USA > Illinois > Cumberland County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 15
USA > Illinois > Jasper County > Counties of Cumberland, Jasper and Richland, Illinois. Historical and biographical > Part 15
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In the meanwhile the "railroad came," and was noticed by the Democrat as follows: "On Saturday, the 23d day of June, 1877, the track-layers on the Grayville & Mattoon Railroad laid the track across the street leading east from the courthouse in our city, and engine No. 8 run up into the street, and blew a long blast from her whistle, which brought a large number of our citizens to the road. accompanied by the band and a wagon-load of refreshments, for the purpose of expressing their thanks to the contractors and laborers of the road for the faithful and diligent manner they have pursued in constructing the road to this place. After the band played a piece, Clinton Woods, from the top of the engine cab, introduced Judge Decius to the crowd, who, in a very appropriate speech, ex- tended the thanks of the citizens of Prairie City to the contractors and laborers of the road, and then invited them to partake of the refreshments prepared for them. Mr. Wyith, the contractor for lay- ing iron, mounted the cab, and in behalf of the laborers expressed thanks for the kindly manner in which our people had received them. Mr. Simmons was then called for, and made his appearance on the cab, and commenced his remarks by saying that speech- making was his weakest forte, but that he felt like thanking our people for the manner in which they had been received by them, and stated that it was the first demonstration of any kind they had met
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David. B. Green
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with, on the whole line. He then tendered the train to the crowd for an excursion to Greenup and back, which was accepted, and a jollier or happier company never boarded a train of cars than the one that went to Greenup on the first train that ever ran into Prairie City."
The present name of the company arose from another consoli- dation, or rather purchase. The Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railway Company was organized under a charter granted in 1870, and the road opened from Pekin to Decatur, 67.9 miles, in November, 1871, by its original owners. In the following year it was leased to the Toledo, Wabash & Western, by which it was operated until August, 1876, when it was sold under foreclosure sale. The road was subse- quently extended from Pekin to Peoria, a distance of 9.2 miles, and opened for traffic March 1, 1878. This company then purchased the Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon, and the Grayville & Mattoon roads, and in 1880 reorganized with an Indiana organization, under its present name. The southern terminus was changed to Evansville, Ind., and that division pushed to completion in June of the follow- ing year. The road from Mattoon to Grayville was in a very bad condition when sold. and so much poor work was found in its con- struction that it needed, and gradually received, rebuilding. The road has been of great advantage to the county, and as it cost no money to the county at large. there is but little room for grumbling. Sumpter Township subscribed an additional $25,000, and paid the amount though the result of the suit against the county demon- strates that the railroad company could not have compelled the pay- ment on the contract.
Danville, Olney &' Ohio River Railroad .- This was a narrow- gauge railroad, the projectors of which were organized into a com- pany, under a charter granted March 10, 1869. The route proposed for the road started from the north bank of the Ohio River in Mas- sac County, Illinois, " thence northwardly to the city of Chicago, or such place from which an entrance may be effected by construction or connection, and the line of railway to be located on such survey as may come within the range and purview of the charter of the company, about 340 miles." Work was begun on the northern end of the road and pushed southward from Kansas, in Edgar County. The work met with a good deal of delay. In 1876, there was but eight miles of road, from Westfield to Kansas, and in 1878 this sec- tion of the road was put in operation. The further construction of the road made slow progress, reaching only some thirteen miles in the following year. In 1881, there was a revival of the work and
10
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some fifty-seven miles completed. In the following year the gauge was changed to standard width and the road completed to Olney, thus forming a link between the Ohio & Mississippi road on the south and the Indianapolis & Saint Louis on the north. This line of road passes through the eastern portion of Crooked Creek Township, in Cumberland County, and has a station at Hazel Dell. The town- ship voted a subscription of $18,000 to the road, but has never issued the bonds. The railroad company has instituted legal proceedings to secure an order from the court compelling the township to issue the necessary bonds, but the question is yet at issue. The township resists upon several technical grounds, as well as a failure on the part of the company to perform its obligations under the contract. The result is likely to be in favor of the township, as some of the points have been adjudicated in other courts in the case of other counties against this company.
Toledo, Cincinnati & Saint Louis Railroad .- This is a link in the system of narrow-gange railroads, which is destined to reach across the country from the Rio Grande to the Ohio. The starting point of this road was at Dayton, Ohio, to reach the southeastern coal fields of that State. It subsequently was extended to Toledo, Ohio, and then from Delphos, Ohio, extended toward Saint Louis. Subsequently, a road known as the Cincinnati Northern was built northward from Cincinnati to Lebanon, and united with the Dayton road; hence the name. The line from Paris to Saint Louis was known as the Paris, Neoga & Saint Louis, and was surveyed in October. 1872. Neoga and vicinity raised by subscription some $60,000 to aid its construction, but it was not until 1883 that the road was in running order to East Saint Louis. This road, it is thought, will prove a boon to Neoga, as it has been powerless in the grasping administra- tion of the Central Railroad.
With five railroads crossing the territory of Cumberland County, it would seem that its citizens ought to be reasonably satisfied with its achievement in this direction, but while they have cost the county but little, they help the county but little. About 1871 and 1872, the Danville & Charleston Railroad was projected, to run to Flora, in Clay County, and the citizens of Cumberland were more interested in its success than in all the other projects. The Democrat voices the public feeling, in 1871, as follows : " From present indications it looks very much like the Charleston & Danville Railroad will be built, the City of Charleston itself having subscribed $200,000 towar Is the enterprise, which is two-thirds of the estimated amount
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necessary to complete the road ready for the iron. The proposed terminus of the road is Flora, in Clay County, at which place the road will connect with the Paducah & Cairo road. If you will take a map and examine it, you will perceive that Charleston, Prai- ric City and Flora are on an air line, and if this road is built, and runs straight, it cannot miss us. Encouraging as this may seem, we cannot expect this road to be built through our county without lay- ing our hands to the work, and using our means to bring about its completion. It is estimated that $6,000 per mile will prepare the road for the iron, and as it is about sixteen miles across the county north and south, it would cost the Townships of Cottonwood, Sump- ter and Woodbury, in the aggregate, $96,000. This amount may appear formidable and look like a difficult sum to raise, yet it can be done; where there is a will there is always a way, and thousands of dollars could be obtained in the way of labor, ties, teams, etc., in the construction of the road where people were not able to pay a cash subscription, and which would answer every purpose. And when we look at the importance of this road and the great benefit it would be to our farmers, and, in fact, to the entire county, the amount is insignificant in comparison. By this road we at once secure a direct and shorter route by seven miles by the way of Dan- ville to Chicago than we have over the Central by the way of Mat- toon, and at the same time force the Illinois Central into competi- tion with this new road
" While we do not wish to disparage the importance of the Mount Vernon and Mattoon road, and acknowledge the benefits it will confer, and hope to see its early completion,-we regard the Chicago, Danville & Flora road much the more important road of the two to Cumberland County. From this fact, that it makes com- peting lines east and west, of the T. H. & V. & Saint Louis, the Terre Haute & Alton, and the Great Western roads, and north and south of the Illinois Central, giving us a direct communication with all the great markets of the country, and will enable us to reach Chi- cago without being robbed and plundered by the Illinois Central monopoly. This cannot be said of the Mount Vernon & Mattoon road, from the fact that every car-load of grain shipped over that line will be subject to the control and tariff rates of that grasping corporation, and they will virtually control our road and dictate its policy, as Vanderbilt and Fisk dictate the policy of the Eastern roads, and so far as its benefits in a commercial point of view are concerned, they will never amount to anything. What our farmers
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and business men want is a cheap and direct communication with Chicago and the Eastern markets, and this we secure by the construc- tion of the Danville & Charleston road, and without it we are at the merey of the Illinois Central monopoly. Some persons may argue that the Fuller Bill, passed by the present legislature, regu- lates the tariff rates of the various roads of the State. It is, how- ever, the opinion of some of our ablest lawyers that the provisions of this bill can never be enforced against the Central road, from the fact that it is a violation of vested rights, and an infringement of the provisions of the charter under which the Central Com- pany was incorporated, and not a matter within the reach of a State legislature. If this view of the matter should be entertained by the Supreme Court, then even with the Mount Vernon & Mattoon road completed, our farmers will be but very little better off than at present, from the fact that in its completion we gain access to no important commercial points. No merchant wishes to buy his stock of goods at Mattoon, Decatur, or Pekin. the points made by the Mount Vernon road, neither do these places furnish a market for grain or stock. Then we ask, aside from the matter of convenience, what do we gain ? Commercially, we gain nothing. We are still in the iron grasp of the blood suckers of the Illinois Central, who, every farmer too well knows, have for years levied their unholy tribute upon every bushel of grain, and every hoof of stock raised in this country and shipped over their road. And that they have set like an incubus upon the industries of our people, and weighed down their energies with their unjust and outrageous exactions. We must by some means rid the people of Cumberland County of this oppress- ive burthen, and the only way to do so. since this Company is beyond legislative reach, is to build competing lines, and by the force of competition compel them to reduce their rates to a fair standard. This opportunity is offered us in the Chicago, Danville & Charleston road, and it only requires a proper effort upon the part of the people in the townships through which this road will pass to immediately secure its construction, and when completed it will be one of the most profitable and important roads in the State, and will be the means of developing the country to a greater extent than any of the roads that have yet been built. We hope our citizens will give this subject due consideration and act with energy and prompt- ness in the matter."
This is the feeling in regard to the necessities of the county to- day, and the Grand Continental Railroad projected from Cincinnati
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and Louisville to Omaha has attracted a great interest throughout the county, and $300 has been raised by private subscription to survey the line through this section. The line, as projected, runs directly from its western terminus to Quincy, Ill .; from thence via Winchester, Taylorville, and Toledo, III., to Sullivan, Ind. At this point. the projected line has two branches, the one direct to Cinein- nati and the other to Louisville. The prospects of this road, with reference to Cumberland County are yet very indefinite, but are the topic of considerable discussion and newspaper sensation.
THE PRESS AND POLITICS.
The newspaper is a marked outgrowth of the social develop- ment of society. When once grown to that point where it feels the necessity of controlling public sentiment and uniting it upon the various common interests, the community calls in the newspaper, and through its ageney solidifies its power. It was in response to some such necessity that Daniel Marks established the Greenup Tribune, at the village of Greenup, in 1855. The press was brought overland with an ox-team and set down in this unfledged town, long before the county alone could give it a leading support. The proprietor engaged Matchett, a noted "knight of the stick," and gave his attention to working up a list. He made his excursions on foot, and wandered through the counties of Jasper. Effingham, Clark and Cumberland, soliciting subscribers to this pioneer journal of civili- zation. He seems to have been admirably adapted to his business, securing a considerable list, and taking as payment a large number of coon-skins and anything that could be " swapped" into money. It was no unusual thing, it is said, to find the larger space devoted to his office occupied with these peltries. A year later. Templeton & Bloomfield succeeded to the ownership of the paper, and con- ducted it under the same title for about a year. when they removed it to Prairie City, from whence it was subsequently removed, and the county was without a " voice of the people " for a short time. In 1859, James E. Mumford came to Greenup from Ohio, and deter- mined to found a paper, and on December 2, 1859, the first number of the Greenup Expositor was published to the people. The paper was published by JJ. E. & H. P. Mumford, and the first issue was gotten out by the junior member of the firm. In the first munber he says : " It will ever be our aim, with the aid of a sufficient number of passengers aboard of our bark, in the way of subscribers, to not be vainglorious or presumptuous-nor to dive into the more scientific
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researches of the hidden mysteries of nature, but skim along upon the surface of time, noticing intermediate events, and making ourselves as acceptable as possible, and as amusing and interesting as the case will permit. We wish to please all that are pleasable, and those who have a moral nature can always find in some portion of our paper enough to soothe the savage and make merry and interesting the scientific feelings. * Our paper will be devoted, princi- pally, to news, politics, agriculture, education, and mechanical inter- ests, with humorous matter enough to give life and spice to all. As to the political character of the Expositor, we would state, in order that everyone may rightly know our position, that it will be Democratic of the Douglas stamp, though only when duty calls will it be ours to obey, in supporting that gentleman for the Presidency in 1860. * As to the local difficulty existing in the county, in regard to the county-seat, it will be ours to be mum, and to print a paper for the benefit of the whole county-for one place as well as another-and shall court the improvement of all." Under another caption, the editor remarks : " We intend. upon the return of our brother, J. E., to make a thorough canvass throughout the county, and see every head of a family, and all the pretty girls, and make them all subscribers to the Expositor." With such good- natured frankness, it would have been remarkable if the paper had not made friends. The paper was successful from the first. but in 1860, the office followed the star of empire to the county-seat. Here J. E. Mumford continued the paper until 1867, when he sold out and removed to Danville. The Expositor was continued by Flavius Tos- sey, and the name changed to the Cumberland Democrat. Frank Bowen succeeded Tossey as proprietor, and published it until Octo- ber 1. 1870, when the establishment was sold to George E. Mason. The paper at this time was a six-column folio: a year later it was enlarged to seven columns, and September 29. 1873. W. D. Mumford was associated with the paper as junior partner. An office, twenty by fifty feet. was erected. a No. 6 Washington Hoe, and Nonpareil Jobber press added, besides some 100 fonts of type. January 20. 1875, Mason retired from the paper, disposing of his interest to. E. Gor- rell, and the firm became Mumford & Gorrell. The latter disposed of his share to Mumford, in -, who continued the business alone until January, 1882, when Adolf & Loon Summerlin became pur- chasers, the latter now being sole proprietor.
In 1871 the Greenup Mail was established as a representative of the Republican element in politics. Mr. Pyle founded the paper and
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conducted it alone for some three months, when he took a Mr. Davis as partner, under the firm name of Pyle & Davis. Pyle was suc- ceeded by Edward Hitchcock, Davis was succeeded by Cookerly, and later Mr. Hitchcock became sole proprietor. The paper was subsequently sold to Ozier & Cooper, but it came into possession of a stock company, and in 1874 followed the inevi- table current of things to the county-seat. Here the paper was issued as the Republican- Mail, with Hitchcock as editor. The plan of the company was to lease the paper by the year. A Mr. Over- man succeeded Hitchcock about a year later, and he was followed by Henry Woolen, and J. & A. Caldwell, of whom the last named continued its publication until February 18, 1881. At this time J. T. Connor became a partner with the Caldwell Brothers, who had purchased most of the stock. This firm continned only some six months. Connor withdrew, as the other partners desired to give the paper a religious rather than a political character. The name of the paper had meanwhile been changed to the Toledo Republican, and in 1882 sold to Henry Woolen. The Caldwell Brothers went to Indianapolis to conduct a paper, as an organ of that sect of relig- ionists who " profess Holiness." The venture did not turn out satis- factorily, and in a month or two they returned and assumed control of the Republican, and proceeded at once to change its name and character. Its successor is a weekly pamphlet of some dozen or twenty pages, called the Huppy Pilgrim, which is devoted to the sect mentioned.
In 1881, the Cumberland Times was established at Greenup. Its editor and proprietor, W. L. Tobey, was on his way seeking a location for a Republican paper, when he was referred to certain of the leading citizens of this village. On approaching the gentle- men referred to, the newspaper man received but little encourage- ment, but finally meeting a gentleman who took some interest in the project, some $500 worth of advertising was secured and the first issue sent out October 20, 1881. The paper has been regularly issued since then, and is well established. It is a five-column quarto, one-half of which is supplied with " auxiliary print." The office has a good patronage, and enjoys the official favor this year. The Neoga News is the third paper in the county. This was founded in 1874 at Neoga, by S. Z. Bland, an enterprising merchant of that village. It was first issued as an advertising medium of the proprietor's business, and was a single sheet under the name of the Neoga Advertiser. In the early part of the following year the paper was sold to
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Allison Brothers, of Mattoon, who transformed it into a six-column folio, and changed the name. In 1876, the paper was sold to Messrs. Hancock & Kelly, the latter retiring about a year later, leaving Mr. Hancock the sole proprietor. December 25, 1882, the paper was changed to a six-column quarto, the largest paper in the county, but with only two pages printed at home. The rest of the matter is supplied by the auxiliary print. The paper is Republican in politics, and has a very liberal support in the county.
The political complexion of the county has always been Demo- cratic. The Whigs were represented here early, but not in sufficient numbers to make a serious struggle for the election of candidates from their party. There was a constant growth in the relative strength of the opposition, until 1872, when taking advantage of the partial disaffection in the ranks of the ruling party here, A. J. Lee was elected prosecuting attorney by seven votes, over James L. Ryan. In 1873, the Granger movement reached its climax, and a mixed ticket was elected over the regular Democratic ticket; A. N. Rosecrans and J. W. Miller, Democrats, and T. C. Kille and W. Humphrey, Republicans, being elected. The offices of Sheriff, County Clerk, Treasurer and County Superintendent are now filled by Repub- lican incumbents; those of Circuit Clerk, County Judge and State's Attorney, by Democratic. The Republican element in politics has gradually grown in the county, so that on purely local questions the two parties are about evenly made up of the voters of the county. On National questions the Democratic majority is about 200 votes. There is a large floating vote, which is mainly diverted to the " best man, " though it also affords material upon which the unprincipled demagogue plies his unholy trade.
CHURCHES.
The character of carly society in Cumberland County was not such as to encourage the rapid growth of church influences. Many of these people were members of church organizations, but there were so many difficulties in the way of maintaining regular services that it was a good many years before it was attempted. Camp- meetings were held as early as 1830, and scarcely a year passed with- out them. These were principally under the auspices of the Method- ist Church, though all denominations attended and gave their support. Among the early settlers there was quite a strong Presbyterian element, who early secured the services of Rev. Hull Towar, a Methodist, and founder of Jewett. Among the other early preachers
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in Cumberland County, were George Henson, - Halfacre, W. E. Smith and William Owens. There were occasional itinerants of the pioneer order, whose manners were marked more by force than ele- gance. It was probably of one of these that the following incident is related as happening within the limits of this county : In the early settlement of the county the sacred desk of the minister was often supplied from the humblest walks of life. And it was not unfrequently the case, that these impromptu speakers, made telling points, and in their rude, quaint manner, impressed upon the minds of sinners the great danger in which they stood, and revealed to their startled minds the frowning face of offended Deity. But one case we have a recollection of, in which the minister attempted to draw a practical illustration of the various Christian Churches, and as the sequel will show, was himself disappointed in the result. The minister in question resided at our neighboring town of Greenup (and does so yet ), and while riding to the place of wor- ship was busily conning over in his own mind the subject he would select to speak from on his arrival at the house of God, and while passing through the forest, inadvertently plucked from a convenient twig a hazel burr. and at once his mind was made up as to the sub- jeet of his discourse. Arriving at the church, he ascended the pul- pit in all the conscious pride of one inspired to speak words of truth and salvation to a sinful world. Being of that faith known as Christians, or Campbellites, he was over eager to make a point in behalf of the doctrines of his faith, and after the usual prelimi- naries had been gone through with, the speaker arose and opened his discourse in a self-possessed, confident manner, by stating that there were a great many creeds and doctrines extant in the world, and that theologians were as far apart in many of their church forms and their religious beliefs as earth was from heaven, and that all could not be right; that some of the churches, it was true, approximated to the true faith, but there was but one church that embraced the true theory and practice of the doctrines inculcated by the Savior of mankind, and that was the church he had the honor to un worthily represent. .. For instance," said the speaker (at the same time producing his hazel burr), " this hazel burr I hold in my hand represents the church. " This," says he ( tearing off the burr from the nut ) "represents the . soft shell ' Baptist, a mere outer gar- ment, fallible, easily destroyed, and not capable of resistance or self-preservation-a mere nothing, without merit, and insignificant within itself. The next substance you discover," said the speaker,
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