USA > Illinois > Greene County > History of Greene county, Illinois: its past and present > Part 25
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thick foliage. He walked 'round the tree, peering through its thick branches, to catch a glimpse of the squirrel which still evaded his sight. It occurred to him that he had seldom seen so grand a tree. Its great size, its immense height, the great spread of its branches, and the beauti- ful symmetry of its shape, at once marked it as the ' King of the forest.' His eyes ran along down the large and tapering trunk to the ground. He started with silent wonder; his rifle dropped from his hand; there, wrapped in sleep, and motionless as if in death, lay the lost child.
" No language can describe the joy he felt at finding her still alive. He raised her softly in his arms and called her name. She started, stared wildly and strangely around, and drew to him as if for protection. Presently she looked imploringly in his face, while large tear-drops gathered in her eyes, and said : ' I want to go to my mother.' The touch- ing appeal melted the strong man to tears, and when he had fully dis- covered the extent of her wretched condition, his heart overflowed with sympathy. Her scanty clothing was torn in tatters, her neck and shoulders blistered with the heat of the sun, her feet and ankles lacerated and swollen, and her flesh everywhere pierced with briers and thorns that still remained sticking in the wounds. She had subsisted alone on green leaves of the wild sorrel. Mr. McFarland gave her part of a biscuit, which she instantly devoured, and pleaded for more. He soon recollected that there were others in the wood, to whom the child was dear, and who would greatly rejoice to see her. He therefore discharged his gun twice in quick succession. As the last report rang through the forest, and, reverberating among the hills, died away in the distance, there came back the wild shouts of a hundred voices, and a response of a hundred guns, and soon a hundred horsemen came dashing over the hills, leaping logs and ditches, waving their hats, and shouting in a frenzy of enthusi- asm. Such a scene as followed utterly baffles all powers of description ; it was a scene of the most tumultuous joy. Men sent up shout after shout, threw up their hats, clapped their hands, leaped, laughed, and cried at the same time. Those who had dismounted soon sprang again to their saddles, and, with Major Pruitt at their head, carrying the child in his arms, galloped off to the house of the sick mother, still filling the woods with their joyful shouts. She was in transports of joy, and, while. the family were gathered around the little girl in the cabin, the men outside rode round the house, firing guns, shouting, laughing, and talking. Those who were present declare that they had never heard so many guns fired, or so much shouting, on any other occasion. After the tumult of joy had partially abated, provisions were brought out, and the friends of the good old Major partook of a comfortable dinner, and departed for their homes. How many anxious mothers came from the doors of their lonely cabins, to inquire of the passers-by if the lost child had been found, and thanked God for the good news, we can not now tell, but we are sure that they were not few. By this time it was known in St. Clair County that the child was lost, and Gen. Samuel Whitesides hastily col- lected a company of men, and hurried on to assist them in finding her. They met their Madison County friends, from whom they learned that she was recovered, and they all returned to their homes, spreading the glad tidings to all the settlers on their way, by shouting and firing their guns. Mrs. Pruitt was a woman of a frail constitution and feeble health,.
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and such was the shock upon her tender frame, that during the time her child was lost, she never closed her eyes in sleep, or took a morsel of food. She lingered for a short period, but her days were soon numbered, and she sank into her grave. Her husband, though possessing a powerful constitution and uninterrupted health, quailed for a time beneath the weight of this severe stroke of affliction, refusing consolation, refresh- ment, or sleep, till he saw his little daughter placed safely under his own roof. He lived esteemed and respected for many years, and died at a good old age."
During the early history of the county, the pioneers had the utmost confidence in one another. Nearly 'every one had more or less money with him, to be used in purchasing lands, and many were possessed of several thousands of dollars. This was all in gold and silver, and although very heavy and inconvenient to handle, the absence of banks made it necessary to keep it at hand. Children played with the silver pieces on the cabin floors. The money was kept in saddle bags, boxes, sacks, and in any other convenient receptacle. Very little effort was made to con- ceal it, and it was secured by no heavy iron bars or wakeful guards. For several years this mutual confidence was not abused, but in 1821, a little later than the incident above related, a violent robbery took place in the southern part of the county. In the southwest corner of Lofton's prairie there lived a family named Dixon, considerably advanced in years. They were English people, and were believed to have a large sum of money in their possession. One night a number of men came to the lonely house of the worthy old couple and with threats and manifesta- tions of violence commanded Mr. Dixon to deliver his money. The old man had no alternative but obedience, and the robbers escaped with $1,200. An alarm was at once raised and a company, headed by Judge John G. Lofton, started in pursuit. Mr. Dixon recognized two of the party as Robert Sinclair and Wm. B. Whitesides. The latter was a very prominent man in Madison County, having served as its sheriff, and the former was also a citizen of that region. They were overtaken near Alton, and Whitesides and Sinclair were brought to Carrollton for trial. Sinclair was found guilty and sentenced to State prison. Either while out on bail, or when in charge of the sheriff (individuals differ on this point), he managed to slip away and reach a very fast race horse which was in readiness for him near the present David Black farm. Mounting this, he sped away to the southwest, with the sheriff in hot pursuit. But the superior blood of his steed gave him the advantage, and he made good his escape. He was afterward heard of in Arkansas, where he rose to some distinction and became a member of the Territorial legislature. The celebrated Thos. H. Benton, then a rising young lawyer, appeared for the people in this case. The people's witnesses were, Wm. Dixon, John G. Lofton, James Barnes, Thomas G. Lofton, Wm. Davidson, Ezekiel Gillham, John Finley, Wm. Prickard, Henry Hopkinson, Charles Gear and Joab White. Whitesides also escaped the just punishment of his crime. On the jury which tried him was a strong friend of his, Charles Kitchen, who, it is said, hung the jury. This caused delay, which Whitesides contrived to prolong by the depar- ture and death of witnesses, until finally the decease of Mr. Dixon left the State without testimony, and the case was dropped. This robbery
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created a profound sensation throughout this part of the State, and it was still a matter of common talk ten years later.
THE SILVER MINE EXCITEMENT.
At a very early period in the history of the eastern part of Greene County, there was one James Rawlings, who settled in the edge of the timber, on the south side of Taylor's Prairie, and about a half mile north of the present postoffice, known as Rockbridge. About the year 1826 it was whispered around the neighborhood, among a circle of confidential friends, that a few miles farther up the Macoupin Creek there was a place that bore the appearance of an ancient silver mine of very respectable richness. A number of pits from which mineral had been dug, and large mounds of earth formed of the clay from the pits, were said to be visible. Moreover it was understood that some person had actually discovered a furnace at which the silver had been separated from the ore ; while others pretended to have seen specimens of considerable richness, picked up on the hillsides near the old mine, and it was represented that the hills and points throughout the neighborhood bore unmistakable evidences of rich deposits of silver. No man was perhaps more deeply interested with the recitals of these stories than Mr. James Rawlings, and visions of wealth occupied his midnight dreams, and haunted his waking hours. Whether reposing quietly by his own fireside, or driving the plow, or chasing the wild deer over the plain, it was all the same to him, his active imagina- tion constantly held up to his view untold mines of wealth, lying just beneath the surface, inviting the diligent, the energetic, and the enter- prising, who are ever awake to their own interest, to dig them out and fill their coffers. He was one of those who believe there is a crisis in the affairs of men which, when taken in its ebb, leads on to inevitable suc- cess, and a silent monitor within his breast seemed to say, "Seize, then, the golden moment ere it flies." It is very natural that any good, kind- hearted man, about to become the possessor of a fortune so ample as to insure him an independence for a life-time, and afford not only all the luxuries his wishes might require, but untold sums besides, should desire to make his nearest relatives and favorite friends happy participants of his good fortune. This desire, so characteristic of a good heart, induced Mr. Rawlings to communicate, in a letter to his father, the venerable Mr. Roderick Rawlings, a pious minister of the gospel, residing some five miles north of the present town of White Hall, the particulars of the important discovery which was about to be made, in which he expressed his sanguine belief that a little labor and expense of exploration, and purchase of the land on which mineral deposits might be found, would be rewarded by a fortune sufficient to make life easy ever afterwards. He closed by affectionately inviting his beloved father to co-operate with him in securing the prize, and participate in its enjoyments. Upon receiving the letter, the good old man very sagely took the subject under consideration. He meditated upon it during the night, consulted "the old lady " in the morning, and at last arrived at the conclusion that it was best to proceed in the matter with great circumspection ; it should be
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kept as a profound secret, at least for the present. But after further reflection, he was convinced of the wisdom of confiding the whole sub- ject to two or three confidential friends, whose services would be valua- ble in assisting himself and his son to make the discovery of the precise spot where the mineral was situated, the proper numbers of the land to which it belonged, and to test any mineral that might be found, in order to ascertain whether it was valuable or base metal. There was no man within the entire circle of his acquaintance in whom he could more implicitly confide, and who was better qualified to distinguish between real silver ore and other combinations of mineral substances, than John Allen, Esq. He had pored over many volumes of geology, mineralogy, metallurgy, etc. He also possessed a retentive memory, a quick discern- ment, and a great amount of patience and perseverance in his investiga- tions of scientific subjects, and withal was a man of good sound sense, unerring judgment, and great prudence in all his undertakings.
The elder Mr. Rawlings determined to lay the matter before him, without reserve, for his consideration and approval, and endeavor to secure his services in maturing his plans and testing the minerals that might be found on arriving at the premises. Mr. Allen did not enter into the enterprise with as much assurance of success as his elderly friend, but expressed his willingness to be one of the company and lend the expedition any service in his power.
He rationally concluded that if the enterprise proved a failure, the loss attending the exploration would be but trifling, and in case of its ultimate success it might prove profitable to all parties. John Allen was, as I have stated in a previous article, a son of Thos. Allen, of Allen's Mill, and Thomas was a brother of Zachariah Allen. Now, the family of Zachariah Allen was so numerous (consisting, besides his wife and four daughters, of seventeen sons and himself), and had been so instructed in their training, that among them might be found a man fitted for almost any purpose desired. Mr. Rawlings was on good terms with the family, and they were esteemed relatives of his friend and present adviser ; therefore it was determined to direct their attention toward that family for further assistance. But upon visiting them they found them busily engaged in their young corn, running near a dozen plows and an equal number of hoes. This was deemed a discouraging circumstance, for it seemed very rational to conclude that men so busily engaged, and so pleasantly and profitably employed, would not very readily forsake their work to engage in an enterprise which was at best only an experiment. But soon it was discovered that one of the younger sons, named George, was not just then engaged in the crop.
In fact, he was the very one of the large family best suited for their purposes. From childhood he had manifested a fondness for study ; he had read many scientific works on various subjects, and for the last year or two, whilst engaged in teaching school in the neigborhood, had fre- quently improved his leisure hours in the practice of surveying. With his compass, and some of the larger pupils to carry the chain, he had marked out on a small scale whole States and Territories, establishing base lines and meridians, and finishing with the subdivisions of townships, sections, etc., making the proper entries in his books with as much care and precision as if he were a Surveyor General in the employ of the
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1
General Government. Being then a young man, of active imagination, easily inflamed with a love of whatever was new and romantic, and view- ing the proposed expedition in the light of a very pleasant recreation, in which he would be afforded an opportunity of exercising his skill at surveying, of which he was at that time very fond, he was easily pre- vailed upon to unite with his reverend friend, Mr. Rawlings, and his esteemed cousin, 'Squire Allen, in their search for the hidden treasure. The company was now complete, notwithstanding the fact that the services of some person skilled in searching for ores were as indispensable as those of a surveyor or metallurgist, the company was already in the possession of such an individual in the person of the venerable Mr. Rawlings. He had already acquired an enviable reputation as one par- tieularly skilled in the art of pointing out the precise spot where water might be obtained by digging, and he unhesitatingly declared his readi- ness to detect the presence of mineral deposits with equal facility. For this purpose he supplied himself with a brass "rod," being a piece of brass wire three feet in length, which, being wound once round a stick in the middle, formed an eye or loop the size of the stick; the ends crossed each other at the loop, and extended out an angle of forty or forty-five degrees. A small buckskin sack was tied by a string to the loop, after the stick had been removed, and was filled with some mys- terious substance supposed to possess the power over silver ores that the magnet does over steel. The manner of using this instrument will be described hereafter.
It has perhaps but seldom occurred that so much has been accom- plished in a single day towards organizing a company for an object of so. much moment to those concerned. The comprehensive ability displayed by the Rev. Mr. Rawlings in his selection of men so eminently fitted for their respective duties, reflects much credit on This discrimina -- tion. But the primitive simplicity of his method of detecting. the presence of valuable ores outstrips even science itself, in bring- ing to view the treasure sought, before she could get her boots on for the- expedition. The little company felt such a lively interest in the result. of this novel expedition, which was to be undertaken very early on the- succeeding morning, that they reluctantly separated for the night, with
mutual injunctions and promises to keep their designs a profound secret .. Scarcely had the faint glow of the morning twilight arisen beyond the; Eastern hills, when our eager little company of adventurers have shaken off the unconscious slumbers of the night, and sallied forth to breathe the morning air, and complete their preparations for the coming adventure. The household were also busy with their ample preparations for an early breakfast. No time was to be lost, for at the hour of sunrise, the parties were to be on the ground, ready for a start. We deem it unnecessary to dwell on the minutia of the morning's preparation. Those who have witnessed such seenes can readily apprehend the hurry and confusion with which those hasty preparations were performed, where all man- ifested a deep interest in the enterprise, and the parties were so cager to be promptly on the ground at the appointed time. Along the lowlands, the rich mass of vegetation was still dripping with the morning dew, and the light floating vapors forming themselves in sinuous clouds, hov- ering over the winding little streams, shutting out the light that shot
D.
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across them from the opposite hills, when our gallant little company, now increased in number to some six or seven persons, drew up their reins on the north bank of Apple Creek, reconnoitered the ford for a moment, and plunged boldly in, and emerged on the opposite bank. " It is very well," observed 'Squire Allen, " that our young surveyor had filled his portman- teau so liberally, for if its ends had not stood out pretty nearly in a horizon- tal line, he'd a got his instruments wet." "And lost his books, also," suggested Mr. Roderick Rawlings. "But, worse than all, he'd a spoiled his dinner," said a third. "No doubt, gentlemen, you think I'm poorly mounted," retorted George, " but soon we will be among the thick brush and grape-vines, when you will discover that I can easily pass through, while you will be compelled to walk and lead your horses." " We do not think you are very badly mounted," replied Mr. Rawlings, " but we do think the surveyor and chief engineer of so respectable a company as ours, ought to ride a large horse to support the dignity of his office." " As to that," replied the surveyor, " many great men have been content to go on foot, and some have rode donkeys, while others very finely mounted have never become famous in any respect. I have observed that men of very refined taste in regard to riding fine horses seldom rise above the dignity of a country parson in these backwoods." A loud burst of laughter followed this sally, in which the whole party joined most heartily, but it was observed that the Rev. Mr. Rawlings was not so far carried away by this cachination as to lose the power of speech, and sagely remarked, after the mirth had partially subsided, that it was "a happy circumstance that a man might be sharp enough to make an ex- cellent surveyor, even though he should never rise to the dignity of a parson."
Thus did our happy company make the wild woods glad with their merry laugh, as they passed along near the borders of the bottom land that stretched away to the eastward, until crossing Whittaker Creek, where they ascended to the hilltops, to contend with the " thick brush and grape-vines," to which the young surveyor had alluded, when, to their increased merriment, they saw his prediction verified by the simul- taneous dismounting of about one-half the company. Sometimes on horseback and sometimes on foot, they groped along for three or four miles, which brought a handsome little prairie to view. "Do you know what prairie this is, 'Squire?" asked John Allen. " The Waltrips, Thaxtons and Starkies live just along there," he continued, pointing out the direction with his hand. "I think some of the Waltrips lived on our side of Apple Creek one winter," said George. "Yes," replied the 'Squire. "old Billy Waltrip, and old Billy Thaxton and his son Larkin, spent the winter of '19 and '20 in a camp quite near my house, and moved over here in the Spring." "I should have been pleased," said George, "to have passed nearer their houses, to see what kind of improve- ments they have." "We thought it best to keep at a distance, lest our appearance should alarm the women and children," replied the 'Squire. "Seeing such a company, armed and equipped, they might conclude there were Indians in the neighborhood."
The truth is that the leaders of our little company were so circum- spect in planning their movements that they had purposely avoided the settlement, lest the imposing appearance they made should induce a
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belief on the part of the settlers that they were out on some improper business. They seemed fearful their designs would be understood by some one who might throw obstacles in the way of their success; they chose, therefore, to follow the skirt of timber along the south side of Bear Creek, toward the east, rather than strike boldly across the prairie, through the settlement, toward the point of their destination. .However, they gradually directed their course more to the south, as they proceeded, until at length they found themselves on the summit of the highlands dividing the waters of Apple Creek from those of Macoupin. They involuntarily reined up their horses, as the far-reaching prairie- running back to the horizon-fell on their vision from the southwest, and in silent wonder gazed upon the beauty and grandeur of the scene. To the north the narrow strip of timber along Bear Creek, appeared like a mere hedge-row, dividing String Prairie from another prairie, which reached back far enough, apparently, to support Apple Creek tim- ber, which, like a long line of blue clouds lying along the horizon, put an end to the view in that direction. To the east there was no limit to the range of vision but the horizon, though in that direction a herd of half a dozen nimble deer went leaping across the prairie, with that freedom which they derived from the consciousness of perfect security whilst taking their daily exercise. A long line of beautiful green timber, gently waving in the western breeze, stretched from a point two miles south of them away to the eastward as far as the eye could reach. There was a peculiar richness in the appearance of the dark green foliage, probably produced by the reflection of the sun's rays from the upper branches of the timber, contrasting finely with the dark shaded recesses below.
Our company proceeded, leaning to the southeast, as if to enter the timber one or two miles above the point to the south. "I think I see a cabin in that timber," observed one of the company; " 'Squire Allen, do you know whether that timber has any settlers in it?" "I take that to be Kinkaid's Point," said Mr. Allen; "I have been told that some of the Kinkaids settled somewhere in this part of the county about five years ago this Spring. I know 'Squire Kinkaid and Captain Kinkaid very well, but I have never been at their house. The point where they live is called Kinkaid's Point, and I think that is the place." "It appears strange to me," observed one, as they came near the timber, "that there is not a string of settlements all along the edge of this timber. If this is Kinkaid's Point, old Fighting Jack's horsemill is somewhere near, and people coming to the mill and seeing such a beautiful country unoccupied would make it known to others if they did not want a place themselves." " That is all very true, but men are too scarce yet to settle all the pretty places," remarked the 'Squire, "but there is probably already a consid- erable settlement in this timber. Somewhere to the east, I think, you would find another settlement not more than three or four miles from this. The space between will soon be filled up, and there will be a line of settlements all along the edge of the timber." "The man that bought old Jimmy Purnell, I believe, lives in Kinkaid's Point," remarked one. "I heard them saying in town the other day that old Jimmy had run off, and after a day or two returned, and told the man he lived with that he had been three miles up the point to the east, laying out a town, that it was the prettiest place for a town in the whole country. He said there
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was a nice little stream running along the east side of it, and when he brought his lots into market the people would desert Carrollton and Mount Pleasant to buy lots and settle in his town. He told Sam, I believe that's what he called his master's name "-" Samms," suggested 'Squire Allen. "Perhaps that is the name," rejoined the other, "any way he told him if he wouldn't be angry at him for going off, he would give him a corner lot for a grocery. "Poor Jimmy," exclaimed Mr .. John Allen, "the last time I saw him he had a great gash ent in his head where somebody had struck him with the handle of an old iron shovel, for merely coming into his house one cold night just before bed time. Every winter I think of Jimmy Purnell, and expect every time a cold spell comes to hear of his being frozen to death." "You arouse my sympathies," said Mr. Rawlings. "Pray, how did it come that he was
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