USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 19
USA > Illinois > Moultrie County > Combined history of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, Illinois : with illustrations descriptive of their scenery and biographical sketches of some of their prominent men and pioneers > Part 19
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72.
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
be fifty feet square, and thirty feet from the foundation to the eaves. From the eaves to the dome it is about thirty-eight feet, making the height from the foundation to the dome sixty-eight feet. The contract for building it was $18,000, but when it was completed it cost over $21,000. "Uncle " Sammy Wright, and William Hay- den hauled all the material for building from Mattoon, except the brick. The vault is claimed to be fire proof, and one of the best in the state. It was completed in the summer following, 1866.
THE FIRST JAIL.
The first jail, as is already known, was in the north-east corner of the basement floor of the old court house. It was divided into two departments; the jail room proper, and the " dungeon." On account of its inadequacy for jail purposes, it was never used in only two or three cases. One informant tells us that nothing but a jack-ass was ever confined in it, (a practical joke of the boys). But the more reliable history is, that one Hiram Davis, confined there for cattle-stealing, bored his way out with a small gimlet. In another case, a prisoner, by a little exertion, dug through the brick wall and escaped, and has never been heard from since. Before the construction of the present jail, the Moultrie county prisoners were taken, as before mentioned, to adjoining counties, for safe keeping.
The present jail was built in the spring and summer of 1876. The contractors were P. J. Pauly & Brother, of St. Louis. The spe- cifications, etc., were drafted by N. P. Guffy. It was to be a brick structure, and in size 32 by 52 feet, and two stories high. There were fifteen bids submitted ; the lowest being by Pauly & Brother, for $6,972. James T. Taylor was appointed by the board of supervisors to superintend the work for the county.
The wood work was sub-let to William Bushman for $1,400. The brick work was done by John F. Miller, and the plastering by Nichols Brother. The lower story is conveniently arranged for domestic purposes of the sheriff. The second story is divided into two halls, besides the prisoners' room. The first hall you enter from the stair-way, is completely cut off by iron grating from the second hall. The second hall is next to the prison proper, and is effectually barred from the cell-room. The latest patent locks and appurtenances are used in these halls. There are eight iron-clad cells-four on each side of the hall-in which the prisoners recre- ate. At this writing there are but four prisoners confined in the jail .- two for larceny, one for rape, and one for murder.
The first overseers of the poor were A. Love, of Lovington pre- cinct; James Roney, of Thomason precinct; John Fulton, of Julian precinct; and Milton Cox, of East Nelson precinct.
Tlie county poor farm was purchased the 6th day of August,
1864, at the suggestion of Judge J. E. Eden, who was afterwards appointed one of the commissioners to negotiate for its purchase. It contains two hundred acres, one hundred and sixty acres of prairie and forty of timber, and it cost $5,800. It was paid for out of part of the proceeds of the swamp land funds. The property was bought from Eli York, and is generally known as the old Greene Camfield farm. It has an excellent orchard, and a fairly convenient farm house for its purposes. William Crouch was the first poor-master, and started in with five inmates. There are but four paupers at this time.
The first assessment made in the county was twenty-five cents on the hundred dollars. According to the record, the first assessors' book that was made out for which any pay was received, was in the year 1848. We copy the following from the record : "" Ordered, that John A. Freeland be allowed $19.87 for making out a book for the assessor, and preparing the same for the collector for the year 1848."
ASSESSMENT OF MOULTRIE COUNTY FOR 1858. SHOWING TOTALS.
NUMBER.
VALUF.
Horses.
2,997
$162,324
Neat Cattle
7,918
103,395
Mules and Asscs
168
10,242
Sheep
7,795
11,712
Hogs
17,902
38,285
Carriages and Wagons
886
30,721
Clocks and Watches.
671
4,934
Goods and Merchandise
26,450
Monies and Credits
83,597
Uncnumerated' Property.
57,135
Aggregate,
$528,795
Deduction
29,482
Total Value
$499,313
Lands
$1,268,763
Town Lots
60,755
Total Value of Lan Is and Town Lots.
1,329,518
Total Value of Real and. Personal Property
$1.828,831
State Tax at 47 cts. on the $100
8595 50
State School Tax at 20 cts. on the $100
3657 66
State Tax remaining due for former ycars
1133 60
County Tax at 33 cts. on the $100.
6035 14
Remaining for former years
304 55
County Special,
2030 90
Remaining due for former years
359 06
Total Tax
$22,116 41
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS OF MOULTRIE COUNTY FOR THE YEAR 1879.
CORN.
WINTER WHEAT.
SPRING WHEAT.
OATS.
APPLE ORCHARD.
PEACH ORCHARD.
PEAR ORCHARD.
VINEYARD.
TIMOTHY MEADOW
CLOVER MEADOW.
PRAIRIE MEADOW.
HUNGARIAN AND
MILLET.
BARLEY.
BUCKWHEAT.
BEANS.
IRISH POTATOES.
Acres.
Bush.
Acres
Bush.
Acres
Bush.
Acres
Bush.
Acres
Bush.
A cres
Acres
Buch.
Acres
Galls.
Acres
Tons.
Acres
Tons.
Acres
Tons.
Acres
Tons.
Acres
Bush.
I Acres
Bush.
Acres
Bush.
Acres
. Bush.
Acres
Busb.
Marrowbone
27 47
81784
555
11307 21
370
404
13766
22
1540
1 10
1
421
10
5
4
11
19
270
3
38
18
653
Lovington
8198
275800
1631
33838
17
179 1053
36860
215 9730
1755 1682
7
31
28
71
153
52
459 10 225
5
45
14
965
Whitley
6671
245600
1972
43970
1488
40250
231 10310 19
1266 1160
89
16
23
25
400
1
38
2286
East Nelson.
4788
183720
1420
25808
1033
18582
870
4802 19
5
1323 1014
12
5
53
506 10 160
69
ť
2
33
1968
Dora
7170
381020
923
17680
23
240 1275
43186
74
1683
1 40
943
903
46
44
53
19
22
30
440
8 144
40
5
26
1997
Lowe.
10450
380838
1714
39679
4
38 1675
79294
235
3424
880 1247
80
74
74
4
3
6
76 1095 52 189
5
28
15
1424
Sullivan ...
11517
419260
2931
52123
16
159 1695
59058
379
11307 15 20
7|31
1520 1698
21
2
34
15
663
67 1133
23
35
31
55
34
2767
Total
58520 2247537 12550 253279 129 1911 9901 344897 2140 53261 61 75 7 44 90 9142 9180 2032 239 202 207 132 2911 493 7070 90 918 222 272
113 131 225 14867
NAMES OF
TOWNSHIPS.
Jonathan Cr'k. 6979
274115
1404
28874
481
925 1278
53901
114 10465
6
1034 1134
10
5
19
15
10 171 2767 10 200
1
17
7 53
47
2813
44
31
8'
16
3
3
-
-
Bush.
342
7
RYE.
VALUE.
73
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS OF MOULTRIE COUNTY FOR THE YEAR 1879.
SWEET POTATOES.
TOBACCO.
BROOM CORN.
FLAX ( Fibre.)
SORGO.
TURNIT AND OTHER
OTHER FRUITS AND
OTHER CROPS.
PASTURE.
WOODLAND.
UNCULTIVATED
CITY, TWN R AL EST.
TOTAL ACRES.
WOOL SHORN.
FAT SHEEP SOLD.
COWS.
BUTTER.
CHEESE.
FAT CATTLE.
FAT HOGS.
HOGS & PIGS DIED
OF CHOLERA.
TIMOTHY SEED.
CLOVER SEED.
HUNGARIAN SEED.
FLAX SEED.
GRAPES.
| Aerpe
Bush.
Acres
Pds.
Acres
Pds.
Acres
Acres
G. S'p
Acres
Value
Acres
Value
Acres
Acres
Acres
Acres
No.
Pds.
Nu.
No.
Pds.
Sold.
Pus.
Sold.
Sold.
Sold.
No.
Bush.
'Bush.
Bush.
Bush.
Pds.
Marrowbone ....
5000
7
10
377
1493
104
6036
5 220) 210
145
5740
78
1127, 408 17. 5 5
78
Lovington
112
1
77
7550 457
170
21349
1649 53 365
646
2738
384
194
780
150
Whitley
1 275
12
1105
3668 1499 740
1777
214)
90
459
6814
40
522
2314
252
East Nelson.
22
1537
1
75
26
1741
2229
2186
20145
311
9893
83
1901!
48
76 100
2000
3890
Jonathan Cr'k.
1
72
14
1233
12810
1141 605 619
23260
1
13)
228
4119
143
1635 454
Sullivan.
1
10
22
65
5537
1 145
442
3286 3320 1518
82
26492
62
2773
93
469 11335
183
2646 2704
19)
10100
Total. 51 242 14 300 37 21270 674 151 11680
4 13253 96,34100 9481 8247 483 1558442 103 13652 642 2471 47683 3840 2203 14815 3570 411 225 340
5003
20440
--
-
THE ASSESSMENT OF REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR THE YEAR 1880.
IMPROVED LANDS.
UNIM- PROVED LANDS
TOTAL LANDS
IMPROVED LOTS.
UNIM. PROVED LOTS.
TOTAL LOTS HORSES.
NEAT CAITLE
MULES AND ASSES.
SHEEP.
HOGS.
DING BOIL- ERS.
Acres.
Value.
Acres.
Value
Acres.
Value.
Lots
Value.
Lots.
Value.
Lots.
Value.
No. Value.
No.
Value.
No Value
No.
Val.
No. Value No
Val.
Whitley
2205
$226835
817
$3035
23022
$229870
6
$2085
$ 30
69
765
$1490
1823 $18409
42 $ 900
894 $ 888
2616
$4594
3 $ 450
Marrowbone.
23224
243769
1724
8649
24948
252418
177
12935
74
1045
251
7295
664
12600
1062
12303 145
2995
200
200
2030
4157
2 950
Lowe
24677
247301
840
7870
25517
255171
63
6750
132
1390
195
8140
640
12929
876
7536 128
2728
12
12
2438
4947
1
175
Lovington
32926
328819
161044
3018
12778
22935
173822
11
566
12
50
23
616
612
12745
1375
12992 54
1110
846
810
1809
3390
4
925
Jonathan Creek ..
23155
232"62
72
651
23227
233413
406157
776
114470
540)
9845
1316
124315
1492
34999
2174
23066 110
2662 1353
1353
4671
6904
8
980
202296 $2031143
$13831 $69386
216127 $2100529
1383
$.68566
1061
$15024
2446
$183990 6436
$130171 1.035 $115879 759 $15595 5140 $5167 22342 $11536 21 $4180
-
1
-
-
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS.
BILLIARD AND)
OTHER TABLES.
No
Val.
No. Val.
No.
Val. N
Val. No Val. N Val. Val. Val.
Val.
Val.
Val.
Val. Val.
Val.
Val.
Val.
Val.
Val. Val.
Val.
Val.
Val. Val
Val.
Whitley
290
$2933
189
$354
107 $ 926
7 335
22
$110
$1500
$3090
$3
$10286
$47
$3819
$12252
$76396
169
Marrowbone ..
201
2679
2:22
374
1129
70
15
315
2 $70
$300
5715
2376
$17600
60
5429
8614
$571
82488
Dora.
228
2637
167
324
115
1175
13
345
10
4075
3094
$530
$850
1070
185
25
4407
17423
1096, 704491
1.54
Lowe.
243
1777
195
393
109
914
1
75
90
1
30
4805
32×3
430
4-39
40
3153
18889
930| 67975
240
Lovington
2'$15
287
3489
291
f73
180
1603
511
4 220
105
265
2186
2604
1261
278
34
2441
8550
*9225
151
Sullivan
56€
6604
529
1236
292
1988,32 1617
24
694 14
495
100
303
20891
6059
3558
67
$69
60
590
11655
568
16080
122/3
2327 1570-9
$1394 619227 1896 2756>8
.. $3,209,434
STATEMENT OF THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE COUNTY DECEMBER 11TH, 1880.
INDEBTEDNESS.
County bonds in aid of B. & O. R. R. R, $200,000
Accrued interest on same, .
70,000
County bonds in aid of D. S. & M. R. R.,
81,000
Accrucd interest on same,
28,000
Total,
$379,000
ASSETS.
County revenue now being collected, 10
$20,100
The following is a list of the Senators and Representatives who have represented Moultrie county since its organization :
SENATORS.
Peter Warren, 1844-45, 1846-47, Isaac Funk, 1863-65
Josiah McRoberts, 1849
W. H. Cheney, 1867
Nathaniel Parker, . . 1851 53
John McNulty,
1869-71
William D. Watson, . 1855
Charles B. Steel, 1873-75
Joel S. Post, . . 1857-59
Malden Jones, 1877-79
Richard J. Oglesby,
1861|
Horace S. Clark, . . 1881-83
EST. & IMPROVEMENTS-
GRAIN OF ALL
ALL OTHER PRO-
OTHERWISE LISTED.
TOTAL VALUE OF
PROPERTY.
NO. OF DOGS.
TOTAL VALUATION OF
RAILROAD PROPERTY IN COUNTY.
Jonathan Creek
179
1866
10
130
594
4
120
2407
1675
1785
1340
15415
66
54 1
6594
2323 103268
2017
East Nelson
218
2648
156
3+1
67
5 230
33
865
395
30
773%
2820
2453
2960
$75
5766
149
52877
211
GRAND TOTAL
2 $15 2215 $24633 1851 $3825 1079
8831 51 2547
120
2854 25
990
100 $643 $+4986 $25315 $11820
...
....
AGRICULTURAL
MONIES OF BANK
STOCK JOBBER.
GOLD & SILVER PLATE
AND PLATED WARE.
DIAMONDS AND
JEWELRY
CREDIT OF BANK,
BANKER, BROKER
OR STOCK JOBBER.
THAN OF BANK,
BANKER, &c.
BANKER, &c.
MANUF. TOOLS
HOUSEHOLD
AND OFFICE
FURNITURE.
INVESTMENTS IN REAL
KINDS.
PERTY NOT
PERSONAL
1
300
Dora ..
21904
220859
21904
220859
67
4925
241
2:370
308
55
694
284
26629
910
16371
2736
22973 139
2525
606
606
3599
7111
2 400
East Nelson
19977
34228
369754
7360
36403
SEWING & KNIT.
PIANO FORTES.
MELODEONS AND
FIRE AND BURG.
PROOF SAFES.
MATERIALS AND
MAN'F. ARTICLES
GOODS AND
MERCHANDISE.
TOOLS AND
MACHINERY.
BANKER OR
$3015 13980
15627
1239
12686
52
956 1188
1188
3277
6438
2000
Dora
25 12
6000 163
4 26 3202 3410 2534 70 11831 376
17762
16
262+ 106
274
5030,3800
173 1387
4752
375
1067
137 305 24
1946
23025
2 1122
87
229
Lowe
19,10270 370
-
-
-
750
5914 89
1719
74
77
1872
3695
Sullivan ..
CARRIAGES AND
WAGONS.
WATCHES AND
CLOCKS.
MACHINES.
ORGANS.
229
25935
32926
328819
41588
ROOT CROPS.
BERRIES.
LAND.
SHE'P KLD. BY DOGS.
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS
6
4|160
40
17
573 17 120
STEAM EN- GINES
INCLU-
NAMES OF TOWNSHIPS.
7
4
5
.
...
$70 $60
$3956 $13994 $19724 $840 343710
$15 $00317
CREDIT OTHER
THAN OF BANK,
AND MACHINERY
No.
No.
658
21
525
10000
MONEYS OTHER
No. Val.
236
135
2
PATENT RIGHTS.
190
1 145
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
74
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
REPRESENTATIVES.
Usher F. Linder,
William D. Watson, 1846-17 Michael Donohoe, ? . 1871
Reuben B. Ewing, 1849
William T. Sylvester, )
Charles Emerson, 1851 John A. Freeland, . 1873
Henry Prather, 1853
James A. Connolly,
James A. Connolly,
E. W. Vanse, 1875
James Wigche,
1857
Richard A Wilson,
IV. W. Craddock, 1859
Henry A. Neal,
Smith Nichols, 1861
Rhoda Hefferman, . 1877
James Elder,
Stephen Cannon,
William Coles, S 1863
Orlando B. Fieklin,
Isaac C. Pugh, )
1865
Henry A. Neal,
Clark R. Griggs,
1867
J. W. R. Morgan,
. 1881
WV. M. Stanley,
1869
J. W. Scroggs,
On account of the destruction of the county records, we cannot . give all the years in office of the following officers. We will, there- fore, give the names in the order they were elected.
County Commissioners .- Reuben B. Eving, Abraham H. Kellar, George Mitchell, March, 1843, to August, 1843 ; Reuben B. Ewing, A. H. Kellar, Audrew Scott, from August, 1843, to August, 1846 ; A. H. Kellar, Rowland Hampton, Daniel Ellington, to 1848.
Recorder .- John A. Freeland was elected recorder in 1843, and held the office until the constitution of 1843 made the circuit clerk ex-officio recorder.
Circuit Clerks .- John Perryman, Wilson C. Loyd, Arnold Thomason, J. H. Waggoner, S. W. Wright, present incumbent.
County Clerks .- John A. Freeland, from 1843 to 1857; C. L Roane, from 1857 to 1861; A. N. Smyser, from 1861 to 1865 ; J. B. Titus, from 1865 to 1869; A. N. Smyser, from 1869 to 1873 ; George Hetherington, from 1873 to 1877; W. W. Eden, clected 1877, present incumbent.
. Sheriff's .- Isaac Walker, elected March, 1843; re-elected August, 1843 ; died in 1844; James H. Stevens, elected to fill vacancy in 1844; re-elected August, 1845; Joseph Thomason, eleeted in 1846 ; re-elected in 1848; T. O. Brown, elected in 1850 ; Joseph Thomason, re-elected in 1852; Enoch C. Berry, elected in 1854; Simon M. Kearney, clected in 1856; Joseph Thomason, re-elected in 1858 ; · served to 1864; S. P. Earp, elected in 1864; J. H. Carter, elected in 1866 ; S. W. Wright, elceted in 1868; Joseph Thomason, elected in 1870; served till 1876; Washington Linder, elected in 1876, present ineumbent.
JUDGES OF PROBATE.
David Patterson was elected first Probate Judge in 1843, and served in that eapacity until the new constitution of 1848 made a ehange, organizing a County Court with one Judge, having probate jurisdiction and providing for two Associate Justices.
COUNTY JUDGES.
James Elder, elected in 1849; E. D. Cleveland, Daniel Elling- ton, Associates.
James Elder, re-elected in 1853 ; David Patterson, Amos Wag- goner, Associates
Amos Waggoner died while in office, and Rowland Hampton was elected to fi l the vacancy.
James Elder, re-elected in 1857 ; William Purvis, Stephen Can- non. Associates.
J. E. Elder, elected in 1861; Joseph Baker, Stephen Cannon, Associates.
Arnold Thompson, elected in 1865 ; John Rhodes, William Noble, Associates.
In 1866 township organization took effect, and Arnold Thomason continued in office until 1877.
In 1877 Jonathan Meeker was elected, and is the present incum- bent.
CORONERS.
A. B. Lec, I. J. Berry, Douty Patterson, Hiram Trevillian, George Hoke, Oliver T. Atchison, Charles F. Cochran, present in- cumbent.
SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.
John Perryman, John A. Frecland, Dr. Hendricks, Frank Porter, Arnold Thomason, John Y. Hitt, T. B. Knight, David Patterson.
SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS.
Dr. T. Y. Lewis, D. F. Stearns, J. K. B. Rose, D. F. Stearns, present incumbent.
TREASURERS.
Dr. B. B. Everctte, elected in 1843, resigned his office in Septem- ber, 1844.
John Perryman was appointed by the C. C. Court to fill the vacancy, and continued in office until 1849.
Arnold Thomason was elected in 1849, and served until 1855.
Isaac V. Waggoner was clected in 1855, and served until March, 1859, when he died, and James Lynn was appointed to fill the vacancy.
J. H. Waggoner, elccted in 1861. T. M. Bushfield, elected in 1863, and served until 1871. S. W. Wright, elected in 1871. J. H. Dunscomb, elected in 1873, and served until 1877. A. E. D. Scott, clected in 1877, and is present incumbent.
SURVEYORS.
Hugh Allison, died soon after election, Parnell Hamilton, D. D. Randolph, James R. Anderson, William Kirkwood, Michael D. Warren, Abraham Jones, John J. Bristow, dicd soon after election, Michael D. Warrco, present incumbent.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION
Was effected in 1866. Prior to this, in the fall of 1862, the pro- position was submitted to the people, but was defeated by a large majority. It was again submitted to the people at the November election 1866, and was carried by a majority of 321 votes. At this time there were but five voting precincts in the county, to wit : Sullivan, Whitley Creek, Marrowbone, Lovington and Taylor. Sullivan precinct voted largely against township organization ; the other precincts, however, were mainly for it, and hence the or- ganization was effected.
At the first mecting of the county board following the election John R. Eden, B. S. Jennings and S. P. Earp were appointed commis- sioners to divide the county into townships. They subdivided it into eight civil townships, namely : Sullivan, Lovington, Marrowbone, West, Taylor, Jonathan Crcek, East Okaw and Whitley township. On reporting their action to the auditor of state, as the statute provides, it was found that there were three townships bearing the same name of three other townships in the state, to wit-West, Taylor and East Okaw. They were accordingly re-named as follows : West township was changed to Dora, Taylor to Lowe, and East Okaw to East Nelson.
THE FIRST BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Were elected in the spring of 1867. They were as follows: Jona- than Meeker of Sullivan, chairman; Alexander Porter, from Loving- ton township ; Benjamin Freeman, from Jonathan Creek ; James T.
A. Brown,
Arnold Thomason, 1879
Lewis J. Bond, S
Eugenc B. Buck,
Thomas M. Bundy,
Albert G. Jones, 1855
Jonathan Meeker,
75
HISTORY OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES, ILLINOIS.
Taylor, from East Nelson ; William Weakley, from Dora ; J. A. Freeland, Jr., from Marrowbone; Alvin Waggoner, from Whitley and Geo. W. Winn, from Lowe. The supervisors are elected every spring. From the last census, Sullivan township will, undoubtedly, soon be entitled to two supervisors.
In the writing of this chapter we have been obliged to labor under many difficulties on account of the destruction of the records in 1864. That some inaceuracies should occur with regard to dates would not be at all surprising ; but we have taken much care to have all dates corroborated where information has been received by word of mouth.
CHAPTER X.
BENCH AND BAR OF SHELBY AND MOULTRIE COUNTIES.
G
ORACE GREELEY once said that the only good use a lawyer could be put to was hanging. And a great many other sensible people entertain the same opinion. There may be cause for con- demning the course of certain practitioners of the law, but the same may be said of men within the ranks of all the professions. Such men should not be criticised as lawyers, doctors, or the like, but rather, as individuals who seek, through a profession that is quite as essential to the welfare of the body politic as the science of medicine is to that of the physical well being, or theology to the perfection of the moral nature, to carry out their nefarious and dishonest designs, which are usually for the rapid accumulation of money, although, at times, for more evil and sinister purposes, and which are the instincts of naturally depraved and vicious natures.
None of the professions stand alone in being thus afflicted. All suffer alike. The most holy and sacred offices have been prosti- tuted to base uses. And it would be quite as reasonable to hold the entire medical fraternity in contempt for the mal-practice and quackery of some of its unscrupulous members, or the church, with its thousands of sincere and noble teachers and followers, in deri- sion for the hypocrisy and deceit of the few, who simply use it as a cloak to conceal the intentions of a rotten heart and a corrupt na- ture, as to saddle upon a profession as great as either the short- comings of some of its individual members.
By a wise ordination of providence law and order govern every- thing in the vast and complex system of the universe. Law is everything ; lawyers nothing. . Law would still exist, though every one of its professors and teachers should perish from the face of the earth. And should such a thing occur, and a new race spring up, the first instinctive desire of its best men would be to bring order out of chaos by the enactment and promulgation of wise and beneficent laws. Law in the abstract is as much a component part . of our planet as are the elements earth, air, fire, and water; in a concrete sense, as applied to the government of races, nations, and peoples it plays almost an equally important part. Indeed, so grand is the science and so noble are the objeets sought to be accom- plished through it, that it has inspired some of the best and great- est men of ancient and modern times to an investigation and study of its principles. And in the long line of great names handed down to us from the dim and shadowy portals of the past, quite as many good men will be found enrolled as members of the legal profession as in any of the others, and owe their greatness to a sound knowledge of the principles of the law and a strict and im-
partial application of them. Draco, among the first and greatest of the Athenian lawgivers, was hailed as the delivercr of those people, because of his enacting laws, and enforcing them, for the prevention of vice and erime, and looking to the protection of the masses from oppression and lawlessness. It is true that many of the penalties he attached to the violation of the law were severe and even barbarous, but this severity proceeded from an hon- orable nature, with an earnest desire to improve the condition of his fellow-men. Triptolemus, his contemporary, proclaimed as laws, "Honor your parents, worship the gods, hurt not animals." Solon, perhaps the wisest and greatest of them all, a man of re- markable purity of life and noble impulses, whose moral character was so great and conviction as to the publie good so strong, that he could and did refuse supreme and despotie power when thrust upon him, and thus replied to the sneers of his friends :
Nor wisdom's palm, nor deep-laid policy, Can Solon boast. For when its noblest blessings Heaven poured into his lap, he spurned them from him. Where was his sense and spirit, when enclosed He found the choicest prey, nor deigned to draw it ? Who to command fair Athens but one day Would not himself, with all his race, have fallen Contented on the morrow ?
What is true of one race or nation in this particular is true of all, viz., that the wisest and greatest of law-makers and lawyers have always been pure and good men, perhaps the most notable exceptions being Justinian and Tribonianus. Their great learning and wisdom enabled them to rear as their everlasting monument the Pandects and Justinian Code, which, however, they sadly de- faced by the immoralities and excesses of their private lives.
Among the revered of modern nations will be found, conspicuous for their great services to their fellows, innumerable lawyers. To the Frenchman the mention of the names of Trouchet, Le Brun, Portalis, Roderer, Thibaudeau, and others excites a thrill of pride for their greatness and of gratitude for their goodness.
What Englishman, or American either, but that takes just pride in the splendid reputation and character of the long line of Eng- land's loyal, lawyer sons? The Bacons, father and son, who, with Lord Burleigh, were selected by England's greatest Queen to ad- minister the affairs of state, and Somers and Hardwicke, Cowper and Dunning, Elden, Blackstone, Coke, Stowell, and Curran, who, with all the boldness of a giant and eloquence of Demosthenes, struck such vigorous blows against kingly tyranny and oppression ; and Erskine and Mansfield and a score of others. These are the men that form the criterion by which the profession should be judged. And in our own country have we not names among the dead as sacred, and among the living as dear? In the bright pages of the history of a country, founded for the sole benefit of the people, and all kinds of people, who more than our lawyers are recorded as assisting in its formation, preservation, and working for its perpetuity. And among the best and truest sons of our own State, and the good counties of Shelby and Moultric, are their lawyers, men who are capable of feeling and uttering such divine sentiments, as " With charity for all ; with malice towards none."
SHELBY COUNTY.
Prior to 1835, the judges of the Supreme Court of Illinois per- formed the duties of circuit judges. In that year, a law was enacted establishing the distinctive office of eircuit judge, and dividing the state into separate judicial districts, which continued to February, 1841, when the old system was re-established, and remained in force till the adoption of the new constitution in 1848.
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