USA > Illinois > Tazewell County > History of Tazewell county, Illinois ; together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships, educational, religious, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons and biographies of representative citizens. History of Illinois Digest of state laws > Part 70
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DELAVAN ADVERTISER.
This has the honor of being the first paper started in Delavan. The first issue was submitted to public gaze in 1868, C. R. Fisk being its publisher. It was independent in its political expressions. This journal received a severe blow in December, 1869, when Mr. Fisk died. Its publication ceased for a time, but ere long the pres- ent editor and publisher, Mr. Jno. Culbertson, became its possessor, and since which time it has, notwithstanding its ups and downs, assumed an enviable position among the local newspapers of Central Illinois. Mr. Culbertson took charge of it in April, 1870, and during the memorable Presidential campaign of 1872, it was the only straight Democratic paper published in the State. It then supported Charles O'Connor for President, and with considerable energy and ability. Since under its present management, it has been conducted on straight Democratic principles.
The Advertiser is an eight column folio, neatly printed, ably edit- ed and a good circulation. Its advertising department is well sus- tained by the business men of Delavan, which, we might remark, shows them to be sagacious, wide-awake business men, and also is the best of evidence that the Advertiser is appreciated by the bet- ter class of the community.
John Culbertson, the editor of this journal, was born in Muskin- gum county, Ohio, July 23, 1837. He is the son of John and Ann
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M. (Beavers) Culbertson. He was united in marriage with Miss Sarah E. Morris, on the 31st of October, 1861. The union has been blessed with five children, three of whom are now living- Celia B., Ella A., and Sarah A. Mr. Culbertson enjoyed only the advantages of a common school education, yet he has taken ad- vantage of the practical schooling received in the printing office. He learned the trade of printing in the office of the Zanesville Aurora, and then worked for about six years in the Cincinnati Commercial office. After leaving that office, he engaged in farming, and then embarked in the mercantile business, in Muskingum Co., O., where he remained until 1870, when he came to Delavan and bought the Advertiser, which he has established on a paying basis, with a fair prospect for the future.
THE MINIER NEWS.
The Minier News was established in September, 1875, by Geo. L. Shoals, its publisher and proprietor. Mr. Horace Crihfield has been its local editor, with the exception of a few weeks, since the first issue. The News is an eight-page, forty-column paper, neutral in politics, and devoted largely to local interests. It is published every Saturday morning, at $1.50 a year, and has a good circulation.
Horace Crihfield, the local editor of the News, was born at Atlanta, Logan Co., Ill., May 13, 1856. He attended the common and high schools of his native town, at which, together with the printing office, he has acquired a good education. He is a plain, pleasing, yet forcible writer, and conducts his department of the News with satisfaction to the public. He was united with Emily C. Arnold, in marriage, Oct. 2, 1878. Politically, Mr. C. stands upon the Republican platform.
DELAVAN TIMES.
The Delavan Times first greeted its readers Sept. 5, 1874. This publication is a happy illustration of the success ever attending pluck and editorial ability. Its editor, Mr. Joe Reed, started the concern largely on "wind." He had no means, and but little in- fluence. By dint of persistent effort, he established sufficient credit to get together some material and issue a paper. The first number reached but one bona fide subscriber. Mr. Reed worked off his edition and waited for patronage. It failed to come, and continued discouragements seemed to doom the enterprise to an early death. After waiting for a few weeks he put the subscription price down to a nominal figure on three month's subscription, and inaugurated a fearless, pithy and outspoken editorial tone, which has characterized the policy of the Times ever since. From that day the paper has been a pronounced success, and noted for its pungent editorial com- ments on matters of local and public interest. Politically the Times
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is Independent Republican. It is by no means a party paper, and sometimes opposes Republican candidates. It is opposed to liquor license, but is neither bound or influenced by any temperance organ- ization, and is strongly in favor of individual freedom, as applied to the use of ardent spirits. In short, the Times is a don't-care-a-cent kind of a sheet, and favors or opposes men and measures with a supreme disregard of financial or other results. It is now liberally patronized, has a handsome circulation, a well-stocked office, and free from incumbrance. Its proprietor is the editor, who is assisted by correspondents and reporters unknown to the public. Mr. Reed is a young married man, intelligent and red-headed. He has lots of enemies and lots of friends, but seeks not the latter, and cares nothing for the former.
TAZEWELL INDEPENDENT.
The first number of this excellent paper, which is published at Washington, appeared Friday, Nov. 24, 1876. It was founded by its present editor, H. A. Pallister, and George N. Bondurant. These gentlemen had considerable experience in the world, practi- cal knowledge of the art, and possessed more than ordinary ability, which, backed by energy and moral tone, gave this journal an impe- tus, from the start, such as few papers have enjoyed. We do not mean to convey the idea, however, that it has not had obstacles to surmount ; the various difficulties incident to the establishment of a new enterprise, especially that of the newspaper, has attended it, but with strong faith in ultimate success, its editors struggled on and succeeded, even in so short a time, in placing it upon a firm founda- tion. On the 16th of March, 1877, H. A. Pallister purchased Mr. Bondurant's interest in the paper, and remained sole editor. At present it is owned by Mr. Pallister and E. E. Heiple. The latter bought an interest in the concern at the beginning of the present volume, which was Nov. 21, 1878. At that time the publication day was changed from Friday to Thursday. Mr. Pallister, however, has sole editorial management. It is strictly non-partisan and unsec- tarian in its principles, thus not binding its editor to party or sect, but leaving him free to endorse and impartially advocate such meas- ures as are of greatest public wcal. Price, per year, $1.50.
H. A. Pallister was born in Liverpool, Eng., May 19, 1843. He attended the common schools of that country, and was apprenticed to learn the "art preservative." For seven years he served in the job office of the Leeds Mercury, a journal published at Leeds, York- shire, Eng., and one of the largest and most widely circulated dai- lies in the north of England. At the close of his apprenticeship, desiring to embark in life in the New World, he crossed the ocean, and, after a safe voyage, landed in New York city. He remained in that metropolis for a year, during which time he worked at his trade. Desiring to further cultivate his mind, he entered Bethany
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College, Bethany, West Va., one of the best institutions of learning in our country. At that time it had a corps of professors second to no other college in the United States. Here he spent three years, taking a regular classical course. At the close of his term at Beth- any, he returned to his native country on a visit. After spending four months amid the scenes of his boyhood-life, he came back to this country, when he was married, in Guernsey Co., O. Not long after this important event of his life he was ordained a minister of the Christian Church, and began earnestly laboring to save the souls of his fellow men. His first charge in his new profession was at McArthur, O., where three years were spent proclaiming the Gos- pel, which was attended with great success. He next located at Canton, O., then at Wheeling, W. Va. From there he was called to the Christian Church at Mackinaw, this county. After laboring in that portion of the Lord's vineyard for about eighteen months, and very acceptably to the entire community, he came to Washing- ton, where he changed the pulpit for the editorial chair, which he fills with ability. As a writer he is clear, lucid and forcible, and as a citizen we believe he holds the respect and esteem of all who know him.
LEGAL TENDER.
The first number of the Legal Tender appeared on Dec. 20, 1877, and was a perfect surprise to almost every body. It was a seven- column folio, and was published in the interests of the Greenback Labor party. It was started by B. S. Heath & Co., with B. S. Heath as editor and manager, and J. H. Randall as associate editor. Both of these gentlemen were easy vigorous writers, and handled the subject of financial reform with a zeal and energy beyond com- parison. The paper quickly attained a reputation as one of the leading organs of the Greenback Labor party in the United States, and its subscription list and advertising patronage assumed quite healthy proportions. But Col. Heath, notwithstanding his ability as an editor, was a failure as a business manager, and could not make both ends meet, and on July 17, 1878, he shook the dust of Pekin from his feet, and the Legal Tender passed into the hands of Frank M. Cassel and James Vogan, under the firm name of Cassel & Vogan. From this time the paper gradually declined, as neither Cassel or Vogan were familiar to the business or editorial manage- ment of a newspaper. On December 18, 1878, Vogan retired from the paper, and it was conducted by Cassel alone until Feb. 1, 1879, when James Whitfield joined hands with Cassel, under the firm name of Cassel & Whitfield, and the Legal Tender once more as- sumed the appearance of a newspaper, and again became popular. On the 1st of May, 1879, Frank M. Cassel retired, and the paper passed into the hands of Whitfield Bros., James and Herbert, who now control it. It is one of the best papers published in Tazewell county, and is eagerly sought after by the reading public. Its
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editors are both young men, but have had many years experience in the field of journalism, especially in this county.
James Whitfield, the senior member of the firm, was born in Staffordshire, England, June 27, 1855, and came to this country with his parents and brother in 1870, and first embarked in the printing business under that old Republican champion, W. W. Sellers, publisher of the Tazewell County Republican, in 1870, and continued in the employ of that paper, except at short intervals, until he took hold of the Legal Tender. He was for several years city editor of the Tazewell Republican, and regarded as an able and forcible writer; energetic, and ever on the alert for items of interest for his department. His brother and partner, Herbert, is nearly two years younger, and is also a practical printer of many years experience, and considered a good writer.
The Legal Tender is now a prosperous newspaper, and is, under its present management, rapidly gaining popularity.
The Whitfield Bros. have also a job printing establishment in connection with the paper, and the work they turn out is second to none in Central Illinois.
FREIE PRESSE.
No less than five different German weekly newspapers have, at different times and at short intervals, been established here, none of which withstood the storms of adversity and the trials incident to the hard pathway of newspaper existence more than from six months to two years. The causes for these repeated disasters may perhaps be justly ascribed to the German public as well as to the respective publishers, the former perhaps forget that the mission of the press is to instruct the people, and not to be forced by the people into princi- ples against a better conviction of right-while the latter may also have erred, in forgetting that it is also the mission of the press to follow public sentiment rather than to attempt to drive the masses. Another fault of the former German publishers, who have failed in their attempts to establish a German press in this county, was that they were in part exiles and refugees, who had fled from the iron-rule of a Monarch across the ocean. They were men of learning and ex- cellent abilities in other vocations; men who hated despotism and oppression, but who, in a measure at least, misconceived the Ameri- can ideas of liberty and equality ; they no doubt lacked that " Help yourself" qualification which is so essential, especially in the succes- ful management of a newspaper.
The first German paper was established in 1852 by L. Reitzen- stine, and was called Der Wachteram Illinois. It existed only about six months. The next was started by Koeber & Lohman in 1854. The name of this we could not ascertain. It afterwards passed into the hands of Mr. Lugans, but lived only a short time. The next German weekly was started by Julius Myerpefer, in the fall of 1867,
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called the Freie Presse. It was printed in Peoria and was in reality only an auxilliary to a German daily published there. In the spring of 1868 it passed into the hands of Mr. Luntz, but survived only a few months. In the spring of 1870 Theo. Falk established Der In- dipendent, which, for a time, flourished, but after a very brief period of prosperity passed into the hands of Henry Fuss, but soon follow- ed the way of its predecessors.
This brings us down to the period when the present popular Ger- man paper, the Freie Presse, first made its appearance. We might state right here, that unlike those that have gone before it, the Freie Presse has continued to grow in standing, popularity and real merit since its incipiency. Its editor, John W. Hoffman, has labored assiduously and with ability to make it what the large, intellectual and cultured German element of the county demand - a first-class literary, newsy journal. His earnest labors have been appreciated to a very great extent, and the paper can now boast of a larger circula- tion than any of its predecessors. The paper made its bow to the public June 15, 1876, as a seven-column folio. The impression made on the minds of its German friends and the business men was so favorable that in order to have space for all matter and advertise- ments it was enlarged to eight columns the very next issue. The mechanical work of the paper is in every way in keeping with the age of fine printing.
John W. Hoffman, the editor of the Freie Presse and City Clerk of Pekin, was born in Dayton, O., Jan. 18, 1846. He is the son of John and Maria M. (Kock) Hoffman, native Germans. John attended the common schools and then entered Hamlin University, Red Wing, Minn., and then took a commercial course at Chicago. In that city he embarked in mercantile business, which after a time he exchanged for the position of reporter on the Evening Journal and subsequently for a German commercial paper. In April, 1876, came to Pekin and established the Presse as an independent political paper. His personal popularity led his friends to have him run for the office of City Clerk at the last election and he won a victory over his opponent. June 7, 1870, he was married to Emeline Wehrli, daughter of Rudolph Wehrli, an old and respected citizen of Chicago. They have three children - Ada Louisa, born March 2, 1871; Charles A., May 8, '73, and Florence Gertrude, July 27, '76. We give the portrait of Mr. H. in this volume.
CHAPTER XVI.
RAILROADS.
INDIANAPOLIS, BLOOMINGTON & WESTERN RAILWAY.
Among the very first charters granted to railroads, perhaps the second one, by the State of Illinois, was the one granted to the Pekin & Tremont Railroad. This company was incorporated by the Legislature, Jan. 13, 1835. Madison Allen, Harlan Hatch, J. L. James, John H. Harris, George W. Brodrick and Aronet Richmond were constituted a body corporate, with capital stock of $50,000, for the purpose of building said road. It ran, according to the charter, from Pekin to Tremont, in this county. The company was given the power "to erect and maintain toll houses along the line." The road bed was graded and track partially laid, but the hard times of 1837 and the failure of the grand internal improve- ment scheme of the State put a stop to further progress on the P. & T. road. About a year after the P. & T. road was chartered a grander scheme was undertaken, and the Legislature incorporated the Pekin, Bloomington & Wabash Railroad, Feb. 16, 1836. This was a continuation eastward of the P. & T. road. Considerable en- thusiasm was at first manifested in regard to the matter, but, like many other railroad schemes, it was never carried out.
Years passed by, and the work accomplished along the route left to ruin. Nothing definitely was further done until June 26, 1866, when fifteen or twenty persons met in the court-house at Urbana, Champaign county, Ill., for the purpose of taking steps to secure the construction of a railroad from Danville to the Illinois river. Very little was done at this meeting, the parties present merely exchanged views and adjourned to meet Aug. 7, at LeRoy, MeLean county. The meeting was held there and largely attended, but no definite action was taken, and it adjourned to meet on the 24th of the same month. The enterprise was then fully discussed by the newspapers, and when the time for the meeting came, some opposi- tion to the road was manifested. It was a matter of some dfficulty to effect an organization, nevertheless it was done under the general railroad law of the State. But after some delay the towns along the line subscribed the required amount. The road proposed was 116 miles in length, and the subscriptions amounted to $116,000. The route selected was, so far as they went, over the P. & T. and the P., B. & W. Railroads. The company immediately selected
-
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officers, making C. R. Griggs, President ; W. T. McCord, Vice President and Dr. Henry Conklin, Secretary. The road was then named the Danville, Urbana, Bloomington & Pekin Railroad.
The charter was adopted by the company at a meeting held at Pekin, March 27, 1867. Commissioners were immediately appoint- ed to secure the right of way and push the work. Steps were taken to secure subscriptions. Most of the cities and towns answered the call and subscribed to the stock to the amount of $850,000. The road had three divisions, the western extending from Blooming- ton to Pekin. Work on the road was commenced Oct. 1, 1867, and the last rail laid at Bloomington May 1, 1870. While this road was being built, another road was projected from Indianapolis to Danville, known as the Indianapolis, Crawfordsville & Danville R. R., and in August, 1869, the two roads were consolidated under the name of Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western R. R., extend- ing from Indianapolis to Pekin, a distance of 202 miles. Since then the road has been extended from Pekin to Peoria.
THE PEORIA, PEKIN & JACKSONVILLE RAILROAD
is 83 miles long, passing through the county-seats of Tazewell, Mason and Cass counties, and extending from Peoria to Jackson- ville. That portion of its line from Pekin to Virginia was con- structed in the years 1858 and 1859 under the charter of the Illinois River Railroad Company, Richard S. Thomas, of Virginia, being its President, and Benjamin S. Prettyman, of Pekin, its Vice Presi- dent. Its Directors in 1857 were Wm. Thomas, of Jacksonville, R. S. Thomas, of Cass county, J. S. Ruggles, of Bath, Francis Low, of Havana, and Joshua Wagenseller, of Pekin. Its Treasurer, James H. Hole, of Havana, who was afterwards succeeded by Francis Low. Its Secretary, Dr. H. M. L. Schooley. The first Chief En- gineer of the road was W. G. Wheaton, who located the line. His successors were J. C. Chesbrough, J. B. Cummings, and Thomas King, in the order of their names. Dr. Charles Chandler, the founder of Chandlerville, afterwards became a Director, and ren- dered important aid in the construction of the road.
In 1862 the Illinois River Railroad Co. had exhausted its assets, and steps were taken to foreclose the road upon its issue of $1,020, 000 first mortgage bonds, which had been used in purchasing the track-iron. At the foreclosure sale on the 1st day of October, 1863, the property was purchased by John Allen, of Old Saybrook, Conn, on behalf of himself and Aaron Arnold, and Edwin L. Trowbridge, of the city of New York, for the sum of $400,000. They sold the same to the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville R. R. Co. on the May 21, 1864, and in the autumn of that year the road was completed from Pekin to Peoria. In 1868 the extention of the line from Virginia to Jacksonville was commenced and completed on July 4, 1869, when trains were first run with passenger cars to Jacksonville.
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HISTORY OF TAZEWELL COUNTY.
Edwin L. Trowbridge was the first President of the Company. He retained the office until Sept. 25, 1867, when he was succeeded by Mr. Allen, who has held the office until the present time. Under his administration the extention from Virginia to Jackson- ville was made, the road and bridges thoroughly rebuilt, and about twenty iniles of steel rails placed in the track. It was also supplied with its present excellent equipment.
April 1, 1878, the road was placed in the hands of a Receiver by the Circuit Court for Peoria county, Judge Cochran presiding, who upon the request of the Trustees for the Bondholders appointed Mr. Allen Receiver. One of his first official acts thereafter was to peti- tion the Court for authority to issue Receiver's Certificates for the protection of the legally preferred indebtedness, which was granted, and all such indebtedness, including arrearages to the employes of the road, was soon paid in full. The Receivership was a measure of protection to all interests involved, and the road thereby was quickly placed on its feet for business purposes.
The main offices of the road were in Pekin till 1876, when they were moved to Peoria. The shops, which are located in Pekin, have for many years, been in charge of Mr. R. F. Hurd, who has, with economy and distinguished ability, discharged the duties of his de- partment. It may be stated that Mr. John S. Cook, the present Traffic Manager, has been identified with this property almost un- interuptedly since the trains first commenced running over the Illi- nois River Railroad in 1859. He is a well-known resident of Pekin and a man thoroughly identified with the interests of this county.
The operation of this road has been signally free from accidents, no passenger having been killed on its trains or the trains of its predecessor. The outcome of the present Receivership will proba- bly be the incorporation of the property into one of the longer roads it intersects, of which it must form a valuable addition.
CHICAGO, ALTON & ST. LOUIS RAILROAD.
The Jacksonville branch of the Chicago Alton and St. Louis Railroad, which runs from Bloomington through this county to Jacksonville, is the outgrowth of the old Tonica & Petersburgh Railroad. This road, as its name suggests, was chartered, Jan. 15, 1857, to run from Tonica, through Tazewell county, to Petersburgh and Jacksonville. The county voted to bond itself for $100,000 in aid of the road, but work progressed very slowly. After building the line from Jacksonville to Petersburgh work stopped, and the whole thing came to a stand-still. Finally the C., A. & St. L. people offered to advance money to com- plete the road, if the company would allow it to run to Blooming- ton, thus making it a feeder of their main line. The proposition was accepted, and the road was completed in 1868. While it is controlled by the C., A. & St. L. Company, a separate organization
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is still kept up. Its charter will allow the extension of the road from Jacksonville in a northeast direction indefinitely through the State, and it is said to be the only railroad charter with such indefi- nite privileges. It was drawn up by Richard Yates. The Directors mentioned in the charter are as follows : Albert Reynolds, Elijah N. Farnsworth, Jesse Hammers, Josiah Sawyer, Henry R. Green, John Bennett, Wm. G. Green, William Crow, and Richard Yates. George Straut, formerly of Delavan, is now the President of the road.
PEKIN, LINCOLN & DECATUR RAILWAY.
No other of the several railroads traversing this county seem so closely identified with the interests and history of Tazewell county as the P., L. & D. It is a road in which every one takes a com- mendable local pride. While they love to see all of their roads ยท prosperous, more especially do they desire to see this road weather the storms of hard times, and successfully encounter the struggles incident to new corporations. There are feelings of a peculiar na- ture ; ties of kindred sympathy that bind the good will and interest of the people to the P., L. & D., and, we believe, deservedly so. The present management of the road has successfully guided it over the critical period of its history and placed it upon a solid footing. The first charter for the road was obtained in 1867. The charter members were B. S. Prettyman, Ties Smith, Peter Weyhrich, R. B. Latham, A. M. Miller, John Wyatt, M. Wemple, J. F. D. Elliott, S. C. Bean, Henry B. Durfee, and Luber Burrows. The first offi- cers were: President, B. S. Prettyman ; Vice-President, R. B. Latham ; Secretary, A. M. Miller ; Treasurer, J. F. D. Elliott.
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