The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-08-23
CHICAGO & PADUCAH RAILROAD.


leading citizens from Chicago, Aurora, DC
! bound for an excursion over the new Chicag
Il Paducah railroad, now opened via Streatoi
Pontiac, Fairbury, &c, to Windsor, in Shelb
, county, TAG miles south of Ottawa. In III
% party we noticed +, +. IIincklcy, president O
; the road as well As of the Chicago d Iowa
and one or two other railroads, Robert Han
ris superintendent of the Chicago, Burlington
Il Quincy road; Samuel Powell, general tick
ct agent Of the Chicago, Burlington Il Quincl
road Gen. $. A, IIulbut; Deacon VIM. Bross
Judge l.. 5. Trimblc, of PaduCah, Ky; join
L. Blunt, chief engineer Of the Chicago anC
Paducah road; Hon, ID. b. Waterman, of An
rora; Hon. e.. VI. Rochelle; Charles s. Tstlan
J +. Stewart j. f. Gillette, T. b. SUBWAY
freight agent and W. G. Sisson, general super
| intendcnt of the c, & T. road, Mr. Macy, OF
ITowcs & Macy, bankers, n. Y. city; with
other gentlemen from Chicago and Aurora
and representatives OF the Chicago press
The party laid over at Ottawa till morning,
and again took the road about : o'clock, be.
ng joined by number of our prominent
NI''fs'' ''' iI'i- hll'il w IiONl''Nt NDl 'lSll-
man. +. G. Allen and VI. H. Swift, bankers,
IS. T.. King, ). w, Cheeycr, Henry Strawn, J.
Z. Porter and John Stout, manufacturers, and
John Manley, Hon. VIM Rcddck, Chas Todd,
Howard, of the Clifton, Jer Wood Col Hape-
man, II. +, Clark $ b. Gridlcy, Geo. NJ Rad.
citie, and a dozen of others whose names do
not now occur to us.
Leaving Ottawa in two coaches, at Strcator
a halt of an hour was mad" to enable the par
~ to take a look around the town and inspect
the coal mines Here palace car was added
to the train and the party were joined by Col
Plumb, David Strawn, FOssct Plumb, and nu.
merous other local notabilitcs
The next run was to Pontiac, where little
molc human freight was taken on board, and
at Fairbury, in another brief pause Col |
Marsh, Mr. Taylor, banker, and numerous
others Joined the party.
There was now no pause, except for min
ute or two at Il time until the party reached
Bcment, in Piatt county, where a sumptuous
'epaSt was spread at the Bcment House, kept
by Mr. Thomas. As the hotel was consider.
lbly smaller than the Grand Pacific, in fact,
not projected on a scale to accommodate over
thirty or forty guests at time, a sudden de-
scent of about $50 very hungry men was rath
II staggcrng. But Mr.. Thomas seems to have
appreciated the eXigency, and made his prcpa.
'ations accordingly. 1t is sufficient to say,
hat he found seats for all and abundant to
'at, prepared in style to do no discredit to l.
my first class Chicago hotel.
The next pause was at Windsor which was
wealthy citizen, l.. S. Baldwin, ESD, sup.
the libcrality Of the railroad com
Dany by an extra treat, at which, besides
'hoicc fruits and cdibles, something "a little
tronger, we fear, than lemonade was set out
The start homownrd from Windsor was
.,a,,, ct unout o'5 o'clock, aud the only pause
N the way was to take supper at the Fair, ;
Jury House, where the party enjoyed another
plendid meal Arriving at Ottawa about - ,
t night, the train again lay over until morn. ,
lg
In hurried run like this, Of course, one f
As little opportunity to take notes of the s
ountry, IFS improvements, prospects, &c. i
he general feature OF the country from II
trcalor to Windsor is that of a well watcred, .
ell timhcred but rather fiat prairie.
Six or eight miles south of F4irbury wc
lsscd thc new town of Srawn, already quite
village, and located on the edge of Mr..
rawn'S little cattle farm of 1000 acres, and u
BON which about thousand head of cattle .
ere seen quietly grazing. The town rises "
to some importance ~ the proposed point
Junction with the G. & +. of branch to u,
N from Strawn 40 miles eastward, crossing r,
Z Illinois Central at Buckley and striking c.
Oopcst0wn, where it connects with the Dan III
lie IL Ninccnnes to Coyington, thus opening :;
Strcator and Ottawa direct road 10 In.
annapolis and putting all the region north in
d west in direct connection with that great III
ilroad center Eli Strawn, Esq, is Presi :,
nj OF the proposed branch road, and is
wing 1t with great energy, being quite cI
ntidcnt of having it under contract by tn
ring. W W
RAISING StraWn IN few miles the train nc
likes the extensive domain of Mr. sullivan, IA
10 has here a cattle farm OF 10000 acres in on
c bod, the track running for eight con. ~
uouS miles over his land.
4 notable circumstance on the route is the co
mber of cross roads one meets. At Strea- a.,
We cross branch Of the Chicago Il Al. Hat
road and the Pckin road; at Pontiac the to
icago Il Alton road at Fairbury the Tole no
Peoria n Warsaw; at Gibson The Bloom -,
ton n Lafayette, a. Mansfield the Indian tn,
Ills, Bloomington ~ Western; miles fur Til
r south, the Havana branch of the same wa
Il; at Monticello, the Decatur branch of
same road; at Bcmcnt, the Toledo, Wab
u Western road; at Hammond, the Ind. me
Ill. Central; at Lovington, the Paris 4 fur
'a'ur road; at Sullivan, The sullivan x ito
'atur; and 81 Windsor, the indianapolis ha'
Il, ,uiS nf