The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-09-05
Serena Items.

As Serena was one of the names given ne
moon in heather mythology, and we having
made trip to Serena therefore we have been
to the moon We found our Serena, which
is only a dozen miles north OF Ottawa, serene
indeed. Only four or five teams disturbed
the Quiet of the town during the three or four
hours of our sojourn there, and one of those
was the fine $500 turn out Of our respected
kinsman, A. r. Armstrong EsG's., stable
Seated in his buggy with him. we drove
around the neighborhood for "A couple Of
hours, much to our qualification. We saw
many neat and comfortable residences, and
few that are elegant, among which we mon
ton the luxurious homes of II. X. Parr, Mark
Hoag, s. W. and II. Hupp. AT Sed Hupp's
we imbibed cider fresh from the mill, and our
inner man at first rcjoiced and waxed Jolly.
In about an hour he became unhappy, and so
did we out ofsympathy, 3
Serena is quite grain market The three
buyers there will challenge any three Ottawa
firms to beat them the year round ). W..
Hupp has a very neat office, and novel soft
of warehouse, but it answers his purpose, as
he stores in Chicago. Mark Hoag has
warehouse similarto Hupp's His office is in
his hat and pocket. Abe Armstrong has q
very, well arranged elevator, and convenient
loading and unloading arrangements through
out. He is an inventive genius. His team,
attached to a horsepower which propels the
elevat.ng machinery, often gets lazy. He
used to hire boy to encourage the horses
with a whip, but the boy would go to sleep,
and so would the horses. He became dis
gnsted, turned the boy OIL and resolved to
make boy of his own. He constructed a
series of levers, and attached toSonc in the
rear of the horses an arm and bit of lath
At the other end of the lever is a rope, which
runs up TO the elevator where the boss of the
business is. On the horses showing signs Of
drowsness the boss pulls the rope, the rope
jerks the first lever, that wiggles the second, |
the second "yanks' the third and the third
brings around the cad upon the rear anato-
micai construction Of the horses, and they
move on.
The city boasts a good general store, kept by
Mason 81 Slapbush, hardware and tin shop, !
r. II. Pooler proprietor. The tin shop pos
sesses all the modern improved machinery
for doing all sorts Of tinsmithing Mr.. Pool
er is also the postmaster Of the village. The
place also has a harness shop, boot and shoe
shop, blacksmith shop, wagon and carriage
shop, watch shop drug store, a hotel, two NJ.
DIS, viz. DR.. Green and DR.. Brown, squire,
y. 7. Armstrong, who does the weighing for
the village Oh his large scales, and weighs
out legal matters on The smaller scales Of
justice. We believe there are couple of sa.
looms, where salubriOusncss is retailed by the
quart, a billiard saloon scandal society,
ard at present no person Of the II. W. b. style.
y singular disease has recently broken out
among the cattle Of that vicinity, which is
kpOwn as the l
MAD ITCH.
Mr John Bourn first observed il among
his cattle He had been feeding his hogs
green corn, and the cattle afterwards were
turned IA upon the same ground. In day ID
or two some OF the cattle began to exhibit !
symptoms Of mad itch. They ran about /
wildly and seemed to be in great agony
Frothing at the mouth and rubbing the neck
and shoulders against the trees fence, &C.
were the chief symptoms They seemed dy-
ing for water, but were apparently unable to
drink On opening some of the dead animals ,
Jumps of this corn, masticated IN wads nearly
as the hogs had left it, wee found in the
stomachs Of the cattle. Mr.. Bowen has lost
u number OF cattle in this way, and others are :
showing symptoms Of The disease 1t is
strange ia il appearance at this time ald Is
new to the farmers Of this section Whether
the cause is the undigcsted wads of corn
stalks, leaves, &c, in the stomachs of the cat a
tie, or is disconnected with this food, is not
known. t
-N.~szn~sus~sssa~ssss l.,