Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-09-02
Correspondence.
CHICAGO CORRESPONDENCE.

Illinois Central RaiIroad Lands
Business-D. B. Fisk & Co.-Ladies
Parlor-Collins a Burgie-Bt Iding,
Bros. d Co. Western Monthly
musements.
CHICAGO, Aug. 20, 1901 have recently
made trip to Egypt" the fruit region OF
Illinois, and spont some days among the en-
terprislng immigrants who have made the
waste places ot suckerdom bud, blossom and
bear fruit like the garden of Eden All aionp
the line of the Illinois Central Railroad, for
l5O miles north OF Cairo, more or less frdit is
grown.the soil and climate being well adapt
cd to it-but the headquarters Of frut-rais-
ing is now at
SOUTH PASS (coBDEN srATIoy,)
42 miles north of Cairo and 323 miles south of
Chicago. 1t is a timbered region, the sur
iace diversified with many hills, often of
conical form, and on the sides or tops of
these hills arc the fruit orchards peaches,
pears, appios, grapes, strawberries, black
berries, rasr berries. &c. Large quantities Of
tomatoes, sweet potatoes, melons and pea
nuts, and some cotton, are grown. A fruit
farm OF 40 acres, in good condition, is an in
dependent fortune. AChicagoan, of the le-
gal persuasion, had recently paid SIG 900 for
one-third of single pear orchard, i think
IL covered eighty acres. This town is noted
for its thrift, the intelligence OF its people
their public spirit, and the number of beauti-
ful lresidences-most of them on the IA lis en-
powered and surrounded with trees from
which can be seen Missouri on the west and
Kentucky on the east, and the finest land
scapes. The South Pass Horticultural So
ciety own hall 2Sx55 feet for its monthly
meetings. and in which religious services and
a fiourishing Sunday School are held on the
Sabbath. This town has been bnilt up chiefly
by settlers from the North The pioneer. G.. III
Baker, welI-known TO the fruit-g growers Of the
Northwest, went there from Ripon, Wis, and
established the first fruit farm dozen or fif-
teen years ago, in an eligible location, some
ZOO rods from the depot. There is now a
thriving village at the station, with churches,
stores, mills, shops, a large fruit-box manu-
factory, with saw mill, run by steam, which
supplies the home demand and furnishes
boxes Tor all points az far south even as Mo-
Dlie,--a sweet potato house which stores
IL, 900 bushels, &c. As proof of vital growth,
there We're erected here, in one year, fifty
dwelling houses, church, planing.mill, saw.
mill, a fruit-package factory, a brick school
h use at a cost of $l2 900, two wagon-shops,
three blacksmith-shops and five stores. The
climate Is saluhrlous and delightful, the hot
season being tempered by fresh breezes,
though this region is never subject 10 hurri-
canes or tornadoes.
CAIRO,
where spent two days, has a reputation for
mud which it does not deserve, except i'm ex-
tremely wet weather. but its mosuuitOes arc
v.
as vital statistics and the testimony of impair
tial witnesses abundantly prove. The chief
drawback to It's rapid growth is the monopoly
OF the Cairo Land Company, composed main
ly OF English capitalists, who own large part
of the unoccupied land, and are unwilling TO
sell, except at high prices. But the location
of the city at the confluence of the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers, and its proximity to almost
inexhaustible resources of iron, coal. lead.
limestone and marble, and it's connection by
rail- and river with the great centres of trade,
predcstne 1t to become large manufactur-
ing city.
had the good fortune to visit the
IRoN-cLAD MONITORS
sold to the Peruvian government. the day
before they steamed from Mom> City, where
the Government Navy Yard is located on the
Ohio, seven miles above Cairo.
THE SOLDIERS CEMETERY.
There, in which 51i0 soldiers and sailors
are buried, has had little governmental care.
Ii is enclosed with white picket fence. and
is interspersed with native oaks-and great
many tal weeds-a row OF cannons stand up-
right as sentinels through the center, and
small white head-boards, numbered from
To 5,14O, mark the resting place of the dead.
stu, there is an air OF quietness and security
there, betting the last resting place of those
who died that the nation might live. | am
under obligations TO John Limbert, an old
Cairo, for courtesies in showing me the |
Sims" in that city and vicinity.
Ihaye spoken OF Golden, or South Pass as
a prominent point in the fruit region o.
Southern Illinois. A better idea, perhics.
can be given OF the extent of fruit raising /.
there by stating that in the strawberry sea-
son sometimes as many as eight car loads OF
strawberries, containing from sixiy-fve to
eighty tons, arc despatched from that point
in single day, and that 126, ,4l2 boxes of
peaches were shipped thence in one season. !
They are sent not only to Chicago, but to !
Detroit, Buffalo, New York and Boston. In
1867, one-half OF all the Berries and
one-third Of the peaches carried by the |
fruit train between Onargxand Jonesboro-al
Il stance Il 2i3 miles were shipped from |
South Pass But there are a dozen places !
that might be made to rival South Pass, as all |
the region south of Centralia, and for 100 |
miles north of it, is admirably adapted for !
fruit raising. The railroad freight on peach |
es alone, in a single year. from this section |
amounted to S1O0, 700. 1t is also remarkably
healthy all along this line, and friends and |
acquaintance in Wisconsin and other states, |
have been completely cured by |
removing to southern Illinois.
ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD LANDS.
The magnificent land grant by the General |
Government, in 1850, to the Illinois Central |
Railroad Company extending fifteen miles !
each side of the track-unlike many eirni- 7
lar srants-has proved blessing to all
parties. II enabled the company, at an early
day, to build 705.73 miles of railroad through |
the very heart of the state-the main line !
from Dunleith to Cairo, 1851 miles, and the |
branch from Chicago to the junction, near !
Centralia, 250.22 miles thereby promoting |
the early settlement OF the state, giving |
homes to tens Of thousands Of families on !
easy terms, opening up market for the pro- !
ducts OF their labor, and adding, at 'east, a
third to tho population and wealth of Illinois 4
The population in 40 counties on the line of |
this road increased from 1850 to 1865, from
35l, SS7 to ,l27 ,0S7. One million eight hun. \
dred thousand acres of these railroad lands 4
have be en- sold to actual settlers, and 800 600 |
acres-of the best quality--remain unsold I
and open to purchasers, at prices ranging |
from "a to S12 per acre. One peculiarity of
these lands, which gives them great vaIue,is |
the large amount OF nitrogen in the soil-es |
pecialy on the praries-sufficient for hum
drcd crops of wheat. The prairie extends to
Du Quoin, 2S8 miles south OF Chicago Thence |
1t Is mostly timber to Cairo, N miles. The
Agricultural College, endowed BY the gene
raj government, Is ON the line of this read |
at Champaign, 1913 miles south of Chicago. |
The unsoid lands are contiguous to the Rail !
road, and can be bought in tracts OF 40 or so
acres, or more, according to the wants or
means of purchasers, for One-fourth cash
down and the balance in one, two and three
y
And the Company never disturbs purchaser
who does his best to fulfil his contracts. II
IL an excellent opportunity for those wishing
pleasant, healthy homes, near to- markets
and to the center of civilization. !, tesl an
BUSINESS
is beginning to revive slowly money has
commenced flowing here. from the East,
grain receipts are large and command good
prices, the progress OF the harvest assures us
bountifnl crops, and confidence in the future
is increasing. Our leading houses here are
making full preparations for q large fall trade.
and already the sidewalks are beginning to
be ehcumbered with boxes, bales and casks |
for the supply of the great Northwest. ''sH
Among the Wholesale houses here that have |
made the largest preparations for an in |
creased trade, is the firm Of i'l1f I's77
.,.s.-s....- d. B. FISK CO.. ualls q - "A
importers of and wholesale dealers i'm silks. |
ribbons, straw goods and millinery articles, |
white goods, hosiery, gloves and fancy goods, |
at 53 4 55 Lake street.-The oldest wholesale |
millinery house in Chicago, having been es-
tatsished here sixteen yesrs. They have Just |
enlarged their establishment to accommodate |
their increasing b1sine 50 nv fakino the whole i