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Well, said the captain, the river will close up to-night and I must get down below the gorge, or 1 shall have to lay here until spring. Mr. Kibbe said: ‘Well, captain, do you ever have any racing on your boat, if you do I do not like to risk myself and all our goods on the boat.'‘Oh, no,’ said Captain Johnson, ‘Never! never! why, I own half the boat and Mr. Bailey, the clerk, owns one quarter, and we have no insurance and of course we never race/ While we were hesitating to go or not, as we had no insurance, up came a gentleman and tried to persuade the captain to remain until Monday as he was a minister of the gospel and did not wish to break the Sabbath by traveling. He had with him his wife and her two maiden sisters and wished to get to Evansville, Indiana, and would rather pay $10 more if the captain would wait until Mondv as he was a Presbyterian clergyman and the example would be bad if he traveled on the Sabbath. Oh, said Captain Johnson, 1 am glad you are a minister, for we always like to have preaching on the boat on Sunday and I was just wondering who I could get to do so to-day, and after assuring the minister that he would have no racing and that he would have to preach morning and evening we all decided to ship withCaptain Johnson to the ‘Great Future of the West/ As soon as our goods were all on board and the minister and his family had their baggage on board, the good steamboat Troy setout for St. Louiswith about If50 passengers. About an hour after sav 12 m. a bell was rung through the cabin by the steward, announcing that preaching would be had in the main saloon. It was soon well filled and our Evansville pastor gave out a hymn and no one commencing to sing after a moment’s pause Mr. Kibbe said to me, Johnnie, you can sing that.” The minister asked me to do so, and as we used to say at the East, ‘I raised the tune’ and about a dozen ladies joined in with about as many of the colored waiters and W’e had a good sing. When the minister had arrived at about 9thly or tenthly, w’e heard the puffing of another boat, and found that it was the boat which had left the previous day and had been breaking the ice ahead of us, and we had overtaken it in about three hours. Our passengers were all anxious to havethe “finally, and in conclusion” of the sermon to come, and some of those not religiously inclined “went out of meeting” before its close.Dinner was announced soon after, and a splendid dinner it was, until the boat began to tremble so that the dishes upon the table fairly rattled, and we supposed we were being crushed by the immense cakes of ice with which the river was Oiled. We found, however, that we were in open water and fast overtaking the other boat, then only about two lengths ahead of our boat. Nearly all our passengers were anxious to be it the otherboat, and most of the men cheered and urged Captoin Johnson to put|on more steam and get ahead of the other boat, and would help the deck hands “wood up.” Among the helpers was our venerable minister and Mr. Kihbee, the latter calling me a lazy because I wouldnot help. I excused myself by saving I was from Connecticut, attended church, but did not work on the Sabbath. The minister quit “wooding up,” but Mr. Kibbe kept at work until the last stick from the wood boat was on the Troy. We raced until dark. Sometimes our boat was ahead and sometimes the other.We burned tar and rosin, and so did the other baat, but we beat them to Cincinnati, and they us to St. Louis, we making only 12 miles the last 24 hours, andon arriving at St. Louis, all the paddleswere broken out of one wheel and only three left in the other, although we lashed sycamore trees, about ten in diameter, to the bow of our boat to ward off the ice in the Mississippi river.The weather was mild and pleasant and from the time we left Louisville un-top of a dry goods box. Imagine my surprise when, instead of the orator from Kentucky, a coarse, ugly, long-haired, red-faced* galoot mounted the box with a big whip in his hand and said: “Oh yes! Oh yes! Gentlemen, I will now proceed to sell you as tine a lot of niggers as were ever offered in the state ofMizzury.”The first chattel was a large, nice-looking old man, about 00 years of age, a little grey, dressed in a somewhat worn suit of black doth, with a white cravat about his neck and his boots nicely polished.“This boy/* said the auctioneer, “is a good house servant, a good field hand, a good coachman, and if you want any preaching done he can preach a right good hickory.”I asked of a bv-stander w hat the man meant by the pfirase last uttered.“Oh, nothing much,” said the man, only this boy was a good Baptist preacher in Kentucky. He was brought here and his master died, and now he and his wife and children are to be sold.”The man, who had been a minister of the Baptist church in Kentucky, and was far more intellectual in appearance that many of the crowd, was sold for $1,100, to go to a Mississippi plantation. The next item of property sold was the w ife of the minister who could “preach a good hickory.” She was apparently about 40 or 45 years of age, and several shades lighter than her husband, and would be called good looking. She was dressed in a linsey dress, the first I ever saw. On her shoulders she wore a large cotton handkerchief, and on her head a white cotton turban. She was recommended as a good nurse, good cook, good sewer and weaver, and would make a good field hand, as she was strong and healthy. Sold to a Georgia cotton planter for $900. Next came Bob, a stout black fellow, who would tip the beam at 200 to 225 pounds. He came dancing and singing as though he cared little whether school kept or not, or w hat became of him. He brought $1,300, to go to a sugar plantation m Louisiana. Then a little ten year old black boy named Benny and his little blue-eyed, rosy cheeked, blonde-haired sister, aged 8, were brought into the ring together, with a request that they be sold together if |o8sible. but no one seemed to want both, and when Benny was sold for $400 his little sister knelt down, and, with clasped hands, begged the purchaser to buy her and let her go with her brother Bennv. She would be such a good girl, would mind misses and mind the baby, but he didn’t want any girls, and what was done with her I do not know, as I, with several other young men, who remembered that we had little sisters, could not remain to see more of the separation of families, and went to the outside of the crowd, soon after which a man came along with a nice looking young woman, apparently about 19 or 20. We heard old Legree say, “Stand to one side, gentlemen, and let that wench come in.” We stood to one side and in came a neat, tidily-dressed girl, following a middle-aged man, and I could not tell which was the whitest. She had dark eyes, handsome form, and was as genteel in appearance as, at that time, were one-half of the young ladies of St. Louis. She was sold to a youn southern planter at a high price, but know not at what price, as the young gentleman who was witli me said he could not bear to see a girl so lady-like and genteel treated like a dumb animal, as she was subjected to all manner of rude examinations, and we left without learning the price paid for her.A short time after coming here thpweather became so mild and pleasant that we concluded to bring our goods to this place, and rented a store from Mr. Elihu Wolcott—a one-story frame on the lot now occupied by Dr. Lee Hatch as a drug store, Mr. Kibbe went to St. Louis and ahipped them on a small boat called the Fiskilcoa, bound for the Illinois!tinguished orator and statesman. It was a great day for both town and country people. Mr. Webster made a tine speech, and was introduced. I think, by Gov. Duncan and J. J. Hardin.One good old Tennessee whig, when presented to Webster, said:“Why, Dan., how are you, old boss? I’ve hearn tell of your spelling book a heap of times, but if I hadn’t seed you I wouldn’t have knowd you!”This reminds us of a little incident that occurred several years afterward:At the time that Lincoln and Douglaswere stumping the state one of my ladycustomers, living near Arcadia, came in with her husband to hear the speeches, and, as usual, make our store her headquarters. The clerks offeaed to wait upon her, but she invariably answered them that she did not wish to purchase anything; that she “came in to see her little pet”—a name she gave me when I was quite a young man. The clerks,knowing this, called me, and I offered to wait upon her.“No,” said she, “it is my other little pet—little Steve.”To my question if she had seen him,she replied:“No, I never saw’ him, but I wish to do so, and if I was a man I would vote for him early, often and late.”Judge Douglas was standing in front of the store and I went out and invited him in to introduce him to the lady.He had on a pair of very tight-fittingpants, such as were fashionable at that time, lie had a large head and a large body for a man of his height. The lady was above the medium size, and her face was always full of smiles. I introduced her as the wife a gentleman whom the judge well knew—a good friend of mine, and a great admirer of Judge Douglas, w ho then raised his hat from his head and, with his usual rich voice, said:“Haw do you do, madam; how’ do you do?” and extended to her his hand,which she grasped and shook so earnestly that it almost raised the Little Giant from his feet, and after taking a good look at him and swinging him around, said:“Well, Steve, you are a mighty peart little fellow ain’t you? but what a small chance of legs you have got, hain’t you?”Some of inv recollections of early times in Jacksonville are sad and mournful and some pleasant and amusing. Among my early friends who have gone to the better land and joined the great multitude on the other side, I may w’ith reverence mention the names of Gov. Duncan and Gen. John J. Hardin, who were among mv first friends, while I was yet in my minority, and who were always true and warm-hearted. The first large party to which I was invited was at Hardin’s, and the first time Thanksgiving Day was observed in this state was while General Duncan was the governor, and the sermon was preached in the Congregational church, then standing on the east side of the square, where Johnson Sons’ store now is.The discourse was a most eloquent and interesting account of the landing of the Pilgrims, and their first observing a day of public thanksgiving, and was delivered hjr Prof. T. M. Post, then our pastor and professor in Illinois College, ana now residing in St. Louis.Gov. Duncan, at that time, attended Rev. Mr. Dashiel’s church, w hich worshipped in the old court house, but being a warm personal friend and admirer of Prof. Post, attended the service and so well pleased with the sermon and singing that he told, Mrs. Lathrop as we came out of church that now, if some of his Yankee friends would invite him to dine with them he would be glad to accept, so that he might learn the whole ceremony. He went home with us and, at the diuner table, told us that he was not entitled to the compliments paid him by my wife for his excellent proclamation appointing the day which was observed generally in the northern part ef the state, Gov. Duncan told us afterwardand never killed more than three at a shot. In the winter of ’3b and 7 they used to come from what was then called “Duncan’s big field/' northwest of town, to the College Grove, anil to Elm Grove (as Gov. Duncan then called his residence) to roost. Gov. Duncan, who was a good sh»t, saw a lot of prairie chickens sitting lt;m a rail fence, and, returning to his house, took his shot-gun ami killed 14 at a single shot.In 1843 we bought wheat at 35 to37U\, delivered in Jacksonville; 40c*. delivered at Naples, Meredosia, Beardstown, Bath and Havana. We bought 1,0U0 barrels of tlonrof Ira Davenport ami lt;\ Mathews, at $2.25 per barrel, delivered at Nanles. We also bought quite a lot of pecan nuts, all of which we shipped to New York, having chartered a steamboat which we loaded on the Illinois river for New Orleans, where we re-shipped on vessel for New’ York, where we sold the entire cargo, and, counting our exchange at 10 per cent, premium, we made $22 profit on the entire lot, and considered ourselves lucky, as we had paid our debts East previously, paying 25 jer cent premium for exchange. At that time we could get no sacks to ship our grain in; there was no railroad with grain cars as now, and we had to get barrels to ship in. I think w’e bought 1,000 from Mr. Hinrichsen and 1,000 from a Mr. Arnold, of Exeter, recently deceased. Home years we bought hemp and wool, to make our payments in New York and Philadelphia with, and even up to the time of the Mexican war, a which time Mr. J. 11. Bancroft and I were in business together. We bought hemp and wool to ship to meet our payments, which we always did, 100 cents per dollar, though we sometimes lost money on what we shipped.During the winter of 1830 and *7, the legislature of Illinois, at Vandalia, which was then the capital of the state, passed what was called “a general internal improvement bill,” granting charters for railroads all over the state, and a large number were commenced and soon abandoned, the Wabash, then called the “Northern Cross K. 1C,” being the only one in the state which was finished sufficiently to do any business until some years afterwards. The chief engineer was James M. Bueklin, ami his assistants were Geo. P. Plant, J. H. Kibby, Edwd. MIodzianowski and Napoleon Koscia-lowski, very superior engineers.The first engine used on this road was called the Pioneer, and was about as powerful as a good-sized tea-kettle, and frequently got stalled with one freight and one passenger car. The road was finished only from Meredosia to Jacksonville, and sometimes they made a round trip in twentv-four hours ami sometimes in forty-eight hours.Many of the country peonle called the locomotive the “bullgine.” I never knew the reason why unless it was because atwo-year-old bull, owned by a family who’lived about three miles west of town, would sometimes dispute the right of way, but was finally overpowered and killed, which so exasperated its owner and his wife that they put soft soap on the track, which effectually stop|ed the train.In the year 1843 a Mr. II. A. Crittenden came here and lectured on Miller-ism, and quite a number wfere made to believe that the world would be destroyed by tire that year.A man by the name of Phillip Haynes, who lived just northwest of town, heard about it and, as his reputation was not above reproach, he was very much worried about his prospects in the hereafter. About that time a large bell lmd been placed in the tower of the Congrejjptiou-a) church, and on Saturday niglit it was all ready to be rung. Several of those present tried it, but no one but J. O King could “set the bell,” and of course a terrible chatter followed, as one after another tried to set it as King had done. Haynes heard the bell and, with hisand harness. 1 rerolliM-t at one tinu* be rode in ami tried tlt;» engage the load before his man. George, got in town. Hecould not sell them ami ordered George to drive home ami give the peaches to the hogs, and never bring another peach to Jacksonville.For quite a number of years moeking-birds were quite plenty making their nests and rearing their young, ami seemed quite tame, and while I was living onState street they made their nests in the*hedges between our lot and J. \V. King’s ami between ours and t’ol. Chambers's. There were no robins here previous to1N37. Tin* first one I heard or saw was while boarding at Mrs. Shackelford’s, in a two-story frame that stood where J.W. King’s jewelry store now is. Maj. Buckner, now member of congress from Missouri, was the first to hear it sing in the mornings, ami called the hoarders “to see and hear a New England robin.”Pu to N by I A tie; mau 1! Jack lionmgamAuhciTax Purchaser’* Notice.rno KATE lt;\ BAKU autl all other parties inter-r *You are hereby notified that at a sale of r. al tao- made by the county collector ol’Mo-gan county, at thtoloor of the rourt house hi the titv of ack-Honvi )lt;\ counlv of Morgan and stale of Illinois, on the 2fi* ti day of one, A. 1. 188 , J A. Fay, purchased tlii* f*» I wing desert lied real estate, situated in said county, for the tuxes, special asses*incuts. interest pc mu ilea and e *t* due uml unpaid thereon, for the year A. I*. 1 HI, t * wit Middle on* -third lots 12 and 13 Til’on Cassell's additiou to Jacksonville ass ssed to Kate C. Barr.* ud that said J. A l ay assigned the said certificate of purchase for said land to the under* gued. And that the time a loweo hv law :or the redemption of said real estate will expire on the 2Gth day of June,A. I. 1884A. W. WALLA K, Assignee of J. A. FayJacksonville, II., Mar. 8, 1884.Tax Purcliascp’s Notice.IlKASt l-SW FOX undSaliieS.Fox.il P er*ol, and till pari it* interested in *. late herein below described:You are hereby notified, *.hut at a sale of teal e*an own-real estate for delinquent taxes, made in ptirMiance of law,at the court house in thee, unty of Vorgan uud stale of llinois, on the 2fith day of June, A. 1. 1882,i have purchased the following described real estate situated in said county, tor the tuxes, special H-esmenls. itit rest *, pe» ulue* and costs due and unpaid hereon, tor the year A. l. 1881, and hack tax included in the judgment reudeted in the yeui 1882, against said real e late f r taxes, to-wit.K.2 feet south puit of lot 7 in bloc* 2t», in elly addition to nektonvilie, taxed in tie-name of Fiances W. Fox. Also fin feet south side of lot f, in block .fi, in -aid addition, taxed i the name of Sti lie S.box. and that I lit* time allowed by law' for I lie redemptimi of said ieul estate wid expire on the 2Gthdav of June, 1884.IF CLARKSON.Tax Purchaser’* Notice.ri!lt; P. B. SlNlt;»LFToN, and all other parties inter-J. ewled:You urn hereby notified that at a sale of real estate made by the county .ollector of Morgan county, at the door of ilie court house in the city of Jacksonville', countv of Morgan and Stale of Illinois, on the jfith day of June, A. 1 1882, 1 purchased lue following deserihed real estate, situated in *uid county, fortlie tuxes, special assessments, interest, |M.atuiltics and costs due und unpaid thereon, lur the year A. I. 1881, to-wit:Fast half northeast quurtcr section 28, township Ifl, ru gc 13, 80 acres; west hull* of iiort u west quurter of section 27, township It), range FI, 80 acres, assessed to t . 11. singleton. And that the time a.low ed by law for the redemption of said real estate will expFe on the 2(hh day ot June, A. L. 188-1A. W. WALLA* F Jacksonville, III., March 8, 1884.Tux Purchaser’* Notice.*. Ml’KllAY uud all other partiesrno WILLIAMi tile rested :You are hereby notified that at u sale of real late made by the county nolle tor of Morgan county, at the door of the cfturi house in the city of Jacksonville, county of Morgau uud stale of ill- .*is, on » day ol June, A. 1. 188*2, I purchased th foi-the 2fitlilowing described real estate, situated in said county, for the taxes, special tutse sincnts, Interest, penalties and costa due and unpaid thereon, for the year 1881, to-wll:South half of lot 30 original town of Murray vt u;riglot 28 original own of Murray vi I©; iota HI and 82IUV Ill ia I/I *«•••• % » a »v. ua Miiia ^ aMurray's addition to Muirayville; lota 1, 2, 3 and 4, Murray's 2d additiou to Muirayville, assessed tWilliam h. Murray. And that the time allowed by law for the redemption of said real estate will expire on the 2fith duy of June, . D. 1884.A. W. WALLAW.Jacksonville, 111., Murch 8, 1884.Piles! Piles!!daA citizen of Jacksonville was cured by uatu*WILLIAM’S PILE OINTMENT. luquire of Di H. LEE BATCH/The Live'’ druggist
Newspaper Details
Jacksonville Illinois Daily Courier
Jacksonville, Illinois, US
Sat, Mar 15, 1884
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Patty M.
IL, USA 11 Mar 2018
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