, 1875-11-08
OLD MILITIA DAYS.
An Ingenious Device to Settle q
Champagne BIZ.
Election of John B. Deaubien o. Colonel
-Revelry at Riverside.
Old Dr. Egan Turns the Tables on
His Foes,

In tho flrss organization OF tho militia In Chicago
which may not bo without intosost at thu prencas
day, and which will serve IN somo measure to H.
luhtrate characteristics ln tho early settlers OF
Chicago. viii rnlate Boms Of them IA they
now occur To my memory.
Illinois, lko most OF tho other statoe hsa
Ian In 1894 requiring the organization Ut tho
militia, and annuai dtil1. Abuut Juno Of that
YeAr an order WAS received from the Governor
for an eteution Of Colonel oyer tue militia Of
Cook County. son,s ttmo after the receipt OF tho
ordeE, and before tho day OF election, number
Of gentlemen mot In tho evening At tho old
saugauaBh Hotel, on the cotpor Of Lake and
Market streets, which waa tho great mart for
noNs. Az nAa sometimes Ito custom. conater-
able champagne had besn ordered ana drunk.
Among those prcaent were Robert 4. kinzio,
Peter rruyne, George ". Dole Hiram peazsonH,
nr. ". i. Egsn. ]. 9. c. Hogan. and Giles
Br1inE.
Tho subject Of tbe election Of the Colonel Of
dates we're mentioned. Tho important question:
also aroao. a. 10 nho should pay tho bill for the
champABnc. souo snggostod .hnt they should
reaoive thomaalvea into = nominating meeting
for cat,didate for Colonel and make Aim pay tho
bill, Tho1e boing something ludicEous in tho
proposed proceeding, aud L promising somo
fun, 1t met with a hearty aahent. sumo ono
buRgesteA that they nou.!asto John .. Bcaukieu,
Hu&t un E1tuGH fdAssJ HuuAA W 1&EltC4 Alu ~
would foel called upon to trest bis friends, and
would pay the bill already contracted with tho
rcat. Tho suggestion Was 1t once adoptod,--lt
would be good joke and provide for tho pay
appointed 10 hunt up DoaubicD. and bring
him before tho meeting, hud Dr. Egan, who
WAS tho orator an all occasions when entortan-
meht and xit wcre desi7ed, wns appointed to An
HaB found, md uBiered into tho room with tho
most formal Manifestations Of rchpect, and
Egan. tn the gfavess manner and IN tho moht
gfandiloQuent style, lnformea him OF the dis
tingutsbed homer ~E!ch had boeu conferred on
htm In hia naulinAtinn for Colonel Of tho militia
Of Cook County, lle alluded 10 D.anbion'H ua-
tsnguis1od sorvices in thu nlack. Hawk war, 10
the great Napoleon, Alexander, CGsar, aud tho
most renowned military characters in hiatory,
and 20 iulaucd his pride that The cAanpaKuo
MAS ordered without etint, and tlc whole bill
wAs paid-by Bsaubten, though the amount soma
what sur risod him. aud Ae thought the boys
must haYu boen very dry,
To appreciate tho fun of tho action. and Deau-
bien'a qualifications for tho o,co something n,uAt
be kuown Of tie mnu. Iio bad beeu raised All 1n-
d1an trader. Acu gwen anch an education as hia
business required, Doyond that ho was ignorant
as child, aud vosy rain. LII posBou ho was tall,
and Of rather tno Appearance. Lis tnapuers
werc French aud gracotuL lliB wife waH OF pnro
Indian blood. lie tad giron his Oldest son,
Modore T., sons opportunities for education aud
| aasoctat.on with tho onts'do World. Tie lKno-
1alce OF John D. is Illustrated in "hat IL saa to
| haye occurred III the Black Hawk war. The whites
| aud hall-lreeje in Chicago Hete olRanl1ed ipto
| ntNtar. company for nome detenBo aud l1eaublo,
was chosen Captain. 1t Was necessary for hun
! to drill hts company in the ulannal Of arms.
Fearing ho could not romembor the required
orders. lo procured his son, whu waa member
| Il the company. to write out tie orders for
dtni Oh ral,er. Whsn his company was drawn
| up Oh tho parade ground in the fort, armed With
his Hword ln Que hand and his paper ln llo other,
he took bta station lu front OF his company to
| 81. al II
looked upon bis paper. and tuou stretchn3 him.
| self up 10 his fu! Lei yhs. in tue mosE m.llEarj
| AIR aud voice ho could assume. GaTe lin
older4. Before 10 hsd proceeded far, he waa
and turning us psper oyes two or thsee tunes,
he dropped his military ait, placed llB nugcr on
The nukuown WORDS, rsu to his son. oxclaln'nR,
| .A1cdo.c. Meduro! what be dat, mhnt be dat p
font Of bis company. and, ieannsng his n'fn-
| sary hts..ude, gave the comI'Aud, "Oruex
arms," or whstoyer tho order Was. This WAS
repeated several timea. to the great amuBomrnt
appear in command Of regimen: w4s no mYs-
tery, and gave rich pionIto OF hniusetnont,
Ths oominztion wae regarded a. an eIcsllsnt
Ike, aud turuIale1 theme Of conversation aud
mind,
Wnoo, however, tho DAY appointed for tho
alect!op dtew near, and thu p1oper mau TO fll
The o1icu came to be- talked Of Dr. Esau all-
I nO1GEEU EttlHOll 40 NAA1tAatO aO1 AtkpAGt MY
long afte, this, number OF tAcss piesset wheu
Dcalbien WAS nominated found theu1se!ses uga1u
together at tho 3auf ufauRsh, nnd lhe approaching
election aud tho Candidacy OF Egan ba,nue the
Rubtact OF couYernaton Ihe Bub1gcta Of AtnuAa-
uaens and inuocen. tuu ware sAea scasce sH Cni-
ca9o. and anything which promised to produce
] ettaeE Kaa eo.zed upou with agtd!ty and nAdb tu
produce all tpat could he 80. out Of Them.
Pruyue inslsssd DeAuofen bad been regularly
nominated, aud theY woro bound to support him
that 1t was treason 10 Democratic uslecs to bolt
tho regular nomination; that Ill VINO !aa4 par
tio!pAtsd IN the nomination could bonolaoly do
he lad faithfully, lloerally complied With
the established and time.hoaored usage Ct the
Democratic party; lie bad furnished liquor
enough to mako them all drunk, il they dad cAo-
not Dsaubi.n's fsalt. 4. for Egao, ho h.d rio.
lated every principle Of party houor and usage
10 bad participated ia tae nomination Of Heaa:
bion had communicated tho fact to hlm had
Beaub.on deserved the ofslce. sod what q nag.
niAcent oihcor ho would make; and low. uot
only To go back on Deaubten, but 70 announce
h!maaf IA candidate, was au outtaga un pam'
stand by she regular nomination, and 10 a1-
peeted all honorable gentlemen would Do 10 Too.
rruyne was loudly sppauded and Boaubiou
luud,y ehso1ed.
The elec.,on was hold at Lavton's, within tho
present bounds Of Riverside. On tho day 1t oc.
ousted, rome forty OF afsY persons started out
on horseback Across tue prairie 10 tho place oi
election. One horse, loaded with supplies, &c.
compan1ed the eartlcade. As they &alioped oycI
tho tlkcktess prairie, inspired by tho occasion
and Bpeue, tho lndisn war-wisoop aud loud
lurrah rung out upon the ar aud cheersd them
upon the way. Arrived At their destnssloo. the
. election was held aud Baauh.ea elsoted by III
ovorwhslmiug majority, 70 the great disgust OF
Egan and hla trleods. Hss evldect chagfin con.
tsiputpd iargsly to the bo,sterous hilarity which
POSSESSED iAa crowd. aud exhibiled itsalt II
oyo1y conceivable effort 10 make tho fafco com
plate. aud extract from the occasion vi
Tue fuu possible. When .shey we're read,
to return, ., considerable quant.ty ol
surpleH. consisting Of suesr. famons, aut
} liquors., remained, sud, to aaso tho trouble Of
. oAtsyiuK them back, and TO give Aaltnony h,lc
the hnishlug-soucb to The proceedings. they car
risd them down to spring undsr tho bans
grouud. and poured Into It sugar, lemons. a.,t
, liquors, aud stlrrol thsu,, mud and nil. togetho
win stick, and then voted that oach Qua 9boull
take drink Of tbe mess out Of Als hat Or hi,
shoe, aud on failure. should hsye his heat