Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-11-22
ADVERTISEMENTS.
"LAYING DEEP THE PoUNDA-
TIONSD


TIONS."
From the Chicago Press
The rapid growth of Western cities and
tow Vns is the wonder Of the age. Our own city
is never-ceasing source Of establishment TO all
who visit it aud become acquainted with lis his
tory But the broad, beautiful and fertile coun-
Try which surrounds US is improving, IL possi-
Bile, still more rapidly than Chicago-its great
commercial metropolis. .-
| ln our recent visit 10 Central Illinois, we be-
came acquainted with some facts which seem
more like the result Of magic than mere mat
ter Of fact reality. They were obtained while
enjoying most delightful evening of social in
ieicouIse with valued friend, B. X. Hawley
f,sq., at Rusemohd, Christian County. Don't
look Tor this town 90 the map. Ii is not there. Z.
II will be, however, aud here is its history, aud
something Of lis present prospects. !, 10 situ-
aled the lerre Haule and Alton Railroad,
four and half miles west Of Pana, lis junction
with the main line oi the Illinois Central, and
nneiy-Gve miles east of ST. Louis. A year
ago, only year, all the land in sight was open
prairie, with here and there house in the dis
iance.
ln order The better 10 understand what fol-
lows, let Us 60 back little. Years ago,
faithful minister, Father Hswley, preached in
one Of the mountain towns Of Franklin County,
Mass. He reared Two sons and four daueh-
iers. The daughters all married and settled IN
Sunderland and the surrounding towns, and one
Of the sons, impelled by that spirit Of enterprise
Z which expairiales many Of the sons of New
England, sought his fortune in what was then
considered the "fr West" A few years
since, the father went peacefully TO his reward,
and the son, our worthy host, AFTER a variety
Of adventures, married in St. Louis and in the
summer of 1855 visited his early eastern home
While there an emigration scheme was perfec-
ted, and about year ago he and his brother
in-law, Mr.. Smith, selected their lands in Chris
tian County, Illinois, and purchased for them
selves aOd others, FIVE thousand acres at eight
dollars per acre. Again they journeyed East,
and returning, got their lumber on the-ground,
preparatory To building. on the 18Th Of January
last On the 9Th Of February the honse was so
far completed that the first family moved in,
and on the 18Th another On the 29ih Of Feb
ruary The first child was born, dau sh,er Of B.
r. Hawlcy. ESQ.,. an Incident that would scarce
ly be named were it not that her birthday will
return but once in four years. The communi-
iy now consisis Of fourteen families, all the
! heads of which are members OF The church ex-
, cepi one. Fourteen dwellings are or will be
completed during the present fall. On the 9Th
Of September last, Congregational Church
was organized with twenty three members, con-
sising in part of Mr.. Hawley, Eve sisters and
their mother, and eleven others are expected to
Join in few days as soon as they arrive from
the East. A Sabbaih-school is in successful
operation, consisting Of some fifty members.
! A school-house is soon to be completed, and
! church will he built early next spring. The
church and the school-kouse side by side'' is
! the glory Of New England, and who will not
, rejoce that they are being rapidly transferred
to the beautiful praiiies of lllinoisl
The farms consist Of from eighty to six hun
, dred and forty acres. Twelve hundred remain
, to be sold, only 10 persons who will contribute
I to the social and moral welfare of The commu-
nifty. Over eight hundred ac,es Of land have
been broken, and seven hundred have been
, sown with winter wheat. A post-ofhce has
) been established, a small depot built aboui the
centre Of the purchase. and the people have
two mails per day. The water is pure, soft
and excellent, being procured from the gravel
! and sandstone, which underle the prairie in
this part of the State. Here prosperous and
/ thriving community has been established in
a about uinc months The face Of tho country
is as fine as can well be conceived. On every
l60 acres there is beautiful mound or eleva-
f ton, which the citizens have selected for resi-
dences, and the land slopes off from them in
all directions. These mounds are now crown
a ed with small and convenient houses but ere