Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-08-06
Old Gov. Reynolds, of Illinois.

There is nothing in the history of the
country which SO strikingly exhibits the
material growth and expanding political
power of a State as the wonderful in
crease in the wealth and population of
Illinois. Long after the writer Of these
sketches had arrived at his majority the
State had but a single member in the
House of Representatives 1t was be-
yond the limits of civilization, reached
only after a wearisome journey of many
weeks, unknown to the Atlantic States.
Chicago, which before the late fire was
larger than New York then, consisted of
block-house and the hamlets of a
handful of Indian traders. Now Illinois
is the fourth State in the Union in
point of population, and has the ele-
ments of national wealth to an extent
unsurpassed by any of her sister COM
mOnwealths. She is treading close
upon the heels of Ohio, and Will pass
her at the next enumeration of the
people. When Illinois had but single
member of Congress Virginia had
eighteen. and now the Old Dominion
has only half the federal strength of the
giant of the West.
Some thirty odd years ago Illinois
sent an uncouth, illiterate man to Con-
gress named Reynolds. He had strong
vein of common sense, much natural
shrewdness, with some comic humor.
He had been Governor of the State, and
Fund Commissioner, and seemed to be
uncommonly popular with his people.
At the time Illinois was a frontier State,
sparsely populated, deficient in the
means of education, without refinement
or much culture of any kind. Mr..
Reynolds spoke frequently, always pro-
voking merriment, in which he joined,
without caring, apparently, whether the
house was laughing with him or at him.
His phraseology was tinged with the
oddities and quaintnes of backwoods-
man. Everybody was his worthy
friend" In opposing an appropriation
for the navy, he provoked the satire of
Mr.. Winthrop, of Boston, always one of
the most courteous of men. He spoke
of the want of appreciation of the use
fulness and necessity of a respectable
armed force for the water so often be-
trayed by Western men. Mr.. REYNOLDS
rejoined: my worthy friend from
Boston does me wrong in saying I'm
agin the navy. On the contrary, l love
and admire the navy. Didn't our gal
liant sailors win unperishable honors in
| fighting our worthy friends, the British,
in the war? Didn't them dashing young
fellows, Perry and Macdonough, drive a
hostile flag from off the great lakes, and
make the British lion put his tail be-
tween his legs?"
Going to New York for the first time
on business connected with the duties
of his office as Fund Commissioner, he
put up at the Astor House. Such things
as gas and bell-ropes were far behind
his comprehension. Lying on the bed,
there being brilliant light in the room,
he began playing with the bell-handle,
and, finding it to yield on pulling, he
gave it a vigorous jerk. 1t was re-
sponded to Immediately. what did
you wish, sir?" " Nothing at all. Come
in. I'm glad to see you. Take seat.
was getting to feel sort of lonesome. "
The waiter, slightly astonished, sat
down without q words The Governor
had taken off his boots, and j ohm Thomas
took them out to be polished without
attracting the attention of the Fund
Commissioner. After repeated efforts to
blow out the gas, and finding it impos-
sible, he went to bed.
In the morning he missed his boots.
Rushing into the hall, half undressed,
he shouted until he brought up one of
the proprietors, clerk or two, and no
end of walters. my boots is stole my
boots is stole" He was asked what
kind of boots he wore. Number thir-
teen," he screamed, "and pegged at
that. "-Harper's MOnthly.