The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-05-07
new NAL ROUTE UP ROCK RIVER VAL
a. astiaam LEY. aat3
tConcluded.( ...r

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Saturday. morning, after a refreshing
nights rest and an excellent breakfast we
bid adieu to our kind friends at Mr.. Mar.
shalIs and drove up beyond his home resi-
dence, to the high ground, where, from the
road, there Is fine view OF the Mrge Nc
Cormick farm, and many other fine places;
the Middle Crossing ofths Dosha the Cor
dova Stone quarry ;sthe great sDosha flats
and swamps; the line OF The old Sterling |
railroad gembankment never used, but a |
good place for carriage road the town of
Erie, only s miles distant by that route and
of a large and beautiful scope of country for
miles around. s4~g rfer rs9,sa zrvff
We then turned back, passed down by the
places of Calvin Goodrich, Hiram Rake,
John Reynolds, Henry Ashdown, Alex. Ash
down, James Camp, w. P.rFeaster,s VIM.
Marshall, John Marshall, Jesse Bell, John
Cain, and John Cain Jr; had chat with
John Cain Jr; he wanted a mail route, but
did not want the care Of a post Office
thought Dillon's the best place passed on
by Ephraim Cain s and the houses of Henry
Gibbs, Mr.. Gardiner, Mr.. Virgins, to Geo.
Farbers stopped aud talked with him; he /
would prefer the post Office at Gains but
Dillon's would, perhaps, accommodate the
most people he went with us, down past the
place of James Hin, former supervisory to
the ferry, only few rods further down,
where We met Richard and Jacob Hill Seth
P. Brown, john Farber the ferryman) and
others. They were glad of the effort for a.
mail route and were very near where the
bluff and the river roads come together, at
the ferry; either route would accommodate
them, but their judgement was in favor of
the bluff route. All the foregoing named
persons, from Marcus Ward to John Farber,
reside ion Canoe Greek, and ON or very near
the road we passed, while we are told that
quite as many more reside within mile of
the road, on either side, who would go to the
bluff road for their mail matter.
Under the safe guidance of Ferryman Far
Der and several others we crossed the Dosha
and found our way, over a very bad, muddy
road, and through the heavy, cold rain, to
Erie; stopped with landlord Hutchinson,
had good dinner, and saw VIM. r. Davis
Esq. the post master; Judge Teats and
others; acquired the information desired land
returned to the ferry by another route, pas
sing the residence of Mr.. Sage, very fine
place, and an excellent gentleman, who gave
US much valuable information and went with
us to the Dosha fats and directed us the
route across. Across this fiat is perhaps
mile; and it is a soft quagmire or bog, COW
cred with pretty stout turf which will bear
light team; underneath this sod is soft
mud with no known bottom. The fiat is of
ten covered with water. for miles, but when
, the water leaves it, as it now has, ightteams
cross it. We tried it, in order to save dis
lance and avoid very bad road the river
route-but the adventures and perils of that
passage would fill "a column. We will only
say that Capt. Cops heavy horse, Frank
got nervous and fgetty, began to punch post
holes through the sod, with his hind feet;
if he had he would have gone under out of
sight. We released him from the carriage,
and, with great care and labor, made the
passage. 1t was very difficult and danger
GUS passage, and yet the manner of it was a
picture to excite mirth as well as fear. Our
party vacated the carriage, threw off their
overcoats, rolled up their pants and prepared
for work. The water was just over the top
of our feet. Mr.. Bowles took the lead, as
pilot, and done some tall walking; Capt.
Copp followed, leading Frank" trying to
teach him to step on the tufts of grass, and
carrying part of his harness on his back
Charley Tanner came next, leading the other
horse (who acted like rational animal)
hitched to the carriage, and the editor of the
ARGUS acted as GLOSS No. 2" holding the
pole of the carriage away from the fore-legs
of the other horse. We made the passage
in about an hour, with fear and trembling
thanked God we had found land again, and
won't be caught that way another time
reached the Dosha ferry, crossed safely;
drove on down the river bank passing four
or FIVE very small houses and not very invit-i
ing farms, until we came to the fine large
house of Mr.. Moses Hubbard, miles below
the ferry called there, had a chat with Mr..
Hubbard, an intelligent old gentleman, who
has fine farm of 320 acres, large and
well finished and finely furnished two story
white house, large barns, and other build
ings, and every evidsnce of wealth and pros
perity Mr. Hubbard has resided ON that
place for % years. He was very anxious
for mail route, and thought the river road
the proper place, though he said it would be
impossible at high water. He said they had
a mail throughthat way, many years ago,
and an Office, called Attica, was established
at his house. From his house to the bluff
road, near Mr.. Odells, is about u miles,
We drove on down to the hospitable home
of Henry Fl. Hill, Esq, formerly supervisor
from Canoe Creek, and, at present,
Swamp Land Commissioner for our county,
where we remained over night, and were
very handsomely entertained by Mr.. Hill
and his accomplished and estimable wife.
Mr.. Hill is a native of Rhode Island
graduated at Yale college in 1s49 practie-
ed civil engineering, in Kentucky; studied
law in Ohio; came to Illinois about 10 years
ago turned farmer and purchased the Per
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