History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 10

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Illinois > Clark County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 10
USA > Illinois > Crawford County > History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois > Part 10

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About the year 1871, it was incorporated under the general law of the State relating to such organizations, as the Crawford Coun- ty Agricultural Board. Since that period, the officers of the board have been as fol- lows: For 18:2-Hickman Henderson, pres- ident; A. J. Reavill, R. R. Lincoln and Wm. Updyke, vice-presidents; Guy S. Al- exander, recording secretary; Wm. C. Wil- son, corresponding secretary, and Wm. Par- ker, treasurer.

Officers for 1873-Hickman Henderson, president; A. J. Reavill, R. R. Lincoln and Wm. Updyke, vice-presidents; Guy S. Al- exander, recording secretary; Wm. C. Wil- son, corresponding secretary, and Wm. Par- ker, treasurer.

Officers for 1874-James S. Kirk, presi- dent; I. D. Mail, D. B. Cherry and G. Bar- low, vice-presidents; W. Swaren, recording secretary; W. L. Heustis, assistant secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1875-Wm. Updyke, president; Oliver Newlin, Sargent Newlin and A. J. Reavill, vice-presidents; W. Swaren, re- cording secretary; W. L. Heustis, assistant secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1876-I. D. Mail, president; J. M. Highsmith, J. H. Taylor and T. J. Sims, vice-presidents; W. Swaren, recording sec-

retary; W. L. Heustis, assistant secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1877-J. S. Kirk, president; McClung Cawood, W. A. Hope and Wm. Athey, vice-presidents; W. Swaren, secre- tary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1878-P. P. Connett, presi- dent; Alva Burner, MeClung Cawood and W. A. Hope, vice-presidents; L. V. Chaffee, secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1879-P. P. Connett, president; Alva Burner, G. Athey and J. H. Taylor, vice- presidents; W. Swaren, secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

The constitution was amended at this time by adding a fourth vice-president to the board, and one or two other subordinate officers.

Officers for 1880 -- Wm. Updyke, president; J. M. Highsmith, Sing B. Allen, B. Wood and J. L. Woodworth, vice-presidents; L. V. Chaffee, secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1881-L. E. Stephens, president; Wm. Athey, Wm. Wood, D. M. Bales and J. L. Woodworth, vice presidents; L. V. Chaffee, secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Officers for 1883 *- L. E. Stephens, presi- dent; Wm. Wood, J. M. Higlismith, Wm. Fife and Bennett Wood, vice-presidents; L. V. Chaffee, secretary, and Wm. Parker, treasurer.

Horticulture .- Gardening, or horticulture in its restricted sense, can not be regarded as a very prominent or important feature in the history of Crawford County. If, however, we take a broad view of the subject, and in- elude orchards, small fruit culture and kin- dred branches outside of agriculture, wo should find something of more interest and value.

That the cultivation of fruit is a union of

* No fair was held in 1881, on account of the great drouth, and the old officers held over.

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

the useful and beautiful, is a fact not to be denied. Trees covered in spring with soft foliage blended with fragrant flowers of white, and erimson, and gold, that are suc- ceeded by fruit, blushing with bloom and down, rich, melting and grateful, through all the fervid heat of summer, is indeed a tempt- ing prospect to every landholder. A people so richly endowed by nature as we are should give more attention than we do to an art that supplies so many of the amenities of life, and around which cluster so many memories that appeal to the finer instincts of our nature. With a soil so well adapted to fruits, horticult- ure should be held in that high esteem which becomes so important a factor in human welfare.

The climate of this portion of the State, and of Crawford County, is better adapted to fruit culture than further north, though as a fruit-growing region it is not to compare to some other portions of our country. The same trouble mentioned in connection with cotton-growing, applies as well to general fruit-eulture, viz .: the variability of tempera- ture, being subject to sudden and frequent changes, to extreme cold in winter, and to late and severe frosts in spring, as well as to early and killing frosts in the fall.

The apple is the hardiest and most reliable of all fruits for this region, and there are probably more acres in apple orchards, than in all fruits combined, in the county. The first fruit trees were brought here by the pioneers, and were sprouts taken from varie- ties around the old home, about to be forsaken for a new one, hundreds of miles away. A Mr. Howard, who settled in that portion of

Crawford County, now in Lawrence, is sup- posed to have planted the first apple trees in this section, and to have brought the scions with him when he came to the country. Ap- ples and peaches are now raised in the county in considerable quantities, and small fruits are receiving more attention every year -- especially strawberries and raspberries. Many citizens, too, are engaging in grape cult- ure to a limited extent.

County Paupers .- " The poor ye have with you alway." It is a duty we owe to that class upon whom the world has cast its frowns, to care for them, and furnish them those com- forts and necessaries of life which their mis- fortunes have denied them. None of us know how soon we may become a member of that unfortunate portion of our population. " The greatest of these is charity," and to what nobler purpose can superfluous wealth be devoted than to succoring the poor, and relieving the woes of suffering humanity.

Crawford is far behind many of her sister counties in the care of her paupers. A large majority of the counties in the State own large farms, with commodious buildings upon them, where their paupers are kept and kind- ly cared for. This county seems to always have " farmed" ont the poor, as it were, or, in other words, to have hired anybody to keep them who was willing to undertake the charge. This does not strike us as the bes method of exercising charity, nor the most economical. Where the county owns a good farm well improved, the institution, if proper- ly managed, can be rendered well-nigh self- supporting. Verbum sat sapienti.

CHAPTER VIII .*

THE COUNTY PRESS-ITS INFLUENCE IN THE COMMUNITY-NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISES OF CRAWFORD COUNTY-THE CONSTITUTION AND ARGUS-EDUCATIONAL-PI- ONEER SCHOOLHOUSES AND TEACHERS-ADVANTAGES OF EDUCA- TION-SCHOOL STATISTICS-RELIGIOUS HISTORY-EARLY PREACHERS-CHURCHES ORGANIZED, ETC., ETC.

"A history which takes no account of what was said by the Press in memorable emergencies befits an earlier age than ours."-Horace Greeley.

THE subjoined sketch of the Press was writ- ten for this work by George W. Harper, Esq., at our earnest solicitation. The article is an excellent one and we commend it to our readers. It is as follows:

A history of a county without a chapter on the newspaper history, would be "like the play of Hamlet with Hamlet left out." There is no more faithful historian of a community than the local press; and be it ever so hum- ble or unpretentious, it . can not fail in the course of years to furnish valuable informa- tion for future reference. A file of the local paper for a dozen or more years presents a fund of information, the value of which can hardly be estimated.

Some people have an idea that newspapers will lie; others are so wise that they will only believe a newspaper report when they think it would be easier for the paper to tell the truth than to tell a lie; others think it the evi- dence of flashing wit to reject with a deri- sive laugh any evidence for authority that comes from " the newspapers." To such an extent has this thoughtless judgment of the press been carried, that much of its sphere of usefulness has been circumscribed. It is true

there must be some occasion for this wide- spread impression-" there must be some fire where there is so much smoke." Yet how many men can show a record for correctness, accuracy and truthfulness that will at once compare with the average newspaper? The editor gathers his news from a thousand sources, from acquaintances and strangers, from letters and papers. He sits and culls, hunts and details, and endeavors to get "the straight" of every story he publishes, for it goes to the world over his own name, and he knows that in a great measure he will be held responsible. The private individual hears a piece of gossip, listens carelessly to another with equal carelessness, and if called upon for details, in nine cases out of ten can not give enough of them to make an intelligent item for a newspaper. " Writing makes an exact man," says Lord Bacon. ' The news- paper verifies the truth of the statement. Let any one who doubts this sit down and put on paper some piece of gossip, with the purpose of having it printed over his own signature, and he will see in a moment how little he knows about a matter he thought himself familiar with. He will then wonder not that the newspaper should contain occa- sional inaccuracies and misstatements. but that it contains so few. And his wonder will wonderfully increase when he remembers that the editor has to depend for so much of

* By W. H. Perrin.

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

what he publishes on the common run of man- kind.

An eminent divine has truly said, " the lo- cal paper is not only a business guide, but it is a pulpit of morals; it is a kind of publie rostrum where the affairs of state are consid- ered; it is a supervisor of streets and roads; it is a rewarder of merit; it is a social friend, a promoter of friendship and good will. Even the so-called small matters of a village or incorporate town are only small to those whose hearts are too full of personal pom- posity." It is very important if some school boy or school girl reads a good essay, or speaks well a piece, or sings well a song, or stands high in the class-room, that kind men- tion should be made publiely of such suc- cess, for more young minds are injured for want of cheering words, than are made vain by an excess of such praise. In the local papers, the marriage bell tolls more solemnly than in the great city dailies. The rush and noise of the metropolis take away the joy from items about marriages, and detraet from the solemnity of the recorded death; but when the local paper records a marriage be- tween two favorites of society, all the readers see the happiness of the event; and equally when the columns of such a home paper tell us that some great or humble person has gone from the world, we read with tears, for he was our neighbor and friend.

The Wabash Sentinel .- The pioneer paper of Crawford County was the Wabash Senti- nel. It was established at Hutsonville, in 1852, by George W. Cutler, a printer who came from Evansville, Indiana, bringing his press and material from that place. The paper was independent in politics. Its pub- lication was continued by Mr. Cutler some- thing over a year, when the material and good-will were transferred to Ethelbert Calla- han, then a pedagogue of the village, now

one of the leading attorneys of Southeastern Illinois, and a prominent Republican poli- tician of the State. Under Mr. Callahan's administration the name of the paper was changed to the Journal, and its publication was continued for something over a year, when the material was sold and removed to Marshall, Clark County.

The Ruralist .- This was the next news- paper venture, and was established in Pales- tine, in 1856, by Samuel R. Jones, a native Virginian, who had been brought up by Alexander Campbell, the eminent minister of the gospel and expounder of the doctrine and faith of the religious denomination known as Disciples or Christians. The Ru- rulist, like its predecessors, was independent in polities. Jones was rather an eccentric man, with numerous professions, combining those of a preacher, lawyer and doctor, with that of editor and publisher. He was im- bued with the spirit of "Reform " in almost everything, and was disposed to make the paper a special advocate of his own peculiar notions and isms. In December, 1856, George W. Harper, a printer boy of some eighteen years, came from Richmond, Indiana, and was employed by Jones to take mechan- ical charge of the Ruralist, and as he had " so many irons in the fire," he soon virtually surrendered all charge of the paper into Har- per's hands, who endeavored to make it more of a literary and local paper than it had been previously. Its publication was continued until October, 1857, when it was suspended, and Dr. Jones removed to Wooster, Ohio, to take pastoral charge of the Christian church there. He remained about a year, and just prior to the breaking out of the late war, he removed to Mississippi. After the close of the war himself and son published for a short time a religious paper at Garner, Hinds County, that State. He is now located at

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

Jackson, Miss., and although over seventy years of age is still actively engaged in the ministry.

The Crawford Banner .- This paper was started at Hutsonville in July, 1857, by W. F. Rubottom, who came from Grayville, this State, and was published by him as an inde- pendent paper until October of the following year. Mr. Rubottom c mmenced the prac- tice of medicine when he retired from the publication of the Banner, and afterwerd went West.

The Robinson Gazette .- The Gazette was the first paper published in Robinson. After the suspension of the Ruralist, the material was leased to G. W. Harper, moved to Rob- inson, and the first issue of the Gazette made its appearance December 12, 1852. This was the first political paper issued in the county. Mr. Harper, the editor, although not a voter, taking strong ground in favor of the principles of the Douglas wing of the Democratic party. The pu licatien of the Gazette was continued by Mr. Harper until the expiration of his lease in 1858, when the paper was suspended, and the material passed into the hands of O. H. Bris- tol & Co., to whom it had been mortgaged by Dr. Jones to secure the payment of a debt. Harper then purchased the Bunner at Hut- sonville, and removed it to Palestine, where he continued its publication for a year as a Democratic paper. In July, 185 ', while pub- lishing the Banner, its editor took the " Wa- bash shakes," and did not succeed in getting rid of them until the October following. The paper had a somewhat sickly existence also, and suspended publication in November.

The Yellow Jacket .- Such was the " blis- tering" name given to a paper started at l'alestine in December, 1859, by Dr. A. Ma- lone and E. Logan, on the ruins of the de- funct Banner. Dr. Malone withdrew from the paper in a few months, and left Logan in sole charge, who continued its publication

for about three years. The paper was Re- publican in politics, and in the campaign of 1860 contained sharp and spicy editorials, which made it quite well known in this part of the State.

The Crawford County Bulletin .- As the Yellow Jacket was the only paper in the county, the Democrats were not well pleased with its sharp thrusts and cutting sarcasm; especially so, Hon. J. C. Allen, the Demo- cratic nominee for Governor of the State, then residing in Palestine. He therefore purchased the material at Robinson, and Hor- ace P. Mumford, then connected with a pa- per at Greenup, but recently from Kenton, Ohio, was placed in charge, and in July, 1860, commenced the publication of the Crawford County Bulletin, at Robinson, as a Demo- cratic paper. The paper was very ably edited, and was during the campaign a fear- less and outspoken advocate of its party principles. When the war broke out the editor was one of those patriotic men who wanted "country first and party afterward," and hence took a decided stand in favor of the prosecution of the war for the preservation of the Union. He assisted in recruiting three or four infantry companies in this county, and in September, 1861, he raised a company for the Fifth Illinois Cavalry, of which he was commissioned captain. He was afterward promoted to be major of the same regiment. He made a gallant and dashing cavalry officer, being quite frequently men- tioned and commended in reports of his su- perior officers for his bravery and daring in battle, skirmish and raid. In October, 1864, having been nominated by the Union party of this Senatorial district for State Senator he obtained leave of absence for thirty days from his regiment, then stationed at Vieks- burg, and left for home. He was first to re- port at Springfield. Arriving there he was · taken with a severe spell of dysentery, and

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

died in two or three days, aged twenty-three years. The publication of the Bulletin was continued a short time after Mumford went into the army, by his brother, W. D. Mum- ford, and N. T. Adams, two young printers. Young Mumford withdrew in the summer of 1862, and left Adams in charge. After con- tinuing the publication alone for a few weeks Adams also abandoned the paper, and it was suspended.

The Monitor .- The publication of the Yellow Jacket, at Palestine, having been sus- pended, Mr. Logan now got hold of the Bul- letin material and started the Monitor, at Robinson, which had a rather lively six months' existence, when it " joined the grand army gone before." The Bulletin was again resurreeted by Charles Whaley, a printer from Terre Haute, and had a very sickly ex- istence of " half sheets " and " doubled ads " for some six months, when it too " turned its toes to the daisies."

The Constitution .- This paper was estab- lished in October, 1863, by John Talbot, who purchased the Bulletin material. He contin- ued as editor and publisher of the paper for some three years, during which time the Constitution was conceded to be the ablest edited, most fearless and outspoken Demo- cratic paper in this section of the State. While the course of Mr. Talbot was severely criticised by the opposition press and party, he was conceded to be honest and conscien- tious in his views, and was a perfect gentle- man in his intercourse with all.

Mr. Talbot was born in Tipperary, Ireland, September 21, 1797, and died in Robinson September 22, 1874. When quite young he removed to Canada, and after remaining in that province several years he emigrated to the United States, settling in Perry County, Ohio, where he engaged in the hardware trade at Somerset. While in business there he came across Phil Sheridan, then a poor

Irish boy, and took him into the store. Through Mr. Talbot's influenee Sheridan ob- tained his appointment to West Point, and undoubtedly owes his present position to the kind offices of Mr. Talbot. Having indorsed rather heavily for friends who failed to meet their own obligations, the property of Mr. Talbot, accumulated by several years of in- dustry and toil, was swallowed up to meet these demands, and he came to Illinois with a bare pittance. In 1867, owing to failing health, he relinquished control of the paper to his son Henry Grattan Talbot. That dread but sure disease, consumption, had already marked Henry for its victim, and he was able to give to the office and paper but little per- sonal attention, being soon confined to his room. On the 2d day of January, 1868, he died, aged twenty-four years. The senior Talbot again assumed charge of the paper, and continued as its editor and publisher un- til some two years prior to his death, when he relinquished its control to his son Richard, the present senior editor and publisher. At his death the office was left by devise to his widow. Richard Talbot continued as editor and publisher until the death of his mother, when the office was purchased by himself and brother, Percy J. Talbot. The two brothers continued as joint publishers until March, 1879, when Richard sold his half interest to Thomas S. Price, present county clerk. Af- ter his election as clerk Mr. Price desired to retire from the printing business, and in March, 1880, Richard Talbot again became the senior editor and publisher of the paper. It is a good live newspaper, and the Demo- cratic organ for this county.

The Robinson Argus .- The first number of the Argus was issued December 10, 1863, by George W. Harper, the present editor and proprietor, under whose control it has been ever since, excepting a few months in 1866- 67. The office was leased to Wm. Benson,

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

a printer from Sullivan, Ind., in October, 1866, under whose management the paper suspended in about three months. On ac- count of a severe affliction of rheumatism, from which Mr. Harper has been troubled more or less from boyhood, he soll the office after its suspension, but no satisfactory ar- rangements being made for resuming publi- cation of the paper, he repurchased it in some two or three months, and its publication was resumed by W. E. Carothers, under Mr. Harper's management. This arrangement not proving satisfactory, Mr. Harper in a few months again assumed full charge of the pa- per as editor, publisher and proprietor, and by striet attention to business and good man- agement, has made it rank with the best country papers of the State. The office is equipped with a fine cylinder press, and ma- terial for doing fine printing of all kinds, pre- senting quite a contrast to the outfit with which the paper was started, occupying then a small room with only one 10x12-light win- dow. The paper being of the minority party, published in a town which had less than 800 inhabitants until within the last six or seven years, enjoying none of the "official " pat- ronage of county officers, has proved a mira- cle of success, and is a worthy tribute to the business enterprise and management of its proprietor.

The Real Estate Advertiser .- This was a monthly publication started at Palestine in October, 1821, by Andrew E. Bristol, a real estate agent at that place. The paper was printed at the Aryus office in Robinson. It was very ably edited, containing historical articles, and others calculated to advertise the fertility of the soil and business resources of the county. Mr. B. was competent to his task, and would no doubt have made a suc- cess of his undertaking. After issuing the second number of the paper, and while prepar- ing copy for the third in his room one night,

he was suddenly stricken with paralysis, and lay upon the floor helpless through the night and a greater portion of the succeeding day, before being discovered. He had suffered intensely during this time, and died in a few days afterward.

The Palestine News .- The News was a little paper started at Palestine in 1824 by N. M. P. Spurgeon, a semi-mute printer, who, after publishing it some six months, removed to Hutsonville, where the publica- tion was continued as the Hutsonville News some six months longer, when it went, too, to its last rest.

The Crawford Democrat .- This was the next paper started " to fill a long-felt want," and made its appearance in Robinson in May, 1879, with Ira Lutes as editor and proprietor. Mr. Lutes had previously been engaged in mercantile business in Robinson, became dis- satisfied, and thought the newspaper business his special forte. After the lapse of some five or six months he conceived the idea that this was not a proper location, and packed his material and removed to Lincoln, Kansas, where he started up again, but soon after- ward sold out and went into other business.

The Palestine Saturday Call .- This paper was started in July, 1880, by W. E. Carothers, a printer who had at different times been em- ployed on the Argus. The paper was printed at the Argus office. An edition for Hutson- ville, under the name of the Herald, was also issued. The Call was a spicy little local paper, started on the "three months plan." Although it had proved a financial success, its publisher chose to abandon it at the end of the first quarter, to prevent its becoming stranded on financial breakers.

The Anti- Monopolist was started by "The Anti-Monopolist Publishing Co.," at Robin- son, just prior to the election last fall, printed from the old material of the Hutsonville News, on the Argus press. After issuing

HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY.

some three or four numbers, the paper was suspended for a few weeks, when the com- pany purchased a small establishment and resumed publication.

Educational .- In the early settlement of this part of the State, there were a great many influences that worked against general education. Neighborhoods were thinly set- tled, money was scarce, and the people were generally poor. There were no schoolhouses, nor was there any public school fund to build schoolhouses, or even to pay teachers. Added to this was the fact that many of the early settlers were from the Southern States-a section that did not manifest as great an in- terest in educational matters as New En- gland. And still another drawback was the lack of books and of teachers; besides, all persons of either sex, who had physical strength enough to labor, were compelled to take their part in the work, that of the women being as heavy and important as that of the men; and this strain upon their indus- try continued for years. When we consider all these facts together, we are led to wonder that the pioneers had any schools at all.

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History of Crawford and Clark counties, Illinois, Part 10

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 826

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 826