The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-02-04


on several subjects of importance to the
farming interest.
From appearances the meeting was graft
flying to all present.. \.
t5y- Believing that a former citizen who
had done SO much to develop our place as had
Mr.. Sidney Blackwell, deserved more ex-
tended obituary notice than he had received,
we requested friend to prepare such paper
The following has been furnished us in accor-
dance with said request;
SIDNEY BLACKWELL was born April IA,
1913, near Hopewell, n. j. When four years
of age his parents moved near Pennington.
At the age of seven his father died. He re-
NAMED with his mother until 1880 f; then
went to Philadelphia and engaged in the
mercantile business, but not taking a fancy
to it, he returned home. Previous, however,
to his return to Pennington, one Sunday at
ternoon rs he was walking out for ramble,
being near ST. Georges NJ. +. Church, in
Phila., and hearing children singing, he went
in. As he sat there mcmber stepped up to
him and asked him if he loved the Savior
Answering III the negative, he was invited to
seek the Lord, and being convinced of the
necessity of being n Christian, he sought and
found the Lord, to the JOY of his soul. lie
was then nineteen years old He returned to
the City and learned the cabinet business.
By applying himself he soon became proficient,
and in 1884 commenced business for himself
q 100 H. a..
Of 1886, he left Philadelphia to go West, in
an organization of a company of fifty, called
the Union Lead Company, their destlna-
ton being Galcna. The facilities for traye-
ling then were not what they are now, 1t
taking two weeks to go from Philadelphia by
rail, canal and steamer. Arriving at ealeni'
and not being prepossessed with the muddy
streets. as it WAS III the spring, the company
concluded not to stop there; so they did not
leave the steamer. ] Those that did, Ind TO so
on horse back the horses were up to their
knees in mud. The spectacle they presented
was quite ludicrous-the women ON horse
back and the men to their knees in mud.
MIR. Blackwell thought that was not Jersey.
Then the inquiry arose, What kind OF place
is Dubuque? The company decided to go
there,s so they sailed down Fevress River
(Galenas being Situated on that riyer), then up
the Mississippi and soon they were in sight of
Dubuque. 1t was u romantic sight to ono
from the level plains of Jersey, as the writer
was. The town was long and narrow, as
the Mississippi was on one side and an exceed
ing high blnf on the other The bluff was
grand and imposing, as it rose in majestic
height ~ cow grazing on its peak looked not
larger than sheep, while the cabins nesting
under its side, so small, gave sensation not
before experienced. We looked around and
thought this our future home, hundreds OF
miles from friends--a new country just three
wears after Blackhawk' $ war, and the Indians
with the privilege of hunting every fall.
But romance filed the mind and we were re-
conciled. The next thing was to look for
some place to put our goods. That done,
then Mr.. Blackwell was ready for business.
The gentlemen Of the company started for
EXPLORATIONS but without any success, and
after many delays and much expense, gave it
up and engaged in other pursuits. Not one
of them ever struck lead. Mr. Blackwell
then turned his attention to his trade. He
remained there six weeks and finding but lit
tie to do he thought he would try farming.
He moved twelve miles west of Dubuque,
where he thought of taking up prairie
claini, so he,bought,a horse and wagon and a
COW. 1t then appeared something like home.
He gathered two large stacks of wild hay, as
there was no cultivated grass, and in order to
preserve it from the ravages of the prairie
fires which occurred every fall, he went one
day to burn around them. The Wind blowing
towards the stacks they caught fire. On
seeing it approaching, he stamped and rolled
on the fire to no account but to see them
burned to the ground. There he was alone
| in a vast prairie, with horse and COW and nc
| hay and none to be bought. And to add to
his misfortunes his horse played him shabby
trick He had bought several bushels of
potatoes, and they had to be inovedsso a place
of safety for the winter, and in so doing, the
horse (which hada very quiet way of backing
instead going forward sometimes,) in round.
! ing hill and ascending it quietly took it into
his head to back, so down went cart, potatoes
horse and all. When they had gone about
thirty feet the cart brought up against .
large tree. These disasters cooled the ardor
for a prairie farm. In the spring Of 1887 he
returned to Dubuque. and engaged in carpen
tering !; remained there one year, and thought
he would try farming on timber claim. He
then removed sixteen miles west Of Dubuque
on the Little Makoquta Creek, struck claim