Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 25

Author: Collins, William H. (William Hertzog), 1831-1910; Perry, Cicero F., 1855- [from old catalog] joint author; Tillson, John, 1825-1892. History of the city of Quincy, Illinois. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1228

USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois > Part 25

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Beside its free ravage among the immigrants it found a fiekl among the families which, be- canse of the unusually high water, were driven from the bottom lands, near the city, and had crowded themselves together in temporary homes. Therein was a feast for the pest. In one house, thus ocenpied. on Vermont street, eight died within three days. In a German family, on the corner of Jefferson and Seventh. consisting of eight persons, all died save one, an infant. It destroyed entire families. The wife of a well-known Magistrate. Prentiss, was taken by it and died on Monday. On Thurs- day the grave was opened for the husband. Dr. Stahl, the earliest German physician. who had more to do with the disease than any other, lost his wife and child almost at the same time. Dr. Barlow rode ont to visit a patient, a mile east of the city, was there caught by the cho]- era and died. and in a week his wife followed him. The Mayor of the city, Enoch Convers, a man of rather unusual physical health and reg- ularity of life, was suddenly eut down on the 21st of July. Rusk, a prominent Odd Fellow, died. "of cholera," and was buried by his lodge on the 23rd. Charles Gilman. a promi- ment lawyer, reporter for the Supreme Court, attended this funeral, officiated, and in the morning he was dead. No appreciation of the condition ean be derived from description, nor ean any words picture the general despondenee of feeling. The morning enquiry was: "Who is dead ?"

Singularly enough. during all this time, while twice the epidemic had apparently left the city. it continuously infected the steam- boats plying the river. In early Inne, at a time when there were no cases in the city, a steamer-the Unele Toby-passed up the river. landed here with three dead bodies on board and before it reached Rock Island there were twenty-four more added to the death list.

Publie meetings were held to demand more complete sanitary measures, and the council ordered the examination of all strangers eom- ing into the city, appointed inspectors of health for each ward. made free appropriations, established a pest house, etc., but the disease had its own way, and it was proven that no measures can ever drive away this fell de- stroyer when preventive preeantions have been neglected.

It is a eurious faet connected with the chol- era record of Quiney. a fact that perhaps may be worth scientific investigation, that on its first and second brief visits the victims were almost wholly strangers. Five of the six who died here in March and nine out of the twelve reported in May, were non-residents or new- comers, but on the third appearanee in June, it

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strnek equally at all classes of the community, although its ravages were more general among the German citizens. It then seemed to have thoroughly planted itself and pervaded the place so that neither vigorous health, regular- ity of life, careful precaution and avoidance of conditions which were supposed to invite the epidemie, were safeguards from attack. When it reappeared during the two following years of 1850 and 1851, though with far less fatal effect, the cases were isolated and in all ranks of society. This peenliarity led to the prediction, favored by some very high medieal authority, that the cholera had or would be- come a permanent disease of the Mississippi valley, as much so as it is reckoned to be in the valley of the Ganges, a prophecy which was dissipated by after experiences, and now is no longer regarded. Fright was the plague's best ally, as it was in 1832.

It is said that a prominent lawyer, who was afterward a supreme judge and governor of the state, hearing, while at breakfast, that the "cholera had come," gathered his family and what of furniture he could hastily pack, and burried away as fast as horseflesh could draw him, leaving his house open and the breakfast dishes still on the table. In many cases people fled in almost equal haste at this time, and it not infrequently happened that they took the disease with them. The spread of the epidemic was, however, slight in the adjacent portions of the county.

CALIFORNIA EMIGRATION.

California emigration was the great all ab- sorbing event of this year. The gold diseov- eries on the Pacific coats in the preceding year aronsed and fostered a fever of excitement and restlessness such as the country had never before known and ean never know again; irre- sistible in its spread and permeating every elass and condition of society. Though cupid- ity and gokl getting was the primal ineentive, and the basis of this great movement, yet the activity of almost every other restless passion gave to it an added stimulus. Curiosity, the spirit of adventure, love of novelty, the con- tagion of that feeling which makes men rush in wherever others are, so started a swarm of human wanderers, such as on this continent will never again be witnessed. Flowing from every section of the land, the united adven- turesomeness of the east, south and north poured itself in an increasing stream, aeross the great grass plains, and through the lone gorges of the rough rock mountains on the pathway to the promised land of gold.

Every hamlet and nearly every home sent forth its wanderer, and with the earliest open- ing of spring the green prairies were whitened by the long caravans of wagons earrying with them hardy and adventurous gold seekers.

California was the common topie of thought and talk. The excitement of this unprece- dented gold fever was universal, infecting all ages, classes and conditions and reaching into every avenue and recess of society, enlisting, not only the adventurers with nothing to lose, but also, making men who had secured perma- nent prospects and position, throw aside busi- ness and profession, and for the time being abandon home attachments and duties, at the alhiring beek of the golden wand.

The first to start from Quiney was a party of nineteen, made up mostly of well-known citi- zens, who left on the 1st of February, going by the sea route and across the Panama isthmus, some two months before the land emigration across the plains began. The nineteen Avant Coureurs were: John Wood, D. C. Wood, John Wood, Jr .. Dr. S. W. Rogers, George Rog- ers, 1. Il. Miller, D. M. Jourdan, Aaron Nash, W. B. Matloek, David Wood, John Mcclintock, John Mikesell, George Burns, J. Dorman, J. J. Kendrick, O. M. Sheldon. C. G. Ammon and Charles Brown. These familiar names are given, as they illustrate the varied character of these emigrators, some alnost boys and led, or rather headed, as they were, by two of the veteran pioneers of the place. John Wood, its oldest settler, and Rogers, its oldest physician, who had both grown gray in Quincy, would seem to have been among the last to thus shake off the settled comforts of home, and assured position, won by so much of past toil, to, once more, in after-meridian age, venture upon a wandering more wild than that of their early days. But as an experienced "Sucker" dame pithily expressed it. "They've tuk the fever like onto the boys and the old uns allers catch it the wust."

A special interest attached to this party as being the earliest to depart; an interest height- ened by the rumor of their shipwreck in the Mexican gulf, and their perilous adventures be- fore they reached the Golden Gate, and be- cause in their letters home, came their first per- sonal reports of experiences in California. AII but three of this party returned within the next two years.

By far the greater portion, nearly all, in- deed, of the "Californians," as they were called, took the route across the plains. Their ontfit and appearance was thus described by a local journal at the time "being nsnally com- posed of a train of half a dozen or more wag- ons with three or four persons to a wagon.

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Several of the wagons were drawn by four mules, though the majority of them were drawn by three or four yoke of oxen. All of them were fitted out in a substantial manner, with every necessary required for the trip, and take the men as a body. they are all of the go- ahead class, and will go thro' or 'break a trace,' as the saying is."

Quite a number of those who left, with this complete equipment for the journey, met with misfortune by the way. from wagons breaking down, cattle dying, etc., and finally reached California, some on foot and some, a little bet- ter off, riding an ox or mule. How many went from here and about here, cannot be told, but the number was large. Over 200 were reported as having gone from Quiney, which is none too high a figure. From the Mill creek section a party of 26 formed a train; about 40 went from the Lima neighborhood and from all sec- tions around there was the same proportionate number. Among these, both from the city and county, were many people of prominence. Singly and in small parties the greater portion of them gradually returned, and but a few adopted California as a permanent home.

Of those publicly known here who remained were D. G. Whitney, who for many years had been the leading merchant of Quincy; Dr. Wm. H. Taylor, one of the earliest and most sue- cessful physicians; John L. Cochrane, a prom- inent teacher and former city elerk and sur- veyor, and others who found fortune or attrac- tion in the new country which most of the ad- venturers failed to realize. The interest that attended the departure of these Californians did not cease with their going. but long con- tinned. general and intense, not unlike, though in a less degree, to that which attached to the movements of our soldiers during the Civil war, when the pulse quickened with every tele- graph tick that told of news from the front. Every item of information was now canght at with avidity, each personal piece of news from the west was presumed to have some word for all, and a Californian's private letter to family or friend was considered to be and apt to be- come publie property.

The winter of 1848-9 was uncommonly snowy and cold ; the 17th of February being recorded as the coldest day remembered for many years. The river opened on the 4th of March and closed again on the 25th of December.

The resumption of navigation in the spring in those days, before the advent of the "iron horse," was the commencement of trade and the event of the year, and coming as it did at. this time on the 4th of March. the same day that the whig administration stepped into power, it afforded a good deal of pleasant chaf-

fing among the politicians over this coincident date of improvement and prosperity. It opened booming high, and the great flood con- tinned until late in the summer, giving a good boating stage of water until nearly the close of the year.

Old steamboatmen state that never in their recollection had the Mississippi opened at such a high stage of water, and at the same time so full of running ice. Owing to the long con- tinned overflow of the banks. the ferryboat was compelled to make its landing across the river at LaGrange, and for many weeks was kept running night and day to that point, con- veving the hundreds of California teams that went from or passed through Quincy on their westward journey.

The running out of the ice with such an un- usual "full banked" river was a peculiar and attractive sight, such as is not often seen, and brought with it two curious accidents. The steamer American Eagle, a Quiney boat. since it was owned and commanded by Louis Cosson, an old-time resident, had. with two or three other boats, just arrived from St. Louis and lay at the landing with "steam down." One of the other boats ran up the river, struck into the great gorge of ice which fettered the stream about four miles above, and having broken it, turned about and came back post haste, followed by the avenging ice. and rounded up into the bay for safety. The move- ment of the ice as it steadily swept along after the flying steamer, was witnessed by many, and was very imposing. It stretched in an un- broken sheet from shore to shore, advaneing at a paee so gradual, still and slow. that it seemed as if a touch of the hand might check or turn it. and yet with momentum that was irresistible. Creeping on and on, it caught the hickless Eagle at the landing and lifted the large steamer as though it were a toy. shoving it high upon the bank with its outer side broken in. Pushing on yet farther down, the relentless ice found a small stern-wheel steam- boat, the Champion, lying at the foot of Floyd's Island. just above the month of the Fabius. The captain, on seeing the ice on the way towards him, had moored his vessel at the south point of the island with a cable on each bow so as to draw up the boat on whichever side of the island the ice did not come. Unfortunate, it divided and came on both sides. erushing in the sides of his vessel and sinking her to the boiler deck.

A good story was told in this connection. of Capt. Louis Cosson. a jovial Frenchman. TIe was not on board of his boat at the time, hav- ing gone up the hill to see his old friends and have a good time generally. John Martin

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llolmes, clerk of the boat, was asked why they happened to be caught in such a fix all unpre- pared, with steam down, his answer was that the captain was np town and had taken all the steam that the boat was allowed to carry.

These names of Cosson and Holmes suggest some pleasant memories of the personnel of our people in the past : of the individuality of those who composed the community; and whose daily doings shaped and colored social and publie action. Each man, however he may be placed, is more or less a factor and feature in the general movement of all; contributing his portion of what furnishes the material of history, his seeming unimportant nothings ag- gregate "the sweeping surge of history." The life of the many individuals constitute the life of society itself. The life of an individual is often attractive and interesting in retrospeet, and worthy of a place in local annals.

John Martin Holmes was one of the men who was, in his own way, an institution in Quincy from 1838 to 1850. He was a genius of high type: of infinite wit and humor, gifted with a rare poetie faculty. He was the soul of enjoy- ment in every social cirele, and the brillianeies that he constantly uttered were the repeated quotations everywhere, as what "John Holmes said." He was of a name and stock of genius, "kith and kin" to the famed Senator John Holmes of Maine; to Oliver Wendell Holmes: to the South Carolina Holmes, and to all of the name, who carry, wherever it is borne, the same brilliant characteristics of refined intel- lect and unsurpassed humor. Their ancestry all hinges back to a gifted Scotch clergyman. one among the pilgrim fathers, and who is traditioned as having in his time startled the staid puritan consciences by his unseemly wag- geries, as well as impressed them by his un- questioned piety.

Volumes conkl not record all of the ready brilliancies of John Holmes, but we call up one "yarn," suggested by the allusions to the chol- era and to the accident of the Eagle, and. moreover, as it brings to mind the name of another patriarchal landmark, who now past the age of 90, still preserves the bright racy geniality of spirit and fun that has happily at- tached to his long consistent Christian career.

Mr. Foote was in Cincinnati in the summer or fall of 1849. and he met John Holmes, who offered him a free trip to Quiney on the Eagle. which Mr. Foote declined. Two years after this we saw a meeting of Mr. Foote and Mr. Holmes here in Quincy. Mr. Foote saluted the other with, "I am glad to meet you. Have you got any of that 'Moral Medicine' left that you recommended to me at Cincinnati?" Holmes' answer was in keeping, and after they

parted we drew from him what was meant by the "Moral Medicine." He said that he had offered Mr. Foote a free pass from Cincinnati to Qniney on the Eagle, but that the parson said, "No, it's Saturday now, and I never travel on the Sabbath; } shall wait here until Monday." "Why," said Holmes. "I can fix all that: we've got left over a lot of cholera medieine that we used in the spring when we were down about New Orleans. It's got every ingredient necessary. It's as stringent as the Saybrook platform and can put you to sleep better than a Congregational sermon. I can give you a dose of that to-night and put you and your conscience asleep until the middle of next week-clear past Sunday." Mr. Foote. however, declined, and it was this proposed prescription which he afterward referred to as the "moral medicine."

The population of the place. so far as na- tionalities were represented, had by this time. in 1849, undergone a most marked change. Already the foreign horn, by reason of the rapid immigration of the ten preceding years, had become in number at least equal to those who were "to the manor born." Among the earlier settlers there were more from Massa- chusetts, Connectient and Kentneky, than from any other states or sections; the Kentnekians being more prominent, politieally, as they were then and had been all over the state and the west, polities being the specialty of the Ken- tnekian, wherein he is only surpassed by the Irishman. Prior to the town organization. in 1834, there were scarcely a score of citizens of foreign birth. Abont that period a few Ger- man families made the place their home, and this immigration continued. Shortly after. with the commencement of work upon the state railroads, there was a very large inthx of Irish, who permanently remained. For some years the Irish element of population outnum- bered any of the other alien stock, but the steady flow since 1838, directly hither from the "faderland." had by this time made the Germans to outnumber those of all the other nationalities. Still, however, as before stated, notwithstanding the predominanee of the alien element in the mingled population, the condi- tions had as yet been but little changed or affected. The eity did not at all, as it now does, present the picture of a population more than half foreign in appearance and an owner- ship of property and transaction of business in a much larger ratio represented by eitizens of foreign birth or extraction. This fact is evi- dent not only from easnal observation, but it is shown by the census statisties, which report Quincy as having in 1880, with a population of 27.268, 20,706 native born, and nearly one-

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fourth. 6.562, foreign born: and also, in 1870. 7,733 foreign ont of a total population of 24,052.

Such is the picture of Quiney as now (1886) exists, its dominating influences of sentiment. wealth and numbers. It was not thus thirty- seven years ago. although the popular ele- ments were relatively almost the same. The home-born or native portion of the people re- mained in rule; foremost in social, in busi- ness representation and in all else except poli- ties. That power had been taken away as early as 1840, and it has since been held by the naturalized citizens. This control was easily obtained for the reason that, until changed by the new constitution in 1848, a residence in the state of six months sufficed to give to any one, whether native born, or naturalized, or neither. the full exercise right of the elective franchise. And we know that there is no privilege for which men grasp more eagerly and cling to more pertinaciously than this.

At this time the people all knew each other : the interests of each were the interests of all; men mingled more together. Secluded during a large portion of the year. while frost fet- tered their communications with the outer world. hibernated. as it were, they were thrown upon their own resources for occupation and enjoyment. The winters had to be passed through, and there were then no opera houses. dime museums, skating rinks. traveling shows: nothing from outside, for they couldn't get here, and hence society had to fall back on itself, and there was then brought out, of course, "all the fun there was." The social assemblings, parties, tea drinkings, church gatherings, sleighrides, etc., passed away the time. Business was not as crowding and any- body could "shut up shop" for the day and go a-fishing or somewhere else. There had been, a few years before. a quite popular and suc- eessful Thespian Society, whose semi-month- ly exhibits furnished entertainment to the good people. It comprised among its mem- bers nearly all the then young sparks of the place. nearly all now dead. Chicker- ing, Taylor, Sam Seger, Hoffman, Grant. Dell Milnor and Piekett (the two last boys, who played the female parts), the later. Pickett, afterward the famed Condederate General. These were gay gatherings, at- tracting the attendance of all and vastly the more entertaining because of the intimate mutual acquaintance between the audience and actors. Of the buskined stars who paraded on the stage of mimie life and forced either ap- plause or amusement from their friendly au- ditors, we believe, now remain Fes Ihnt. T. II. Brongham and J. T. Baker. Wouldn't it be

a rare occasion if these veteran relies of Quin- ey's former dramatic genius would once more consent to tread the histrionie stage ?

But the chief and periodical attraction of the winters were the library lectures.

Brief mention may here again be made of these weekly lectures. since they present a picture of what was going on and being done during the days of winter seclusion forty years ago, and also on account of the contribution they gave to the construction and support of what has now become a fixed and valued in- stitution of the city. They constituted almost. the sole source of available revenue to the pub- lie library. The lectures were home-made, pre- pared by our own citizens, with an occasional, though very rare. addition by some neighbor- ing clergyman or by one of the Illinois Col- lege professors. They were given gratis, and upon such subjects as the writers chose. Some of them were of much merit, and if all were not so, yet all were attractive and well at- tended, and they fully served a pleasant, so- eial purpose, as also the financial need, which they were chiefly designed to meet. The ex- penses were next to nothing. The use of the court house was free, and only lights and fire had to be provided, so that the winter course usually netted two or three hundred dollars. about the amount that in later years has been often paid for a single address from some eminent professional lecturer. As a part of this reminiscence, herewith is given the lecture programme for the season of which we write, 1848-9, the list of lecturers and their themes, which will convey an idea of the character of the mental food provided and recall also some familiar names. These were: John C. Cox. subject. "Progress of Civilization Since the Christian Era": A. Jonas, "The Future Exem- plified by the Past": Rev. Rollin Mears, "En- glish Poets and Poetry in the 19th Century"; Dr. S. Willard, "Pneumaties"; Dr. R. Seeds, "Anatomy of the Eye"; T. Bronson, "Early Settlement of the Mississippi Valley": Rev. J. J. Marks, "Earth as Made for Man"; John Tillson. JJr., "The Saracens in Spain": O. H. Browning, "Our Duties and Obligations in Reference to American Slavery": Rev. H. Foote, "Yankee Character": Peter Lott. "The Upper Ten Thousand." All of these, except Dr. Seeds, a skilled Scotch physician, who spent an occasional season here, were well- known residents. The prices of tickets were as follows: For a gentleman. $1.00; a gentle- man and lady, $1.50: for a family of four per- sons, $2.00: of six persons, $3.00; and from this was usually netted a few hundred dollars, which was devoted to the purchase of new books, and without which the library would

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have stood still. This is shown by its ninth annual report on the 3rd of December. There were then, eight years after its establishment. but 86 shares sold, 78 stockholders, 1,574 vol- umes (of which 80 were circulating), valued at $2,123. Founded on donations and with a choice selection of books to begin with, it se- eured but little after-aid of this kind. Two hundred and fifty volumes were added during this year, almost all purchased with the net proceeds derived from the winter course of lectures. The slow, struggling growth of the Quincy Library has been the same as that of nearly every similar organization elsewhere. Of all the beneficent institutions which appeal to publie spirit and generous philanthropy for their creation and maintenance the publie li- brary is that which labors under the most dif- fieulty and has its claims last and least consid- ered. Churches, colleges, hospitals, schools of science and art, seeure benefactions from lib- eral living patrons, whose names are duly chronicled, or great bequests from departed millionaires, many of whom hope thus to atone for a life of greed by giving away that which they can no longer keep, but among these many objects of philanthropy the library prof- its the least. The reason for this is obvious. Interest, personal sympathies, conscience, cus- tom and many another influence operates to point the direction of donations and bequests. But the library is exceptional. The lover of books, if his wealth will warrant, prefers to perfect his own home collection, while the great mass of those who use and benefit by the public library has not usually the means to contribute towards its increase. The Quincy Library has now passed through a forty-five- year career of this natural indifference, and only now, within the past year, has it recog- nized and assured position, by the provision of a tax levy, devoted to its support. The insti- tution was projected at a meeting of some ten or a dozen persons on the 5th of March, 1841, a constitution was adopted on the 13th and organization perfected on the 20th of the same month. It was opened to subscribers on the 18th of April and incorporated on the 4th of October of the same year. At its first annual meeting, December 6, 1841, there was reported to be 735 volumes on the shelves, one-half of what it had now, eight and one-half years later.

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Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 25

Author: Collins, William H. (William Hertzog), 1831-1910; Perry, Cicero F., 1855- [from old catalog] joint author; Tillson, John, 1825-1892. History of the city of Quincy, Illinois. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1228

Author: Collins, William H. (William Hertzog), 1831-1910; Perry, Cicero F., 1855- [from old catalog] joint author; Tillson, John, 1825-1892. History of the city of Quincy, Illinois. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1228