The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-11-21
EAsNAsESIA.


Journal, writing from St. Louis,
says: -
/ think | did not inform you that
when at Chester, (lll.,) visited the
old French settlement Of Kaskaskiu.
lit was settled in 1864, the next year
after Philadelphia. Peck says it
once contained seven thousand in
habitants, and Mitchell says twenty
thousand. | think Peck nearest
right; it now contains about six
hundred inhabitants. Everything is
decaying. The whole place looks
most like the quarters Of the negroes
and most filthy portion Of our large
cities. The fields in every direction
are filed with the remains of Gid
wells, the houses having decayed or
been taken down. Last year the
high water injured the place greatly.
The town is perfectly fiat, and the
whole was covered with water a
number Of weeks. The highest point
of the water was eight feet on lev
ell all over the town. Many of the
; small dwellings were swept off.
The people, nearly all French, left
for the neighboring banks, where
! they enjoyed themselves highly.
They would get a barrel of whis-
key, knock out the head, and dance
: ! about it until fatigue or intoxication
compelled them to desist. When
; one barrel was gone, they unheaded
) another-and thus, in sight of their
| submerged houses, they acted out
+ French levity. Great sickness af-
, terward prevailed and hundreds died
from the effects of the unhealthy
, condition in which the city was lett
a on the subsiding of the water.
When Kaskaskia was in its most
4 palmy days, it was the most gay and
! dissipated city in the Union.
! Everything was spent in frolick-
ing. Soon as long evenings COM
$ menced, they chose King and
Queen, who were implicitly obcyed
in the ballroom. Calls were kept
:, up constantly three times a week.
u Sometimes the balls were public,
h and all went that desired, and | be-
1t lieve free. One lady Of my acquain-
: lance informed me she lived there
= twenty years ago, at which time sho
a got one dollar fifty cents apiece for
p making fine shirts, that she was kept
/ constantly employed, all of which
: she spent in dresses for balls, etc.
!, TheNew York correspondent Of
:. the Washington Union, in noticing
1t the death of an erring girl in that
"" city, uses the following language =
81 had occasion, yesterday after,
~ noon, to attend coroner's inquest
IS held over the body of a very beauti-
y full young female, who had died
+ suddenly, in one of those guided
'g palaces of sin that are found in a
C. certain part of our city. was sur
priced Notwithstanding | profess to
'e be no novicc) at the magnificencc
as and splcndor OF this house of vice.
n The furniture, paintings, carpets,
l. chandeliers, sofas, &c., &C., were
Mt of the mosI costly and beautiful de-
scription. Indeed, doubt whether
many of our wealthy merchant
princes can boast Of furniture Of an
o. equally rich, luxurious, and elegan,
n character. The story Of the unfor-
n tunate was soon told. She was o.
A. respectable parentagc, and native
n; of Massachusetts, had left her home
ne to seek employment here. She hat
ey lived in this or similar houses fol
two or three years. Habits con-
by tracted by her course of life caused
fatal sickness, from the effects o
no which she died--without moments
. warning she died Poor girl! Sh.
!" had left perhaps a happy, peaceful
home, where she had. in the happ,
DAYS of innocence and childhood
lat partaken of the plain but joyous
10; comforts of domestic peace. Full
ed of youth, beauty, virtue, and ANNA
me ted by honest industry, she had
wandered to this strange city-st
by full of pleasure and of sin, Of splen
dor, Of crime, and wretchedncss-ir
as the hope of gaining livelihood fol
C. herself, or that which should cheer
re her kind old parents in their helpless
age. And here, surrounded by hel
&C, wicked, sinful, fallen companions
MI but in the midst Of apparent luxur.
an here, amid false and gaudy orna
n ment, but in stern reality of lonli
1t ness, misery, and unsolaced grief
Ia she had laying upon her dying bed
canopied with the richest silks: he
II, IN head pressing pillow Of softss
he down covered with muslin Of tn
ut finest texture, friendless to die
J., Alas! no mothers prayer was hear
y! asking forgivncss for her erring spi
lr- rit ere it sped from the scenes 0
IG. ~ A. ;,lonmnut coat NJ