The History of Menard and Mason Counties, Illinois, Part 45

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 848

USA > Illinois > Mason County > The History of Menard and Mason Counties, Illinois > Part 45
USA > Illinois > Menard County > The History of Menard and Mason Counties, Illinois > Part 45

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436

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

ASSESSORS AND TREASURERS.

The following is a list of the names of those who served, together with the amounts paid them for making the county assessments : April 5, 1841, Ira Patter- son was elected, and was paid for the assessments, in 1841, $24.50. For the year 1842, $82. Ira Patterson was an early settler on Salt Creek, was elected a Justice of the Peace in 1838, and some years afterward, removed to Oregon Ter- ritory, and after it became a State, was elected Governor of Oregon! 1843, Thomas Hubbard was paid for thirty-six days' assessing, $72. It does not appear from the records whether he was elected or not. 1844, George H. Campbell was paid for forty-three days' assessing, $86. In 1845, he was paid for that service, $53.50. 1846, George H. Campbell was elected; allowance for assessment that year, $160. 1847, he was paid, for assessing, $124. 1848, Samuel Cannon was paid, for assessing, $150. 1849, he was paid $197.96, for assessing. 1850, John Cooper was paid, for assessing, $164.60. 1851, lie was paid for that work $180. 1852, Joseph F. Benner was paid for assessing, $200. 1853, he was paid for same work, $185. 1854, Robert McReynolds was paid for assessing, $270. 1855, he was paid for that work, $272.50. 1856, Robert McReynolds was paid for assessing, $262.50. 1857, he was paid $232.50, for that work. 1858, Joseph Statler was paid for assessing, $185. 1859, he was paid for assessing, $203.75. 1860, Jolın R. Teney was paid for assessing, $278. 1861, he was paid for that service, $405, and T. J. Kemper, for Assistant Assessor, $107.50, and J. H. Schulte, for assessing personal property, $52.50. This was the last year of the County Assessor's work.

COUNTY TREASURERS.

Under township organization, the County Treasurers have been : 1861, J. D. W. Bowman; 1863, Selah Wheadon ; 1865, Benjamin A. Rosebrough ; 1867, Isaac Newton Mitchel ; 1869, Benjamin West; 1871, Benjamin West, who died in August, 1873, leaving the office a defaulter; 1873, Marcellus Dear- born was appointed, and served balance of term after the death of West; 1873, Samuel Bivens was elected, and served ; 1875, Samuel Bivens was again elected ; 1877, Samuel Bivens was elected for the third time, and is now in office.

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

Since the organization of the county, the following persons have filled that office: 1841, George N. Walker; 1843, John L. Turner; 1848, E. B. Harp- ham; 1851, Samuel C. Conwell; 1854, Richard Ritter; 1857, Orlando H. Wright : 1859, Selah Wheadon ; 1861, W. E. Kenox ; 1863, William Warnock, Jr.

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS OF SCHOOLS.

For 1865, H. H. Moose ; 1869, H. H. Moose, resigned in 1872; 1872, S. M. Badger appointed to fill vacancy ; 1873, S. M. Badger elected ; 1877, S. M Badger still in office.

COUNTY SURVEYORS.

For 1841, Patrick W. Campbell ; 1843, P. W. Campbell; 1845, P. W. Campbell ; 1847, James Boggs ; 1849, James Boggs; 1851, William E. Dicks;

' 437

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

1853, John M. Sweeney ; 1855, E. Z. Hunt; 1857, P. W. Campbell; 1859, Wm. T. Newton ; 1861, John Donlin, resigned in 1862; 1862, P. W. Campbell elec- ted to fill vacancy ; 1863, P. W. Campbell ; 1865, Joseph C. Warnock ; 1867, Jolın J. Fletcher ; 1869, John R. Faulkner ; 1871, John R. Faulkner ; 1873, ' John R. Faulkner; 1875, James Boggs, elected for four years under new law. CORONERS.

For 1841, Jas. D. Averill; 1842, John H. Neteler ; 1844, John H. Neteler ; 1846, J. D. Averill ; 1848, John Adams; 1850, John Adams; 1852, Eli Thornburgh; 1854, James Boggs; 1856, William J. Odle; 1858, John McCor- mac : 1862, Lambert M. Hillyer; 1866, George W. Cole; 1868, Robert Me- Reynolds ; 1870, Isaac L. Tinkham ; 1872, Isaac L. Tinkham; 1874, Isaac L. Tinkham ; 1876, Isaac L. Tinkliam ; 1878, Isaac L. Tinkham. -

CIRCUIT JUDGES.

Judge Samuel H. Treat, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court and Pre- siding Judge of the Eighth Circuit, held the first term of court in Mason County at Havana, in the Ross Hotel, on the 12th of November, 1841. He appointed Joseph A. Phelps Circuit Clerk, and, in the absence of the Attorney General, appointed John D. Urquhart Attorney General, pro tempore. In two days, the docket was cleared of the thirty-eight cases thereon and court adjourned. Judge Treat held court two days in November, 1842, and disposed of thirty-eight cases on the docket; on the 8th of June, 1843, he held court one day and disposed of the twenty cases on docket. This was his last term of court in Havana. June 6, 1844, Judge Treat held the first term of court in Bath, which was his last term of court held in Mason County. Judge Samuel D. Lockwood hield the next term of court on the 23d and 24th of May, 1845, and appointed Frank-l lin S. D. Marshall Clerk of the Court. He continued to hold court in Bath until the 19th of October, 1848, which was the last term held by Judge Lock- wood, and also of Marshall as Clerk. Judge David M. Woodson, of the First Circuit, held the next term of court in April, 1849, John S. Wilbourn, Clerk. The last term of court in Bath was held by Judge Woodson, November 18, 1850. Judge William A. Minshall held the next term of court at Havana, on the 19th of May, 1851, Robert S, Blackwell,, Prosecuting Attorney ; J. S. Wilbourn, Clerk. The Judges that have presided in the Mason County Circuit Court since Judge Minshall, have been : Judge Pinckney H. Walker (now of the Supreme Court), elected in 1855; James Harriott, elected in 1861; Charles Turner, elected in 1867; Lyman Lacey, elected in 1873, and, at the organiza- tion of the Appellate Court, in 1877, was appointed one of the Appellate Judges in the Springfield District. Judge Lyman Lacy was again elected one of the. Judges of the Thirteenth Judicial District in June, 1879, and has since been assigned to the Ottawa District as one of the Appellate Judges.

STATE ATTORNEYS.

The following is the list of State Attorneys within the Judicial Districts to. which Mason County belonged, viz .: Robert S. Blackwell, elected in 1849;

438

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

. John S. Bailey, elected in 1853; Hugh Fullerton, of Mason, elected in 1857 ; Hugh Fullerton, elected in 1861; C. A. Roberts, elected in 1865; Cas. Whit- ney, elected in 1869.

COUNTY ATTORNEYS.

William H. Rogers was elected the first County Attorney, under the present law, in 1872, and served four years, leaving the office a defaulter. Thomas J. Mehan was elected County Attorney in 1876, and is still in office, in 1879.

MASTERS IN CHANCERY.

The records do not show that we had any Master in Chancery before the appointment of F. S. D. Marshall, who served from an early date up to October, 1853. Date of appointment not known. Nathan Powell was the successor of Marshall, and served up to the year 1857; John S. Wilbourn was the successor of Powell, and served to the year 1861 ; George A. Blanchard was the successor of Wilbourn, and served one year and resigned ; J. F. Coppell was appointed in October, 1862, and served to October, 1865; George A. Blanchard was appointed in October, 1865, and served three years ; James M. Ruggles was appointed in November, 1867, and served to January 29, 1869, when he resigned ; J. F. Coppell was appointed January 29, 1869, and served to August, 1875; John H. Havighorst was appointed in August, 1875, and still holds the office, in 1879.

DELEGATES TO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.

V Franklin S. D. Marshall, of Bath, was elected and served as a delegate in the Convention that formed the Constitution for the State of Illinois, in 1848 ; Orlando H. Wright, of Havana, was elected and served as a delegate in the Convention that formed the State Constitution, in 1870.

MEMBERS OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

Since the organization of the county, the following persons have been elected and served as members of the Illinois General Assembly :

Senators .- James M. Ruggles was elected to the Senate from the counties of Sangamon, Menard and Mason, in 1852, and served four years. At that time, the Legislature was composed of twenty-five Senators and seventy-five Representatives.

Luther Dearborn was elected to the Senate from the district composed of Mason, Menard, Cass and Brown Counties, in 1876. The Legislature at this time is composed of fifty-one Senators and 153 Representatives.

Representatives .- In 1846, Michael Swing was elected a Representative in the Legislature, and served two years. In 1850, John Pemberton was elected a Representative in the Legislature, and served two years. In 1868, John M. Beesley was elected a Representative in the Legislature, and served two years. In 1870, Matthew Langston was elected a Representative in the Legislature, and served two years. In 1872, H. H. Moore was elected and served two

441

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

years as a Representative in the Legislature. In 1874, John Pugh was elected and served two years as a Representative in the Legislature. In 1876, Jacob Wheeler was elected a Representative, and served two years in the Legislature. In 1878, Jacob Wheeler was again elected a Representative, and is still a mem- ber of the Legislature, in 1879.

AGRICULTURAL AND IMPLEMENTAL.

At the time of the first settlement of Mason County, agriculture was in its infancy. The farmer was contented and happy if he raised enough wheat to bread his family, do his seeding, and perhaps spare a few bushels to his newly settled neighbor. There were no grain merchants in those days, with mammoth warehouses and elevators, with banks full of money with which to buy up the surplus products of the country. The ground was poorly plowed with wooden plows, slovenly scratched over with wooden-toothed harrows ; the wheat was sown by hand, brushed in with a black-jack sapling, cut with a sickle, threshed on the ground by the tread of horses or oxen, and carried to mill and ground by the same animal power. The corn-ground was plowed in the same way, marked both ways with a single plow, planted with a lioe, and cultivated with hoes and single shovel-plows, a little larger than a man's hand. Truly, agriculture was in its infancy then, but the great and grand family of farm implements were not yet born into existence. The virgin soil, however, was generous to the hus- bandman, as the maiden with her first lover, and yielded bountifully with the least amount of cultivation.

The people, in those fifty years ago, made their own houses out of the logs that grew in the forest, raised the corn and wheat that made their bread, hunted the deer and turkey when tired of bacon, and, when in want of honey, hunted up a bee-tree and cut it down. The women-heaven bless them !- spun flax and wool, and made clothing for the family and themselves, and were just as happy in their linsey-woolsey dresses then, as now in their silks and satins. The hard work, hard living and plain dressing of those days, would cause the girls of our period to elevate their Grecian noses to a very sharp angle ; but it is well enough to remind them that these same women were, perhaps, their own grand- motliers, their cousins and their aunts, who thus toiled and spun to lay the foundations of fortune, which enables them to live in luxury and elegance. The memory of those days is well preserved in the poetry of some backwoods bard, from which we quote :

" The old log cabin, with its puncheon floor- The old log cabin, with its clapboard door- Shall we ever forget its moss-grown roof ? The old rattling loom, with its warp and woof ? The old stick chimney, of ' cat ' and clay- The old hearthstone, where we used to pray ? No ! we'll not forget the old wool wheel, Nor the hank on the old count-reel.

442

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

We'll not forget how we used to eat The sweet honeycomb with the fat deer-meat. We'll not forget how we used to bake That best of bread, the old johnny-cake."

Tradition says the first innovations in agriculture and animal culture were introduced in this county by S. C. Conwell. In 1840, he brought from Indiana a drove of domestic animals of superior grade and sold them to the farmers at fabulous prices. Pigs were sold at $400 a pair ; calves, as high as $400 apiece ; cows, and cattle of the male persuasion, sheep and other animals, at correspond- ing rates. Like most pioneer benefactors, Conwell was victimized. The farm- ers to whom he had sold became dissatisfied with their stock. George Virgin had bought one of the $400 calves, and concluded it was a young elephant on his hands. He held a war council of his granger friends to pass upon the quality of the blood that animated his calf. They examined it from head to tail, outside and inside, observed all the flesh marks, compared them with the putative sire, and, finally, pronounced it a fraud ! Mr. Conwell was arrested and taken before 'Squire Patterson (since Governor of Oregon) and bound over in $1,000 bond to appear at the bar of the Circuit Court of Mason County as a first-class criminal ! When the grand jury took the case in hand, Jesse Baker made them a speech in these words, as near as can be remembered: "You can't do nothin' with this young Jerusalem-over-taker ; he's too smart for ye, and ye'd better let him go." And the jury let him go, with but one objecting juryman. The jury let him go, but the reputation which this stock business gave him, with a certain class of people, hangs on to him to this day.

Mr. Conwell made the first marker used in the county for corn-planting. The old way of plowing furrows and planting with a hoe was a little too much work for him. He got a saw and auger and old wagon-tongue, and made the original marker that laid off four rows instead of one, which was a great saving to a lazy man. Then he got an old spade and fastened on an old shovel-plow stock and made a jumper to cover the corn with. The neighboring people looked on and commented on "the lazy Yankee, with his fool notions;" but in a year or two these were established institutions. The old way of carrying a sack of wheat and sowing out of it by hand vexed the righteous soul of Con, and so he mounted an old horse, took the sack of wheat in front of him, tied a handkerchief over the horse's ears to keep the wheat out, and went on his way rejoicing in that better way which he inaugurated. When the wheat was ready for thresh- ing, he sent to M. A. Bruce, living in Scott County, to bring his thresher and separator into Mason County, which was so far ahead of anything before seen that it brought joy into the hearts of the admiring grangers.

-In the year of 1868, Mr. Connell contracted with Gen. Walker to do a job of prairie-breaking with a steam plow, made in England. The season was wet, the machine was too heavy-like all English machinery-but it demonstrated the fact that plowing can be well done and rapidly, too, by steam. Now there

443

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

are machines for doing all kinds of work, so that, with a little help, large crops can be raised and marketed. In Dakota, there is a wheat-grower who now has twenty steam threshing machines in his wheat-field, threshing wheat and deliver- ing it in wagons to be taken to the cars as fast as it is cut. In Havana, Mason City and other towns in the county there are houses doing a large and exclusive business in agricultural machinery of all kinds required by the most advanced agriculturist. There is a manufactory on Field's Prairie where the best wheat drill now in use is made to a limited extent by John L. Ashurst.

There are two wagon and carriage factories in Havana, carried on by Mr. Warren and the Messrs. Yates, where considerable work is being done; but the lack of more manufacturing establishments in the county is deplorable and a reproach to the enterprise of its people.

MASON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The first movement for the organization of an agricultural society was made in the year 1854, as will be seen from the following, which we find in the local laws of 1855: " A meeting of the citizens of Mason County was held at the Court House in Havana, on Saturday, the 14th day of January, 1854, for the purpose of organizing an agricultural society. President, J. D. W. Bowman ; Secretary, J. M. Fisk. A constitution was submitted by S. C. Conwell, which, on motion of H. C. McIntire, was read and adopted. On motion of H. C. McIntire, J. M. Fisk was elected President ; and, on motion of S. C. Conwell, J. D. W. Bowman, Julius Jones and H. C. McIntire were elected Vice Presi- dents. On motion, John Covington was elected Recording Secretary, and Fran- cis Low, Corresponding Secretary. On motion, Alexander Gray was elected Treasurer."

Under this organization, annual fairs were held at Havana, in which the people manifested considerable interest up to the year 1858, when the Society was re-organized, as will be seen by the following record, taken from the County Court proceedings :

" WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of Illinois did, on the 8th day of February, 1857, enact-a general law for the incorporation of agricultural socie- ties within the State for the better government of the same, therefore, according to notice, tlie undersigned, legal voters of Mason County, met at the Court House in the town of Havana on Tuesday, the 8th day of June, 1858, for the purpose of organizing under the act of the Legislature and adopting a constitu- tion and by-laws for the Agricultural Society of Mason County. The meeting being called to order, A. D. Hopping was elected President, and John H. Hav- ighorst was nominated Secretary. On motion, it was

" Resolved, That this Society be styled the 'Mason County Agricultural Society.'

" Resolved, further, That the Constitution and By-Laws herctofore adopted by this Society be accepted and adopted without amendment.

444

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

" Resolved, further, That the persons elected as officers of the Mason County Agricultural Society, at their general meeting for the election of officers, to wit : A. D. Hopping, President ; A. Biggs, Samuel Rule and William Atwater, Vice Presidents ; John H. Havighorst, Recording Secretary ; Selah Wheaden, Cor- responding Secretary, and William Higbee, Treasurer, be and remain the officers of this Society for the ensuing year and until their successors are elected.

" On motion of J. D. W. Bowman, it was resolved that the above proceedings be adopted. Carried.

"John Covington, J. P. West, J. D. Hays, Judson R. Foster, H. B. McGehe, G. Walker, J. D. W. Bowman, J. H. West, S. C. Conwell, Reuben Heniger, W. Higbee, J. S. Wilbourn, J. H. Havighorst, C. J. Dilworth, C. W. Pierce, A. H. Bower, Joshua Thomas, John B. Seat, A. Nash, R. McReynolds, A. D. Hopping.

" On motion, the meeting adjourned.

"J. H. HAVIGHORST, Secretary.'

A. D. HOPPING, President.

Under this new organization, the Society continued to the year 1872, when it was re-organized as a joint-stock company, with a capital of $10,000, under the name of the " Mason County Agricultural and Mechanical Association."

The officers for the year 1872, the first under the new organization, were : President, James F. Kelsey, of Havana; Vice President, R. R. Simmons, Havana ; Secretary, John W. Jones, Havana ; Treasurer, Thomas Covington, Havana.

The officers for 1878-79 are : President, Samuel Bivens ; Vice President, W. S. Dray; Secretary, Samuel F. Kyle; Treasurer, Thomas Covington ; Superintendent, W. H. Webb.

The Society has had annual fairs from the beginning until 1860, when they were discontinued until 1866, since which time they have not failed. The most of these fairs have been very creditable to the people of the county, and the premiums have run as high as $2,000, or near that amount ; and there has not been an instance where they have not been paid in full, as we are informed by the officers, showing that the affairs of the Society have been conducted in an honorable way. The grounds are situated about a mile north of the city of Havana, with one of the best tracks for trotting in this part of the State. About $5,000 have been expended on the grounds.

FARMING IN MASON COUNTY.

Whole number of acres of land in Mason County 300,000

Number of acres of improved lands. 212,034

Number of acres of woodland in the county 34,532

Number of acres of corn in 1879 67,599

Number of acres of winter wheat in 1879: 8,056

Number of acres of spring wheat in 1879 852

Number of acres of oats in 1879. 6,711

Number of acres of other kinds of crops in 1879. 5,347

445

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

Number of acres of meadows in 1879

2,876

Number of acres of pasture in 1879.

7,295

Number of acres of orchards in 1879

1,699

Number of cattle in 1879

6,554

Number of hogs in 1879.

17,267

Number of sheep in 1879.

533

Number of horses in 1879

12,039

Number of mules in 1879.

2,156

CORN CROP OF 1877 AND 1878 IN MASON COUNTY.

Acres in cultivation in 1877, 81,939 ; yield 16 bush. per acre; total crop ... 1,311,024 Value of crop at 31 cents per bushel. $406,417

Acreage in 1878, 61,454; yield per acre, 20 bushels ; total. 1,229,080

Value of crop at 25 cents per bushel.

$307,270

CROPS IN THE STATE.

Acreage of the following crops for four past years in the State,

1875.

1876.

1877.

1878.

Corn

8,189,914

8,815,791

7,627,735

3,672,088

Wheat

2,004,275

1,938,527

2,069,563

2,324,755

Oats ...

758,694

1,660,778

1,456,644

1,568,120

Meadows

2,293,333

2,475,782

2,302,888

2,368,854

Pastures.

4,219,347

4,289,918

3,760.071

3,983,459

Orchards.

311,555

342,682

394,684

412,140

Other field products

1,471,418

788,207

711,228

PRINCIPAL CROPS IN THE STATE.

The following table shows the yield of the crops named and also the market value of the same for the years 1877 and 1878:

1877.

1878.

Corn, bushels

269,889,742

260,560,810

Winter Wheat, bushels.

29,510,032

30,018,147

Spring Wheat, bushels

2,980,524

3,870,251

Oats, bushels.

67,145,983

62,096,388

Hay, tons.

4,044,969

4,255,471

Value-1877.

1878

Corn.

$77,552,879

$56,035,848

Winter Wheat.

34,960,824

23,870,257

Spring Wheat.

3,041,258

3,189,203

Oats

16,269,647

12,451,889

Hay

21,971,368

19,994,341

Pasture.

14,764,112

12,324,647

Orchard Fruits

3,589,672

4,181,662

Hog Products.

22,738,881

16,724,384

Total

$204,898,641 $148,772,231

446

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

NO. OF ACRES, BUSHELS AND VALUE OF CORN CROP FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS.

Year.

No. Acres.

Average yield per acre.

Bushels.

Price per Bushel.

Total Value.

Value per Acre.

1860

3,839,159

115,174,770

42}

$48,944,277

$12 74

1861

3,839,159

115,174,770

27,641,944

7 00

1862.

3,458,903

138,356,135

32,821,911

9 49

1863

3,773,349

83,013,681

51,479,442

13 64

1864.

4,192,610

138,356,135

103,767,101

24 75

1865.

5,023,996

354

177,095,852

291

51,800,536

10 31

1866.

4,931 783

31.6

155,844,350

67,013,070

13 58

1867

4,583,655

23.8

109,091.000

74,281,880

16 20

1868.

3,928,742

34.2

134,363,000

57,776,090

14 70

1869

5,237,068

23.2.

121.500,000

69,255,000

13 22

1870.

5,720,965

35.2

201,378,000

70,482,300

12 32

1871

5,310,469

38.3

203,391,000

65,085,120

12 25

1872.

5,498,040

39.8

217,628,000

.24

52,230,720

9 53

1873 ..

6,839,714

143,634,000

45,962,880

6 72

1874.

7,421,055

133,579,000

74,804,290

10 08

1875.

8,163,265

34.3

280,000,000

95,200,000

11 66

1876

8,920,000

223,000,000

69,130,000

7 75

1877

8,935,411

269,889,742

77,562,879

8 68

1878

8,672,088

250,560,810

56,035,842

6 46

STATE CROPS FOR 1879.

Whole number of acres land within the State. 35,200,000

Number of acres of improved land in the State .25,838,072

Number of acres of woodland in the State. 5,607,990

Number of acres of corn in the State for the year 1879. 89,965,761

Number of acres of winter wheat in the State in 1879. 2,075,585

Number of acres of spring wheat in the State in 1879.

290,213

Number of acres of oats in the State in 1879.

1,448,562

Number of acres of other kinds of crops in the State in 1879.

711,228

Number of acres of rye in the State in 1879.

246,120

Number of acres of meadow in the State in 1879

2,179,122

Number of acres of pasture in the State in 1879.

4,157,320

Number of acres of orchards in the State in 1879

412,140

Number of cattle in the State in 1879

1,722,057

Number of hogs in the State in 1879

2,814,532

Number of sheep in the State in 1879.

762,788

Number of horses in the State in 1879

881,951

Number of mules in the State in 1879.

122,348

LIVE STOCK AND DAIRY.

The following are the statistics for the year 1877 :

Number of fat cattle sold in the State

423,984

Average gross weight, per head of cattle sold.

1,057

Number of fat hogs sold. 2,455,573

252

Number of hogs and pigs died of cholera. 1,445,268

Average gross weight of swine died of cholera

Number of fat sheep sold. 241,422

Average weight of same

Number of sheep killed by dogs in the State

39,649

Average value per head of same. $2.29

Number or pounds of wool shorn 3,291,677

Average gross weight, .per head of hogs sold.

447

HISTORY OF MASON COUNTY.

DAIRY.

Number of cows kept in the State.

556,466

Pounds of butter sold. 18,970,227

Pounds of cheese sold. 4,502,671

Gallons of cream sold

2,744,259

Gallons of milk sold

17,124,506

CLIMATOLOGY.

The seasons, like many other things, run in cycles-not always of the same duration-but observation, extending over the last forty years, has satisfied the observer that dry, or moderately dry, periods, continue not longer than seven years. The earth, that is called inanimate, has many of the characteristics of the animated being. It cannot run more than seven years and maintain its reputation for cleanliness and healthfulness, without having a bath ; and, the bath being ordered, the rains descend, until the big, rounded form of old Mother Earth has had a good washing and cleansing from the impurities that accumulate.

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The History of Menard and Mason Counties, Illinois, Part 45

Author: Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 848

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 848