commissioners must have created in these financial centers. Who can tell, at this late day, what measures were resorted "to get said stock taken up?" But the subject is a delicate one, and we forbear to pursue it This corporation was given power to regulate the time and manner in which goods and passengers should be transported, and as to the collection of tolls, limited to a net result of twelve per cent on the capital stock. In lieu of a turnpike, the directors might build a single or double railroad, apd they were to have ten years within which to compete it. A similar act was approved March 2, 1833, incorporating the Rushville-and-Beardstown Turnpike-Road Company. At the session of 1834, a charter was granted to the Chicago- and-Vincennes Railroad Company, but the work was not com¬ menced for many years afterward. Governor Duncan, in his message to the house of representa¬ tives in 1834, referring to the work of internal improvement gen¬ erally, says: "Of the different plans proposed, I find that the board of canal commissioners and my worthy predecessors have recommended a railroad, in which I regret that I am compelled to differ with them in opinion. In my judgment, experience has shown canals to be much more useful and generi^ly cheaper of construction than railroads; they require less expensive repairs, and are continually improving, and will last forever; while rail¬ roads are kept in repair at a very heavy expense, and will last but about fifteen years." But judging from the language of his next regular message to the house, in 1835, we may reasonably conclude that his views had materially changed, for, in his message to the legislature, at the special session begun December 7, 1835, he says: "When» EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 13 we look abroad and see the extensive lines of intercommunica¬ tion penetrating almost every section of our sister states, when we see the canal-boat and the locomotive bearing, with seeming triumph, the rich productions of the interior to the rivers, lakes, and ocean, almost annihilating time, burden, and space, what patriot bosom does not beat high with a laudable ambition to give to Illinois her full share of those advantages which are adorning her sister states, and which a munificent Providence seems to invite by the wonderful adaptation of our whole country to such improvements.' Numerous charters were granted at this session, but there does not seem to have been many patriot bosoms willing to beat high enough to carry out the enterprises. It is interesting to note that even up to this period, 1835, public opinion seems to have been about equally divided in favor of the"canal and the railroad system. On January 17, 1835, dur¬ ing a debate in the senate on the propriety of incorporating a pompany to build a railroad from Logansport, Ind., to Quincy, IlL, Hon. Wm. J. Gatewood,* a member of the senate, said: "I am opposed to the railroad because I am convinced that its con¬ struction will operate to the disadvantage of the Michigan Canal." In an editorial, published in the Sangamo Journal,^ Feb. 21, 1835, the editor says: "While we fully acknowledge the great importance of the proposed railroad from Alton to Springfield to this section of the State, we do not hesitate to say that as a work of general importance it can bear no comparison to the Michi- gan-and-IUinois Canal." Gov. John Reynolds,Í in that charming contribution to the * William J. Gatewood was a member of the Illinois house of representa¬ tives in 1830-2 from Shawneetown, Gallatin Co., and senator from 1834 to 1842. t Tht Sangamo JourmU of 1835, edited for many years by the late Simeon Frauds, is still published under the name of The Springfield Journal. îjohn Reynolds, bora in Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania, February 26, 1788, besides being governor, was for several years a member of congress, and died at Belleville, 111.,.May 8, 1865. His celebrated work entitled "My Own Times," has been recently republished by the Fergus Printing Co., Chicago, and are also reprinting his " Pioneer History of Illinois. " 14 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. literature of the State, entitled, " My Own Times," claims that he originated the first piece of railroad actually constructed in the Mississippi Valley; and this is his account of it; "Being left out of Congress in 1836, I was overflowing with energy and vigor, so that I could not remain quiet and idle. I had a large tract of land located on the Mississippi Bluff, six miles from St. Louis, which contained in it inexhaustible quanti¬ ties of bituminous coal. This coal-mine was the nearest St. Louis of any other on this side of the Mississippi River. I had also most of the land on which a railroad might be constructed to convey the coal on to the market. Under these circumstances, a few others with myself decided to construct a railroad from the bluff to the Mississippi, opposite St. Louis. This road was alx)ut six miles long, and although' short, the engineer made an errone¬ ous calculation of the cost, making the estimate less than one- half the real cost. We all embarked in this enterprise' when we knew very little about the construction of a railroad or the capacity of the market for the use of coal. In fact, the company had nothing but an excessive amount of energy and vigor, to¬ gether with some wealth and some standing, with which to con¬ struct the road, and we accomplished it. " We were forced to bridge a lake over 2000 feet across, and we drove down piles more than eighty feet into the mud and water of the lake on which to erect the bridge. We put three piles on the top of one another and fastened the ends together. We battered the piles down with a metal battering-ram of 1400 pounds weight. " The members of the company themselves hired the hands— at times a hundred a day—and overlooked the work. " They built shanties to board the hands in, and procured pro¬ visions and lodgings for them. They graded the track, cut and hauled the timber, piled the lake, built the road, and had it run¬ ning in one season, of the year 1837. This work was perfonned in opposition to much clamor against it, that it would not succeed, and that we would break at it, and such predictions. " We had not the means or the time in one year to procure the early illinois railroads. 15 iron for the rails or a locomotive, so we were compelled to work the road without iron, and with horse-power. " We did so, and delivered much coal at the river. It is strange how it was possible we could construct this road under the circumstances. It was the first railroad built in the Missis¬ sippi Valley, and such an improvement was new to every one as well as our company. " In the spring of 1838, I offered for Congress, and we con¬ sidered it best to sell out, as I could not attend to the road with the rest of the company. We sold and took no mortgage on the property. We lost by the sale twelve or thirteen thousand dol¬ lars. We sold for less by twenty thousand dollars than it cost us. I lost in the enterprise fifteen or eighteen thousand dollars. The members of the company, and I one of them, lived out on the premises of the road day and night while the work was progress¬ ing ; "and I assert that it was the greatest work or enterprise ever performed in Illinois, under the circumstances. But it well-nigh broke us alL" This road was known as the Coal-Mine Bluff Railroad, and was constructed from some point near Illinoistown, now known as East St. Louis. It was built with a wooden rail, and operated by horse-power. It was not regularly chartered until February 26, 1841, when it was incorporated as the St. Clair-Railroad Company, and the company was authorized to finish the railroad from the bluffs in Sl Clair County to the Mississippi River, opposite St. Louis, and also to build a few short spurs. On February 10, 1859, its name was changed to that of Pittsburg Railroad-and-Coal Company. On Feb. 16, 1865, the title of the company was again changed to that of Illinois-and-St. Louis Railroad, which it now holds. It extends from Belleville to East St. Louis, a distance of fifteen miles, and has three miles of branch roads. Governor Reynolds gives Judge Sidney Breese the credit of having first brought the plan of a central road, to notice by a newspaper publication, to which we will hereafter refer, although i6 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. he claims that Lieut.-Gov. Alexander M. Jenkins,' in the senate of 1832, proposed a survey for a central road from Cairo to Peru. This brings us to speak of that letter which Senator Stephen A. Douglas, in after-years, in his correspondence with Judge Breese, referred to in not very complimentary terms. The letter itself is so characteristic of the writer, and bears so directly upon our subject that we venture to quote it in full. It first appeared in the Illinois AdvoccUe, published, we believe, in Lebanon, and is as follows,: "Vandalia, October 16, 1835. "John Y. Sawyer, Esq.,t "Dear Sir;—Having some leisure from the labors of my circuit, I am induced to devote a portion of it in giving to the public a plan, the outline of which was suggested to me by an intelligent friend in Bond County a few days since (Mr. Waite í of Green¬ ville), by which the North may get their long-wished-for canal, and the southern and interior counties a channel of communica¬ tion quite as essential to their prosperity. "In doing so, I have not stopped to inquire if my motives may not be assáiled, and myself subjected to unkind remarks, believ¬ ing, as I do, that the subject is of so much importance as to throw all personal considerations into the shade. "The plan then is this : At the junction of the canal with the Illinois River let a railroad be constructed, to extend to the con- ñuence of the Ohio and Mississippi, following, as near as may be, the third pïincipal meridian, and let the credit of the State be pledged , for the funds necessary to complete both works. This would be doing equal and impartial justice to three of the most * Alexander M. Jenkins was speaker of the house of representatives from Jackson Co., in 1832, and elected lieutenant-governor in 1834, with Gov. Joseph Duncan. t John York Sawyer was elected judge of the first judicial circuit at the legislative session of 1824-5. He resided at Edwardsville, and died prior to 1847. t William Smith Waite was born in Portland, Maine, March 5, 1789, and died at Greenville, Bond Co., July 17, 1865. He was one of the earliest and most ardent advocates of railroads in Illinois. —See " History of Bond Co. " EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 17 prominent portions of our State, and would create a unity of effort and concert of action that would overcome every obstacle. The general government also would grant some of the unappropriated land on the contemplated road throughout its whole extent in aid of the undertaking, and that it can be accomplished with the means we can raise there can be no manner of doubt. When made, its benefits will be incalculable. It will make the southern and interior counties, cause them to settle, raise the value of their lands (which are intrinsically as good as any), and furnish the means of transportation for their products either to a Nortîiem or Southern market, of which they are now destitute. "It is a stupendous project, but one so easy of accomplishment, so just, so equal, and so well calculated to revive the drooping energies of the South and of the interior, that no doubt can be entertained, if our effort is made at the approaching session of the legislature, but that the canal and the road will be under contract in less than six months after the loan is authorired. "No sectional objections can operate successfully against the project, nor will the people complain of a loan the benefits of which are to be so general and so important. Posterity will have no cause of complaint if we do leave them a debt to pay, when at the same time we leave them the most ample means for discharg¬ ing it. These things have not been regarded in the proper light. No objection should ever be made to incurring such debts when the fund is left out of which to pay them. As well might the heir object to taking his estate of half a million because encum¬ bered by a mortgage of two hundred thousand dollars. By a united, zealous effort at the next session, an artificial artery through the heart of our State, the fairest and richest in the Union, can be made, which will not be surpassed by the stu¬ pendous ^hievements of a similar kind in the other and older states. "To avoid jealousies and heart-burnings, let the expenditures on both works commence at the same time, and be prosecuted with equal energy, and when this tnain artery is finished, it will not be long before smaller ones, branching off to the Wabash and Upper 2 i8 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. Mississippi, will be constructed. Then Illinois will rival any other State of our vast confederacy, not excepting even that which is so proudly, yet so justly styled the Empire State. "To ascertain the interests that can be brought to bear in its favor, take a map of the State and trace upon it the proposed route, and notice the many important and flourishing counties and towns it will pass through and which it will benefit. "Assuming Utica or Ottawa as the point at which the canal will terminate, the mouth of the Ohio bears from it some few miles west. To reach it, the road would pass through LaSalle, McLean, Macon, a part of Shelby, Fayette, a part of Bond, Clinton, Washington, Perry, Jackson, Union, and terminate as above in Alexander County. Pursuing nearly a direct line, it would pass through Bloomington, Decatur, and Vandalia, where it would intersect the National Road, Carlyle, New Nashville, Pinckneyville, Brownsville, Jonesboro, all seats of justice of the counties in which they are situated. Along the whole route, especially on the southern portion of it, abundant materials of the best kind can be had to construct the work. The distance from one extreme to the other, on a straight line, is only 300 miles, and the necessary deviations from that course will not make it more than 350 miles. "Three-fourths of,it, that is to say, from Utica or Ottawa to- Pinckneyville, in Perry County, the surface of the country, so far as you can determine by the eye, is level or undulating; the re¬ mainder is hilly, but by no means mountainous. "Taking the estimated cost of the Alton-and-Springfield Road as data, which is on an average fraction over $7000 per mile, the cost of this will not exceed $2,500,000, a sum insignificant in¬ deed, when we consider the immense benefits to ourselves and to- posterity that must flow from its expenditure -for such an object. "Allowing fifteen miles an hour as the maximum of speed upon it, a locomotive with its train of cars can kindle its fire at Ottawa in the morning and on the next rekindle it at the junction of the Ohio. From this point an uninterrupted communication exists at all seasons with every part of the world, and when the canal EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 19 and the lakes of the North are locked up by ice the markets of the South can be reached with certainty and speed by the rail¬ way and the Mississippi. "Let then the South, the interior, and the North unite—let the project be submitted at the coming session, let the loan be au¬ thorized, and let us all enter upon it with that determined spirit which should characterize all great undertakings and success is certain. They who shall be instrumental in its commencement and completion will have erected for themselves a monument more durable than marble, and throughout all future time will receive, as they well deserve, the grateful thanks of a generous people. "I hope some gentleman may feel sufficient interest in this matter to consider it maturely and give the result of their deliber¬ ations to the public through the newspapers. It is a great, mag¬ nificent, and feasible project. It can—it will be accomplished. "I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, "Sidney Breese." The editor of the Sangamo Journal was pledged to the sup¬ port of the canal and also to the Wabash-and-Mississippi Rail¬ road scheme. In his editorial, published in his issue of Oct. 31, 1835, com¬ menting upon Judge Breese's letter, he says: "The Illinois Can^ and the Wabash-and-Mississippi Railroad are both works of vast importance. The humblest means which we possess shall be employed in their beWalf on all suitable occasions." But in the same article he can not refrain from giving the judge great credit for the very able suggestion contained in his letter, and also adds in the true spirit of the times: "We rejoice to witness the spirit of internal improvement now manifesting itself in every part of Illinois." The effect of this letter is shown in the subsequent action of the legislature, held in Vandalia, commencing December, 1836. On October 19, in the same year, a meeting of the citizens of Shelby County was convened at the court-house, and Judge Breese wa* requested to give his views of the contemplated project to 20 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. the meeting, which he did, addressing them at some length on the subject. The meeting adjourned until the following day, when Judge Breese again spoke in support of a resolution, which passed unanimously, recommending to the citizens of Shelby County to hold meetings for the purpose of urging upon their representatives to support a law having for its object the loaning of money to construct a railroad, as suggested in Judge Breese's letter. The committee appointed at this meeting was to confer with similar committees appointed in other counties through which the line was to be constructed. In a letter to Senator Stephen A. Douglas,* dated, Springfield, January 25, 1851, while the charter of the present Illinois-Cen¬ tral line was under discussion. Judge Breese says: "I claim to have projected the great road in my letter of 1835, and in the judgment of impartial and disinterested men that claim will be allowed. I have said and written more in favor of it than any other; it has been the highest object of my ambition to accomplish it, and when my last resting-place shall be marked by the cold marble, which gratitude or affection may erect, I desire no other inscription than this : "He who sleeps beneath it projected the [Illinois]- Central Railroad." About the same time the legislature met at Vandalia, in 1836, say Davidson and Stuve, in their "History of Illinois,"t "there was also held in that city a convention composed of some of the ablest men in the State, who favored a general system of internal * Stephen Arnold Douglas, whilst a judge of the supreme court, was elected in 1843 to the house of representatives from Quincy, III., at the same time with John Wentworth, from the Chicago district. After serving two terms, he was elected to succeed James Semple in the U. S. senate and continued a member of that body until his death, at the Tremont House, Chicago, June 3, 1861. Judge Breese entered the senate at the same time that Judge Douglas entered the house. t "A Complete History of Illinois from 1673 to 1873. By Alexander Davidson and Bernard Stuve. Springfield, Illinois, 1874." EARl.V ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 21 improvements, and their object in meeting at that time and place was to exert an influence upon the members of the legislature to compel them to support and further all proceedings that would serve to aid and carry out their cherished scheme; they had but one object in view, and that was to be carried out regardless of consequences; they indulged in the wildest fancies, and fell into the strangest vagaries; they would not listen to reason or allow any one to suggest doubts as to complete success of their entire scheme; to their minds the State was fully equal to all they might suggest, and abundantly able in resource to carry them to a suc¬ cessful termination." Gov. Joseph Duncan,* in his message to the legislature that session, seems to have been not a whit behind the members of the convention. He again earnestly recommends that the work of internal improvement proceed until, as he expresses it, " the whole country shall be intersected by canals and railroads, and our beautiful prairies enlivened by thousands of steam-engines drawing after thehi lengthened trains freighted with the abundant productions of our fertile soil." The scheme was warmly seconded by the press, and the people joined their voices in resolutions at public meetings held all over the State. On January i8, 1836, the Legislature of the State of Illinois passed ah act incorporating an " Illinois-Central Railroad Com¬ pany." The act named fifty-eight incorporators, and included among these is the name of Sidney Breese, afterward chief-justice of the supreme court of our State, and who at a later period per¬ formed a conspicuous part in obtaining the charter of the present Illinois-Central Company. In the charter of 1836, authority was given to build a railroad from near the mouth of the Ohio to the Illinois River, near the • Joseph Duncan, governor from 1834-8, member of congress from 1827- 35, a soldier of the war of 1812, died at Jacksonville, 111., January 15, 1844. He served as lieutenant under Col. George Croghan in the defence of Fort Stephenson at Lower Sandusky, Ohio, August 2, 1813, and was voted a •word by congress in honor of his services. 22 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. termination of the Illinois-and-Michigan Canal. A rail communi¬ cation between the lakes and the Gulf of Mexico was the primary object sought. The directors were authorized to fix the rates for tolls, but it was provided that if these produced a net income of over twelve per cent the legislature could reduce them so that not more than twelve per cent on the cost should be realized from the operation of the line. As money was worth, at that time, and for many years after, from eighteen to twenty-four per cent on ordinary farm mortgages, it will be readily perceived that the legislature was not dealing out its favors, even at this period, with a very lavish hand. The act further provided that no other railroad was to be au¬ thorized to be built within ten miles of this central road within fifty years. Some such provision as this in subsequent legislation would doubtless have served to check the reckless spirit which has in some instances characterized railroad-building in this State during the past ten years. Suffice it to say that the incorporators of this magnificent enterprise, on paper, few of whom probably had any clear com¬ prehension of what they were undertaking, signally failed in their efforts to construct this line, and what little money was invested in it never returned to the pockets of the shareholders. On February 27, 1837, the internal-improvement act was passed, under which the State of Illinois undertook to build about one thousand three hundred and forty miles of railroad, improve every navigable stream in the State, and, as a healing balm to those who felt no particular interest in the building of railroads or im¬ provement of rivers, two hundred thousand dollars was appropri¬ ated "for the improvement of roads and bridges in counties through which no railroad or canal passed." Section twenty-five of the act ¡irovided that the construction of the railroads should be commenced simultaneously at each end—at important trading-towns, and at their intersections with navigable streams, to be thence built in both directions. This EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 23 was owing to a jealous fear on the part of those living at different points along the proposed route, that one section might gain some advantage over the other. Under this act a board of fund commissioners was appointed, consisting of three members, who were to be "practical and experienced financiers." Provision was made in the forty-second section of the bill "for putting up conspicuously, and 'maintaining across each turnpike- road and highway, boards on which there was to be painted in capital letters of at least nine inches in length : "Railroad Crossing—Look out for the engine while the bell rings!" Alas, they looked but saw nothing! The act authorized the expenditure of over ten million dollars,, equivalent to an appropriation of two hundred million dollars on the basis of the present population of the State, for the payment of which the faith of the State was "irrevocably pledged." Henry Brown, in his "History of Illinois,"* says: "The State of Illinois was then in debt, its revenue was insufficient to defray the ordinary expenses of government. "The school-fund had been borrowed by the legislature and expended, and the idea of taxation to pay interest or principal, it is believed, was scarcely thought of. Had taxation then, or at any other time, been suggested, the bill would unquestionably have been lost. "The thought, however, of taxation either never occurred, or its necessity, at least in imagination, was removed so far distant that it caused no terror." Under this act only one railroad, that projected from Meredosia, on the Illinois River, to Springfield, and known as the Northern- Cross Road, was actually completed. Under a special provision in the bill, work was commenced on it first, the surveys having * "The History of Illinois, from its First Discovery and Settlement to the Present Time," 1844. Henry Brown was bom at Hebron, Tolland County, Conn., May 13, 1789, and died at Chicago, May 16, 1849. 24 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS been started on May ii, 1837. The first rail was laid on May 9, 1838, and on November 8 of that year, the first locomotive used in the State, that had arrived at Meredosia in September, was placed on the track. It was called the Rogers, having been built by Rogers, Ketchu'm & Grosvenor of Patterson, N. J. The road was completed to Jacksonville by January i, 1840. The second locomotive brought to the State was for the same road. It was built by Matthias W. Baldwin * of Philadelphia, and was called the Illinois. This was the first locomotive to reach a point near Springfield, arriving there on Feb. 15, 1842, after the line had. been extended nearly up to that city. The Springfield Journal of March 18, 1842, stated that "the cars ran from Jacksonville, thirty-three and a-half miles, in two hours and eight minutes, including stop¬ pages. It is believed that the distance can be passed over in an hour and a-half. Trips continue to be made three times per week." The road was constructed by spiking flat strips of iron upon long timbers, which were laid lengthwise the tracks, and which were kept from spreading by cross-pieces inserted everj^ five or six feet. In a short time, the road and engines needed repairing, and the engines were taken off, and mule teams used for some years in their place. The twenty-four miles of road, extending from Meredosia to Jacksonville, cost the State over four hundred thousand dollars, and was the only piece of road built by the State that was ever operated by it. The entire line from Meredosia to Springfield, fifty-eight miles in all, was finally completed May 13, 1842, at a cost of nearly one million dollars. Its whole income was insufficient to keep it in repair, and its operation was abandoned by the State. The road was sold in 1847, by a.uthority of an act of the legis¬ lature, and realized twenty-one thousand and one hundred dollars * Matthias W. Baldwin, bom at Elizabethtown, New Jeisey, December 10, 1795, was a pioneer locomotive-engine builder at Philadelphia, where he died December 7, 1866. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 25 in State indebtedness. The purchasers were Nicholas H. Ridgely* and Col. Thomas Mather,t who shortly afterward transferred it to parties in New York, who, under an organization known as the Sangamon-and-Morgan Railroad Company, reconstructed the line, and opened it for business in 1849. It was afterward called the Great-Western Railway Company of 1859, to distinguish it from the numerous Great-Western com¬ panies that had been organized in the State, and it now forms part of the Wabash,-St. Louis,-and-Pacific Railway. Some other roads authorized under this act were commenced, and partly finished. This whole work of State railroads was finally abandoned, leaving the State with a debt on this account of over six million dollars. Among the appropriations contained in the act of 1837, for building railroads, was one for three million, five hundred thou¬ sand dollars for the Central Railroad, Cairo to Galena, four hun¬ dred and fifty-seven and a-half miles. It was to run from the mouth of the Ohio River to the Illinois-and-Michigan Canal, with a branch to Galena, which point was, by a later and special act, fixed as the northern terminus; described in the act as "on the west side of Fever River, in the town of Galena." The in¬ ternal-improvement reports for 1838-9, show what a record the State made in the construction of this road—what kind of mate¬ rials were used; what kind of men attempted the management of the work—and the peculiar views they entertained in reference to the general question of railroad-construction. Murray McConnell,í commissioner, in his report to Messrs. * Nicholas H. Ridgely, cashier of the old Illinois State Bank, now resides at Springfield, and is president of the Ridgely National Bank; and his son, Charles Ridgely, is president of an iron company, director of the Wabash Railroad Company, and president of Ellsworth Coal Company. + Thomas Mather was elected senator from the district composed of the counties of Perry and Randolph, in 1834, and resigned to become president of the old State Bank of Illinois at Springfield. He died March 28, 1853. 7 Mr. McCoimell was a representative - from Jacksonville in the legislature of 1832-4, and also senator from 1864-8. He died at Jacksonville, February 9, 1869, in his 71st year. 26 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. Thomas Mather, Moses M. Rawlings,* and Charles Oakley,t fund commissioners, August ii, 1837, says; " The kind of iron wanted is of the width and thickness that requires twenty-two tons to the mile, including plates, bolts," etc. * * * "If you should believe that iron will decline in price so that the same may be bought next year for less than at present you may contract for the delivery of thirty miles, say six hundred and sixty tons or thereabouts, as we may not want to use more than that quantity in this district through the next season. * * * " You will also contract for the building of one locomotive of the most improved plan, and a suitable number of passenger and burthen cars, to be shipped via New Orleans to the house of McConnell, Ormsbee & Co., Naples, 111." The commissioners' report to Gov. Thomas Carlin,^ of Decern, ber 26, 1838, gives the estimated cost of this foiur hundred and fifty-seven miles of road, which covers only a portion of the pres¬ ent line of the Illinois Central, to be three million eight hundred and nine thousand one hundred and forty-five dollars, an average cost per mile of eight thousand three hundred and twenty-six dol¬ lars. The commissioners, in their report to the governor, say : " In making these estimates the board has included all the expenditures for superintendence, engineering, and all other inci¬ dental expenses. Easy grades have in general been adopted, and in all cases calculations have been made for the most useful and durable structures; and the board has no doubt but that the works may be constructed upon the most approved plans at the cost estimated upon each work. It is believed that in eveiy instance the lines may be improved, locations changed, and im¬ provements made in the construction that may lessen the cost far below these prices." * Mr. Rawlings resided at Shawneetown, but afterward removed to Louis¬ ville, Kentucky, where he died. F. M. Rawlings, who represented Alexander County in the legislature of 1854-6, was his son. + Mr. Oakley died at Tremont, Tazewell County, January i, 1849. X Thomas Carlin was senator from Garrollton, Green County, eight years from 1826; and was governor from 1838-43. He was bom in Kentucky in 1790, removed to Illinois in 1813, and died February 4, 1852. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 27 The same piece of. road has cost, properly built and equipped as it stands today, twenty-three millions nine hundred and fifty thousand four hundred and fifty-six dollars, or an average of fifty- two thousand four hundred and eight dollars per mile! The commissioner continues ; " If slight defects have been found in the law organizing the system, or if errors shall have been committed in carrying it into execution, it is what might reasonably have been expected in, a system so extended. * ■* " In locating one thousand three hundred miles of road, and performing other duties equally difficult, it could not well be othenvise than that errors of judgment should occur, and that we should be brought into contact with private interests and become the unwilling, though necessary and unavoidable, cause of disap¬ pointment to some, and the prostration of splendid but visionary schemes of speculation in others. » » + " The iron received is a good article of the kind, except the spikes were not of the proper kind, and were made of very bad iron, and consequently of little value to the contractors. The locomotive received is of the first order, but is heavier than is necessary for the light grades upon the Northern-Cross Railroad, but notwithstanding its weight, it is in successful operation with¬ out doing the least injury to the road or at all deranging its stmctures." We refer now to the report of Truman B. Ransom,' engineer in * Traman B. Ransom, born in Vermont, was a professor at Norwich, Vt., University, when appointed engineer in Illinois. After the failure of the internal-improvement system, he returned to Norwich and became president of the University. Upon the breaking out of the Mexican war, he became colonel, and was killed at the head of his regiment in storming Chapultepec, September 13, 1847. He was the father of Gen. Thomas Edward Greenfield Ransom, who was wounded and died in the war of the Rebellion. Col. T. B, Ransom drilled the Dartmouth-College Phalanx when John Wentworth was a student there and James Frederick Joy was his tutor. At the breaking out of the Mexican war. Professor Ransom came to Washington and renewed his acquaintance with Mr. Wentworth, who had become a congressman and he introduced him to President Polk and successfully interceded for his com¬ mission. 28 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. charge of the construction work of the central road, carried on at that time by the State, to Murray McConnell, commissioner, dated December 3, 1838. The following are a few extracts from the same: " The lively interest manifested in the progress of this work by the inhabitants along the line seems to offer the best guarantee of its ultimate usefulness to them, and incidentally of its importance to the interests of the State. * » * "It can hardly be doubted that its great agricultural advan¬ tages in connection with the facilities that will be afforded by this railroad, will very soon draw within its bosom a very dense and wealthy population. « * » "More than two years since it was computed by an engineer of high standing that when the railroads which were then pro¬ jected and in progress were completed, a traveler would be enabled to pass from New York or Boston to Chicago in the space of sixty-one and a-quarter hours. * » * "I can not conclude these remarks without expressing my belief from the character of the soil and surfece over which most of this road passes, that the plan of forming a road-bed, on which to place the superstructure, as is already adopted in some places in the State, is attended with a useless expense of time and money. "When a country is very broken, and the soil is of a nature to make durable and substantial roadways, this practice may be necessary, but when the soil is a mass of decayed vegetation, and the surface in a great measure already graded by the hand of nature, the circumstances of the case are entirely-changed, and their necessity no longer exists. "Over such a surface as these present, I can not doubt that it will be a great saving of expense to neglect grading or making a road-bed altogether, except over sharp ridges and deep valleys. * * * The spikes and connecting-plates accompanying the iron purchased were found not to suit, and the expense of alter¬ ing them has nearly equaled the original cost. Part of the spikes are of a quality not much better than the worst description of cut EARI.Y ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 29 nails. » » * The superstructure has remained in good ad¬ justment, although heavy loads and an engine weighing ten tons have repeatedly passed over it. "Believing, conscientiously, that the future prosperity and happiness of the people will be greatly promoted by carrying out' the system to its full and entire completion, I am bound to advo¬ cate it to the extent of my abilities. " So far from its being too large and extended, I believe that it might be enlarged with great propriety and decided advantage to the general welfare of the whole State, if suitable appropria¬ tions were made in addition to those already granted by the legis¬ lature, not only to improve the navigation of our rivers, but in connection with the same, to drain the ponds and lakes, which can be accomplished with an inconsiderable expense in compari¬ son to the general utility, health, and pecuniary prosperity of the whole State. « # * "And it appears to me that even at a period when steamboats are in full operation, the time and risk of life which could be saved by traveling on our roads would enable them effectually to compete with the river communication." On January 20, 1838, Hon. IVilliam Kinney,* president of the board of public works, wrote a letter to each member of Con¬ gress from Illinois, soliciting their influence to aid in the passage of a special law authorizing the importation of iron to be used in the railroads of this State, built under the internal-improvement act, to be admitted free of duty; but the effort to obtain this was not successful. As an evidence of what was at this time considered a fair rate of tolls for the transportation of freight, we find that the legisla¬ tive committee on internal improvements, on February 16, 1839, made a report in which they favored a charge of five cents per ton per mile on all products. In the same report the committee say that "a much higher • William Kinney of Belleville, a Baptist clergyman, was elected lieutenant- governor in 1826, at the same time that Ninian Edwards was elected governor. He came to Illinois in 1797 with his father. 30 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. rate of tolls may be charged if necessary," and recommended a discriminating toll on different species of transportation. The Cairo City-and-Canal Company was incorporated March 4, 1837; the act authorized the company to hold real estate in Alexander County, but more particularly the tract of land incor¬ porated as the City of CaJro. They were to proceed to lay it off into lots for a town to be known as the City of Cairo; they were also empowered to construct dykes, canals, levees, and embank¬ ments for the security and preservation of said city; also to con¬ struct a canal to unite with Cache River, and to use the water for a canal running to and through the city. It is difficult, at this late day, to understand what the particular object was in providing water communication within the limits of a "city" already so well supplied with the aqueous fluid; or how it could be expected that the tolls to be received for the convey¬ ance of passengers and property could amount to any consider¬ able sum; and yet the act provided that these should not be placed so high as to yield more than an eight per cent net in¬ come on the money invested, as if there were any probability of such an enterprise yielding any net income whatever. Our only object, however, in referring to this scheme is to trace in a gradual way the origin and progress of the Illinois-Central organization, and its connection with this canal company will be noticed later on. Five years later, on March 6, 1843, the State having practically abandoned the attempt to build any more railroads, the legislature incorporated the Great-Western Railway Company. This com¬ pany was to consist of "the president and directors of the Cairo City-and-Canal Company, and the board of directors were to be chosen by that company. The road was to be commenced at the old starting-point, the mouth of the Ohio River, and was to run in about the same direction via Vandalia, Shelbyville, Decatur, and Bloomington, and to the same objective point—Illinois-and-Michigan Canal. Rates of toll were to be established by the directors. The com¬ pany was authorized to issue bonds, which were to be counter- EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 31 signed by the president and treasurer of the Cairo City-and- Canal Company. Section 14 provided that whenever the whole indebtedness of the company was paid and liquidated that then the legislature should have power to alter and amend the charter as the public good should require. An estimate was to be made by a person appointed by the governor of the value of the work already done by the State, and this was to be paid for by the newly-organized company at any time during the progress of the work. When all the obligations of the company were paid then the railroad company was forever to pay to the State, annually, as a consideration for having granted them the charter, one-fourth of' the annual net income ; after the shareholders had received in any one year twelve per cent on their investment, and the act ex¬ pressly provided that no legislature should at any time so reduce the tolls as to produce less than twelve per cent net per annum to the shareholders. The exaction of a tax of twenty-five per cent of the net earn¬ ings, with operation expenses at fifty per cent, equal to twelve and one-half per cent of the gross, from those who were doing" so much to build up the material interests of the State, and who were expected to take all the risk, certainly could not, under the circumstances, be construed into an act of very great liberality. The Great-Western Railway, great only in name, after spending large sums of money in doing work which eventually inured to the benefit of the State, became insolvent, and this third grand attempt to build a central road proved a signal failure. On March 3, 1845, its charter was repealed by a special act, passed for that purpose. On February 27, 1847, the charter of the Alton-and-Sangamon Railroad was granted. The line was projected to run from Alton to Springfield, and was completed in October, 1853, at which time a party of excursionists from Alton and St. Louis visited Springfield, and a grand entertainment was given them by the citizens. 32 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. On February lo, 184g, the charter of the Great-Weslem Rail¬ way was renewed, in force April 13, 1849, the grant running as in the first act, to the " President and Directors of the Cairo City- and-Canal Company," with certain others to be associated with them, but under the name and style of the Great-Western Rail¬ way." Among the names of the associate directors will be found those of Justin Butterfield,* John B. Turner,t Mark Skirmer,J and Her^ry Corwith. The new board were reinstated with all the powers and privi¬ leges contained in the first act, the act repealing thé charter to the contrary notwithstanding. Many additional and valuable privileges were conveyed by the State, including a grant of the right of way and of all the work and surveying done at the expense of the State. The new company was to expend at least one hundred thou¬ sand dollars within three years, and two hundred thousand dollars in each year thereafter until the line was completed from the City of Cairo to the City of Chicago. The governor of the State was to hold in trust, for the benefit of the company, whatever lands might be donated by the general government to the State of Illinois to aid in the construction of the road, anticipating, as it were, the action of the general gov¬ ernment, the question of a land-grant having already been freely discussed in Congress. At this same session of 1849, another and similar act "continu¬ ing" the charter of the Mount-CarmeFand-Alton Railroad Com¬ pany was passed. In James W. Sheahan's "Life of Stephen A. Douglas" will be found a statement explaining why this new company, as reorgan¬ ized, was not allowed to go on with the work. As far back as t848. Senator Douglas had introduced a bill in the United States senate, granting alternate sections of the public land to the State of Illinois to aid in the construction of a rail¬ road from Cairo to Galena, with a branch to Chicago. * Justin Butterfield died at Chicago, October 23, 1855. + John Bice Turner died at Chicago, February 26, 1S71. Î Mark Skinner and Henry Corwith are now living at Chicago. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 33 The original project contemplated but one line, that from Cairo to Galena, but Senator Douglas included in his bill a road con¬ necting with the lakes, thus securing for it friends in the North¬ eastern and Middle States who did not favor a proposition hav¬ ing for its natural tendency the diversion of trade from the Upper Mississippi toward New Orleans alone. This bill was reported from the senate committee on public lands, of which Hon. Sidney Breese* of Illinois was chairman. It was subsequently taken up and early in May was passed by the senate. The representatives in the house from Illinois all gave it their cordial support, but toward the close of the session it was laid on the table by a small majority. At the next session, 1848-9, Mr. Douglas introduced his bill in the senate again, but before any action was had in that body the Illinois representatives in the house had succeeded in having the bill of the last session restored to its place on the calendar; but Congress adjourned without any further action on the bill by the house. In December, 1849, Mr. Douglas, with his colleague. Gen. James Shieldst (who had succeeded Mr. Breese), and the Illinois delegation in the house matured a bill looking to the construction * Sidney Breese was bom at Whitesborough, New York, July 15, iSooj graduated at Union Coline, emigrated to Illinois, and was admitted to the bar in 1820; was elected circuit judge in 1835, which office he held until elected U. S. senator from 1843 '^49' He was speaker of the Illinois house of representatives in 1851, when the Illinois-Central Railroad charter passed. In 1855 he was elected supreme judge, and held the office until his death, June 27, 1878. His residence was at Carlyle. The last four years of bis term as U. S. senator he was chairman of the committee upon public lands, and devoted all his energies to securing the Illinois-land grant. In the 29th and also in the 30th congress he made a report f^om his committee which left nothing to be added to the arguments for the land-grant system. i James Shields, who reported the bill from the committee of public lands which passed Congress, was senator from 1849-55. He removed to Minne¬ sota and was one of its first senators, serving from May 12, 1858, to Marcji 3, 1859. He removed to Missouri and was elected to the U. S. senate in 1878-9, to fill a vacancy. He was a distinguished general in the war with Mexico and ú that of the Rebellion. He died at Ottumwa, Iowa, June i, 1879. 3 34 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. of the Illinois-Central Road and its Chicago branch. That bill, which all the Illinois members had a voice in framing, was in¬ troduced in the senate by Mr. Douglas in January, 1850, and while this bill was pending the Cairo City-and-Canal Company induced the legislature of Illinois to pass a measure ceding to that company all lands that might at any time be granted by congress to the State to aid in the construction of the Illinois- Central Railroad. Senator Douglas was unwilling that the grant should pass to a private corporation direct, and finally induced Mr. Darius B. Holbrook of Cairo, 111., the president of the Cairo City-and-Canal Company to release to the State of Illinois all the rights of that company, which he did, executing on December 24, 1849, on behalf of his company as president, a full release and surrender to the State of Illinois of what was known as the Holbrook Charter, with all the rights and privileges therein contained; in accordance with which the legislature, on Decem¬ ber 17, 1851, passed an act accepting this release, and to make assurance doubly sure, repealed all the acts which they had before granted to this company—January i6, 1836, March 6, 1843, February 10, 1849. The same act accepted the act of congress of September 20, 1850, granting the lands to the State of Illinois to aid in the construction of a railroad from Chicago to Mobile. The bill making a grant of lands to the states of Illinois, Mis¬ sissippi, and Alabama, passed the United States senate on May 2, ¡850, by a vote of 26 to 14, and was passed in the house on September 17, 1850, by a vote of 101 to 73. Mobile was inserted as the objective point by Mr. Childs, who was at that time largely interested in the Mobile-and-Ohio Rail¬ road Company. Hon. John Wentworth, in his "Congressional Reminiscences,"* gives an interesting account of the proceedings attending the passage of this bill in the house—and the State of Illinois is largely indebted to him for the efforts he put forward in that direction. Hon. George Ashmun of the Springfield district, * Fergus' Historical Series, No. 24. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 35 Mass., distinguished himself among the non-resident supporters of the bill. On their return to Illinois at the close of the session, Mr. Douglas and Gen. Shields were tendered a public dinner by the citizens of Chicago, in consideration of their services in obtain¬ ing the passage of this act. In declining the honor, they modestly (fwarded to their cotteagues in the house the full measure of credit for having successfully carried the bill through to completion. About the time this grant was made, John S. Wright* of Chi¬ cago, published a pamphlet in which he took the ground that the grant being of such immense value, the State should hold the lands and again attempt the construction of the road. The grant of lands referred to was not, strictly speaking, the first act of congress making a grant of lands directly and specifically to aid railroad-building, but was among the first and most important. By an act of March 2, 1833, the State of Illinois was author¬ ized to divert the canal grant of March 2, 1827, to building a railroad instead of a canal.—4 Stat., 662. By an act of March 3, 1835, ^ grant of the right of way and thirty feet on each side, and the right to use timber for 100 yards on each side was granted to certain railroads in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, and ten acres of land at one or more terminals. —4 Stat., 778. By an act of July 2, 1836, the right of way, land 80 feet in width, also tracts not exceeding 5 acres for every 15 miles of road for depots, workshops, etc., and the right to take stone, timber, etc., for construction and repairs, were granted to the New-Orleans-and-Nashville Railroad Company, probably not used.—s Stat., 65. This road was commenced in what is now known as Canal Street in the City of New Orleans; it was built on piles for a short distance, but the project was afterward abandoned. The grant to the State of Illinois aggregated 2,595,000 acres of land, which were donated to the Central Company, being at the rate of 3700 acres per mile of road. • John S. Wright died in Philadelphia, September 28, 1874. 36 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. The grant to the Union Pacific, chartered twelve years after, was for 12,800 acres per mile of road, and a subsidy in govern¬ ment bonds at the rate of $16,000, $32,000, and $48,000 per mile of line; the object being to apportion the subsidy in ratio to the cost of the several sections. The aggregate of all lands granted by the general government up to June 30, 1881, has been 155,504,994 acres; of these there have only been certified and patented; To states, 36,052,426.97 acres; to corporations, 10,647,040.12 acres; total, with complete titles, 46,699,467.09 acres; the title to very little land has been completed, during the year ending June 30, 1882, not more than 200,000 acres. The Canadian government recently granted to its Pacific rail¬ way alone 25,000,000 acres of land, $25,000,000 in money, and 700 miles of road, constructed at the expense of the government Of the 2,595,000 acres of land donated by the State to the Central Company, 107,614 acres were first conveyed to preemp¬ tion claimants. Gov. Joel A. Matteson,* in his inaugural message to the eigh¬ teenth general assembly, convened January 3, 1853, referring to this, says; " I have not heard that any settler upon the company's land has had occasion to complain, but, on the contrary, when the time by law had passed for proving preëmptions upon the com¬ pany's land by the settler upon the lands, the company took no advantage, and allowed the lands to be entered on proof being made, the same as if directed by law. This course pursued in can not fail to awaken in the minds of the people of this State strong feelings of reciprocal good-will." There have been sold to nearly 30,000 actual settlers, each head of a family taking up on an average an eighty-acre tract, 2,387)138 acres. Estimating five members to a family, this has added an immediate population to the State of 150,000. But the benefit to the State at large did not stop here. The * Gov. Joel A. Mattison died at Chicago, January 31, 1873. He was elected from Joliet, Will Co., 111., and served from 1853-7. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 37 rapid settlement of the railroad lands stimulated the sale of the government lands, alternate sections, which for years had been in market, but remained unsold, though for a considerable time they could have been obtained with land-warrants at about one- half the government price. After the location of the Central Road, a large portion of them were immediately sold for from $2.50 to $5 an acre, and the line of the road began to fill up with hardy and enterprising settlers, enabling the government to close its land-offices. As compensation for this grant, the government reserved the right to fix the rate of compensation to be paid for transporting its mails over the road, also the right to use the road-bed free in transporting its troops and munitions of war. On January 15, 1851, Gov. Augustus C. French* sent a com¬ munication to the house of representatives transmitting a memo¬ rial, of which the following is a copy :t "To the honorable the Senators and Representatives of the people of the State of Illinois in General Assembly convened: "The memorial of Robert Schuyler, George Griswold, Gouverneur Morris, Jonathan Sturges, Thomas W. Ludlow, and John F. A. Sandford of the City of New York; and of David A. Neal, * Augustus C. French was elected to the house of representatives from Edgar Gjunty in 1836, and elected governor in 1846, and served six years. He removed to Belleville, St. Clair County, and was a member of the consti¬ tutional convention of 1862. t Although this was the only plan for the completion of the road submitted to the legislature, another plan was seriously agitated by some of the leading men in the State in conjunction with certain men in New York who had ñgured considerably in Illinois matters, and a bill was prepared in accordance therewith. The design was to have the State virtually control the road, and one of the provisions of the bill was that the stock should be made a basis for banking under any law establishing a general system of banking. There were other curious provisions which are interesting as showing the condition of tilings at that time, and especially the opinions of men as to the best means of raising millions of money by a bankrupt State. The press of the State discountenanced the project and favored giving the lands to actual settlers. The bill for this project may be found in the Chicago Daily Democrat of Janu¬ ary II, 1851. 38 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. Franklin Haven, and Robert Rantoul, Jun.,* of the City of Boston and vicinity, respectfully represents; "That,.having examined and considered an act of Congress of the United States, whereby land is donated by the United States for the purpose of insuring the construction of a railroad from Cairo, at the mouth of the Ohio River, to Galena and the north¬ western angle of the State of Illinois, with a branch extending to to Chicago on Lake Michigan, on certain conditions, therein expressed; and having also examined the resources of the tract of country through which it is proposed that the said railroad shall pass, and the amount of cost, and the space of time neces¬ sary for constructing the same, the subscribers propose to form a company, with such others as they may associate with them, including among their number persons of large experience in the construction of several of the principal railroads of the United States, and of means and credit sufficient to place beyond doubt their ability to perform what they hereinafter propose, make the following offer to the State of Illinois for their consideration : "The company so formed by the subscribers will, under the authority and direction of the State of Illinois, fully and faithfully perform the several conditions, and execute the trusts, in the said act of Congress contained. And will build a railroad with branches between the termini set forth in said act, with a single track, and complete the same, ready for the transportation of merchandise and passengers, on or before the fourth day of July, which will be in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty- four. And the said railroad shall be, in all respects, as well and thoroughly built as the railroad running from Boston to Albany, with such improvements thereon as experience has shown to be * Mr. Rantoul, born at Beverly, Mass., August 13, 1805, collector,of Port of Boston, 1843. U. S. district attorney for Massachusetts, 1845; served out the term of Daniel Webster in the U. S. senate in 1851; was elected to the house of representatives the same year, and died during his term, August 7, 1832. He was not in Congress untii after the lilinois-Central Raiiroad biil became a law and the charter had been granted by the Illinois legislature; first entering the U. S. senate February 22, 1851. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 39 desirable and expedient, and shall be equipped in a manner suit¬ able to the business to be accommodated thereby. And the said company, from and after the completion of the said road, will pay to the State of Illinois, annually, per cent of the gross earnings of tlie said railroad, without deduction or charge for expenses, or for any other matter or cause; provided, that the State of Illinois will grant to the subscribers a charter of incor¬ poration, with terms mutually advantageous with powers and limitations, as they, in their wisdom, may think fit, as shall be accepted by said company, and as will sufficiently remunerate the subscribers for their care, labor, and expenditure in that behalf incurred, and will enable them to avail themselves of the lands donated by the said act to raise the funds, or some portion of the funds, necessary for the construction and equipment of said railroad. "Robert Schuyler, Geo. Griswold, Gouverneur Morris, of Morrisania, Franklin Haven, Dav. A. Neal, Robert Rantoul, Jr., Jona. Sturges, Thos. W. Ludlow, John F. A. Sanford. "December 28, 1850." It was laid on the table and ordered to be printed. On January 14, 1851, Asahel Gridley* introduced in the senate a bill for an "act to incorporate the Illinois-Central Railroad Company," which was referred to the committee on internal im¬ provements. After various decisions and references from day to day, James L. D. Morrison,t on February 5, following, offered a • Mr. Gridley was senator from McLean County from 1850-4, and died at Bloomington, January 25, 1881. t James L. D. Morrison was senator from St. Clair County from 1848-52; afterward member of congress; and now a resident of St. Louis, Mo. 4° EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. substitute for the original bill, to which various amendments were offered, and on the next day, February 6, it was finally passed in the senate by a vote of twenty-three to two. It passed the house four days later. The final passage of the bill was celebrated in Chicago by the firing of cannon and other demonstrations in honor of the event. That clause in the charter making the governor of the State an ex-officio director was suggested by John Wentworth.* It has been said that the history of the Illinois-Central Road is a history of the State of Illinois; however true this may be, certain it is that the discussion of its affairs occupied much of the time in the early councils of the State. Pardon us, therefore, if we refer somewhat in detail to its origin, its construction, and its completion, and to those who took an active part in its affairs. On February lo, 1851, the present Illinois-Central Railroad Company breathed its first breath of corporate life and became a body capable of "suing and being sued;" and the work of con¬ struction was about to commence in earnest. No such work as that of constructing 700 consecutive miles of railway had up to that time been undertaken. Some of you will perhaps remember the dubious smiles that lightened the countenances of many of the old settlers, at the thought of strangers coming into the State to carry on a work which not only the State of Illinois but private corporations with¬ in the State had so signally failed in accomplishing. Expressions of doubt, neither complimentary to the incorpora¬ tors nor encouraging to those interested in the welfare of the State, were heard on all sides. The press, while applauding the effort, could scarcely conceal its suspicions. The success of what appeared in that day so gigantic an enter- • John Wentworth, yet a resident of Chicago, was elected to the U. S. house of representatives in 1843, and has been a member thereof at different times for twelve years, and was mayor of Chicago in 1857 and i860. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and James Frederick Joy, the railroad man of Detroit, was one of his instructors there. He came to Chicago, October 25, 1836. EARLY ILLIÑOIS RAILROADS. 41 prise largely depended upon the selection of a competent mana¬ ger, but the sagacious minds of those who had conceived the plan and the propriety of the undertaking seemed equal to the task of selecting a proper person to carry it out. On March 22, 1851, the board of directors, by a unanimous resolution, appointed Roswell B. Mason of Bridgeport, Conn., engineer-in-chief, with jurisdiction over the entire line. On May t4, 1851, the president reported to the board that Roswell B. Mason* and his corps of engineers had commenced their journey to Illinois that day. Mr. Mason informed us that his route west was as follows: By steamer from New York to Albany; by railroad from Albany to Buffalo; by steamer from Buffalo across Lake Erie to Detroit; by railroad from Detroit to New Buffalo on the east side of Lake Michigan; and thence by steamer from New Buffalo to Chicago, arriving through in about five days. He did not, it will be observed, step aboard a palace car and ride to Chicago by the limited express in twenty-five and a-half hours. The passenger trains of that day were unlimited as to time, and limited only as to comfort. Looking back to those primitive days of railroading, and remembering something of the plan of their construction, considering the speed that was ventured upon, it seems marvellous that serious accidents were not more frequent upon them. You may remember the story that was told about this time of the clergyman who announced that the prayers of the church were requested " for a man gone to Chicago.'' A few days after his arrival he organized several surveying par¬ ties, divided the line into working divisions, appointed over each a competent division engineer, and the entire line was surveyed, located, and partially under construction by fall. Engineers were appointed over the work as follows: N. B. Porter, from Chicago to Rantoul. L. W. Ashley, from Rantoul to Mattoon. C. Floyd Jones, from Mattoon to Main-Line Junction, and * He was mayor of Chicago, 1869-71, and now resides there. 42 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. north of Centralia and the main line from Ramsey's Creek to Richview. Arthur S. Ormsby, from Richview to Cairo. H. B. Plant, from Ramsey's Creek to Bloomington. Timothy B. Blackstone,* from Bloomington to Eldena. B. B. Provost, from Eldena to Dunleith. B. G. Roots had charge of surveying parties between the Big- Muddy River and the Ohio-and-Mississippi Railroad. Seventy-seven thousand tons of iron rails were purchased in England in the beginning of the work, at prices ranging from $38.50 to $43.50 per ton. Some of these rails were in the track and doing good service as late as 1881. There were no rail-mills of importance in this country at that time. The frrst iron rails made on this side of the water, the pattern known as T rails, were made by the Montour Iron Company of Danville, Pa., in October, 1845. The first work put under contract was that portion of the line extending from Chicago to what was then known as Calumet Station. This was done in order to enable the Michigan-Central trains to enter the city. An ordinance was passed by the common council of the City of Chicago on June 14, 1852, granting the company permission to enter the city along the lake-shore. Walter S. Gurnee t was mayor of the city that year. The council was composed of emi¬ nently-respectable men, and had the question come up at that time, they would doubtless have been in favor of a high liquor- license. Southerly from Chicago the engineers found an almost unbroken wild, extending for over 130 miles. Little or no produce, of course, was offered for transportation on this section of the road even for a long time after its completion. In 1853, we rode for twenty miles on this division without seeing a tree, a house, or any living thing, save an occasional prairie-dog. But here were beautiful prairies with an almost inexhaustible * Now president of the Chicago-and-AIton Railroad Company. + Now living in New-Yoik City. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 43 soil, which, could Morris Birkbeck* have seen a few years before, it would not have been "decided that he should go to Shawne'e- town and enter all the woodland around the Boltenhouse Prairie.'' In 1851, one of the surveying parties, in charge of the present chief-engineer, L. H. Clarke, of the Lake-Shore Railroad, came in sight of a herd of deer, thirty in number, at a station on the main line, now known as Maroa. Upon the whole 700 miles of road only a dozen places were found of sufficient importance to be known on the map of the State. On March 16, 1853, in addition to his other duties, Mr. Mason was charged with the care of the transportation department of the company's road, covering such portions of the line as were completed and in operation, with the additional title of general superintendent, and in March, 1855, additional executive powers were granted him in Illinois. What was known as the main line, between Cairo and LaSalle, a distance of 300.99 miles, was completed January 8, 1855, and with a southern terminal in close proximity to Dixie's land, many a piece of chattels was enabled to make good his escape north¬ ward. The Galena branch, between I^aSalle to Dunleith, a distance of 146.73 miles, was completed June 12, 1855. The Chicago branch, between Chicago and the junction with the main line, a distance of 249.78 miles, was completed Sept. 26, 1856. Sections ot these divisions were operated as fast as completed. On Saturday, September 27, 1856, Col. R. B. Mason, engi¬ neer-in-chief, having been notified that the last rail was laid on the 705.5 miles of road, and that the construction of the Illinois- Central Railroad was an accomplished fact, immediately sent a dispatch to the board of directors in New York, informing them of the circumstance. • He was secretary of state in 1824. See "History of the English Settle¬ ment in Edwards County, Illinois." Vol. I. Chicago Historical Society's Collections, 1882. 44 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. A few days thereafter, say about October i, he tendered his resignation to the board, feeling, no doubt, that he could afford to rest content upon his well-earned laurels. This resignation was reluctantly accepted by the board. Only two of the original incorporators of the company are now living—Franklin Haven of Boston, Mass., and Gouverneur Morris of Morrisania, New York. The charge has been made and oft repeated, that the Illinois- Central is a "foreign" corporation; that it was built by foreign capital. True it is, that this is true. Distance lent enchantment to the view, and the eye of the foreigner saw with greater faith than did that of the native what a great future the State of Illinois had, and their capital enabled us to achieve a work for the State of Illinois which it had thrice failed to accomplish, and that, too, at a time when its own bonds were selling at a large discount. The truth is, that foreign capi¬ tal has largely contributed to almost every work of the kind in the West. The Chicago Democratic Press, in an article published in 1855, exulting over the progress of railroad-building in Illinois up to that time, says : " Foreign capital, proverbially cautious and even sceptical though it be, has done the mighty work." We may refer, in passing to one important feature of the charter of the Illinois-Central Company, familiar to most of you, viz. : that clause relating to the payment by the company of a tax of seven per cent of its gross earnings to the State. The fund de¬ rived from this tax thus far has amounted to a sum* more than sufficient to pay for all the public institutions erected by the State, sixteen in number, including the State-capitol building. These include two normal universities, one industrial university, one institution for the education of the deaf and dumb, four hospitals for the insane, one institution for the education of feeble-minded children, one soldiers' orphan home, one institution for the edu¬ cation of the blind, two penitentiaries, one State reform-school, * Aggregating, to October 31, 1882, $9,087,835.81. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 45 one charitable eye and ear infirmary, and last, though -not least, your massive State-capitol building at Springfield. May it not say in the language of Othello ; "I have done the State some service, and they know it too." In the constitution of 1870, the following reference is made to the payment of this tax: "No contract, obligation, or liability whatever of the Illinois- Central Railroad Company to pay any money into the State treasury, nor any lien of the State upon, or right to tax property of, said company in accordance with the provisions of the charter of said company, approved February 10, in the year of our Lord 1851, shall ever be released, suspended, modified, altered, remitted, or in any manner diminished or impaired by legislative or other authority; and all monies derived from said company after the paydng of the State debt shall be appropriated and set apart for the payment of the ordinary expenses of the State Government, and for no other purpose whatever." When the war of the Rebellion broke out in 1861, its services were freely given to the State of Illinois, then under the adminis¬ tration of Gov. Richard Yates,* and to a large extent without compensation. Free transportation was offered throughout that memorable four years for all supplies for the sick and wounded in the hospitals in the South—and many of the prominent leaders of the Union army were men who were drawn from or who had once been in its service, including Major-Generals George B. McClellan,t Ambrose E. Bumside,i and Nathaniel P. Banks,§ * Richard Vates resided at Jacksonville; was member'of congress from 1851-5; governor from 1861-5; U. S. senator from 1865-71. He died whilst visiting St. Louis, December, 1873. t Gen. McClellan, late governor of New Jersey, now resides at Washington, D. C. Î Gen. Ambrose Everett Burnside died, whilst U. S. senator, at Bristol, Rhode Island, September 13, 1881, aged 57. ^ Gen. Banks is now L'. S. marshal for Massachusetts. 46 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. Brig.-Gens. Truman E. G. Ransom,* John B. Turchin,+ William Robinson, Mason Brayman,} and Cols. John B. Wyman,§ David Stuart, Lieut. William DeWolf,|| and Sergt. Charles W. Everett. Carson, the celebrated scout, who served in the Army of the Potomac, was a conductor on the Hyde-Park trainll at the time the war broke out, and was killed while serving under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, near Vicksburg, and a host of privates, many of whom distinguished themselves on the field of battle. The present affords me an opportunity of correcting a certain popular error concerning the cost of the Illinois-Central Railroad. Mr. Stuve, in his " History of Illinois,"—it should, we think, be called a romance of .Illinois—refers to the enterprise as follows: "As an instructive example of how money may quicken other property into manifold life, scattering its gains into many unex¬ pected directions, the Illinois-Central Railroad is a subject in point. "This work was one of the most stupendous and ingenious speculations in modern times. By means of it a few sagacious * Gen. Thomas Edward Greenfield Ransom, son of Col Truman B. Ran¬ som who was killed at the storming of Chapultepec in Mexico in 1847, was born at Norwich, Vermont, November 29, 1834, and died at Rome, Georgia, October 29, 1864; commander of the 17th army corps, having won as much distinction as any man of his age in the army. t John Basil Turchin, born January 18, 1822, in the Valley of the Don, Russia, was colonel of the 19th 111. Vols., and now lives at Radom, 111. Mason Brayman now lives at Ripon, Fond-du-Lac Co., Wisconsin. § John B. Wyman, colonel of 13th Illinois Volunteers, born July 12, 1817: was killed at Chickasaw Bayou, December 27, 1862. 11 He was shot at Williamsburg, Va., May 4, 1862, and died June 2, 1862; was the oldest son of William Frederick DeWolf, one of the defenders of Lovejoy's press at Alton, III, November 7, 1837, now living at Chicago. IT The Illinois-Central Railroad Co. ran the first train to Hyde Park, June 1, 1856; the conductor was H. L. Robinson, a friend of Abraham Lincoln, who afterward appointed him quartermaster in the U. S. army. The passen¬ gers on the first train were : Thomas Dyer ex-mayor of the City, Hon. Wm. T. Barron ex-probate judge, Charles Cleaver, Perkins Bass, Junius Mulvey, and Paul Cornell who laid out the town of Hyde Park. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 47 capitalists became the owners of a first-class railroad, more than 700 miles long, in full running order, complete in rolling-stock and every equipage, and millions of acres of land, worth in the aggregate perhaps $40,000,000, without the actual outlay of a cent of their own money." Ex-Judge Jeremiah S. Black,* follow¬ ing in the same strain in his letter to the Chamber of Commerce, New York, says: " Most of our Western roads were built with the proceeds of public lands granted mediately or immediately by the United States to the several companies which now have them in charge. They did not really cost the shareholders anything." Hon. William S. Holman of Indiana, in a recent discussion before the house of representatives in relation to the payment to land-grant roads for mail service, said: "The Illinois-Central Railroad has a line 700 miles in length; the grant of two million and a-half of acres which that corpora¬ tion received not only built the Illinois-Central Road and its branches, but when the British capitalists purchased that road prior to the war [a purchase the books show no record of !], they found enough land remaining, as has been often asserted and never denied, to reimburse them for every dollar they paid for the road; and still there was a surplus of these lands." These statements sound well, and no doubt the shareholders would have been extremely gratified on the completion of the road to have learned that they were true, but in the case of the Illinois Central the bare fact remains that the actual cost of the road to the shareholders has been in round numbers $40,000,000, and that the total proceeds fi-om the sales of its lands during the construction of the road only realized a sufficient sum to pay in¬ terest on its debt before any dividends were paid on the shares, and that portion of the line which the State engineers in 1837 had estimated to cost $3,500,000 actually cost in round numbers * Judge Black resided at Washington City. He was chief-justice of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, and attorney-general and secretary of state during the administration of President James Buchanan. He died Aug. 19, (883, at his old home in Philadelphia. 48 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. $25,000,000 in paid-up capital; from which it is reasonable to conclude that the estimate would hardly have been a safe guide for the State authorities to have followed. Only five years after the construction of the road was com¬ menced, 1856, the incorporators found themselves embarrassed by a debt of over $23,000,000, while yet the income of the road was scarcely sufficient to pay its running expehses, for the country along its line of road had not become sufficiently developed to yield an adequate traffic for its support. It seemed for a time tliat the opinion which had been so frequently advanced that a "norfh-and-south" line must necessarily prove a failure was about to be confirmed, although the directors made at this time an extraordinary effort to save the property, coming to the rescue with their personal indorsements. A year later, 1857, one year only after the line had been com¬ pleted, the company was obliged to make an assignment of its property. From this time on until 1859 were dark days in its history, and it was during this trying period that Richard Cobden,* who had almost his entire fortune invested in this enterprise, visited this country on behalf of the British shareholders, and by his kindly counsel aided the board in their efforts to place the affairs of the company upon a sound and permanent basis, where it remains today, a monument to the courage and integrity of its former managers. The same financial difficulties surrounded at this time almost every one of the early enterprises in this State. Let us refer for a moment to the origin of some of the organi¬ zations around us: Take the Chicago,-BurHngton,-and-Quincy Railroad Company, commencing with the Aurora-Branch Rail¬ road Company, chartered February 12, 1849. The Chicago-and-Aurora Railroad Company obtained its char¬ ter in June, 1852, and, after building the road from Chicago to * Richard Cobden, a British statesman, noted for his successful efforts to repeal the British corn-laws, was born at Dunford, England, June 3, 1804, and died at London, April 2, 1865. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 49 Aurora, formed a consolidation in July, 1856, with what was then known as the Central Military-Tract Railroad, which com¬ pany owned the road from Mendota to Galesburg, the new con¬ solidated organization assuming the title it now holds. Between 1859 and 1861, this company purchased, under fore¬ closure of its first mortgage, the property of the line extending from Galesburg to Quincy. In 1863, it acquired the Peoria-and-Oquawka Road, which had been constructed under a charter granted in 1849. i'his pur¬ chase gave them control of the line from East Burlington to Peoria, and secured for the company an independent terminus on the Mississippi River. Additions in mileage have been added from year to year, until it now controls nearly 2000 miles of road. Up to 1863, the trains of this road ran into Chicago over the Galena-and-Chicago Railroad track, from the junction, thirty miles out, but in that year, the Burlington Company completed its own track into the city through Sixteenth Street. Take a small portion of the Chicago,-Milwaukee,-and-St. Paul Railroad—that between Racine and Port Byron. It was originally constructed under several distinct charters, •viz.: that of the Savanna-Branch Railroad, dated January 12, 1851 ; the Racine,-Janesville,-and-Mississippi, dated April 17, 1852; the Rockton-and-Freeport Railroad, dated February 10, 1853; the Northern-Illinois Railroad Company, dated February 24, 1859; and that of the Mississippi Railroad Company, dated February 15, 1865. This consolidated company, under the title of Racine-and-Mississippi Company, consolidated with the Sa¬ vanna-Branch Railroad Company in 1856; and in January, 1866, this company, which had then assumed the title of Western-Union Railroad Company of Wisconsin, consolidated with the Western- Union Railroad Company of Illinois, which had been joined by a consolidation of the Northern-Illinois and Mississippi Railroad companies. The early history of this road, like that of many other Western corporations, is an epitome of financial embarrass¬ ments; it now forms a part of the Chicago,-Milwaukee,-and St. Paul Company, as stated, which controls over 4500 miles of road. 4 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. The Chicago-and-Alton Railroad proper was built under two charters—the first to the Alton-and-Sangamon Railroad, granted February 27, 1847, the second to the Chicago-and-Mississippi Railroad, granted June 19, 1852. In 1855, th^ name of the road was changed to the Chicago,-Alton,-and-St. Louis Railroad. In 1857, the company was again reorganized under the title of the St. Louis,-Alton,-and-Chicago Railroad, and again, for the third time, reorganized in October, 1862, as the Chicago-and-Alton Railroad, which title it now bears. The first portion of the present line that was constructed was the Alton-and-Sangamon, from Alton to Springfield, which was completed in 1853. The Chicago-and-Mississippi Railroad, from Springfield to Joliet, w^ next built in 1854. The Chicago-and- Alton now controls about 970 miles of road. The Chicago-and-Northwestern Railway Company. This cor¬ poration, deservedly recognized as being one of the most influen¬ tial in the West, is a consolidation of several distinct organiza¬ tions in the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan. The company which gave the title to the whole system was a reorganization of what was known as the Chicago,-St. Paul,-and- Fond-du-Lac Railroad Company, and which was in turn itself a consolidation of the Illinois-and-Wisconsin and the Rock-River- Valley Union Railroad companies. The former of these two companies had been incorporated by concurrent acts of the Illinois and Wisconsin legislatures in 1851. The Chicago,-St. Paul,-and-Fond-du-Lac Railroad Company consolidated with itself in March, 1857, the Wisconsin-Superior Railroad Company of Wisconsin, the Marquette-State-Line Rail¬ road Company, and the Ontonagon-and-State-Line Railroad Company of Michigan. In the financial panic of 1857, the Chicago,-St. Paul,-and-Fond- du-Lac Railroad Company became seriously embarrassed. It had a heavy floating debt, an important link of fifty-six miles in the line from Chicago to Minnesota Junction uncompleted, and no funds available for the prosecution of the work. A scheme of reorganization was perfected, and under this the EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. SI Chicago-and-Northwestern Railway Company completed the line from Chicago to Fort Howard, and in 1864, commenced the pro¬ cess of consolidation with other railroads whereby it has obtained its present mammoth proportions. In January 1864, a consolidation was efifected with the Dixon,- Rockford,-and-Kenosha Railroad Company, which in turn was an amalgamation of the Kenosha-and-State-Line and the Dixon,- Rockford,-and-State-Line Companies. In June, 1864, the Galena-and-Chicago Union Railroad merged its stock with that of the Chicago-and-Northwestern Railway Company, and control was obtained in the same year of the Chicago-and-Milwaukee Railroad. In October, 1864, the Chicago-and-Northwestern Railway Company consolidated with the Peninsular Railroad Company of Michigan, and in March, 1871, with the Beloit-and-Madison and the Baraboo Air-Line Railroad companies of Wisconsin. It now controls nearly 5000 miles of road. The Chicago,-Rock-Island-and-Pacific Railway originated with the Rock-Island-and-LaSalle Railroad Company, chartered Feb. 27, 1847. The effect of railroad-building upon the prosperity of the State is shown in the fact that in 1851, from which period we may date the active construction of railways in the State, the assessed value of the real estate in Illinois was $119,868,336; this, in 1882, had gradually risen to $809,995,795. In 1850, Illinois had 76,208 farms under cultivation; in 1880, it had 255,741. From 1835 W 1869, both years inclusive, there were no less than 413 special charters granted to build railways in the State. Between the years 1870 and 1882 there were 376 companies that filed articles of incorporation under the general railroad - law, making a total of 789 distinct organizations during a period of forty-six years. In 1851, Chicago had but one railway entering it, the Galena-and-Chicago Union, and that was but partially constructed. It was incorporated January 16, 1836, but the enterprise laid dormant for nearly ten years. We are told that the 52 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. original surveys for this line, under James Seymoui* as engineer- in-chief, were commenced in the spring of 1837, at the foot of [North] Dearborn Street, and were run nearly due west to the Desplaines River, and that in making their surveys the engineers were in some places obliged to wade waist deep in water. These were probably preliminary surveys. In 1847, Richard P. Morgan,+ chief-engineer, made a survey, and in his report to the board of * In John Wentworth's history of "Fort Dearborn" (Fergus' Historical Series, No. 16), Frederick A. Nash has a letter stating that "He went to Chi¬ cago [arriving February 11, 1837] under a promise of a situation with James Seymour, then just from the Erie Railroad, who had been selected to survey and locate the old Galena-and-Chicago Union Railroad." He says further: "We began our survey at the foot of Dearborn Street, and run three lines nearly due west to the Desplaines River, Much of the time we waded in water, and were glad at night to reach the hotel at Barry's Point and dry our¬ selves by the large fireplace. James Seymour was chief ; his brother, Wm. H. Seymour, was assistant; P. H. Ogilvie was draughtsman; H. V. Mooris, assistant-draughtsman; Geo. Howell, rodman; and myself, axeman and chain- man. The high grass where the tire had not swept over it required four-feet stakes. I think I am the only survivor." + Richard Price Morgan was born at London, England, July 29, 1790, and came to Berkshire County, Mass., in 180$. He died at Dwight, 111., January 19, 1882. He helped construct the Boston-and-Albany Railroad, and during his long life he was actively engaged in railroad enterprizes. The following is quoted from his autobiography: "In 1826, the Erie Canal had gone into operation and its effect upon the internal commerce of the country began to be fully appreciated. A survey from Boston to Albany had demonstrated the practabillty of a canal^ and the merchants of Boston began to realize that their trade was declining. About that time I published an article in the Berkshire Star, suggesting the substitu¬ tion of a railroad, which was immediately quoted in the Boston papers, and the subject soon became the topic of general interest. " " A small subscription was raised in Stockbridge and the adjoining towns, which proved sufficient to meet the expense of a survey that I agreed to make to determine the practicability of a route through them. My report proving favorable, I was subsequently employed in surveys to the Hudson, inaugurated by the State, under the direction of Mr. James Baldwin. A northern route, however, by Pittstield, was finally recommended, and although a railroad as far as Worcester was undertaken, it was not until 1836 that the location between the Connecticut River and Albany was decided upon. " EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. S3 directors says: "The survey was commenced near Chicago, on the half-section line commencing near the centre of Kinzie Street, on which course it continues thirteen miles, crossing the Desplaines River a little south of the St. Charles road." In that year the first rails of strap-iron* were laid on it, and January 22, 1850, through the efforts of Benjamin Wright Ray- mondt and John Bice Turner, it was finished to Elgin, forty-two miles from Chicago, and from there it was extended to Freeport. J The first locomotive engine b\iilt in Chicago was for use on this company's line; it was constructed in 1854 by the Chicago Locomotive Works.§ The first locomotive built in Chicago by a railroad company for its own use was that constructed by the Illinois-Central at its Weldon shops, in March, 1862, and known as Engine No. 44. The Michigan-Southern-and-Northern-Indiana Railroad was the first great east-and-west line to enter this city, the connection being made February 20, 1852. The Michigan Central was opened, coming in over the'Illinois- Central tracks. May 20, 1852. * The Baf&Io-and-Attica road was opened in 1842, and was laid with strap- rail. In 1848, under Mr. Martin's presidency, it was decided to replace with T rail and he sold the old .strap to the Galena-and-Chicago Union road. He also sold to the same road its first locomotive—the " Pioneer "-.-the one exhibited by the Ghic^o-and-Northwestern at the recent exposition of railway appliances [1883]. t Mr. Raymond died April 5, 1883, at Chicago, having been mayor in 1839 and 1842. Î John VanNortwick, one of the original projectors of the enterprise, writes me on March 14, 18S3, from Batavia, Illinois, as follows : "The first regular business in tbe operating department commenced June i, 1849, to and from Desplaines River, 10 miles; in July, opened to Cottage Hill, 1$ miles; in November, opened to Junction, 30 miles; and to Elgin in February, 1850, 42jí miles. .Some business was done by the construction department in the fall and winter of 1848. " § " Commenced operation Nov. 1, 1853, succeeding Hiram H. Scoville & Sons, northeast comer West Adams and Canal Streets. Wm. H. Brown, president, Edward Hempstead and Robert H. Foss, executive committee, Wm. H. Scoville [died May 28, 1884], supt., Sholto Douglas, secretary." 54 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. The total number of miles of railroad operated in the whole State of Illinois, February t6, 1852, was but ninety-five miles. The population of Chicago in this year was but 38,733. There were only 10,982 miles of railroad in the whole United States at this time. On February i, 1854, there were only 1785 miles of railway leading into Chicago. Not more than one thousand miles of these were situated within the State of Illinois. At the end of 1855, there were 2410 miles of road in opera¬ tion in the State. At the end of 1856, 2761 miles of road. Six of the leading lines now entering Chicago operated, in 1869, 4682 miles of road; in 1882, their mileage had increased to 13,130 miles. MILEAGE, 1869. 1882. Chicago and Alton, 431 853 Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, 602 1938 Milwaukee and St. Paul, 938 4328 Northwestern, - 1156 33'° Rock Island, - 590 1381 Illinois Central, • • 965 1320 4682 '3.13° Chicago, though richly benefited by their construction, in her corporate capacity has never invested a dollar in railways or loaned her credit in any one instance to aid them. Cincinnati subscribed several millions of dollars to her Southern-railway enterprise, solely for the purpose of controlling a certain amount of the trade with the South. The City of Baltimore subscribed $3i500)000i and the State of Maryland $500,000, to the construc¬ tion of the Baltimore-and-Ohio Railroad, and both reap the bene¬ fit of it today. The City of Philadelphia also materially aided the Pennsylvania Central very early in its organization. Both the cities of Buffalo and Cleveland have extended aid to their railways. It is cheap food, cheap fuel, and cheap transportation, not less than her geographical position, that has placed Chicago in advance of most of these cities, entitling her to the third rank EAfcLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. ss in point of manufactures; and it is this also that has given the State of Illinois such advantages over her sister states. The Baltimore-and-Ohio Road is to the Citjt of Baltimore what the Pennsylvania Central is to the City of Philadelphia, or the New-York-Central Road to New York, and what was commonly known, in 1876, as the "railroad war" between these companies, was, in fact, the outgrowth of a rivalry between those cities for the supremacy of the seaport trade, and during that year when grangerism had reached the extreme of absurdity in the West, while the State of Illinois, no less benefited by her railways, was enforcing with rigor the exactions of her railroad law, the trunk lines named, having east-and-west connections through our State, were quietly stealing away her grain to the East, which, by natural laws of commerce, should have been shipped out of the State via Chicago; and grain raised west of the Mississippi, which had before found a market in Chicago, was being quietly floated down the Mississippi River to the benefit of St. Louis, whose merchants in turn were trading out its value in the East. The railways of Illinois, with the recently-acquired advantage of a free water-way communication via Chicago and through the great lakes and canal to the ocean during eight months of the year, and with a grain-storage capacity of over 25,000,000 bushels, can, all things being equal, always hold their own as against the Mississippi River. Lieut.-Gov. William Bross,* in an address before the Iowa Industrial Convention, held at Des Moines, January 22, 1873, used these words : " For myself, I believe the time is not distant when the Northwest will have the New-York and St. Lawrence toutes bidding against each other for her commerce and her car¬ rying-trade in the liveliest manner." It looks as though this would soon come to pass. It may be noted here that of the leading crop of the State, com, a less quantity is now carried by some of the lines run¬ ning through what is known as the com belt than was transported * William Bross was lieutenant-governor of Illinois from 1865-9, whilst Richard J. Oglesby was governor. He now resides in Chicago. 56 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. by them twelve years since ; the reason for this is that the grain is more extensively fed than in former years, and also a much larger quantity is manufactured into whisky. No less than 7,367,052 bushels of corn were consumed in-the manufacture of whisky in this State alone for the year ending June 30, 1882, and the State can hardly point with pride to the payment of $28,000,000 of internal-revenue tax on this account. It may prove interesting to give a résumé of the legislation of the State affecting railways: The sixth clause of article 10 of the Constitution of 1848 pro¬ vided that "the General Assembly shall encourage internal im¬ provements by passing liberal general laws of incorporation for that purpose." The first general law for the incorporation of railroads went into effect November 5, 1849. That law empowered the direc¬ tors to regulate the tolls and compensation to be paid, and pro¬ vided that "the Legislature might alter or reduce the rates so made, but could not, without the consent of the corporation, so reduce them as to produce less than fifteen per cent per annum on the capital actually paid in." On March 10, 1869, an act concerning rates for the convey¬ ance of passengers and freight was passed which limited railways to a just, reasonable, and uniform rate for the conveyance or transportation of passengers and freight * * * " according to the service actually rendered,." and this act then went on to provide that this should not be construed to mean that the rate for transportation on any one road should be the same as that charged on any other road, nor were the roads to be required to charge the same in one direction as in the other. This act con¬ tained many good provisions not found in the general law of 1871, or in the law of 1873, now in force, but its general lan¬ guage was so vague, and its requirements so indefinite, that it was inoperative. The act of 1869 contains this clause; "This act shall not be construed nor have the effect to release the Illinois-Central Rail¬ road Company from the payment into the treasury of the State EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 57 of Illinois of the per centum on the gross or total proceeds, receipts, or incomes derived from said road and branches stipu¬ lated in the charter of said company." In the X5th clause of the nth article of the constitution, adopted May 13, 1870, it is provided that "The general as¬ sembly shall pass laws to correct abuses and prevent unjust dis¬ crimination and extortion in the rates of freight and passenger tariff on the different railroads in this State, and enforce such laws by adequate penalties to the extent, if necessary, for that purpose, of forfeiture of their property and franchises." In accordance with this provision the legislature of 1871 passed a law, in force July i, 1871, for the purpose of preventing unjust discriminations and extortions in rates. This law fixed the rates in force on the diflFerent roads in 1870 as the maximum. It was, however, virtually declared unconstitutional by our supreme court in January, 1873. On this account the legislature passed another law on May 2, 1873, repealing the law of 1871, and empowering the railroad commissioners to fix maximum rates. The law for the appointment by the governor of three railroad commissioners was enacted July i, ifiyr. Under this, railway companies are required to make annual statements in writing of their affairs under oath. The commis¬ sioners make an annual report to the governor of their proceedings. From the foregoing we think that it will be seen that the State has gradually receded from its liberal position of encouragement of railroad-building to one of almost oppressive restriction. In the early laws we find the words encouragement and liber¬ ality; later on, after the plants are established, we read of penal¬ ties and forfeiture of property. Citizens of Illinois, this concerns you and the good name of your State ! There is hardly any doubt, indeed, statistics show conclusive¬ ly that the law passed by the Illinois legislature in the session of 1871, precipated the panic which followed in 1873. Bond¬ holders saw that the State, through the arbitrary action of its commissioners, could under that law so impair the value of rail¬ way property in reducing its earning capacity as to make a return 58 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. of even interest on debt incurred in its construction uncertain. That law, it is true, was repealed, but not until after the mischief had been done. In Wisconsin the granger law was repealed because the people were satisfied that its enforcement would result in disaster to their best interests. In Iowa the law has been so far modified that the railroads and the commissioners are enabled to work in harmony. The railroad companies have nothing to fear from a board of commissioners, provided it is properly constituted and its author¬ ity judiciously exercised. In the wise administration of its duty, such a commission can aid both the shipper and the railroad company in determining the practical and oftentimes difficult questions that necessarily arise from time to time. The ability to do this depends mainly upon the character of the men selected. They should be men of broad and liberal views, free from any prejudice, without fear, and without reproach, carefully chosen on account of capacity, integrity, and fitness for the position—not as a political reward. In New York the law appointing a board of railroad commis¬ sioners, passed at the last session of the legislature, requires that at least one of its members shall be " experienced in railroad business;" and to insure the election of good men the law fixes the salary of each of the commissioners at $8000 per annum. The standard of the Massachusetts board, like the law of the old Commonwealth, is equally as high, and in dealing with the railroad question in that State they have manifested a degree of intelligence which has served as a model for similar organizations in other States. We have in Illinois nearly $400,000,000 of railway property. Anti-monopolists, so-called, who belong to the class of modem reformers, find a great deal of fault with things as they exist, but they have no remedies to suggest. This has become so patent that the people are demanding a better solution of the question than can be furnished by the theory of communism or confiscation. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 59 The wordy harangue of a Thurber can no more be accepted as common sense than the oleomargarine he manufactures can be accepted as good, wholesome butter. The truth is, and it is a fixed law of trade, that competition is the best regulator of rates. This fact is admirably expressed in the last report of W. H. Armstrong, United-States commissioner of railroads, wherein he says : " Rates and discriminations are not entirely within the arbitrary determination of railroad companies. They are subject to competitions which they can not control—upon the ocean, upon the lakes, and upon the rivers." The shippers today regu¬ late the rates of transportation, not the railroad companies. The truth of this is shown in the fact that one of the important lines leading from this city received, in 1865, an average of 3.06 cents for transporting each ton of freight one mile, and by reason of competition this average gradually fell to .72 of a cent per ton per mile in 1881. The same is true of other lines, the reduction, in fact, on some being even greater. The railroads of Illinois are today charging not over 30 per cent of the rates that were commonly charged twenty years ago. Pools are not so great an evil as some have supposed, but if one is a politician he must beware of " blind pools." In the older states managers differ among themselves, not as to how much they shall be allowed to charge, but as to which of them shall be allowed to charge the least in order to secure the business; and the advisory committee, consisting of Judge Allen B. Thurman of Columbus, Ohio, Judge Thomas M. Cooley of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Hon. Elihu B. Washburne of Chicago, 111., found the consideration of this question of " differential rates " to the seaboard the most difficult and complex part of their duty. The rule that special rates must be given, when the commodity to be forwarded will not bear tariff rates, is one that is approved by the judgment of every business man. Hon. John H. Reagan,* with all the ability he could command, could not frame a law • John H. Reagan was member of congress from Texas before and after the Rebellion, and was postmaster-general of the confederacy. 6o EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. that would harmonize with the inter-state commerce of the coun¬ try, and his impracticable suggestions were invariably met by statements of facts which could not be controverted, and the attempt to "regulate" by an inflexible law, a kind of business, the chief difficulty in the management of which lies in its flexible nature, always has and always will prove a failure.* Congress can not establish a pro-rata tariff for transportation without injuriously affecting the interests of the West. Apply a discriminating tariff in favor of the West, and you will at once give the Eastern States just cause for complaint Adjoining states have found it impracticable, to adjust their tariffs with one another, and their highest judicial tribunals have rendered deci¬ sions in reference to matters of transportation entirely at variance with each other, and where, too, the state laws were of like import In discussing the transportation question from a statistical standpoint, the layman is embarrassed by the legal aspect of the case, and the legal mind is equally perplexed in the application' of statistics. The latter is illustrated by the statement made by * It is a remarkable fact that, while Mr. Reagan is preparing a bill for congress to exercise more power to interfere in the railroad management of the country, the British railway corporations, which have had for forty years parliamentary supervision, are now going to pray for relief from that paternal care; and state their case in the following manner : 1. To minimize the interference of irresponsible state officials with the regulation and management of railways and with the rates 6xed by acts of parliament, and by the necessities of competition. Such regulation and man¬ agement were originally given by parliament to boards of directors, elected by and responsible to the shareholders whose property they administered, and ought not to be transferred to government officials, unless that property is par- chased by government. 2. The unconditional repeal of the railway passenger duty, avowedly imposed on account of the existence of taxes upon other means of locomotion, all of which have now been removed, and the burden left upon railways alone. 3. An alteration in the present system of local rating, by which railway property is practically left to the varying decisions of assessment committees, who in this case actually tax profíts of trade, and subject railways to a burden relatively heavier than that imposed upon any other property subject to local taxation. 4. An alteration in the laws relating to compensation for railway accidents» so that some limit may be imposed upon the practice of awarding ruinous amounts against railway companies, and some equitable proportion be estab¬ lished as between fares often of pence and compensations of thousands of pounds. The head of this movement is Sir Edward Watkin. EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. 6l Judge Blacjc in a speech at Cooper Institute, New York, at the first meeting of the Anti-monopoly League, in which he asserted with great gravity that the extortions of the railways of this coun¬ try, on through lines alone, amounted to $900,000,000 a year. He afterward discovered that the whole charge for both through and local business only amounted to $387,000,000, and that out of this nearly one-half was paid out for wages and materials. There are now about 102,000 miles of railway in the United States. They constitute one of the great elements of national progress. Our legislators, actuated by principles of justice, it is believed, will gradually come to regard them in this light. The 8541 miles of railway in this State give employment directly to about 44,174 men, and indirectly to at least 100,000 more. When we consider that only half-a-century has elapsed since the first introduction of railways in this country, it must be acknowledged that in their general management there has been an amount of skill, energy, and intelligence brought to bear which has justly challenged the attention of a civilized world. A writer in the North-American Review for September says : " It has been stated on good authority that there were actually more persons killed and injured each year in Massachusetts fifty years ago, through accidents to stage-coaches, than there are now through accidents to railroad-trains, notwithstanding the enor¬ mous increase in the number of persons transported." From the statistics of over forty years in France, it appears^ that in proportion to the whole number carried, the accidents to' passengers by stage coaches in olden times were, as compared to those by railroads, as about sixty to one. The oflScial returns in France actually show that a man is safer in a railroad train than he is in his own house; while in Great Britain the figures show that hanging is thirty times more likely to happen to a man than death by railroad. It is stated by Mr. Charles Francis Adams, Jr., in his "Notes on Railroad Accidents," " that the annual average of deaths by accident in the City of Boston alone exceeds that consequent 9B running all the railroads of the State of Massachusetts by 80 per cent, and that in the five years from 1874 to 1878 more per- 62 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. sons were murdered in Boston than lost their lives on all the rail¬ roads of the State for the nine years from 1871 to 1878, though those years included both the Revere and the Wollaston disasters, or fifty deaths." This ought to be very comforting to those who are obliged to travel on the railways of our country. Discoveries more wonderful, resulting in improvements more marked than any yet attained, will doubtless be made; greater speed in motive power, greater safety in the management of trains, and greater comfort awaits the traveler in the coming by- and-by. The men who have wrought in the past accomplished a good work in their day, but they were mere pioneers preparing the way for far greater achievements, and those who follow later on, will look back with the same feeling of wonder upon our compara¬ tively feeble efforts that we of today do upon the work of our predecessors. " The good that men do lives after them " as often holds true as the converse maxim embodied in Shakespeare's well-known couplet, and the example and influence of the men who origi¬ nated and carried out the railway system of this State in earlier years, is shown today in the grand development of that system, and for that reason the names of Henry Farnum, John B. Turner, Roswell B. Mason, William B. Ogden, James Robb, James Frederick Joy, Robert Harris, John VanNortwick, and Charles Goodrich Hammond* will be remembered with gratitude and affection by a people whose interests they so well served; men who, when they laid down their pens, could have well said, as did the prophet of old ; " Show me where I have taken what is not my own and I will restore it." • Of these distinguished railroad men, Mr. Farnum died at New Haven, Conn., October 4, 1883; Mr. Mason lives at Chicago; Mr. Joy at Detroit, Michigan; Mr. Harris at New York, and has just been elected president of the Northern Pacific Railroad; Mr. VanNortwick at Batavia, 111., and Mr. Hammond died at Chicago, April 15, 1884. Wm. B. Ogden died in New York, August 3, 1877. APPENDIX. Correspondence between Hon. Sidney Breese and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas with reference to the claim of the former to have originated the idea of the Illinois-Central Railroad. Letter of Hon. Sidney Breese to the Editors of the "Illinois State Register." [From the Daily Illinois State Register, December 28, 1850.] Carlvle, Dec. 23, 1850. Gentlemen :—Your paper of the 19th is before me, in which- you quote from the Benton Standard that I am " out " for the Holbrook charters, etc. ; and you say that if I am, I am alone among the delegates from the South. How do you know this ? How is it that you are so well acquainted with the sentiments of the Southern members ? r am in favor of accepting the release of the Cairo Company, but at the same time not disposed to ride "rough-shod" over the rights of that company or of any other. I am for doing justice to all. If that company can make the road in the shortest time, and in the best manner, and without any expense to the State, and offers advantages well secured, over and above all other com¬ panies, then I am for it, most decidedly. I am for having the road made, and in the shortest time, and in the best manner, and I care not who makes it. The [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad has been a controlling object with me for more than fifteen years, and I would sacrifice all my personal advantages to have it made. These fellows who are making such an ado about it now have been whipped into its support. They are not for it now, and do not desire to have it made because / get the credit of it. This 64 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. is inevitable. I must have the credit of it, for I originated it in 183s, and when in the senate, passed three different bills through that body to aid in its construction. My successor had an easy task, as I had opened the way for him. It was the argument contained in my reports on it that silenced all opposition, and made its passage easy. I claim the credit and no one can take it from me. As for Holbrook and his charters, I care not a straw, but I am for doing justice and for making the road. I doubt whether you are or not. What right have you, or any others, to denounce the Cairo Company, and endeavor to make it odi¬ ous and deprive it of its rights? Yours, respectfully, S. Breese. Messrs. Lanphier & Walker ;—It is my express request that you publish this, with such comments as you may choose. The Register replies editorially, with reference' to the questions raised by the letter, and says among other things : * * ■* As regards the "credit" which Judge Breese claims for the part he bore in the congressional legislation which resulted in the grant, we have no doubt he will receive his deserts. We have in former numbers borne testimony to his energy and fidelity in endeavoring to secure this grant; but we are not prepared to concede quite all he claims, nor can we believe • that such "fellows" as Mess. Douglas, Shields,Wentworth, McCler- nand, Richardson, Bissell, Young, and Harris were "whipped" into the support of the grant; nor do we believe, nor will any one else, that any of these gentlemen would be gratified to see that great State and national enterprise—the [Illinois]-Central Rail¬ road—defeated, merely that Judge Breese might not get the credit of it. We hardly think the Judge is regarded as of quite as much importance as all that. We hardly think any man living would balance his jealousy of Judge Breese's aspirations against the projected road. We have not space today to go into a con¬ sideration of the " credit " which is due to the different gentle¬ men of our congressional delegations, in reference to this great work. BREESE-DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE, 65 They no doubt all, with an exception or two, did their duty, and are deserving of praise; and we regret to see one of the number endeavoring to detract from the merits of the rest. The whole subject is matter of history, and a reference to it will en¬ sure to each his due " credit." # » # « [It was charged that two of the southern members favored the Holbrook charters, but both denied the charge, and there is nothing of record to sustain it.] Letter from Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, U. S. Senator, to Hon. Sidney Breese. [From the Daily Register, Springfield, 111., January 20, 1851.] Washington, Jan. 5, 1851. My Dear Sir;—I have been amused, interested, and in¬ structed by the perusal of your letter of the 13th ultimo, to the editors of the State Register, in relation to the grant of lands for the [Illinois]-Central Railroad. You seem to be apprehensive that " these fellows, who are making such an ado about it now, and have been whipped into its support," will have the presumption to call into question your title to the sole credit of the passage of the grant of land by Congress at the last session. I trust I wll be able to convince you that your fears upon this, subject are entirely groundless. Whatever injustice may have been done you in this respect, I am sure was unintentional. It is true that when the people of Chicago tendered to Gen. Shields and myself, upon our return home last fall, a public dinner for our supposed agency and services in obtaining that grant, we, in our letter de¬ clining the honor, awarded the principal merit to our colleagues of the house of representatives, when the final battle was fought, and mentioned each of them by name as the persons to whom the chief credit was due. I assure you that, had we been aware of the facts, as modestly stated in your letter, that you originated the project in 1835; that you had devoted more than fifteen years of your life to its accomplishment; that you had passed three different bills in the senate in aid of its construc- 5 66 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. tion; that the arguments contained in your reports had silenced all opposition and rendered its passage easy; that you claimed for yourself the exclusive credit, and seriously doubted whether either of the senators or representatives from our State was in favor of the passage of the bill, we should not have committed so great a blunder as to have attributed any portion of the merit to our colleagues in the other house. In order to relieve your mind from all injurious suspicions, and to satisfy you that I have not intentionally done you injustice, I feel it my duty to go some¬ what in detail into the history of the measure, and explain the reasons for supposing that others, as well as yourself, had sin¬ cerely desired the passage of the bill of last session, and really have contributed, in some degree, to its success. We entered congress together in December, 1843—yo" a sen¬ ator and I a member of the house. On the 27th of that month, you presented a memorial of the " Great-Western Railway Com¬ pany," praying the right of preëmption for Mr. Holbrook and his associates, to a portion of the public lands over which this con¬ templated road was proposed to be run. This memorial, on your motion, was referred to the committee on public lands, and on Feb. 23, 1844, Mr. Woodbridge of Michigan, as a member of that committee, reported a bill in pursuance of the prayer of the memorial, "to grant to the Great-Western Railroad Company the right of way through the public lands of the United States, and for other purposes." This bill, if my recollection serves me right, was proposed by yourself, and shown to me before it was reported from the committee. You urged Col. McClemand and myself, and I presume other members of the delegation, to give it our countenance and support; which we declined to do, and gave you our reasons. We insisted, in the first place, that whatever grant was made for railroads in our State, should be conferred upon the State of Illinois, and not upon an irresponsible private corporation. We had no faith in Mr. Holbrook and his associates —none in their ability to make the road—nor in their purpose to make a serious effort for its construction. We believed the object was to enable Mr. Holbrook and his associates to sell BRKKSE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 67 their charter, with the preemption attached, for a large amount in Europe, where their value or rather their worthlessness was un¬ known, and then abandon the whole concern. We urged that the effect of the measure would be to suspend the land sales, and consequently prevent the settlement of the country for the period of ten years, without the slightest hope of securing the construc¬ tion of the road; at the same time that it would deprive us of any chance of providing a grant of land to the State to aid in the construction of that important work. For these reasons, and perhaps others which have now escaped my recollection, we endeavored to impress upon you the inutility of such a scheme, and suggested the alternative of introducing into the senate a bill making a donation of land to the State, to aid the construc¬ tion of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad. You declined the suggestion, however, and persevered in press¬ ing your bill for the benefit of the Holbrook Company through the senate upon the ground that a preemption right to the com¬ pany would answer all the purposes as well as a grant to the State, and that there was not the least reason to hope that such a donation could be obtained. At the next session, to-wit, on the 12th of December, 1844, you introduced the same bill, or one similar in its provisions, with the exception that^you inserted the words "the State of Illinois" instead of the Holbrook Com¬ pany, as the party to which the preemption right was to be given. You were kind enough to inform me that you had made this alteration in deference to my opinion and to avoid the objec¬ tion to making grants to private corporations. This bill, on your motion, was referred to the committee on public lands, and on January 23, 1845, reported back by Mr. [Wm.] Woodbridge [U. S. senator from Michigan] with an amendment. I can not recollect, nor can I learn from the journal, that you ever moved to take up the bill for action or attempted to pass it. .\t the next session, to-wit, on Jan. 15, 1846, you introduced a bill to grant to the State of Illinois certain alternate sections of the public lands to "aid in the construction of the Northern-Cross and [IllinoisJ-Central railroads in said State." This bill was referred 68 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. to the committee on public lands, of which you had become chairman; and on February 24, was reported back by you with certain amendments and accompanied by a special report. I suppose that this is one of the reports to which you refer in your letter, where you say, "It was the argument contained in my (your) reports on it that silenced all opposition and made its passage easy." I add my testimony to your own in respect to the ability of your report and the soundness of your arguments, and am sure that they must have had the effect to silence all opposition; and I only regret that after you had thus "made its passage easy" you should have allowed it to sleep in silence the sleep of death, without ever moving to take it up or asking the senate to vote upon it. I have carefully examined the journal and minutes, in connec¬ tion with one of the officers of the senate, and find that the record sustains my recollection, that you never moved to take up that bill from the day you first reported it. At the next session, to-wit, on December 17, 1846, you introduced a bill for the right of way and a preemption right, omitting the donations to the State, to aid in making the road. This bill was also referred to the committee on public lands, and on January 4, reported back with an amendment, accompanied with a report from yourself. It does not appear, however, that it was ever acted upon by the senate, much less passed, notwithstanding your report "silenced all opposition and rendered its passage easy." I do not regard the failure to urge the passage of this bill a very great misfortune, however, inasmuch as it only would have allowed the State to enter the lands at one dollar and a quarter per acre, upon the further condition chat we would make a railroad through them. I have now brought down the history of this question to the period when I became your colleague in the senate. Although you had introduced several bills at different times, you had never seriously urged the passage of but one, and that was a bill to grant a preëmption right to the Holbrook Company instead of a donation to the State. The difference between us at this time was precisely the same BREESE-DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 69 it had been during the preceding four years. You were the champion of the policy of granting preemption rights for the benefit of a private company, and I was the advocate of alternate sections to the State, to aid in the construction of the roads. During the summer of 1847, after I had been elected to the senate, but before the time had arrived for my taking my seat, I traveled over a considerable portion of the State, and wherever I went I told my friends that I should insist upon a donation instead of a preëmption, and that the grant should be made to the State in lieu of the Holbrook Company. You can learn, if you will take the trouble to inquire of Hon. Thomas Dyer,' who is now a member of the legislature with you, that in the month of Sep¬ tember of that year, I urged him and many other citizens of Chicago to hold public meetings and to send on memorials in favor of a donation of lands to the State, to aid in the construc¬ tion of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad and in favor of one terminus at Chicago. It was necessary that the road should connect with the lakes in order to impart nationality to the project and secure Northern and Elastem votes. The old line from Galena to Cairo—parallel to the Mississippi, with both termini resting on that stream—was regarded by our Eastern friends as purely a sectional scheme, calculated to throw the whole trade upon the Gulf of Mexico at the expense of the cities on the lakes and the Atlantic seaboard. By making an additional terminus at Chicago it would connect the lower Mississippi with the lakes, the St. Lawrence with the Gulf of Mexico, and the Upper Mississippi Valley with both. I urged these considerations wherever I went, not doubting that I should convince you of their force when we should meet at the capital When we arrived in this city I had an interview with you upon the subject, before the two houses were organized, and explained my views to you in full. You treated me and my opinions with kindness and frankness, but at the same time insisted that your old plan of a preëmption right was advisable • Mayor of Chicago in 1856, and died at Middleton, Conn., June 6, 1862, a^ed 57 years. 70 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. under all the circumstances in preference to a grant of lands to the State. It is but just to you to say that I did not understand you as being opposed to a grant of land to our State; but you had no faitli in the possibility of accomplishing it, and therefore thought it idle to make the effort. You were also kind enough to show me a bill which you had already prepared for a preërap- tion right, and to read to me a very elaborate report which you had written in vacation in behalf of your bill, so as to make it a donation to the State, and to change your report so as to make it correspond with the bill as modified. I assured you that I did not desire to lead in the matter, nor even have my name con¬ nected with it; that inasmuch as I was elected for six years, and your reelection would come on at the end of two years, I was anxious that you should become the author of the measure and take full credit for its success; but that I could not consent to go into a struggle for a thing where success would be defeat, and the attainment of it would be of no manner of service to our constituents. You will doubtless recollect that we had several other interviews upon the subject between that time and the 20th of the month, in which the same points were discussed and the arguments pro and con recapitulated without being able to har¬ monize our conflicting opinions, and it was finally agreed that each should pursue his own course. At length on the 20th of December ('47), you introduced your old preëmption bill and had it referred to the committee on public lands. Subsequently Messrs. Elihu B. Washburne and O. C. Pratt* of Galena called to see me at my rooms at Willard's Hotel, and I explained to them the points of difference between us. They will do me the justice to say, if they recollect the conversation, that I spoke of you in terms of kindness and respect, and regretted our inability to har¬ monize our action upon this question, as a misfortune which I was anxious to avoid. I showed them at the same time a memorial which I had just • Orville C. Pratt was appointed by President Polk one of the judges of Oregon Territory. He was a member of the Illinois Constitutional Conven¬ tion of 1847. He is now an attorney at San Francisco, Cal. BREESE-DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 71 received from Chicago, in favor of a grant to the State, with a letter from Justin Butterfield, Esq., informing me that active steps had been taken to procure petitions from all parts of the State in support of the application. Those gentlemen were delighted with the movement, and seemed amazed that you should give any other the preference, especially in direct opposi¬ tion to the instructions of our legislature, which you had presented to the United States senate on the zzd of February, previous.* They told me that they would call upon you next morning, before the senate met, and urge you to give your support to this plan ibr the good of the State, in preference to a preëmption for the benefit of the Holbrook Company. I authorized them to say to you that if you would yet change your bill in this respect I would not introduce my own but would support yours, and thus enable you to reap the whole credit of the measure. I still had hope that you would modify your bill and views in this respect, and enable us to act together for the benefit of our constituents. * On January 9, 1847, Hon. Silas Noble, a senator from the district com¬ posed of the counties of Rock Island, Henry, Whiteside, and Lee, presented to the State senate of the 15th general assembly, then in session, "The peti¬ tion of John Dixon and others, asking the legislature to instruct our senators and request our representatives in congress to pass a law granting to the State a quantity of land to aid her in the completion of the Northern-Cross and [lllinois]-Central Railroads, " which was read and on motion of Peter Warren of Shelby Co., referred to the com. on public roads.—Senate Jour.^ III., '47, p. 91. On the 14th day of the same month, in the same body, " Mr. Noble from the committee on public roads, to which was referred the petition of John Dixcm [of Lee Co.] and others, asking the legislature to instruct our senators, etc., reported the following resolution : " * Resolved by ike Senate^ the House of Representatives concurring herein^ That our senators in congress be instructed and our representatives requested to use their best endeavors to procure the passage of a bill similar to the one intro¬ duced by Hon. S. Breese at the last session of congress, granting to the State of Ulinois a quantity of land to aid her in the completion of the Northern- Cross and [lUinoisj-Central railroads.' "On motion of Mr. Noble, the rule was dispensed with, and the resolution cead and adopted. "—Senate Journal, Illinois, 1847, page 116. The resolution was afterward adopted by the house, and is published in the laws of 1847, page 172. 72 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. On the next day (January 20) about 12 o'clock, when the senate was just assembling, I approached you at your desk under the impression that Messrs Washburne and Pratt had had their inter¬ view with you, and again asked you to change your bill into a donation to the State, which you promptly, though in a kind and respectfully manner, refused to do. I then went to my own seat, and in a few minutes introduced my bill for a grant of land to the State, which was then read a first and second time and on ray motion referred to the committee on public lands; and on Janu¬ ary 24, was reported back without amendment, and on April 19, on my motion, was taken up and, by order of the senate, made the special order for Wednesday, May 3 ; and on May 4 ('48), on my motion, was considered in the committee of the whole, read a third time, passed the senate by a large majority, and sent to the house for their concurrence. It must not be inferred from these facts taken from the record that you were opposed to the bill. Such an inference would be unjust as it is unfounded. I recollect distinctly a few minutes after I introduced the bill of seeing you in animated conversation with Messrs. Pratt and Washburne, and that you came directly from them to me, and expressed your regret that I had introduced the bill, and said that you were willing to change your own to suit my wishes. I told you that it was now too late to do that, but as my bill had been referred to the committee on public lands, of which you were chairman, you could take the report which you had prepared in behalf of your preëmption bill, strike out the words "preëmption right" wherever they appeared, and insert the words "grant of lands to the State" in their place, and with a few other slight amendments the report would fit my bill as well as yours. You agreed to this suggestion, and, for the time being, abandoned your preëmption scheme, and on January 24, you reported back my bill, without amendment, accompanied with your report, so modified as to suit its provisions. Fourteen days afterward, however, to-wit, on February 7, you, as chairman of the same committee, reported favorably upon yoür preëmp¬ tion bill, and placed it upon the calendar, in competition with BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 73 my bill for the grant of lands. I complained of this as being calculated to defeat the donation to the State—that we could hardly expect congress to make our State a donation of lands while one of our senators was urging the passage of a bill to compel the State to pay a dollar and twenty-five cents per acre for them. You disavowed all desire or purpose 1o defeat my bill, and declared that your only object in reporting your own was to get it upon the calendar, where it could be taken up and passed when mine had been voted down. I at once acquitted you of any intention or purpose to defeat a grant of land to the State, but attempted to convince you that the pressing of a bill by you, which required the State to pay the full price of the lands, must inevitably defeat the passage of a bill to grant the lands to the State without payment; and even if you succeeded in passing your bill, it could be of no service to us, as the State possessed the right, and had unfortunately exer¬ cised it, of entering a large amount of public lands without any such law. You thereupon agreed to let your bill sleep until mine had been voted upon, and luckily the passage of mine, on May 4, rendered yours obsolete. The great battle was yet to be fought in the house of representatives, and there, be it said to the honor of our representatives,* one and all, that each nobly per¬ formed his whole duty, although near the close of the session the bill was laid upon the table by one or two majority, and could not be taken up again except by a two-thirds' vote. This vote in the house of representatives was regarded as decisive of the fate of the bill, and seemed to render it neces¬ sary to originate a new bill in the senate and send it down to the house. Accordingly, early in the next session, to-wit, on Dec. 18, '48, I again introduced my bill in the senate, and had it re¬ ferred to the committee on public lands, and , you promptly re¬ ported it back without amendment. * Members of the house of representatives at this time from the State of Illinois were: 1st district, Robert Smith, Alton; 2d district, John A. McCler- nand, Shawneetown; 3d district, Orlando B. Ficklin, Charleston; 4th dis¬ trict, John Wentworth, Chicago; 5th district, Stephen A. Douglas, Quincy; 6th district, Jos. 1*. Höge, Galena; 7th district, Edward D. Baker, Springfield. 74 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. In the meantime, our colleagues in the house had succeeded in taking my former bill from the table and having it reinstated upon the calendar to be again .acted upon in its order. This cir¬ cumstance rendered the senate bill unnecessary, and hence it was never called up for action. During this session, after you had been disappointed in your hopes of a réélection, you came to me and appealed to my courtesy to aid you in passing your old pre¬ emption bill, and stated many reasons personal to yourself, why it was very important that it should pass. I hardly knew how to resist your appeals to my sympathies and courtesy, and was pre¬ pared to yield everything which could be done consistently with my duty to our State. But the conviction was irresistably fixed upon my mind that the passage of your preëmption bill would inevitably defeat a grant of land to the State forever, and would destroy all hope of the speedy completion of the [Illinois}-Cett- tral Railroad. I expressed these opinions to you frankly, as my reasons for denying your request. You then appealed to me to allow your bill to pass the senate, with the understanding that it would not pass the house of representatives ; and you stated your reasons for this request. I told you that I would yield to this, provided I could first be satisfied that there was no danger of the bill passing the house. I then consulted Judge Collamer, the late postmaster-general, who was chairman of the committee on public lands, whether it would be approved by his committee and allowed to pass the house if it came down from the senate. He informed me that in no event could it pass the house of representatives, and being fully satisfied upon this point, by him and others, I informed you "of the fact, and consented to the passage of your bill through the senate. Accordingly, on Janu¬ ary 31, '49, your preëmption bill was taken up, on your motion, considered in the committee of the whole, and passed the senate. Here your official connection with the subject ceased. You re¬ tired to private .life, and whatever you may have done since to secure a grant of land to the State is unknown to me. Neither of the bills alluded to passed the house of representa¬ tives at that session, and hence it was necessary to begin anew BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 7$ at the opening of the next session. In order to secure perfect harmony among our delegation, and to pay all proper respect to the opinions of each, I consulted them all before 1 introduced the bill. We became satisfied that it was necessary to bring for¬ ward the [Illinois] Central Railroad in a bill by itself, discon¬ nected with all cross-roads, in order to secure success. This j)oint being agreed upon, the bill was prepared by Col. [John A.] McClemand and myself, jointly, and two copies made, with the understanding that he was to introduce one into the house and I the other into the senate. On January 3, 1850, I introduced the bill into the senate and had it referred to the committee on public lands. On February 12, Gen. Jas. Shields from that committee reported it back, with various amendments, combined in the form of a substitute. During the whole struggle, he and I acted together cordially, consulting on all points and harmonizing in all our views in reference to it. Of course, it passed and went to the house of representatives. There the great battle was fought, in which every member of our delegation acted a con¬ spicuous and an efficient part. The bill passed and the State now has the means of completing the [Illinois]-Central Railroad. I do not deem it very important to stop and inquire what indi¬ vidual is entitled to the merit of the measure. [ will relinquish to you or to any one else who will ensure the speedy completion of the work, in the best manner, all claim to any share in the glory. I will furnish you a quit-claim deed, and permit you to fill up the blanks, and insert the name of the grantee. I only claim to have done my duty, and believe one and all of my col¬ leagues in both houses did theirs. We may have erred some¬ times as to the best mode of proceeding, and the means by which the end was to be accomplished, but I do not concur with you, and doubt whether they will, in the amiable sentiment expressed in your letter, that " they are not for it now, and do not desire to have it made, because I (you) get the credit of it." It may be true, as you state, that " these fellows who are mak¬ ing such an ado about it iwiv have been whipped into its sup¬ port," but I have serious doubts whether the impartial public. 76 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. after examining the record to which I have referred, will come to the conclusion that the remark is applicable to any of the present delegation in congress. In conclusion, my dear sir, I trust that the facts to which, I have referred will not fail to satisfy your mind that in my Chi¬ cago letter, and in any other remarks I may have made compli¬ mentary to my colleagues, in which you were not alluded to, I did not intend to depreciate the value of your public services^ nor to deprive you of any of the credit to which you may be en¬ titled for the grant of land made by congress to our State last session, in aid of the [Illinois]-Central Railroad. I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your fellow-citi¬ zen and obedient servant, Hon. Sidney Breese. S. A. Douglas.. Letter from Judge Breese to Senator Douglas. [From the Weekly Register, Springfield, February 6, 1851.] Springfield, Jan. 25, 1851. Mv Dear Sir :—The exceeding good humor in- which your letter to me, as published in the State Register of the 20th inst., seems to have been written, has almost disarmed me and greatly diminished the desire I might otherwise have had to r^ly, and yet, making every allowance for that, duty requires me^ in the same vein, I hope, to make some comments upon it. And here permit me to say that, however little interest the public may take in it, in my opinion, it acquires importance from the fact that it contains in its first sentence the only authentic instance on record of your own acknowledgment of ever having been " instructed" by any one at any time. In the outset, I will candidly confess that, upon the subject of the [Illinois]-Central Railroad, with all its concomitants, I am very sensitive, the more especially since I thought I had dis¬ covered a studious endeavor on your part and on the part of those with whom you have acted, to conceal from the public my agency in bringing the measure into favor, and in opening the way for successful legislation in regard to it. BREKSE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. In none of your speeches and letters you, and others who have enjoyed your confidence, have made and written, has there been the least allusion to the part I have acted in the matter, nor in any of the papers in the State, supposed to be under your influ¬ ence. Seeing this, and believing there was a concerted effort to appropriate to yourselves, exclusively, honors to which I knew you were not entitled, I deemed it my duty, for the truth of his¬ tory, to assert my claim, and in doing so, have been compelled, much against my will, to speak of myself and of my acts in re¬ gard to it. My whole life will show that it is the first time I have ever exposed myself to the charge of egotism, and under the in¬ fluence which actuated me, I may have claimed too much. I did not intend nor do I wish to deprive you and those with whom you are now associated in congress, of one jot or tittle of the praise you deserve; yet you can not have forgotten that until you were elected to the senate, and had determined to take up your residence in Chicago, that neither you nor the members of the house gener¬ ally, from our State in congress, had, prior to that time, taken the least interest in the passage of any law for preemption or otherwise, by which the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad might be constructed. It was known from my first entrance into congress that I would accomplish that measure in some shape, if possible, and I have the best reasons for knowing, and therefore saying that if the bill reported by Mr. Woodbridge in 1844, granting a preemption to the great [Illinois] - Central Railway Company, incorporated the year before by the legislature, and which I de¬ fended and explained in the senate, and which was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, by a vote of 20 to 9, and finally passed that body, on May 10, h;id been taken up in the house, and the least exertion made to pass it, it would have become a law, and the road be now made without one dollar of expense to the State. 1 did not myself prefer that the grant should be made to the company, but to the State ; but at that day, with those then in power, it was deemed the best that could then be had. At the next session, without any consultation with you or with any other, not supposing you then to be very favorable to the project. 78 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. I introduced a bill making the grant to the State, which was re¬ ported by Mr. Woodbridge, the chairman of the committee on public lands, late in January, 1845, with amendments; and it being the short session, no opportunity occurred to call it up and pass it, nor did it seem necessary, on account of the supposed indifference of the members of the house upon the subject. Having made the preemption bill of 1844 an entering wedge, and familiarized the senate in some degree to the consideration of the importance of this road, by the discussion to which it gave rise, and having been in the meantime elected chairman of the committee on public lands, with a majority of my own party, friends as associates, I did, on January 15, 1846, ask and obtain leave to bring in a bill to grant to the State of Illinois certain alternate sections of public lands, to aid in the construction of the Northern-Cross and [IllinoisJ-Ceptral railroads in said State, which was referred to the committee of which I was chairman. On February 24, '46, I was instructed by the committee to report it with amendments, and submitted a long report, accom¬ panied with explanatory tables. This report urged the impor¬ tance of the construction of the Northern-Cross Railroad to Quincy, as well as that of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad. I found even in this no sympathy with our members in the house, save perhaps Mr. Höge and Mr. Baker, and no encouragement to persevere, and no favorable comment to call it up in the senate for its action, as the minds of that body and of the Nation were much occupied and highly excited by the Mexican war, recog¬ nized to exist in May of that year, inducing every patriot to forego local measures for those of a more national character. I was charged, too, at that session with the "bill to reduce and graduate the price of public lands,"' which I had introduced on Dec. 15, '45, and which I could not get leave to report back until May 7, '46. This bill was in conformity to the recommendation of the treas¬ ury department, but was amended by a substitute presented by Mr. Calhoun, on consultation with me and with my approbation, and which finally passed the senate by yeas, 25, nays, 19. BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 79 I was also charged with the bill, which I had introduced, «declaring the assent of congress to the State of Illinois to im¬ pose a tax upon all lands hereafter sold by the United States in that State from and after the time of such sale,'' which became a law on Jan. 7, '47, after changing it so as to make it applicable to all the new states, and was taking an active part in all the measures deemed necessary to a successful prosecution and termi¬ nation of the war. I had confounded these bills with the [Illi- nois]-Central Railroad bill, and writing " without the book,'' erro¬ neously stated. I had procured the passage of a railroad bill in '46. If your zeal was so fervent then, and your desire to obtain a giant of land for this great enterprise, then matured, why did you not, or some one of your colleagues, introduce into your house a bill looking to this object, and urge with your acknowledged ability and ardor, its passage ? If you on that day disliked my mode for a preemption, and not the whole scheme, it would not have been at all discourteous for you to introduce a bill into your house for a grant, and you knew me well enough to know that if you had passed it through the house, I would have left no nerve unstrained to produce a like result in the senate, since, without vanity, I may be permitted to say that no measure favorable to Illinois was lost in the senate whilst I was a member. At least I do not recollect one. About this time, as I have always thought, by the extensive circulation of my reports, of which I had extra copies printed in great numbers, at my own expense, the public saw more clearly the importance of this great work, and demanded more zeal in its favor than our members in congress had generally exhibited. It was in this year ('46) you were canvassing for the place you now hold, and which, permit me to say, you fill with most distin¬ guished ability; and your travels led you among my friends in the southern part of the State, who were all alive to tliis great measure. My report in favor of a grant of alternate sections had reached them in the spring of that year, and had been read by them, and it was a strong horse for you to ride in the campaign. 8o EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. You might well tell them you were for absolute grants and not for preemptions. I had reported in favor of the former, and I am told by them that you praised my report and pledged yourself to aid me all in your power to obtain a grant of land, not for a road to Chicago, but for this old [Illinois] - Central Railroad. You received their votes for the senate and was elected. You will Recollect that my bills, all of them, established the roads on the routes defined by our internal-improvement system of '36 and '37, on which the State had expended such large sums of money; and that fact was a strong argument, as I thought, in ray report. In 1847, you made choice of Chicago as your home, and, as I understood, purchased a large amount of property there. Now neither of my bills touched Chicago ; they confined the roads to the old routes—the [Illinoisj-Central Road, as then understood, from Cairo, by Vandalia, Shelbyville, Decatur, Bloomington, Peru, and Dixon, to Galena. A new light broke in upon you when, in conjunction with Mr. Butterfield and others intrusted in Chicago, a great movement was set on foot to disturb my plans and to change the route of the [Illinoisj-Central Railroad, so as to make it run to Chicago and thence to Galena. You can not have for¬ gotten how much surprised I was when you informed me of your intention, after you had taken your seat, in December, '47, to bring forward this proposition, how earnestly I urged upon you, while admitting the importance of the change, an adherence to the old plan, and how sanguine I was if we could get but a pre- ëmption the road would be made—that parties were then in Washington, from other new states interested in railroads, who had repeatedly declared to me that they would rather have a pre¬ emption for ten years, on all the land within six miles of the road, than an absolute grant of one-half, with the price of the other half raised to two dollars and fifty cents per acre.—that by your course we would disappoint the expectations of all those who had hoped, at some time, to see the Central Railroad, as then known and called, completed, and that I thought it was extremely hazardous, but that if you preferred it, instead of asking for a preëmption, I would shape my bill, which was then before my BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 81 committee, having been referred on Dec. 20, so as to make it an absolute grant, and change my report accordingly, which, by the way, I had not drawn up " in vacation," but had prepared in my committee-room. The matter remained in this condition during a month, and during the interval, those memorials, which you yourself were in¬ strumental in getting up, and prepared by Mr. Butterfield, as I always understood, came to you, which you presented to the senate when, on Jan. 21, '47, you asked and obtained leave to bring in a bill. So soon as you had done this, you came to m'e, and at your request, we went together to my committee-room; and seeing you determined to effect a change, and that if we were divided in the senate, we would get nothing, I consented, to prevent such a result, to forego all my own cherished plans and purposes, so that we might act in harmony by uniting on something, claiming equally the support of both. Influenced, as I then supposed, by this consideration, you sat down at my table, and taking a copy of one of my " old bills " to grant to the State certain alternate sections for the Northern-Cross and [Illinois]- Central Railroad, which I had reported in January, '46, we to¬ gether altered it so as to embrace in the ist section a road from Chicago to the Upper Mississippi, and in the 2d section the road from Cairo to Chicago, " on the most eligible route," and in this form I reported it three days afterward to the senate, accompa¬ nied by a report, which I had taken great pains to prepare, and which Hon. John J. Crittenden said to me was the only report he had read that session, and that he would make a speech for the bill, which he did do and which I always believed gained it many friends and ensured its passage. For harmony and to avoid distracted councils, I yielded much to you at the risk, too, of losing many friends wlio were deeply interested in the other route. At this very time, too, you will remember, I showed you a great number of memorials, then before the committee, and to which I alluded in my report; one signed by the then governor of the State, our present governor, and many if not all the members of the convention then assem- 6 82 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. bled to amend our State constitution, and by other citizens of the State, all praying that the right of preëmption to these lands might be granted to the Great-Central Railway Company, a cor¬ poration which, once the great favorite of the State, you have succeeded in rendering quite odious now. I had then, in yield¬ ing to you, disregarded the prayer of our worthy governor, the members of the convention, and of the most influential citizens of our State, in different parts of it, merely for harmony and to have your aid in favor of a project to which, not being mine in all its parts, you had, for the first time having become interested in Chicago, manifested the least concern, so far as I know or believe. How far and by what agency you may be considered to have been " whipped into its support " I will leave for others to say, although I did not intend that expression in my letter to the Siate Register for you or your colleague; for I will do him the justice to say he has ever been a friend of the [Illinoisj-Central Railroad. This bill went to the house on May 4, heavily loaded, as you may remember, by an amendment pressed upon us by Mr. Hubbard of Connecticut and other Eastern members, with the assurance that it would give the bill strength in the house. There it was referred to the committee on public lands, of which Mr. Collamer was chairman, and by that committee referred to a subcommittee, consisting of Mr. [Alexander] Evans of Maryland and Mr. McClernand of this State. While it was reposing in quiet with that committee, I was in¬ formed by two of our members, who began to take a great deal of interest in the bill, that all the members of our delegation, save one, had joined in a letter to the committee, requesting thero to report the bill without amendment, and at an early day; but so it was, when the bill was reported back late in July, the day of the adjournment sine die having been fixed (if I do not forget) for August 14, it came to the house with another amendment, making an equal grant of land for a railroad to the [Illinois]-Cen- tral Railroad froln Mt. Carmel. In the meantime, between May 4 and the report from the house committee, so long delayed, other bills of a similar cHar- BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 83 acter had passed the senate and were in the calendar of the house, and I think had obtained precedence of our own, and when it was called up for final action, it was laid on the table for want of four votes. All the circumstances attending this bill have satisfied me that had the committee of the house reported it within a month, even after the time it was referred to them, and without amendment, it would have become a law. I always thought, and still think, it was not considered advisable to pass such a bill, or any bill by which the [Illinoisj-Central Railroad should be made, while I was in congress ; for, notwithstanding the affected incredulity which you manifest, I have been always regarded, as the truth most unquestionably is, as the originator of this road. Its history is short and I will give it. IVTiile I was the judge of the second judicial circuit, during the October term, '35, at Vandalia, I published the following letter; [For letter see page 16.] This letter was followed by public meetings along the line, and was favorably commented on by the press, especially by the San- gamo yournal, then, as now, ptiblished here. The friends of this road wished you to perceive to identify it with the canal and by a united and vigorous effort, carry both measures. The canal was the only public work then contemplated by our State, and I proposed a union of the North and South on these two measures —the canal and the road. At the called session of the legisla¬ ture, which followed it in '35-'36, I found Mr. Holbrook at Van¬ dalia, then a stranger to me, endeavoring to procure charters for manufacturing purposes, as I understood. Perceiving him to be a man of great intelligence and expanded views, I unfolded my plans to him, and seizing upon the project which had been started in 1818, to build a city at the mouth of the Ohio, which the pro¬ jectors, Gov. Bond and others, had then denominated "Cairo," he fell into my views, and being a man of great energy, proposed the formation of a company to construct the road and build the city. In the meantime, the friends of the road in the legislature, 84 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. among whom was Mr. Murphy, the present member from Perry, and Judge Thomas of Morgan, now also in the house, attempted and came near succeeding to attach it to the canal bill, and promising the credit of the State for $500,000 to each. Defeated in this by a few votes, its friends then asked for a charter, which the legislature readily granted,* and application was at once made to congress for the right of way and a preëmption. The memo¬ rial was referred to the committee on public lands of the house, from which Mr. Casey, now of our house of representatives, made a very able and favorable report, which was extensively read and circulated. And here let me say that if the legislature had then attached our road to the canal, and lent to each the credit of the State, then, unimpaired, for one-half million of dollars, we would never have been involved in the embarrassments of the internal- improvement system, which was adopted at the next regular ses¬ sion, '36-7, and of which you was a member, and for which you voted. I do not censure you nor any other man for so voting. You were carrying out the will of the people, as loudly, aye, clamorously, expressed by them, and are no more responsible for the consequences than the instrument by which a deed is done. It was the act of the people, a frenzy you may call it, which nei¬ ther you nor I had the means of resisting. On the establishment of this system the State applied to the company to surrender its charter, after the company had, at great expense, procured the service of its president, A. M. Jenkins, Esq., then speaker of the house, and of Mr. Holbrook, to proceed to Washington to assist in procuring the preëmption. This the company readily did, on the pledge of the State that the road should be made from Cairo, through Vandalia, Shelbyville, Decatur, and Bloomington, to Peru, and thence to Galena. We all know the fate of the sys¬ tem, and after an expenditure of more than one million of dollars on this road, it was abandoned. Immediately upon this, as an act of sheer justice, the State at once incorporated the Great - Western Railway Company, in * Laws of 1836, page 129. BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 85 '42-3, and from the day I first broached the subject, to this day, I have not ceased in my efforts to accomplish the object. You smile and make a feeble attempt to ridicule my proposition for a preemption, and charge me with being the champion of it, while you are striving for a better plan of absolute grants, when I pre¬ ceded you in that as well as every other effort. It was thought advisable to commence with asking a preemption, merely making that an entering wedge to something better. Every such measure must have a commencement. Do you know that the first grant for our canal was but go feet on each side of it ? and I well recol¬ lect our senators and members in congress claimed credit at that day for achieving so much. This little ninety feet swelled in a few years to an absolute grant of many thousand acres, as did my modest application for a preemption swell to a grant of millions after a struggle of more than six years. After the failure of this bill in the house, I did as you state again present my bill for a preemption on the old route, so that it should be ho interference with the bill then on the table of the house, and which its friends expected to be able to call up again. In case they should not succeed, I was determined the pre¬ emption bill should pass the senate and be before them to be treated as they might determine. It did pass the senate without opposition on January 31, 1849, and slept the sleep of death in the house. You make me smile when you speak of my appeals to your courtesy to let my bill pass, and of your resistance until you had ascertained from Mr. Collamer that it could not possibly pass the house, and that such was my understanding that it should not. Here you leave your readers to infer that he was hostile to it, and did not approve the plan, and that I was not sincere in my efforts to make the bill a law. This does me great injustice. I was never more sincere in my life, and never had a greater desire to accomplish an object than I had that, and it does seem to me, as the bill for an absolute grant had failed to become a law, a proper regard for the interests of your State should have prompted you to aid in passing the preemption, for it was same- thing—many very sensible men thought it a great boon. 86 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. If it did not suit the purpose, the way was open to change it into an absolute grant, and this was part of my plan. I do not think, my dear sir, you acted with your usual sagacity in making opposition to it, which I learned by your letter, and for the first time, you did make. Men of shrewdness and good calculation often said to me they hoped I would get my bill through, as they preferred it to a grant on the terms proposed. An agent of one of the southern roads often expressed this opinion to me, and Í did think I should have achieved some good to my State by it. Even the passage of such a bill was considered doubtful, as the following letter to the Chicago Democrat will show: " The Railroad Bill—Amendments to it. "Washington, Jan. 31, 1849. " The Railroad Bill, introduced from the committee on public lands by Judge Breese, has just passed the senate as modified by him. The bill embraces the preëmption right only. As the bill is not printed as it passed, I will write you soon particularly as soon as I can see it. There is such a vast number of similar applications from all the states of the Union where there is public land, that I have doubts of the bill even in its preëmption form. Unknown and unsuspected by me, the bill of last session was so changed as to move the road from Peru to Galena, with a branch to Chicago from Galena." The writer of this letter did not know that the bill bf the former session left out Peru, Dixon, etc. Mine of 1849 restored them. To show that Mr. Collamer was not opposed to my bill, I refer to a bill which he drew up and, on consultation with me, agreed to introduce into the house, whilst I should present it to the senate. This I did, and it was passed without. opposition on Feb. 13, 1849, sent to the house. Mr. Collamer's bill in the house was attacked most furiously by Mr. Vinton of Ohio, and defeated, and the senate, fearing they had been hasty, sent to the house for my bill, and on its return could not be again reached. Mr. Collamer stated to me he had no doubt the principle of that bill would be the policy congress BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 8/ would adopt in regard to the appropriation of the public lands for roads and canals, and I am not sure it would not be the best policy. I much fear raising the price of the reserved lands to two dollars and fifty cents per acre will occasion clamor, yet I voted for it, and advocated it, though never satisfied with it. The following is the bill referred to ; "In the Senate of the United States, February i, 184.Ç. ' "Mr. Breese, from the committee on public lands, reported the following bill, which was read and passed to a second reading: "A Bill to grant the right of way across the public lands, and to dispose of said land in aid of the several states in the construc¬ tion of railroads and canals. "Be it enaeted by the senate and house of representatives of the United States of America in congress assembled. That whenever any state in which public land is situated have, or shall authorize the construction of any railroad or canal, and the route of the same shall have been surveyed and returned to the secretary of the treasury, the right öf way on said route, so far as the same is situated on the public land, be and the same is hereby granted for said purpose; and also the right to take stone and timber and materials for said erection on any of the public land adjacent, so long as said land is unsold; and the land for the space of one hundred feet on each side of the middle of said route shall be and remain for that purpose, so long as said canal or railroad is sustained. " Section 2. And it is further enacted. That when the survey of said route shall have been returned to the secretary of the treasury, he shall, at the request of the governor of said state, preserve from public sale all or so much of the public lands within ten miles of said route, as said governor, by direction of the legislature of said state, shall request and the same shall be retained for said state, and shall be sold and conveyed to said state or to whoever said state shall direct, at and for the minimum price per acre, in such quantities and at such times as said state «hall desire, in aid of said construction. Provided, nevertheless. 88 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. That said route shall be so surveyed and returned, and said land so reserved, within three years from the passing of this law; and all of said land not actually so purchased and paid for by said state, within ten years from the passing of this act, shall be sub¬ ject to sale and private entry in the same manner as if the same had not been reserved. And providedfurther. That this shall not extend to any land but such as is- subject to private sale at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre; and nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to grant to any state such right of preëmption to any land heretofore set apart or reserved for schools, nor to any public land which may have been reserved by the United States for military or other public purposes, nor to mineral lands, nor to any to which a right of preëmption may previously have been acquired by any person or persons." It is true, you again, on Dec. i8, 1848, introduced your bill, which I reported back the next day, accompanied by a report and map which I had caused to be prepared. I did pass my preëmption bill for the [IllinoisJ-Central Road on the old route, but can not agree with you that " it is well it did not become a law." I never can think so. I have every reason to believe that if, in the first place, the State had not interfered, in 1837, to obtain a surrender of the charter of the lllinois-CentraT Railroad Company, a preëmption would then have been granted and the road completed long since. So in the second place, after the, in¬ corporation of the new company in 1843; 'f roy efforts had been properly seconded in the house, to grant a preëmption, it would now be in use and the State deriving a handsome revenue from it I was never more earnest in my life than I was to pass the pre¬ ëmption bill, and could have had no understanding with you or anybody else, it should not pass the house. Candor compels me to say, however, that I never believed that, or any other bill for the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad, which I might favor, could pass the house with the consent of a majority of our representatives. In the passage of the present law I had no share, nor have I claimed any, but you know that I know how it was passed. As great as may be the credit to which you are entitled, and I will BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 89 not detract from it, you know that it received its most efficient support in the house ffom a quarter where neither you nor any of your colleagues, save one [John Wentworth] had much, if any, influence. It was the votes of Massachusetts and New York that passed the bill, and you and I know how they were had.* I venture to say the much-abused Mr. Holbrook and Col. Went¬ worth contributed most essentially to its success. But your claim shall not, with my consent, be disparaged, nor those of your associates. I will myself weave your chaplet and place it with no envious hand upon your honored brow. At the same time, history shall do me justice. I claim to have first projected this great road in my letter of October, 1835, in the judgment of impartial and disinterested men that claim will be allowed. I have said and written more in favor of it than any other. It has been the highest object of my ambition to accomplish it, and when my last resting-place shall be marked by the cold marble which gratitude or affection may erect, I desire for it no other inscription than this; that he who sleeps beneath it projected "the [Illinois]-Cen- tral Railroad." I have thus, my dear sir, in the few spare mo¬ ments allowed me ffom my public duties, and I hope in as good humor as you have manifested, commented on your letter. "Let there be no strife between us." We have the land and I am doing all I can, in my present position, to get the road made, and that speedily, and it will gratify you to know the prospect is very flattering—so much so as to relieve you and all our friends ffom any apprehension of being sent to Europe to spend a year or two in hunting; up the " bond-holders " to make it. With high regard, your obedient servant, Sidney Breese. Hon. S. A. Douglas, 1 U. S. Senate. ) • See Wentworth's "Congressional Reminiscences," (No. 24 Fergus' His¬ torical Series), pp. 39-42. 90 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. Senator Douglas' reply to Judge Breese. [From the Daily Register, Springfield, March 13, 1851.] Washington, Feb. 22, 1851. Sir:—Notwithstanding my repugnance to every description of personal controversy, I feel constrained to notice a few points in your letter of the 2Sth ultimo, addressed to me through the columns of the State Register. You have evidently become con¬ scious that some apology was due to the public for your strange and unprovoked attacks upon my colleagues and myself in our absence, in reference to the grant of land by Congress to our State last session. By way of excuse for the injustice you have done us, you urge that in my speeches and letters on the subject I have attempted to deprive you of all credit for any participation in the matter. What speeches and letters do you refer to? I am not aware that I have ever made a speech upon the grant of land for the [Illinois]-Central Railroad since the bill passed. When in Springfield, last November, the newspapers of that city announced that I would address the people the next night upon that subject, but I was deprived of the opportunity of doing so by indisposition, and consequently made no speech. You must have been endowed with a genius not only prophetic but roman¬ tic, to be able to divine what I would have said in the event I had spoken ; and then, assuming the speech to have been made, to construe it into a depreciation of your public services. But how is it with the letters which you assume that I have written, prejudicial to your claims? I am not conscious of having written prejudicial to your claims. I am not conscious of having written but one letter in which the grant of land for the [Illinoisj-Central Railroad was alluded to, and that was a joint letter of General Shields and myself, declining a public dinner tendered to us by the people of Chicago for our services during the last session ol Congress in procuring the passage of measures favorable to the local interest of our State. The invitation was in terms confined to measures passed at the last session, and of course our reply did not extend beyond that period. We made no allusion to you, for the reason that you were not BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 9I a member of that Congress. We did allude to our colleagues of the house and attribute the chief credit to them, because in the house of representatives the great battle was fought. Your state¬ ment, therefore, that in my speeches and letters I have attempted to deprive you of any credit to which you may be entitled, is shown to be entirely without foundation. I have made no attack upon you, preferred no charge against you, made no allusion or reference to you in any speech or letter of mine prior to the publication of your three letters against my colleagues and myself. I have claimed no merit, no credit for myself in connection with the grant of land. I have only done what I conceived to be my duty, and was content to remain silent and leave the peo¬ ple to award credit where credit was due, without thrusting my¬ self before them with the declaration that "/ was the father of the [lUinoisJ-Central Railroad—that / originated it in 1835, have devoted fifteen years to its accomplishment—that / passed three different bills through the senate for its construction—that aiguments in my report silenced all opposition and rendered its passage easy, and that all my colleagues were opposed or indifferent to the measure.'' I made no such pretensions for the reason that truth and self-respect forbid it in me, as they should have done in any other man who was ever honored with a seat in the senate of the United States. In your last letter, reviewing and present¬ ing to the public all your services in behalf of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad, you conclusively establish two facts, neither of which was denied, and which I trust no one will hereafter dispute ; ist. That in the year 1835 you did actually write a letter to John Y. Sawyer* in favor of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad. 2d. That during your senatorial term you attempted, without success, to procure a preëmption right to D. B. Holbrook and his associates, instead of a grant of land to the State of Illinois, to aid in the construction of the road. Upon these two facts, according to your own showing, depend all your claims to be considered the father of the road and the author of the grant of land by congress at its last session. * See note to Sawyer in lecture, page 16. 92 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. The fact that you wrote the letter has never been questioned; that you have rendered any other aid (except the unsuccessful attempt to secure the preëmption to Holbrook) you do not now pretend. Others labored for it in the legislature and voted for the bill under which the work was originally commenced, and one million of dollars expended in its construction. Of these you were unfortunate enough in your letter to prove that I was one, and you might have added that several of my colleagues whom you now charge with being opposed to the road, were also mem¬ bers of that legislature, and voted for it.* We were entitled to no credit for our support of the measure, for, as you justly remark, the people were all for it, and we only carried out the wishes of our constituents. And yet, according to your statement, I voted for it and you wrote a letter in favor of it, and from these facts your logical mind draws the inference that I was opposed to it and you were the father of it. I shall not attempt a reply to this argument. I admit you wrote the letter, I read it at the time, and have perused it again in your letter to me. The first sentence is so pertinent to our present inquiry that I can not forego the pleasure of quoting it for your especial benefit. It is as follows: "Vandalia, October i6, 1835. "John Y: Sawyer, Esq., Dear Sir;—Having some leisure from the labors of my circuit, I am induced to devote a portion of it in giving to the public a plan, the outline of which was suggested to me by an intelligent friend in Bond County\ a few days since by which the North may get their long-wished-for canal and the southern and interior counties a channel of communication quite as essential to their prosperity." • John A. McClernand, Wm. A. Richardson, and Ed. D. Baker of the house and Tames Shields of the senate were members of the 31st congress, 1849-51, who were members of the Illinois house of representatives in 1837, and col¬ leagues with Mr. Douglas when the building of the [Illinois]-Central Road was undertaken by the State.—J. H. G. + The " friend from Bond County " was in attendance on the session of the legislature at which this letter was published, lobbying in favor of the BREESE-DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 93 Thus it appears that you kindly consented to call the attention of the public to "a plan, the outline of which was suggested to (you) by an intelligent friend in Bond County a few days since." How is this? The father of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad, with a christian weakness worthy of all praise, kindly consents to be the reputed parent of a hopeful son, begotten for him by an intelligent friend in a neighboring county ! I forbear pushing this inquiry further. It involves a question of morals too nice—of domestic relations too delicate—for me- to venture to expose to the public gaze ! Inasmuch, however, as you have furnished me with becoming gravity the epitaph which you desire engraved upon your tomb, when called upon to pay the last debt of nature, you will allow me to suggest that such an inscription is a solemn and sacred thing, and truth its essential ingredient. Would it not be well, therefore, to make a slight modification, so as to correspond with the facts as stated in your letter to Mr. John Y. Sawyer, which would make it read thus in your letter to me; "// has been the highest object of my ambition to accomplish the [Illinois'\-Central Railroad, and when my last resting-place shall be marked by the cold marble, which gratitude or affection may erect, I desire for it no other inscription tha7i this : He who sleepS beneath this, voluntarily consented to become the puta¬ tive father of a lovely child, called the [IllinoisJ-Cen¬ tral Railroad, and begotten for him by an intelligent friend in the County of Bond." So it appeared that you had about as much to do with origina¬ ting the measure as one of our phonographic reporters in the senate had with the authorship of Clay's speeches on the com- charter which was afterward granted to the present company. A letter is published in the Daily Register of January 31, 1851, from him to the governor, ashing that worthy to endorse a statement which he publishes therein, that Illinois congressmen were all pledged that the State would change her policy in regard to cross roads when the grant was secured. Mr. William S. Wait (see note on page 16) was an ardent and helpful friend to the road in all and is by Judge Breese conceded to have originated the idea. 94 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. promise, which he reported and prepared for the press. For the eight years succeeding the date of your letter to Mr. Sawyer, to-wit; from the winter of 1835-6 until the session of 1843-4, you do not claim to have made the slightest effort in behalf of the road. 1 presume that your inaction, not to say indifference, dur¬ ing the whole of this period is to be accounted for by the fact that every citizen of the State was in favor of the measure, and hence no special, effort was required from any of its friends. We have now reached that point of time when, in Dec., 1843, you made your first attempt to secure a preëmption to Holbrook and his partners. Since the fact has been established by your own testimony, that the [Illinois]-Central Railroad was originated by an "intelligent friend in Bond County," it may be inferred that you rest your claims to be considered the "fatjier" of the measure upon the assumption that you were the first to bring forward the proposition for a preëmption to the company. I have no interest or desire to deprive you of the exclusive credit of originating that scheme; nor should I have called your claim in question, had you not stated the fact in your last letter that Gov. Casey, while a member of congress from our State, and as a member of the committee on public lands several years before either of us was elected to the senate, "made a very able and favorable report for the right of way and a preëmption, which was extensively read and circulated." He having failed in his effort, you followed in his footsteps, and renewed the proposition with a like result. Whether this unsuccessful effort to carry a measure which Gov. Casey« origi¬ nated makes you the father of the [IllinoisJ-Central Railroad, I leave others to determine. You now accuse me, in connection with Mr. Butterfield* and • Justin Butterfield, born in Kpene, N. H., in 1790, arrived in Chicago in 1834; was one of the most prominent lawyers of the State; was appointed U.-S. district attorney in 1841, which he held till President Polk was elected; was appointed, June 21, 1849, by President Taylor, commissioner of the gen¬ eral land-office, which he held until when he was compelled on account of ill- health to return, and died at his home in Chicago, Oct. 23, 1855.—G. H. F. BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENCE. 9$ Other citizens of Chicago, whom you allege have acted under my advice, of having "set on foot a great movement in 1847 to disturb your plans," by insisting upon a grant of land to the State instead of a preemption for the benefit of the Holbrook Com¬ pany, and making one terminus of the road upon the lakes, which was deemed essential in order to impart nationality to the scheme and to secure Northern and Eastern votes for the measure. I shall interpose no denial, nor attempt to refute the charge. The facts set forth in ray letter to you sustain the truth of the material allegation for which you have arraigned me before my constituents in my absence. I rejoice that we have been able at length to agree in reference to the real point at issue between us; that your "plans" which I am accused of having "disturbed" did not contemplate a grant of land to the State of Illinois—that your "plans" did not con¬ template a terminus at Chicago, which would connect the whole lines of lakes with the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence with the Gulf of Mexico; which would commend the measure to congress as a. great national work, and secure votes from all portions of the Union; that your "plans" which I am accused of having "dis¬ turbed" only contemplated a preemption for the benefit of Mr. Holbrook and. his partners, in which the State was to have no interest and about which there was not even an odor of nation¬ ality to commend it to the favorable consideration of congress; a "plan" which contemplated a stupendous private speculation, by enabling the Cairo Company to sell their chartered privileges in England for a large amount of money, and then abandon the concern without making the road. I do not deny the truth of your charge that I did "disturb" your "plans" in this respect by insisting that the grant should be made to the State of Illinois, and that one terminus of the road should be upon the northern lakes, for the reasons which I avowed at the time and have never wished to conceal. I will not waste time nor offend against the common-sense of my constituents by a formal reply to that portion of your letter which attempts to show that a preemption would have been better 96 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. and more effectual than a grant. I can well conceive that it might prove better for Mr. Holbrook and his partners, and more effectual for their schemes of speculation for them to have had a preemption than for the State to have had a grant ; but I appre¬ hend that you will find it difficult to convince any citizen of Illinois who was not a partner in the speculation that it was better for the State not to have the lands than to have them, or to be required to pay a dollar and a quarter an acre for them, instead of receiving them for nothing under the act of last ses¬ sion. The declaration in your last letter that "in the passage of the present law I had no share, nor have claimed any," has taken me, as I doubt not it did the public, entirely by surprise. If the letters, published by you just before the meeting of the legislature, had been understood as placing you in the position which you now assume, disclaiming all credit or responsibility for the grant of land to the State, and for the branch road through the eastern counties to Chicago, and predicating your claims exclusively upon the superior merits of your old preemption scheme for the benefit of the Holbrook Company, I should have been contented to have remained silent and let the people judge between us. It was this Chicago branch (which you now repudi¬ ate) connecting' the main road with the various lines in progress of construction, from Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and Port¬ land, as well as the great chain of lakes and the St. Lawrence, which secured the votes we obtained from Pennsylvania, New York, and New England. When you speak of the services ren¬ dered us by Mr. Holbrook in securing the grant, you should have told in what it consisted. He did render an essential service, and it consisted in absenting himself from the District of Colum¬ bia during the whole struggle, and in the execution of a release, surrendering all his chartered rights and interests in the road to the State, so as to enable us to cut loose from the odium which attached to his name and his operations. I felt grateful for this service, for without it the bill could never have passed. I was under the necessity of giving the positive and solemn assurance to the senate, as the debates will show, that such a' release had BREESE - DOUGLAS CORRESPONDENÇE. 97 been executed, and that he no longer had any interest in or con¬ nection with the road, before the bill could stand the slightest chance of passing that body; and my colleagues of the house wll inform you that they were compelled to give the same assur¬ ance, over and over again, to their brother members before their votes could be obtained for the measure. 1 felt kindly to Mr. Holbrook for having thus surrendered his charters and withdrawn himself from the scene of action, and remaining in New York an idle spectator, for the purpose of enabling us to, secure the grant of land to the State; and this good feeling would have continued had he not subsequently attempted to resume his charters, seize upon the grant of land, and despoil the State of all she had received, and dishonor the delegation by falsifying the pledges which had been given to induce congress to pass the bill. The causes and objects of these attacks upon my colleagues .and myself, by you and Mr. Holbrook, are well understood. We happen to know who wrote and whose money paid for the articles published in the New York and Philadelphia papers, traducing Gen. Shields and myself, and lauding you in terms which would put to the blush the letters published over your own signature. I shall make no reply to your charge that my colleagues and myself, during the six years you were in the senate, were opposed to the [IllinoisJ-Gentral Railroad, or indifferent to its success. The records of congress speak for themselves upon this subject, and are quite as authentic and truthful in their statements as your letters to the public, arraigning the conduct and impugning the niotives of every man who was associating with you in the public service. You tax the credulity of the people of Illinois too heavily when you call upon them to believe that James Semple, John J. Hardin, Robert Smith, John A. McClernand, Orlando B. Ficklin, John Woitwoith, and "perhaps Mr. Joseph P. Höge and Col. Edw. D. Baker," were opposed to an improvement so intimatel^ identified with the prosperity, happiness, and glory of our State; and the idea becomes no less ludicrous than amusing when you intimate that this alleged opposition had its origin in jealousy of your 7 98 EARLY ILLINOIS RAILROADS. distinguished position in the senate and before the country. In conclusion, I may be permitted to remark that I fully under¬ stood the cause and the point of time when you and Mr. Holbrook suddenly turned your applause, of my conduct in connexion with the [Illinois]-Central Railroad, into bitter denunciation and mis¬ representation. One of the causes I have already alluded to; the other I forbear to mention, as it has no intimate connexion with this subject. It may be fairly assumed that the time was not many weeks after the death of President Zachary Taylor, when the telegraph had announced that your "friends", Mr. Thomas Corwin, Mr. James A. Pierce, Mr. John J. Crittenden, and Mr. Daniel Webster were associated with Mr. Millard Fill¬ more in his cabinet. If I did not comply with your wishes in the one case, I assure you that my refusal was not prompted by any unwillingness to promote your interests whenever I could do so with propriety; and in the other, you and Mr. Holbrook both mistake my motive fot maintaining the rights of our State in preference to the interests of private individuals. But enough of this. Your letters have produced no unkind emotions in my bosom and I therefore heartily respond to the concluding senti¬ ment in your last epistle, "Let there be no strife between us." I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, -S. A. Douglas. Hon. Sidney Breese. 99 THE OLDEST RAILROAD IN ILLINOIS. [Revised from the Chicago Tribune, Dec. 26, i88t.] Springfield, III., Dec. 25, 1881. The State of Illinois has more miles of railroad (8500 in round numbers) than any other state in the Union. The expansion and extent of this immense interest makes it exceedingly interesting to go back to the early history and crude efforts in this direction, forty-four years ago, the data for which have been lately gathered in the railroad-and-warehouse commissioners' office at Springfield, by its secretary,* who prepared this article: The first railroad built in this State, or, indeed, the Western States, was called the Northern-Cross Railroad, from Meredosia, on the Illinois River, to Springfield. It was part of the grand ibtemal-improvement system of the State adopted Feb. 29, 1837. This embraced the building of seven distinct lines of railroad, which, with the estimated cost, were as follows: i. The Central, from Cairo to Galena, $3,500,000. 2. A branch of the same from Hillsboro to State-line, east, $650,000. 3. A Southern- Cross Railroad, from Alton to Mount Carmel, $1,600,000. 3. The Northern-Cross Railroad, from Quincy to Indiana State-line, $1,850,000. 4. From Peoria to Warsaw, $700,000. 5. From Alton east to intersect the Central, $600,000. 6. From Belle¬ ville to intersect the Southern-Cross, $150,000. 7. From Bloom- • John Moses, born at Niagara Falls, Canada, Sept. 18, 1825, the eldest son by 2d wife of Erastus L., of Rutland, Vt., arrived at Naples, 111., June 20, 1837; was clerk of the circuit court, 1856, and county-judge, 1857-61, of Scott Co.; was private-secretary to Gov. Richard Yates from Nov., 1861, to Feb., 1863, and assisted in the organization of 77 regiments of volunteers, which position he resigned, much against the wishes of the governor, to accept the appointment, by President Lincoln, of assessor of internal revenue for the tenth district of Illinois; was a member of the 29th general assembly, repre¬ senting the 38th district—Scott, Pike, and Calhoun counties; and at present, July, <884, is in the special treasury agents' department of the customs revenue at Chicago; and is preparing a history of Illinois.—F. loo ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. ington to Mackinaw, with a branch to Peoria and one to Pekín, $350,000; making a total appropriation for these purposes alone of $9,400,000. A board of public works to carry out these great improvements was elected by the legislature, March 4, 1837, and at first was composed of the following well-known citizens at that time in this part of the State : Gen. Murray McConnell, William Kinney, Elijah Willard, M. K. Alexander, Joel Wright, James W. Stephenson, and Ebenezer Peck, one for each judicial district. The fund commissioners, upon whom devolved the duty of nego- ciating for the money to construct the public works agreed upon, and upon whom the board of public works were to draw as the work in their respective districts progressed, were also elected by the legislature as follows: John Mather, Charles Oakley, and Moses M. Rawlings. Gen. McConnell was able and energetic, and, living on the line of the proposed Northern-Cross Road, was not at all backward in taking advantage of the provision engrafted upon the bill that that road should be the first completed. The way that provision came to be adopted was as follows: John W. Vance, senator from Vermilion Co., was one of those opposed to the whole system, and fought it hard. On a Saturday, when the excitement in the legislature ran high, Mr. Vance ran up to Judge Wm. Thomas, senator from Morgan, and hurriedly inquired, "Where is [Wm.] Orear?—another senator from Morgan. I hear that even he talks of voting for that bill. If he goes, all is gone !" On the following Monday, while the result of the pending bill was yet uncertain and its friends anxious to secure votes, to the surprise of both parties Senator Vance stood up and said that it they would provide in the bill that the Northern-Cross Road should be the first one built he would vote for the measure; and his proposition was agreed to; although, as it turned out, the bill would have passed without his vote. This was in February, 1837- The fund commissioners who were required by the law to "be practical and experienced financiers" proceeded immediately to take the necessary steps to contract for and negotiate loans to meet the extraordinary demands of the bill. The board of THE OLDEST RAILROAD IN ILLINOIS. ICI public works organized in April, and in June they reported that they already had five engineering parties in the field "actively employed," and would soon have six additional parties "in active operation," which would enable them to complete the survey of the railroads provided by law. Gen. McConnell was the first to get in his work. He had employed James M. Bucklin as chief- engineer, and with his assistants he began the work of surveying the route of the Northern-Cross Railroad from Meredosia, on the Illinois River, to Jacksonville as early as May, 1837. M. A. Chinn surveyed and located the line from Jacksonville to Spring¬ field, beginning on May 11, 1837. The road having been sur¬ veyed and definitly located, and plats and plans filed with the commissioner, the contract for letting the work of construction, in pursuance of previous advertisement, was closed on July 10, 1837. The first division, between Jacksonville and Meredosia, • Murray McConnel, the son of a farmer, was born in Orange Co., N.Y., Sept 5, 1798; received a common-school education; left home in 1-812, and after a year's residence in Louisville, Ky., he traveled for several years over portions of the territories of Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, and Missouri, and went west nearly to the present site of Denver, Colo. ; his occupation being flat-boating, trading, and hunting; finally near Herculaneum, Mo., he settled on a farm, where he became acquainted with and married Mrs. Mary (Mapes) Conwell, a native of central New Jersey, born in 1800, whose parents during her childhood moved to Ohio, and in 1816 to Missouri. After the admission of Missouri as a slave-state, Nov. 23, 1820, he moved in the autumn of 1823 with his young family to what was then Morgan, now Scott Co., Hi., remain¬ ing till the town of Jacksonville was laid out, where he moved and practised law until 1852; served as brigade-major to Brig.-Gen. James D. Henry, July and August, 1832, in the Black-Hawk War; and on his return was elected to represent Morgan Co. in the legislature, 1832-4; was appointed in 1837, by Gov. Duncan, commissioner of the first judicial circuit of the board of public works; was commissioned by Gov. French major-general of the State militia; President Pierce appointed him fifth auditor of the U. S. Treasury, resigned in 1858; in 1864-8, was senator, representing Menard, Cass, Schuyler, Brown, and Morgan counties; during his lime he was an influential citizen, a promi¬ nent lawyer, politician, and a staunch war-democrat during the Rebellion; and was assassinated in his office in Jacksonville, about 9 a.m., Feb. 9* 1869. Of his eight children, four are now living, three dying during infancy. His oldest son, John Ludlam, born November, 1824, at Jacksonville, 111., received 102 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. and the second division, between Jacksonville and Springfield, was let to the same parties. They were Miron Leslie, James Dunlap, Thomas T. January, and Charles Collins. The price agreed to be paid was $8430 per mile. In addition, they were to furnish all the necessary locomotives and cars ready for use, "charging the State only the cost of the article when delivered on the road." They were to begin work August i, and finish the road between the river and Jacksonville by December r, 1839, and between Jacksonville and Springfield by August i, 1840. One thing that helped this road along faster than any other then commenced in the State, was that feature of the contract in regard to payments to the conttactors. It was provided as a part of the contract that in case the State should not furnish the money to pay for the work as the same progressed, that the contractois would take warrants or State bonds in the place of money. a legal education at Transylvania (Ky.) College; was 2d lieutenant in D Co., Col. John J. Hardin's ist Reg't 111. Vols., enrolled June 25, 1846; later, ist lieutenant; wounded in the battle of Buena Vista; captain, Feb., and mus¬ tered out June 17, 1847; was the author of several works of fiction and history published about 1850; died January, 1862, from effects of wound and disease contracted in Mexican war, leaving a wife, since dead, a son who died in the Artie regions on a whaler, and a daughter who married Lieut. Boynton Leach, U.S.N., now living at Washington, D.C. Geo. Murray, bom in Jadsonville, Dec. 23, 1833; graduate of Union College, N.V., 1852; studied law at Har¬ vard Law-School, 1854; practised law in Jacksonville; appointed by Lincoln paymaster in army; mayor of Jacksonville in 1872; has lived in Chicago since 1875, and was one of the proprietors of the Saturday Evening Herald^ was connected with the publishing firm of S. C. Griggs & Co., and for the past three years has been the literary, dramatic, and musical editor of the Chicago Times \ married, January 8, 1857, Maria Augusta, daughter of Dr. Bezaleel Gillette of Jacksonville, 111. Edward, bom July 19, 1840, at Jack¬ sonville; graduate of Illinois College, 1869; volunteered in April 16,1861, as 1st sergeant in what afterward became the loth Reg't 111. Vols.; appointed, Aug. 31, 1861, in regular army and attached to i6th Infantry; promoted to captain at Stone River; resigned March 19, 1866; now master-in-chanceiyand practising law at Jacksonville; married, Dec. 7, 1874, Mrs. Julia (F. ) Garretson of St. Louis, Mo. His daughters, Marilla, the eldest, widow of U.-S. Sen. Jas. A. McDougall of California, born Jan. 4, 1821, in Jefferson Co., Mo., married April 19, 1841; and Minerva, born Dec. 21, 1822, in Jef¬ ferson Co., Mo., married Nov. 13, 1854, John Allen McDougall of New Orleans, now reside in New York.—F. THE OLDEST RAILROAD IN ILLINOIS. IO3 Although a few spadefuls of dirt were shoveled and a little under¬ brush cut at Meredosia in order to satisfy that part of the law which provided that work should in all cases begin at the river and progress inland, work was actually begun on Wolf River, under the bluff some six miles from the river. The construction of the road proceeded so encouragingly that on August ri, 1837, Commissioner McConnell "having," as he says, "learned that the fund commissioners were about to go to the Eastern States, I sought and obtained the aid of those gentlemen in purchasing iron, a locomotive, cars, and other necessary articles for the roads in my circuit." The "said articles" were purchased as requested, but the locomotive, as appears from a report by Commissioner Kenney to the legislature in 183g, "never arrived in the State, but, as the board is informed, was lost in its passage." It is not singular in the queer history of those times that the loss of a little thing like a locomotive should be passed over so easily, and with so little inquiry as to what became of it The fund com¬ missioners, however, did purchase a locomotive for the Bloom- ington-and-Mackinaw Road, which was placed on the Northern- Cross and there used, the first one in the State. The weight or cost of this "machine" it seems was not recorded by the fund commissioners, but the board was informed that it weighed eight and one-half tons. The cost of transportation was $1000. At first there was a scarcity of hands and the work of con¬ struction moved slowly, but by the following spring eight miles of the road were completed, from Meredosia to the top of the bluff. The track was laid by putting down a piece of timber, called a mudsill, on the top of which cross-ties were laid. On diese a wooden rail was laid, and flat iron bars were strapped on top of the rail. The bars were two and a-half inches wide, five- eighths of an inch thick, and weighed thirteen pounds to the yard. The engineer (Bucklin) complains that the spikes and connecting-plates sent him were found not to suit; that the spikes were not equal to cut nails, and that the expense of altering and substituting equaled the original cost. The first rail was laid May 9, 1838, and on November 8 of that year "the first locomotive I04 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. that ever turned a wheel" in the Mississippi Valley was placed in operation on the track. This locomotive—called the Rogers— was manufactured by Rogers, Grosvenor & Ketchum of Newark, New Jersey. Those who had the distinction of being hauled by the first locomotive over the first railroad track in the State were ex-Gov- Duncan, Gen. Murray McConnell, commissioner; Geo. W. Plant, civil-engineer; James Dunlap, Thomas T. January, Chas. Collins, and Miron Leslie, the contractors; and Jonathan Neeley, the first conductor. The engineer who put up and ran the machine was named Fields. The road was completed to Jacksonville by January i, 1840, and had been operated as the work progressed for the previous eight months. The earnings up to this time were as follows (including the transportation of materials): Total receipts, $3756; expenses, $3645. In June, 1840, the board, finding that the amount of business would not justify the employ¬ ment of many persons, employed William H. Delph to act in the double capacity of locomotive engineer and superintendent. His report for the six months ending December 20 shows the follow¬ ing results: Whole amount of receipts, $1774.02, and the expen¬ ditures, including some $600 paid for repairs, amounted to $1849. The board gave it as their opinion, however, that if the road could be completed to Springfield the receipts would be quad¬ rupled. This was their last report, having been legislated out of office on December 14, 1840. The frightful amount of expendi¬ tures, the recklessness of their management, together with the hard times following the suspension of the banks, caused this extravagant system to collapse and come to a sudden stop at this time. This twenty-four miles of road had cost the State $406,233, and was the only completed line it Iiad in the State, after an expenditure on the various roads proposed of $4,107,746.99.. The state treasurer, John D. Whiteside, was appointed railroad agent by the legislature, with authority to appoint sub-agents to take care of the property. In response to a resolution of the- house he reported that the sum of $317,380 had been expended THE OLDEST RAILROAD IN ILLINOIS. ICS on the road between Jacksonville and Springfield, and that it would require the sum of $135,000 to complete the same. Thereupon, on Feb. 26, 1841 (four years after the adoption of the internal-improvement system, lacking a day), the legislature passed a law authorizing the governor (Ford) to apply $100,000 of bonds which the canal fund owed to the internal-improvement fund toward the completion of said road. On March 24, 1841, a contract was made with John Duff & Co. to complete the road between the points above named for the $100,000, which was done and the road finally received by the governor on May 13, 1842. He then leased it to Watson & Moore at a rental ot $10,300 per annum. "After much perseverance, disasters from the breakage of machinery, and loss," they surrendered the road back to the governor on July 13. It was then leased to Tinsley & Co. for $6000, par funds and $4000 State indebtedness per annum. The legislature of 1843 having provided for the sale of the road, this lease, much to the satisfaction of the lessees, was canceled at the expiration of one year. The road was offered for sale on the first Monday of April, 1844, but no purchaser appeared, and it was again leased to C. Ludlum and W. D. Baxter, at a monthly rental of $160. This brings us up to 1845, from which time on until its final sale it had so run down and got out of repair that it was but little used. The one locomotive had been run off the track near New Berlin and abandoned, to the vagary of ex-Senator Semple, who undertook to inaugurate prairie navigation with it on ordinary roads, very much to the detriment of his finances. Mules were substituted for steam, going tandem fashion. Only freight was attempted to be carried, passengers preferring the wagon-road and stage. Finally, in pur¬ suance of a law of 1847, April 26, 1847, road was sold by Governor French to the highest bidder. This was Hon. N. H. Ridgely, still a venerable and honored citizen of Springfield; and the price paid was $21,100. The following incident occurred at the sale : Mr. Ridgely, having supposed that the ' road would prcAably be knocked off at a bargain, had decided to become a bidder. He started it at $10,000, and there it hung for a long io6 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. time—going, going at $10,000, until he began to think he would get it at that figure. A wealthy gentleman by the name of Col. Johnson, who was undergoing a tonsorial operation across the street, hearing the crying of the sale, inquired what property was being sold, and upon being informed said: "Hurry up, old man, and wipe me off, and I will go out and make a bid myself." He hurried over just in time to offer a hundred dollars more when it was about to be struck off. Mr. Ridgely raised it $1000, Johnson added another $100, and so it went on for some time, getting rather monotonous for Mr. Ridgely. Finally he stepped over to the Colonel and said: "Who are you bidding for, Colon^?— yourself or some other party?" He replied: "For parties in St. Louis, who have agreed to pay me a commission." Mr. Ridgely being satisfied that this statement was more ingenious than strictly according to the fact, remarked: "Would you not as soon receive a commission from Springfield as St. Louis?" The Colonel replied: "Certainly, that is satisfactory," and walked off The road was thereupon struck off to Mr. R. as before stated. The next day the Colonel called, and without a word being said, except to pass politely the time of day, received a check for $1000 "for his commissions." Soon after this sale, Mr. Ridgely went to New York and sold the road to a construction company, of which Robert Schuyler was the principal, at a large profit. The new owners organized the Sangamon-and-Morgan Railroad Company, and proceeded to reconstruct the road from Naples to Spriiigfield. It was almost like undertaking to build a new railroad. The people along the line for the last year or two had helped themselves to iron and lumber whenever they wanted it, without as much as saying "by your leave." Indeed, there was not much of the road left except the bed, and that was in a fearfully bad condition. The road was completed for a second time to Springfield in a much improved and more substantial manner, and reopened for business on July 22, 1849. The first conductors were Jonathan Neeley, Reddick M. Ridgely, son of Nicholas H. (yet living), and a Mr. Bacon. The first two engines were called the Sanga- THE OLDEST RAILROAD IN ILLINOIS. IO7 raon and Morgan, and the third the Springfield. The time occu¬ pied in rurming the fifty-seven miles from Springfield to Naples was five hours. Freight rates charged were; On groceries assorted, 18 cents per 100 pounds; on sugar, 15 cents, on hard¬ ware, 20 cents; lake salt, per barrel, 30 cents; wheat, 8 cents. The subsequent history of this road, how it was changed to the Great-Western, and to the Toledo,-Wabash-and-Western, and finally to the Wabash,-St. Louis-and-Pacific Railway, with its 2558 miles of road, brings us to a concurrent period of history within the reach of all. As an interesting episode in the improvements of that early day, it may be as well to mention that a graded road, with 4- by-6-inch wooden rails, spiked upon cross-ties, upon which was to be used a four-wheeled vehicle, especially constructed for the purpose, to be drawn by horses, was completed from Naples to the bluffs, about four miles distant, east, and used for the first time on July 4, 1837. This was an improvement projected by Charles Collins, and was intended to admit of the carriage of produce into and goods out of Naples, over the low bottom dur¬ ing high water in the spring and fall. It never amounted to any¬ thing for the purpose for which it was intended, and was subse¬ quently sold to a company for a railroad track. This latter company was merged in the Northern-Cross Railroad Company, and when that road was located to run from Meredosia, the Naples enterprise was abandoned. The old throwed-up way was used for a wagon-road, and answered the purpose admirably, until 1847, when the Sangamon-and-Morgan Railroad Company relo¬ cated the old Northern-Cross Railroad to Naples instead of Meredosia, and this first-graded road was used for its track from the bluff to Naples. PETER DAGGY, Land-Commissioner Ill.-Central R.R. In connection with the history of the Illinois-Central Railroad it is but just to connect the name of one who has been an earnest worker for its success and a faithful conservator of its interests, and whose long period of service has only more closely cemented die business associations and the personal esteem that exists I08 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. between hiin, the administration of the road, and his subordinates. This name is that of Peter Daggy, the fifth land-commissioner of the Illinois-Central Railroad; his predecessors having been John Wilson, John W. Foster, Walter M. Phillips, and John B. Calhoun. The zeal and integrity of the employés of the road have become proverbial, and these qualities find an excellent exponent in Mr. Daggy, whose personal and official care for its welfare have resulted in his occupancy of his present position, while his well- known inflexible honesty and rectitude make his actions on its behalf more influential and of more weight with those who become cognizant of such action. He was born in Augusta Co., Va., in 1819, and received his early education there and in Indiana, whither he moved with his parents about 1835. The education he received was merely that imparted in the common schools of those times; the research of his later years having furnished his mind with the broad intelli¬ gence with which it is vested. After he was able to render him¬ self useful in offices, he engaged in various businesses as clerk; and when the question of determining upon a profession or busi¬ ness was presented to him, decided upon the study of the law, commencing such study in 1840. In 1841, he completed his studies and was admitted to the bar of Indiana, and then com¬ menced practising, wherein he met with good success. From his intimacy with real-estate law and his especial aptitude for that branch of the profession, he attracted the attention of the authorities of the General Land-Office at Washington, who proffered him a position in that office. This he accepted, and assumed his official duties there on Feb. i, 1850; retaining the position until he left for Chicago, where he arrived on Dec. 17, 1855. He immediately entered the land-office of the Illinois- Central R. R., and on Jan. 10, 1856, was appointed secretary to the commissioner, so speedily was his special ability recognized and adapted to the requirements of the office by the discrimina-" tion of its head. Mr. Daggy retained the position of secretary until March 4, 1871, when he received the appointment of com¬ missioner. He was married in Danville, Ind., in April, 1843, was again married on Dec. 4, 1851, to Miss Julia Lunt of Wash¬ ington, D.C. His eldest son, Henry Clay Daggy, was born May 4, 1844, at Greencastle, Ind., and received his education at Chi¬ cago, at which city he enlisted, in the spring of 1861, in Co. "D", 19th 111. Vol. Inf'y, and after participating in various engagements with that regiment, was killed at the battle of Stone River, Tenn., in Jan., 1863. Mr. Daggy has one son now living, John Julian Daggy. F. A. HUNT. ArPENDIX. 109 Origin of the Names of Stations on the line of the Illinois-Central Railroad Company. CHICAGO. 'Die word Chicago is understood to be an Indian word ; at least, it is derived from that source. What its precise meaning is, or whether it has any particular meaning at all in its present form as now applied, is a matter of considerable dispute among those who have given the subject attention. The word comes to us through the early French explorers of tlie West as an Indian word, from the language of the Algonquin group. Whilst this group of the North-American tribes had one general or generic language by which they were distinguished, each tribe had its dialect, differing more or less from that of the other tribes of the same group. The standard or parent lan¬ guage, however, since this people became known to the white;?, was that spoken by the Ojibways—Chippeways, the most power¬ ful and numerous of the various tribes of this group. Those who make any positive assertion as to the correct mean¬ ing of this word, as an Indian word, seem to have confined their investigations on the subject to the Indian language as spoken by the Ojibways, without reference to other dialects; seeming to ignore the fact that it could come from any other source; where¬ upon, they reach the conclusion and so assert, that it means onion, garlic, leek, or skunk. So far as appears at this day, there seems to have been no special inquiry into the origin or meaning of this word until about the time of the rebuilding of Fort Dearborn in 1816. The year following that event. Col. Samuel A. Storrow visited this place, and in a letter to Gen. Jacob Brown, of the United-States army, refers to the river here as " the river Chicago, or in the English, 'Wild-Onion River'." Mr. Schoolcraft, the Indian historian, in his " Narrative of an Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River in 1820," in giving an account of visiting Chicago on the return of said expo- I lO ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. dition, speaking of the Chicago River, says : " Its banks consist of a black arenaceous fertile soil, which is stated to produce abundantly in its season the wild species of cepa or leek. This circumstance has led the natives to name it the place of the wild leek. Such is the origin of the term Chicago, which is a deriva¬ tive by elision and French annotation from the word chi-kaug-m^. Kaug is the Algonquin name for the hystrix or porcupine. It takes the prefix chi when applied to the mustela putorius—^o\c cat. The particle cM is the common prefix of nouns to denote greatness in any natural object, but it is employed, as here, tO' mean the increase or excess, as acridness or pungency in quality. The penultimate ong denotes locality. T^e putorius is so named from this plant. Bishop Baraga, in an appendix to his Ojibway dictionary, says the word Chicago is a word in the Cree dialect, a tribe of the Algonquin group called also Knistenos, " from Chicag or Sikag, a skunk, a kind of wildcat, which at the local term makes Chice^ok." In his dictionary mentioned, he defines an onion in the Ojibway dialect as ' kitchijigagmanj, French orthography; English ortho¬ graphy, kit-che-zhig-a-gam-anzh. The definition of onion by Rev. Edward F. Wilson, in his dictionary of the Ojibway language, is keche-she-gaug-uh-wunzh. He defines skunk as zhe-gaug. John Tanner, for thirty years a captive among the Ojibways, and many years United-States Indian interpreter, in a "Catalogue of plants and animals found in the country of the Ojibways, with English names," appended to the narrative of his captivity, de¬ fines skunk as she-gahg. He defines onion as ske-gau-ga-winzhe— skunk weed. In a note thereto, by Dr. James, editor of Tanner's narrative, it is added ; " From shih-gau-ga-winzhe, this word in the singular number, some derive the name Chicago.'' The Ind¬ ians, it seems, at least the Ojibways, called the onion garlic, and other weeds of like odor, by a name which signified skunk-weed, and in the Ojibway language the words used so express it. It is noticed that all who contend that the word Chicago, as applied to the river and city of that name, means skunk, onion or the like, derive their convictions on the subject from one or ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. Ill more of the authorities which are before cited, or from some one familiar with the Ojibway language who forms his convictions to the same effect from the mere coincidence of sounds. History is so unsatisfactory and varied in regard to this word that we are left at this day to determine its meaning solely upon the basis of similarity of sounds, for there seems to be no fact or incident narrated or mentioned in history that leads with any degree of certainty, either to the original meaning of this word as intended, or to the dialect from which it is derived. And it is to be con¬ fessed that upon the theory aforesaid, conceding that the word comes from the Ojibway language or dialect, no one is prepared to dispute the assertion so generally made that the word is de¬ rived from skunk. The word skunk being in the Indian tongue simply she-kaug, in order to make Chi-ca-go, the theory adopted is that ong, an Ojibway local termination is added, which makes Chi- aig-ong, meaning at the skunk—the sound of 72g being dropped in common speech, leaving the word in the form now used. Whilst this is not inconsistent in practice, in dealing with Indian names, there is another theory, it is suggested, which may be adopted in this connection that would seem to be equally cour sistent. The word Chi-ca^go, without adding ng would be a fair Ojibway expression. The sound of 0 added would denote the genitive, and might be rendered thus : him of the skunk, in which case it would probably be the name bf an individual, and it is stated that this word is the name, not only of some one Indian chief, but the name also of a line of chiefs during several genera¬ tions. It is to be remarked, however, that there are some facts in history in regard to this word not in harmony with the definition generally contended for, as before stated. The word is first mentioned in early Western history by Hennepin in his account of LaSalle's expedition which he accompanied, chapter 34, Lon¬ don edition, 1699, the heading of which is as follows: "An account of the building of a new fort on the river of the Illinois named by the savages CÄe-cau-gou, and by us. Fort Crtuecœur." This was in January, 1680. This fort was at or near the place 112 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. where Peoria, in this State, now stands. We must believe that the Indian word mentioned, given by the savages as their name for this fort, could not in this connection mean skunk nor skunk- weed. The definition of the French word mentioned would mean broken heart. Hennepin remarks that the many difficulties they labored under had almost broken their hearts. . May we not therefore suppose that the Indian word thus applied was in¬ tended to be of similar import ? The name Che-ka-gou thereafter appears on a map by Franque- lin in 1684, applied to a river putting into the Desplaines from the east at a point just above the Kankakee River, while at the head of Lake Michigan on this map is the word Checagoumeimn. At a later date, what is now called the Desplaines River was called by the early French explorers the river Chekagou. This word, as a local name, did not, as would appear, reach the river at present so named, nor the point where Chicago now is, until at least thirty years after the time of Hennepin, as before men¬ tioned ; and of the circumstances under which this word was lastly so applied, from what dialect it came, or what its intended meaning was, if any in its changed application, no account what¬ ever is transmitted to us. The most that can be said of the word with any degree of certainty, is that it is of Indian origin, and comes from some dialect of the Algonquin group, so called. It must be noted, however, that in the Ojibway dialect, this word, or that which is essentially the same, is not confined in its mean¬ ing to that contended for as before mentioned. The word may mean also in that language to forbear or avoid, from kahgo, for¬ bear and che, a prefix answering to our preposition to; or, it may mean something great from ka-go—something, and chi, from git- che—^great; besides several other words or expressions which may be found in this dialect, of the same sound yet of different mean¬ ings. Che-ca-gua was the name of a noted Sac chief, and means in that dialect, he that stands by the tree. In the Pottawatomie dialect, the word cheo-ca-go, without addition or abridgment, means destitute. Now, if this word was applied to the river which at present ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 113 bears this name from the local circumstance as claimed, that ot the abundance of skunk-weed upon its banks, it would seem to follow that it must have been so given by the tribe who then in¬ habited or dwelt in the vicinity. At the time this word first appeared in this locality, the country about was inhabited, we are informed, by the tribe of Miamis, in whose dialect the word for skunk or polecat was se-kaw-kwaw. The Miamis, it seems, were succeeded by the Pottawatomies. We have no account from any source that the Ojibway nation, from whose dialect the attempt is made to define the meaning of this word, ever inhab¬ ited this part of the country. In an article in " Potter's American Monthly," it is stated that in early days this place was called " Tuck Chicago," and in which it is said that "Tuek, in the Indian dialect, means wood or timber." That the word Chicago means " gone, absent, or without." That the words Tuck Chicago signified therefore the waste prairie, or literally translated, wood gone. The Indian dialect referred to, it is understood, has reference to that of the Pottawatomies. Conceding this to be so, there is much force in this definition. Properly, however, in that dialect it would be Tuck Choe-cargo— no tree, or not a tree. In the Ojibway language, Mit-tuck ka- kagp. As a matter of history, the locality about Chicago was the only place on the western shore of Lake Michigan where there was an entire absence of trees. The country along the lake at this point for some distance was clean, naked prairie, with not a tree to obstruct the view; and it is fair to suppose that some name would be given the place by the natives sug¬ gestive of this circumstance. So that the further the investigation is pursued on this subject, the less satisfactory is the result produced as to what was origin¬ ally intended as the true meaning of the word Chicago in the various applications made of it from its first mention by Henne¬ pin, as related. DOUGLAS. Named after Hon. Stephen Arnold Douglas, born April 23, 1813, died at the Treraont House, Chicago, June 3,1861. A few rods north of the station, a handsome monument 8 114 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. has been erected by the State of Illinois over his remains. This station was formerly called Fairview. OAKLAND. First called, in 1836, Oakwoods, from the great number of oak trees which covered this locality. Section- line here divides Hyde Park and Chicago, being the extreme southern limit of the city. It was at one time called Cleaver- ville, by Mr. Charles Cleaver, who lived here, and owned a large amount of property in the vicinity. KENWOOD. In the spring of 1856, Dr. John A. Kenni- cott built a small frame house near what is now called Kenwood Station, and settled there with his family. There were no other houses there at that time. He called his place Kenwood after the family homestead of his ancestors in the suburb of Edinbuigh, where his mother was bom, and which is still in the hands of the McMillin family. The station was established in 1859 by Gen. George B. McClellan, who was then the vice-president of the Illi¬ nois-Central Railroad Company, and was called Kenwood Sta¬ tion. This had the effect of giving the name of Dr. Kennicott's private residence to the surrounding neighborhood, without defi¬ nite limits. It is exactly one mile south of the city limits, 47th street, formerly called Mason street, being the section-line. HYDE PARK. One of the most beautiful suburbs of Chicago. It was laid out in the year 1856, by Paul Cornell, and named after a village on the Hudson River near New-York City. The Illinois-Central Railroad Company started the first train to Hyde Park on June i, 1856. Hon. Thomas Dyer was a pas¬ senger on it. The conductor was Mr. H. L. Robinson, afterward quartermaster in the United-States army, and a friend of Presi¬ dent Lincoln. At that time, only three trains a day ran in each direction. During the years 1857 and 1858, the Hyde-Park House was erected by Paul Cornell, the founder of the place, and leased to Tabor, Hawk & Co., who kept it in connection, with the Richmond House of Chicago. During the years 1868 and 1869, the South Parks and Boule¬ vards were laid out, comprising over twelve hundred acres of land, making larger pleasure-grounds than all the other parks in ORTÜIN OK STATIOX-NAMES. I'S the City of Chicago combined. These parks and drive-ways add greatly to the beauty of this very attractive suburb. SOUTH-PARK STATION was named after the South Parks from the fact that it is located at the principal entrance of one of the parks—Jackson Park. ^As the traveler passes this station on the cars, some of the most beautiful views of these great pleasure-grounds may be seen; extensive lawns and play¬ grounds stretching out to the shore of Lake Michigan, decorated with shrubs and flowers, and with several artiflcial lakes that have been made by the park commissioners for boating and skating. The Illinois-Central Railroad Company has built at this point a large and elegant depot, at a cost of over $30,000, which will accommodate several thousand people. GRAND CROSSING took its name from the fact that so many railroad tracks crossed each other at that point. It was laid out in the year 1871, by Paul Cornell, who built a hotel and the Cornell Watch Factory there during the years 1871 and 1872. The station was originally named after him. It is noted for its railroad facilities, and bids fair to be a large manufacturing place. It now contains ten factories in successful operation. BURNSIDE. Established in 1862, and named after Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, at one time cashier of the Illinois-Central land department, and afterward treasurer of the company. Upon the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion in 1861, he was called by Gov. Sprague of Rhode Island, to take charge of the State troops, and rose to the rank of major-general. He died at Bristol, R. L, September 13, 1881. Owing to the financial depression in 1861, many of the farmers who had purchased lands of the Illinois Central Railroad Com- jjany were unable to make payments as their notes became due, and the company agreed to receive corn in lieu of cash. Ten miles of corn cribs were built at this point, and the corn received bv the land department was shipped here for storage. The company owns 150 acres of land at Burnside, upon which it is proposed to erect at some future time machine-shops and car-works. ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. PULLMAN. Five or six years ago, Mr. George M. Pull¬ man, president of Pullman's Palace-Car Company, conceived the idea of establishing a model manufacturing town, in which might be centralized the interests of his palace-car company and such other works as could be conveniently and profitably harmonized therewith. Two or three years later, he selected a site on the west bank of Lake Calumet, about nine miles south of Chicago and one mile east of the western boundary-line of Hyde-Park township. Here he quietly commenced to purchase land, so as not to excite speculation, and in a short time had secured 3500 acres; 500 acres were then deeded to the Pullman Palace-Car Company, and the remainder was placed in the hands of a tmstee to be held for purposes duly specified in the trust-deed, all of which looked to the establishment and completion of the town of Pullman. Until Mr. Pullman had matured his plans, he took counsel of no one, and it is a noteworthy fact that this is the first instance where a manufacturing town has been projected upon paper, detail after detail, and then constructed, step by step, with exact attention to the specifications and the purposes of its founder. On May 26, i88o, ground was broken. At the date of this writing, March, 1883, several hundred buildings have been erected, including factories, foundries, stores, public halls, dwelling-houses, water-works, gas-works, hotel, market place, and church ; in short, every kind of building calculated to give life and prosperity to a community. From three to four hundred acres of land have so far been utilized for buildings and pleasure-grounds, and the work of beautifying and extending the settlement is prosecuted with vigor and a generous expenditure of capital. It is proper to state here that Mr. Pullman had no speculation in mind when he entered upon this admirable enterprise. The character of the work precludes such an idea. In every struc¬ ture he has striven to combine usefulness and beauty, to render the project commercially safe, and to elevate or educate the tastes of his employés up to the standard of their surroundings. The main industries already in operation employ upward of ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. »500 men. Most prominent among them are the immense car- shops, foundry, blacksmith-shops, and accessory buildings of the Pullman Palace-Car Company, employing some 1500 mechanics and laborers, and operated by the famous Corliss engine, built by Mr. Corliss of Providence, R. I., for the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. This huge machine made its first revolution at Pullman on March 18, 1881, and is capable of 2400 horse-power. In the boiler-room, connected with it, is a battery of twelve boilers, each with an additional capacity of 400 horse-power, now used for heating buildings, etc., which, when needed, can also be applied to auxiliary engines. The Corliss engine distributes motive power to the works of the Allen Paper Car-Wheel Company, a concern which supplies the Pullman and other companies with a patent car-wheel, the core of which is composed of 156 sheets of paper board compressed into a solid mass, increasing, it is claimed, the durability of the wheel and rendering it less liable to fracture. The Pullman Company use these wheels exclusively in constructing their palace cars. The Union Foundry and Pull¬ man Car-Wheel Works is another concern recently organized, which promises extensive results. These works now employ from six to seven hundred men without reaching their capacity. The Chicago Drop-Forging Company, another manufactory, employ forty or more men. Not one of these several enterprises has yet utilized its capacity in full. Not less than 5000 families may derive their living from the aggregation of capital which Mr. Pullman has so boldly planted on this Illinois prairie. The rents from private dwell¬ ings and stores already amount to $108,000 per annum, and in a few months this sum will probably increase to about $200,000. Extensive brick-works have been recently put in operation, which employ 250 men and turn out 200,000 bricks a day. The product is used for local structures, and is also sold in and about Chicago. The clay is taken from the bed of Calumet Lake. Precautions to assure the health of the residents have been adopted in a system which commends itself. The sewage is car¬ ried by drains into a large pool forty feet deep and of about the Il8 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. same diameter; thence it is pumped up and forced to a farm some three miles distant, where it is distributed as a fertilizer over the land which has been underdrained so as to carry off the water rapidly. Upon the massive masonry which incloses the pool referred to, have been built seven stories, circular in form, which can be availed of for warehouses or shops; on top of these, again, is a tank, inclosed by solid masonry, with a capacity of 500,000 gal¬ lons. This tank will be kept full of water by the Hyde-Park water-works for the supply of the town. Much taste and care have been expended in every detail of architecture and landscape. All the dwelling-houses are built of brick, and in such variety of design as to avoid monotony. Rents of workmen's houses range from $6 to $17 per month, the average being about $12; houses for merchants and professional men are rented at from $25 to $65 per month. The Hotel Florence is a building, which, in beauty of external architecture and internal arrangement, will vie with anything of the kind in the country. The church, cruciform in shape and built of Ohio serpentine stone, or a stone closely resembling it, is the chtf d'œuvre of S. S. Beman, the architect, and should insure his professional success. He has dovetailed the church and rectory together in such an in¬ genious manner as to lend size to the main building and beautify both. The depot of the Illinois-Central Railroad, also designed by Mr. Beman, whose genius pervades the place, is a unique and tasteful structure in brick, with stained-glass windows of medie¬ val pattern. The total expenditures up to date, say June, 1882, for all the improvements made by the Pullman companies, aggregate in round numbers $5,000,000, and the outlay has secured remark¬ able results. It is probable that further improvements will be made by the Pullman Land-Association. The Pullman Palace- Car Company having about completed their plant, are already engaged in manufacturing to order and for stock. ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 119 Thus, the town of Pullman, two years ago an unbroken prairie, is a perennial monument to the thoughtful and bold enterprise of one man, and will perpetuate his name from generation to gen¬ eration. KENSINGTON, so called at the request oí the late Col. James H. Bowen, a large owner of neighboring lands, who also represented the Calumet-and-Chicago Canal-and-Dock Company. Original name was Calumet, Indian for "pipe of peace,'' a Trench - Canadian corruption of Chalumeau, meaning a pipe ; there being a station called Calumet on the Lake-Shore & Michi¬ gan-Southern Railroad, a change of name was thought desirable. Junction with Michigan-Central Railroad (1852) and crossing of Chicago & Western-Indiana Railroad (1879). RIVERDALE, near the Calumet River, established after the construction of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & St. Louis Rail¬ road, originally the Great-Eastern Railroad, which crosses at this point. The town is a short distance east of the station. SOUTH LAWN. Crossing of Chicago & Southern Rail¬ road, built originally for the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes Rail¬ road, afterward known as the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, now owned by the Grand-Trunk Railway. A twon was laid out here and named South Lawn by its proprietors. But few houses have been constructed. HOME WOOD. Before the location of the Illinois-Central Railroad, there was already a town, Thornton, two and a-half miles eastward. After the road was built, a town was platted and surveyed here by James Hart, who named it Hartford, but the railroad and post-office name was Thornton. Later on, when the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes, now the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, Railroad was built through the old town of Thornton, a change of name became necessary; Mrs. J. C. Howe suggested Itomewood, after a village near Pittsburg, which was adopted. MATTESON. Settled in 1855; named after Hon. Joel A. Matteson, governor of Illinois from 1853 to 1857; crossing of the Joliet Branch of the Michigan-Central Railroad, known as the Joliet Cut-off. 120 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. RICHTON. Named by Joseph Batchelder, who settled here in 1836 or '37, after Richton, Vermont, his former place of residence. Mr. Batchelder, H. Meeker, and a man named McCoy were the first settlers in this vicinity. MONEE,* of the Pottawatomie tribe, was the wife of the * Bailly Homestead, Porter Station, Indiana. Mr. Robert Fergus, Dear Sin—Yours of the 17th inst. received last evening, and I hasten to» reply, hoping you will recollect in case of delay that in the country the^maiU do not go so regularly and frequently as in the city. I am pleased to be able to contradict the statement that my grandmother was a Pottawatomie. Such an idea would be enough to disturb the peace of her last repose did she know of it. She hated the Pottawatomies with a perfect hatred, disliked their costume, disapproved of their customs, consid* ered their dialect a most detestable jargon, and thought her own mother* tongue the opposite of all that was abominable in the Pottawatomie language. 1 can well remember her outspoken disgust at their idioms which she did not refrain from expressing before them, even though she knew she would give offence. Her father was a French gentleman, a trader by the name of Lefevre, who had a trading*post ñrst in one part of Michigan, then in another, notably near the St. Clair River—be it remembered that was then Canadian territory. Her mother was a woman of the Ottawa tribe, Canadian Indians, who had their principal camping-grounds near the Ottawa River, and whose extreme western limit was the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan. Mr. Lefêvre died; he did not desert his wife; but after his death his widow returned to her people and her own immediate relatives in the vicinity of Mackinac with her two little girls, Marie and Angélique—Mary and Angelica. It was sup¬ posed they had been baptised through their father's care, but that is not certain. When my grandmother made profession of the Christian religion in the Catholic church, she was baptised conditionally, a phrase which any priest will explain to you. My grandmother never had an Indian name; she was- called Maunee by her maternal relatives, because Indians can not pronounce r. It was in the vicinity of Mackinac that she met and married my grand¬ father, and in that vicinity they resided for many years after their marriager which took place on Mackinac Island; Samuel Abbott, J. P., being the " officiating clergyman. " Genuine clergy were rare articles in those days, as you are well aware. In the latter days of my grandfather's life he had a trading-post in the Pottawatomie country, and located there a homestead in what is now West¬ chester Township, Porter County, Indiana. The Bailly Homestead is now ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 121 Indian trader, Joseph Bailly, a French-Canadian and a person just a mile and a half from Porter Station, on the Michigan-Central Railroad. We now live'exactly where Mr. Hoffman was ejected [as described in his letter dated at Chicago, Jan. i, 1834, in « A Winter in the West"]. Grass stains would be the worst that could happen there now; the mud being re¬ placed by a thickly-sodded lawn. Otherwise the place is not much changed. We love the old place, mother and I, so did grandma, and nothing is touched save which the ravages of time requires. In 1868, mother put the dwelling- house in perfect repair, without altering its character in the least—it .is a real lower-Canada farm-house. Four of the log-buildings mentioned by Mr« Hoff¬ man still exist, rather better built because repaired from time to time by car¬ penters who will, in spite of orders to preserve the character of the buildings, make everything square. One of these building, hallowed by death-bed asso¬ ciations, has been converted into a Catholic Chapel. The U. S. road, over ^ich he traveled, crosses the Calumet River just outside of the farm, which is the southern boundary of the homestead quarter-section, and this road is tlm main artery of the busy, thrifty Scandinavian settlement which surrounds us. Now this vicinity is all taken up by well-tilled farms, and its interests will álways be mainly agricultural; all sorts of farm produce, from wheat down to hay and potatoes, succeed well. I have observed that the Ottawa Indians were Canadian Indians, and a PanaHiaTi historian of some note told me, not long since, that they are a subject of curious debate among the historians of that region. He regarded them as a nondescript race, neither Indian nor European, but a tribe resulting from the isolated life of early colonists; they were on the highway of the traders; their women had chances of marriage among the French; and thus mudi French blood crept in among them. The proofs alleged of this are as follows: Their physiognomy approaches the French type, their customs in many respects were French, and individuals were easily christianized and dvUized, while their women made congenial wives to civilized gentlemen. Of course this is all mere supposition, but I do know from what I have heard from earliest childhood that the Ottawas were very different from the Potta- watomies; the latter lived in bark huts or wigwams made of bulrush matting; the Ottawas in log-cabins, much on the plan of the quarters on a plantation. The Pottawatomies kept company just like our lower classes, but the Ottawa young folks had not a word to say in the matter of their marriage; they were given away by parents or friends in true French style. The Ottawas were inclined to what we would call now-a-days market-gardening, while the Pot¬ tawatomies hunted and ñshed for a livelihood, and were spendthrifts by nature, while the Ottewas were penurious and economical. To prove that my grandmother's name was, as I say, Marie Lefevre, I refer you to the records of the Church of St. Ann's, Detroit, and the old Catholic Ouircb of Sandwich, Ontario, where the record of the baptism of the children of Joseph Bailly and Marie Lefevre, his wife, are to be found. I 22 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. of much influence and note in the early days of the Northwest. My grandfather's full name was Bailly de Messein, and his mother belonged to the family of de Gaspé, more honorable than which there is none in all Canada, as any Canadian gentleman will tell you. He was bom in Quebec 1774, and died at this Homestead, December 21, 1835. My grandmother ■died in 1866, in the eighty-third year of her age. Of the children of this marriage four only reached the years of maturity: Esther—Mrs. John Harri¬ son Whistler, who died in 1843, whose children and grandchildren reside in Kansas. Rosine—Mrs. Francis Howe, now residing at the Homestead, as you know, with her only surviving daughter [Frances R. Howe]. Eleanor— Mother Mary Cecilia of the Sisters of Providence, Terre Haute, Indiana,'' Hortense, who married Joel Hoxie Wicker, and died in i855' With regard to reservations at treaties, I will venture to explain a custom which perhaps you know, but if not, the knowledge which will throw a little light on past history which may prove useful to you more than once. In order to express gratitude or friendship the Indians used to petition that persons outside of the tribe might share in their grants. This could be done in all fairness without cheating, but to satisfy certain legal technicalities the persons thus favored had to be mentioned with Indian names. Women who had white fathers and Indian mothers, gave in their mother's name for their own; and in some treaties, grandma's did appear with her mother's name. In regard to the reservation made at LaPorte, Indiana, grandfather gave in her name as Maunee, which those conducting the treaty chose to mis¬ spell Monee. White persons, without the slightest trace of Indian blood, were often thus included in land grants, always for good reason, but with Indian names. One example of this was a Miss Coquillard of South Bend. She was a French young lady, without the slightest trace of Indian, but she was a great pet in the family of a Pottawatomie chief, and for the sake of her parents as well as her own, this family included her with themselves in receiv¬ ing their grant. She was called by a name signifying rabbit, and mentioned as the adopted daughter of their chief. She was called the rabbit in his family for a pet name, just as we say Pussie or Kitty. Now I think I have answered your letter fully. * ♦ ♦ Please present our regards to Hon. John Wentworth. I presume it is thro his thoughtfulness that mother has received an invitation to the reception given by the Calumet Club to the old settlers on May 15 ; she thinks seriously of attending. The "Memoir [of Rose Howe"] printed in your office has been the means of attracting attention to yet another of my sister's writings, which has found its way to general publication. An extract from it appeared in the Memoir, and drew attention to the whole, which has been received very favorably by the Catholic press. Believe me as ever, yours respectfully, Frances R. Howe. ORIGIN" OF STATION-NAMES. 123 In the latter part of his career as a trader, he was living in the Calumet country, near the Indiana State-line, at a place known as Baillytown. The baptismal name of his wife was Mary, pro¬ nounced by the French Mah-ree; she was so called by her hus¬ band. In the dialect of the Pottawatomies, like that of nearly all of the tribes of the Algonquin group, there is no sound of r; it is supplied by the sound of «. The Indians could not, there¬ fore, pronounce the name Mah-ree, but pronounced it Mau-nee or Mo-nee. It is said that the Indians derived many favors at the hands of Bailly through the influence of his wife, which, as a natural consequence, made her a great favorite with them, by whom she was known as Mo-nee. In one of the treaties between the government and her tribe, she was allowed a reservation of land in the vicinity of her husband's trading-post -in the Calumet country, in which she is mentioned as "Mo-7iee," the wife of Jos. Bailly. The meaning of Monee in the old Shawanese is money, and the same in the Delaware tongue. There can be no doubt that the two tribes above mentioned took the word from the English colo¬ nists; they accented the last syllable in pronouncing it, hence the French spelled it Moncf instead of money. PEOTONE. "A Pottawatomie Indian word, meaning bring or come here." MANTENO. Probably a corruption of Manitou or Manito —Algonquin for spirit. Another authority states that Manteno is the Pottawatomie for Soldier's Village. TUCKER. Called La Prairie up to 1873, then Martin until 1876, when the name was changed to Tucker after J. F. Tucker, general superintendent of the Illinois-Central Railroad at that time, and now traffic manager. KANKAKEE. In 1680, when LaSalle was exploring in the vicinity of the source of the Kankakee River, it was called the Theakiki or Haukiki {Marest), a name which, as Charlevoix says, was afterward corrupted by the French to Kiakiki—Raven, whence, probabl)', its present form. In LaSalle's time, the name Theakiki was given to the river Illinois through all its course. 124 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. An interesting and somewhat graphic account of the portage and the sources of the Kankakee is given in his letter, dated " De la Source du Theakiki ce dixsept Septembre, 1721."—Parkman. Speaking of the sources of the river in his letter to the" Duch¬ esse de Lesdiguieres, Sept. 17, 1763, Charlevoix writes: "Theak signifies ' a wolf,' and this is so called because the Mohingons, which are also called ' the wolves,' formerly took refuge here." It is the county-seat of Kankakee County, junction with Cin¬ cinnati, Lafayette & Chicago Railroad, now known as Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago Railroad; also the crossing of Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad. Camp of the Kickapoos. French—I.e Camp Kikipous; French short—Camp Ki-ki ; English—Kong-ke-ke; A tribe of Indians in the central portion of what is now Illinois. They are sup¬ posed to have had a village on what is now called the Kankakee River. This river took its present name within a period of twenty years following 1680. SACRAMENTO. Named after Sacramento, the capital of California, whence a few of the settlers in this vicinity came. OTTO. From the name of Otto township. The station was established in 1878, upon completion of the Kankakee & South¬ western Railroad, which at this point makes junction with the Illinois Central. No town here. CHEBANSE. An Indian chief (Little Duck), of the tribe of the Pottawatomie nation, who joined in articles of treaty made at Chicago between Lewis Cass and Solomon Sibley, commission¬ ers of the United States, and the Ottawa, Chippewa, and Potta¬ watomie nations, August 29, 1821, by which certain lands were ceded to the United States. CLIFTON. William A. Veech, who was in 1857 the sole owner of this town, boarded at the Clifton House, Chicago, and he conceived the brilliant idea of naming the town after the hotd: ASHKUM. Named after an Iroquois Indian chief, meaning " more and more.'' "Section 7, Town 37, N. Range 15, E. 3d P. M., was patented to Ashkum, as a Pottawatomie Indian, under the 3d article of the treaty of October 27, 1832."—See Statute 7, p. 399. ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 125 DANFORTH. Named after George W. Danforth, a large purchaser of Illinois-Central Railroad land at this point, who laid out the town. GILMAN. Named after Samuel Oilman of New York, who, with W. H. Cruger and Charles Secor, built that portion of the Peoria & Oquawka Railroad (now part of the Wabash system) running from Oilman to El Paso on the Illinois Central's main line, about fifty-three miles. ONARGA. Iroquois, probably; if so, it would mean "a place of rocky hills.'' SPRING CRHHK. On north bank of Spring Greek, whence the station takes its name. BULKLEY. Named by Ira A. Manley, the first station agent, who called it after one of his relatives by the name of Bulkley. LODA. Taken from one of Ossian's epic poems called "Cath-Loda." Loda is the name of one of the Gallic gods, sup¬ posed to be the same as Odin of the Scandinavian mythology. Tlie god has his dwelling-place, where he is. worshipped, on a mountain near the scene of the poem. PAXTON. Called Prospect City prior to 1858. Named by James Mix of Kankakee in honor of Sir Joseph Paxton, about the time the latter was largely interested in immigration. The Lafayette, Bloomington & Mississippi Railway, now part of the Lake Erie & Western, was extended across the Illinois Cen¬ tral at this point in December, 1871. LUDLOW. Named after Thos. W. Ludlow of New York, one of the incorporators of the Illinois - Central Railroad, as appears by the charter. It was called Pera prior to 1868, by J. B. Calhoun. RANTOUL. Named at the request of W. P. Burrall, at one time president of the Illinois-Central Company, after Robert Rantoul, Jr., one of the incorporators of the Illinois-Central; his name will be found in the original act.'* He was an American • While at Springfield in 1851, working for the charter of the Illinois-Cen¬ tral Railroad Company, he was elected by the Massachusetts legislature to 126 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. statesman, born in Beverly, Mass., August 5, 1805; died in Wash¬ ington, D. C., August 7, 1852. He exerted himself for the aboli¬ tion of capital punishment, and his report on that subject is still one of the standard authorities of its opponents. He was at one time United-States district-attorney for Massachusetts. THOMASBORO. After John Thomas, an English gen¬ tleman, one of the oldest settlers and an owner of adjoining lands. CHAMPAIGN. Urbana, the county-seat adjoining on the east, was settled by emigrants from Urbana, Champaign County, Ohio-, who named the new settlement after their old home. It is situated in one of the finest agricultural districts in the State and is 128 miles from Chicago. The Illinois Industrial University, located near the station, was established by an act of the legislature, approved February 28, 1867, and endowed by the congressional grant of 480,000 acres of land scrip under the law providing for agricultural colleges. Champaign County donated lands, bonds, etc., to the amount of $400,000 more.* The recitation-rooms in the university will ac¬ commodate 400 pupils. SAVOY, French, La Savoie. Named in compliment to the Princess Clothilde of the House of Savoy, who, with her hus¬ band, Prince hjapoleon, and the French minister. Baron Mercier, and his wife, the Countess of Lostant, visited Illinois in 1861. A territory of France, formerly an independent duchy and after¬ ward part of the kingdom of Sardinia. Except during the French domination under the republic and Napoleon I., Savoy remained a part of the Sardinian States until i860, when by the treaty of Turin, March 24, it was ceded to France, together with most of serve out Daniel Webster's term in the U. S. senate, which had been tempo* rarily filled by Mr. Winthrop under an appointment of the governor. After Mr. Kantoul's services of a few weeks in the senate, he was succeeded by Charles Sumner for the long term. At the next congress, Mr. Rantoul was elected for the first time to the house of representatives. He died before his term expired. * The Illinois-Central Railroad Co. donated $50,000, payable in transpor¬ tation of materials and supplies. ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 127 the country of Nice, on condition that the inhabitants should approve the transfer, which they did by a special vote, and the country was formally annexed to France, June 12, i86o.-Appleton. TOLONO. Named by placing the vowel o three times thus, 0-0-0, and filling in with the consonants t-l-n, forming T-o4-o-n-o, by J. B. Calhoun, who, in company with J. Condit Smith, purchased the land and laid out the town. A resident of Tolono was questioned as to the origin of the name, and gave the following explanation, which seems to be devoutedly believed by the oldest inhabitant. The legend runs that many years ago, before the advent of the white man, a wan¬ dering tribe of Indians were roaming over these plains on a, periodical hunting-excursion. At this point game and wild fowls- were found in great abundance. Some of the braves, in view of this, proposed that they should pitch their tents and remain at least for a time. The matter being referred to the old chief in command, he looked about him, and, with characteristic gravity and terseness, replied, "Too low; no!" And they passed on. The prairie here was formerly flat and marshy, but is now well drained. PESOTUM. Pee-so-tum was the Indian who, at the Chicago massacre, August 15, 1812, killed Capt. William Wells of Fort Wayne. His remains were terribly mutilated, his heart being cut in pieces and distributed among the tribes, as was their wont, as a token of bravery. Billy Caldwell, a half-breed Wyandot chief, afterward long and well known in Chicago, arriving next day, gathered up the several portions of the body and buried them in the sand. Wells Street, Chicago, perpetuates the name of Capt. Wells. His title of captain was acquired from his hav¬ ing had command of a company of mounted scouts in General Wayne's army, during the campaign of 1793-4, against the North¬ west Indian tribes. HAYES. Named in 1877, after Samuel Jarvis Hayes, ap¬ pointed superintendent of machinery of the Illinois-Central Rail¬ road Company, August 20, 1856, Died September 21, 1882, after rendering 26 years of continuous service. 128 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. TUSCOLA. An Apalachian word for flat plain. In the southern peninsula of Michigan there is a county of that name. GALTON. Capt. Douglas Galton, C. B., D. C. L., F. R. S., visited Illinois in 1856, and again in 1877, in company with H. I. de Marez Oyens of Amsterdam, to examine the afiairs of the Illi¬ nois Central, the former on behalf of the British and the latter on behalf of the Dutch shareholders. The station formerly called Bourbon Switch was named Galton in compliment to him. ARCOLA. Arcóle, a village of Veneria on the Alphone, a small confluent of the Adige, 15 miles E. S. E. of Verona. It is famous for the victory gained there by Napoleon, in the first Italian campaign, over the Austrians, Nov. 15-17, 1796. The name was suggested by Mr. Kearney, postmaster in the town in 1871. Known as Okaw prior to 1871, from the Okaw River, called Kaskaskia River further south. HUMBOLT. Milton, prior to 1875; changed to Humbolt, at the request of residents, in honor of the eminent German natu¬ ralist, writer, and traveler, Friedrich Heinrich Alexander von Hum¬ boldt, baron, born in Berlin, Sept. 14, 1769, and died there May 6, 1859. DORAN'S CROSSING. Established in 1877 ; named after S. A. Doran, a neighboring land-owner. MATTGON- Received its name from a person bearing the name of J. Mattoon, of Barnes, Phelps & Mattoon of Spring¬ field, Mass., who, as contractors; built the Terre-Haute & Alton Railroad, a contractor on the St. Louis, Vandalia & Terre-Haute Railroad. He had the contract for grading through this section^ and was one of the original proprietors of the town. .^TNA. Mount jEtna, a volcano of Sicily, called by the inhabitants of Sicily, Mongibello. The word .¿Etna is from the Greek aithein, to burn. NHOGA. Neo, Deity, Oga, place. Literally, the place of the Deity.—Iroquois. The town of Neoga was laid off in April, 1856, by Bacon and Jennings. The station was named Neoga by the Illinois-Central Railroad Company before the town was laid off or thought of. The first train of cars ran through the ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 129 town August I, 1854, and killed a bull. It appears that the bull •was of a belligerent disposition, and had been taught to lock horns with everything that crossed his pathway. But when he pitched into the train, he got the worst of the fight, and was sent to the pastures of his fathers to graze in peace. The village of Neoga was incorporated by an act of the legis¬ lature, April 17, 1869. SIGEL. After Franz Sigel, who was born at Sinzheim, Baden, in 1824, and educated at the military school of Carlsruhe. In 1847, he resigned his command in the army of the grand duke, and in 1848, became minister of war under the revolutionary government. After its overthrow, he fled to Switzerland, thence, in 1850, to the United States, where he taught school in New York, and, in 1858, in St. Louis. In 1861, he entered the federal army as colonel of the 3d Missouri Volunteers under General Nathaniel Lyon, distinguished himself, and was promoted. In 1862, becoming dissatisfied with the general-in-chief — Halleck— he resigned. The government so valued his serv.ices that his resignation was not accepted, and he was made a major-general of volunteers, and appointed to a command in Virginia, where he participated in the second battle of Bull Run. EFFINGHAM. This city and the county in which it is located were named after Gen. Edward Effingham, an English¬ man by birth, who was the United-States surveyor, and laid out the county. WATSON. George Watson, division superintendent of the Illinois-Central Railroad in 1856. MASON. Col. Roswell B. Mason, appointed chief-engineer of the Illinois-Central Railroad by the board of directors in New York, on March 22, 1851. On May 14 following, he left New York with a corps of engineers to lay out the line; on January 29, 1852, he had completed all the surveys and finished an estimate of the cost of the whole road. On March 16, 1853, a portion of the line having been completed, he was charged, in addition to his other duties, with the running arrangements of the line, and received the appointment of general superintendent. He 9 13° ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. continued in the service of the company, filling various positions of trust, until the latter part of 1856, when, the road being com¬ pleted, he temporarily retired from the company's service. On November 5, 1862, he assumed charge of the land department of the company, with the title of comptroller. In September, 1865, he prepared plans for a bridge across the Mississippi River to- Dubuque, which was constructed a few years later under his supervision. EDGEW^OOD. So called from its location on the edge of the woods. LACLEDE. In 1762, M. d'Abadie, director-general of Louisiana, granted to a company of merchants, of whom Pierre Ligueste LaClede was the leader, the exclusive right of trade with the Indians on the Missouri. This company, after careful examination, established themselves on the present site of St. Louis, February rs, 1764, and erected a large house and four stores. On August 11, 1768, a company of Spanish troops, under Capt. Rios, took possession of it in the name of the king of Spain, under whose sway it remained until the cession of Louisiana, in r8oo, to France, which, in 1803, sold the territory to the United States. It was incorporated as a town in 1809, and in 1822, was chartered as a city.—Shea. Our station derives its name from Pierre Ligueste LaClede. Called Dismal prior to 1863, from Dismal Creek. FARINA—Latin for flour. Station probably so named from the fact that its location is in the winter-wheat section. Organized as a town in 1867; reorganized as a village in 1875. About one- third of the population are German. A school was started here in i860, of which Gen. Thomas Edwin Greenfield Ransom was one of the directors. Gen. Ransom was the station agent here at the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1861. He entered the army and rose to the rank of brigadier-general, and died in his country's service from the effect of wounds received in Georgia, October 29, 1864. KINMUNDY. The town was named after the birthplace- of William Ferguson, a native of Scotland, who visited Illinois in ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 131 1856. On his return to England he wrote "America by Ri,ver and Rail." He was a member of the firm of Robert Benson & Co., at that time the Illinois-Central Company's agents in London. Laid out by W. T. Sprouse, April 10, 1857, on Section 22. Isaac Egan laid out an addition in 1858. The first settler was John W. Nichols, who came from Wilson County, Tennessee, and located on the east prong of the Howell's Branch in 1823, where he lived until 1827. Henry Howell, also a Tennessean, came here in 1826, and settled on the west bank of Howell's Branch, where he resided until his death. He raised a large family of children, some of whom are now living in Texas, some in Missouri, and three live in this county.—" History of Marion County.'' ALMA. Named by John B. Calhoun. The Alma River is a small stream in the Crimea, running from the high ground, in the neighborhood of Bakhtchisarai, in a westerly direction to Kalamita Bay, between Eupatoria (or Kozlov) and Sebastopol. The southern bank of this river was selected during the Crimean war by Prince Montchikoff, the Russian commander, as a defen¬ sive position in which to receive the onset of the allied armies first landed in the peninsula. The battle was fought September 20, 1854, and resulted in a victory for the allies and the opening of a road to Sebastopol.—Appleton. Alma Station was estab¬ lished about the time of this battle, and derived its'narae from this circumstance. TONTI. Chevalier Henri de Tonty, an Italian officer, a. prot^é of the Prince de Conti, who sent him to LaSalle as a person suitable to his purposes. Tonty had but one hand, the other having been blown off by a grenade in the Sicilian wars. His father, who had been governor of Gaeta, but who had come to France in consequence of political disturbances in Naples, had earned no small reputation as a financier, and had invented the form of life insurance still called the Tontine. ODIN. The country about here was settled by Scandinavi¬ ans. Odin was the principal god of Scandinavian mythology. The Odin of mythology is thought to be connected with Odin 132 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. the Conqueror, who ruled, according to tradition, in the time of Pompey, over a portion of Scythia, near the Black Sea. Driven out of his territory, he is said to have advanced to the northern¬ most countries of Europe and Asia, and to have conquered Den¬ mark and the Scandinavian Peninsula. CHNTRAL CITY. So called from its proximity to Centralia. CENTRALIA. Laid out by the Illinois-Central Railroad Company, who built their machine shop here in 1856, or there¬ abouts, to accommodate the southern end of the Chicago Divis¬ ion and the main line, being selected as a central location. IRVINGTON. After Washington Irving. The first settler here was a Mr. Scott, who, with his family, located on Section t6 in 1827. The town was laid out by S. Y. Henry, and the first building constructed was the depot of the Illinois-Central Road. The Illinois Agricultural College, incorporated in 1861, located here, has been'in operation since 1869. In 1875, suit was brought by the attorney-general to get possession of the lands for the State, to secure the fund originally appropriated by the State. The matter is still in litigation.—" History of Washington County." RICHVIE'W. James Severs was regarded as the first settler; he located at Green Point in 1828. Old Richview was laid out in 1839 by Wm. B. Linsay, on Section 10. It was called Richmond up to 1845, when a post- office was established here, and, there being another town and post-office in the State named Richmond, it was thought neces¬ sary to change the name. In 1852, the name was made Rich- view, on account of the elevated site of what is now called Old Town, or Old Richview, about half a mile from the station, and the very beautiful view of the surrounding country in all direc¬ tions. When the Illinois Central was built, the track was laid about half a mile east of the Old Town. In 1854, the railroad company built a depot and switch about three-fourths of a mile northeast of the village, on a forty-acre tract of land, owned by ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 133 the company, and, in 1855, laid out an addition to the town. The company named the station. In 1857, the railroad com¬ pany gave seventy-five lots at this place to the Washington Semi¬ nary, incorporated February 16, 1865, situated about a mile from the station. ASHLHY. After Colonel L. W. Ashley, division engineer. James Woodrome and his family were the first settlers of this precinct. They came in 1825; within three years thereafter, five of his sons settled in this neighborhood, and it became known as Woodrome Settlement. This precinct was formerly called Beau- coup. In the autumn following Jas. Woodrome's advent, William and Burton Nicholls came from Georgia, and settled on Section 23. In 1840, the settlers clubbed together and built a small log school-house on the site of the present town of Ashley. The plat of the town was recorded May 27, 1854. The Central Rail¬ road was built through here during that year. RADOM. A government of Russian Poland. It was named by Gen. John B. Turchin, in 1873, about which time he induced a number of Russian Polanders to settle in the locality. DUBOIS. Called Coloma prior to 1868, after which date its name was changed to DuBois, in honor of Jesse K. DuBois, auditor of public accounts from January 12, 1857, until Decem¬ ber 12, 1864. The early settlers were principally from the States of Kentucky and Tennessee. The first settler was Geo. Palmer, who located on Section 29, in 1827. The first store was carried on and owned by a man named Tibbies, who emigrated from one of the Eastern States. The town of DuBois was laid out in 1853, by L. I. Bridges, J. W. Tilley, and D. and E. H. Topping. About two-thirds of the population are Germans and Polanders; the first colony of the latter settled here in 1873, on lands purchased of the railroad company. On Section 27, on the east side of the I-ittle-Muddy River, on the second bottom, about ten feet above high-water mark, are the remains of an Indian burying-ground, supposed to have been used as a place of sepulture by the Kaskaskia tribe. A coal-shaft was sunk at DuBois by Vose & Beard, in 1865, and a six-foot vein of coal was found at the depth of 300 feet. 134 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. TAMAROA. Named by Nelson Holt, agent at Tamaroa- since 1855, and employed on the road as civil engineer during its construction. The Tamarouas were one of the five tribes composing the Illi¬ nois Confederacy, which consisted of the Mitchigamias, Kaskas- kias. Peorías, Kahokias, and Tamarouas. These latter were asso¬ ciated with the Kaskaskias and the Mitchigamias, and were located near Fort Chartres, on the Mississippi. ST. JOHNS. In 1S56, the order of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons had a celebration at this place, which, happen¬ ing on St. John's Day, June 24, they named the town accordingly. DU QUOIN. At the time the road was constructed, there was a small village about five miles distant, from which the sta¬ tion took its name. The word quoin is an old English word synonymous with coign, modern French, coin, meaning an exter¬ nal angle or comer; as Du Quoin is in the southeast comer of Eerry County, this may explain the name.—Mauriac. The name means simply a feather, and it is not unlikely that Du Quoin means some particular kind of a feather. Du may be the French preposition—in which case, "He of the Feather" may be the original meaning of Du Quoin. Du Quoin was a chief of the Kaskaskias and Peorías, of con¬ siderable talent; he wore a medal presented to him by Washing¬ ton, whom he visited at Philadelphia. In the early part of the present century, the two tribes under his guidance emigrated to the southwest, atid in 1850, they were in the Indian Territory and numbered eighty-four persons.—"History of Illinois," by Davidson and Stuve. HLKVILLE. From Elk Prairie, so called from the elk that years ago frequently made their appearance on this prairie, attracted'by the salt-licks. Some of the oldest settlers have seen elk about here, and have found a great many elk horns. DE SOTO. From Femando de Soto, a Spanish explorer, born at .Xeres de los Caballeros, in Estremadura, about 1496; died on the banks of the Mississippi, in June, 1542, while attempting to descend its banks. To conceal his death, it is ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 135 said, his body was wrapped in a mantle and sunk at midnight in the middle of the stream. BIG MUDDY. Water station; tank supplied with water from Big-Muddy River, which was discovered and named by the French, Riviere du Vase or Vaseux—river of mud, or muddy river. CARBONDALE. In the summer of 1852, the line of the Illinois-Central Railroad was permanently located through this— Jackson—county. In August, 1852, Daniel H. Brush of Mur- physboro. 111., desiring to locate a town on the line of this road, associated with himself L. W. Ashley, chief-engineer of the south- em division of the road, I. F. Ashley, A. Buck, I. Buck, Thomas Barnes, A. Connor, Wm. Richart, H. C. Long, E. Leavenworth, James Koenig, and John Dougherty, and purchased 360 acres of land in Sections 16 and 21, Township 9, for that purpose, and on November 24, 1852, laid out the town which, at the suggestion of D. H. Brush, it being in a coal region, was called Carbondale. For the purpose of convenience, the deeds were made out in the name of John Dougherty, who was to act in a fiduciary capacity for his associates. The railroad was completed to this place from the south on July 4, 1854, when the first locomotive came into the town. The citizens gave a free dinner and extended a general invitation, which was responded to by upward of 2000 men, women, and children, who came from the surrounding country to see, for the first time in the lives of most of them, a railroad, locomotive, and a train of cars. The first residence was erected by James B. Richart, in 1852. The first sermon was preached by Rev. Josiah Wood, a Pres¬ byterian minister, in December, 1852. No intoxicating liquors have ever been sold as a beverage in this town.— CarbondcUe Observer, May 2, 1878. BOSKY DELL. Fruit station ; established in 1877; named by Rev. J. L. Hawkins of Carbondale, who writes as follows ; " You inquire as to the origin of the name Bosky Dell. There is nothing of romance about it; on the contrary, the history is very commonplace. Consulting my dictionary, one day, I met with the word bosky, designated as obsolete, a synonym for ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. brushy. I was pleased with it, and not long afterward, in thfc course of a sermon, in one of my descriptive illustrations, I used the words Bosky Dell. A gentleman and lady of literary taste and culture, natives of Britain, who were present, a few days afterward called my attention to it, expressing themselves pleased with the description, and especially with the poetic beauty'of the term Bosky Dell. Subsequently, when making a call at the house of Samuel Cleeland, the proprietor of the red-sandstone quarry and land at that station, he told me that he had laid out the ground for a small village, and was at loss for a name by which to call it; that the surveyor, Mr. Newsome, suggested LithopoKs,- and others suggested other names. I remarked that Lithopolis was a big, high-sounding name, already borne by an obscure vil¬ lage in the neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio ; that the other names were common to other localities. Give it an original name, descriptive of the locality, and one which no other place in Europe or, America now bears. Call it Bosky Dell. ' Bosky- Dell,' he replied, 'Bosky Dell,—Bosky Dell it shall be'; and accordingly he had his papers made out and recorded in that form;'' MAKANDA. This station derived its name from that of the chief of the last tribe of Indians who inhabited the section of country about here. His name was Makanda. COBDEN. Called South Pass prior to 1859. Named after Richard Cobden, M. P., who visited Illinois and passed over the road in 1858. At the time, Mr. Cobden was a large shareholder in the Illinois-Central Railroad Company. He was an English statesman, bom at Dunford, near Midhurst, Sussex, June 3, i8o4j.' died in London, April 2, 1865. He traveled extensively during his life, and wrote several books. In 1839, he took a leading part in establishing the well-known Anti-Corn Law League; he was a declared free-trader. First elected to parliament in 1841, his oratorical ability and the great extent and variety of knowl¬ edge he possessed, upon all subjects connected with trade and commerce, immediately obtained for him a high place among leading parliamentary speakers. He was also an active member of the Peace Society.—Appleton. ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 137 ANNA. From Mrs. Anna Davie, wife of Mr. Winstead Davie of Jonesboro, 111., who has held office as county-clerk, clerk of circuit court, probate judge, and postmaster, and was the founder of the town of Anna. County-seat of Union Countv; established February 25, 1818. DONGOLA. So named by Mr. Leavenworth, after Dongola in Africa. There was no other place of the same name in the United States at the time. W^ETAUG. Named by George Watson, division superin¬ tendent, who formerly lived in a small town of that name in Mas¬ sachusetts. In Ojibway dialect, the word means a gambler; probably named after some Indian given to gaming. There is a large mineral spring near here about 100 feet deep; the volume of water never diminishes, even during dry weather. ULLIN. Ullin was Fingal's bard, and is described in several of Ossian's poems as one of the eight heroes of Ossian, and as "Ullin, Stormy Son of War." PULASKI, Pulaski County. After Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish soldier, born in Lithuania, March 4, 1747. He fought desperately for the liberation of Poland, but the coalition of Austria, Prussia, and Russia for that country's dismemberment made resistance hopeless. Pulaski escaped to Turkey, thence to France, where he offered his services to Franklin in the American cause. With high recommendations to Gen. Washington, he arrived at Philadelphia in the summer of 1777, entered the army as a vol¬ unteer, and so distinguished himself that, after the battle of Bran- dywine, he was made commander of the cavalry with the rank of brigadier-general. He subsequently resigned his commission and organized a corps of cavalry and light infantry, which became famous as Pulaski's Legion. He died in the attack on Savannah, March 4, 1779. A monument to his memory, voted by congress, has never been erected; but one was raised by the citizens of Georgia in Savannah. VILLA RIDGE. High land north of Cairo. Named by the daughter of a Dr. Arter, after their farm, which they called 138 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. Villa Ridge. The doctor settled on his farm, about one mile west of the present station, in 1837. They had the first frame house and the first glass windows in the settlement. MOUNDS. So called because ancient Indian mounds are found hereabout. The remains of some of these are still to be seen. The post-office at this place is called Junction, being the junction with the Mound-City Railroad, now the property of the Illinois-Central Railroad Company. CAIRO. In 18x8, John Comegys, Shadrach Bond, and others entered 1800 acres of land near the mouth of the Ohio River, and obtained from the territorial legislature a charter under the name of the City and Bank of Cairo. By the death of Comegys, it reverted to the government. In 1835, Sidney Breese, David J. Baker, and Miles A. Gilbert entered the forfeited bank tract and transferred it to the Cairo City and Canal Company, whose char¬ ter was obtained in 1837. They also purchased the interests of William, John, and Thomas Bird in adjoining land, increasing their tract to 10,000 acres. They negotiated a loan for $2,000,000 in England, in 1837, and expended it for levees, mills, etc. Mort¬ gage incumbrance preventing sale of lots, in 1846, Thomas S. Taylor of Philadelphia, and Chas. Davis of New York, were made trustees to improve and sell the property. The trust eventually reverted to Samuel Staats Taylor of Cairo, and Edwin Parsons of New York, the lots first coming into market in 1853. The town was platted finally in 1858. Dickens refers to Cairo in " Martin Chuzzlewit," styling it Eden. EAST DUBUQUE. Formerly called Dunleith, and was so named by a Scotch lady of Dubuque, who fancied that in the broken and picturesque appearance of the country she saw a strik¬ ing likeness to that once possessed by a famous old Scotch laird of Dunleath. It is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River, opposite the City of Dubuque, Iowa, with which it is connected by the bridge of the Dunleith-and-Dubuque Bridge Company, completed January i, 1869. MENOMINEE. After the Menominee tribe, wild-rice- ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 139 eaters, belonging to the Algonquin family, and from their first discovery to the present century residing on the Menominee River, which empties into Green Bay, Wis., their name being that of the wild-rice on which they in great part subsisted. GALENA derives its name from the sulphuret of lead which abounds in this locality; it is the centre of the region known as the Galena lead-mines, and is situated on both sides of the Galena River, formerly called Fever, a corruption of the French word, Fh¿—a bean. In the act of congress laying out the town of Galena, this river is called Bean River; it is six miles from its confluence with the Mississippi River.* The discovery of lead- ore in this region is a!ttributed to Le Sueur, who made a voyage up the Mississippi in 1700, for the purpose, it is said, of discover¬ ing ores. This was probably the first discovery of Galena made in this country. The town was laid out in 1827, and incorporated as a city in 1839. In 1854, there were 27,285,000 pounds of pig-lead shipped from here, valued at $1,300,075. From 1845 'o 1847, the years of maximum production, the quantity of lead made into pigs was even laiger. COUNCIL HILL. There is a tradition that the Indians held councils here. Near the station is a large rock, from which Black Hawk is said to have addressed his braves for the last time. SCALES MOUND. From a large mound about one-half a mile fi-om the station, owned by a man named Samuel Scales. APPLE RIVER. La Pomme, or Apple River, so called from the number of crab-apple trees on its banks. This stream empties into the Mississippi River. At a point 2 34/100 miles east of the station, the main track of the Illinois-Central Railroad is 245 feet from the Wisconsin State-line. A German named Apple was killed near here during the Black- Hawk war; the station and the river may have taken the name from him. * In an old French map that was published in Paris in 1703, thirty years after the discovery of the Mississippi River by Marquette and Joiiet, this river is put down as RivUre au Parisien, and near it is marked Mine de Plomb, show¬ ing the discovery of lead at Galena at this early period. I40 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD, WARREN. Called Courtland prior to 1853 or 1854. The name was changed by the citizens to Warren, in honor of Warren Burnett, son of Capt. Alexander Burnett, the first male child bom in the town. NORA. Named by R. B. Mason, chief-engineer, at the re¬ quest of John M. Douglas, who remarked that as it was a very small place, he preferred a very small name. Mr. Douglas has a large farm in the vicinity. There is a place named Elizabeth, eighteen miles south of Nora, which established a precedent for adopting a woman's name for the town of Nora. WADAMS GROVE. William Waddams was one of the first settlers in Stephenson County. He came from New-York State about 1828. Station originally called West Point, then Sada, and finally Wadams Grove. As late as 1849, ^-U lands hereabout belonged to the United-States government, and a Seth Waddams lived here then. LENA. This name occurs in, and was taken from, Ossian's poem of "Fingal." It is the place where a great battle was fought in Ireland between Fingal and Swaran, in which the latter was defeated. It was evidently a healthy plain near the shore. "He moved first toward the plain of Lena " ; on " Lena's echoing heath." The town was laid out by Samuel J. Dodds, in 1853; he kept a hotel here in 1850. ELEROY. A man named Hiram Jones, who came from Utica, New York, and settled in this locality in 1846, had a son named Leroy, after whom he named the town. FREEPORT. In the latter part of 1837, the county-seat of Stephenson County was established at Freeport; the town was that year formally named. It had previously been known as Winneshiek, the name of the chief of a band of from two to three hundred Indians, who had a village here in 1827, and whose burying-ground is where the Illinois-Central Company's freight-house now stands. Then the settlement consisted of but a few houses. The tavern, in fact but not in name, was the resi¬ dence of William Baker, who built the first house, in 1836, at ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 141 which new-comers were hospitably entertained, often without charge. Mrs. Baker finally began to tire of her husband's pro¬ miscuous hospitality, and, one morning at breakfast, rechristened the settlement Free Port, by which generous title, ironically ap¬ plied, it has since been known.—"History of Stephenson County.'' L. W. Guiteau, father of Chas. J. Guiteau, the assassin of James A. Garfield, president of the United States, settled here in 1837. He was deputy-clerk of the circuit court of Stephenson County in 1852, and freight agent of the Galena & Chicago-Union Rail¬ road at this station in 1853. Freeport was incorporated as a village in 1850, and as a city in 1855. BAILEYVILLH. Named after O. Bailey, who was a native of Vermont, and located here in 1848. FORESTON. Laid out by D. A. Neal of Beverly, Mass., in 1854, at which time there were several forests of trees there¬ about Isaac Chambers, who located near here in 1829, is said to have been the first white man to inhabit Ogle County. HALDANE. After Alexander Haldane, station agent and neighboring land-owner. He was born in June, 1804, in Leith, near Edinburgh, Scotland. He emigrated to New York in 1835, and located in Ohio four years later. In 184g, he removed to Jacksonville, 111., and entered into the lumber business. Four years later, in company with a Mr. Scott, he went to Pecatonica, III., and thence to Dixon, still continuing the same business. In 1855, he purchased an interest in 300 acres of land lying near this place, and in May, 1856, a warehouse and side-track having been built, he opened a grain and lumber warehouse. In Janu¬ ary, 1858, a station was established and he was appointed agent, a position he now holds. POLO. Named after Marco Polo, the famous Venetian traveler, by Hon. Zenas Aplington, the original proprietor of the land. He was contractor for the construction of the Illinois- Central Railroad, his contract extending eight miles north and south of Polo. The town was incorporated in 1856, and was at that time the only town of this name in the United States. WOOSUNG. A town in China; the station here was named 143 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. by Capt. Anderson, the agent, who formerly sailed between New York and China. NORTH DIXON. North of Dixon proper, and located on north side of Rock River. DIXON. Father John Dixon was the first white settler in Lee County. He went there in 1830, and kept the ferry across Rock River. He donated to the city the eighty acres of land now within the city limits, and upon which the court-house stands. He died about 1876, universally loved and regretted; to inhabitants of the city evinced their respect for his memory by suspending business, closing their stores, and joining in the funeral procession. ELDENA. In honor of Mrs. Eldena Van Epps, wife of a former owner of the lands. AMBOY. After Amboy, New Jersey. It is said to be a Delaware Indian word, signifying a bowl. A Frenchman named Filamalee, is said to have been the first white settler in the present limits of Amboy township. Some of the early settlers remember his shanty about a mile south of Rock Ford, and have not forgotten the mortar made in a burr- oak stump, in which he pounded his corn for bread. The beginning of the settlement at this site was made in 1838, by John Sawyer, who built a cabin on the bank of the creek. The survey for the town-plat was completed March 24, 1854. The company have their principal machine-shops for the north division at this point. SUBLETTE. In a history of Lee County it is said that the town was first called Hamo. The railroad company having named the station Sublette, it was desired to have the name of the township correspond, and it was accordingly changed. The name was first employed, it is said, because of the frequent sub¬ letting of the contract for the grading, which is very heavy be¬ tween this point and Mendota, of the Illinois-Central Railroad. The settlement of the township dates from 1837. MENDOTA. Indian term, meaning junction of two trails, paths, or roads. Named by T. B. Blackstone, now president of ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 143 the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, who was in 1853 one of the divison engineers employed in the construction of the Central Road. Crossing of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. DIMICK. Homer prior to 1875 ; named after one of the first settlers in this vicinity. He spelled his name Dimmick. LASALLH. Rene-Robert Cavelier Sieur de la Salle. La- Salle was the name of an estate near Rouen, belonging to the Caveliers. One of the most remarkable explorers whose name lives in history. Born in Rouen, in November, 1643, he died at the hands of assassins on a southern branch of the Trinity River, Texas, March 19, 1687. OGLESBY. In hotter of Gov. Richard J. Oglesby, who was bom July 25, 1824, in Oldham County, Kentucky. He was governor of the State of Illinois from January 16, 1865 to Janu¬ ary II, 1869; reëlected in 1873, and afterward elected United- States senator. In 1861, he was elected colonel of the 8th regiment Illinois Volimteers, was afterward promoted for gallantry at Fort Donel- son to a brigadier-generalship, and in 1863, to the rank of major- general of volunteers. TONICA. From the Tonicas or Tunicas, a tribe of Indians which, in 1713, were located on the Mississippi River, abput 18 French leagues south of the well-known Natchez tribe, which gave the French colonists considerable trouble during the early history of louisiana. Natchez, Miss., is 279 miles north from New Or¬ leans by river; reckoning three miles to a league, would place the Tunicas at a point about 225 miles, by river, from New Or¬ leans. There is now in the Mississippi River, in Louisiana, an island called Tunica Island, and six miles up the river from this island is a landing known as Tunica, near a bayou bearing the same name; the distance from New Orleans, by river, to this landing is 205 miles.—Shea. In the Ojibway Indian dialect, the word signifies a place in¬ habited. 144 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. LOST ANT. After the Gountess of Lostant, wife of Baron Mercier, French minister at Washington, who, in company with Prince Napoleon,,visited Illinois in 1861. WENONA. Hiawatha's mother, daughter of Nokomis. " *See! a star falls/ said the people; 'From the sky a star is falling !' There among the ferns and mosses, There among the prairie lilies, On the Muskoday, the meadow, In the moonlight and the starlight, Fair Nokomis bore a daughter. And she called her name Wenonah^ As the fírst-born of her daughters. " Hiawatha's Childhood. RUTLAND. Originally called New Rutland, and so named by the settlers who. came from Rutland, Vermont MINONK. This name appears on a map published by Thevenot as Marquette, but not on Marquette's map. It doubt¬ less is of Indian origin. In Ojibway dialect it means good place. Mino, good, onk, place. WOODFORD. Named by Peter Rockwell, after the name of the county. The county was named by Thomas Bullock, the first settler, who surveyed and laid it out in 1841, after Woodford County, Ky., his former place of residence. The Illinois-Central was the first railroad built in this county. At its completion, in 1852, the rapid development and prosperity of the county began. PANOLA. Named by J. B. Calhoun, by placing the vowels a, o, a, and filling in with the consonants p, n, 1, making Panola. EL PASO. Named by Geo. L. Gibson, one of the original land-owners, after El Paso, New Mexico. In Spanish, the words mean. The Pass. KAPPA. The Kappas were a tribe of Indians, first men¬ tioned by Garcilasso, the historian of De Soto, on his route of discovery in 1539 to 1542. They were below the point where De Soto discovered the Mississippi River, in May, 1541. They are next reported, on the south side of the Arkansas River, by ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 145 Joutel, on his way back to the Illinois country, after the assassi¬ nation of LaSalle, in Texas, in 1687. They are next reported by Jed. Morse, in Southern Illinois, in 1697; whence they were subsequently driven by the Illinois tribes. It is probable that the Quapaws, who are now located on their reservation in the Indian Territory, are the last remnants of this tribe, whose name has been corrupted less than their morals. HUDSON. The Illinois Land Association, as it was called, was organized at Jacksonville, 111., February 6, 1836, by Horatio N. Pettit, John Gregory, Geo. F. Durkitt, and a number of others, hese three being appointed a committee of general superintend¬ ence. Each member of the colony paid $235 for a share in the enterprise. For this he was entitled to receive 160 acres of land, four town lots in the prospective village of Hudson, and a share in the net profits of the undertaking. Some twenty of the original shareholders became actual settlers. Among these were Horatio N. Pettit, John Gregory, John Magoun, Jarnes Robinson, Oliver March, James and Joseph Gildersleeve, Jacob Burtis, and Samuel P. Cox. The originators of the enterprise were many of them fi-om near Hudson, New York, and the name was given the new village in honor of their old home. The village survey was com¬ peted about July 4, 1836.—"History of McLean County.'' On a map of Illinois, published in 1857, there is a village called Hud¬ son Settlement, a short distance east of the present station. NORMAL. The original name of this township was North Bloomington, but was changed to Normal after the State Normal University was located here. The university was established by an act of the general assembly, approved February 18, 1857, and went into operation October 5, 1857. It will seat 270 pupils in the normal department, and 225 in the model-school department. The lands, comprising i-6o acres, were donated, as was also the cost of the buildings, about $150,000. BLOOMINGTON. A large tract of land in this county, McLean, extending over the present location of the city, was for- neriy known as Keg's Grove. William Orendorff, who came from below the Sangamon, located in this grove in May, 1823. Mrs. 10 146 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. Orendorfif, a lady of considerable culture, disliking the name Keg, suggested that it be changed to Blooming Grove, which was agreed upon in 1824. James Allen, one of the early settlers, bought the land on which the original village was located, and opened a store, at that time the only trading-place for this section of the country, and, in 1829, he succeeded in securing the location of the county-seat of McLean County upon his land, and called it Bloomington, from Blooming Grove. The Chicago-and-Alton Railroad have shops here employing 700 men. The Wesleyan University buildings, located here, cost $200,000. The court-house, a handsome building, cost $400,000. The city is supplied with water from a subterranean river, the water-works being north of the Chicago-and-Alton Railroad Com¬ pany's passenger-station. HENDRIX. Named in honor of John Hendrix, the first settler in the present limits of McLean County, who came here in the early part of 1822. The station is located on land which was originally part of his claim. RANDOLPH. Named after Gardner Randolph, one of the early settlers in this locality. Randolph's Grove is situated about three miles southeast of here. The township is likewise called Randolph. Station established in i860 as Fielders; changed to Randolph in 1862. HEYWORTH. In honor of Lawrence Heyworth, M. P., of Yew Tree, near Liverpool, England. He visited Illinois in 1856, and became a large stockholder in the Illinois-Central Rail¬ road. Originally called Elmwood. WAPELLA. After Wapello, chief of the Foxes, subordi¬ nate to Keokuk, principal chief of the Sacs and Foxes. Wapello wisely cast his lot with Keokuk, remaining with him west of the Mississippi, at peace with the Americans, when Black Hawk in¬ vaded Illinois and Wisconsin in 1832. In the.summer of the next year, when Black Hawk was brought back from Washington, a prisoner of war, to be returned to his tribe, a council was con¬ vened by Major Garland at Fort .Armstrong, Rock Island, for the ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMF,S. 147 the purpose of reconciling Black Hawk to the rule of Keokuk. Wapello used his influence on that occasion to soften the harsh¬ ness and asperity resulting from the old quarrel between Keokuk and Black Hawk, and to mitigate the humiliation of the latter on his return. The signification of his name, according to Drake, is The Little Prince, but those who have made Indian names a study would give it other meanings. IVai/ß or IVattb, in Sauk dialect, means—He that is painted white. There are still living men who remember Wapello as a candid and consistent friend to the Americans on all occasions. CLINTON. In honor of DeWitt Clinton, after whom the county was also named DeWitt. An American statesman, born at Little Britain, New Windsor, Orange County, New York, March 2, 1769: died in .Albany, February 11, 1828. He was at one time mayor of New-York City; was also in the senate of that State and in the senate of the United States. In 1816, he was elected governor of New York, and again in 1819. On July 4, 1817, he broke ground, with his own hands, for the construction of the Erie Canal, a measure which he had advocated with great earnestness, and in October, 1825, he was carried in a barge through the completed canal, while bells rang and cannons saluted him at every stage of that imposing progress. A grateful people mourned his death with all the pomp of national sorrow, and posterity cherishes his memory with the homage deserved by a benefactor of mankind. MARGA. T he Maroas, like the Kaskaskias and others, were a subtribe of the aggregation of savages known as the lllini. EMERY. After Clias. F. Emery, a neighboring land-owner, who was born near Ithaca, New York. He settled in Illinois, west of Maroa, in 1856. FORSYTH. -After Robert Forsyth, general freight agent of the Illinois-Central Railroad from 1856 to 1865. DECATUR. In honor of Commodore Stephen Decatur, who was born January 5, 1779. He was killed in a duel, fought March 22, 1820, near Bladensburg, Maryland, with Commodore James Barron, U. S. N. 148 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. ELWIN, formerly called Wheatland, is in the township ot South Wheatland, in the neighborhood of an extensive wheat tract; its name Wheatland was proposed in the county board by Robert Carpenter, and no objection being raised, it was so called. The post-office at this place was called South Wheatland, but owing to the confusion of mail matter between this place and East Wheatland, in Will County, 111., the name was changed to Elwin. This did not relieve the difficulty, however, and in 1880, the name of the town was changed to Elwin, from the names of two men, Elwood and Martin, the founders of the town. MACON. After Macon County, which was named in honor of Hon. Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina, whose fame, at the time of the formation of the county, extended throughout the nation. He was born in Warren County, North Carolina, in 1757, and died there, June 29, 1837. WALKER. After J. W. Walker, through whose influence a side-track was placed here. The station was called Willow Branch, the name of a small creék in the neighborhood, until June 6, 1882, when it was changed to Walker to conform with the post-office. MOAWEQUA. From Flat Branch, a small stream one and a-half miles south of the station, called by the Indians Moa- wequa. It means literally, she that weeps; from mow, to weep, and eqtia, woman ; mowe, wolf, equa, woman—-literally, weeping woman—the wolves always crying out or weeping. The south fork of the Sangamon (Pottawatomie) River bears this name. RADFORD. After Geo. Radford, neighboring land-owner. Station established in 1874. ASSUMPTION. Called Tacusah until 1859; changed to Assumption at the request of E. E. Malhiot of Assumption, Canada, who purchased a large tract of land here. Assumption, a festival of the Roman-catholic church, instituted to commemorate the ascent of the virgin Mary into heaven. From a very early period, it has been a belief in the western and oriental churches that, after death, the virgin was taken up, body and soul, into heaven. This event is called, in the ancient eccle- ORIGIN OV STATION-NAMES. 149 siastical writings, the assumption passage, or reposi, and is men¬ tioned by various early authors, among whom are St. Gregory of Tours, in the sixth century, and Andrew of Crete, at the begin¬ ning of the eighth century. The date of the institution of the festival is unknown, but it is mentioned as having been celebrated witli great solemnity before the sixth century, both in Greek and Latin churches. It falls on August 15.—Appleton. This station was settled largely by Roman catholics. DUNKHL. After Elias Dunkel, agent and neighboring land-owner. He was born January 5, 1849, Pickaway County, Ohio; his father emigrated to Menard County, 111., in 1852. In 1872, he removed to Christian County, where he now resides. In 1875, constructed a side-track and the necessary station-build¬ ings, and was appointed agent in 1879. PANA. In Father Anastasius Douay's narrative of LaSalle's attempt to ascend the Mississippi, in 1687, given in "Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi Valley, by John Cilmary Shea," mention is made of an Indian tribe of this name, which he locates west of the Mississippi. The Pani tribe were called Towiaches by the Spanish. In 1750, they were on the south bank of the Missouri. In 1804, Lewis and Clark reported them on the head¬ waters of the Red River, where they raised abundance of corn, and had many captives among them taken from the Spanish when children. St. Louis, Alton and Terre-Haiite Railroad track completed east to this point, August 2 j, 1855. OCONEE. From Oconee, the daughter of an Indian chief. Oconee is the Shawanee word for bone. RAMSEY. In honor of Alexander Ramsay, born near Har¬ risburg, Pa., September 8, 1815. In his boyhood, he worked at the carpenter trade, but having a fair education, he was appointed, in 1828, a clerk in the office of register of Dauphin County, Pa. Having a strong talent for active political work, he was soon con¬ spicuous in organizing Whig clubs. He was elected secretary of the Pennsylvania electoral college in 1840. Was a clerk of the lower house of the Pennsylvania legislature for several years; and illinois-ckntrai, railroad. a member of congress from 1843-7. In 184g, he was appointed, by President Taylor, governor of Minnesota Territory. His term ended in March, 1853. In 1855, he was elected mayor of St. Paul; in 1859, was elected governor of Minnesota, and reëlected in 1861; in February, 1863, he was appointed U. S. senator, and reappointed in 1869, his term expiring in 1875. O" September 10, 1879, President Hayes appointed him secretary of war, which portfolio he held until Mr. Garfield's cabinet was formed. VERA. Called Bear Creek prior to 1874. Vera, both in Latin and Spanish, means true. Vera Amicitia—tnie friendship, in Latin ; Vera Cruz—true cross, in Spanish. VANDALIA. By an act of the general assembly, approved January 27, 1821, this was declared to be the seat of government for twenty years from December i, 1820. Guy Beck and wife were the first settlers within the present limits of Fayette County; they were both natives of Kentucky, and came to Illinois when it was a territory, locating in Sl Clair County, near the Cahokia village, in the year 1809. On the breaking, out of the war of 1812, he enlisted as a ranger and served until peace was declared. His improvements were made on Sec. 9, T. 8, R. 2. The First Presbyterian Church at this place was organized July 5, 1828, by Rev. Solomon P. Hardy, a missionary sent out by the American Home Missionary Society. The Vandalia Intelligencer was started about 1822; afterward succeeded by the Illinois Intelligeneer. Vandalia was for about twenty years the capital of the State, which was moved from Kaskaskia in 1820, and remained here until 1839, when it was removed to Springfield. The town was surveyed and laid out in July, 1819, by Wm. C. Greenup, Beal Greenup, and John McCullom. The latter named his first child Vandalia McCullom.—" History of Fayette Co." Gov. Ford, in his " History of Illinois," says that when the capital was to be moved from Kaskaskia, a high-sounding name was desired for a new capital. A wag suggested that the Vandals were a nation renowned in the classics, and proposed Vandalia, which was adopted. ORIGIN OF STATION-NAMES. 15I " It is an extraordinary fact that in this town, the capital of Illinois, a State more extensive and infinitely more fertile than England, the first house in which was not begun until the year 1821, three annual meetings of an antiquarian and historical society have already taken place, and the whole of their pub¬ lished proceedings are as regular, as well conducted, and as well printed, from the Blackwell press of Vandalia, as if the seat of the society had been at Oxford or Cambridge. "Judge Hall's second address to the society, in 1828, contains the following remarkable passage ; ' It is but eight years since the axe was first laid to the tree on the spot where we are now assembled. All around was one vast wilderness. The gentle stream that murmurs past our town had never been traced through its meanders by any but the hunters. A rich growth of majestic oaks covered the site of the future metropolis, and tangled thickets, almost impervious to the human foot, surrounded it on every side. The gendemen who attended the first session of the legislature, which sat at this place, sought their way through the neighboring prairies as the mariner steers over the trackless ocean, by his knowledge of the cardinal points. Our judges, legislators, and lawyers came pouring in from opposite directions, as the wander¬ ing tribes assemble to their council, and many were the tales of adventure and mishap related at their meeting. Some were lost in the prairies, some slept in the woods, some were almost chilled to death in plunging through the creeks and rivers. Now, we have post-roads diverging in every direction, and our mails are brought in stages from the East, the West, and the South. The fine country to the north was then just beginning to attract atten¬ tion. Wonderful accounts came to us from the Sangamon and the Mauvais-terre [part of the district of Morgan County, in the neighborhood of Jacksonville], of rich lands and pure streams, and prairies more beautiful than any which had previously been discovered. But those lands had not yet been offered for sale by the United States, and were not included in the limits of any county. The adventurous settlers neither owned the soil on which they lived, nor enjoyed the benefit of any civil organiza- 152 ILLINOIS-CENTRAL RAILROAD. tion. What a change has been produced in eight years ! The country which, previously to that period, was known only as an inviting frontier, forms now the fairest portion of our State. A dozen counties have been formed in that direction and within that time, three of which rank among the foremost in wealth, im¬ provement, and population.'"—"Three Years in North America. By James Stuart. Edinburgh, 1833." SHOBONIER. The name of an Indian chief. It is derived from the word chevalier, a name given him by the French, mean¬ ing a horseman, or gallant young man. In the language of the tribe through which this name comes to us, there is no sound of V or 1; these sounds are supplied by b and n. The interpreters introducing the name to writing have therefore varied the French orthography of the word accordingly, and rendered it Shobonier. VERNON. Established in 1872; named after Wm. Vernon, auditor of the Illinois-Central Railroad Co. up to 1875. Died February 5, 1881. PATOKA. After Patokah, an Indian chief, who, with his tribe, lived at the Mineral Springs, a few miles west of here. Their burial-ground is also near the springs. WILSON'S SIDING. After W. B. Wilson of Carrigan, who built a saw-mill here when the side-track was finished. SANDOVAL. After an old Mexican or Spanish chief; should be pronounced Sandoval. The first regular connection with the Ohio-ahd-Mississippi Railroad was made at this point, August 23, 1855. INDEX BY r REDERICK A. HUNT. A. Abbott, Samuel, 120 n. Accidents, statistics of, relatively to railroads and stage-coaches, etc., 61 ; statement by Charles Francis Adams, Jr., concerninL,, 61-2. Adams, Charles Francis, Jr., state¬ ment by, relative to railroad acci¬ dents, 61. Adams Street, West Chicago, 53 n. i£tna Station, derivation, 128. A^cultural College, 111., 132. Alabama, 34; grant to railroads in, 35. Albany, N.Y., 38, 41, 520. Albany Evening Journal., 4; see Thur- low Weed. Alexander Co., 111., 18, 26 n, 30. Alexander, M. K., 100. Algonquin tribe, 109, no, 112, 123, 139- Allen, Horatio, 5. Allen, James, 146. Alien Paper Car-Wheel Co., 117. Alma River, Russia, 131. Alma Station, derivation, 131. Alton, III., I in, 13, 460, 730, 99; railroad from, 31; railroad from to Springiield, 50. Alton-and-Sangamon R. R., 50; char¬ tered to run from Alton to Spring¬ field; completed, 31; charter of, 50. AUon-and-Springfield K.K., estimated cost of, 18. Amboy Station, derivation, 142. American Bottom, St.Clair Co., 9. American Home-Missionary Soc., 150. Anderson, Capt. John H., 142. Andrew of Crete, 149. Anna Station, derivation, 137. Annapolis, Md., 70. Ann Arbor, Mich., 59. Aplington, Zenas, 141. Apple-River Station, derivation, 139. Arcóle, 128. Arcóle Station, derivation, 128. Arkansas, loi n. Armstrong, W. H., railroad commi:»- sioner, report as to rates, 59. Army Corps (17th), 46 n. Army of the Potomac, 46. Arter, Dr. Daniel, 137. Ashkum, Iroquois chief, 124. Ashkum Station, derivation, 124. Ashley, I. F., 135. Ashley, L. W., 41, 133, 135. Ashley Station, derivation, 133. Ashmun, Hon. George, 34. Assumption, Canada, 148; festival of the description, 148. Assumption Station, derivation, 148. Atlantic Ocean, 69. Augusta, Ga., 5. Aurora, 111., 48. Aurora-Branch R. R. Co., chartered, 48; see Chicago-and-Aurora R. R. "A Winter in the West," by Charles Fenno Hoffman, accredited, 121 n. B. Bacon, Wm., 106. Baileyville Station, named after O. Bailey, 141. Bailly, Eleanor, 122 n. Bailly, Esther, 122 n, Bailly, Hortense, 122 n. Bailly, Joseph (Bailly de Messein), let¬ ter concerning him and his descend¬ ants, i2on, 121 n, I22n; location of homestead, 121 n. Bailly, Rosine, 122 n. Baillytown, Ind., 123. Baker, David Jewett, 138. INDEX. Baker, Edward Dickinson, 73 n, 78, 92 n, 97. Baker, William, 140. Baldwin, James, 52 n. Baldwin, Mathias W., 24; locomotive- builder, his birth and death, 240. Baltimore, Md., 8n, 12, 55; confer¬ ences in, result in construction of B. & O. R. R. ; railroad system from not completed until 1874; railroad to Ellicott Mills opened, 7; from to Ellicott Mills travelled in one hour, 9; assisted B. & O. R. R., 54. Baltimore-and-Ohio R. R., iin, 54, 55; alleged to have been the ftrst Chartered and fully-organized com¬ pany; construction of, the result of conferences held in Baltimore; act of incorporation of, granted; com¬ pany organized; inauguration of; section from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills opened, 7; steam-power intro¬ duced on; first locomotive used on; first locomotive built in America, named Tom Thumb ; opposed by Chesapeake-and-Ohio Canal Co., 8; solved many problems of transpor¬ tation, 9; history of company men¬ tioned, 9n; Washington branch of, II n. Banks, Nathaniel P., 45, 450. Baraboo Air-Line ( Wis. ) R. R. be¬ comes part of C.-and-N.-W. R. R., 51; see C.-and-N-W. R. R. Baraga, Bishop Frederick, his defini¬ tion of Chicago, 110. Barnes, Phelps & Matt^on, 128. Barnes, Thomas, 135. Barron, Com. James, 147. Barron, William T., 460. Barry's Point, Chicago, 52 n. Bass, Perkins, 460. Batavia, 111., 53n. Batchelder, Joseph, 120. Baxter, W. D., 105. Beck, Guy, 150. Belleville, 111., 130, 15, 29n, 370, 99. Beloit-and-Madison R. R. becomes part of C.-and.-N.-W. Ry., 51; see C.-and-N.-W. Hy. Beman, S. S., architect of Pullman, 118. Benson, Robert & Co., agents for 111.- Central in London, Eng., 131. Berkshire Co., Mass., 520. Berkshire Star^ Mass., 520. Beverly, Mass., 380, 126. Big-Muddy River, 111., 42. Big-Muddy Station, named after Big- Muddy River, 135. Bill to aid in construction of railroad and canals, 87. Bird, John, 138. Bird, Thomas, 138 Bird, William, 138. Birkbeck, Morris, 43; secretary-of- state, 43 n. Bissell, Gov. William H., 64. Black, Jeremiah S., makes erroneous statement relative to Western rail¬ roads, 47; chief-justice, etc., and death, 47 n ; maíces extraordinary statement before anti - monopoly league, 61. Black-Hawk, 139, 146, 147. Black-Hawk War, loi n, 139. Blackstone, Timothy B., 42,142; pres. Chicago-and-Alton R. R. Co., 420. Blackwell press of Vandalia, The, 151. Bladensburg, Md., 147. Blooming Grove, III, 146. Bloomington, 111., 18, 30, 390, 42, 80, 84, 100. Bloomington Station, 111., 145. BIoomington-and-Mackinaw Railroad, locomotive purchased for, used on Northern-Cross Railroad, 103. Board of Public Works, for railroads, constituting same and members o^ ICO; organized, loi. Boltenhouse Prairie, 111., 43. Bond County, III., 18, 92; "friend from," 92n, 93. 94. Bond, Gov. Shadrach, 83, 138. Bosky-Dell Station, derivation, 135. Boston, Mass , 28, 38, 38 n, 44, 52 n, 96; deaths by accident in, compared *to number caused by Massachusetts railroads, 61-2. Boston-and-Albany Railroad, 52 n. Boulevards, 114. Bowen, James H., 119. Brayman, Mason, 46, 460. Breese, Sidney, 15, 16, 19, 20 n, 33, 71 n, 86, 87, 98, 138; letter to John K. Sawyer relative to Wabash-and- Mississippi R. R., 16-9; advocates railroad; claims project of lUL-Cent. ; INDKX. 155 )ik own epitaph, 20; incorporator of lU.-Cent., 21; birth of, various offices held, and death, 33 n; corre- mndence between and Stephen A. Douglas relative to Breesens claim to have originated idea of 111.-Cent. K, R., appendix, <•/favors re¬ lease of Cairo Co., 63; claims origi¬ nation of 111.-Cent. ; comment by Rtgisiier on his claim, 64; letter from S. A. Douglas to, 65-76; his claim somewhat invalidated, 68; letter to S. A. Douglas, 76-89; epitaph de¬ sired, 89; letter to from S. A. Doug¬ las, 90-8; Ill.-Cent. suggested to, ^;epitaph suggested by S. A. Doug¬ las; concedes that William S. Wait originated idea of 111.-Cent., 93; ac¬ cu^ of traducing Gen. Shields and Sen. Douglas, 97; see "friend from Bond Co. " Bridgeport, Conn., 41. Bridges, Lyman J., 133. Bristol, R.I., 45n, 115. Bross, Lieut.-Gov, Wm., 550; predic¬ tion as to commerce of Chicago, 55. Brown County, 111., loin. Brown, Henry, 23; historian, his birth and death, 23 n. Brown, Gen. Jacob, 109. Brown, William Hubbard, 53 n. Btownsville, III., 18. Briisb, Daniel H., 135. Itack, A., 135. Bock, I., 135. Bncklin, Jas. M., loi, 103; letter rela¬ tive to Illinois railroads, ion. Bnchanan, James, 47 n. Buena Vista, Méx., 102n. Buffalo, N.V., 41, 54. Buflalo-and-Attica K. R., opened in 1842, S3 n. Buckley Station, derivation, 125. Bullock, Thomas, 144. Burnett, Warren, son of Alex. Bur¬ nett. 140. Biumside, Gen. Ambrose Everett, 45; senator and death, 45 n ; cashier and treasurer I.-C. R. K., maj.-gen. and death, 115. Boraside Station, ten miles of corn- oibs built at, 115. Porrall, W. P., 125. Bnrtis, Jacob, i45> Butler, Pierce, mar. Fanny Kemble, 4. Buttertield, Justin, 32,71,81,94; death, 32 n; birth, dist.-att'y, death, 9411. C. Cache River, 111., canal to, 30. Cairo, 111., î6, 30, 32, 38, 42, 69, 80, 84, 99; Cent. R. R. from, 25; rail¬ road from, 32; railroad to, 33; line from, to L^Salte, completed, 43 ; road from to Chicago, 81 ; institu¬ tion of city, 83; origin of, 138. Cairo City-and-Canal Co., 31, 32, 63, 64,95,138; incorporated and powers given to; to construct canal, 30; ac¬ quires all lands granted by congress to aid Ill.-Cent. ; releases all its fran¬ chises to State of Illinois; all acts granted to repealed, 34; see Great- Western R'y Co.; see I.-C. R. K. Cairo, N. Y., birthplace of Thurlow Weed, 4n. Cahokia Village, 150. Caldwell, Billy (Indian chief), 127. Calhoun County, 111., 99n. Calhoun, John B., 78,108,125,127,144. Calumet Club, 122 n. Calumet River, 119, 121 n. Calumet region, 123. Calumet Station, 42, 119. Calumet-and-ChicagoCanal-and-Dock Co., 119. Camac, Turner, introducer of wooden- rail line for transporting ice, 4. Canada, i2on, I2in, I22n. Canadian-Pacific R'y, subsidy to, 36. Canal, 111.-and-Mich. ; see III.-and- Mich. Canal. Canal Street, Chicago, 53 n. Canal Street, New Orleans, 55, Capitals of Illinois designated, 150. Carbondale, 111., 135. Carbondale Station, derivation, 135. Carbondale Observer accredited, 135. Carlyle, 111., 18, 33 n, 63. Carlin, Gov. Thomas, senator, gov¬ ernor, birth, and death, 26 n. Carpenter, Robert, 148. Carroll, Charles, of Carrollton, com¬ mences B.-and-0. R. R., 7; birth and death, 7 n. Carrollton, 111., 26n. Carson, Irving W., the scout, conductor on Hyde-Park train, and death, 46. INDEX. Casey, Gov. Zadoc, 84, 94. Cass County, 111., loi n. Cass, Gen. Lewis, 124. Centennial Exhibition, 117. Central-City Station, so called from Centraba, 132. Centraba, Ib., 42. Centraba Station, derivation, 132. Central Military-Tract R. R. Co., con¬ solidated with Chicago-and-Aurora R. R., 49; see Chi.-&-Aurora R. R. Central R. R., from Cairo to Galena, appropriation for; initial and termi¬ nal points, 25; estimated cost of 457 miles of, four millions ; report of commissioners relative to, 26; actual cost of, 27; report concerning, 2S-9; see Illinois-Central R. R. Chalumeau, 119. Chamber of Commerce, N.Y., 47. Chambers, Isaac, 141. Champaign County, III., 126. Champaign Station, derivation, 126. Chapultepec, Mexico, 270, 4611. Charleston, 111., 73n. Charleston, S. C., 5, 6. Chebanse Station, derivation, 124. Checagoumeinan, 112. Checagua, 112. Checaugou, iii. Chekagou, 112. Cheocago, 112, Cheraw, S.C., 6. Chesapeake-and-Ohio Canal Co., ani¬ mosity of, to B.-and-O. R. R., 8. Chicag, no. Chicago, ion, 11 n, 2on, 230, 28, 32, 32 n, 34, 35, 36 n, 38, 40, 40 n, 41, 41 n, 42, 46n, 48, 50, 520, 53, 530, 55, 59, 62 n, 65, 69, 690, 71, 73 n, 77, 80, 82, 86, 94n, 95, 96, 99n, I02n, 114, lió, I2in, 124; railroad system from Baltimore to not com¬ pleted until 1874, 7; railroad from to the navigable waters of the 111. River, ion; railroad to, 32; railroad from, 34; line from to main line of 111.-Cent. R. R. completed, 43; line from to Ft. Howard completed, 51; had but one railroad in 1851^ 51 ; Galena road finished from to Elgin, 53; population in 1852; miles of railroad leading into in 1854; mile¬ age of six leading lines in, in 1869 and 1882; never invested in her rail¬ roads; reasons for eminence, 54; grain-storage capacity, 55; road from to Upper Mississippi; road from Cairo to, 81; meaning of name, 109, "3- Chicago-and-Alton R. R., 42 n, 143, 146 ; charters under which con¬ structed; iiame of, Chicago,-Alton,- and-St.Loiiis R. R. ; name changed to St.Louis,-Alton,-and-Chic. R.R.; road from Alton to Springfield first built, then from Springfield to Joliet; now has 970 miles of road, 50; mile¬ age in 1869 and 1882, 54; see St. Louis,-Alton,-and-Chic. R. R.; see Chic.,-Alton,-and-St.Louis R. R. CIiicago,-Aiton,-and-St. Louis R. R.; name of Chic.-and-Alton changed to; name changed to St. L.,-Alton,- and-Chic. R. R., 50; see St.Loais,- Alton,-and-Chic. R. R.; see Chic.- and-Alton R. R. Chicago-and-Aurora R. R., chartered, 48; road built; consolidated with Central Military-Tract R. R.; pur¬ chased line from Galesburg to Quincy; acquired Peoria-&-Oqua>w- ka R. R. ; C.,-B.,-and-Q. R. R. con¬ trols nearly 2000 miles of track, 49; see C.,-B.,-and-Q. R. R.; see Peo- ria-and-Oquawka R. R. ; see Cent. Military-Tract R. R. Chic.,-Burlington,-and-Quincy R. R., 48, 143; completed track into Chic, on 16th St., 49; mileage in 1869 and 1882, 54; see Aurora-Hnuncb R. R.; see Chic.-and-Aurora R. R. Chicago Daily Democrat^ 37 n; letter to, concerning railroad bill, Chic.,-Danville,-and-Vincennes R.R., 119. Chicago Drop-Forging Co., 117. Chicago-and-Eastern-Ill. R. R., 119. Chicago Historical Society, 430. Chicago Locomotive Works, built first locomotive in Chicago, 53; organi¬ zation, date of, and its officers, 530. Chicago-and-Milwaukee* R. R., ab¬ sorbed by C.-and-N.-W. R*y, 51; see C.-and-N.-W. R'y. Chic.,-Milwaukee,-and-St.Paul R. R., constructed under various charters; consolidation termed Racine-and- IXDKX. 157 Mississippi Co. ; early history replete with reverses, 49; miles^ in 1869 and 1882, 54; see Racine^and-Mis- àssippi Co. Chicago-and-Mississippi R. R., char¬ ter of, 50. Chic.-and-N,-W. R'y Co., outgrowth of several companies ; title derived from Chic.,-St. Paul,-and-Fond-du- Lac R. R. Co., 50; completes line of Chic.,-St. Paul,-and-Fond-du-Lac R. R. ; consolidates with various ^»ecified companies; now has 5000 miles of road, 51; exhibited " Pio¬ neer" locomotive, 53 n; mileage in 1869 and 1882, 54; see Chic.,-St. Paul,-and-Fond-du-Lac R. R. Co. Chic^ River, junction of forks of, point of departure for railroad, ion. Ouc.,-Rock-Island,-and-Pacific R*y, originated with the Rock-Isl'nd-and- LaSalle R. R. Co., 51; mileage in 1869 and 1882, 54; see Rock-lsl'd- ■nd-LaSalle R. R. QiScago,- St Paul, -and - Fond - du -Lac R. R. Co., gave title to Chic.-and- y.-w. R'y Co.; a consolidation of two companies ; various companies consolidated with, 50; becomes em¬ barrassed and reorganizes, 50-1 ; see C.-and-N.-W. R'y. Cbicago-and-Southem R. R., 119. Oiicago-and-Vincennes R. R., charter granted to, 12. C^c-and-West-Indiana R. R., 119. Oiicagok, 110. CÜiicagong, iii. Chicago Tribune^ accredited, 99. Chickasaw Bayou, 46 n. Cl^augoDg, no. Childs, Capt. John, 34. Chinn, M. A., loi. Chippewa Indians, 109, 124. Church of St. Ann's, Detroit, 121 n. <^dnnati, O., assisted her railr'ds, 54. Oacioiiati,-IiuiiaDapolis,-St. Louis, Chicago R. R., 124. Cindnnati, - Lafayette, - and - Chicago R. R., 124. Clark, L. H., 43. Oeaver, Charles, 460, 114. CSeaverville, 111., 114. Cleeland, Samuel, 136. OeveUnd, O., 54. Clifton House, Chicago, 124. Clifton Station, derivation of, 124. Clinton County, III., 18. Clinton, DeWitt, sketch of, 147. Clinton Station, derivation, 147. Clothilde, Princess, 126. Coal-MLne-BIulT R. R., description of its construction, 14, 15 ; its sale ; chartered, 15; see St. Clair R.R. Co. Cobden, Richard, visit to America ; birth and death, 48; sketch of, 136. Cobden Station, derivation, 136. Collamer, Judge Jacob, 74, 82, 85, 86. Collins, Charles, 102, 104, 107. Columbia, S.C., 5. Columbus, O., 59. Co. "D," 19th 111. Vol. Inf'y, 108. Comegys, John, 138. Commissioners, law directing gov. to appoint three railroad, 57; beneñcial if discreet in exercise of duties; rail¬ road, in New York and Mass., 58. Common Council, Chicago, grant 111. - Cent. R. R. permission to enter city along lake shore, 42. Conductor, first railroad, in III., 104. Congress, 33, 38, 60; land-grant ques¬ tion in, 32. "Congressional Reminiscences," by John Wentworth; account of pass¬ age of I.-C. R. R. bill in, 34; ac¬ credited, 89 n. Connecticut River, 52 n. Connor, A., 135. Constitutional Convention, 111., yon. Conwell, Mrs. Mary (Mapes), married to Murray McConnell, loi n. Cooley, Thomas M., 59. Cooper Institute, 61. Cooper, Peter, built first locomotive used on B.-and-O. R.R., S; Cooper Institute; birth and death, 8n. Coquillard, Miss Frances, 122 n. Corliss Engine, 117. Corliss, Mr. Geo. H., 117. Corn, less quantity carried, 55; made into whisky, 56. Cornell, Paul, 46 n; founder of Hyde Park; erects Hyde-Park House, 114; built Cornell Watch Factory, 115. Corporations, number of railroad, in Illinois, 51. Corwin, Thomas, 98. Corwirti, Henry, 32, 32 n. 158 INDEX. Cottage Hill, III., Galena Railroad opened to, 53 n. Council'Hill Station, 139. Cox, Samuel P., 145. Crimea, Russia, localities in the, 131. Crittenden, John J., 81, 98. Croghan, George, 21 n. Cruger, W. H., 125. D. Uaggy, Henry Clay, 108. Daggy, John Julian, 108. Daggy, Peter, land commissioner of 111.-Cent. R.R., sketch of, 107. Daily Register^ III., 93 n ; accredited, 90. Danforih, George W., 125. Danforth Station, derivation, 125. Danville, Penn., 42. Dartmouth College, 40 n. Dartmouth College Phalanx, 27 n. Davidson, Alexander, 20, 20 n. Davie, Mrs. Anna, 137. Davie, Winstead, 137. Davis, Charles, 138. Davis & Gartner, 9. Dearborn Street, Chicago, 52, 52 n. Decatur, 111., 18, 30, 80, 84. Decatur Station, derivation, 147. Decatur, Com. Stephen, 147. De Gaspé, family of, 122 n. Delaware Indians, 123. Delaware-and-Chesapeake Canal, rail¬ road to remove earth of, 4. Delaware-and-Hudson Canal Comp'y, built short line from mines at Hones- dale, 5. Delph, Wm. H., locomotive-engineer and superintendent, 104. DeMessein, Bailly, 122 n; see Bailly. Democratic Press, 44. Denver, Colo., loi n. DesMoines, la.'. State Industrial Con¬ vention at, 55. DeSoto, Ferdinand, 134, 144. DeSoto Station, derivation, 134. Desplaines River, ion, 52, 52n, 53, 112; Galena R. R. opened to, 530. Detroit, 40n, 41, 62n, I2in. DeWolf, Lieut. Wm., 46; death, 46n. DeWolf, William Frederick, one of defenders of Lovejoy's press, 46 n. Dickens, Charles, 138. Dimick Station, 143. " Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi Valley,''accredited, 149. District of Columbia, 96. Dixie's Land, 43. Dixon, 111., 80, 86, 141. Dixon, Father John, yin, sketch, 142. Dixon Station, derivation, 142. DixoD,-Rockford,-and-Keaosha R. R. Co., consolidated with Chic.-and- N.-W. R'y, Si; see C.-&-N. W. Ry. Dixon, - Rockford,-&-State-Line R. R., component of Dixon,-Rockford,-&- Kenosha R. R., 51 ; see Dixon,- Rockford,-&-Kenosha R. R. Dodds, Samuel J., 140. Don, Valley of the, Russia, 46 n. Dongola Station, named after Don- gola, Africa, 137. Doran's Crossing, derivation, 128. Doran, S. A., 128. Douay, Father Anastasius, 149. Dougherty, John, 135. Douglas, John M, 140. Douglas, Sholto, 53 n. Douglas Station, derivation, 114. Douglas, Stephen Arnold, 16, 20, 32, 34, 64, 73 n, 89, 92 D, 98; sketch of, 20 n, 113; bill for railro^, 33; ban¬ quet proffered to, 35 ; correspond¬ ence between and S. Breese relative to latter's claim of having originated the idea of the 111.-Cent. R. R., ap¬ pendix, 63 et seq; letter to Sidney Breese relative to his claim of hav¬ ing originated the I.-C. R. R., 65- 76; secures land-grant to 111., 75; letter from S. Breese to, 76-89. DuBois, 111., town of, coal found at, 133. DuBois, Jesse K., 133. DuBois Station, derivation, 133. Dubuque, la., 138. Duff, John & Co., contractors for Northern-Cross R.R., 105. Duncan, Gov. Joseph, l6n, loin, 104, message eulogizes canals, 12; mes¬ sage eulogizes railroads, 12-3; mes¬ sage urges canal and railroads, 21 ; sketch of, 21 n. Dunford, Eng., 48n. Dunkel, Elias, sketch of, 149. Dunkel Station, derivation, 149. Dunlap, James, 102, 104. Dunleith, 111., 42, 138; line from I^- Salle to, completed, 43, TNI )K\'. Danleith-and-Dubuque Bridge Co., 138. PuQuoin, 134. DuQuoin Station, derivation, 134. Darkitt, George F., 145. Dwight, III., 52 n. Dyer, Thomas, 46 n, 69, 114; mayor and death, 69 n. E. East Burlington, 111., road from to . Peoria, 49. East-Dubuque Station, 138. East St Louis, 15. Eastern States, 60. fiden, 138. Edgar County, 111., 370. Edgewood Station, derivation, 130. Edinburgh, Scotland, 114, 141. Edwards, Gov. Ninian, zgn. Edwardsville, 111., i6n. Effingham, Edward, 129. Effingham Station, derivation, 129. Egan, Isaac, 131. Eldena, 111., 142. Eldena Station, derivation, 142. Eleroy Station, 140. Elgin, 111., Galena railroad finished from Chicago to, 53, 53 n. Eluabeth, 111., 140. Elizabethtown, N.J., 24. Elk Prairie, 111., 134. Elkville Station, derivation, 134. EUicott Mills, Md., 8n; railroad from Baltimore to, opened, 7; from Bal¬ timore to traveled in one hour, 9. Illswortb Coal Co., 25 n. £1 Paso, 111., 125. El Paso Station, named after ICI Paso (The Pass), N. M., 144. Elwin Station, derivation, 148. Emery, Charles F., 147. Emery Station, derivation, 147. England, 95. Erie Canal, 147; operated in '26, 52n. Erie Railroad, 67. Europe, 67. Evans, Alexander, 82. Everett, Charles W., 46. F. Fairview Station, 114. Farina Station, 130. Farms in 111. in 1850 and 1880, 51. Farnum, Henry, 62; death, 620. Fayette County, 111., 18. "Fergus' Historical Series," accred¬ ited, 34 n, 52 n, 890. Fergus Printing Co., 130. Fergus, Robert, letter to from Frances R. Howe, i2on, I2i n, I22n. Ferguson, Wm., author of "America by River and Kail," 130. Fever River, HI., 25, 139. Ficklin, Orlando B., 730, 97. Field, Joseph, ran first locomotive in 111., 104. Filamalee, 142. Fillmore, Millard, 98. Fingal, 140. Florida, grant to railroads in, 35. Ford, (iov. Thomas, 105, 150. Foresten Station, derivation, 141. Forsyth, Robert, 147. Forsyth Station, derivation, 147. Fort Armstrong, 111., council at, 146. Fort Chartres, 134. Fort Crévecœur, iii. Fort Dearborn, 109; Jno. Wentworth's history of, accredited, 520. Fort Donelson, La., 143. Fort Howard, line from Chicago to, completed, 51. Fort Stephenson, 21 n. Forty-seventh St., Chicago, 114. Foss, Robert H., S3n. Foster, John W., 108. Foster, Rastrick & Co., built the first locomotive perm'tly used in U. S., 5. France, accidents on stage-coaches and railroads in, 61. Francis, Simeon, editor 77/i' Sau^avia your nal, 13 n. Franklin, Benjamin, 137. Franquelin, J. B., 112. Freeport, 111., 140, 141 ; Galena Rail¬ road finished from Elgin to, 53. Freeport Station, derivation, 140. Freight, early rates, 107. French, the intermarriage of, with Ottawas, 121 n. French, Gov. Aug. C., 37, 101 n, 105; representative and governor, 37 n. Fugitive slave, 43. F'und commissioners for railroads, who composed, and their needed qualifi¬ cations, 100. i6o INDEX. G. Galena, 111., 25, 38, 69, 73n, 80, 84, 86, 99; Central Railroad to, 25; railroad to, 32, 33. Galena River, origin of name and his* torical account of, 139; called Riviere au Parisien by Marqüette and Jollet, 139 n. Galena Station, derivation, 139. Galena-and-Chicago Union Railroad, 52 n, 141; meiged in Chicago-and N.-W. R'y; only railroad entering Chicago; incorporation of, 51 ; sur¬ veys made in 1S37, 52; surveyed and road laid with strap-iron; first loco¬ motive built in Chicago for, 53; old strap-iron bought for; first locomo¬ tive; progress of, in 1849, 53 n; see C.-and-N.-W. R'y. Galesburg, III., road to Mendota, 49. Galton, Douglas, 128. Gallon Station, 128. Garcilasso de la Vega, historian of DeSoto, 144. Garfield, James Abram, 141, 150. Garland, Maj. John, 146. Garretson, Mrs. Julia F., married to Edward McConnell, 102 n. Gatewood, Wrp. J , decries railroad because it militates against canal, 13; representative and senator, 130. General Assembly of Illinois, 37. General land-office at Wash., 108. Georgia, grant to railroads in, 35. Gibson, George L., 144. Gilbert, Miles A., 138. Gildersleeve, James, 145. Gildersleeve, Joseph, 145. Gillette, Belazeel, 102 n. Gillette, Maria Augusta, married to George Murray McConnell, 102 n. Gilman, Samuel, 125. Gilman Station, derivation, 125. Grain, finding an outlet other than Chicago, 55> Grand-Crossing Station, 114. Grand-Trunk Railway, 119. Grant, Gen. Ulysses Sylvester, 46. Great Britain, 61. Great-Central Railway Company, 82; see III.-Cent. R. R. Great-Eastern Railroad, 119. Great-Western R'y Co., 66, 107; in¬ corporated in '43 to comprise direc¬ tors of Cairo City-and-Canal Co.; initial and terminal pofnts of road, 30; indebtedness of company liqui¬ dated; charter could be amended; method of reimbursement by State; one-fourth of net earnings to be paid to State; insolvent and charter re¬ pealed, 31; charter renewed; privi¬ leges; from Cairo to Chicago, 32; presentation of memorial for, 66; why incorporated, 84; see Alton- and-Sangamon R. R.; see Cairo City-and-Canal Co. Great-Western-R'y-Co.-01-1859, name of San^mon-and-Morgan Rmlrcad changed to; how part of Wabash,- St. I^uis,-and-Pacific R'y, 25; see Wabash,-St. Louis,-and-Pacific R'y; see Sangamon-and-Morgan R. R. Greenup, Beal, 150. Greenup, Wm. C., 150. Greenville, 111., 16, 16 n. Gr^ory, John, 145. Gridley, A., 39 ; senator and death, 390. Griggs & Co., Samuel C., 102n. Griswold, George, 37» 39« Guiteau, Charles J., the assassin, 141. Guiteau, L. W., 141. Gulf of Mexico, 22, 69, 95. Gumee, Walter S., 42. H. Haldane, Alexander, sketch of, 141. Haldane Station, derivation, 141. Hall, Judge James, 151, Hamburg, Ga., 5. Hammond, Chas. G.,.62; death, 62n. Hardin, John J., 97, 102 n. Hardy, Solomon P., 150. Harlem R. R. Co.; permission given to lay tracks from 23d St. to Harlem River; additional privilege granted; first railroad in N.-Y. City; cars run for first time; road completed, 6. Harris, Rob't, 62, 64; pres't Northern- Pacific R'y, 62 n. Hart, James, 119. Hartford Station, 119. Harvard Law-School, 102 n. Haven, Franklin, 38, 39, 44. Hawkins, Rev, J. L., 135. Hayes, Rutherford B., 150. Hayes, Samuel Jarvis, 127. Hayes Station, derivation, 127. INDEX. l6l Hebron, Conn., 23 n. Hempstead, Edward, 53 n. Hendrix, John, 146. Hendrix Station, derivation, 146. Hennepin, Father Louis, 111,112,113. Henry Co., 111., 71 n. Henry, James D., loi n. Henry, S. V., 132. Herculaneum, Mo., loi n. Hetton Colliery; railway; first freight line in England ; opened ; " iron- horse " first applied to loc'tives of, 3. Heyworth, Lawrence, 146. Heyworth Station, derivation, 146. Hillsboro, 111., 99. ''History of the English Settlement in Edwards Co., III.," 43 n. "HisL of Fayette Co., " accred'd, 150. "History of Illinois," 20; accredited, 20n, 230; designates the III.-Cent, a vagary, 20; quotation from as to insolvent condition of State of 111., 23; erroneous statement in, 46; by Davidson & Stuve, accredited, 134; by Gov. Ford, 150. "Hist, of McLean Co.,"accred'd, 145. "History of Stephenson Co.," accred¬ ited, 140-1. Hofliman, Chas. Fenno, author of "A Winter in the West," 121 n. Höge, Joseph P., 730, 78, 97. Holbrook, Charters, 34, 63, 64, 65; Sidney Breese alleged to be in favor of, 63; see Holbrook and Holbrook Company. Holbrook Co., 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71. Holbrook, Darius B., 84, 89, 9'* 9^i 94» 95» 96» 98; president Cairo City- and Canal Comp'y, 34; unites with Judge Breese, 83; attempted to seize land-grant of 111.-Cent. R. R., 97; see Holbrook Charters and Hol- brook Co. Holman, Wm. S., makes erroneous statement relative to cost of Illinois- Central Railroad, 47. Holt, Nelson, 134. Homewood Station, derivation, 119. Honesdale, 5. Horse Tramway, 4 miles of built, 107. Hotel Florence, Pullman, 118. House of Rcpres., memorial to, 37. Howe, Mrs. Francis, Rosine Bailly, J 22 n. I 1 Howe, Frances R., 122 n; letter from to Rob't Feigus, i2on, 121 n, 122 n. Howe, Mrs. J. C., 119. Howe, Rose, 122 n. Howell, George, 520. Howell, Henry, 131. Hubbard, Samuel Dickinson, 82. Hudson River, 52 n, 114. Hudson Settlement, 145. Hudson Station, derivation, 145. Humboldt, F. H. A. von, birth and death, 128. Humboldt Station, derivation, 128. Hyde Park, III, 46, 114, 116; first train to, 46 n. Hyde-Park House, erected by Paul Cornell, 114. Hyde-Park Station, derivation, 114. I. Illini, 147. Illinois, 13, 18, 19, 26n, 270, 29, 2911, 32. 33. 35. 37 n, 38. 39> 40. 45. 50, 54, 66, 67, 7311, 78, 96, 97; early efforts for railroads in and their futility; act passed for survey of rail¬ road or canal route, 9; first road projected and located by legislature of, ion; passage of internal-im¬ provement act and its ludicrous pro¬ visions, 22; board of commissioners appointed and failure of the bill; legislature of authorizes expenditure of ten million dollars; insolvent con¬ dition of, 23 ; paid four hundred thousand dollars for twenty-four miles of railroad, 24; alternate sec¬ tions granted to, to aid in construc¬ tion of railroad, 32 ; acquires all rights of Cairo City-and-Canal Co., 34; authorized to divert canal-grant to railroad; land-grant to, 35; press of, antagonistic to land-grant to 111.- Cent. R. R., 37 n; gov. of, ex-officio director of 111.-Cent., 40; route from New York to, 41; discrimination of foreigners as to the future of; pay¬ ment of seven-per-cent tax to by 111.-Cent., 44; clause in constitution relative to seven-per-cent tax, 45 ; statistics showing progress following in wake of railroads in; real estate and farms in ; number of charters for railroads in; number of railroad 102 INDEX. corporations in, 51; miles of railr'd in 1852 ; miles of railroad in in 1855 and 1856; reasons for eminence of, 54; losing freights; railroads of can successfully compete with Mis- sissippi River, 55; internal revenue paid for whisky in ; legislation af- fectirg railways, 56 et seq. ; first general law incorporating railroad; railroad rates, 56; unjust discrimina¬ tion in passenger and freight tariffs to be prevented; law creating rail¬ road commissioners enacted ; re¬ stricts railr'ds detrimentally to their interests; legislature in 1871 precipi¬ tated panic, 57; nearly four millions of railroad property in, 58; railr'ds less now than formerly, 59 ; 8541 miles of railroad in, and the number of men employed on, 61 ; effort to procure land-grant for, 71 n, 72; au¬ thorized to impose tax on lands by congress, 79; land-grant to insisted on by b. A. Douglas, 95; internal improvement of, inaugurated in '37, 99; history of in preparation by Jno. Moses, 99 n; first railroad in was Northern-Cross K. R. ; oldest rail¬ road in; more miles of railroad in than in any State, 99; appropriations for railr'ds in in 1837, $9,400,000, 100. Illinois Advocati\ letter publ'd in, 16. III.-Cent. R. R., 20, 21, 30, 330, 380, 47» 53» 56, 57» 64, 65, 66, 67, 69, 74, 75» 76, 77» 78, 79» So, 81, 82, 83, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92 n, 93, 94, 97, 98, 99; decried in " History of 111.", 20-1 ; incorporated, 21 ; rates; sec¬ tions of act and failure, 22; efforts on behalf of, 33-4; bill introduced by S. A. Douglas; deprived of lands, 34; account of bill for grant to, etc., •34-5; land donated to, 35; land- grant to; its liberality to squatters, 36; benefits derived from by State, 36-7; prerogative of government in, 37; plan relative to its completion. 37 n, 38-9; act of incorporation in¬ troduced in 111. senate; act referred, 39; passed senate and house; cele¬ brated in Chicago; gov. of State ¿x- officio director of; inception of; its completion deemed impracticable, 40; engineer-in-chief selected; work commenced on, 41 ; division-engi¬ neers appointed, 41-2; 77,000 tons of rail purchased for; first work put under contract ; Calumet .Station reached by; permission granted by Common Council to enter Chicago along lake shore; completion of 130 miles of; prairie-dogs only residents in 1853, 42; herd of deer on line of; in 1851, only a dozen places on line on map of State; line between Cairo and LàSalle completed ; Galena branch completed; last rail laid, 43; only two of original incorporators now living; built by foreign capital; amount paid by to State, 44, 440; obligatory clause for payment of tax to State by; volunteered services in War of Rebellion, 45 ; prominent leaders in Union Army connected with, 45-6; first train to Hyde P'k; passengers thereon, 460; error con¬ cerning cost of rectified, 46-7: actual cost to shareholders of, $40,000,000, 47; portion of line estimated to cost, in 1837, $3,500,000, actually cost $25,000,000, 47-8; in 1856, debt on road was $23,000,000; "North-and- .South" line predicted a failure; as¬ signment made in 1857; trying pe¬ riod until 1859; Richard Cobden visits on behalf of british share¬ holders, 48; first locomotive in Chi¬ cago built by railroad company was built by, 53; mileage in 1869 and 1882, 54; correspondence as to au¬ thor of the plan for, appendix, 63 et seq. ; S. Breese desirous of com¬ pletion of and claims its origination, 63-4; primary movements concern¬ ing, in congress, 66-7; effort to get land-grant to aid construction of, 71 n; land-grant secured, 75; effort to procure lands for, 78; change of projected line, 80; land-grant to, 82; history of origin by S. Breese, 83 et seq.; charter for granted; plan for attaching to canal, 84; suggested to S. Breese, 92; originator of idea of. Win. S. Wait, 93 n; land-grant to attempted to be subverted, 97 f see letter^ of .Stephen A. Douglas, appendix. INDKX. 163 College, 102 n. IH.-and-Mich. Canal, 13, 16, 19, 22, 84, 92; act relative thereto specifies necessity of ascertaining whether the C-alamic [Calumet] will be sufficient feeder, 9-10; excavations for to be commenced contingently, 10 ; defi¬ ciency of water in ; commissioners to examine whether railroad feasible in lieu of, ion; report relative to, iin; superior to railroad, 13; railroad to, 25, 30; first grant for, 85. Ill.-and-Mich. K. R., ion; was first road projected and located by legis¬ lature of 111. ; point of departure for; line of survey, ion; report relative to, IIn. 111.-and-St. Louis R. R., succeeds Pitts- burg-R.R.-and-Coal Co., 15; see Pittsburg-R.R.-and-Coal Co. llL-and-Wis. R. R., one component of Chicho,-St. Paul,-and-Fond-du-Lac R.R., chartered, 50; see Chic.,-St. Paul,-and-Fond-du-Lac R.R. flUnois In/cl/içeiicéi, successor to f'?;/- dalia InUliigencer^ 150. 111. Land Association, organization, clc., 145. Illinois River, ion, 11 n, 21, 23, 99, 101 ; project for railroad at junction of with canal, 16; called Theakiki, 123- lilinois Sta/e A'e^ister, letter of Sidney Breese to, 63; comment of on S. Breese's claim of originating I.-C. R. R., 64; accredit, 65; letter of S. Breese to, 76-89; see Lanphier & Walker. Ulmoistown, 13. Indiana, 47, 99. ladiana,-Ill.,-and-Iowa R.R., 124. Indiana State-Line, 123. Indian Treaty, custom in relation to, 122 n. Ilterest, rate of, in 1836, 22. ipBa, SO; granger-law modified in, 58, ■bon Horse," origin of name, 3. ■POBois Indians, 124, 125. ■Iliig, Washington, 132. nñngton Station, derivation, 132. Sack.son Co., 111., i8. ackson Park, Chicago, 115. Jacksonville, 111., 21 n, 24, 25 n, 45 n, lOI, loin, 102n, 105, 141 ; railroad from to Springfield, 102; railroad completed to, 104. James, Dr. Edwin, no. January, Thomas T., 102, 104. Jefferson Co., Mo., 102 n. Jenkins, Alexander M., 16, 84; speaker and lieutenant-governor, 16 n, Johnson, Col. Philip C., competitor for Northern-Cross R. R. at its sale, 106. Joliet, 111., 36 n, 139 n; road from Springfield to, 50. Joliet Cut off, 119. Jones, L . Floyd, 41. Jones, Hiram, of Utica, N.V., 140. Jones, Leroy, 140. Jonesboro, 111., 18. Joutel, Henri, 145. Joy, Jas. Fred'k, 2711, 4011, 62, 62 n. K. Kahokia Indians, 134. Kankakee River, 112, 123, 124. Kankakee-and-Southwest'n R. R., 124. Kankakee Station, derivation, 123. Kansas, 101 n, 122 n. Kappa Indians, descriptive of, 144-5. Kappa Station, derivation, 144. Kaskaskia, 111., 150. Kaskaskia Indians, 133, 134, 147 Kaslcaskia River, 128. Keche-she-gaug-uh-\vunzb, 110. Keane, N. IL, 9411. Keg's (jrove, 111., i.;5. Kemble, Charles, 4n. Kembie, Frances Anne, ride with Ste¬ phenson, 4; sketch of, 4n. Kennicott, John A., founder of Ken¬ wood, 114. Kenosha-and-State-Line R. R., com¬ ponent of Dixon,-Rockford,-and- Kenosha R. R. ; see Dixon,-Rock- ford,-and-Kenosha R. R. Kensington Station, 119. Kentucky, 26 n. Kenwood Station, derivation, 114. Keokuk, chief of Sacs and Foxes, 146,147. Kinmundy Station, derivation, 130. Kinney,Gov. Wm., loo; pres. Board of Public Works, 29; sketch of, 29 n; reports loss of a locomotive, 103. Kinzic .Street, Chicago, 53. 164 INDEX. Kit-che-zhig-a-gam-anzh, 110. Kitchijigagmanj, no. Knight, Jonathan, chief-engineer B.-& O. R.R., II n. Koenig, James, 135. L. LaClede, Pierre Liqueste, 130. LaClede Station, derivation, 130. Lafayette, • Bloomington, • and - Missis¬ sippi R.R., 125. Lake Calumet, 116, 117. Lake Erie, 41. Lake-Erie-and-Western R. R., 125. Lake Michigan, 38, 41, 112, 113, 115, 120 n. Lake-Ponchartrain R. R. opened, 6. Lake - Shore-and - Michigan - Southern R.R., 43, 119. Land Grant, 34, 35, 38; to III., 330; canal grant authorized to be diverted to railroad; to 111. aggregated 2,595,- 000 acres, 35; to Union Pacihc; ag¬ gregate of all; to Canadian Paciñc, 36; indirectly decried, 46-7; relative to payment for mail-service to roads that have received, 47; to Gt.-West. R'y Co., 66; to State of Illinois, 67; eíTort to get, for 111 to aid in con¬ struction of North.-Cross-and-IIL- Cent. railroads, 71 n, 72; possibility of Sidney Breese defeating by legis¬ lation, 74; to 111. secured, 75; to III.- Cent, 82; hrst for lU.-and-Mich. Canal and its augmentation, 85 ; text of bill of 1849 for, 87; to State of 111. insisted on by S. A. Douglas, 95; to 111.-Cent, attempted to be sub¬ verted, 97; to III. Indus. Uni., 126; to State Normal University, 145. Land-Office, closed on account of sales by railroad, 37. Lands, price of reserved, raised, 87. Lanphier & Walker, editors ///. Registeis 64; see 111. State Register. LaPorte, Ind., 122n. LaPrairie, 123. LaSalle, 111., line from Cairo to com¬ pleted; line from to Dunlelth com¬ pleted, 43. LaSalle County, 111., 18. LaSalle, Robert Rene Cavelier Sieur de, III, 123; sketch of, 143; assas¬ sination of, 145. LaSalle Station, derivation, 143. Latrobe, B., 11 n. Latrobe, John H. B., 8n. Laughton's Ford, ion. Leach, Boynton, 102 n. League, Anti-monopoly, 64. Leavenworth, E., 135. Lee County, 111., 71 n, 142. Lefevre, Angélique, i2on. Lefêvre, Mr., 120n. Lefêvre, Marie, i2on, 121 n. Legislatureof Illinois incorporated 111.- Cent. K.R. Co., 21. Lena, 140. Lena Station, derivation, 140. Leslie, Mirón, 102, 104. LeSueur, 139. "Life of .Stepben A, Douglas," 32. Lincoln, Abraham, 460,990,102n, 114. Linsay, William B., 132. Lithopolis, O., 136. Livcrpool-and-Manchester R. R., when com*nced, when opened, and gauge, 3; difficulties of and opposition to, survey of, 3-4. Locomotives: "DeWitt Clinton, "4; the first permanently used in U. S., and date of use; "Stourbridge Lion,"5; fírst constructed in America; "Best Friend," 6; first used on B.-and-O. R. R. ; outstrips horse-car in speed; first built in America; first used in transportation of passengers; "Tom Thumb" did not weigh over one ton, 8; description of "Tom Thumb"; speed attained by "Tom Thumb," 8n; specifications of required, 8-9; "York"; "York" makes fourteen miles in one hour; "Atlantic," 9; first used in Illinois; "Rogers"; second brought into 111. ; " Illinois first to arrive near Springfield, 24; first built in Chicago; first built by a railroad in Chicago for its own use, built by I.-C. R.K., 53; first on Galena-and- Chic.-Union R. R., the "Pioneer," 53 n; for Northern-Cross R. R. lost in transit; first one in State used on North.-Cross R.R. ; weight of first, 8^ tons, and its cost of transportat'n, $1000, 103; "Rogers," the first op¬ erated in Illinois; builders of the "Rogers," 104; first in State experi¬ mentally run on roads; mule-traction INDEX. 165 substituted for, 105; "îSangamon, " "Morgan," and "Springfield," the second,lhird,andfourth in III, 106-7. Loda Station, derivation, 125. I^gansport, Ind., 13. London, Eng., 480, 520. lx)ng, H. C, 135. Lostant, Countess of, 126, 144. Lostant Station, derivation, 144. Louisville, Ky., 26 n, loi n. Ix»vejoy's [Elijah Parrish] Press," 46 n. Lower Sandusky, O., 21 n. Ludlow, Thos. \V., 37, 39, 125. Ludlow Station, derivation, 125. Ludlum, C., 105. Lunt, Miss Julia, of Wash., D.C., 108. I.yon, Gen. XathanieJ, 129. M. Mackinac, l2on. Macon County, III, iS. Macon, Nathaniel, 148. Macon Station, derivation, 148. Magoun, John, 145. Main-Line Junction, III, 41. Makanda Station, derivation, 136. Malhiot, E. C., 148. Manitou, 123. Manley, Ira A., 125. Manteno Station, derivation, 123. March, Oliver, 145. Maroa, 43. Maroa Indians, 147. Maroa Station, derivation, 147. Marquette, Father James, 1390. Marquette-State-Line R. K., consoli¬ dated with Chic.,-St.Paul,-&-Fond- du-i.Ac R.R.,50; see Chi.,-St. Paul,- and-Fond-du-Lac R. R. Martin, Henry, 123; pres. Buffalo-and- Attica R. R., 53 n. "Martin Chuzzlewit," accredited, 138. Maryland, first State in Union to in¬ corporate railroad comp'y; alleged to be first to devote public funds to railroad; incorporation of B.-and-O. K.K., 7; assisted B.-&-0. R.R., 54. Mason, Roswell B., 41, 43, 62, 62 n, 140; selected engineer-in-chief of i.-C. R. R., 41; mayor of Chicago, 41 n; given charge of transportation department with title of gen.-supt. I.-C. R.R., 43; resigns his position, 44; chief-engineer, etc., 130. Mason Station, derivation, 129. Mason Street, Chicago, 114. Massachusetts, 38n, 450, 61, 89; rail¬ road commissioners in, 58. Massacre of Chicago, 127. Mather, John, 100. Mather, Thos., 25, 26; sketch of, 25n. Matteson, Gov. Joel A., 119; clause in message relative to liberality of Ill-Ct. R. R. Co. to squatters, 36; death, 36 n. Matteson Station, derivation, 119. Mattoon, 111, 41. Mattoon, J., 128. Mattoon Station, derivation, 128. Mauch-Chunck Road, built in 1827, gravity road, 5. Maunee, I20n, I22n, 123; see Monee. Mauvais Terre (Bad Land), 151. McClellan, Gen. George B., 45, 114; governor, 45 n. McClernand, Gen. John A., 64, 66, 73 n» 75» 82, 92 n, 97. McConnell, Edward, sketch of, 102 n. McConnell, George Murray, sketch of, 102 n. McConnell, John Ludlam, sketch of, loi n, 102 n. McConnell, Marilla, birth and marri¬ age, 102 n. McConnell, Minerva, birth and marri¬ age, 102 n. McConnell, Gen. Murray, 25, 28, 100, lOl, 103, 104; sketch of, 250, lOln; report of as commissioner of Cent. R.R., 26. McConnell, Ormsbee & Co., 26. McCoy, John, 120. McCullom, John, 150. McCullom, Vandalia, 150. McDougall, James A., 102 n. McDougall, John Allen, 102 n. McLean Co., Ill, 18, 390, 145. McMillin family, 114. Menard Co., Ill, loi n. Mendota, III, 142; road from to Gales- burg, 49. Mendota Station, derivation, 142. Menominee River, 139. Menominee Station, named after Me¬ nominee Indians, 138. Mercier, Baron, 126, 144. Meredosia, III, 24, loi, 103, 107; Merker (not Meeker), Henry, 120. INDEX. railroad from to Sprlngrield, 23 ; ñrst railroad in 11!. built from to Springfield, 99 ; road completed 8 miles Irom, 103. Mexican war, 27 n, 33 n, 78. Miami Indians, 113. ■ Michigan, 50. Mich.-Cent. K. R., 42, 119, 121 n; opened, 53. Mich.-Southern-and-Northern-Indiana R.R., first East-and-West line to enter Chicago, 53. Middle States, 33. Middleton, Conn., 690. Midhurst, Eng., 136. Minnesota, 33. Minnesota Junction, 50. Minonk Station, derivation, 144. Mississippi, 34. Mississippi BIuíT, 111., coal-mine at, 14- . Mississippi, Lower, 69. Mississippi K.R Co., charter of, 49. Mississippi River, iin, 14, 18, 19, 49, 55) 69* 95) relative to construction of railroad to, opposite St.Louis, 14; discovery of, 144. Mississippi, Upper, 33. Mississippi Valley, first railroad in; bituminous coal in, 14; first railr'd in built in 1837, 15. Missouri, 33 n, loi n. Mitchigamias Indians, 134. Mit-tuck-ka-ka-go, 113. Mix, Janees, 125. Moawequa Station, derivation, 148. Mobile, Ala., railroad to, 34. Mobile-and-Ohio R.R. Co., 34. Mohawk-and-Hudson R. R., charter for, from Albany to Shenectady; opened for business; Thurlow Weed passenger on first train, 4; first in State of New York, 5. Monee, I22n, 123; wife of Jos. Bailly, 121; see Maunee. Monee Station, derivation, 120. Mooris, H. v., 52 n. Montgomery Co., Penn., I3n. Montour Iron Co., manufactured first iron rails in U. S., 42. Morgan Co., 111., 84, 100, loi n, 151. Morgan, Richard Price, chief-engi¬ neer, report of survey, 52-3; birth and death; formative power of early railroad between New York and Boston, 52 n. Morris, Gouverneur, 37, 39, 44. Morrisania, N.V., 39, 42. Morrison, Jas. L. D., sen., etc., 39n. Morse, Jed., 145. Moses, Erastus L., 99 n. Moses, John, sketch of, 990. Mother Mary Cecilia, religious name of Eleanor Bailly, of Sisters of Prov¬ idence, 122 n. Mound-City Railroad, 138. Mounds Station, derivation, 138. Mount Carmel, 111., 82, 99. Mt.Carmel-and-Alton R.R. Co., char¬ ter continued, 32. Mulvey, Junius, 460. Murphy, Richard G., member from Perry Co., 111., 84. Murphysboro, 111., 135. "My Own Times," 130; first railroad in Miss. Valley described in, 14. N. Naples, 111., 26, 99n; road completed from to Springfield, 106; four miles of horse-tramway built from to bluffs, 107; time of running from to Springfield, five hours, 107. Napoleon (Bonaparte) I., 126. Napoleon, Prince, 126, 144. " Narrative, " etc., of Henry A. School¬ craft, accredited, 107. Nash, Frederick A., 520. Natchez Indians, 143. Natchez, Miss., 143. National Road, III, 18. Neal, David A., 37, 39, 141. Neeley, Jonathan, 106; first conductor in 111, 104. Neoga Station, derivation, 128. Newark, N.J., birthplace of first loco¬ motive run in 111., 104. New Berlin, III, 105. New Buffalo, Mich., 41. New England, 96. New Jersey, 45 n, 101 n. New Nashville, 111, 18. New Orleans, La., 26, 33, 35, 143; r'lr'd from to Lake Ponchartrain, 6. New-Orleans-and-Nashville R.R., grant to ; commenced and aban* doned, 35. Newspapers, III: CarbondaieObstrveri INDEX. 167 Daily Demoi ral : Chicago limes: Chicago Tribune; Daily Kegister^ Spring6eld ; Democratic yv. sSy Chicago ; fllinors Advocate^ Illinois Intelligencer^ Illinois State A^fgister, Sangamo ^urmily Spring¬ field ; Safunlar Evening Herald^ Chic.; Springfield yournal: Stand- ardy Benton; Handalia Intelligencer: articles introducing Gen. Shields and S. A. Douglas, paid for, 97. New York, 28, 41, 43, 55, 62 n, 96, 97, 106 ; law relative to railroad commissioners, 58. New-York City, 12, 37, 370, 420, 114; first railroad in; breaking ground for first railroad; cars first ran in city; first railroad in completed, 6. New-York State, 89, 96. New-York-and-Erie K'y» act incorpo¬ rating, passed, 6. Xew-York-Central K. R., 55. New-York route, 55. Niagara Falls, 99 n. Nice, France, 127. Nichols, John W., 131. Nichols, Burton, 133. Nichols, William, 133. Noble, Silas, presented bill for land- grant to 111., 71 n. Nora Station, derivation, 140. Normal Station, named after State Normal University, 145. **Norlh-American Keview,"6i. North-Dixon Station, 142. Northeastern States, 33. Northern-Cross R. R., 27, 67, Si, 99, ICO; from Meredosia to Springfield, 23; inaugurated; first rail laid; first locomotive in State used on ; road completed to Jacksonville; second locomotive brought to 111. for; pos¬ sible time on road; method of con¬ struction; cost; entire line completed and cost; abandoned by State and sold, 24; operated by Sangamon-&- Morgan R.R. Co., 25; effort to pro¬ cure land-grant to aid construction of, 71 n; effort to secure lands for, 78; was the first road built in III. or the West'm States, 99; how it came to hie the first one completed, 100; survey for commenced, 101; letting contract for; price per mile; speci¬ fications of contract; method of pay¬ ment to contractors hastened its completion, 102 ; work on com¬ menced at Wolf River; articles pur¬ chased for by commissioners in '37; locomotive for lost in transit; first locomotive in State used on; eight miles of completed; primitive con¬ struction of road; description of iron bars used for rails; first rail laid, 103; first locomotive operated; pas¬ sengers in first train over; completed to Jacksonville ; receipts and ex¬ penses ; twenty-four miles of com¬ pleted and its cost; agent appointed by legislature to take charge of, 104; amount required to complete to Springfield ; money voted to and contract made for completion; com¬ pleted; leased and re-leased; mules used on ; sold to N. H. Ridgely for $21,100, 105; incident at its sale; sold to New-York parties; trans¬ muted intp Sangamon-and-Morgan R.R. Co., 106; four miles of tram¬ way absorbed by, 107; see Sanga- mon-and-Morgan R.R. Northern-Ill. R.R. Co., charter, 49. "Notes on Railroad Accidents,"cited, 61-2. Norwich, Vt., 27 n, 46 n. Norwich, Vt, University, 2711. O. Oakland Station, derivation, 114. Oakley, Chas., 26, lOO; death, 2611. Oakwoods Station, derivation, 114. Oconee Station, derivation, 149. Odin, 125; mythology of, 131-2. Odin Station, derivation, 131. Ogden, Wm. B., 62, 62 n. Ogilvie, P. H., 520. Oglesby, Rich. J., 55 n; sketch, 143. Oglesby Station, 143. Ohio-and-Mississippi R.K., 42, 152. Ohio River, 18, 21, 38, 138; railroad from mouth of, 25; railroad from, 30; project to build city at mouth of, 83. Ojibway Indians, 109, no, iii, 112, 113, 137, 143. Okaw River, 128. Onarga Station, derivation, 125. Ontonagon-and-State-Line R. K. Co. of Mich., consolidated with Chic,- INDEX. St. P'l,-and-Fond-du-Lac R.R., 50; See Chic.,-St. P.-and-F.-du-L. R. R. Orange County, N.Y., loi n. Orear, William, 100. Oregon, yon. Orendorflf, Mrs. William, 146. Orendorff, William, 145. Ormsby, Arthur S., 42. "Ossian," 125, 137, 140. "Othello," quotation from, 45. Ottawa, 111. ; as terminat'n of canal, 18. Ottawa Indians, i2on, 121 n, 124; question of race, 121 n. Ottawa River, Canada, 120 n. Otto Station, derivation, 124. Ottumwa, la., 33. Oyens, H. I. de Marez, 128. P. Palmer, George, 133. Pana Station, derivatioii, 149. Pan! Indians, 149. Panic of 1873, 57. Panola Station, derivation, 144. Parsons, Edwin, 138. Patokah Station, named after Pato- kah, 152. Patterson, N.J., 24. Paxton, Sir Joseph, 125. Paxton Station, derivation, 125. Pease, Edward, iron m'n'fr, 3, 3 n. Pecatonica, 111., 141. Peck, Ebenezer, 100. Peésotum, killed Capt. William Wells, 127. Peesotum Station, derivation, 127. Pekin, 111., ICQ. Peninsular R. R. Co. of Mich, becomes part of C.-and-N.-W. RV, 51 ; see C.-and-N.-W. R.R. Pennsylvania, 470, 96. Pennsylvania-Cent. R.R., 54, 55. Peoria, 111., 99, 100, 112; road from East Burlington to, 49. Peoria-and-Oquawka R. R., 125; ac¬ quired by Chi. -and-Aurora R. R., 49 ; see Chic.-and-Aurora R.R. Peoria Indians, 134. Peotone Station, derivation, 123. Pera, 111., 125. Perry County, 111,, 18, 25 n, 84. Peru, 111., 16, 80, 84, 86. Pettit, Horatio N., 145. Philadelphia, 12, 24, 240, 35, 470, 55i 96, 97; aided Penn.-Cent., 54- Phillips, Walter M., 108. Pierce, Franklin, loi n. Pierce, James A., 98. Pike County, 111., 990. Pinkneyville, 111., 18. "Pioneer History of Illinois," 13 n. Pittsburg, 111., 119. Pittsburg, - Cincinnati, - and - St. Louis R'y, 119. Pittsburg Railroad-and-Coal Co., suc¬ ceeds St. Clair R. R. Co. ; name changed to 111.-and-St. Louis R. R., 15; see St.Clair R.R. Co.; see 111- and-St. Louis, R. R. Pittsfíeld, Mass.', 520. Plant, George W., 104. Plant, H. B., 42. Polk, James K., 270, yon, 940. Polo, Marco, 141. * Polo Station, derivation, 141. . Population, increased by railroads, 36,. 37- Port Byron, Wis., 49. Porter, N. B., 41. Porter Station, Ind., i2on. Portland, Me., 96. Pottawatomie Indians, 112, 113, 120,. i2on, 121 n, 122 n, 124. " Potter's American Monthly," ac¬ credited, 113. Pratt, O. C., 70, 72; judge, etc., yon- Prospect City, III., 125. Providence, R.I., 117, Provost, B. B., 42. Pulaski, Count Casimir, sketch, 137. Pulaski, Legion, 137. Pulaski Station, derivation, 137. Pullman Brick-Yards, 117. Pullman, George M., his creation of the town of Pullman, 116-9. Pullman Land Association^ 118. Pullman Palace-Car Co., 116. Pullman Station, derivation of name and description of town, 116-9.« Quapaw Indians, the last remnant of the Kappas, 145. Quebec, 122 n. Quincy, III., 13, 49, 73, 78. 99! S. A. Douglas representative from, 20 n. Quincy, Mass., alleged ñrst railroad in U. S. constructed at, 5. INDEX. 169 R. Racine, Wis., 49. Racine•and•^iississippI Co. ; consolida* tion of various companies; consoli¬ dated with Savanna-Branch R. R. Co. ; amalgamation called Western- Union R. R. Co. of Wis., 49; see Western-Union R.R. Co. of Wis. Racine, - Janesville, - and • Mississippi R.R., charter of, 49. Radford, George, 148. Radford Station, derivation, 148. Radom, 111., 46. Radom Station, derivation, 133. Railroads: first passenger in England; first freight in England, 3; system of England; first in United States; wooden-rail for transporting ice; charter for from Albany to Schenec¬ tady, 4; first in New-York State; at Quincy, Mass. ; alleged first in U.S., 5; built in 1827, gravity road; short line at Honesdale; first built express¬ ly for steam power, 5; stealthy in¬ auguration; longest in the world in 1833; first to carry U. S. mail; first in New-Vork City; opposition to in New-York State, 6; first chartered and fully organized in U. S. ;. first State that devoted public funds to, 7; early efforts for in 111. ; first mention of on statutes on 111. ; act for survey of route in St. Clair Co., 9; whether better than the I.-and-M. Canal, 10; letter from Jas. M. Bucklin relative to IIL roads; first road projected and located by legislature of 111., ion; possibility of building under Turn¬ pike frmichise, 12; relative to build¬ ing from Ix^ansp't, Ind., to Quincy, UL, 13; first in Mississippi Valley; difficulty in constructing and errone¬ ous estimate of cost; opened in 1837, 14; project of at junction of canal with 111. River, 16; earliest advocate of in 111., 16n; letter of S. Breese advocating Wab.-and-Miss. R.R., i6etteq.; 111.-Cent.incorporated, 21; 1340 miles of to be built by 111., 22; possible speed on; tmly road ever built and operated by 111. ; 5^ miles of cost $1,-000,000, 24; state rail¬ roads abandon^, leaving 111. with debt of $6,000,000 on account of* appropriation of $3,500,000 for Cent. R. R., 25; estimated speed . between New York or Boston and Chicago, 61X hours; road-bed for decried as useless, 28; estimated as successful competitors with steam¬ boats; ineffectual effort at free trade in iron for 111. roads; estimated tolls for, 29; from Cairo to Chicago; aid for from Cairo to Galena, 32; Sena¬ tor Douglas' bill and its trials, 32-4; bill for construction of 111.-Cent., 33-4; lands granted to III. for from Chicago to Mobile, 34; land-grants for in Florida, (Georgia, and Ala¬ bama, 35 ; from Cairo to Galena, 38-9; primitive travel on, 41 ; 111.- Cent. completed, 43; statistical state¬ ment of effect of on prosperity of 111.; charters to build in 111.; num¬ ber of corporations in; but one in Chicago in 1851, 51; from Boston to Albany suggested, 52 n; first east and west to enter Chicago, 53; miles of in 111. and. U. S. in 1852; miles of in Chic, and 111., 54; war among, 55; legislation in 111. affecting, 56 et seq.; nearly four millions of prop¬ erty in 111., 58; rates regulated by competition; differential rates, 59; impracticability of uniform tariflF for, 59-60; British praying for relief from parliamentary supervision, 6on; mis¬ statements as to; 102,000 miles of in U.S. ; 8541 miles of in 111. ; progress in in U.S.; more killed by stage¬ coaches than ; accidents on stage¬ coaches sixty times more frequent than on in France; hanging likelier to occur than accident on, 61 ; dis¬ coveries in still continue; indebted to persons mentioned, 62; corres¬ pondence relative to originator of the idea of 111.-Cent., apx. 63 et seq. The Railroad (Ill.-Cent.) Bill, 86; bill to aid in construction of and canals, 87; oldest in 111.; more in 111. than in any State; first in 111. or West. States; inaugurated in 111. in 1837, 99; total appropriations for in 1837, $9,400,000; board of public works for; fund commis'ners of, 100. See Alton-and-Sangamon; Alton-and- Springfield; Aurora-Br'nch; B.-and- 170 INDEX. O.; Baraboo Air-Line; Beloit-and- Madison; BufTalo-and-Attica; Cana- dian-Pac. ; Central; Cent. Military- Tract; Chic^o-and-Alton; Chic.,- Alton,-and-St. Louis; Cbic^o-and- Aurora; C.,-B.,-and-Q. ; Chic.-and- Milwaukee; C.-and-N.-W.; Chic.,- Rock-Isl'd,-and-Pac. ; Chi.,-St.P'l,- and-Fond-du-Lac; Chic.-and-Vin- cennes; Coal-Mine-Bluff; Dixon,- Kockfrd,-aud-Ken'sha;Galena-and- Chic.-Union; Gt.-West.; Gt.West. 1^59» Harlem; Hetton; 111.-Cent. ; 111.-and-Mich.; Ill.-and-St. Louis; 111.-and-Wis. ; Kenosha-and-State- Line; Lake-P'nchart'n; Lake-Shore; Liverp'l-and-Manch'ter; Marquette- State-Line; Mauch-Chunk; Mich.- Cent.; Mich.-Southern; Mississippi; Mohawk-and-Hudson; Mt. Carmel- and-AIton; New-Orleans-and-Nash- ville; N,-Y.-and-Erie; N,-Y. Cent.; Northern-Cross; North.-IIL; Ohio- and • Mississippi ; Ontonagon - and- State-Line; Peninsular-of-Michigau; Penn.-Cent. ; Peoria-and-Oquawka; Pittsburgh R.R. and Coal Comp'y; Racine, -Janesville, -and - Mississippi ; Racine-and-Mississippi ; Kock-Isl'd- and- LaSalle ; Rock- River-Valley- Union; Rockton-and-Freeport; San- gam'n-and-Morgan ; Savanna- Br'ch ; South-Carolina; St.Clair; St.Louis,- Alton,-and-Chicago; Stockton-and- Darlington; Union-Pac.; Wabash- and-Mississippi; Wabash,-St. Louis,- and-Pac. ; Western-Union (of 111.); West.-Union (of Wis.); Wisconsin- Superior ; Delaware - and - Hudson- Canal Co. ; see locomotives. Rails, ñrst made in America, 42. " Railway Age," letter from James M. Bucklin to, ion. Ramsay, Alexander, sketch of, 149. Ramsey's Creek, 111., 42. Ramsey Station, derivation, 149. Kandel, , engineer of wooden-rail track railroad, 4. Randolph Co., 111., 25n. Randolph, Gardner, 146. Randolph's Grove, 146. Randolph Station, derivation, 146. Ransom, Thos. Edw'd Greenfield, ayn, 46; brig.-gen. and death, 46 n, 130. Ransom, Truman B., 27, 460; sketch of, 27 n; report of, 28-9. Rantoul, 111., 41. Rantoul, Robert, Jr., 38, 39; sketch of, 380, 125-6, 125 n, 126 n. Rantoul Station, derivation, 125. Rawlings, Moses M., 26, 100; resi¬ dence and death, 26 n. Rawlings, F. M., representative from Alexander Co., 26n. Raymond, Benj. Wright, 53; mayor and death, 53 n. Reagan, Jno. H., 59, 6on; sketch, 59n. Real estate, value of in 111. in 1851 and 1882, 51. Renssalear, Van; see Van Renssalear. Revere, Mass., disaster at, 62. Reynolds, Gov. John, 13, 15; sketch of, 130; originator of ñrst railroad in Mississippi Valley, 14; reminis¬ cences of said road, 14-5. Rhode Island, 115. Richardson, William A., 64, 92n. Richart, James B., 135. Richart, William, 135. Richmond House, Chicago, 114. Richton Station, derivation, 120. Richton, Vt., 120. Rich view. 111., 42. Richview Station, derivation, 132. Ridgely, Chas., pres. of iron-and-coal company, etc., 250. Ridgely National Bank, 25 n. Ridgely, Nicholas H., 25, 106; bank- cashier and pres., 25 n; bought ñrst railroad in State, 105; how he paid commission on his own purchase, 106. Ridgely, Reddick M., 106. Ripon, Wis., 46n. River, Chicago, or Wild-Onion River, 109. Riverdale Station, 119. Robb, James, 82. Robinson, H. L., 1x4; conductor on I.-C. R.R., 460. Robinson, James, 145. Robinson, Brig.-Gen. William, 46. Rock Island, 111., 71 n. Rock-Island-and-LaSalle R.R., origin of C.,-R.-I.,-and-P. R'y, 51; see C.,-R.-I.,-and-P. R'y, Rock River, III., 142. Rock-River-Valley-Union Railroad, INDEX. 171 one component of Chic.,-St. Paul,- and-Fond-du-Lac R. R., 50; «ce C.,- St.P.,-and-F.-du-I,. R.R. Rockton-and-Freeport R. R., charter of, 49. Rockwell, Peter, 144. Rogers, Grosvenor & Ketchuni, built first locomotive used in III., 104. Rogers, Ketchum & Grosvenor, 24. Rome, Ga., 46 n. Roots, B. G., 42. Rutland Station, named after Rutland, Vt., 144. Rutland, Vt., 9911. S. Sacramento Station, derivation, 124. Sacs and Foxes, 112, 146. Sandford, John F. A., 37, 39. Sandoval, 152. Sandoval Station, derivation, 152. Sandwich, Ont., 121 n. San Francisco, 70 n. Sangamo Journal^ 83; disparages rail- r^uls as compart with canal, 13; supported canal and railroad scheme, 19; see Springfield Journal. Sangamon-and-Morgan R. R., pur- c^ed North'n-Cross R.R.; opened in 1849; name changed to Great- Western R'y Co. of 1859, 25; recon¬ struction of Northern-Cross Road from Naples to Springfield; opened, 106; freight rate; subsequentchanges; relocated old road, 107; see Great- West. R'y Co. of 1859; see North'n- Cross R. R. Sangamon River, 14S, 151. Sardinia, 126. Saturday Evening Herald^ 102 n. Savanna-Branch R.R., charter of, 49. Savoy, House of, 126. Savoy Station, derivation, 126. Sawyer, John, 142. •Sawyer, John York, 91, 91 n, 92, 93, 94; letter to, 16; sketch of, i6n. Scales-Mound Station, derivation, 139. Scales, Samuel, 139. Scandinavian, 121 n. Schoolcraft, Henry A., definition in hU narrative of Chicago, 109. Schuyler County, 111., loin. Sdmyler, Robert, 37, 39, 106. Scott County, III., 990, lOln. Scoville, Hiram II. & Sons, 530. Scoville, William H., death, 53 n. vSecor, Charles, 125. Se-kaw-kwaw, 113. Semple, James, 97; succeeded by S. A. Douglas in U.-S. senate, 20 n; ex-senator, inventor of vagary of run¬ ning locomotives on ordinary roads, 105. " Senate Journal, III., " accredited, 710. Senate, U.-S., 32, 380. Severs, James, 132. Sewage, system at Pullman, 118. Seymour, Jas., 52n; engineer-in-chief Galena-and-Chic.-Union R.R., 52. Seymour, William H., 52 n. Shakespeare, 62. Shawanese, 123. Shawneetown, 111., 1311, 26n, 43, 730. Shea, John Gilmary, 149; accredited, 143- Sheahan, James Washington, 32. She-gahg, 110. She-gaug-ga-winzhe, 110. Shelby Co., 111., 18; meeting of citi¬ zens of, 19 ; addressed by Judge Brepçp 20 Shelbyviîle, III., 30, 80, 84. Shields, Gen. James, 33, 64, 65, 75, 90, 92n; sketch of, 33 n; tendered public dinner, 35. Shih-gau-ga-winzhe, no. Shobonier, 152. Shobonier Station, derivation, 152. Sibley, Solomon, 124. Sigel, Gen. Franz, sketch of, 129. Sigel Station, derivation, 129. Sikag, no. Sinzheim, Baden, 129. Skinner, Mark, 32, 32 n. Smith, J. Condit, 127. Smith, Robert, 73 n, 97. Southern-Cross R.R., 99. South-Lawn Station, 119. South Parks, 114, 115. S. -Carolina R. R., 7 ; charter granted ; first road built expressly for locomo¬ tive power; portion of road in oper¬ ation in Feb., 1829; experimental track with mule-power; plan for active operations and loan from State, 5; first sod turned; sail-power used; steam-power introduced; first locomotive constructed in U.S. built 172 INDEX. for; completed Oct. 2, 1833, was longest in the world; ñrst to carry U.S. mail, 6. Sprague, Gov. Wm. of R.I., 115. Spring-Creek Station, derivation, 125. Springfield, III, 13, 24, 250, 45, 73n, 90, 99, loi, 104, 105, 106, 125 n, 150; railroad to, 23, 31 ; road from Alton to; road from to Joîiet, 50; first railroad in State built from to Meredosia, 99; road between and Jacksonville, 102 ; road completed second time to, 106; time on rail¬ road from to Naples, 5 hours, 107. Springfield Journal, formerly Sanga- mo Journal, 130; speed possible on railroad, 24; see Sangamo Journal. Springfield, Mass., 34, 12S. Sprouse, W. T., 131. St. Charles Road, III, 53. St. Clair Co., Ill, 11,390; act passed for survey of route for canal or rail¬ road in ; commissioners appointed to make survey, 9; railroad in to be finished, 15; 150. St. Clair R.R. Co. chartered; succeeds to the Coal-Mine-Bluff R.R. ; name changed to Pittsburg R.R.-and-Coal Co , 15; see Coal-Mine-Bluff R.R. St. Clair River, Mich., I20n. St. Gregory of Tours, 149. St. John's Station, derivation, 134. St. John's Well, 3. St. Lawrence route, 55. St. Lawrence River, 69, 95, 96. St. Louis, Mo., 9, II, iin, 12, 14, 15, 31. 39". 45«. 55. 106. 130- St. Louis,-Alton-and-Chicago R. R., name of Chic.,-Alton, and-St.Louis R.R. changed to; name changed to Chicago-and-Alton R. R., 50; see Chicago-and-Alton R.R.; Chicago,- Alton,-and-St. Louis R.R. St. Louis, - Alton, - and - Terre - Haute R.R., 149. St. LouI<5, - Vandalia, -and-Terre- Haute R.R., 128. Stage-coaches, 61. Standard, Benton, III, 63. State Bank of Illinois, 25 n. State Normal University, 145. State Register, 82, 90. Statistics of death by accident com¬ pared to deaths by railroads, 61-2. Stephenson Co., 111., 140. Stephenson, George, 4; engineer of Hetton R'y, 3; birth and death, 30. Stephenson, James W., 100. Stockbridge, Mass., 520. Stockton-and-Darlington Line; first passenger line in England; authority to build; first rail laid; opened for traffic; length, 3. Stone River, 102 n; battle of, 108. Storrow, S. A., definit'n of Chic., 109. Stuart, David, 46. Stuart, James, author of " Three Years in North America," 152. Sturges, Jonathan, 37, 39. Stuve, Bernard, 20, 20 n; error in his "History of Illinois," 46. Sublette Station, derivation, 142. Summit, Cook Co., ion. Sumner, Charles, 126 n. Sunderland, Eng., 3. Swaran, Ireland, 140. T. Tabor, Hawk & Co., lessees of Hyde- Park House, 114. Tamaroa Station, derivation, 134. Tamarouas Indians, 134. Tanner, John, no. Tapton Park, Eng., 30. Taylor, Samuel Staats, 138. Taylor, Thomas S., 138. Taylor, Gen. Zachary, 940, 98, 150. Terre Haute, Ind., 122 n. Terre-Haute-and-Alton R.R., 128. Texas, 59, loi n. Thevenot, Melchisedech, 144. Thomasboro Station, derivation, 126. Thomas, John, 126. Thomas, Judge William, 84, 100. Thornton, 119. "Three Years in North America," ac¬ credited, 152. Thurber, Francis B., 59. Thurman, Allen B., 59. Tilley, J. W., 133. Times, Chicago, 102 n. Tinsley & Co., 105. Toledo,-Wab'sh,-&-West'n R.R.,107. Tolono Station, derivation ; legend concerning, 127. Tónica Station, derivation, 143. Tónica Indians, 143. Tonti Station, derivation, 131. INDEX. 173 Tont y, Chevalier Henri de, 131. Topping, E. H., 133. Towiaches Indians, 149. Tramway Herse, four miles of, built, 107. Tnmsylvania, Ky., 102 n. Tremont (Tazewell Co.), 26n. Tremont House, Chici^, 113; death of S. A. Douglas at, 20 n. "Tuck Chingo," 113. Tuck Choe-ca-go, 113. Tucker, J. F., 123. Tucker Station, 123. Tunica Indians, 143. Tunica Island, 143. Turchin, Gen. John Basil, 46, 133 ; sketch of, 46n. Turin, Italy, 126. Turner, John Bice, 32, 53, 62; death of, 32 n. Turnpike - Road Co. ; Rushville and Beaudstown, incorporated, 12. Tumpike-Road Co.; Springfield and Alton, incorporation of, 11 ; com¬ missioners appointed ; power to build railroad, 12. Tuscola Station, derivation, 12$. u. Ullin .Station, named after Ullin, 137. Union College, 33 n. Union Coun^, 111., 18. Union Foundry and Pullman Car- Wheel Works, 117. Union-Pacific Railroad, 36.' Univerùty, III. Industrial, endowment by I.-C. R.R., and by Champaign Co., 126. Upper Mississippi, 69; railroad from Chicago to the, 81. Uihana, Ohio, 126. Utica, 111., as termination of canal, t8. V. Vance, John W., 100. Vandalia, 111., 11, 18, 20, 30, 80, 83, 84, 92; action of legislature at, 19; seat of government of State, 150. Vandalia Intelligencer^ succeeded by III. Intelligencer^ 150; see III. Intel¬ ligencer. Vandalia Station, named after Van¬ dals, 150. Van Epps, Mrs. Eldena, 142. VanNortwick, John, 62, 62 n; origi¬ nal projector of Galena-and-Chic.- Union RiR. ; extract from letter of, 53". VanRenssalear, Steph., procures char¬ ter for Mohawk-and-Hudson R.R., 4; sketch of, 4n. Veech, William A., 124. Vera Station, named after vera—true, 150. Vermillion Co., 111., 100. Vermont, 27 n. Vernon Station, derivation, 152. Vernon, William, 152. Vicksburg, Miss., 46. Villa-Ridge Station, derivation, 137. Vinton, Samuel F., 86. Volunteers, Thirteenth 111., 460. Volunteers, Nineteenth III, 46n. W. Wabash, 17. Wabash R.R. Co., 250. Wabash-and-Mississippi Railroad, 19; advocacy of by S. Breese, 16-9, 20. Wabash,- St. Louis, - and • Pacific R'y, 107; comprises Gt.-West. R'y Co. of '59, 25; see Gt.-West. R'y Co. of'59. Wadams'-Grove Station, 140. Waddams, Seth, 140. Waddams, William, 140. Waite, William Smith, 16; birth and death; one of earliest advocates of railroads in Illinois, i6n; originator of idea of I.-C. R.R., 93n. Walker, Lanphier &, editors III. State Rgister^ 64; see III. State Register. Walker Station, derivation, 148. Walker, J. W., 148. Wapello, chief of the Foxes, 146-7. Wapello Station, derivation, 146. War of the Rebellion, 27 n, 330, 45. Warren, Peter, 7111. Warren Station, derivation, 140. Warsaw, Ind., 99. Washburne, Elihu Benj., 59, 70, 72. Washington, D.C., I in, 27 n, 45 n, 4711, 65, 80, 84, 86, 90, 102 n, 126. Washington Co., 111., 18. Washington, George, 134, 137. Washington Seminary, 111., endowed by I.-C. R.R., 133. Water-Works, Pullman, 118. Í Watkin, Sir Edward, 60 n. 174 JNDLX. Watson, George, 129, 137. Watson Station, derivation, 129. Watson & Moore, 105. Wear River, 3. Webster, Daniel, 38 n, 98, 126 n. Weed, Thurlow, passenger on first train, 4; sketch of, 4 n. Weldon, 111., 53. Wells Street, Chicago, derivation, 127. Wells, Capt. William, 127. Wenona Station, derivation, 144. Wenonah, quotation from Longfellow concerning, 144. Wentworth, John, 20 n, 270, 34, 40, 64, 73n, 89, 97, I22n; mention, 400; cites "Hist, of Ft. Dearborn," 520. Wesleyan University, 146. Westchester Township, 120 n. Western-Union R.R. Co. of III,; how formed; now part of Chic.,-Mil., St. Paul R. R., 49; see C.,-M.,-&- St.P. R.R. Western-Union R. R. Co. of Wis. ; how formed; consolidated with Western- Union R.R. Co. of Illinois, 49; see Western-Union R.R. Co. of 111. Wetaug Station, derivation, 137. Wheatland, III., 148. Whistler, Mrs. Jno. Harrison, formerly Esther Bailly, 122 n. Whitesborough, N.Y., 33 n. Whiteside (County, III.), 7111. Whiteside, John D., appointed railr'd agent, 104. Wicker, Joel Hoxie, Hortense Bailly is wife of, 122 n. Willard, Elijah, 100. Willard's Hotel, 70. Williamsburg, Va., 4611. Wilson County, Tenn., 131. Wilson, Edward F., no. Wilson, John, 107. Wilson's Siding, derivation, 152. Wilson, W. B., 152. Winneshiek, 140. Winthrop, Robert Charles, 126. Wisconsin, 50; granger-law rep'led, 58. Wis.-Superior R.R. Co. of Wis., con¬ solidated with Chic.,-St. Paul,-and- Fond-du-Lac R.R. Co.; see Chfc.,- St. Paul,-and-Fond-du-Lac R.R. Wolf Point (Chicago), ion. Wollaston, disaster at, 62. Wood, Rev. Josiah, 135. Woodbridge, William, 66, 67, 77, 78. Woodford County, Ky., 144. Woodford Station, derivation, 144. Woodrome, James, 133. Woosung Station, named after Woo- sung in China, 141. Worcester, Mass., 52n. Wright, Joel, 100. Wright, John S., 35; death of, 350. Wylam, Eng., birthplace of George Stephenson, 3 n.. Wyman, John B., 46; birth and death of, 46 n. Y. Yates, Gov. 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Mosley Hall (portrait), John Wentworth, Sam'l Lisle Smith, Horace Greb- Liv, Thurlow Weed; and a List of Deleçites; to- Sihcr with Statistics concerning Chicago, oy Jesse Thomas and James L. Barton. Compiled by Robert Fergus. Pp. 208; 8vo. 188a. Price, $1. 10. Reminiscences of Early Chicago (1833), By ;.,harles Cleaver. Pp. 5a; 8vo. 188a. 25 cts. Ï20. A Winter in the West. By Chas. Fenno Horpuan (portrait). London, 1835. Reprint, with Additional Notes. Pp. 56: 8vo. 1882. Price, 50c. 21. John Dean Calon, LL.D., ex-Chief-Justice ti Illinois, Biographical Sketch of. Portrait. By Price 250. Robert Fergus Pp. 48: 8vo. i88a. 22. Recollections of Early Chicago and the IlliooU Bar. By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold. Read Tuesday Evening, June zo, 1880. Ricollections of the Bench and Bar of Central niioois. By Hon. James C Conkling, of Spring¬ field. Read Jan. ta, i88t. The Lawyer as a Pioneer. By Hon. Thomas HflVNE (portrait). Read at Fairbank Hall. Thurs¬ day Evening, Feb. to, r88i. I^io8:8vo. 1883.75c. Bar-Association Edition, Royal 8vo., $1. 23. ierly Illinois Railroads: A Paper, read Wore the Chic Hist. Soc'y, Tuesday evening, Feb. •0,1883. By Wm. K. Ackbrman, president of the -Continued from Ust page: III.-Cent. R.R. Notes by Hon. John Wentwoeth. Also an Appendix with the BrMse-Dougbu Corrca- pondence on the Inception and Ongin of the Ilk- Cent. R. R.. aztd the Origin of Name« of Statiows on the IlL-Cent R.R. Pp. 174: 8vo. 1884. $1. 2'A. Hon. John Wentworth's Con^asional Reminiaceocea. Sketches of John (^incy Adams, Thomas H. Bentcm, John C Calhoun. Henry Clay, and Daniel Webster. An Address read before the Chicago Hiuorical Society, at Central Music-Hail. Thursday Eve., March 16, 188a. With an Appendix and a complete Index. Pp.ioi;8vo. 188a. 75 eta. 2S. Chicago Business Directory and Statis¬ tics for 1846. By J. W Nurris. Revised and corrected by Robbrt Fergus. Rcwnt Pp. 1%. Pnce, 50 cents. 20. Aborigines of the Ohio Valley; A Dis¬ course prepared in 1838 at the request of the Hi — torical Society of Oh». By William Hbnrv Harrison. Maj.-On. U. S. Army, President of the United States, etc. With Notes by Eowabd Everbtt, and an Appendix. Also, Speeches delivered in General Council at Ft. Wayne, Sept. 4, 1811, by Chiefs of the Miaaie Indian-, in answer to (Jen. Harrwon. Governor of Indiana Ter¬ ritory. etc.; also, something about the History, Manoers, and Cuatoms of the Northwestern Indians, from MSS., supposed to be in the hand¬ writing of C^apt. WUliam Wells. With Introductioo and Notes by H. W. Bbckwith. Pp. 96; 8vo. 1884. Price, 30 cenia. 27. The Illinois and Indiana Indians. By H. W. Beckwith of Danville. Pp. 96,8vo. 1884. 50c. 8vo. 1884. FERGUS' HISTORICAL SERIE"^ RELATING TO CHICAGO AND ILLINOIS. 1. Annals of Chicago: A Ia:cture read before the Chicago Lyceum, Jan. 21, 1840. By Joseph t5 BaLktier Esq.. Republished from the ongi- by the Author in 1876: and. also, a Review of the Ucture, published in the Chicago 48: 8vo. 1876. ^ Pnce, 25 cents. Fereus' Directory of the City of Chicago, 1839: with City and County Officers, Churches, Public Buildings, Hotels, etc. ; also, list of Shenffs of Cook County and Mayors of the City since tlieir organization, together with the Poll-list of the First City Election (Tuesday. May 2, 1837)-. J^»st of Pur¬ chasers of Lots in Fort-Dearborn Addition, the >.o. of the Lotshnd the prices paid, etc., etc. (Histori¬ cal Sketch of City compiled for Directory of 1843. etc.) Compiled by Robert Fergus. Pp. 68: 8vo. 1876. Price, 50 cents. The Last of the Illinois; and a Sketch of the Pottawatomies; A Lecture read before the Chicago Historical Society, Dec. 13, 1870. Also, Origin of the Prairies: A I./ecture read before the Ottawa Academy "f Natural Sciences, Dec. 30, 1869. By Hon. John Dean Caton, LL.D., ex-Chief- Justice of Illinois. Pp. 56; 8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cts, 1. Early Movement in Illinois for the Legal¬ ization of Slavery: An Historical Sketch read at the Annual Meeting of the Chicago Historical Socic- ly. Dec. 5. 1E64. By Hon. W.m. H. Brown. Pp. 32: 8vo 187''. Price, 25 cents. •3* Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part I; Hon. S. Lisle Smith, Geo. Davis. Dr. Phillip Maxwell, John J. Brown, Richard L. Wilson, Col. Lewis C. Kerchival, Uriah P. Harris, Henry B. Clarke, and Sheriff Samuel J. Lowe. By W, H. Bi shnei.l. Pp. 48:8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cts. «. Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers of Chicago. Part II: -Hon. Wm, H. Brown, with Portrait. B. W. Raymond, Esq., with Portrait, Hon. J. Y. Scammon, Chas. Walker, Esq., Thos. Church, F^sq. Pp. 48; 8vo. 1876. Price, 25 cents. Early Chicago: A Sunday Lecture read in McCormick's Hall. May 7th, 1876. With Supple¬ mental Notes. 2d Lecture. By Hon. John Went- worth. Portrait. Pp. 56; 8vo. 1876. Price, 35 cts. 8. Early Chicago: A Sunday Lecture read in MLCormick's Hall, April 11, 1875. With Supplc- lu iital Notes, ist Lecture. By Hon. John Went- \^||KTH, Portrait. Pp.48; 8vo. 1876. Price, 35 cts. Present and Future Prospects of Chicago : An Addre>.s read before the Chicago Lyceum, Jan 20 1846. By Judge Henry Brown, author of ' History of Illinois." Rise and Progress of Chicago: An Address read before the Centennial Library Association, March 21, 1876. By James A. Marshall, Esq. Chicago in 1836: "Strange Early Days." Bv Harriet Maktineau, author of "Society in Ameri¬ ca, etc. Pp. 48; Svo. 1876. Price, 25 cents 10. Addresses Read before Chicago Histori¬ cal Society, By Hon. J. V. Scammon, Hon I N Arnold, \Vm. Hickling, Esq., Col. G. S Hub- hard, and Hiram W. Beckwith. Esq.; Sketches of Col John H. Kinzie, by his wife, Juliette A kinzie- Judge Geo. Manierre, Luther Haven, Esq., and other Early Settlers: also, of Billy Caldwell and Shabonee, and the "Winnebago Scare. ofJuly,i827; > and other important original matter connected with ' "Early Chicago." Pp. 52: 8vo. 1877. Price, 25c. 11. Early Medical Chicago: An Historical Sketch of the First Practitioners of Medicine; with the Present Faculties, and Graduates since their Or¬ ganization of the Medical Colleges of Chicago. By James Nevins Hyde, A.M., M.D. Illustrated with numerous Wood Engravings and Steel Engravings of Professors J. Adams Alien, N. S. Davis, and the late Daniel Brainard. Pp. 84: 8vo. 1879. Price, 50 cu. 13. Illinois in the i8th Century.—Kaskaskia and its Parish Records. A Paper read before the Chicago Historical Society, Dec. 16, 1879. Old Fort Chartres. A Paper read before the Chi¬ cago Historical Society, June 16, 1880. With Dia¬ gram of Fort. Col. John Todd's Record Book. A Paper read before the Chicago Historical Society, Feb. 15, 1881. By Edward G. Mason. Pp. 68:8vo. 1881. socts. 13. Recollections of Early Illinois and her Noted Men. By Hon. Joseph Gillesiie, Ed-^ wardsville. Read before the Chicago Historical j Society, March x6, 1880. With Portraits of Author,-" Govs. Reynolds and Bissell, and Henry Gratiot Pp. 52: 8vo. 1880. Price, 50 cents.. 14. ¿ The Earliest Religious History of Chicago.) By Rev. Jeremiah Porter, its ist Resident Pastor. 1 An Address read before the Chicago Hist. See., 1859. j Early History of Illinois. By Hon. William H Brown. A Lecture read before the Chicago Ly¬ ceum. Dec. 8, 1840. Early Society in Southern Illinois. By Rev. Robert W Patterson, D.D. An Address reirf ' before the Chicago Historical Society, Oct. 19, 1880. Reminiscences of the Illinois-Bar Forty Years Ago: Lincoln and Douglas as Orators and Lawyers. By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold. Read before the State Bar Association, Springfield, Jan. 7, 1881. First Murder-Trial in Iroquois Co. for First Mur- derinCookCo. Pp. 112; 8vo. 1881, Price.socu. 1Î5. Abraham Lincoln : A Paper read before the Royal Historical Society, London, June 16, iSSi. By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold, of Chicago. Stephen Arnold Douglas: An Eulogy. Delivered before the Chicago University, Bryan Hall, Julys. 1B61. By Hon Jas. W. Sheahan, of The Chicago Tribune. 1881. Svo., 48 pp.; paper. Price, 25 cts IG. Early Chicago—Fort Dearborn: An Ad¬ dress read at the unveiling cf a tablet on the Fort site, under the auspices of the Chicago Historical. Society. Chicago, May 2t, 1881. 3d Paper. By Hon. John Wentwortk, LL.D. With an Appen¬ dix. etc. Portraits of Capi.Wni.Wells and Mrs. Capt. Heald. Also, Indexes to ist and 2d Lectures, and "Calumet-Club Reception." Svo., 112 pp. 1881. 75c 17. Wm. B. Ogden (portrait) ; and Early Days m Chicago. By Hon. Isaac N. Arnold. Read before the Chicago Historical Society, Tuesday, Dec. 20, i88r. Also, Sketches of Wm. B. Ogden. By Hon. J. Young Scammon. Pp. 72; 8vo. 1882. 40^' For Inter uuiuhers, see iuside of cover. y of the above books sent by mail on receipt of price, postpaid, to any part of the U. S., by the PublUhi .Pönting Chtoa lUhers^ J Ue W«-- .Ä„ • J5t0Íoncaf+^ené0 i ->^«mßcr Siücntíj-fonr-e- T ▼ ▼ T ▼ ▼ ▼▼▼▼▼ ^(^öngressional Reminiscences-^ )AMS, BENTON, CLAY, CALHOUN, and WEBSTER <^j BY John IVentivorth. FIFTH FA FFR. (i I ^ For Catalogue, See Inside and Last Pages of Cover. FERGUS PRINTING COMPANY, CHICAGO. REYNOLDS' HISTORY OF ILLINOIS. My Own Times; Embracing also The History of My Life. By John Rkynoi.ds Ut» Gov. of 111., etc. Portrait, Reprint of original edition of 1855. with complete Index added. Cloth boards| Gilt-top; side and bottom uncut; Antique Paper; Pp 43^: 8vo We are jileaaed to learn that the Fergus Print- inK Company hau nnrlertaken the work of re- printinß che volume of "Mv Own Times: embrac¬ ing also the History of My Life," written by the late Gov. John lleynold.s. ♦ * * Copies of the volume referred to are exceedingly rare, a^nd hardlv could be procured at any price. The Publishers are deserving of thanks ior their efforts to rescue from oblivion a nieritorimis work like the above.—/ii'/'etuV/e .GL ocu/e, Dec, I'i, ISVX This is a vepv'iduction, in an attractive form, and with the ailditioii of a full index, of a book, the story of which is an illustration of the difh- culties whicli all who have devoted themselves to historical investigation have had to encounter in this country. Governor Kevnolds was one of the most 1 r 'ininent figures in western public life, and it would be supposed this epitome of the story of the young days of the western country would have commanded a ready sale. Not so. Completed in the first edition, probably not more than four inindred copies, was printeil in a small job office at lielleville, and taken by a single bookseller of Chicago, at the author's personal instigation. Nearly the whole edition was dc.^troyed in the great fire of 18.)7. Practically out of print, the present volume is rather a new work than the reprint of an old : audi! creditable one it is. The extensive range of politics, internal Improvement, puiilic lite and personal experience, naturally traversed in this bulky volume, render even a slight analysis iinpossibie. It is discursive and sketchy, and abounds in details of purely local value, but it contains also a mass of information wh.ch the enquirer would look for in vain elsewhere. Above all it is stamped with an originality and individuality which set well upon the shoulders of a western man.—Mag. oj Am. //is/.,Aug, Ihho. The year iwu found the territory now occu¬ pied by the populous State of Illinois a savage wilderness, with a total white population— American and Fn nch—of about 2,o()0 scatiered throughout i s domain. Of these it is esti¬ mated that the French creóles numbered some l,2()reaking out of the war with the Winnebaßfl Indians. Several chapters are filled witluthd history i f the Blackhawk war and its attendan excitements and events. The history of edu« li'ui and early newspapers in Illinois receiv due attention. The Governor also relates the national .rosperous of American conimonwealtl Nor will the private history of Gov. Rcynol the sturdy pioneer Executive and Represen tive of the State, fail 10 interest the reader, belongs to Illinois, becau-^e heaidtKi in bring! her to the present prosperity which she enjo He passed nearly half a centurv in promin public life in Illinois—as Judge .Advocate, Jui of the Supreme Court, member of the Legi ture, Governor, Congressman, Canal Comn sioner and Speaker of the House—and is closely identified with the State that their 1 tories can not be scparaied. This volume was first published by Gov. nolds in IW.*!. The edition was small, and of it was destroyed before it was sold in a Chicago. Thus it hei-ame one of the lost of the earth. Fortuoatelv it wa« not totall;, terminated, and now its revival )>y the er prising Chicago house whose imprint it bi-_ no less important than it is gratifying to t' who have the interests of the State at Chicago Joumal, I>ec. 30, lS79. Hoiit. l>y mail, -|>a111, «»11 roi»olpt «>!' priiio.