USA > Illinois > Effingham County > History of Effingham county, Illinois > Part 13
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85
they took charge. Haddock and Bradsby were the only professional journalists ever connected with the press of our city.
We are indebted to C. F. Coleman, of the Al- tamont News, for the following brief history of the press in Altamont. "The first paper was started in May, 1873, by G. W. Grove, of Kin- mundy. It was the Altamont Courier. The office was over Hilleman's store. It was pub- lished in Altamont until the following November, when it was moved to Virginia. The town was then without a paper until March, 1876, when the firm Loofbarrow & Humble-the former from Alma and the latter from Fairfield-start- ed the Altamont Telegram. Their office was over C. M. Wright & Co.'s bank. This firm was soon changed by the retirement of Humble, and the accession of Hale Johnson. The new firm employed Mit. A. Bates, as printer and editor. This arrangement continued until June, 1877, when the concern passed, by pur- chase, to the sole control of C. M. King, of Lexington, Ill., who at once sold out all the old material to A. M. Anderson, who took it to Stewardson and commenced the publication of a paper. King refurnished the Altamont office with a new and elegant outfit, among other things a Campbell power press, the first ever in the county, and he published the Telegram until August, 1881, when he stopped the pub- lication of his paper, and removed the entire office to Gardner, Ill.
On the 9th of December, 1881, C. F. Cole- man and G. M. Le Crone purchased a new office and commenced the publication of the Alta- inont News. That bids fair to live long and prosper.
None of the Altamont papers had any poli- tics.
The Loyalist .- This was the only paper ever published in the town of Mason, in this county. The interest that now attaches to this publica- tion arises chiefly from the fact that it is a relic of some of the wild craze that possessed
96
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
many men during the late war. Those dark and terrible days when a modicum of humanity and a spark of common sense were apt to be ranked as disloyalty, if not rank treason itself.
Dr. J. N. Mathews of Mason, who was an office boy in the Loyalist during its entire pub- lication, furnishes the following interesting ae- count of its brief existence : "In the month of April, 1863, the first number of the Loyalist, edited and published by George Brewster, made its appearance at Mason. It was a neat- ly printed, seven-column folio, and a rank ex- ponent of Abolitionism. Its motto was ' Union and Liberty, now and forever, one and insepa- rable.' The office was in Stephen Hardin's building. It was the scene of many an excit- ing caucus and political jamboree during the few fierce months of its existence. The paper was made up chiefly of war news, soldiers' let- ters, and rampant editorials. Every man in the neighborhood who could use a pen gave vent to his views through its columns, with unbridled boldness.
"The editor was a man of great learning
and talent, but of a phlegmatic temperament which led him from one extreme to another. His leaders were pithy and to the point. His numerous tirades against deserters and others frequently brought him face to face with dan- gers from which a man of less courage would have cowered. His office was threatened with destruction, yet he continued to pour forth his sentiments with unflinching force. The office force was supplied with arms and ordered to use them in case of an attack. But fortunate- ly no such occasion presented itself. Those immediately connected with the office were his fonr sons-Frank, Da Shiel. Willis and Rich- mond-and J. N. Matthews.
" After a turbulent career of nine months, the Loyalist failed financially and was moved to Salem, Ill., where it was shortly afterward discontinued.
" Mr. Brewster was the author of a work en- titled 'The Philosophy of Matter.' As an ed- itor, he was too eccentric and impulsive. He died shortly after the close of the war, in Ma- son, at an advanced age."
CHAPTER VIII.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-TIIE ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD-ITS GREAT IMPORTANCE AS A HIGHWAY -HOLBROOK CHARTERS -THE PART TAKEN IN THE ROAD BY JUDGE BREESE AND JUDGE DOUGLAS-COMPLETION OF THE ROAD-BROUGH'S FAILURES-VANDALIA LINE-ITS CONSTRUCTION-OPENED FOR BUSINESS-OTHER RAILROADS, ETC., ETC.
" Harness me down with your iron bands, Be sure of your curb and rein ; I scorn the strength of your puny arm, As the tempest scorns a chain."-Steam.
TN another part of this work we remarked that there were two things in the history of the county, that were eras. The first one of these was the building of the Cumberland road through the county, the other was the building of the Illinois Central Railroad.
We know of nothing in the history of the
county that at all compares with the last named in importance. All other things are merely events; some of them of great importance, and others of less importance, but all placed together are insignificant to this.
In the history of the State of Illinois even, this great and beneficent work stands most prominently, if not pre-eminently above all else.
One of the State historians was justified in his remarks when he said its building " marks an era in the progress of the whole State."
97
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
The grand scheme of connecting, by means of iron bands of commerce, Lake Michigan with the great water highway of the Missis- sippi Valley at the confluence of the Ohio, had long been a desideratum with our people. It had constituted a part of the State internal im- provement system of 1837, and some work on the line was actually done, but was abandoned with the collapse of that system. The Central Railroad, from the southern terminus of the canal to Cairo, was subsequently revived by legislation, procured by scheming brains with an eye to the future, but the whole subjeet lacked vitality until the passage of the aet of Congress of 1850, granting to the State a mu- -- nificent donation of nearly 3,000,000 acres ofland through the heart of Illinois in aid of its com- pletion. This noble tribute by the nation had its birth simultaneously with and amidst the throes of the great adjustment measures of 1850, which, during that long and extraordi- i nary session of Congress, shook the Union from center to circumference. Twice before had a similar bill passed the Senate, and twice had it failed in the House, but now it was a law, and the State possessed the means to complete the great work. The final passage of the measure was hailed with great demonstrations of joy by the people and press of the State; Senators Douglas and Shields, and Congressmen Me- Clernand, Harris, Wentworth, Young. Richard- son, Bissell and Baker, the then delegation in Washington from Illinois, were tendered a pub- lic dinner and reception upon their return in Chicago in honor of the event.
The entire amount of railroad in the State at that time consisted of a section of the Northern Cross Railroad, from Meredosia and Naples, on the Illinois River, to Springfield; the Chicago & Galena, from the former city as far as Elgin, and a six mile track across the American bot- tom from opposite St. Louis to the mines in the bluffs.
The act granted the right of way through
the public lands of the width of 200 feet, from the southern terminus of the Illinois & Mich- igan Canal to a point at or near the junction of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers, and for a branch to Chicago and Galena ; also the privilege to take from them materials of earth, stone and timber for its construction. But the main grant to the State was the alternate sections of land designated by even numbers for six sec- tions deep on cach side of its track and branches ; for the lands sold or pre-empted within this 12-mile belt or area, enough might be selected from even numbered seetions to the distance of fifteen miles on either side of the traeks equal in quantity to them. The con- struction of the road was to be simultaneously commenced at its northern and southern ter- mini, and when completed the branches were to be constructed. It was to be completed within ten years, in default of which the unsold lands were to revert to the United States, and for those sold the State was to pay the Govern- ment price. The minimum price of the alter- nate or odd sections of the Government land was raised from $1.25 to $2.50 per acre. While the public lands were thus by the prospect of building this road rendered more salable at double price, it followed that the General Gor- ernment not only lost nothing in dollars and cents, but in point of fact was actually the gainer by this splendid gift. The land was taken out of the market for two years, and when restored in the fall of 1852, it, in fact, brought an average of $5 per aere. The grant was subject to the disposal of the Legislature, for the purpose specified, and the road and branches were to be and remain a public high- way for the use of the Government of the United States, free from all tolls either for the transportation of any troops, munitions or other property of the General Government. This provision, had it applied to the rolling stoek as well as the use of the rails, would doubtless have saved the General Government, during the
98
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
rebellion, many hundreds of thousands of dol- lars ; but it has been construed adversely to the rights of the Government in this particular.
Upon the passage of the bill, Mr. Douglas immediately prepared a petition signed by the Congressional delegation of all the States along the route of the road from Mobile north, de- scribing the probable location of the road and its branches through Illinois ; and requesting of the President the suspension of land sales along the lines designated, which was immedi- ately done.
The aet of Congress threw upon the Legislat- ure of Illinois the entire duty of making a pru- dent, wise and satisfactory disposition of the magnificent grant. The point of departure of the Chicago branch of the main track was not fixed by the act, and this delicate duty the Leg- islature, it was generally expected, would take in hand. Before the meeting of that body, in January, 1851, much contention pervaded the press of the State regarding the location of the main track, and particularly the routes of the branches. Many worthy and ambitious towns were arrayed against each other. The La Salle interests wanted the Chieago branch taken off at that point. Bloomington, looking to a con- tinuation of the Alton & Sangamon road (now the Chicago & Alton) to that place, wanted the Chieago braneh to connect her with the lake. Shelbyville, which was a point on the old line of the Illinois Central, not dreaming but that she would have the main traek, was grasping for the departure thenee of the Chieago branch also, and lost both. Another route, which ought to have commanded great strength, was proposed on the most direct line from Cairo, - making the point of connection in Pulaski County, taking off the Galena braneh at Mount Vernon, thence through Carlyle, Greenville, Hillsboro, Springfield, Peoria, Galena and on to Dubuque. But, of course, it was to the in- terests of the company to make the location where there was the largest amount of vacant
land that could be brought within the belt of fifteen miles on either side of the road. And this proved the controlling influence ultimately, both in the location of the main traek and its branches.
Holbrook Charters .- One of the phantoms which loomed into publie recognition, casting its shadow aeross the path of bright promise for the State, was what was known as the " Holbrook Charters," whose incorporators, it was feared, would step in and swallow up the Congressional grant of land under the broad terms of their franchise.
The interest of the people of Illinois is now deeply concerned in the history of these " Hol- brook Charters," owing to the extraordinary discussion that arose in the last years of the lives of those two men, Sidney Breese and Stephen A. Douglas, in regard to the paternity of the Illinois Central Railroad. Letters ad- dressed to the public through the press of the country were written by each of these men on the subject, and the people are yet undecided as to where the paternity of this enterprise be- longs. It is the widespread and profound interest among all our readers in anything that concerned these two eminent Illinoisans that is our apology for giving the history of the " llol- brook Charters " at length.
" The Cairo City Canal Company was orig- inally incorporated for the purpose of con- strneting dykes, levees or embankments, to secure and preserve Cairo City and adjacent lands against the freshets of the rivers. The
entting of the canal to unite the Mississippi with the Ohio through Cache River was also authorized. In the fall of 1835, the Hon. Sidney Breese, through a well-constructed published letter, had first ealled attention to the plan of a central railroad, connecting the southern terminus of the Illinois & Michigan Canal at Peru with the con- finenee of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers at Cairo. An effort was made, at the special
Owen Seatt.
L. of C.
101
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
session of 1835-36, to unite this project with the canal, for which an appropria- tion of $500,000 was granted. This fail- ing, a charter for the railroad was grant- ed, supplementing this project with the Cairo City Company, the corporators being Darius B. Holbrook (who was also President of the company) and others. Application was then first made to Congress for aid by pre-emption. One year later, the State en- tered upon the great internal improvement sys- tem, and, unwilling to brook a rival, applied to the Cairo Company to surrender the charter for the building of this railroad through the center of the State, which was complied with on condition that the State build the road on a route leading from Cairo through Vandalia, Shelbyville, Decatur, Bloomington, Peru, and via Dixon to Galena. The State ex- pended more than a million dollars, it is said, on this route, before the "grand system" collapsed in 1840. Subsequently, by act of March 6, 1843, the road, in the condition that it was abandoned, was restored to the Cairo Company, under the title of the Great West- ern Railway Company, with a power to con- struct the road from Cairo by the places named to a point at or near the southern ter- minus of the Illinois & Michigan Canal. in such manner as they might deem most expe- dient. The Cairo Company was vested with the title and effects of the old Central Rail- road. All the usual franchises were grant- ed to the Great Western Company as part of the Cairo Company, and in Section IS it was added that 'all lands that may come in pos- session of said company, whether by dona- tion or purchase,' were pledged and mort- gaged in advance, as security for payments of bonds and obligations of the company. au- thorized to be issued and contracted under the provisions of the charter. By act of March 3, 1845, the charter of this Great
Western Company was repealed; bnt, by act of February 10, 1849, it was received for bene- fit of Cairo City & Canal Company, with the addition of some thirty names as incorpora- tors, taken from all parts of the State, many of whom were well-known politicians. The company thus revived was authorized in the construction of the Central Railroad, to ex- tend it on from the southern terminus of the canal-La Salle-to Chicago, 'in strict con- formity to all obligations, restrictions, powers and privileges of the act of 1843.' The Governor was empowered to hold in trust, for the use and benefit of said company, whatever lands might bo donated to the State by the General Government, to aid in the completion of the Central or Great Western Railway, subject to the conditions and pro- visions of the bill (then pending before Con- gress and expected to become a law) granting the subsidies of 3.000,000 acres of land. The company was further authorized to re- ceive, hold and dispose of any and all lands secured to it by donation, pre-emption or otherwise. There were other details of mi- nor importance, but these sufficiently indi- cate the scheme."
Here, substantially, is the outline of the final legislation that led to the building of the Central Railroad. And it was this idea of 1835 whereon Judge Breese based his claim to the paternity of the great work.
Judge Douglas had charge of the bill for the road in the United States Senate. Hu was radically opposed to the whole Holbrook scheme, because, as he warmly contended. it was a private scheme of speculation, if not peculation, and he frankly informed the cor- porators of the Great Western Railway that, unless they wholly stepped down and out. surrendered everything that had been granted them by the State, he would not press his bill to a final passage in the Senate, but F
102
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
would not even vote for it. Here the whole matter rested in uncertainty and doubt for some time, and the public press poured out charges and counter-charges, and negotia- tions looking to an adjustment satisfactory to all parties were frequently instituted, and as often came to naught. Judge Douglas would accept no terms except an absolute and total surrender of everything that had been granted the Holbrook corporators, and he broadly based his action on the grounds that it was better for the country that the whole scheme should perish rather than go into the hands of irresponsible private schem- ers. His great mind must have fully realized that he was taking immeasurable responsi- bilities-that he was called upon to act, in the face. too, of the opposition of many and powerful political friends, in the most im- portant and vital matter to the country that concerned his whole political life. He must have realized that, while this was on its face local legislation to some extent, yet it was a part of the legislation unparalleled in its great and far-reaching consequences. Had Douglas been a mere demagogue, as has been charged by his enemies, he could have here, by a mere negative assent, had easy sailing in smooth waters, and at the same time given the country the great railroad, with all its advantages. But here was exact- ly where he rose to the emergency-where his mind forecast the long future, and would not be corrupted. He could easily have dropped into this first attempt (if his judg- ment was right about it) to put on its feet a similar great scheme of national robbery and disgrace to that of the Union Pacific Rail- road. Had he been a dishonest man, he would have done so. There is one thing cer- tain-he had his own way in everything, without compromising one jot or tittle of his judgment or conviction, and he gave the
country one of the wisest and greatest leg- islative enactments that can be found in the law books of our continent. Millions of people are to-day reaping the fruits of his work that he gave them without robbing them of a cent or a drop of blood. Peace hath her victories as well as war. Indeed, war has none. Revolutions that strike off the heads of oppressors may have-often do. A free people that go into battles to repel in- vaders that come to enslave may be sacred men, treading upon sacred ground, but if it is an enslaved people, and the invaders prom- ise even a modicum of relief from their home oppressors, then it is pretty much like all war-a barbarous calamity, and a by-word of reproach to any one above a mere cannibal savage.
The Holbrook party had the ear and confi- donce of the Illinois Legislature, but Doug- las was master of Illinois' interests in the United States Senáte. At the special session of the Legislature of 1849, he delivered a speech to that body, in which he attempted to demonstrate to it that a fraud had been practiced upon it, and frankly told them that the important bill had been delayed and post- poned in Congress on account of the action of the Illinois Legislature. He further told them that Congress had an insuperable ob- jection to making the grant for the benefit of a private corporation.
To obviate the objection of Judge Doug- las, Holbrook, on December 15, 1849, execut- ed a promise of release to the Governor, a duplicate of which was transmitted to Dong- las at Washington. But he refused to ac- cept this as a valid and binding document upon the company, because, as he said, it was without the sanction or authority of the stockholders, or even the Board of Directors. While he did not impute such cunning de- signs to any one, yet he believed this release
103
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
left it in the condition which would enable it to take all the lands granted, divide them among its stockholders, and retain its char- tered privileges without building the road. He would not give his approval to any scheme by which the State could possibly be deprived of any of the benefits resulting from the ex- pected grant. For the protection of the State, and as an assurance to Congress, the execution of a full and complete release of all rights and privileges, and a surrender of the charters, and all acts or parcels of acts supplemental or amendatory thereof or relat- ing in anywise to the Central Railroad, so as to leave the State. through its Legis- lature, free to make such dispositions of the lands, and such arrangement for the con- struction of the road, as might be deemed best, was demanded.
This absolute release was executed, and one copy furnished the Governor and the other to Judge Douglas at Washington. Judge Douglas was satisfied with this release, and he pressed the bill to an immediate passage.
After the passage of the bill granting the land by Congress. there arose many doubts and misgiving in the minds of the people of Illinois as to the sufficiency of the release, and the matter was freely canvassed pending the election of the Legislature, which was to dispose of the splendid donation of the best interests of the State, regardless of local con- siderations or sectional desires. The claim was set up that the Cairo Company could and would repudiate the relinquishment of its charters, or use some expedient to induce the General Assembly to fail in accepting it ac- cording to its second stipulation. which would enable that concern to resume its former po- sition, and grasp the large grant of land un- der the provisions of its charter of 1849. On September 25, 1850, D. B. Holbrook, from New York, wrote a curious and puzzling let-
ter on the subject, which was published in an Illinois paper and floated through the press for some time. This letter gave color to the fears of the people, particularly the opening sentence of it. "I can truly say that I am under obligations to those who, with Gov. Casey, prevented the repeal of the charter of the Great Western Railway Com- pany. It was granted in good faith, and under no other that the State can now grant. * * We are now sure that the road from Cairo to Peru, Galena and Chicago will be built. I am now organizing the company, to commence the work this fall, and to put a large part of the road under contract as early as possible. We shall make the road on the old line of the Central route, through Vanda- lia, Shelbyville, Decatur and Bloomington. I rejoice with the people of Illinois that this important road to the whole State will now be made."
This singular letter was as a fire-bell at, night to many a voter in the State. It was construed as a pretension on the part of the President of the old Holbrook charter that the State could not grant any other charter than that which this company already owned. Many read the letter as an open repudiation of the release, and believed it had been writ . ten and published for the sole purpose of warning the people of their intentions. 'Here, too, was a claim to a share in the glory of procuring the grant from Congress, and the assertion that his company was ready to resume the work (mentioning the old route of the road), bordered closely upon the as- sertion that the Cairo Company deemed itself master of the situation.
Another straw indicating the shifting winds was a vile and coarse attack upon Judge Douglas in a Chicago paper published in the Holbrook interest, as follows:
" Judge Douglas has declared the first re-
104
HISTORY OF EFFINGHAM COUNTY.
lease of the Cairo Company illegal and de- fective, but that he obtained a second one that was legal before he would vote for the grant of land. That will likely be found equally so (that is, defective as the first). For, although he is an ex-Judge, it is doubt- ed if he knows enough law to either dictate or draw a legal release in such a case, and his whole concern in the matter may be looked upon as much a piece of political trickery as his bragging about it is bombastic, and that he had no more influence in procuring the grant than the barking of a poodle dog. * The Cairo Company has never asked any- thing of the State but the privilege to ex- pend their own money in it, which would never injure, but do much good, to the State. * If Breese and Casey and Holbrook can be killed off by the politicians of Illi- nois, look out for more plunder."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.