USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Tower Hill > History of Tower Hill and vicinity > Part 4
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The records show that shipments of coal ran from 8 to 10 cars as the lowest to a high of 22 daily and the town put on some airs in business activity.
As usual with the opening up of coal mines, the saloon follows and the village soon had 2 places dispensing liquors. The records show that they were not patronized by local miners, they mostly preferring to hike to Pana where there was more variety and fellow associates, with the result that one went out of business before their license expired, and the other had to take care of a slack business.
As time went on it was apparent that Edwards and Co., as operators were not making the fortune which was apparent from the prospects at the start.
Here again I quote our friend Mr. McLean who says "Tower Hill coal was of a fine quality, rated as best soft coal in state, however for steam pur- poses in railroad engines it honeycombed in the flues, unless experienced firemen were on the job and knew how to fire accordingly, and a multitude of complaints c ame from the railroads using it. The Big Four contracted for a large number of cars daily, only to withdraw their contracts on account of this reason."
The mine continued losing business for this and other reasons, namely one with Chicago customers, rejecting many cars of coal because of slate and sulphur.
This appeared to be the fault of the weighman at the mines who let what is known as "dirty coal" be loaded in the car, when it was supposed to be sorted.
Later we find Edwards & Sons selling out to New York capitalists who continued operating the mine for some time, selling coal as a local proposi· tion along towns of the Big Four and B. & O. railroads.
But the old troubles of quality followed them and it was a foreseen con- clusion that the mine was doomed as a paying proposition, with the result that it was finally abandoned.
Another reason in the matter of overhead expenses as a contributing cause for loss, was of the immense amount of timbers used to make the mine safe to work in, the depth of the vein called for heavy props and plenty of them.
So the work of abandonment went on, the donated ground and equip- ment were all sold for what it would bring at quick sale, and today all that is left of the Century Coal Co. of Tower Hill is the spot showing the sunken shaft, piles of shale, rock and waste material, and a vivid memory of a wond- erful experience for all parties concerned.
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I am going to lay aside coal history for a moment and tell the Times readers more about this printed official log as sent me by my dear friend Homer Jones of Chicago. This is a cardboard advertising placard with the various business and professional firms in 1892 displaying the nature of their business, there being a total of 44 firms arranged in 2 columns with the coal log as a middle column. And for interesting reading it revels in pure memory of over 40 years ago.
Out of a total of 57 names of individuals in these various 44 firms there is to my information only 8 persons now living. That certainly tells the story what old "Father Time" has been doing these 44 years. You will be interested in knowing the 8 now living, who were in 1892 connected with that total of 57 persons connected in the business and professional activities of the "Old Home Town." So here they are:
Phil Robinson now of Lakewood, in 1892 with Hish & Robinson, novelty works; Dr. J. R. Young, Physician; Samuel Dart, stock breader; Ervin Foor, buggies and farm implements; J.J. Leighty, groceries; Inman of Inman Bros., cabinet makers; John R. Henton, painter & paper hanger; Homer Eiler of L. Eiler & Son, dry goods.
Perhaps it would be interesting to enumerate those in the other ads who have answered the last roll call and are through with all earth's activities.
I will run down the column as they come. Wesley Dean & Sam Fuget of Dean & Fuget, dry goods; Dr. J. H. Shelton, physician; Mrs. A. Jones, milliner (mother of Homer Jones); Jess Foor, stock breeder; J. F. Bennett, restaurant; James Miller, harness; G. B. Partlow, contractor; I. K. Story, notary public; Joe Woods, barber; I. G. Holt, publisher, Tower Hill Breeze (and this firn printed this coal log on June 2, 1892) ; Charley Conrad, general merchandise; A. R. Robinson, justice of the peace; John Callendar, stock buyer; Nelson Jones, horse buyer; Read & Smith, restaurant; S. W. Dutton, hardware; W. F. Hilsabeck, blacksmithing; John Weeks, postmaster; Smith Bros., Iivery- men; John Runkel & Son, flour mill; Dr. I. L. Brant, physician; Taylor Goben sewing machines; J. A. Andes, hay & grain; W. C. Jones, restaurant; Lafayette Higginbotham, drugs; John H. Price, hotel; R. E. Cannon, hardware & Lumber; O. T. Jones, poultry; Lewis Eiler of L. Eiler & Son, general merchandise; J. S. Evey, thoroughbred horses; Noah Freeze, blacksmithing; James Rhodes, stock buyer; Joe Smith, stock buyer; Fred Stumpf, Sr., funeral director; Isaiah Henton, wagon maker; H. H. Ingalls, Big Four agent; Gross Bros. meat market; George Butts and John Seigfried, contractors; Jacob Leighty, sewing machines.
To me personally these where all my business associates and close friends of my day in business in Tower Hill, when our villages was at its best in all activities. And to think that out of 57 individuals mentioned in the 44 firms on the coal log record advertising sheet, with only 8 of them now alive is certainly startling.
And to report now that out of 44 advertising firms as mentioned, that only four are in Tower Hill today, namely; The Big Four R. R. Co., (now the N. Y. Central) ; Fred Stumpf, Jr., undertaker, the R. E. Cannon Hardware &
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Lumber Co., now represented by a son, and the Higginbotham Drug Co., how represented by a sou, leaving 0 firms in business in 1892 now extinct, dnu not a vestige of luentny leit.
And thus we conclude the history of the Tower Hill coal industry fromn facts and information sent us by our friend Mr. McLean to whom i extend my personal thanks.
TOWER HILL IN THE 70's AND 80's
The Hill was the "Mecca" for the kids at all seasons, for in the summer it was to dig in the sand pi, or cut, or romp the sloping sides, or in winter the snow and ice aiforued us a sliding place, in fact the aduit was very conspicuous by his presence.
The generation of tre 80's can tell of hair-breadth escapes and their prowess as manipulators of all sorts of sleds. I wonder who remembers of the accident one winter when Lena Headon, the daughter of a well known pioneer, Tom Headen, while she was coasting down the east side of the hill tumbled from her sled in a mix-up and broke her leg.
That accident put a slow down to the recklessness in coasting. A few years ago I had the pleasure of visiting Miss Lena (now a past middle aged woman) in Lawrence, Kansas, and we talked of this particular accident, which she remembered so distinctly.
After nearly 60 years I can visualize the grown-up folks who made merry night and day with fancy sleds, bob-sleds, homemade sleds and it seemed like the frostier the night, specially during the full moon, the crowds seemed the largest. Those of my generation, can you recall these who could all be counted ready for the coasting fun? Such names as George Johnson, Willis Ward, Headen Harper, Nick Narry, Linc Sharrock, McCullough, Chas. Baines, "Willie" Fringer, the Brown boy and girls, the Glenn boys, Guinnee young folks, Gibbie Hunt, the Harper and Sharrock girls, Alta and Scott Heady, and OH MY the list grows, and how sad to think that fully 99 per cent of these have passed away.
In those days of late 70's & early 80's our town was growing very fast, reaching out for trade, from a wide circle of territory. The merchants carried a great variety of merchandise, suitable for all the needs of the community.
The shipping interests were increasing by leaps and bounds - taking care of the farmer's crops. Corn shellers were busy and the cobs were piling "mountain" high, and free for the hauling, for winter heating and summer cooking.
Two elevators were busy during wheat season taking care of that import- ant crop, for Tower Hill township was a vast wheat field, and what a beauti- ful sight to view from the hill top the golden grain waving in billows as far as the eye could view. The timothy hay industry was fast becoming one of the farmer's main crops, and many of the Times readers easy remember in the 80's of the vast loads hauled to the local hay barns for pressing and shipping to city markets.
I have often reminded myself of the art achieved by many haulers of that day in the way they loaded, to the limit, in width and length those immense loads.
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It afforded labor all winter and spring for scores of men taking care of an industry now almost extinct. The railroads were kept busy taking care of the "loads" and "empties," for all sorts of the farmers products.
In the cattle line, Tower Hill was a central market far and near. And who of my generation-and even younger-remember John Callendar of very heavy avoirdupois weight around 250 or more, riding that little sorrel mare, looking as a fit subject for cruelty to animals. Jim Rhoades was another heavy buyer, besides the scores of stockmen who did their own shipping. It was nothing to see almost daily some cars and often a string of loaded cattle cars bound for the markets.
Of course this belongs to the period back of our history to be recorded from 1900 to the present, but it is for CONTRAST that I recall it. I'll warrant that it is a rare sight to see a loaded car of wheat, shelled corn, baled hay, cattle, sheep or hogs, leaving the Hill for the markets, at the present time, or many years past.
Of course this is a contributing cause for the loss of retail merchant, so I must not go farther without mentioning that busiest man of all men, highly esteemed by the entire community, named James Andes. For during those busy days of shipping in the years past and gone, he was the farmer's friend, in securing for them the best prices for their products. His purchases for the year during that properous period must have run into the thousands upon thousands, and never to my know- ledge or I'll warrant it never happened he took, or even thought of taking, an undue advantage upon the farming element in his immense dealings with them.
What a lasting monument to leave to posterity, and would that we had more in our present economic industry !
It was my good fortune to be associated with my father, the late Lewis Eiler, in the boom period of the Old Home Town. What memories must have come to my old-time friend and business associate, J. J. Leighty of Carthage, Mo., who has been visiting the Hill, in October this year, as he visualized those boom days of the late 80's and early 90's, as compared to the present times, as he walked the streets of Tower Hill and of course noted the contrast with the past.
But Tower Hill's dilemma is not hers alone, for the decay of the small town is universal. The annual report of discontinued post offices even is amazing and hardly believable, all being the result of the growth of the large cities and centralization of retail business in more central points.
The paved road and auto spelled the doom of the village and cross roads town, as space has given way to time and an hour of the days of the prosper- ous village is only a minute now to speed away to the large city.
The matter of miles today is a very small factor when the mind is made up to go somewhere.
I must not pass this part of our history without going farther into this CONTRAST for the benefit of this present generation, to show them that we are in a changing world, especially of things material, not to mention those of an industral, spiritual and econmical.
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Those prosperous days of big business for our village are re- called by the older generation, now passing but who are familiar with the decline felt soon after the entry into the new century. No doubt this was evident to J.J. Leighty, a recent visitor.
Looking backward from today, we can hardly believe the record and the amount and class of goods sold then, but which now are not even taken into account. For instance to realize that during the days of L. Eiler & Son, Gen- eral Merchandise, there were 3 large stocks of clothing, dry goods, boots & shoes, etc., beside several exclusive grocery stores, all doing a big business, drawing trade for many miles.
Gradually the town has settled down to a local business, and unfort- unately, I can not visualize any advances for reasons economically stated.
I am fearful what the future historian of 50 years might write about our Old Home Town, so dear to us all.
We will now proceed to give as best we can in the limited time we have had to prepare, the various subjects outlined for consideration. Unfortunately they are not arranged to our desire, but to each subject as completed.
The first one we are pleased to record is about the railroads and the telegraph business, which follows next week.
THE RAILROAD INDUSTRY
I am deeply indebted to Ed S. McLean, because of his personal know- ledge, for his information concerning this most important part of any village or city's success as a business community.
As a matter of fact, Tower Hill owes its existence to the building of a railroad in the late 50's as per the opening statement of this History of Tower Hill. Remember there were other villages ten to fifteen years old close by in a very prosperous condition, namely Westminster and Williamsburg. Each had arisen to a designation as having a post office, and business of a general nature that gave them a future for considerable growth. But a rail- road building through the adjacent country, started the village of Tower Hill, and spelled the doom of all surrounding villages.
My earliest recollection of a railroad in our village dates back to the late 70's, and I can visualize the engine even as of yesterday. A small affair, with the smokestack the largest part of its makeup, perhaps the headlight was next in immensity. Only two large driving wheels, with a cowcatcher extending quite a distance in front, built for those times because of the open country and stock running at large, so they could be shoved to one side in easy manner.
Wood was the fuel and there were great stacks of cord wood on the space directly across the tracks from the present depot.
Those of my generation of course remember the water tank just as you entered the depot platform, and say! how those long icicles hung there in the winter time to the danger of pedestrians. The power for pumping was obtained by mules going the rounds of a horse-power. That old pioneer of R. R. affairs in Tower Hill, Mike Guinnee, was not only section foreman, but in charge of all water necessities. Today I recall that continuing grinding of the cogs which set in motion the entire pumping machinery.
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Later this old water tank, eyesore to the community, not to mention the unsightly stable right in the center of the business section, was removed, and eventually the Hill was omitted as a watering place.
All these years une village was growing, and becoming a center of trade for miles around, because of the coming of the railroad to take care of the neeus of the community.
So in the early 80's the town increasing its local business, and the pros- perous times of the agricultural interests, likewise the railroad added to its local needs, and branched out in the system of safety signals, taking it away from the local depot and erecting a tower for that purpose at the crossing of the two R.R.'s and among the first, if not even the first tower man was our friend, Ed. S. McLean, who after over 50 years at this one station retired from active service only this last year or so.
It is Ed who should write the accurate history of our old home town for the last 50 years, for he has been a constant resident and is familiar with all the changes, even to practically a new generation.
Recently yielding to my persuasion he gave me a brief account of this period, specially adhering to R. R. records, which I am taking the liberty to use here in this R. R. chapter. The following is the record as he sent me.
"I (Ed S. McLean) came to Tower Hill as tower operator in the summer of 1884 from the Cleveland division of the then 'Bee Line.' The line up of R. R. agents for Tower Hill was about as follows: A Mr. Craddick was the first, then a skip of some years, and a Mr. Campbell, followed by a J. Thorn- brough, Clark Browne, Harry Dickey, H. H. Ingalls (recently deceased), Lee Sammons, Ross Miller, Henry Taylor, Mike Guinnee, and the present agent, Harry Kidwell. This may not be the actual lineup, but these persons have served as agents.
"The B. & O. agents were about as follows in a general way: Slick Gross, Carson Nanny, William Sweazy, Clint Robinson, Bert White and Lee Twiss."
Sad to relate that the B. & O. is practically non-existent as far as doing business with the Hill, even the depot having been moved away.
Here follows some very interesting history of R. R. affairs by Mr. McLean, and I again quote: "In the early 80's the I. & St. L. R. R., which is now the N. Y. Central, moved some 12 passenger trains daily through Tower Hill, with four making regular stops. Over this same road there passed daily 6 regular through freight trains, and two locals.
Over the B. & O. R. R. there were 4 local passenger trains, and 2 through freights with 2 locals daily, making a grand total of 28 trains passing through the town.
"The section foreman for the Big Four R.R. was that much beloved citizen Mike Guinnee, serving longer than any other in the same position, and for the B. & O. R. R. was William Dunn."
Listen to this part of R. R. and business activity, as told by Mr. McLean and I again quote: "Much business was done by the railroads at the Hill in the 80's taking care of the outputs of two large hay barns, as operated by Jim Andes, and the two large elevators operated by Craddick and Brownback
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filled to capacity daily with grains, being loaded for the markets, and two large stock yards with almost daily shipments of stock, besides the coming in of loaded cars of merchandise daily for the local merchants. So you see we had activity in railroad affairs.
"I have seen wagons of hay and grain of all kinds block the streets for a block at a time waiting to get in line for unloading. During the wheat har- vest season, I have seen that open space around the elevators so dusty from the great amount of travel by loaded wagons, you could scarcely see ten feet.
"During the coal mine's busy season, some 15 to 25 cars were shipped daily which made some activity and business for the railroads.
As to the telegraph business, it was the only source of outside informat- ion in the 80's and early 90's and our cash telegraph receipts ran some 20 times or more than at present time. The grain and hay and stock business called for much wire service.
"When I came to the Tower to accept the tower service, the system was safety-gates operated from within the tower by levers, being installed in the new building at the crossing of the two roads. Later the Saxby-Parmer leaf- locking inter-locking plant was installed, being quite an improvement. This was an English invention, which used one lever for each operating function, such as a derail which would ditch a train if they failed to stop on a 'red,' and we had to be very careful as operators and manipulators.
"The tower was rebuilt three times in adding improvements. I think Clark Brown was the first operator to manipulate the gates on the Big Four R. R., and Ed Owen as operator for the B. & O. (Mr. Owen married Miss Effie Fringer, a Tower Hill girl, and now resides at Olney, Ill.)
"For almost fifty years I was in that same position at Tower Hill as first trick operator and manager of the local Western Union business.
"Others acting in the service followed as near as I can place them, as follows: Jim Watson, Winfield Carston, Mr. Dobbins, Jim Roberts, Milt Nerstheimer, Mike Guinnee, and Harry Kidwell, and scores of relief men I can not recall.
"In my early days in the service we used coal oil lamps in the signal lamps. Some of these signals were half a mile out, and we had 13 lamps to bring in, and clean and put out before dark, and in ALL kinds of weather, and many are the mornings and afternoons when we faced terrible blizzards and snow storms in this daily routine work as no holidays in placing signal lights.
"This work necessitated the hiring of boys, and quite a number too, to assist in this daily task, aside from our office work. Many of these boys never learned or even cared to learn the telegraph business, as I was always eager that they become interested, thus fitting them for positions in life.
"I was always on the alert to note boys who seemed interested, and taught them the system of telegraphy and tower work, and today feel quite proud to know of so many who have made good in this calling.
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TOWED
BAND
1905
Tower Hill Band, 1904
manky Nichole
Tower Hill Fire Department
o
n
Craddick Residence, 1889
2.
DR 600DS
Eiler and Son Dry Goods
Tower Hill School, burned in 1895
J. J. Leighty Grocery and Queensware in the late 80's
The Linder Middlesworth Home, North of Tower Hill
Western Union Telegraph Office, 1896
"Mike Guinnee was my first helper and today holds my old position, having served in R. R. positions of trust all these years in many important places, such as Pana, Wapella, Witt, agent at Tower Hill and now tower man and telegraph operator.
"Homer Jones was alert and earnest in his effort to learn the work, and later occupied many positions on the Big Four and Clover Leaf. He then took up the study of mail service and served in that capacity for several years, finally filling the position of chief clerk in Chicago.
"Dan Guinnee Jr. (deceased), another of my boys, filled the position of dispatcher in Mattoon. Worth Weekers became very efficient and now holds the position as agent at Pekin, Ill., a high class office. Claude Leighty, who J guess has been advanced more than any others whom I taught the system, went to the Wisconsin Central R. R., working up to chief & train master, and during the World War was appointed by Lord Schnaumessey of Canada as Superintendent of telegraph of the whole Canadan Pacific Railway system at Toronto, Canada, with a fat pay check each month.
"After the war Claude had to give way, as per the custom, to a titled crippled Englishman. He is now superintendent of the Oregon Short Line R R. at Portland Oregon. W. O. Shanks, another tower graduate of the McLean School, has spent most of his R. R. work at Tower Hill.
"Freddie McLean (my son) is now in New York City holding a respons- ible position as "marker-up" on the N. Y. Stock Exchange, a position which requires only the very best. Freddie has worked in dispatcher's office on the Wabash in Mattoon, then the general office in Decatur and Chicago, was press operator in Chicago, New York and Berkeley, Calif. He was one of the first 5,000 to leave Chicago for France as a soldier in the World War. A short time before enlisting he had a class in Chicago, teaching telegraph and similar work. I am quite certain a Tower Hill boy by name Edgar Russell was a student.
"Fred was rated as one of the most rapid telegraph transmitters of the code in the U.S.A., as some here now can testify.
"John Guinnee, another one of my pupils (now deceased), worked differ- ent offices, finally a steady position at the home town. Jim Roberts is another and now is agent on the Northwestern R. R. somewhere in Iowa. William Nance worked for several years at this calling, finally engaging in other business.
"Elmer Leighty and Bennie Henton learned the system, yet neither took it up for a permanent occupation. Bennie as we all know became the great saxophone player in Sousa's band. Elmer is in Decatur in the grocery business.
"Eddie Sidwell worked a short time on the road, then applied and was made wireless operator on a government war vessel. Later he returned to N. Y. where he is handling a flock of ticker tape machines in Stock Exchanges.
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"As I new look back at those days I have the satisfaction of knowing that when any of my boys made applications for places of trust, with efficiency as the talking point, that by personal recommendation to the R. R. officials was sufficient recommendation, and I never had a call down as to qualifications.
"By the way, it may be of interest to the public to know that Tower Hill was the first town outside of Cook county to install the interlocking system, and I was the first operator to handle such a system. So the Old Home Town is first in some thing."
Thus ends the first history of the R. R. and Telegraph Industry as fur- nished by Ed S. Mclean.
CORRECTION-In issue of "Railroads," unfortunately, we omitted the name of Frank Fogarty, who for 20 years was second trick operator at the Tower. He is now supt. of a soda ash deposit operating company in Michigan.
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