Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 26

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 26

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Another weekly newspaper, the People's Journal, made its appearance during the sum- mer of this year. It was published by Lonis M. Booth, a veteran editor now residing in California, who had made several ventures of this kind, but never very successfully. The paper was short lived. It professed to he "in-

dependent in polities" and, of course, followed the usual fate of such journals. To be "of in- dependent thought" is very apt to be consid- Pred independent of thought, and very uncer- tain is the career of that newspaper which has not a political influence in eaueuses and con- ventions and reaching its limbs and blossoms towards the publie offices.

Much interest existed during this season over the temperance canse, with nearly as much excitement as that which accompanied the Washingtonian movement of several years before. This last had gradually subsided, but was now successfully succeeded by the organ- ization of the Sons of Temperance. Weekly and largely attended meetings were held, and the accessions were numerous. The cause be- came customary and popular, so much so that most of the politicians joined for awhile. The universal apprehension of the coming cholera conduced to the advance of this movement. The year was marked also by an unusual de- gree of religious feeling and revival, stimu- lated probably by the same eanse as above named. It is a notable fact that men are more nearly ripe for reformation, most ready to abandon the follies and temptations of the visible world when within the threatening shadows of the unseen. Either a tendency like this or to the other extreme of despairing, un- bridled recklessness has been the attendant moral feature of all the great plagues of the past.

The season was singularly backward ; as much so as had ever been known. As late as the middle and latter part of April there were severe frosts and the ground was frozen for several days. Rather odd it was, however, that this late rasp of nreasonable cold left slight injury upon vegetation in contrast with what was naturally apprehended. Spring showed up slowly for several seasons. Plant- ing was late and the acreage of the county fell off from that of former years. Not only was this caused partially by the varying weather in the early portion of the year, but labor was less plenty and the work on many farms was enrtailed in extent by the California emigra- tion. The withdrawal of so much of the agri- «nltural force of the community could have no other result than this, since the larger portion of these emigrants were the young farmers of the country, and in some cases all the grown males of a family, father and sons alike, took the fever and went. Up to the first of June 4,350 California wagons had passed through St. Joseph, bound westward ; and this was but one of the half dozen crossing places of the Missouri river, and was but single file in the broad column of travel that from the lakes to

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the gulf was eentering for the long march over the westward plains.

It may perhaps be best portrayed how things looked during this eventful year, chilled in its natural progress by the early and intermittent cold, dispirited by widespread sickness and death in high places, by quoting the lament of a veteran editor who blends his story of the season's slowness and the business depression, with his own personal mournings over the loss of all the pleasure that was "going to waste." Ile was one of the best of the good men of Quiney ( now gone, all honor to his memory ). and withal a most devoted disciple of Izaak Walton, having done as much in his way to- ward the capture of the "finny tribe" as his son, S. P. Bartlett. now armed with a state commission, is striving to do, to "balanee the scales" and to restock our depleted streams and ponds, which the father so enthusiastically "went for."

Thus moralizes the veteran Editor and Pis- cator in his paper on the first of May: "The weather the past week has been anything but pleasant and agreeable." The season, indeed. has been very backward, cold, siekly, gloomy and without any fun. Last year at this time the trees were out in their full foliage, and we had participated in one or two fishing parties. But this spring, the "Father of Waters" con- tinnes to run out brim full and a little over. Ile is on an awful high: seems to have swal- lowed up all the bars between Galena and St. Louis. Well! so be it. It can't be helped, but we do long to make a visit to one of our old fishing haunts, where, with a choice friend or two. we may while away the day in "just nat 'rally" coaxing the finny tribe. Talk of the enjoyments of the town! what are they com- pared with the pleasure when sitting on a shady bank, with well-baited hook and line, and rod in hand, and not a sound to disturb the stillness of the scene, save the "wood- pecker tap 'ning the hollow tree" or the chat- tering of the solitary king-fisher, to suddenly hear the quick sound of the cork as it phimps below the surface with a pop! as the minnow is seized by a voracious Pike, or Bass or Dog- fish (the sneaking rascal). We imagine we feel him as we give him play! Now here-now there-down into deeper water; and as the "iron enters deeper into his" jaw, he lashes the water into foam with pain and vexation! Exhausted at last, he is drawn ashore !

"What say you, Pom & Co., C. M. Pomeroy, John Tillson, Geo. Bond and others. Dull show. isn't it? But we will assure our friends of the rod and line.

"There is a good time eoming, boys,

A good time coming !

"The lakes and ponds are now full, and when old Mississippi withdraws within his banks, we may expect the sport to commence, and that sickness will yet abate and business hopes be restored."

Notwithstanding the unpromising aspects of the early part of this year, with its withering sickness and its late and light land tillage, the outcome was unexpectedly satisfactory. Pro- duetion of all kinds, though not fairly up to the average increase of former years in quan- tity, was generally superior in quality, as is not uncommonly the result of a backward sea- son and a lessened extent of farm cultivation. Fruit was abundant, the grain yield was good, and most of it was safely harvested, thus ereat- ing a brisk business for the fall, sufficient to compensate for the dullness of the spring and summer months.

The provision business of 1848-9 had been steady and active. More pork had been "put up" than had been packed in the preceding winter, the rates running quite regularly from about $2.70 to $3.00. Nearly an equal amount of provision was eured during the winter of 1849-50, although the packing season opened very late and rather dull, the first figures for pork being $2.25 and slowly raising afterward. but at no time equal to the prices of the pre- vions winter.

Real estate rates varied but little during this year, and the changes of property ownership were not very many. It was reserved for the succeeding year, 1850, to exhibit the full eom- mencement of a rapid advance in land and values of every kind, which continued for sev- eral years, almost equaling the great speenla- tive periods of 1835 and 1836. The price given for one well-known piece of property, at the time considered to be among the most valuable and salable lots in the city, will convey an idea of how property rated at this time. Part of lot 1. block 18, at the southwest corner of Maine and Fourth streets, 28 by 100 feet, with a three-story brick storehouse on it, was sold for $4,035 cash. At the same time the ground adjoining on the south, 40 feet front on Fourth street, and 99 feet in depth, was purchased for $640. $16 per foot. The varying valnes which attended the transfers of this piece of property are curious.

At the original sale in 1831, the entire lot, 99 feet on Maine, by 190 on Fourth, was bought of the county commissioners for $18.25. It was early improved by Captain Pease and Burns, who successively owned it and erected on it what was abont the best two-story frame dwelling house and store building in the place at the time, and it was half a dozen years later purchased and ocenpied by the Branch Bank

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of the State of Illinois. When this institution failed, the property went to sale, and in 1843 the north portion of it was purchased by A. T. Miller. nominally for about $10,000; but as this consideration was in the shape of the de- preciated state bank paper, which had no fixed value whatever, it would be difficult to deter- mine what it really sold for. The oldl bank building was then removed to the sonth end of the lot. and Mr. Miller, an enterprising mer- chant from Baltimore, the brother of George A. and E. G. Miller, built on the corner what was then the largest store-room in the city, a three-story brick, 100 feet deep, twenty-five feet front width on Maine, being the build- ing which was occupied by the Herald office, when destroyed by fire in 1870. On the death of Mr. Miller, the property was purchased as above stated, by S. & W. B. Thayer, for $4,- 035. Five years later, 1854, it was again sold for $15,000.

The telegraph line, which had been com- pleted to Quincy, by way of Beardstown and Springfield during the preceding year, had not been under the O'Rielly management, operat- ed to the satisfaction of all concerned. Of the local subscriptions on which the Illinois line was established. abont $10,000 had been raised in Quiney and vicinity. A meeting of the stockholders was called and held, at Peoria on the 10th of April, and then there, under the state law, a new company was form- ed and organized, into which was merged the O'Rielly stock and interest, and a different management was assumed. This was what has since been known as the Caton and Western telegraph company, which soon became ex- ceedingly prosperons, as its predecessor had not been. The Quincy interests at this meet- ing were represented by Newton Flagg and Lorenzo Bull, the latter of whom was made a director in the new company. On an assess- ment of 40 per cent being ordered, to relieve the company embarrassments and carry for- ward its business, a large portion of the Quiney stock was allowed to be forfeited. The few who paid up this assessment and retained their interests eventually found the investment very sneeessful and renmnerative.

A quite exciting trial came off at the June term of the circuit court, which aronsed all the political and no small amount of the per- sonal feeling of the place. This has now passed away under the shade of nearly forty years, but it was a stirring event at the time. It was a slander suit brought by S. M. Bartlett, edi- tor of the Whig. against C. M. Woods, pub- lisher of the Herald. Woods and Anstin Brooks were the Herald proprietors, and Brooks was the editor who had written the ar-

tieles complained of. but the suit was brought against Woods as being equally liable and more personally responsible. It assumed a yet more sharp partisan character from the fact. that most of the whig lawyers of the city were engaged for the plaintiff, and the democratic lawyers as generally took part in the defense; and also beranse the court was presided over by Judge Minshall, who had just been elected to the bench, as the whig candidate, after a warm political contest at the first eleetion when judges were chosen by a popular vote. Ilis rulings, therefore, were often regarded on the one side as being the conclusion of party prejndiee, and on the other sometimes thought to be timid from his fear that he might be sus- pected of too much leaning to the side of his own political faith. Judge Minshall was an able, honest and impartial man, but very slow of thought and new on the bench, which made him sometimes appear wavering and undecid- ed. A quick-minded. prompt aeting man like his predecessor. Judge Purple, would have been far better fitted to handle such a case at such a time, and escaped much of the nn- just criticism that Judge Minshall received. The arguments of the lawyers, on the one side especially, were almost like political speeches. The result at the close of a contest running through several days was a nominal verdiet for the plaintiff. This trial, while unimpor- tant except as to local feeling, did. however, affeet and illustrate some things well.

One result of this slander suit between Bart- lett and Brooks was an improvement in jour- nalism in its future assumption of a more courteous character, and more ereditable and proper tone than it had previously exhibited, which, with occasional exceptions, it has sinee maintained. Editors discovered that the pub- lie regarded with no sympathy, but with posi- tive aversion their parades of private griefs and personal abuse, which had become to be almost the sum total of editorial topic. Criti- «ism and denunciation of the opposite party soon drifted into personal vilification of each other, and the result was that in such cases the character of each contestant was lowered not more by what was charged upon him by his opponent than by the display that he made of the worst side of himself.

The public estimate finally placed upon what was said by these belligerent "knights of the quill." is shown in the story of the Qniney lawyer, who counseled against a snit for slander being instituted. "Why." said the angry would-be client, "he has abused me out- rageously ; he has said " "Pshaw !" said the lawyer quietly, "What of it? Noth- ing that such a fellow says can slander any-

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body, and more than that, my good fellow. don't you know between ourselves whatever anybody may say against you, no jury would think of considering slanderons?"

Bartlett and Brooks were unusually superior men in their vocation. Well versed in local political and general public information, ready and trenchant writers, and each popular and trusted as a leader in his party. They repre- sented, in sentiment and in character, the ex- treme views of the two parties of that day- the whig and democratic.

The project of a railroad coming into Quincy from the east, which had for years past been talked about by the busybodies, thought of by the thoughtful, and about which so many pub- lic meetings had been held, came at last into a shape of certain advancement. The reckless and luekless experiment of the state originat- ed in 1836, to cobweb itself all over with rail- roads, had resulted in only one thing obsery- able, which was a huge debt that required fifty after years of exceptional taxation to pay, and nothing beside, except scattered over the state a great deal of incomplete and worthless work. These and the ownership of road beds and franchises was all the state and public had to show for the expenditures. The legislature wisely offered all these (except the debt) for sale. On the 6th of August, at Springfield. sale was made by the state to James W. Single- ton, Samuel Holmes, C. A. Warren, J. M. Pit- man. II. S. Cooley and I. N. Morris, of all that part of the Northern Cross railroad lying be- tween the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. ter- minating at Quiney. for $100,000 in state se- curities, which were then at so low a depre- ciation that the cash consideration of the sale was really but about $8.000. This sale car- ried with it the ownership of the roadbed, etc .. and all the franchise rights contained in the original charter. Much heavy and expensive grading had been done by the state on several sections of the line. some of which was sub- sequently utilized. but in building the present road. a large portion of the old survey was abandoned, especially that part which lies in Adams County.

It was the original design of the parties who had purchased this railroad from the state to obtain local subscriptions from Quincy. and from Brown and Adams counties, and thus strengthened, to procure moneyed means from the east to carry on its construction. In fur- therance of this plan, a meeting of citizens was called. and held at Quincy. on the 13th of Oe- tober. and after some disenssion which revealed the fact that there existed some dissatisfac- tion with the project in the shape in which it then stood, a committee was appointed to pre-

sent the matter to "eastern capitalists," but from this nothing resulted.

On the 22d of October a company was form- ally organized, under the provisions of an act passed Feb. 10th, 1849, with I. N. Morris, as president : Samuel Holmes, secretary, and ). MI. Pitman, treasurer. Work was immediate- ly ordered, a competent engineer, Wm. T. Whipple, and a corps of assistants, were en- gaged, and surveys commenced, resulting in the early establishment of lines varying not very much from the original route. This or- ganization did not. however, for some rea- son, meet the general sanetion, and early in 1850. it was changed. and a year later changed again. A meeting, not largely attended, on the 30th of October, asked the county to vote a subscription of $100.000. Nothing came of this, however. This brief sketch is the history of the beginning of the connection of this city with railroads, for which enterprises it has fur- nished nearly a million of dollars. The sue- ressive steps in 1850 and in 1851, when the city for $20.000 purchased the road, became its chief owner and subscribed $100,000. the first installment of the great debt above allud- ed to, will be stated in their proper order.

There were several radical changes made during this year, in the system of county gov- ernment-changes prescribed by the new state constitution, and by the legislature which fol- lowed its adoption. all of which affected the subsequent current of Quiney history. From 1825 to 1834, Quiney, though the county seat, was not more than any other hamlet or set- tlement (pronounced in ancient sucker vernae- ular with the heaviest kind of emphasis on the final syllable) and its local government, if it had any, was like that for the rest of the county, vested in the three commissioners. who exercised supervision and sway over all the corporate and internal interest of the county. The immediate local jurisdiction of Quiney. passed in 1834. when the town was in- corporated, under the control of the board of town trustees: and six years later, in 1840. with the formation of the city, the municipal authority was vested in the city council, mak- ing the city somewhat peculiarly and almost entirely independent of the county authorities. and subsequent action made it more so. The new state constitution of 1847-48 abolished the county commissioners' court. and also the office of probate judge, providing in lien there- of. for a county court. composed of one chief and two associate judges, clothed with full primary jurisdiction in all matters of probate, and "such other duties as the General Assem- bly may prescribe," connected with the ad- ministration of the county affairs. IFere was

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a much-improved advance from the old county commissioners' court system, and the chief and best features of which have been retained and engrafted into the later and present con- stitution of 1872. Following upon this con- stitutional change, came the adoption of the township system. authorized by law and now prevailing in most of the counties of the state. To Quiney and Adams county the action un- fortunately taken at this time abont the changes in the form of county government, both in the reconstruction of the county conrt and in the adoption of the township system, induced a Pandora's box of trouble, which a generation's patience hashardly yet healed. The constitution of 1847 had conferred a blessed local benefit in its arbitrary rennion of Adams county. and thus treading out the dispute over a division of the county, but sore sectional feeling showed itself in a strife over the elec- tions above referred to. The old county court had so much been the nursery where county quarrels were nurtured that to some extent these distrusts and estrangements entered into the choice of the new court, each party appre- hensive of what might be the action of the new tribunal, vested with so much more pow- er, and on the township question almost a clear issue was made between the county and the city.

The township system for local home govern- ment originated in New England, and gradual- ly became adopted in some of the other north- ern states. The county court system was the plan universally in use in the southern states. and Illinois, which was originally a connty of Virginia, had engrafted it in its state constitu- tion of 1818. The former system is much the most advantageous and satisfactory. as it is more in harmony with the democratic principle of our institutions. It brings the machinery of local government nearer to the knowledge and control of the voter, making each town, as it were a little republic. the unit factor in the general government, through which local in- terests can be more effectively promoted, and better guarded. Wherever it has been adopt- ed. it has never been departed from and is gradually becoming the local system for the country.

It was optionally incorporated into our state constitution of 1848, and in April. 1849, a law was passed providing a plan and authorizing the counties to vote thereon. About half of the counties of the state, generally in the north- ern part, embraced the new plan, and since then a large number of others have done so. and in no case has a county gone back to the old system. Adams county was among the earliest to vote for township organization, but

it was a long time before it was completely es- tablished, and its history in connection with the county and Quincy is peculiar. In com- pliance with the law above-named. the Adams county commissioners, rather unwillingly, it was said, at their September session, passed an order to "the judges of election in the several precinets in said county, to open polls for vot- ing for or against Township Organization, as provided by the statute of Illinois, in force, April 16, A. D. 1849." The vote thus provid- ed for was taken at the November election, and resulted in favor of township organiza- tion by the decisive majority of 1,301, in a vote of over 2,200, the significant fact being, that while every precinet in the county gave a majority for the measure. Quiney only, voted in opposition, more than half of all the mi- nority votes thrown against it being cast in the city.

As anthorized by the above mentioned vote, the commissioners, on the 6th of December, ap- pointed a committee to divide the county into townships. This committee reported in the following March, 1850, the formation of twen- ty towns, with boundaries defined and names recommended. Quiney being one of them, hav- ing its limits the same as those fixed by the city charter. This report was adopted with the exception that in several instances, the names proposed by the committee were changed by the conrt at the request of the peo- ple of the township. Subsequently two addi- tional towns. Mendon and McKee, were estab- lished, making the permanent sub-division of the county to consist. as it does at present. of twenty-two towns, inclusive of Quincy. The rity. however, consistently with its vote of op- position, and to its own disadvantage, took no steps toward town organization, held no elec- tion for officers in April. and steadily refused to claim or have any representation in the Su- pervisors Board for twenty-five years. until 1874. when it came in with its representation of one Supervisor and Assistant Supervisors, to which by its population, it was entitled. It was a singular fact that during all this period, at any time a dozen citizens of Quincy could under the law, have compelled it to organize. or the Board could, on this default of the city, have appointed supervisors for it; but the wish of the city to keep out. was met by a willingness on the part of the county that it should stay ont. Dignified diplomatie rela- tions were maintained. however, between the two powers, and by formal treaty and agree- ment. Quincy, in consideration of its waiver of the right and responsibility of representation. annually paid in lien thereof a stipulated snm towards the support of county expenses: at

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first $300 per annum, afterwards increased to $800, and finally $3,000.

At the regular election in November, which was for county officers only, and also for the vote on the township question, party nomina- tions were made and party lines were drawn. The political status of the county was uncer- tain. At the presidential election in the pre- ceding year, Cass, democrat, carried the coun- ty over Taylor, whig. by 203 majority, but there was also a Van Buren, freesoil, vote of 261. It was the first election for officials of the new court, a judge and two assistant justices. The sensitive sectional distrusts before men- tioned, and also some personal issues entered into the election and broke the unity of party action. The democrats elected their candi- date for county judge. Philo A. Goodwin, by a large majority, the two associates and the school commissioner. The Whigs elected J. C. Bernard, county clerk, and also the county treasurer.

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Past and present of the city of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, Part 26

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