The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1872-02-29
Correspondence Of the News.
Letter from Northwestern He
IfnOis.

"Boys"--A "&ar" Act0r-Terri- |
Die r. r. Accident, &c. &c.
Rock ISLAND, Feb. II, 1872.
DEAR News From my window
in a corner room of the Harper
House, one of the finest, best arrang-
ed and best managed Hotels Of the
West, I can look over three cities,
and the Arsenal, and other Govern
ment buildings on the "IsIand."
Davenport lies along the western
shore of the Mississippi, with its
10000 inhabitants; Rock Island,
with its 10000 Inhabitants, on the
eastern shore, and Moline, Tll guess
with about 5000, lies to the North
west, about two miles distant from
this city.
1t is a bright, beautiful day, and
the sun has a warm look about It
that is quite cheering to a man who
has been shivering with cold for
two weeks.
The river is frozen over, and peo-
pie on foot and in sleighs and bug
gies are crossing to and fro, between
this place and Davenport, on the
Ice.
1 took stroll over the Island,
which lies between Cor partially SOY
Davenport and Rock Island and
Moline, and viewed the Arsenal
buildings, "Head Quarters" the
barracks, and counted some 200
brass and iron cannon, lying in rows
in one of the beautiful groves with
which one-half at least of the Island
is covered. I noticed the fOunda-
tions of some five or six other stone
buildings, (all the buildings are Of
stone except some unimpOrtant
ones) and large blocks of fine build
ing stone lying about, covering sew
eraI acres of ground.
There is already one Railway
bridge across the river here. 1t
crosses from this side to the Island
and thence to the Iowa side, being
in fact t,0o bridges, one over each
channel of the river.
There is also a substantial iron
bridge from this city to the Island,
and the citizens use it to visit the
Island and drive over the splendid
roads, and through the beautiful
groves, on "UncIe Sans" property.
Another railway bridge is in
course of erection, and is virtually a
bridge from shore to shore, as it is
carried over the Island on abutments
about 20 feet high.
During the past week Ihave been
travelling through some of the best
country in IlIinois-the North. west.
The fine farming lands of this Sec
ton have enabled most of the farm
ers to become quite well of, and
many OF them very wealthy. Con-
sequently, first class towns and cities
abound.
A number of the best railroads of
the country traverse the length and
breadth of this region, north, south,
east and west.
Istopped at the town of Morris,
in Grundy county, and expected
to find a couple of Hillsboro boys,
but they had removed to Jollet-Q
was there the day before.) I refer
to Messrs. John and Jos. Mather.
AS 1 found them "not at home" )"
| L gave upa contemplated visit to an
old HilIsboro friend, Mr.. J. W.
Rulings, who resides some four
miles from town, called instead on
his brother-in-law at Chillicothe,
ILL.,, Mr.. George W. Thayer, who is
also well known to many of your
readers.
found him and his wife and
lille boy, Frank, (only 6 feet high,
some two feet more or less across
the shoulders, and with the strength
of a young giant and little daugh-
ter, living at home as snug as tl0O or
three "bugs in a rug"
Passing on, I arrived next in the
city of Peoria-a place of some 25,-
600 inhabitants, and large manufac-
lures of various kinds. Peoria MAS
erected in the public square a beau
tiful Monument to her dead Soldiers
heroes of the late war. noticed
on one side the name of that Chris
tian and much beloved young man,
who started from HillsbOro years
ago, to preach the "glad tidings" of
salvation, the Rev. Samuel Hibben
Jr.
Westward from Peoria to Canton,
then to Bushnell. Here noticing
the sign of sc. G.. Ridings" above
a jeWelry store, 1 entered and saw
the young man whom many of your
readers remember. Gary" was
busily engaged, sending out hand
bills for play that is to be perform
ed by the Thespian Society of that
place on the 14Lh inst, and in which
he sustains the leading part. soon
learned that he makes considerable
/ pretensions to the position of a
"Star" on the stage, and I found
that his personatiOn of Grip Van
Wrinkle" was we'll received by the
citizens of Bushnell, and that this
Thespian Society, of which he is
the acknowledged leader, give fire.
Cuent antartoinD,onto cf tbis bind