, 1873-06-19
A DAY IN THE WOODS.
Tie Opening OF tho Chtcago & Pacific
Railroad Inangurated By FREQ
lltdo, aud Dinner I'm.
dor tho Trees.
What tho Road Is, and What Il will Beoon1e..'
. Those for Whose Bonofe It was Built
ara Satisfied with H.

=
comprchcusiye uamo Of now railroad lino
which las pushed itBolf to within milo or 10
of Elgin, on ita way to tho aollon Cato. It IL
hardly necessary to givo an o1tonded history OF
the enterprise, bocauHo 1t Is Young, aud ttR NJ
fairs hnvo beon prctty thoroughly ventilated al-
ready In tho columns Of tho city proHs Tho rail-
road WAS frat spoken Of q few mouths after tho.
greatost fro such men M George 3. Bowon, COL
+. III, HouKh and r. 8. Dolbius becoming deeply
Interested in 1t. They got an idea IN
thoir hoads that line running across
tho State from Chicago to Savannah,
on tho Mississippi River, whoro 1t could connect
with roads In droot connection with either tho
Northern or tho Southern Pacific routos, would
rapidly develop: into paying inRtitution and
whom they are troubled with schcn1e Of that
nature, thoy generally rroceca to aot 1t on foot
without unnecessary delay. soyeral routea wore
suggested and carefully examined, and, at last
tho ono which WAS considered to DO tho beat
geographically, and tho sureBt to furnish freight
md passengors, was selected. This routo loads
the road through the Weatorn sldo OF
tho North Division. close to tho Bwcot-
smelling North Branch, and through the
most beautiful OF tho city's environe. Tho
limo having boon dotormino1 upon, and tho route
Beloctod, the only thing TINT remained to be demo
| was to got tho right OF way and charter. IniB
| WAB HuECG86tQlly AcCOl1lpil6uCu u JbhF AEO t1Aa
present month, aud work was Immediately
| begun. Mnny serious, almost lnsurmountablo,
| obstacles had to bio overcome during tho year,
and tho progress Of tho rond Was consequently
delayed bringing ground up ana 10 aown y to o. efauo
formed, but tho Company wns fortunate in being
ablo to purchase gravel bod which it Is hardly
possible to exhaust. Trains nre now running three
North Branch stroots to within O. milo Of tho
prctty littlo city of Elgi1l, and thoy would bo
going the whole way but for tho action Of tho
Northwestern Hallway Company 70 applying i0r
Company from exercising its privileges Of right
Of way III crossing tho Northwestern truck near
Elgtn. Tho case ia now III court, and Will
probably be decided ono why or tho othor this
suburban country to bo found around Chicago
lack Of railway 'faclitios hlthcrto; but
T. will not long remain In that that deao; a,e;
meadows, md rolling, prairie land arc rathor
scarce horeabouta, but tho North Division has
moro than its shnro Of those natural advantages,
and will eventually DO largely benefited BY
yillages On tho line Of tho road, among them
being Galowood, nivor pnrk, ktasca, and hosolle.
Thoso places, and d dozen Or moro OF loss note,
arc Furnished with commodious BtationR: It Is u
singular fact that but litto or no land is advor-
tBed rs for sale III tho section Of Which wo
speak. Tho introduction OF tho railroad, 1t il
said, hos Increased its Value almost loo Per
cont, aud tho anticipated increase in population
= Hhort tirno the Chicago l. Pacific will
have depot Of it's own somewhere In tho vicini-
ty OF the LaSalle street tunnel, nj they have the
right Of way to that point THIS VII make tn tno
!. and those doing buBinoss in tho city who enjoy
, tho rural breoxeB OF aumuer. Whom Elgin il
reached, tho tracks will bc laid down briskly or
the other sido, aud trains will bo sent along to
ID 1,ctu hn{
! The writer commenced this article wit1the In
i tention Of saying something about an excursion
: aud picnic, held ut Hamnonds farm, nenr Elgin
yesterday, and it is about time it should DO dono
a | It waB plain common-sonHo, and highly enjoy
1 able outdoor entertainment, and oyory poraor
! | who participated i'll it felt better than III
or she had for a long time. At 8 o'clock in tht
morning, al excursion train, composed OF twt
elegant pnssongor-coachoB and baggngo-car
left tho temporary depot ut tho corncr OF Nortf
. Brunch and HalBted atroote. There Wero bn
fow residents Of tho city Oh board, aud tho rosi
denta Of any other lofay were t tram sta
ped, however, turned out heaithy, rosy-ohoek
t Cd, bright-eyol delegation, ladon with Groania{
i, baskets, tho contents Of which woro concealed b
:. :. was was made ut tic farm Of nlr. David Hammond
about d hundred people filed out o
3 tho cars, md wandered among, tho COO
y groves. When thoy grow. tlred at this, tho
ffoclled into Mr. Hammond's dairy and dram
:, his cans Of yellow cream and sweet milk, with
:. out as much as asking him how much ho charge
n quart When full OF milk to satisfactory dc
r. groo, they crowded around Mr. Hammond'H u
- fraordinary aquarium and scared his. aoycrf
It thousand ABhcs into piscatorial insanity
Il Though Mr.. Hammond VAS once Sheriff OF thi
ID county, ho Is nevortholess wholo-souled, hos
r. pitablo gentleman, mud it mado him fool good t
l. SEQ that his noighborB found enjoyment ln mnsf
:: Ing up his dairy and croating riot in ha hst
~ | ponds. Noon had passed by before milk bocam
@ q drug and fishes a boro, and tho excursioniht
70 began to foel hungry after their mornings spo1
:. Tho baskets were spoedily unlimbored, and hIr
" Hammond and aoveral other oatimablo ladie
1t and unequaled cooks Rot about laying prim
,o tive table with things good to eat. There VOL
H. cold nesh and fowl Of all kinds, IN abundance
10 PICKED, immersed in real cream. Then there VT
" toa and lemonade, and otheE cooling beverage
!; Ool. Hough made himaelf gonornlly useful
), transporting bustcr and things, from one end
of at wanted, VA and he ladlod tho lemonado out Of
y milk can with tin dipper aud au artloss simpl
10 city that won all Acarts. And when everybot
il aaid they had onten enough, how anxious tt
Ill and how anxious Mrs. Hammond and tho otht
IT, kind ladies were that tho strawberries and pi
and tarts might not be allowed to go
th waste. The fcasting had to end ut last, al
nt and talked wisdom, while tho young oues play
of tho moauoat gamo that was over inyontea. or
ho quot. Whom It was time to go homo. Col. Houf
10 spoke loud enough for everybody, to hear hi
os and publicly thanked Nr. Hammond aud lis lat
nI for their hospitality. hIr. Hammond said
r. would do the samc thing over again II he had
to chance, and was sorry that ho did not know
er time that so many pooplo were TO 20 preson
"a Col. Hough announced that whom tue road "
H., completed to Elgin, thero would bo = mode
- blowout ut that place. Tho romark wera grcct
ry- with demonstrations Of approval, and then Il
sir cars wero sought.
II, IT, Mr., j. X. fako, tho superint Of t
Chicago Il Pacific Road, IL deserving OF tt
tn. thanks Of tho excursonista for the cal ho to-
Nv, OF thom. It should lavo been stated before I'll
to to the railroad company arranged tho trip md 60
vo tho train free Of cost, in ortor that tho peot
eli living along the line might have an opportuni
tnr Of testing tLo traokH and cars. Eyarybody g
to- peared to bo we'll aatiahod, and b1r. Lake NJ
,xt feol complimented, al tho road was built uni
.ck LIS alfoeslon. 1Ao u gus u tao snoioa6o ~
no. Eoao Mc4 " tAo Hont'