The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-10-14

directly in front of the proposed location of
the water power, mill sites, &c.
Active operations were commenced IL July.
The hotel erected is q large two story frame
building, with basement, containing IL
comfortable bed rooms ''for guests, with par
lors, dining room, Office, kitchen, &c. 1t has
been named the Marseilles House," and is
kept by E. b Beckwith, formerly Of Ottawa
and though the house is unfinished, he finds
himself crowded with boarders and full of
business. Two good sized two story build.
ings have been erected for store rooms, one
Of them filed with dry goods and the other
with groceries. These, with the goods,
are owned by Mr.. Young, aud arrear'to be
doing good business. Another store room
is also being erected by gentleman from
South Ottawa, whose name we fail TO recall
The Railroad Company have just Gnished the
erection Of quite handsome depot building,
and in week the trains will stop here instead
Of in the upper or Old To VA, as they do now.
Besides these, perhaps dozen Of handsome
several quite stately dwelling houses have
been erected, and the foundations laid for
several more. We noticed also blacksmith
shop in active operation, q physician's shingle,
and other usual append ages Of . thriving
young town.
The dam was also commenced in July, and
the foundation work was put in from the
north shore to about half way across the
river but then the work was intercepted by
high water, and little more has been accom-
plished, except in the protecting work on
shore. Here large Al mount of heavy ma
sonry has been put in, and much other sub
stantial work done in the w6y of strengthen
ing the embank ments. Tire intention was
by all means to complete the dam this sum-
mer, but the continued high water has render
ed this impossible. The water is SO low now.
however, that Mr.. Young hopes yet to be able
SO far to complete the work already done as
to secure it against being carried off in the
spring.
The bridge WAS also commenced in July.
The contract was let to Messrs. Bogart
Chaplin, of Chicago, for $40 900. The work
of putting in the piers was also greatly retard-
ed by high water However, both abutments
and one pier are done. Two others are above
water, an6 the others ere commenced BY
Monday night it is believed all the piers will
be out Of water, so that a " coll snap" will
not interfere with their completion. They
are substantially built, of Joliet stone. and
can DEFY the ice. The superstructure has
been ready weeks ago, and will be put up in
few weeks after the piers are completed.
1t is confidently believed the bridge will
be ready for crossing before new year.
Besides the work already described, large
amount has also been done in preparing the
race from the dam, in constructing vast
iume to carry the water to the mills, &c, &c.
Without going further into detail, however,
we have indicated enough, We imagine, to
show that the present prospects of Marsei!les,
are decidly bright. The bluffs adjoining the
town are Filled with coal beds; some Of which
are already largely and proftably worked, 50
that an abundan. and cheap supply Of excel
tent fuel is assured. one Will nave, III q lew
years, the fines. water power in the state.
Two mill sites have already been leased, and
site fora machine shor> Mc..rs. Scott L
Harrington have also purchased a sic fot
warehouse in the New Town, and eorscr,.
plate erecting one next season. The town
New and Old) is full Of strangers. There
is not a vacant house-scarcely o vacan.
room in the place, and many 60 away because
there is no place TO stop at. As for trade pros
poets after the bridge is completed, and the fine
contemplated road ways to it are opened
through the north and south buffs-let any
one look ct map ofthe surround ing country
On the north. all that thickly populated and
wealthy farming region lying south east Of the
Newark rad, as far north as Lisbon, and
west Of Seneca, will naturally 60 to Marseilles.
Gu the south. the towns Of Fall River, Brook
field and Allen in this county (all now trib.
utary to Ottawa) and an immense country
in Grundy and Living ston counties, as far as
Odell, also become tributary to M4rseilles.
How much more country will Ottawa have
left to draw from?