USA > Illinois > DuPage County > A history of the County of Du Page, Illinois > Part 9
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At home again, it was now time for new arrange- 1 ments to be made, as there had been nothing done as yet, upon the new claim. Stewart, accordingly, set out for the new location with the intention of working there, but soon after his arrival the snow went off with a heavy rain .. After the flood, occasioned by the melt- ing snow and breaking up of the ice had nearly sub- sided, the Indians came - a hundred or more - into the grove near the house, and prepared for making sugar. Hobson now sent his family to Holderman's grove, where he had obtained permission for them to stay a few days, while he with his household goods started for the Du PAGE, and again aimed to take up his night's lodging at the Frenchman's cabin But the traveling was bad, and his progress slow. Late in the afternoon he got " stalled " in a slough. Tak- ing off his boots and stockings, in order to keep them dry, he waded through on foot, and with great effort succeeded in getting his team through, his clothes the while were wet and freezing.
It being by this time quite dark, and fearing to pro- ceed further, lest he should again be "stalled," there was no other chance than to spend the night upon the open prairie. And having some bedding in the wagon, he made out to pass the night without freezing. In the morning he reached the Frenchman's cabin, where he breakfasted. The next night found him at the Spring Brook, just west of the Du PAGE river, but it was so dark that he did not venture to cross it, and
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accordingly camped out again. Here the grass was long, and making his bed upon the ground, he passed the night very comfortably, and the next morning reached his destination. Mr. Scott advised him to bring his family to his place, and let them remain until he could build his cabin. - He accordingly did so, and in a few days their own cabin was ready for their reception.
In April Mr. Hobson went again to Ox Bow Prairie for his wagon, taking with him two yoke of cattle, and bringing back some seed corn, and potatoes. His cattle were so poor and weak that he was often obliged to carry the corn and potatoes on his back, the team being hardly able to draw the empty wagon. The Spring and Summer were cold, wet and consequently unfavorable to crops. But little was raised during that year.
Other settlers, whose names have been given, soon located in different parts of the town. The Naper settlement extended into this town, and the pioneer reminiscences contains an account of the settlers here, up to the close of the Black Hawk war.
This town .embraces an area of thirty-six square miles, and is bounded by Milton on the north, by Will county on the south, by Downer's grove on the east, and by Naperville on the west. The surface consists chiefly of rolling prairie, interspersed with groves of fine growing timber. This town was for- merly called Du PAGE, a name derived from the . river, both forks of which run through it, but there being a town in Will county of the same name, it was
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organized in 1850, under the name of Lisle, in honor of the late S. Lisle Smith, of Chicago.
That part of the village of Naperville which lies in this town includes the county buildings and four churches. The grist mill at Hobson's was among the first established in this part of the county. Brick making is carried on to a considerable extent, and the bricks.manufactured are of good quality. The clay requires coarse sand to be worked with it, to give it compactness. At the establishment of Mr. E. M. Carpenter 275,000 were made last year. The other manufactures are of minor importance, it being strictly an agricultural town, in which branch of industry it competes successfully with its neighbors.
There are in this town nine school districts, in all of which schools are taught throughout the school year. Teachers of the best ability are usually employed, and rewarded by a fair compensation. The almost uni- versal custom of rotation in the employment of in- structors for our schools prevails in this town, the summer term being taught by females, and the win- ter term by males. The schools are attended by 310 scholars. The fund derived from the sale of the school section was $800. It now amounts to $1,011.66. The amount paid to teachers last year was $820, and the amount expended for repairing and building was $1,830.
Several stone quarries have been opened in this town, from which stone is obtained for lime burn- ing and for building purposes. The Naperville and Oswego plank road was laid through the central part of this town. The projectors of this road thought
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
to facilitate the communication between Oswego, Nap- erville and Chicago, and thereby retain the travel which would otherwise be drawn to the railroad which was being built at the same time.
The road was completed from Chicago to Naper- ville, but no farther. The project was a failure ; the stock was worthless, for people would travel by railroad. The material of which the road was con- structed is now being torn up and converted to other uses.
The following is a list of officers for the town o Lisle, who have been elected since its organization in 1850 :
SUPERVISORS.
1850 - Amasa Morse. 1854-H. H. Cody.
1851 - Jeduthen Hatch.
1855-J. C. Hatch,
1852 -John Stanley.
1856 - A. Morse.
1853 - Lewis Ellsworth.
1857 - John Collins.
TOWN CLERKS.
1850-J. C. Hatch. 1854-H. F. Vallette.
1851 - George Roush.
1852 -H. F. Vallette.
1856-R. W. Hunt.
1857 - A. S. Barnard.
OVERSEERS OF POOR.
1850-John Olney. 1854-F. A. Smith.
1851-
1855-John Thompson.
1852- 1856-J. A. Richards.
1853-W. B. Stewart, .1857-John Rahm.
1853 -S. M. Skinner.
1855-
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COLLECTORS.
1850-C. K. W. Howard. - 1851 -F. A. Smith.
1854-F. A. Smith.
1855-B. F. Hosler.
1852-
1853-
1856-J. H. Hobson.
1857-C. M. Goodrich.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS.
1850-Joseph Blodgett,
John Rahm,
Ethan Griswold.
1851- John Rahm, 1855-John Sargent, F. A. Smith,
J. Blodgett, Henry Ingalls.
1852-Solomon Mertz,
E. Griswold, Joseph Blodgett. 1853-A. S. Barnard, -
R. M. Hunt, R. Puffer.
1857-S. Mertz, R. S. Palmer, J. A. Ballou.
CONSTABLES.
1850-F. A. Smith.
1854-John Graves.
1851- 1855-B. F. Hosler.
1852-John Graves.
1856-John H. Hobson.
1853-
1857 -
ASSESSORS.
1850 - Jeduthen Hatch. 1851 - A. B. Chatfield.
1854 - A. B. Chatfield.
1855 -
1852 - 1856 - C. H. Goodrich.
1853 - D. M. Green.
1857 - Elijah Root.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
1850-A. B. Chatfield, 1854-A. B. Chatfield, George Roush. John J. Kimball.
1854-John Sargent, John Stanley, T. Hilderbrand.
Henry Ingalls.
1856-R. S. Palmer, E. Page,
D. C. Stanley.
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BLOOMING- DALE.
Silas Meacham, Lyman Meacham, and Harvey Meacham, were the first settlers of this town. They came liere together, and clearing away the snow from a spot selected for the purpose, pitched their tents, on the eleventh day of March, 1833. The Indians, who were numerous at that time, were their only neighbors during the first year. There were no settlers nearer than King's grove, on the east branch of the Du PAGE, none on the Chicago and Galena road, and none on Fox river above Green's mill. Their Indian neighbors were generally peaceable and quiet, but filled with all manner of superstitious and savage peculiarities. Soon after the settlement commenced, a dog was discovered in the grove hanging from a limb to which it was fast- ened, with a piece of tobacco tied to each foot. The settlers afterward learned from Lawton, an Indian trader, that the Indians had had some bad luck, and the dog was offered as a sacrifice.
The grove was known among the Indians as Penne- ack grove, and received its name from a root found in ยท it, resembling the potato. It grew in such abundance, that the Indians came for it, and carried it away to their camps, in sacks, on their ponies. .
The Indians were generally trusty, and on the whole proved themselves good neighbors. The settlers placed great confidence in them. They frequently came to
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HISTORY OF
the settlement to borrow, and were always prompt in returning, thereby offering an example which many "white folks" think it too much trouble to follow in all cases. Harvey Meacham once loaned his valuable rifle to one of them for several days, on the promise that he would return it at a certain time ; the Indian, faithful to his word, brought it back on the appointed day.
The wife of Lyman Meacham died in the fall of 1833. Her coffin was made of boards taken from a wagon box which was brought from the east. The next death in the settlement was that of a young me- chanic, who came into the town with Major Skinner, in 1834. He was buried in a coffin made of plank, split from a log in the grove.
A small addition to the settlement was made in 1834. Among the settlers of that year were H. Wood- worth, N. Stevens, D. Bangs, Elias Maynard, and Major Skinner. The Meacham brothers, during the first year, built a log house for each of their families, broke and planted forty acres of prairie, and fenced it in, to secure it from their stock which grazed upon the open fields. At the end of the year 1834, the settle- ment had increased to twelve or fifteen families. Many trials, incident to the settlers of a new country, were experienced by these first pioneers. We are informed by one of them, that it was no uncommon thing for a inan to take his plow share and mould board, weighing some sixty pounds, upon his back and trudge away to Chicago, a distance of twenty-four miles, to get it sharpened.
The precinct of Cook county, in which this settle-
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
ment was included, extended over a large part, if not all of Cook county, west of the O'Plain river.
The first election in this precinct was held at Elk grove, eight miles north east of Bloomingdale. Ly- man Meacham was elected justice of the peace. The first path master went as far south as Warrenville, ten miles distant, to warn out the settlers on the highway to perform their road labor .. The claim difficulty to which allusion has been made, occurred in this town. It is thought that no correct history of the horrid trans- action has ever appeared. The statement of this affair, .. given in the life of George W. Green, the banker, who committed suicide in the Chicago jail, is very erroneous. The compilers have been at considerable pains to ob- tain a brief, and as they believe, an impartial account of the transaction, which is commonly known as
THE KENT TRAGEDY.
In the year 1835, or thereabouts, Ebenezer Peck bought the undivided half of Dr. Meacham's claim. While they held it jointly, they leased it to Milton Kent. Before the lease expired, Dr. Meacham sold his half to Mr. Peck, and moved to the O'Plain river, previous to any difficulty with Kent. The trouble respecting the claim commenced soon after Mr. Peck became the sole owner. Mr. Kent's lease expired in the spring of 1837, and the claim was sold to George W. Green, of Chicago, who came on to occupy it, but Mr. Kent would not allow him to take possession ; whereupon, a suit at law was brought, which after sev- eral years' litigation, resulted in giving Green a title to the whole property. In the mean time, Mr. Kent
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HISTORY OF
had built a house and barn suited to the business of tavern keeping, near the east end of the claim, and upon a piece of land which he and his friends said, Dr. Meacham gave him for a tavern stand. Near the first of March 1840, Mr. Green and family, accompa- nied by Daniel M. Green, the sheriff of Du PAGE County, came on to the ground and demanded the possession of the entire premises, tavern stand included. Mr. Kent was very unwilling to go, but notwithstand- ing liis reluctance, he was forced to remove his house- hold effects from the house he had built, and quit the premises on which he had invested all he had. His furniture was removed to a shanty which had been hastily constructed of boards upon the claim, at a little distance from the house. The sheriff notified him to leave the claim immediately, but at the old man's earnest request that he might remain over the Sabbath, it being then Saturday night, it was provided that he could do so upon the condition that he would depart early on Monday.
Old Mr. Kent was a man of iron will, and - deter- mined still to have the property, and stake everything on the effort, preferring even death itself, to being conquered. After preparing a quit claim deed, the following plan, as revealed by those concerned in it, was adopted.
The old man, accompanied by his son, son-in-law, a friend, who afterwards married into the family, and a hired man, making five in all, were to go to the house of Mr. Green late on Sunday evening, decoy him to the door, seize him, carry him off and force him to sign the deed. . When the time arrived they went
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
to the house. Four of the number were on foot, and took their station at the side of the door, to seize Green when he came out, while the fourth, who was on horseback, rode up in front of the house and called loudly for Mr. Green; but, instead of going to the door, Mr. Green answered him through the window of the room in which he was sleeping. The horseman told him that he wished to stop there over night, to which Mr. Green replied that the house was no longer a tavern ; that he could obtain lodging a little further on. He had scarcely said this when the outside door was broken in with a loud crash. In an instant the four men who had been stationed at the door appeared in his room. He had prepared himself with arms for his defense, should he be molested, and seizing his rifle, fired in the direction of. the assaulters. The ball passed through the collar of old Mr. Kent's coat, and escaped through the window frame. He then snapped . his pistol, the muzzle being against the breast of one of his assailants, but the collar of his coat caught in the lock in some way, and it missed fire.
The room was very dark, and, therefore, Green had the better chance to defend himself. In entering the room a table of dishes was overturned, and two of the number sprang upon the bed, seizing Mrs. Green, whom they mistook for her husband. Finding their mistake, they left her unharmed, and went to the assist- ance of their comrades. In the meantime, Green seized a large butcher knife, and commenced making desperate thrusts with it at all who came in his way. A son of Mr. Kent succeeded, at length, in grasping Green tightly around the body, in such a manner as to give
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HISTORY OF
him but little use of his arms ; but he soon regretted his rashness, for it was not long before he felt the sharp point of the knife entering his back, and making an awful wound. He cried murder, implored Green to spare his life, and his comrades to come to his assistance.
Old Mr. Kent advanced, and was about to lay hold of Green, when he (Green) drew the knife from the body of the young man, and struck the old man a mortal blow under the left arm, at which he raised his hands, gave a dying shriek, left the room unob- served, walked a few paces from the door, and fell to the ground dead.
Young Kent was now released from Green's grasp, and, notwithstanding he had received, as he supposed, a mortal wound, he still determined to conquer, and the party rallied, with all their strength, to make one more effort to secure Green. A furious onslaught ensued, and Green was at last overpowered, although he fought desperately. He was knocked down, and beaten with merciless severity upon the head with a horse pistol, and afterward taken, in a senseless con- dition, from the floor and carried, without clothing, save his shirt, across the fields to the shanty. When he had recovered his senses, he was there required to sign the paper, and the young man whom he had so severely wounded with the knife remarked that "he must do it d-n quick, too, for he wanted to see it done before he died, and his boots were then over- flowing with blood." Expecting that his life would be taken in any event, Green signed the papers in presence of the daughters, and then importuned them
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
to let him die at once, upon which he was taken back across the field, and left, in an almost helpless state, near his house, which he succeeded in reaching soon after.
Mrs. Green, after witnessing the brutal treatment of her husband, and being left alone in the house, suffered the most intense alarm, supposing he would be killed, and that a similar fate awaited herself. She stood at the door crying murder, in a voice not above a whisper. The death of old Mr. Kent was not known to his son until after the papers were signed.
Consternation filled the minds of the settlers at such a tragedy transpiring in their midst. A sight never to be forgotten was the lifeless body of that old man, as it lay there upon the ground, his hair white like the frost of winter gathering around his icy temples, and ruffled. by the passing breeze, as it moaned among the, branches of the. grove. His countenance was fresh as though life yet lingered in his veins, but his limbs were stiff and cold in death.
Green delivered himself up to the proper authority, and went before the grand jury of Du PAGE County, confessed the crime he had committed, and was dis- charged. Writs were issued for the arrest of Lorenzo Kent and others, concerned in the tragic affair. Kent was arrested, and while too ill, as was supposed, to be removed, fled out of the State. The family were scat- tered, and have never been united since in that hal- lowed relation. Their head being removed, and them- selves being left without a home, they have been compelled to wander from the scenes of their early attachment, at the mercy of an uncharitable world.
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HISTORY OF
Mr. Green remained in the place some three years, but was in constant fear of his life. He never left his house without being armed, and always slept with weapons within his reach. The opinion prevailed among the settlers that he was a dangerous person, and few tears were shed when he sold his claim and left the neighborhood. His subsequent career of crime, which terminated in self-destruction, is familiar to all. He removed to Chicago, where le amassed considerable wealth in the banking business. In 1855 he was convicted of the crime of murder, in poisoning his wife, and lodged in the Chicago jail. . Soon after his conviction, and while confined in jail, he was found dead in his cell, having taken his own life rather than undergo the execution of his sentence. Thus, we have endeavored to present a brief and impartial state- ment of the Kent affair, about which so much. has been said and written. This, as we have already in- timated, was the only serious claim difficulty in this county ; but volumes might be filled with the most thrilling tales of conflict between settlers, respecting their claims, in other parts of the west. Were govern- ment to survey its lands before they are settled upon, a portion, at least, of the difficulties now incident to new settlements would be avoided.
Bloomingdale is not excelled by any of its sister towns in healthfulness of climate, fertility of soil, beauty of scenery, variety of products, nor in attention to agriculture. Meacham's grove is in this town, and embraces about 1,200 acres of fine timber. The trail made by Gen. Scott's army, in passing from Fort Dearborn to the Mississippi, is about a mile and a half
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DU PAGE COUNTY ..
south of the grove. The trail was visible when the first settlers came, and has always been known as the army trail road. The source of the east branch of the Du Page river is from low land about half a mile south of the grove. The west branch rises in a slough, a few rods in width, situated near the north east corner of the town of Wayne. The town is well watered by springs and small streams, it having but one stream of any size. . A branch of Salt creek runs in an easterly direction through the town, uniting with the main branch at Duncklee's grove, in the town of Addison. This stream furnishes water power at some seasons, and a saw mill has been erected upon it.
The village of Bloomingdale contains about thirty dwelling houses, one hotel, 5 factories, 2 stores, and three churches. The Baptist society was organized in March, 1841, through the instrumentality of Rev. Joel Wheeler and Rev. A. W. Button. There were at first seventeen members, among whom were Noah Stevens, Ephraim Kettle, Asa Dudley, F. R. Stevens, Orange Kent, J. D. Kinne, Philo Nobles, Silas Farr, and William Farr.
For several years the society was without a settled minister, during which time preaching was sustained by Rev. Joel Wheeler, Rev. A. W. Button, Rev. Mr. Smith, Rev. Mr. Edwards, and Rev. Mr. Dickens. The first settled minister was Rev. P. Taylor, who became pastor of the church in 1848, and continued until 1855. He was succeeded by Rev. J. H. Worrell, the present pastor, in 1855.
There have been 204 members of this church since its organization. Seventy-eight have been dismissed,
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HISTORY OF
and four only have died during their membership. The Society now numbers 126 resident members. There is a Sabbath school of 40 scholars connected with this church, having a library of 450 volumes. The present house of worship was built in 1848.
The Congregational Church was organized in Au- gust, 1840, by Rev. D. Rockwell, assisted by Rev. F. Bascomb. W. Dodge, A. Buck, Elijah Hough, A. Hills, E. Thayer, C. H. Meacham, and J. P. Yalding, were among the first members. Rev. D. Rockwell was ordained in 1840, and continued as pastor until 1842. The following are the names of pastors since that time :
1842 - Rev. L. Parker. 1850 - Rev. N. Shapley.
1843- " H. Colton. 1851 - " L. Parker.
* 1844- " B. W. Reynolds. 1854- " D. Chapman. [tor. 1846- " L. Parker. 1855 - " H. Judd, present pas-
There have been 203 members in all, of whom eleven have died during their membership. There are now 93 resident members. The Sabbath school has about 50 scholars, and a library of 300 volumes. The church of this Society was built in 1851, and dedicated June 13th, 1852.
The Methodist Society of this town is in a prosper- ous condition, being at present supplied with preachers from the Naperville circuit.
There are nine school districts in this town, eight of which have school houses. The school fund derived from sale of land was $1,028. It is now $1,425. There were 325 scholars in attendance during the past year. Trustees, Captain E. Kinne, H. Barnes, H. S. Hills. Treasurer, S. P. Sedgwick.
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
The first town meeting in Bloomingdale was held at the school house, in the village, on Tuesday, the 2d day of April, 1850. We give below the names of town officers since the adoption of the township organization law :
SUPERVISORS :
1850 - Erasmas O. Hills.
1851 -Erasmas O. Hills.
1852-H. B. Hills.
1856 - Horace Barnes.
1853 -Cyrus H. Meacham.
1857 - Cyrus H. Meacham.
TOWN CLERKS :
1850 - Myron C. Dudley. 1854 - H. B. Hills.
1851 - Asa W. Spitzer.
1852-M. C. Dudley.
1856 - H. B. Hills.
1853 - M. C. Dudley.
1857 -H. B. Hills ..
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE :
1850 - C. H. Meacham,
1854 -S. P. Sedgwick,
H. Bronson Hills. James Vint.
1851 - Hiram Goodwin:
CONSTABLES :
1850 - Huet O. Hills, 1853 - James Vint.
L. E. Reed. 1854 -S. O. Pepper.
1851 -H. O. Hills.
1852-J. G. Yearick.
1856 -Geo F. Deibert.
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS :
1850-S. H. Dinsmore, 1852 - Rowland Rathbun, . J. H. Kelsey, James Vint,
James Vint. H. Benjamin,
1851-D. S. Meacham, 1853 -J. Barnes,
R. Rathbun,
J. N. Nind.
J. Hathorn, S. C. McDowel. 7
1854 - John G. Ycarick,
1855 - Danicl F. Deibert.
1855 -H. B. Hills.
1855 -S. O. Pepper.
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HISTORY OF
COMMISSIONERS OF HIGHWAYS-CONTINUED :
1856 - Asa Clark, ,
1854 - L. E. Landon, . J. Barnes,- J. N. Nind. J. A. Kelsey.
Berlin Godfrey,
1855-D. F. Deibert, 1857 - J. V. McGraw, Milton Smith, B. C. Pendleton. Alfred Rich, Pierce Driscol.
ASSESSORS :
1850 - Jonathan Barnes.
1854 - Asa Dudley.
1851-H. H. Coe ..
1855 -D. S. McGraw.
1852 - C. H. Meacham.
1856 - Milton Smith.
1853 -H. Benjamin. 1857 - W. K. Patrick.
OVERSEERS OF THE POOR :
1850 - L. E. Landon.
1854 - Allen Hills.
1851 - Calvin Muzzy.
1855 - Allen Hills.
1852 -H. Meacham.
1856 - Levi H. Kinne.
1853 - Allen Hills. 1857 - Levi H. Kinne.
COLLECTORS :
1850-H. O. Hills.
1854 - S. O. Pepper.
1851 -H. O. Hills. 1855 - S. O. Pepper.
1852 -J. G. Yearick. . 1856 - Asa Dudley.
1853 - James Vint. 1857 - Asa Dudley.
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DU PAGE COUNTY.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF ADDISON.
THE settlement of this town began in 1834. - The first inhabitants were Ebenezer Duncklee and Heze- kiah Duncklee, from Hillsborough, N. H., and Mason Smith, from Potsdam, N. Y. They left Potsdam on the 13th of August, 1833, and arrived at Chicago on the 3d of September, traveling by land across Michi- gan and Northern Indiana. Leaving Chicago on the 8th of September, they followed the trail of Gen. Scott's army, which had preceded them, to the Des Plaines river, where they camped for the night, near a party of 300 Indians ... On the following day, they proceeded along the trail as far as the south line of Addison. Here they found a grave, which was sup- posed to be that of a soldier in Gen. Scott's army. The grave was on the west bank of Salt creek. On the opposite bank, near what is now called Grey's grove, were the remains of the army encampment. - Some of the tent posts were still standing. Upon examination, it was found that the waters of the creek were not salt, as they had supposed. The stream received its name from this circumstance: A hoosier team, loaded with salt, became " stalled" while fording it, and the driver was obliged to lighten his load by rolling several barrels into the water. The party left the creek at 5 o'clock, and pursued the trail. Soon after ' dark they discovered a light, which seemed at no great distance. One of the company set out in ad- vance, hoping to reach it, but after making a circuit through the tall prairie grass, he came upon liis com- rades near the place from which he started -and the
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