USA > Illinois > Adams County > The history of Adams County Illinois : containing a history of the county - its cities, towns, etc. a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion; general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 32
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Every county is required to relieve and support all poor and in- digent persons lawfully resident therein. "Residence " means the actual residence of the party, or the place where he was employed; or in case he was in no employment, then it shall be the place where he made his home. When any person becomes chargeable as a panper who did not reside in the county at the commencement of six months immediately preceding his becoming so, but did at the time reside elsewhere in this State, then the county becomes liable for the expense of taking care of such person until removed; and it is the duty of the overseer to notify the proper authorities of the fact. If any person shall bring and leave any pauper in any county in this State where such pauper had no legal residence, knowing him to be such, he is liable to a fine of $100. In counties under town- ship organization, the supervisors in each town are ex-officio over- seers of the poor. The overseers of the poor act under the directions of the County Board in taking care of the poor and granting tem- porary relief; also, in providing for non-resident persons not pau- pers who may be taken sick and not able to pay their way, and, in case of death, causing such persons to be decently buried.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE CONVEYANCES.
When practicable from the nature of the ground, persons travel ing in any kind of vehicle must turn to the right of the center of the road, so as to permit each carriage to pass without interfering
231
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
with the other. The penalty for a violation of this provision is $5 for every offense, to be recovered by the party injured; but to re- cover, there must have occurred some injury to person or property resulting from the violation. .
The owners of any carriage traveling upon any road in this State for the conveyance of passengers, who shall employ or continue in their employment as driver any person who is addicted to drunken- ness, or the excessive use of spirituous liquors, after he has had notice of the same, shall pay a forfeit at the rate of $5 per day; and if any driver, while actually engaged in driving any such carriage, shall be guilty of intoxication to such a degree as to endanger the safety of passengers, it shall be the duty of the owner, on receiving written notice of the fact, signed by one of the passengers, and cer- tified by him on oath, forthwith to discharge such driver. If such owner shall have such driver in his employ within three months after such notice, he is liable for $5 per day for the time he shall keep such driver in his employment after receiving such notice.
Persons driving any carriage on any public highway are prohib- ited from running their horses upon any occasion, under a penalty of a fine not exceeding $10, or imprisonment not exceeding sixty days, at the discretion of the court. Horses attached to any car- riage used to convey passengers for hire must be properly hitched, or the lines placed in the hands of some other person, before the driver leaves them for any purpose. For violation of this provision each driver shall forfeit twenty dollars, to be recovered by action commenced within six months.
It is understood by the term " carriage" herein to mean any car- riage or vehicle used for the transportation of passengers, or goods, or either of them.
WAGERS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
Wagers upon the result of an election have always been consid- ered as void, as being contrary to sound policy, and tending to im- pair the purity of elections. Wagers as to the mode of playing, or as to the result of any illegal game, as boxing, wrestling, cock- fighting, etc., are void at common law.
Stakeholders must deliver the thing holden by them to the person entitled to it, on demand. It is frequently questionable who is en- titled to it. In case of an unlawful wager, although he may be jus-
232
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
tified for delivering the thing to the winner, by the express or im - plied consent of the loser, yet if before the event has happened he has been required by either party to give up the thing deposited with him by such party, he is bound to deliver it; or if, after the event has happened, the losing party gives notice to the stakeholder not to pay the winner, a payment made to him afterwards will be made to him in his own wrong, and the party who deposited the money or thing may recover it from the stakeholder.
SUNDAY.
Labor of whatever kind, other than the household offices of daily necessity, or other work of charity and necessity, on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday, is in general under penalty pro- hibited; but all persons do not come under prohibition. If a con- tract is commenced on Sunday, but not completed until a subsequent day, or if it merely grew out of a transaction which took place on Sunday, it is not for this reason void. Thus, if a note is signed on Sunday, its validity is not impaired if it be not delivered on that day.
DEFINITION OF COMMERCIAL TERMS.
$ means dollars, being a contraction of U. S., which was for- merly placed before any denomination of money, and meant, as it means now, United States currency. £ means pounds, English money. @ stands for at or to; Ib for pound; bbl. for barrel; and { for per or by the. Thus, butter sells at 20@30c. p 1b, and flour at $6@10 # bbl. |. stands for per cent., and # for number.
In the example " May 1-wheat sells at $1.05@1.10, seller June," seller June means that the person who sells the wheat has the privilege of delivering it at any time during the month of June. "Selling short" is contracting to deliver a certain amount of grain or stock at a fixed price within a certain length of time, when the seller has not the stock on hand. It is for the interest of the person selling " short" to depress the market as much as possi- ble, in order that he may buy and fill his contract at a profit. Hence the " shorts " are termed "bears."
LEGAL WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
Whenever any of the following articles shall be contracted for, or sold or delivered, and no special contract or agreement shall be
233
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
made to the contrary, the weight per bushel shall be as follows, to-wit:
ibs.
lbs.
Apples, dried.
.24
Hemp seed.
44
Barley ..
.48
Hair (plastering)
8
Beans, white ..
.60
Lime, unslacked
.80
Beans, castor.
.46
Onions.
.57
Buckwheat.
.52
Oats ... .32
Bran .. .
.20
Potatoes, Irish. .60
Blue-glass seed
14
Peaches, dried. 33
Broom-corn seed. 46
Potatoes, sweet. .55
Coal, stove. .80
Rye. .56
Corn, in the ear. 70
Salt, fine. .55
Corn, shelled
.56
Salt, coarse.
.50
Corn meal.
48
Turnips.
55
Clover seed
.60
Timothy seed.
45
Flax seed
.56
Wheat.
.60
BEES.
Bees, while unreclaimed, are by nature wild animals. Those which take up their abode in a tree belong to the owner of the soil in which the tree grows, if unreclaimed; but if reclaimed and identi- fied they belong to their former owner. If a swarm has flown from the hive of A, they are his so long as they are in sight, and may easily be taken; otherwise, they become the property of the first occupant. Merely finding on the land of another person a tree containing a swarm of bees, and marking it, does not vest the property of the bees in the finder. They do not become property until actually hived.
DOGS.
Dogs are animals of a domestic nature. The owner of a dog has such property in him that he may maintain an action for an injury to him, or to recover him when unlawfully taken away and kept by another.
When, in consequence of his vicious propensities, a dog becomes a common nuisance the owner may be indicted, and where one commits an injury, if the owner had knowledge of his mischievous propensities, he is liable for the injury. A man has a right to keep a dog to guard his premises, but not to put him at the entrance of his house, because a person coming there on lawful business may be injured by him, though there may be another entrance to the house. But if a dog is chained, and a visitor incautiously goes so near him that he is bitten, he has no right of action against the owner.
234
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.
Whoever shall willfully overdrive, overload, overwork, torture, torment, beat, deprive of necessary and proper food, drink, or shelter, or cruelly kill any such animal, or work an old, maimed, sick, or disabled animal, or keep any animal in an unnecessarily cruel manner, for each and every offense shall be liable to a fine of not less than $3 or more than $200, to be recovered on complaint before any Justice of the Peace, or by indictment. The word "animal " used shall be taken to mean any living creature.
NAMES.
Any person desirous of changing his name, and to assume another name, may file a petition in the Circuit Court of the county where he resides, praying for such change. Such petition shall set forth the name then held, and also the name sought to be assumed, together with his residence, and the length of time he shall have resided in this State, and his nativity. In case of minors, parents or guardians must sign this petition; and said petition shall be verified by the affidavit of some credible person. A previous notice shall be given of such intended application by publishing a notice thereof in a county newspaper for three consecutive weeks, the first insertion to be at least six weeks prior to the first day of the term of the court in which the said petition is to be filed.
UNITED STATES MAILS.
The following suggestions and rulings of the Post Office Depart- ment in regard to the sending of matter through the United States mails will be found valuable. By giving careful attention to and closely following them, almost perfect security from all delays and losses, and the many little vexatious inquiries generally made by the public will be avoided.
Make the address legible and complete, giving the name of the postoffice, county and state; the name of the street, and the num- ber of the house, also, should always be given on letters addressed to cities where letter-carriers are employed. Letters intended for places in foreign countries should have the name of the country as well as the postoffice given in full.
See that every letter, newspaper or other packet sent by mail is securely folded and fastened. Avoid using, as much as possible,
235
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
cheap envelopes made of thin paper, especially when containing more than one sheet of paper.
Never send money or any other article of value through the mail, except by means of a money order or in a registered letter. Every letter sent should contain the full name and address of the writer, with the county and State, in order to secure its return if the person to whom it is directed cannot be found. Persons who have large correspondence find it most convenient to use "special request " envelopes, but those who only mail an occasional letter can avoid the trouble by writing a request to "return if not delivered," etc., on the envelope.
Postage stamps should be placed upon the upper right hand corner of the addressed side of all mail matter.
Written matter in unsealed envelopes prepaid with only a one- cent postage stamp will be held for postage.
Diplomas, commissions, certificates, etc., having written signa- tures attached, circulars having anything written thereon, are sub- ject to postage at the rate of three cents for each half ounce or fraction thereof.
Stamps cut from stamped envelopes, mutilated postage stamps, and internal revenue stamps, will not be accepted in payment for postage. Letters deposited in a postoffice having such matter affixed are held for postage.
To use, or attempt to use, in payment of postage a postage stamp, or stamped envelope, or any stamp cut from such stamped envelopes, which has been before used in payment of postage, is punishable with a fine of fifty dollars.
In using postal cards, be careful not to write or have anything printed on the side to be used for the address, except the address; also be careful not to attach anything to them. They are unmail- able as postal cards when these suggestions are disregarded.
No cards are "postal cards" except such as are issued by the Post Office Department. In no one case will unclaimed cards be returned to the writer or sent to the Dead Letter Office. If not delivered within sixty days from time of receipt they will be burned by the post- master.
To insure a letter being forwarded in the mails it must have not less than three cents in postage stamps affixed.
After a letter has passed from the mailing office the delivering
236
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
of it cannot be delayed or prevented by the writer; but, if the writer request the return of the letter, which has not left in the mail, the post-master may deliver it, if he is satisfied that the party applying is the writer.
A subscriber to a newspaper or periodical who changes his resi- dence and postoffice should at once notify the publishers of the change.
Printed matter, merchandise and other third-class matter cannot be forwarded from the office to which it is addressed unless postage is furnished for such purposes. A request to return indorsed on such matter will not be regarded unless postage is furnished for the purpose. A request to return written on such matter subjects the package to letter postage.
All packages mailed at less than letter postage should be wrapped so that their contents can be readily ascertained without destroying the wrapper.
Matter contained in sealed envelopes, notched at the ends, is sub- ject to letter postage.
The sender of any article of the third-class may write his or her name or address therein, or on the outside thereof, with the word " from " above or preceding the same, or may write or print on any package the number and name of articles inclosed.
All losses should be promptly reported.
Packages of any description of mail matter may weigh not exceed- ing four pounds.
RATES OF POSTAGE.
On letters, sealed packages, mail matter, wholly or partly in writing, except book manuscript and corrected proofs passing between authors and publishers, and except local or drop letters, or postal cards; all printed matter so marked as to convey any other or further information than is conveyed by the original print, except the correction of mere typographical errors; all matter otherwise chargeable with letter postage, but which is so wrapped or secured that it cannot be conveniently examined by the post-masters with. out destroying the wrapper or envelope; all packages containing matter not in itself chargeable with letter postage, but in which is enclosed or concealed any letter, memorandum, or other thing chargeable with letter postage, or upon which is any writing or memorandum; all matter to which no specific rate of postage is
237
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
assigned; and manuscript for publication in newspapers, magazines or periodicals, THREE CENTS FOR EACH HALF OUNCE OR FRACTION THEREOF.
On local or drop letters, at offices where free delivery by carriers is established, TWO CENTS FOR EACH HALF OUNCE OR FRACTION THEREOF.
On local or drop letters, at offices where free delivery by carriers is not established, ONE CENT FOR EACH HALF OUNCE OR FRACTION THEREOF.
RATES OF POSTAGE ON THIRD-CLASS MATTER.
By act of July 12, 1876, third-class matter is divided as follows: One cent for two ounces .- Almanacs, books (printed), calendars, catalogues, corrected proofs, hand-bills, magazines, when not sent to regular subscribers, maps (lithographed or engraved), music (printed sheet), newspapers, when not sent to regular subscribers, occasional publications, pamphlets, posters, proof-sheets, prospec- tuses, and regular publications designed primarily for advertising purposes, or for free circulatien, or for circulation at nominal rates.
One cent for each ounce .- Blank books, blank cards, book manu- script, card boards and other flexible materials, chromo-lithographs, circulars, engravings, envelopes, flexible patterns, letter envelopes, letter paper, lithographs, merchandise, models, ornamented paper, postal cards, when sent in bulk and not addressed, photographic views, photographic paper, printed blanks, printed cards, sample cards, samples of ores, metals, minerals, and merchandise, seeds cuttings, bulbs, roots and scions, and stereoscopic views.
Any article of mail matter, subject to postage at the rate of one cent for each ounce or fraction thereof, which may be enclosed in the same package with items subject to the rate of one cent for each two ounces or fraction thereof, will subject the entire package to the highest rate, viz .; one cent for each ounce or fraction thereof.
The following articles are unmailable:
Packages containing liquids, poisons, glass, explosive chemicals, live animals, sharp pointed instruments, flour, sugar, or any other matter liable to deface or destroy the contents of the mail, or injure the person of any one connected with the service. All letters upon the envelope of which, or postal card upon which indecent, lewd, obscene, or lascivious delineations, epithets, terms or language may be written or printed, or disloyal devices printed or engraved,
238
DIGEST OF STATE LAWS.
and letters or circulars concerning illegal lotteries, so called gift concerts or other similar enterprises offering prizes, or concerning schemes devised and intended to deceive and defraud the public- Also, all obscene, lewd or lascivious books, pamphlets, pictures, papers, prints or other publications of an indecent character.
REGISTERED MATTER.
The fee for registering a letter going anywhere in the United States is fixed at ten cents in addition to the regular postage. Post- masters are required to register all letters properly presented for that purpose, but no letters are to be registered on Sunday.
Registered letters will never be delivered to any person but the one to whom they are addressed, or to one whom the post-master knows to be authorized to receive them.
MONEY ORDERS.
The money-order system is intended to promote public conven- ience and to secure safety in the transfer through the mails of small sums of money. The principal means employed to attain safety consists in leaving out of the order the name of the payee or per- son for whom the money is intended. In this respect a money- order differs from an ordinary bank draft or check. An advice or notification containing full particulars of the order is transmitted without delay by the issuing post-master to the post-master at the office of payment. The latter is thus furnished, before the order itself is presented, with information which will enable him to pre- vent its payment to any person not entitled thereto, provided the remitter complies with the regulation of the Department, which prohibits him from sending the same information in a letter inclosed with his order.
Under no circumstances can payment of an order be demanded on the day of its issue. The fees or charges for money-orders will be as follows:
On orders not exceeding $15. .10 cents
On orders over $15 and not exceeding $30. 15 cents
On orders over $30 and not exceeding $40. .20 cents
On orders over $40 and not exceeding $50. .25 cents
When a larger sum than $50 is required, additional orders to make it up must be obtained. But post-masters are instructed to refuse to issue in one day, to the same remitter and in favor of the same payee, more than three money-orders payable at the same postoffice.
HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
[From the State Geologist's Reports.]
BOUNDARIES-GEOLOGICAL-CARBONIFEROUS-ST. LOUIS SANDSTONE-KIN- DERHOOK GROUP-ECONOMICAL GEOLOGY-BITUMINOUS COAL-LIME- STONE FOR LIME-CLAY AND SAND FOR BRICK-SOIL AND TIMBER.
BOUNDARIES.
This county lies upon the western border of the State and is bounded on the north by Hancock county, on the east by Brown and Pike counties, on the south by Pike, and on the west by the Mississippi river. It embraces an area of about twenty-three townships, or, eight hundred and thirty square miles. It is well watered, having in addition to the great river which forms its western boundary several smaller streams which afford a thorough surface drainage to all parts of the county. Bear creek drains the northern portion of the county, McGee's the eastern and central, and McDonald's creek, Hadley's creek and Mill creek intersect the southern south-western portion. These streams furnish a small amount of water power for mills and machinery, as well as an abundant supply of water for the stock grower. Fine springs of fresh water are abundant in some portions of the county, and more especially in the southern and west- ern part, where the Burlington or Quincy limestone is the prevailing rock. This limestone is somewhat cavernous and admits the free passage of sub- terranean waters through it until they finally find an outlet at the surface in limpid streams of cold limestone water.
The uplands in this county are nearly equally divided into timber and prairie, the timber portions being mainly restricted to the broken lands in the vicinity of the streams. The prairies are generally quite rolling, except in the north-eastern portion of the county where they are compara- tively level. The general elevation of the prairie region, above the level of the Mississippi, at low water, is from two hundred to two hundred and eighty feet.
Along the western border of the county there is a belt of alluvial bot- tom land from one to five miles in width, extending the whole length of the county from north to south, except for about two miles in the vicinity of Quincy, where the bluffs approach near to the river bank. A portion of these
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240
HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.
alluvial lands is quite dry, being only overflowed by the highest floods in the river, and possesses a very rich and productive soil and is partly prairie, es- pecially the higher portions adjacent to the river bluffs. The low bottoms are in part covered with a heavy growth of timber embracing many varieties not found on the uplands. The bottom lands north of Quincy toward the Hancock county line are intersected with numerous bayous and in the north-west corner of the county one of these widens into a lake four or five miles in length by about two in width, known as Lima lake. The bottom lands in this part of the county are mostly too wet for cultivation, but below Quiney they are rather higher and afford some fine farming lands, especially along the foot of the bluffs where a considerable area is above the high water level of the river.
GEOLOGICAL. .
The geological formations exposed in this county comprise the lower carboniferons limestone series about three hundred feet in thickness, about one hundred feet of the lower part of the coal measures and the Quater- nary and Post Tertiary deposits of more recent age which unconformably overlie all the others. The following section will show the thickness and relative positions of the formations exposed in this county:
QUATERNARY. FT.
Alluvium and loess.
30 to 40
Drift clay with gravel and boulders.
80 to 90
Post Tertiary soil. 2 to 6
Brown clay
6
Tough blue clay
20
COAL MEASURES.
Beds of sandstone, sandy and argillaceous shale with bands of limestone, bitumin-
ous shale and fire clay, with two or three seams of coal.
100
St. Louis group.
Keokuk group. 80 to 100 100
Burlington limestone.
Kinderhook group partly exposed.
50
LOWER CARBONIFEROUS LIMESTONES. 40 to 50
The Quaternary system properly includes all the deposits, both strat- ified and unstratified, that are of more recent origin than the Pliocene Tertiary. In this county we find a series of beds comprising an aggregate thickness of about one hundred and sixty feet, which properly belongs to this system. They include the surface soil and subsoil on the uplands, and the alluvial deposits of the river valleys, the Loess which is largely developed along the bluffs of the Mississippi, the Drift proper, including all the thiek beds of unstratified clay and gravel, enclosing boulders of large size, and, lastly, an ancient Post Tertiary soil and subordinate clays, usually distinctly stratified, and without boulders which rest immediately upon the stratified rocks.
The soil at different localities rests upon, and is in part derived from, each of these subdivisions of the Quaternary system, and consequently
241
HISTORY OF ADAMS COUNTY.
varies considerably in its general appearance and productive qualities in accordance with the character of the beds on which it rests and from which it has been mainly formed.
The alluvial deposits of the Mississippi valley consist of partially stratified sands, alternating with dark bluish-gray, or chocolate-brown clays, deposited by the annual floods of the river. In the vicinity of the bluffs these deposits are annually increased, by the wash from the adjacent hills and the sediments that are carried down by the small streams during their overflows.
The valley of the Mississippi has been excavated in solid limestone strata to the depth of from one hundred and fifty to three hundred feet, or more, and from five to ten miles in width; and as we frequently find some portions of this valley still occupied by the beds of unaltered drift material, exactly like that which covers the adjacent highlands, we have undoubted evidence that it was not formed by the river, which now, in part, occupies it; but is due to some other and more potent agency, dating back to a period long anterior to the formation of the existing water courses. It is very evident that the surface of the stratified rocks in this portion of the State have been subjected to the action of powerful denuding forces, ante- rior to the accumulation of the superficial materials which now occupy the surface, by which these rocks were greatly eroded, and in many places cut into deep valleys, some of which now form our river courses, while others are wholly or partially filled with Drift and Post Tertiary beds; and it is highly probable that if we could see a complete section of the beds which now occupy these ancient valleys, we should find beneath the alluvial beds, already described, even older than any which now cover the adjacent highlands. Along the banks of the water courses we find only from ten to twenty feet of the alluvial beds exposed by natural causes, and the charac- ter of the underlying strata can only be determined by artificial excavations.
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