The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-07-27
UTICA.
Item. on the Cement City.

ment City. Its white houses nestle amonl
thrifty trees on the grassy lawn near the abrup
bluffs north of the river, for the distance of
mile South is the river, with its rocky walls
crowned with thick woods. Here and there tn,
bold ledge Of rocks expose to view their tim,
worn sides, or retreat in ravines prairie. ward
The pine and cedar varigate the scene, and n
intervals. through the dividing trees above thu
ravines, jut now. yellow wheat fields or tasselins
corn lend beauty to the scene. "Starved Rock
stands TO the southeast, and above is Buff,lS
Rock, and nearer the Sulphur Springs; to the
west. some of the steeples at La Sale, the Hi
nois Central railroad bridge, and the or, at co
shafts to the south are seen.
Utica is q very thriving place. Its great
quarries of cement, worked by James Clark Il
Son, give steady employment to large number
of men.
Another enterprise here, which bids fair to be.
come ont of the most extensive in the west, is
the extensive pottery establishment of Clark,
White Il Co. The drying house is forty-tive
feet wide and three hundred and thirty seven
feet long; besides there are other adjoining
buildings used for mixing clay, and large
house for drying In frozen weather. The prin-
cipal business Of the firm is the making of sewer
and drain tile, fire brick and fre.proof hollow
brick for floors and walls. Brick for flooring is
a new idea here, and is rapidly growing into
general use. The bricks are made of the best
potter's CLAY, of which there is an abundance
near Utica. They are or 10 inches square, or
6x12, hollow in the middle, and made to form
perfect arch, not only sustaining themselves be-
tween the iron joists, but capable Of bearing an
immense weight in addition. They are fire.
proof, 80 that should fire originate in room
aoored and partitioned with such brick, the fire
could not get out Of tne room. The partitions
have the strength Of 6 inch with the weight of
a inch brick wall.
They have 500 tons Of material ready to ship
20 tons of flooring and partitions.
A large business is done here in getting ont
and shipping glass sand, the beds of this mate.
rial being inexhaustible.
MODEL WAREHOUSE.
Clark's warehouse is model of con venicuce
owing to the ingenuity of Mr.. Halliday, who,
besides being good musician, town CLERK,
weigh master general, and good fellow gener.
ally, is An inventive genius of merit. He has
\ patent dump for usloa1ing corn in the ear and
,helled, two Of the latter and one of the former
being used. The dump for ear corn turns it in.
to an elevator, which feeds it into Foy shelter,
where the corn is shelled, carried by other
elevators to the flaming mill, and thence up
to the bins. Grain is never handled by manuel
labor ut this house; it goes from the wagons to
the bin. and thence to the boat, when wanted,
merely by pulling lever here aud slide there.
Oae engineer and one man do all the work, aud
find n" trouble in handling 5000 bushels every
ten hours!
ARTEsIAN WELL
A wonderful thing in the way of water works
is the "rtesian we'll, which. at depth If 40 feet.
throws up u stream of pure water 20 feet high
aud supplies half Of the village. The remain.
der get good water at shallow depth in wells,
or by tapping spring in the side OF bluff %
feet above the level OF the town. This water,
too, is of the purest quality.
Among the finest dwellings are John Clark's,
OF the north bluff, Taylor's and Jim Clarks be.
low. and Yields and others. Mr.. J. B. Peckham
has II most delightful home north of the depot,
on hill. commanding view of the town,
starved rock, the hills south, and the Illinois Cen.
trail bridge below. On his premises Is delight.
full grove, used for picnic purposes His house
is on lovely grassy plot, ornamented with trees,
flowers, bowers, grapes &C., and his
house is filled neatly and costly furnished
throughout, where music, an amiable wife and
interesting family Of children ever make it
home in every sense Of the word. The little
girls entertained " Beeaus' with croquet, and
found much amusement in his awkward etFor;s
to play game which he truly does not under.
stand.
A CHURCH ROW.
A year ago or more the Congregationalists O.,
Ute" made "a contract with Pope Il Jekyll OF
our city, to erect them church. The church
was put up under plans by a firm OF Chicago
architects, but blew down, and lies there "a total
wreck. A suit was brought by the trustees of
the church for damages, and Pope Il Jekyll sued
the building committee for their pay. The
trustees were non.suited not being the proper
parties, and now the building committee offset
the suit with damages, claiming that Pope H.
Jeky!l did not follow the plans and specifca.
lions. The sosiety is TOO poor to rebuild with.
out getting from tho contractors the amour. Of
the damage claimed 1t is IL hard case all
around.
ASSESSMENTS.
The people are very much incensed at the