USA > Illinois > McDonough County > History of McDonough county, Illinois, its cities, towns and villages with early reminiscences, personal incidents and anecdotes and a complete business directory of the county > Part 10
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" But to be serious. What is to be done in regard to the pro- posed road from Quincy to Macomb, and from here to Galesburg ? The time for stopping to consider the policy of such an enterprise has passed away ; and the benefits to be derived from such a means of communication are held to be too self-evident to need any addi- tional argument advanced in their favor, for who, say we, cannot see in the advanced price of land, in the advantage of a ready market, in the increased facilities of communication, in the spread of general intelligence, in the cheapened and quickened mode of transportation, a sufficient inducement to wish such an undertak- ing success, and say that its benefits are beyond dispute ? Perhaps the facts of these truths being so plain and undeniable, has led to the lethargy and inaction of our people. But we must awake from our stupor ; measures must be taken for the securing of stock, of having the county become a stockholder to a liberal amount ; of getting individuals, who need only the solicitation of some ac- tive friend of the road, to become deeply interested in its comple- tion. Then, friends of the road, be up and doing ; farmers of Me- Donough, your interests are at stake, see that you neglect them not; merchant and mechanic, your welfare, too, is bound up in this scheme-with it will come your prosperity, without it you must lose immensely! Then, again say we, let us all at work ! Let our untiring zeal and determined efforts show that we desire what we need, and must have A RAILROAD."
Meetings were held for the purpose of creating an interest in the proposed railroad. On Wednesday evening, November 5th, 1857, Hon. Calvin A. Warren, of Quincy, and General Darnell, of Hancock county, addressed the citizens of Macomb upon this
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important subject. A committee was appointed to confer with the directors of the road, and at an adjourned meeting the next evening it was resolved to ask the County Court to appoint an election at some suitable time, at which the people could vote on the question of taking stock in the road to the amount of fifty thousand dollars. At another meeting held December 1, sub- stantially the same proposition was adopted, and on the second day of December, Hon. B. R. Hampton appeared before the County Court and presented the following resolution :
Resolved, That we respectfully request the Honorable County Court in and for the County of McDonough and State of Illinois, to submit to the people of said county a proposition to vote for or against the County of McDonough taking stock to the amount of fifty thousand dollars in the proposed railroad from Clayton to Galesburg, and that they be solicited to fix upon the third Monday in the month of March, A. D., 1852, for the purpose of taking said vote.
The Court thereupon made the following order :
Therefore it is ordered by the Court that the said proposition be submitted to the citizens of McDonough as requested in said resolution, and that the Clerk of this Court order an election to be held at the several election precincts in said county, on the third Monday in the month of March next, to take the vote of the county for and against the county taking stock in said railroad to the amount of fifty thousand dollars ; and that the Clerk issue the notices of said election in the time and manner required by law; and that said election be held and conducted in all respects as other general and special elections required by the statutes are held and conducted. It is further ordered that the resolutions and proceedings of said meetings be filed by the Clerk.
The work now began in earnest. Hon. James M. Campbell, Dr. J. B. Kyle, B. R. Hampton, J. P. Updegraff, L. II. Waters, and others favorable to the road, at onee began the canvass. Mr. Campbell and Dr. Kyle travelled together, making speeches in nearly every school house in the county. Being in the dead of winter, travel was almost impossible, and had to be done upon horseback. Still they were undaunted, and bound to secure the road, if possible. The opponents of the road were not idle in the meantime, but used every means in their power to influence the people against it.
At a meeting held in Industry, addressed by Dr. Kyle and Mr. Campbell, an opportunity was given in which to hear objections, when the Hon. Cyrus Walker boldly took a stand against the road, and, not content with that, followed the gentleman to Pen- nington's Point, and in a speech of an hour's length, endeavored to show the fallacies of the arguments advanced in favor, and made many objections against the proposed improvement. The recollection of the gigantic failures of the State in its system of
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public improvement had not been forgotten, and Mr. Walker endeavored to show what might be the consequence should our county be so unwise as to vote the proposed aid. In answer to this plea, Dr. Kyle stated it reminded him of the story of the old woman who sent her little girl out to attend the fire in the old- fashioned brick oven, while she prepared the dough for baking. Not returning, the mother became alarmed and went out to look for her. The fire was burning brightly in the oven, but no child was to be seen. Hearing a cry of distress around the other side of the house, the alarmed mother hastened to the place, supposing her child to be in great danger. She found her weeping bitterly, and hastily inquired : "My daughter, what is the matter?" "O), mother, " said she, "I was just thinking if I was a great big woman, just like you, and was married, and had a little girl, just like me, and while I was in the house making bread, I should send her out to fix the fire, and she should come out, with a smile upon her face, and crawl right into the fire, and get all burned up, what a terrible thing it would be !"
At another meeting held in Industry, as an illustration show- ing the flimsiness of the opposition against railroads and other improvements, the doctor told how certain Germans and others living on the line of a proposed canal opposed it on the ground that they had a large amount of money invested in horses and wagons, and if the canal should be built, there would be no em- ployment for them. The canal was built, and they found they could obtain just as much employment as before, and at better prices. Mr. Walker, in reply, spoke of the doctor taking to water, and boasted of driving him into the Miami canal, and stated that he would acknowledge that canals were a public benefit, but not so railroads. He was then asked why it was that no canals were now being built and railroads were being constructed throughout the whole land. This was not answered.
At a publie meeting in Macomb, held in the Court House, Mr. Walker remarked that he had been informed by a couple of prominent merchants in the town that one train of cars could carry away all the surplus products of MeDonongh County, raised in one year, or that David Rall and Harry Perry, two well known teamsters in the town, could likewise remove all its surplus pro- duce, carry it forty miles to a market and return with all the mer- chandise required by the inhabitants. Such being the case, said Mr. W., what use have we for a railroad ; of what benefit will it
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be ? He further stated if the audience desired to know the names of the two merchants he could give them; they were Jonathan H. Baker and John W. Westfall. Mr. Baker was a very strong opponent of the road, and in March 1852, contributed an article to the MeDonough Independent relating a pretended conversation overheard in the Post Office between Farmer Bangs and one of the committee appointed to canvass the county in aid of the pro- posed road, in which the farmer has the best of the argument, of course.
At Blandinsville one of the speakers compared this section of country, with its unsurpassed soil, its fine timber and abundance of coal, with the country between Chicago and Galena, the latter country having a railroad, the former none. In one year from the time the railroad was completed between Chicago and Galena the country lying along its route increased in population three hun- dred per cent., and in wealth four hundred per cent., and asked if it could be accounted for in any other way than on account of her railroads. Del. Martin, a prominent citizen of the place, suggested it might be on account of that country being settled by the Yan- kees. Ever afterward the speaker made good use of Mr. Martin's reply to his question. When in a neighborhood composed prin- cipally of those emigrating from the South, he would ask them if they would acknowledge such a conclusion was correct. "Have these Yankees," said he, " more enterprise than you? Is that the way you account for this prosperity ? No, sir ; it all results from their having the advantages afforded by a railroad." When in a Yankee settlement, he would ask them if they could not see the force of Mr. Martin's reply. "These Yankees," said he, " under- stand fully the laws of trade, and naturally go where they will be sure of a good market for their products. In this they show their shrewd, common sense. Will you not follow and profit by their example ?"
Asthe day of election drew near, those favoring the road were fearful of the result. The county had not been thoroughly can- vassed, and the people were slow to vote aid for any purpose. If the question could be brought fairly and squarely before them in order that they might see the advantages to be derived in the building of the proposed road, there could be no doubt of secur- ing a majority of votes in aid of its construction. It was therefore resolved by friends to secure, if possible, a postponement of the election. A petition to that effect was presented to the County
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Court, and that body, on the sixth day of March, 1852, revoked their former order for an election on the third Monday in that month, and made order for an election Saturday, May 22, for or against taking $50,000 stock in the Northern Cross Railroad.
Renewed efforts were now made by the friends of the road, who worked day and night, for its success. As a result there were 817 votes cast for, and 644 against issuing the bonds, a majority in its favor of 173. The MeDonough Independent, in speaking of this vote, says : "It may not be generally known that old McDonough polled 200 more votes than an at any former election. This vote should stimulate to action every citizen of MeDonough, for it is a sure and certain index of the growing prosperity of our county. We venture the prediction that in ten years from this date we will, in number, almost double the vote just polled. ' So, look out for the cars when the bell rings.'" This prediction was more than fulfilled in eight years, viz: In 1860 the vote of the county was 4,638, or more than three times the number in 1852. This shows the value of the road.
A year or more passed away, and still no road. Its friends were almost in despair, and its enemies jubilant-the soothing phrase, " I told you so," was repeated over and over again to the friends of the road until it became almost monotonous. The dif- ficulty in securing eastern capital was the only impediment in the way-capitalists could not realize it would be for them a judicious investment. The President of the road, Hon. N. Bushnell, made repeated visits east to secure this aid, but without success. The first contract made by the road with this county was to the effect that, in its corporate capacity, it should subscribe $50,000 to its stock, issuing therefor its bonds, having thirty years to run, and bearing six per cent interest. We presume arrangements were made with other counties on the proposed line of the road upon the same conditions. Mr. Bushnell found it utterly impossible to obtain money to complete the road upon such terms. The ques- tion now arose as to what should be done. Must the road be al- lowed to fail? Its friends said "No ; " its enemies said, " How can you help it?" Individual subscriptions to the amount of $52,500 had been secured in this county for the building of the road, thus showing that our citizens felt a great interest in the success of the enterprise. It must be borne in mind that at this time there was not to exceed 8,000 inhabitants in the county, and they were of the poorer class, and to them this was a large sum.
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Arrangements were finally made with eastern capitalists upon conditions thought favorable by Mr. Bushnell, and upon the twenty-ninth day of June, 1853, at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the road, held in the city of Quincy, the following resolutions were passed and certified to the County Court of McDonough County, at a special session held in Macomb, July 6, 1853 :
Resolved, That in locating and constructing the Railroad from Quincy to Galesburg, the faith of the Company is hereby pledged that the location shall be so made as to make Macomb, in McDonough County, a point on the line.
Resolved, That in case McDonough County will, in its corporate capacity, in lieu of the $50,000 already voted, subscribe $75,000 to the capital stock of the Company, payable in bonds bearing eight per cent interest, the Company will agree to pay until the road is put in operation the whole distance from Quincy to Galesburg, all the interest which may accrue on said bonds, over and above the $3000 annual interest which would accrue on the bonds already voted, so that no additional tax will be required in consequence of this increase of the County subscription. The interest thus advanced and paid by the Com- pany to be hereafter refunded out of the surplus dividends which may be declared on the County stock, after providing for the interest thereafter accruing on the bonds.
The Board thereupon passed the following order :
WHEREAS, by an act of the Legislature of the State of Illinois entitled "An act supple- mental to 'An act entitled an act. to provide for a general system of Railroad Incorpora- tions,' approved November 6, 1849." The several counties in the State are authorized in the manner therein provided to subscribe to the capital stock of any railroad compa- ny then organized or thereafter to be organized under any law of this State, to an amount not exceeding one hundred thousand dollars ; and whereas the Court has been requested by a large number of respectable citizens and voters of this county to take the necessary steps to procure the vote of this county, at the earliest practicable period for or against the subscription by the said county of seventy-five thousand dollars to the capital stock of the Northern Cross Railroad Company, for the purpose of aiding in the construction of the railroad of said company from the city of Quincy on the Mississippi river, to the town of Galesburg, in Knox county.
AND WHEREAS, it is the opinion of this Court, and as they believe a large majority of the citizens and voters of the county, that the early completion of said railroad is of paramount importance for the future growth, improvement, and prosperity of the county : and that it is their interest and duty, to aid by all reasonable means and to the extent of their ability, in raising the means necessary to secure the success of this important en- terprise.
It is therefore by the Court ordered, unanimously, that Isaac Grantham, Esq., the clerk of this Court, be directed to give such notice as shall be lawful of an election, to be held in the usual place of voting in the several precincts of said county on Saturday the twen- tieth day of August, A. D. 1853, for the purpose of ascertaining the wishes of citizens, voters of said county, in reference to the subscription of said county of seventy-five thousand dollars, to the capital stock of the Northern Cross Railroad Company; for the purpose of aiding the construction of said railroad from Quincy to Galesburg ; said sub- scription to be paid in the bonds of said county at their par value ; and payable twenty years after their respective dates to the Northern Cross Railroad Company, or bearer. with interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum ; payable semi-annually, according to interest coupons to be thereto annexed ; both principal and interest being payable in
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the city of New York ; and said bonds to be issued to the said railroad company from time to time in discharge of the regular assessments made on stock subscription. as they may fall due. Said election to conform to the provisions of the act mentioned in the foregoing preamble ; and to be held and conducted in other respects, and the votes counted and returns thereof made, by the judges and clerks of said election as in elec- tions for State and County officers.
And it is also further unanimously ordered, that in case the citizens and voters of the county of said election, shall duly authorize a subscription by the county of the said seventy-five thousand dollars, to the capital stock of said railroad company, for the pur- poses aforesaid, that the former vote of the county to subscribe fifty thousand dollars to the stock of said company, shall thereby be revoked, cancelled, and annulled.
The friends of the road went immediately to work, the result being, when the vote was counted upon the evening of August 20, there were eleven hundred and forty-five votes for and two hun- dred and eighty-five against the stock. The city of Quincy, but a few days before, by a vote of eleven hundred and thirty-two to three, voted an additional $100,000, making a total amount for that city of $200,000.
In the fall of 1855 theiron horse made its first appearance in the county, and by January, 1856, the road was completed to Gales- burg, where connections were made with the Central Military Tract Railroad to Chicago. From this date McDonough county has continued to make rapid progress, and we are fully convinced that no one regrets the aid rendered, though by the foreclosure of the mortgage on the road the entire amount of stock taken by the county, and by individual citizens, was lost. Property advanced rapidly in price, emigration poured in, new farms were opened, and a market was obtained for all surplus produce raised. Else- where we give a resume of the business of the road since 1871 up to January 1, 1876, the Chicago fire destroying the books of the company previous to that date.
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CHAPTER XXI.
HOME LIFE AND AMUSEMENTS.
The manners and customs of our forefathers are always fraught with peculiar interest, and read of with pleasure and profit by all. If we compare the places of abode of our fathers with those of to-day, and the customs of those days with our own, we are apt to regard those of the past in an unfavorable light. But by outward appearance alone, things cannot safely be judged. Many things appear outwardly beautiful which inwardly are the reverse-" without are fair, within full of dead men's bones."
We have not yet given a description of the dwellings of our fathers, so here goes. Imagine a house about sixteen feet square, seven and a half feet high, built up with large round or square logs, and covered with clapboards, held on by huge weight poles, the cracks in the walls filled with mud, which would occasionally fall out, when the wind would whistle merrily through the door (for there was but one) made of rough boards, with a wooden latch, the string of which always hung out, a sign of welcome to the weary traveler and the kind neighbor, and you have the exterior, except that upon one side there was a small window, large enough for a sash containing six eight by ten lights, sometimes with glass in them, but often covered with greased paper. In the interior you will find upon one side the huge fire place, large enough to contain a back log as heavy as any man would care to carry, and holding enough wood to supply an ordinary stove a week ; on either side are hung pots and kettles, and over all a mantle, on which stands the tallow-dip, to " give light to all who are in the house," but which will hardly compare with the gas jets of this day ; the " little brown jug," which was not so little, either, and generally well filled with a liquid which teetotalers decline; in one corner the larger bed for the oldfolks, under
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which the trundle bed for the younger members of the family; in another corner stands the old-fashioned large spinning wheel, with a smaller one by its side; in another the pine table, on which three times a day the food of the family was placed, and which was rapidly taken therefrom by the individual members thereof; in still another may be seen the cumbersome loom; over the door hangs the ever-trustful rifle and powder horn, ready for instant use; while around the room are scattered a few splint-bot- tomed chairs and three-legged stools; a rude cupboard holding the glass and queensware completes the furniture-everything of the simplest and rudest manufacture. And yet these homes, simple and rude as they were, were inhabited by a kind and truc- hearted people. They were strangers to mock modesty, and the traveler seeking lodging for the night, or desirous of spending a few days in the community, if willing to accept the offerings of honest hearts, always found welcome. The people were industri- ous from dire necessity. All who were old enough were usefully employed. Children were inured to toil and labor-while the lot of the women was hard indeed. Upon them devolved the prep- aration of the daily food, and from a very scant larder ; they were required to weave the linen and woolsey, prepare the flax, cotton and wool with their own hands, making almost the entire ward- robe of the family-some really doing it all. It was a life pecu- liarly trying and wearying to them, yet borne with patience and thankfulness.
The family bible was another article found in almost every home, and the minister of the gospel appearing, the two served to turn the thoughts of the people in the right direction. To these influences we ascribe in a great measure the prosperity of the county, and the better moral sentiment that has usually prevailed. Without such influence men would be barbarians; closely allied to this influence is a desire for knowledge that must be appeased. We therefore find the school teacher following closely in the wake of the minister, and schools were established in every neighborhood where a sufficient number of children could be brought together to warrant the services of an instructor.
The cultivation of the flax was an important item with the early settlers; cotton was raised to some extent, while sheep raising was never neglected. The entire clothing of many fami- lies was manufactured from these staple sources into cloth by the prudent and tireless housewife.
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The flax was often pulled by the women; and, after the seed had been thrashed out, was spread on the grass to rot; and, when rotted sufficiently, was bound in bundles and dressed ; that is, the flax and tow were separated. Scarcely any erop, while growing, was more beautiful than the flax. From one-half to two bushels of seed was sown on an acre, and the crop amounted to about two hundred pounds. Cotton was less extensively raised, especially after the big snow of 1830, though many families raised enough for their own use.
Great trouble was experienced for many years in the raising of sheep, on account of the great number of wolves that infested the country. But, notwithstanding this, enough wool was secured for home use. One article largely manufactured, was called "linsey-woolsey." It was made of equal parts of cotton and wool, and colored according to the taste of the manufacturer. The exquisite shades and delicate colors shown in the dress goods of to-day were not observed in those times, our mothers being content with good, solid colors.
There were few houses where the large and small spinning wheel and the cumbersome loom were not found, together taking up more room than all the rest of the furniture. Having all these implements and manufacturing so much of their own clothing, our fathers and mothers were almost independent of the rest of the world. To-day all this is changed. The buzz of the little spinning wheel, the whirr of the larger ones, and the mo- notonous click of the loom are heard no more. They are ban- ished to the attic or given over to destruction.
While our fathers and mothers toiled hard, they were not averse to a little relaxation, and had their seasons for fun and en- joyment. If they did not receive the oft-repeated visits of the theatrical or minstrel troupe, the wonderful magician, or the man with the " intelligent ants," they yet contrived to do something to break the monotony of their daily life and furnish them with a good hearty laugh.
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