The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1857-07-11
JOLIET.

JOLIET.
Having srent day or two in the begin.
ming of the week in this fourishing young
city. and had ample opportunity to note the
energy with which her people are driving
improvements and 'enlarging business in
every quarter, We are prepared to appreciate
the force Of the " contrasts" SO graphically
presented in the following article, which VIC
find in the Chicago Ledger of Monday:
We remember the 18th of June, 1884, as
though it was but week ago. On the
morning Of that day, Gurdon 5. Hubbard
and James ID. Campbell, started with q
large company of buyers, to go in wagons,
from here TO where is now the nourisling
city Of Joliet They had laid out a town
on paper called Juliet" and they held on
the Goth OF June, the first sale of lots by
auction. They sold rapidly, and at good
round prices. Everybody was inspired
with hope, and they all saw nothing but
sunshine ahead. Money was plenty and
easily obtained. Emigration was flowing
in from all quarters at rapid rate, and
Chicago was about TO throw off her robes oil
savage costume and don the closer fitting
and more humane garments Of commercial
life.
All was buoyancy, all happiness when
the goodly company took their start for
the frs born Of Chicago-nOw city nest
ling in the beautiful valley of La Reeiere IL
PLANES
The route to the new town was not where
it now is, nor the means Of travel the same.
The low, fiat prairie west and south Of Chit
cago was mostly covered with water, aud it
required several hours to drag the coaches
or wagons through the deep sHughs TO
"Barry's Point" where sand ridge re-
lieved the weary traveller who rcjolced in
standing on dry ground once more. The
next point Of notoriety was was Laugh
tens" at the crossing Of the Dcs PLANES. =
Then came another stretch Of fat, wet
prairie, and then a ridge OF high land,
which reached to the old stand of "Yials, ~
on Flag Creek, where the Chicago b'hoys
used to so TO hold elections, especially that
one at which Col. Beaubion was chosen TO
lead the "n,iiiti0us' forces Of the good
time coming From there the road was
rolling land TO g Doctor Brownson's, -
thence, on the high bluffs to the iniar !
Juliet. How changed the route how dill
ferS the mode of travelling how wonderful
/ the contrast between Juliet then, and Joiet
! nou.
! At so minutes past II, \. NJ, yesterday,
/ the Iron Horse of the st. Louis, Alton and
! Chicago Railroad, had chained bis bit suf
ficiently, showing by the breath Of his nos
triiS that he was FESTIVE, and lad rather
take The track" than not Conductor
Woo, bury, who plays the part of L" gen
,leman" ~ tie grand dramma OF polite
ness" had h.. ken eye on the clock and
the horse. One sd, . the time has come =
the other said, TN l. ady The conduct
or said, al aboard" \, SooLeF sail tEah
done, and off went the flying IAN. before
We knew il, we brought up ut Blu Isl VI.
Then in few minutes we passed the ,nIea-
SAINT village of M0kena, jumped rapidr,
down the banks of - Hickory Creek" and
pcepirg through the trees revealed 4 city
of SIX Thousand inhabitants, their HOUSES all
dressed in white with green trimmings,
scarcely one not having on the Wedding
garment Years Of time stood between Us
and our last visit to Joliet. Then Martin
II. Demmond was the master spirit Of the
West side, and Joel A Gatteson Of the
East. The former is dead, and the latter
resides in Springfield but the mark, which
both have made, is seen and le.t by all IS no
knew them
On the side where Demmond lived. is a
beautiful high bluff, which is being greatly
Improved DIV me streets ana elegant resi-
denceS, and We know Of but few spots more
enchanting than the front street on the top
of that beautiful bluff, which ovcr.o Ks the
whole city, and Allows one to view the
sp endid landscape for miles up aud down
the lovely valley of the Plane. NDthing
can prevent this from being one OF those
choice suburban residences. where the weary
worker in this crowded city, with it hot and
uurky ar, may fly TO, when evening makes
him think Of home.
On the other side, 3 lSincss, the offspring
of Governor Matteson, and upon whose
brow he stamps his own iInagt-rcgns SUI
prenc. Banks and factories scores and
printing Offices, court houses. jaI.S, hotels
and railroads, splendid churches built, more
splendid ones building, all hustle, all life
The railroad whistle chimes in with the
rumb.ing Of heavy trains, often stretching
out to forty cars in length. The passenger
trains come just behind the Telegraph,
whose esprit raps" tell US to n " dead GER
tainty" how things before they come 10
pass. The splendid ealing house where pas
sengers get as good as they send, ra,tes
its gong" ard in rattle hundreds for d
hasty something good to eat THIS is the
effect OF the spirit, genius and executive
power ofGovernor Maiteson, the master spi-
felt in the Senate Of Illinois was the best
Governor we ever had, and is now making
the Alton and ST. Louis Railroad feel the
electric influence of his magnetic power
Already has he brought chaos and doubt
up in order and certainty. He has large
force rapidly extending the line from Joliet
to Chicago, nearly all the way on the bank
Of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. He is
building the road from Alton to St. Louis,
and in few months, viii have The line most
complete and direct between the two great
twin sisters of this mighty Northwest. St.
Louis and Chicago will then lock arms in
fraternal and direct embrace, with Governor
Matteson as the controlling mediator be-
tween them. Let us rejoice that such men
live to bless mankind We will place Hi
nois against the world for Railroad Kings,
and Queens, too, for that matter.
rJ" The bachelor correspondent Of the
Boston Post sends that paper the following
Tell me, We winged winds that round nay
pathway roar, do We not know some spot
where women fret no more? Some lone and
pleasant dell, tsone 'holler' in the ground,
where babies never yell, and cradles are not
found? The loud wind blew the snow into
nv face, and snickered as it answered, ma
ry place
ANoTAER RAILROAD FROM ALTON TO ST.
LoUIs.-We learn that Gov. Matteson and a
number of other monied men contemplate
the immediate contribution OF railroad
from Alton to St. Louis, continuation
of the Chicago snd Alton Railroad. 1t is to
be much shorter than the present round
about route. 1t is understood that this new
road will be prosecuted with vigor, and
urged TO completion before January next