Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-02-18
A Year,s FOOTPRINT.

The growth of Mound City during the past
twelve months is Justly q cause of astonish-
ment among all who know what she was at
the commencement Of that period, and observe
what she now is. Her growth has been rapid
beyond comparison from the position of ALSO
Observation-Disclosures to acknowledged Importance.
She has outstripped the expectations of her
friends, and now figures as one Of the incorpo
rated cities of Illinois.
Let Us dip lightly into the immediate past.
Last February Gen. NJ. NJ. Rawlings, F. NJ.
Rawlings, and family, S. E. Barney, r. Ii.
Warner, and occasionally W. R. Wilson, were
the sum total of the ''town folks" Seven per-
sons! Gen. Rawlings occupied the only finish
ed building in the place-Mr. Warner and Mr..
Boren's houses being then unfni3hed.
Shortly afterward a steamboat touched Mt
the landing-a marvel then-and discharged
the writer's family. Quite an accession this,
for it nearly doubled the population. HaLf
the citizens rushed to the wharfto receive him
"a compliment which is not paid to new corners
now) and were generally obliging in lifting
boxes, barrels ETC., upon each others backs and
carrying them a quarter of a mile, at least, TO
shelter Really now the town had commenced
growing
BE- and by three ragged wood choppers came
were Immediately added to the population.
Town pride began to take root now. All told
we had fourteen inhabitants. Visions of gas
light, town halls and other city, etc, would oc>
casonaly exist in the mind OF some one of
the fourteen" but a single howl of wolf
from surrounding woods invariably dissipated
them.
One cold, dark night an unearthly yelling at
the landing awoke the entire population of the
place. When the yelling died away, the pierre
ing screech of a little fife commenced-With
wolves the citizens had become familiarized
but these were doubtless "Ingins," else why
the "war-hoop." 1t was discovered they were
not "Ingins" just in time to prevent their des
truction, for half the citizens had armed them
selves and were on the point of opening the
massacre. -Four fiat boats had arrived with
hotel, and seventy or eighty mechanics Here
was news fer everybody Everybody was
delighted ard asked anybody to drink some
thing. 1t was an epoch in the city's existence
worthy of commemOratiOn.
Additions now were daily made to orr city
in point of population and business. People
from the country began to experiment with
the stability of the market by venturing to
offer four dozen eggs sat pop;" and fat boat
men would occasionally bawl from the deck
of their broad-horns, as they drlfted by, to
know if they wanted any lime there" In
deed Mount City was absolutely 'some pump.
kins" and we all felt it.
At once almost, the hotel was finished; then
,Raroad-now FIVE or six hundred strangers
gather-lots are sold-lumber piles dot the
town in every drection-look again and the
lumber piles have assumed house shape, and
busy people fill them. The black smoke of
brickskilns darkens the heavens here and
there-a score Of store and boarding boats
have gathered at the landing-a knowledge Of
the location spreads-sensible capitalists look
and leap-now a Foundry goes up, finishing
shop, stove foundry and boiler yard follow-a
ship yard and marine railway are planned
hundred men are at once engaged upon them
people pour in--money folows-steamboa
landings are no longer unusual-a press is in
troduced-schools are Embellishments Of
moral and religious culture provided, and final
ly a chartered city (whose bur!y mayor and
sage councilmen talk loftily Of town affairs IS
the Footprint of one year. The original seven
have the companionship of seven hundred sub
sequents'-and the world at large the specta>
Gle Of town increasing in inhabitants in
single year, ten thousand per cent !--NOuad
CITY Emporium.