The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-08-06
Correspondence.
NOTES By THE VAT.
Nd. 3.

like it. with the assistance of his better hail. got
in locomotive order again, and, after admonish-
ing rs to retrace our steps ere it was too late,
started on his weary journey back to the hills
and forests of Kentucky. A ride of five hours
up hill and down, past log cabins and fields OF
black stumps, brings us in sight of
QUINCY
and the broad, majestic Mississippi. Here. from
hill, a fine view of the country is obtained.
Spread out before us is the city of Quincy, bust
ling with life and business. Just beyond Is the
father of waters, dotted here and there with
steamboats, Four miles north is the town of
La Grange. on the Missouri side, noted for its
extensive tobacco manufactures. As we passed
through the streets of Quincy We could not but
notice their clean and we'll kept condition, and
if the citizens do not enjoy good health it can
not be attributed to the uncleanl:ness of the
streets. There are many fine business blocks
here, also some of the finest churches in the state
Present population 10000, and steadily increas.
ing. We crossed the river on the steam ferry
boat, Rosa Taylor, owned by Col. Taylor, who
also owns more boats, and has lots of stamps, and
. fine daughter, whose name is Rosa hence the
name of the boat.
The Colonel made nice thing out Of the late
"unpleasantness," as did many others, but never
theless he is fine old fellow.
After crossing the river our road lay for sew.
eral miles through a dense forest of oaks. Oc.
easionally We would come to clearing Of. a few
acres, with a log hut thereon, and if the inhabi.
tsnts of said huts do not know much as they
might, there is one thing they do know thorough
y, and that is to charge two prices for their pro-
duce, such as corn and potatoes, butter, eggs,
DO. In many parts, at such places, we were
compelled to pay exo.bitant prices or 60 with.
out We often paid dollar bu.hel for corn
when it would not bring over forty cents In
market; butter % and 30 cents, and in one place
they had the audacity to ask forty cents per
pound for it. Eggs were scarce, and held high.
Potatoes were not very abundant or Of the best
quality, and sold for Is cents per bushel Take
it all in all eur remembrance of some parts of
Missouri are not very pleasant, or our opinion
Of the people the very best still there are excep.
tions in every ease. At Newark We camped for
the night, and formed the acquaintance Of Mr..
Smelling, which served to somewhat modify the
rather poor opinion We had formed of the people
Of Missouri. Mr.. Smelling sold US his produce
at moderate figures, and then came down to
camp and narrated his experience and sdven-
lures during the late unequal conflict.
The people Of Newark, as everywhere else,
81 10 hat -.
part being radicals. At the outbreak of the re-
bellion, "Union" homo guard was formed in
Newark, and, OF course, all democrats were
"'rebels," in the eyes of the valiant homo guards.
When democrat expressed his views contrary
to those Of the "home guards" said home guards
would call out their vigilance committee, and,
after sham court martial, would either hang,
shoot or imprison their prisoner for disloyalty.
Often in the dead of night they would 90 to
mans door, call him up, and shoot him without
further ceremony.
Mr.. Smelling was . staunch democrat, and
freely stated his opinion of the war and its ulti.
mate result. The brave home guards oon6scated
all his property, consisting Of horses CATTLE hogs,
sheep and everything that could be turned to
any use burned up his fencas set fire to his
house and burned all the wood work, leaving the
bare stone walls to shelter his wife and children.
BY working at night, with the aid of a few more
'lebels" who, like himself, were also driven from
their homes and lived in the woods, Mr.. Smell.
ing succeeded in putting another roof on his
house, which nearly cost him his life ON the
evening on which it was finished. A squad of
"guards" gathered around the house, which stood
On the edge of wood, and commenced firing on
the men at work on the house, killing tive of
them, but owing to the darkness the rest escaped
into the woods unhurt. Several attempts were
made to either capture or shoot Smelling, and on
one occasion a quantity of poison was thrown in
the we'll bucket, late in the evening, thinking to
poison him, as it was thought he would proba-
bly, visit the house for food. Instead of doing
any injury to Smelling, as intended, it came near
poisoning squad of home guards who were out
attending to business connected with the vigil
lance committee, and, on passing Sneling's
house, stopped for Il double purpose-that of
getting drink, and probably capturing Smell.
ing Being very thirsty they first proceeded to
the well, where they drank heartily of the water,
intending, after that, to search the house and
premises. 1t is needless to say, that by the time
they were all done drinking they we're tors du
eon'dat, and Tor several weeks quite number of
the gallant Newark home guards were on the
sick list.
Mr. Smelling said lac supposed the reason why
it did not prove fatal to them, was because they
must have over filled the bucket. and copse.