The Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1870-1875, 1870-12-14
OCCASIONAL LEFrRRs.
Princeton, Illinois.
PRINcEToy. In Dec. s. $50.


County. numbering about five thous-
and inhabitants, on the Chicago,
Burlington & Quincy road, about half
way between the first and second
named places. say little more than a
hundred miles from each. Like
most towns "out upon the prairies,
it is. as we say, in the midst of fine
agricultural region. The rapid null
DUPLICATION and growth of the towns
and cities of Illinois, is not to be
wondered at if we consider the uni
form richness of the country, and the
readiness with which it is subdued
and made fit for tillage. Every sec
ton must have its centre, and the cen
ire is "a great city" though, l Ween,
as Mother Goose has it, some will
have to find room to change their
ditty." All through the State vast
crops are realized in ordinary seasons,
and what is not naturally fit for the
pillow is being. rapidly drained, and
soon will be the home of thrifty
people.
The State, as you know, is as level
as any other in the Union. AS the
cars whirl you along it is like sailing
on the ocean; this, particularly at
the dawn of day, before the sun has
lifted up the heavy, outstretching fog;
and you behold here and there barns
and residences like ships out on the
horizons verge. This is to me the
most interesting hour of the day.
When you see all things clearly there
is a Wearying mOnotoDy. Hour after
hour, nor hill, nor rock, nor rapid
river, or even riVulet, or forest to
break the tiresome sameness.
Railroads are therefore, easily built,
and hence are multitudinous and are
growing more so.
Princeton is divided into upper and
lower town. The upper town is on
mile and q quarter away, and a great
jealousy and rivalry exists, beWilder-
ing property holders, who like child
rem on a see-saW, feel, well here we go
mp and then here go down" desirable
building lots, like the central point,
being in a state of equilibrium.
The south, or lower, part is now ju-
bilant because ofthe prospects of two
new railroads through its end. Like
every other place, e. q, its namesake
in Gibson County, Indiana, they
think the accomplishment of these
enterprises will do wonders for their
prosperity; but, alas, how, every
where, these air blown" bubbles,
called Air Line Railroads. burst,
and let down these high hopes? These
railroads drain both ways. This city
is only a hundred miles away from
Chicago. Cities are, to adjacent
towns, like material masses, as they
advance in hugeness; the power of
gravitation is in proportion to the mass
and proximity of smaller bodies and
ride of only four hours is nothing to
people wanting to purchase or engage
in business. Princeton is to be tributa-
~ to Chicago. Nevertheless it will al
ways be pleasant place to live. Its
people are wealthy, intelligent and
conservative or substantial. No very
great amount of capital is as yet in
vested In manufacturing, and there is
where blindness of mind has smitten
its capitalists. They have an agri-
cultural implement factory, wooden
factory, door and sash factory. and a
large tanneryWith a large Touring mill.
But should judge they are not carried
on with enterprise enough to compete
with Chicago products. They are
remarkably we'll off for churches.
These are large and substantial.
Their Common School sare not com
parable with ours, if I except the
Aigh School. This, perhaps, has no
equal In the State outside the Garden
City" This applies to both building
and the number and quality of
teachers and scholars. l do not re-
member to have seen so grand a
building for school purposes any
where, save in Chicago. They have
in this school over three hundred
pupils. The course is very thorough,
and will carry student fairly on until
he can enter the sophomore class in
any of our Western Colleges. There
are over one hundred who are now
studying the Latin language, and be-
tween fifteen and twenty pursuing
Greek. was surprised to find so
many scholars advanced in age-young
men and young women. Many of these
come as pay scholars, and l am told
that instead of working to the detri-
ment of the "citizen scholars" has
had most happy effect, not only in
bringing a large number Of families
to the city and boarding scholars, but
also in elevating the tone of scholar
ship and literary elan" if I may use
that term in place OF the old word
enthusiasm.
How would it do to have our
really noble High School aim at
putting the grade of the course so
high that youth from all the lower
part of Western Indiana could know
that there preparations for college
could be made? They would come in |
in sufficient numbers to afford the ad-
ditional corps of teachers to meet ex-
penses, and then as our city advances
as it must rapidly do in population |
and wealth and high culture, cur own
sons and daughters could secure an
education surpassed by no private |
schools in the land.
At the head of this school is Mr.. |
Henry L. BoltWood, the author of a |
superior grammar of the English lam /
guage and great enthusiast in his /
profession. His motto is: This one |
thing l do" I had the pleasure of
making the acquaintance of Mr.. Bolt |
wood, and judge that in scholarship. |
educational faculty and high moral ana |
Christian character he is worthy to be |
trusted with the training of the
best youth of the best families. |
may say also, had the pleasure #
meeting with one of our former young
LADIES' niece Of our worthy citizen,
Mr.. w. w. Morgan-who became the |
bride OF Mr.. Stephen Holt, one of our |
Evansville youths also, but who was
cut down In his early manhood, and |
she who was then written bride is
now written widow and is engaged in |
teaching, thus supporting herself and /
her faIr-faced boy of three summers. |
But L must stop. Yours,
M.