The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1870-01-04
Correspondence Richmond Palladium.
BATH, MASON Co., Ill,
Dec. 28th, 1869.

my promise to you to favor you with
some letters during my absence from
Richmond, and during my sojourn in
this part Of the moral heritage, will
not promise that my correspondence
shall be of such character as will be
Of any interest to your readers, but Of
that you must be the judge, and use
your editorial option. During all the
time I have read the old Palladium,
think I haYe never seen any letters
from here or from this locality, and it
may be that can furnish you with few
facts which will be of interest. THIS
town of Bath is an old place, situated as
the heading Of my letter indicates, in
Mason Co, Ill, almost in the center Of
the State, and it was at one time the
county town. But time has made a
change snd the county seat is now loca-
ted at Havana, about two miles from
here. The town is built in the old style,
with square in the center, something
after the order Of the old county towns
in the Southern States, with the stores
and business houses fronting on the
square from the four sides of the streets
opposite thereto.
The houses are for the most part
new frame and brick buildings, built in
the modern style, and generally credita-
BILE to the place. It boasts of about q
thousand or eleven hundred inhabi tants,
and provides for the entertainment of
strangers at two first rate hotels. 1t is
situated upon the Peoria, PckiD, and
Jacksonville r. r., ,forty-nine miles from
Peoria and thirty miles from Jackson
vile. It has the additional advantage
of location upon the Illinois River,
| which Is navigable at almost all season 5
of the year. The soil of the surround
ing country is sandy, but extremely pro-
ductive, partaking of the nature of the
soil of almost all prairie country, and
producing the very finest corn to be
raised anywhere. To this branch of ag-
riculture particular attention is paid and
unlike the usual practice the different
varieties of corn are not allowed to am
algamate. was presented with an ear
of corn by Mr.. John E. Helms. one of
the earliest settlers of this town, and
one of its most worthy and influential
citizens, Of a beautiful golden color, fif-
teen inches in length, and covered with
the most perfectly shaped grains in reg
ular, even rows. This was not an un-
usually large ear, but dozen ears of
equal size may be found in almost ev-
cry load of corn hauled into this mar
ket. It's business is good as genera
thing, but it is now thought to be some
what injured owing to the action which
the citizens have taken in regard to the
whiskey question. Enternal banish-
ment was the fiat Of the worthy citizens
of Bath after a long train of startling
events had cast a gloom over the entire
quit of those sinks of infamy, drinking
saloons. The events which led to the
prohibition of the liquor traffic here
were about these Early in this year
about the last of February, one Shipley
Lester, young man of this village, of
fine social qualities, was killed in most
brutal manner by one Mike Cation,
river bully, in the saloon of the latter,
brought about by liquor and the over
bearing manner of Cation. He was ar
rested and held to bail in the sum of fif-1
teen thousand dollars, which was raised
for him and he was set at large. One of
the Grand Jurymen who returned the
bill against Cation, was man named
Gilworth, also OF this place, of good
standing in the community and mem
Der of the Masonic order. Cation upon
his release threatened the life of Gill
worth and assaulted him in Havana.
Gilworth at that time ran away from
him, but nothing but his blood would
satisfy this human hyena, and at last in
the Office Of Mr.. Beasly here in Bath,
Mr.. Gilworth was forced to take the life |
of Cation 10 order to preserve his own.
After few weeks of almost unparall-
eled excitement Gilworth was triumph,
antly acquitted, and is now looked upon
almost as public benefactor. Previous |
to the killing of Cation, one of the finest
blocks in the town was burned down, the |
property of temperance men, and the |
fire the work of an incendiary, and laid
at the door Of this man Cation, the whis-
key ring Of the town. This in reality
was the work of whiskey, as the connec-
ton of whiskey with the events may be
readily seen. But now peace and good
order reign supreme. Last evening /
the public installation of the
officers of Bath Lodge 494, A. F., and
A. NJ, at one Of the churches, after
which ceremonies the audience WAS ad-
dressed by Luther Dearborn, Esq, of