Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I, Part 39

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. jt. ed. cn; Wilderman, Alonzo St. Clair, 1839-1904, ed; Wilderman, Augusta A., jt. ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 698

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unsuccessful effort was made to depose him. Charges of bribery against certain members were preferred and investigated, but no definite result was reached. Among the important measures passed by this Legislature were the following: A joint resolution providing for submission of an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting con- tract labor in penal institutions; providing by resolution for the appointment of a non-partisan Commission of twelve to draft a new revenue code; the Crawford primary election law; an act amending the code of criminal procedure: estab- lishing a Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, subse- quently located at Quincy ; creating a Live-Stock Commission and appropriating $531,712 for the completion of the State House. The Assembly adjourned, sine die, June 26, 1885, after a session of 171 days.

THIRTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY convened Jan. 5, 1887. The Republicans had a majority of twelve in the Senate and three in the House. For President pro tempore of the Senate, August W. Berggren was chosen; for Speaker of the House, Dr. William F. Calhoun, of De Witt County. The death of General Logan, which had occurred Dec. 26, 1886, was officially an- nounced by Governor Oglesby, and, on Jan. 18, Charles B. Farwell was elected to succeed him as United States Senator. William R. Morrison and Benjamin W. Goodhue were the candidates of the Democratic and Labor parties, respectively. Some of the most important laws passed by this General Assembly were the following: Amend- ing the law relating to the spread of contagious diseases among cattle, etc .; the Chase bill to prohibit book-making and pool-selling; regulat- ing trust companies; making the Trustees of the University of Illinois elective; inhibiting aliens from holding real estate, and forbidding the marriage of first cousins. An act virtually creating a new State banking system was also passed, subject to ratification by popular vote. Other acts, having more particular reference to Chicago and Cook County, were: a law making cities and counties responsible for three-fourths of the damage resulting from mobs and riots; the Merritt conspiracy law ; the Gibbs Jury Commis- sion law, and an act for the suppression of bucket-shop gambling. The session ended June 15, 1887, having continued 162 days.

THIRTY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY convened Jan. 7, 1889, in its first (or regular) session, the Republicans being largely in the majority. The Senate elected Theodore S. Chapman of Jersey County, President pro tempore, and the .House

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Asa C Matthews of Pike County, Speaker. Mr. Matthews was appointed First Comptroller of the Treasury by President Harrison, on May 9 (see Matthews, Asa C.), and resigned the Speakership on the following day. He was succeeded by James H. Miller of Stark County. Shelby M. Cullom was re-elected to the United States Senate on January 22, the Democrats again voting for ex-Gov. John M. Palmer. The "Sanitary Drain- age District Law," designed for the benefit of the city of Chicago, was enacted at this session; an asylum for insane criminals was established at Chester ; the annexation of cities, towns, villages, etc., under certain conditions, was authorized; more stringent legislation was enacted relative to the circulation of obscene literature; a new com- pulsory education law was passed, and the em- ployment on public works of aliens who had not declared their intention of becoming citizens was prohibited. This session ended, May 28. A special session was convened by Governor Fifer on July 24, 1890, to frame and adopt legislation rendered necessary by the Act of Congress locat- ing the World's Columbian Exposition at Chicago. Mr. Miller having died in the interim, William G. Cochran, of Moultrie County, was chosen Speaker of the House. The special session concluded Aug. 1, 1890, having enacted the following meas- ures; An Act granting the use of all State lands, (submerged or other) in or adjacent to Chicago, to the World's Columbian Exposition for a period to extend one year after the closing of the Exposi- tion; authorizing the Chicago Boards of Park Commissioners to grant the use of the public parks, or any part thereof, to promote the objects of such Exposition; a joint resolution providing for the submission to the people of a Constitu- tional Amendment granting to the city of Chicago the power (provided a majority of the qualified voters desired it) to issue bonds to an amount not exceeding $5,000,000, the same to bear interest and the proceeds of their sale to be turned over to the Exposition Managers to be devoted to the use and for the benefit of the Exposition. (See also World's Columbian Exposition.) The total length of the two sessions was 150 days.

THIRTY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY convened Jan. 7, 1891, and adjourned June 12 following. Lieut .- Gov. Ray presided in the Senate, Milton W. Matthews (Republican), of Urbana, being elected President pro tem. The Democrats had control in the House and elected Clayton E. Crafts, of Cook County, Speaker. The most exciting feature of the session was the election of a United States Senator to succeed Charles B.

Farwell. Neither of the two leading parties had a majority on joint ballot, the balance of power being held by three "Independent" members of the House, who had been elected as represent- atives of the Farmers' Mutual Benevolent Alli- ance. Richard J. Oglesby was the caucus nominee of the Republicans and John M. Palmer of the Democrats. For a time the Independents stood as a unit for A. J. Streeter, but later two of the three voted for ex-Governor Palmer, finally, on March 11, securing his election on the 154th ballot in joint session. Meanwhile, the Repub- licans had cast tentative ballots for Alson J. Streeter and Cicero J. Lindley, in hope of draw- ing the Independents to their support, but without effective result. The final ballot stood-Palmer, 103; Lindley, 101, Streeter 1. Of 1,296 bills intro- duced in both Houses at this session, only 151 became laws, the most important being: The Australian ballot law, and acts regulating build- ing and loan associations; prohibiting the employ- ment of children under thirteen at manual labor ; fixing the legal rate of interest at seven per cent ; prohibiting the "truck system" of paying em- ployés, and granting the right of suffrage to women in the election of school officers. An amendment of the State Constitution permitting the submission of two Constitutional Amend- ments to the people at the same time, was sub- mitted by this Legislature and ratified at the election of 1892. The session covered a period of 157 days.

THIRTY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. This body convened Jan. 4, 1893. The Democrats were in the ascendency in both houses, having a majority of seven in the Senate and of three in the lower house. Joseph R. Gill, the Lieutenant- Governor, was ex-officio President of the Senate, and John W. Coppinger, of Alton, was chosen President pro tem. Clayton E. Crafts of Cook County was again chosen Speaker of the House. The inauguration of the new State officers took place on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 10. This Legislature was in session 164 days, adjourning June 16, 1893. Not very much legislation of a general character was enacted. New Congres- sional and Legislative apportionments were passed, the former dividing the State into twenty- two districts; an Insurance Department was created; a naval militia was established; the scope of the juvenile reformatory was enlarged and the compulsory education law was amended.

THIRTY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY. This Legislature held two sessions-a regular and a special. The former opened Jan. 9, 1895, and

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closed June 14, following. The political com- plexion of the Senate was-Republicans, thirty- three; Democrats, eighteen; of the House, ninety-two Republicans and sixty-one Democrats. John Meyer, of Cook County, was elected Speaker of the House, and Charles Bogardus of Piatt County, President pro tem. of the Senate. Acts were passed making appropriations for improve- ment of the State Fair Grounds at Springfield; authorizing the establishment of a Western Hos- pital for the Insane ($100,000); appropriating $100,000 for a Western Hospital for the Insane; $65,000 for an Asylum for Incurable Insane; $50,- 000, each, for two additional Normal Schools-one in Northern and the other in Eastern Illinois; $25,000 for a Soldiers' Widows' Home-all being new institutions-besides $15,000 for a State exhibition at the Atlanta Exposition; $65,000 to mark, by monuments, the position of Illinois troops on the battlefields of Chickamauga, Look- out Mountain and Missionary Ridge. Other acts passed fixed the salaries of members of the Gen- eral Assembly at $1,000 each for each regular session; accepted the custody of the Lincoln inonument at Springfield, authorized provision for the retirement and pensioning of teachers in public schools, and authorized the adoption of civil service rules for cities. The special session convened, pursuant to a call by the Governor, on June 25, 1895, took a recess, June 28 to July 9, re-assembled on the latter date, and adjourned, sine die, August 2. Outside of routine legisla- tion, no laws were passed except one providing additional necessary revenue for State purposes and one creating a State Board of Arbitration. The regular session continued 157 days and the special twenty-nine-total 186.

FORTIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY met in regular session at Springfield, Jan. 6, 1897, and adjourned, sine die, June 4. The Republicans had a major- ity in both branches, the House standing eighty- eight Republicans to sixty-three Democrats and two Populists, and the Senate, thirty-nine Repub- licans to eleven Democrats and one Populist, giving the Republicans a majority on joint ballot of fifty votes. Both houses were promptly organ- ized by the election of Republican officers, Edward C. Curtis of Kankakee County being chosen Speaker of the House, and Hendrick V. Fisher, of Henry County, President pro tem. of the Sen- ate. Governor Tanner and the other Republican State officers were formally inaugurated on Jan. 11, and, on Jan. 20, William E. Mason (Republican) was chosen United States Senator to succeed John M. Palmer, receiving in joint

session 125 votes to seventy-seven for John P. Altgeld (Democrat). Among the principal laws enacted at this session were the following: An act concerning aliens and to regulate the right to hold real estate, and prescribing the terms and conditions for the conveyance of the same; empowering the Commissioners who were ap- pointed at the previous session to ascertain and mark the positions occupied by Illinois Volunteers in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Moun- tain and Missionary Ridge, to expend the remain- ing appropriations in their hands for the erection of monuments on the battle-grounds; authorizing the appointment of a similar Commission to ascertain and mark the positions held by Illinois troops in the battle of Shiloh; to reimburse the University of Illinois for the loss of funds result- ing from the Spaulding defalcation and affirming the liability of the State for "the endowment fund of the University, amounting to $456, 712.91, and for so much in addition as may be received in future from the sale of lands"; authorizing the adoption of the "Torrens land-title system" in the conveyance and registration of land titles by vote of the people in any county; the consolida- tion of the three Supreme Court Districts of the State into one and locating the Court at Spring- field; creating a State Board of Pardons, and prescribing the manner of applying for pardons and commutations. An act of this session, which produced much agitation and led to a great deal of discussion in the press and elsewhere, was the street railroad law empowering the City Council, or other corporate authority of any city, to grant franchises to street railway companies extending to fifty years. This act was repealed by the General Assembly of 1899 before any street rail- way corporation had secured a franchise under it. A special session was called by Governor Tanner to meet Dec. 7, 1897, the proclamation naming five topics for legislative action. The session continued to Feb. 24, 1898, only two of the meas- ures named by the Governor in his call being affirmatively acted upon. These included: (1) an elaborate act prescribing the manner of conduct- ing primary elections of delegates to nominating conventions, and (2) a new revenue law regulat- ing the manner of assessing and collecting taxes. One provision of the latter law limits the valuation of property for assessment purposes to one-fifth its cash value. The length of the regular session was 150 days, and that of the special session eighty days-total, 230 days.

GENESEO, a city in Henry County, about two miles south of the Green River. It is on the Chi-

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cago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway, 23 miles east of Rock Island and 75 miles west of Ottawa. It is in the heart of a grain-growing region, and has two large grain elevators. Manufacturing is also carried on to a considerable extent here, furniture, wagons and farming implements con- stituting the chief output. Geneseo has eleven churches, a graded and a high school, a col- legiate institute, two banks, and two newspapers, one issuing a daily edition. Population (1890), 3,182; (1900), 3,356.

GENEVA, a city and railway junction on Fox River, and the county-seat of Kane County; 35 miles west of Chicago. It has a fine courthouse, completed in 1892 at a cost of $250,000, and numerous handsome churches and school build- ings. A State Reformatory for juvenile female offenders has been located here. There is an ex- cellent water-power, operating six manufac- tories, including extensive glucose works. The town has a bank, creamery, water-works, gas and electric light plant, and two weekly news- papers. The surrounding country is devoted to agriculture and dairy farming. Population (1880), 1,239; (1890), 1,692; (1900), 2,446.

GENOA, a village of De Kalb County, on Omaha Division of the Chi., Mil. & St. Paul, the Ill. Cent. and Chi. & N. W. Railroads, 59 miles west of Chicago. Dairying is a leading industry; has two banks, shoe and telephone factories, and two newspapers. Population (1890), 634; (1900), 1,140.

GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS. The geological structure of Illinois embraces a representation, more or less complete, of the whole paleonic series of formations, from the calciferous group of the Lower Silurian to the top of the coal meas- ures. In addition to these older rocks there is a limited area in the extreme southern end of the State covered with Tertiary deposits. Over- spreading these formations are beds of more recent age, comprising sands, clays and gravel, varying in thickness from ten to more than two hundred feet. These superficial deposits may be divided into Alluvium, Loess and Drift, and con- stitute the Quaternary system of modern geolo- gists.

LOWER SILURIAN SYSTEM .- Under this heading may be noted three distinct groups: the Calcifer- ous, the Trenton and the Cincinnati. The first mentioned group comprises the St. Peter's Sand- stone and the Lower Magnesian Limestone. The former outcrops only at a single locality, in La Salle County, extending about two miles along the valley of the Illinois River in the vicinity of Utica. The thickness of the strata appearing

above the surface is about 80 feet, thin bands of Magnesian limestone alternating with layers of Calciferous sandstone. Many of the layers con- tain good hydraulic rock, which is utilized in the manufacture of cement. The entire thickness of the rock below the surface has not been ascer- tained, but is estimated at about 400 feet. The St. Peter's Sandstone outcrops in the valley of the Illinois, constituting the main portion of the bluffs from Utica to a point beyond Ottawa, and forms the "bed rock" in most of the northern townships of La Salle County. It also outcrops on the Rock River in the vicinity of Oregon City, and forms a conspicuous bluff on the Mississippi in Calhoun County. Its maximum thickness in the State may be estimated at about 200 feet. It is too incoherent in its texture to be valuable as a building stone, though some of the upper strata in Lee County have been utilized for caps and sills. It affords, however, a fine quality of sand for the manufacture of glass. The Trenton group, which immediately overlies the St. Peter's Sandstone, consists of three divisions. The low- est is a brown Magnesian Limestone, or Dolomite, usually found in regular beds, or strata, varying from four inches to two feet in thickness. The aggregate thickness varies from twenty feet, in the northern portion of the State, to sixty or seventy feet at the bluff in Calhoun County. At the quarries in La Salle County, it abounds in fossils, including a large Lituites and several specimens of Orthoceras, Maclurea, etc. The middle division of the Trenton group consists of light gray, compact limestones in the southern and western parts of the State, and of light blue, thin-bedded, shaly limestone in the northern por- tions. The upper division is the well-known Galena limestone, the lead-bearing rock of the Northwest. It is a buff colored, porous Dolomite, sometimes arenaceous and unevenly textured, giving origin to a ferruginous, sandy clay when decomposed. The lead ores occur in crevices, caverns and horizontal seams. These crevices were probably formed by shrinkage of the strata from crystallization or by some disturbing force from beneath, and have been enlarged by decomposi- tion of the exposed surface. Fossils belonging to a lower order of marine animal than the coral are found in this rock, as are also marine shells, corals and crustaceans. Although this limestone crops out over a considerable portion of the terri- tory between the Mississippi and the Rock River, the productive lead mines are chiefly confined to Jo Daviess and Stephenson Counties. All the divisions of the Trenton group afford good build-

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ing material, some of the rock being susceptible of a high polish and making a handsome, durable marble. About seventy feet are exposed near Thebes, in Alexander County. All through the Southwest this stone is known as Cape Girardeau marble, from its being extensively quarried at Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Cincinnati group immediately succeeds the Trenton in the ascend- ing scale, and forms the uppermost member of the Lower Silurian system. It usually consists of argillaceous and sandy sliales, although, in the northwest portion of the State, Magnesian lime- stone is found with the shales. The prevailing colors of the beds are light blue and drab, weathering to a liglit ashen gray. This group is found well exposed in the vicinity of Thebes, Alexander County, furnishing a durable building stone extensively used for foundation walls. Fossils are found in profusion in all the beds, many fine specimens, in a perfect state of preser- vation, having been exhumed.

UPPER SILURIAN SYSTEM .- The Niagara group in Northern Illinois consists of brown, gray and buff magnesian limestones, sometimes evenly bedded, as at Joliet and Athens, and sometimes concretionary and brecciated, as at Bridgeport and Port Byron. Near Chicago the cells and pockets of this rock are filled with petroleum, but it has been ascertained that only the thirty upper feet of the rock contain bituminous matter. The quarries in Will and Jersey Counties furnish fine building and flagging stone. The rock is of a light gray color, changing to buff on exposure. In Pike and Callioun Counties, also, there are out- croppings of this rock and quarries are numerous. It is usually evenly bedded, the strata varying in thickness from two inches to two feet, and break- ing evenly. Its aggregate thickness in Western and Northern Illinois ranges from fifty to 150 feet. In Union and Alexander Counties, in the southern part of the State, the Upper Silurian series consists chiefly of thin bedded gray or buff-colored limestone, silicious and cherty, flinty material largely preponderating over the lime- stone. Fossils are not abundant in this formation, although the quarries at Bridgeport, in Cook County, have afforded casts of nearly 100 species of marine organisms, the calcareous portion hav- ing been washed away.

DEVONIAN SYSTEM .- This system is represented in Illinois by three well marked divisions, cor- responding to the Oriskany sandstone, the Onon- daga limestone and the Hamilton and Corniferous beds of New York. To these the late Professor Worthen, for many years State Geologist, added,

although with some liesitancy, the black shale formation of Illinois. Althoughi these comprise an aggregate thickness of over 500 feet, their exposure is limited to a few isolated outcroppings along the bluffs of the Illinois, Mississippi and Rock Rivers. The lower division, called "Clear Creek Limestone," is about 250 feet thick, and is only found in the extreme southern end of the State. It consists of chert, or impure flint, and thin-bedded silico-magnesian limestones, rather compact in texture, and of buff or light gray to nearly white colors. When decomposed by atmospheric influences, it forms a fine white clay, resembling common chalk in appearance. Some of the chierty beds resemble burr stones in poros- ity, and good mill-stones are made therefrom in Union County. Some of the stone is bluishi-gray, or mottled and crystalline, capable of receiving a high polish, and making an elegant and durable building stone. The Onondaga group comprises some sixty feet of quartzose sandstone and striped silicious shales. The structure of the rock is almost identical with that of St. Peter's Sandstone. In the vicinity of its outcrop in Union County are found fine beds of potter's clay, also variegated in color. The rock strata are about twenty feet thick, evenly bedded and of a coarse, granular structure, which renders the stone valuable for heavy masonry. The group has not been found north of Jackson County. Large quantities of characteristic fossils abound. The rocks composing the Hamilton group are the most valuable of all the divisions of the Devonian system, and the outcrops can be identified only by their fossils. In Union and Jackson Counties it is found from eighty to 100 feet in thickness, two beds of bluish gray, fetid limestone being sepa- rated by about twenty feet of calcareous sliales. The limestones are highly bituminous. In Jersey and Calhoun Counties the group is only six to ten feet thick, and consists of a hard, silicious limestone, passing at some points into a quartzose sandstone, and at others becoming argillaceous, as at Grafton. The most northern outcrop is in Rock Island County, where the rock is concretion- ary in structure and is utilized for building pur- poses and in the manufacture of quicklime. Fossils are numerous, among them being a few fragments of fishes, which are the oldest remains of vertebrate animals yet found in the State. The black shale probably attains its maximum development in Union County, where it ranges from fifty to seventy-five feet in thickness. Its lower portion is a fine, black, laminated slate, sometimes closely resembling the bituminous

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shales associated with the coal seams, which cir- cumstance has led to the fruitless expenditure of much time and money. The bituminous portion of the mass, on distillation, yields an oil closely resembling petroleum. Crystals of iron pyrites are abundant in the argillaceous portion of the group, which does not extend north of the coun- ties of Calhoun, Jersey and Pike.

LOWER CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM. - This is di- visible into five groups, as follows: The Kinder- hook group, the Burlington limestone, and the Keokuk, St. Louis and Chester groups. Its greatest development is in the southern portion of the State, where it has a thickness of 1,400 or 1,500 feet. It thins out to the northward so rapidly that, in the vicinity of the Lower Rapids on the Mississippi, it is only 300 feet thick, while it wholly disappears below Rock Island. The Kinder- hook group is variable in its lithological charac- ter, consisting of argillaceous and sandy shales, with thin beds of compact and oolitic limestone, passing locally into calcareous shales or impure limestone. The entire formation is mainly a mechanical sediment, with but a very small por- tion of organic matter. The Burlington lime- stone, on the other hand, is composed almost entirely of the fossilized remains of organic beings, with barely enough sedimentary material to act as a cement. Its maximum thickness scarcely exceeds 200 feet, and its principal out- crops are in the counties of Jersey, Greene, Scott, Calhoun, Pike, Adams, Warren and Henderson. The rock is usually a light gray, buff or brown limestone, either coarsely granular or crystalline in structure. The Keokuk group immediately succeeds the Burlington in the ascending order, with no well defined line of demarcation, the chief points of difference between the two being in color and in the character of fossils found. At the upper part of this group is found a bed of calcareo-argillaceous shale, containing a great variety of geodes, which furnish beautiful cabinet specimens of crystallized quartz, chalcedony, dolomite and iron pyrites. In Jersey and Monroe Counties a bed of hydraulic limestone, adapted to the manufacture of cement, is found at the top of this formation. The St. Louis group is partly a fine-grained or semi-crystallized bluish-gray limestone, and partly concretionary, as around Alton. In the extreme southern part of the State the rock is highly bituminous and susceptible of receiving a high polish, being used as a black marble. Beds of magnesian limestone are found here and there, which furnish a good stone for foundation walls. In Hardin County, the rock

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Historical encyclopedia of Illinois and history of St. Clair County, Volume I, Part 39

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. jt. ed. cn; Wilderman, Alonzo St. Clair, 1839-1904, ed; Wilderman, Augusta A., jt. ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 698

Author: Bateman, Newton, 1822-1897. ed. cn; Selby, Paul, 1825-1913. jt. ed. cn; Wilderman, Alonzo St. Clair, 1839-1904, ed; Wilderman, Augusta A., jt. ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Munsell Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 698