Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-04-21
Early EecoElections OF Daven.
port.

ioot Of brady street, Tor the hrst time IN
my lie. II was warm aftssnoon Of DE-
lightful day-ths trses afforded refreshing
shade, in which, stretched upon the smooth
grassy turf. took my 6rss Davenport nap
tho sustling lssvss shove ne, the rich
velvsty lawn for my couch. and the ripping
wavelets Of the noble river that has long
besn.the subject Of song and worlds i'd.
miration, at my feet. There took my
6rst sleep on Dsvsppert soil, fearless Of
approach Of savage. pick.pockst, or the Of
fcous officials. How quiet the scene -
compared with the present. The river
alone 10 unchanged. Then, as now, il was
gently flowing onward to the mighty deep.
Where now boats land aud busy commerce
kicks up the dust from morn till night wss
. broad spread lawn where Davenport now
stands Was one broad common. But re-
Gently other animals than man had reposed
beneath those noble cottonwoods. The
sort and slsked their thirst beneath the
same shady branches--but now to do 90 NO
more forever. The Indisn warrior had Oft
en- stood there, too, and admired the majss-
tic waters, sweeping 30 grandly onward to
the sea admired and rsverenced it not less
profoundly than did the little villagers
twenty nine years ago-than do our citi-
zsns to-day. As Artsmus Ward has nobly
said about the "Babss in the Wood" much
could be said about those trees II time and
space would admit. | believe there 10 .
painting in this city in possession of DR..
Barrows, which rspresentssths grove - II
WAS in those early days-with Antoine L.
claire in the back ground, seated in his
buggy. II is we'll they have been thus pre-
served in shadow, for from the Isght the
cottonwood grove disappeared, root and
branch, from human sight, many years ago.
II remember right, they were laid low By
order Of our fellow citizen, A. O. Fulton, to
make way for some mill improvements
some time before Gen. Morris said 90 well
in verse
"Woodman, Spare thst tree"
Many years subsequent to the time a.
luded to above, was called upon to assist
in securing q small appropriation for poor
fellow, whom it was represented had acted
the part Of . spy for General Scott during
the Mexican War. The applicant was an
old man, poor and blind, Reaubedeau. He
had spent many years of his early life be-
yond the Rocky Mountains % trader and
trappcr, and in that time we'll of in the e.
timstion Of the mountainesrs, but now, how
fallen In conversation with him,
learned that At one time he had been on
the Mississippi River. His memory was
clear 40 to one point and adventure. He
was in the Black Hawk war, and q the
time when at the Island Of Rock Island he
and some comrades crossed the river to
forage upon some Indian cornfields :ou the
Iowa side. where (hs said) now stands the
city Of Davenport. They landed their can
oss in the slough near whore French i
Davies mills nov stand, and strollsd up
the bank Of the river to point where grew
. small cottonwood grove, and while there
enjoy ing the shade and musing upon back
woods life, his comrades returned to their
boats and suddenly he Was induced to do
the same in consequence Of hearing certain
frightful sounds which meant war whoop,
and nothing else. The best time on rec
ord was made that day on the bank Of the
Mississippi, between the cornor Of what 10
now 2nd ard Brady, and French 4 Davies
mills, by any living pedestrian, before or
since. His friends on the Illinois shore
witnessed the race, but without power to
render assistance. Reaubsdeau made the
connection before the red skins reached the
embarkIng point and was instantly far
cut in the stream in his frail birch bark
can oe, beyond the reach of the enomy's ar
rows. to tho great joy Of the "pals faces"
that had gathered on the opposite bank
- welcome him in his sale deliverence
from death. Alas, poor Rsaubedeau in
the language of Hamlet,"l knew him WE'LL
With sadness We renewed cur acquaint-
sncs, and l sorrowed at the sight Of the
briny tears as they tricklsd down
from his sghtless balls. had the
satisfaction, however, Of knowing that my
old mountain friend received his appropria-
ton through the exertions of my friend the
Hon. Mr.. Sapp. N. g., from Ohio, with
what little assistance l could render.
Lev. Hebert, Antoine LsCclsirs, and my
self have chattsd many a time, over the
mountain scenes Of our early lives, and Of
Rsaubedeau's port in that far oG country Of
the Rocky Mountains-of the spirit land.
talked Of by the wild mau when he visited
those wild parts to trade, and their firm be-
lief that their souls would join the Great
Mountain after death.
Alas, the two first named Of my friends
have gone forth to their fathers. Their
bodies lay in the cemetery. Peer Rsau-
bsdsau's occupiss neglected corner in the
Pattino Field at Warrington City. Nay
&hsY gest in peace with 0reot Maaiteu ;
tbs great father Of US oil. VIDE.
PLANT SHADE TRsss.-Thsrs 10 yet tine
for our citizens to plant shade trees about
their premises this spring, and have them
do we'll. Try it, and you will ind the in
vestment will pay we'll. Some, psrhaps,
have seen Springfield, Mass, and are aware
that il has the name Of being the prsttiest
city in that State. why cannot the Sane
BE- said Of Davenport. We believe il is il
Worcester that every person who plants
tree 10 paid . dollar BY the municipality.
Let " imagine that such 10 The case here.
and see if We cannot make Davenport more
beautiful than il new 10. Take . stroll
along our bluffs some 6ns day, and you can,
without difficulty, select the most desirable
residences, as we'll 20 those most valuable
Gentlemen, il pays to make your homes
beautiful, and that, too, in more ways
RaalrooA 0ola0.
Tnck;n~ aver the Bi11a in she Federal