Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-03-18
For the Argus.



brick houses then in the village. Third
street was occupied, and laid out, but there
were few Inhabitants living on tit was
called "Barn" or "Stable" street. If
Fourth street was laid out on the pls, it
could not be seen. There was no improve
ment or sem blance of such extension of the
village.
There was then q very large per eenrsge
Of the people residing there who we're &C.
uisl, hospitable, honorable, brave. enter.
prising and generous. At least four-6fths
Of them revsred the name Of ST. Patrick,
and some Of these kindly invited me TO a
very pleasant, cOnvivial party, at which l
was not only very pleasantly entertained,
bat there enjoyed the pleasure and lasting
advantage of making the acquaintance Of a
number Of persons who we're, then, and for
many years afterwards, clever, honorable
and nueh respected gentlemen and many
Of whom became distinguished, prominent
Influential and wealthy. /, was q party
comp posed Of Isishmen aud their descend
ants, with some invited guests. Il was
called 3 "Ss. Patrick's Supper" Some one
hundred, or more, gentlemen composed the
party, with . considerable number OF whom
Was on social, and friendly terms of inter
course for many years: and who, know,
made very prominently useful members of
society, aud died leaving good aud honors-
Bile records, aud handsome fortunes to their
heirs. Alas, the gentlemen Of that genial
aud delish itul gathering have nearly all
since gone TO the "World beyond the
grave ~
Several of the said party went, on the
steAmboAr shamrock" to Fever River
Lead Mines, - now GaIens. We found q
few houses where Alton is; the village Of
Portage De Sioux contained few hundred
Inhabitants, as did also Clarksvilie, Mo
tons, and some thirty Inhabitants ct Han'
GiBAl, No. SJme passengers assembled the
bluff where, il Was said, there was town
called Quincy. When they returned Ihej
said they had fne scope Of view, wher,
therJ yes room enough for q fine town, bu
Ibey could see o o sen bsnce of a street, Oh
Go.n, and Ouly few one-story aud one
room log houses On the ludIsu-noS
IoHa- side Of the river Captain Prltchsrd
had farm and log house, at or near tn,
point where Canton Mo-, nov stands
some twenty four miles below Keokuk Tina
was then the upper hstitstIon Of white pso
pie below Fort SDelling, lneAr where St
Paul 10 now situated. Captain Jane.
White and his family occupied tue uppel
lhAbltatiOn Of CsucAsisns on the llinoIi
side. His next uslghoors above we're tht
iuhabitAns Of Prairie Du Chen. Their,
we're then some smelling furnaces, SON,
-four or FIVE stores, aud some three or foul
families on Fever River. They had nc
orgsuiza ZION for the practice of either la =
or gospel, and no name. But, some month,
after our arrival there they named the vil
lage "Galens.' The name was suggested
BY Q gentleman named DIR Samuel c. Muir
who Vas . graduate OF the medical colleg,
Of Glasgow, Scotland. The DR., was, fro II
1912 10 1924 a tSlented and much respected
surgeon in the U. S. Army. He had, sbou
! A. d. lS20, taken . decent, well behaved
Iud an woman 8 squswl tor bis wife. Ii
1924 40 order was issued from the Wa
Department compelling every officer of th'
army to abandon their squaws, or be dis
charged from The service. The DR. ha,
then his faithful squAw and three childrsr
(pApooses); be was surgeon on Roci
Island, and very dssirsblT NtOsied. Il,
had the honor and conscience to cling TO BIZ
. & al Il tr,,r
tive situstioD. DR. Moses Meeker. who vs.
largely engaged in leAo smelling and mer
cantile business, and the only physician ia
shat mining district with others, induce
DR.. Muir TO leave Rock Island and make
home there. The DR.. employed some
Indians to paddle him up, IN a cssoe.
T~o of the said DR.. Muir's children be
came, IN 1884, each absolute owners of ;h'
one thirty eighth part OF what Is called th'
"Half Breed Tract.' The said tract con.
tsins one hundred aud nineteen thousand
acres of land, on which - now situated th'
city of Keokuk, town of Montrose, = por
ton OF Fort Madison, and several Town;
snd villages.
10 1880 the Doctor, knowing that hi
children would, in few years, have al
honest and lawful claim to the two thirty
eighths Of that large and valuable Hat
Breed Tract, as was stipulated by treaty o
the u. s. Government with the 'SAuke ant
Muscqusks, 'or so-called Sac and Fox tribe
Of Indians, (ths Doctors tquaw being
"Sauke.") With the intention of looking al
ter aud claiming the rights Of his childrel
} there. he AbAndoned 9 comfortable home
and an extensive lucrative medical practice
IS we'll IS a handsome business as . parsne
in q drug store in GHlens, and went &c IT.
foot Of the lower Rspids-now Keokuk-
where be sds home in 9 small shant
where be bad very few neiRhhors.
He died Of cholera 10 1882, and a mid
night decree Of the Territorial Court, b,
mADeuvriDg, deprived the Muir children
and many others, OF their honest rights
The validity Of said decree has been, 70
many years, and may, for many years hence
be . subject Of litigation that has cost man
thousands Of dollars. aud may yet cos
many more thousands of dollars before tn
contest is terminated.
| | intended only 90 write few lines i
reference to the 81 Patrick's Supper on tn
night Of the l7th of Iarch. 1927, at 81
Louis.-which Was . pleasant, genial, an,
! orderly one. The newspapers of man
large cities in the United States as we'll 3
IN Ireland and other countries, gave credi,
able ',ice Of the sentiments and proceed
ings Of said meeting. NJ.