The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-03-30
very In'ercssscg. Paper by an Old.

M. b. Harrell, Esq, of The Cairo Ga
sette, lectured before the Liberal Ttelig-
ious:, Association last Sunday night. The
room was crowded, and the audience was
entertained during an hour in very
pleasant manner.
Mr.. ii. opened his lecture with reply
to few remarks Mr.. Oberly had made
the Sunday before on Spiritualism. We
omit this part of the lecture to-day, and
will publish II at another time.
After his Spiritual remarks, Mr.. H..
said:
And now begging pardon for my wide
departure from the topic announced. |
proceed to presentation of what know
about
THE PIONEERS AND EARLY TIMES Oh
CAIRO AND ALEXANDER COUNTY
merely remarking, prefitorially, that Sc
lected the subject announced, not because
1t admits ofany oratorical ornamentation
any show of learning, or outburst of elo-
quencc; but becaus | had been therunto
frequently urged, and because of all the
subjects that may be embraced within the
scope granted by the lecture committee
Of your association, could settle upon
none with the details of which ANYMORE
familiar.
In dealing with my sub,e ct shall
adopt simple narrative style, and shall
pursue it In regular chronological order
and now nerve yourselves for the inflic-
ton:
In an old history of North Carolina It is
recorded that when De Soto descended
the Mississippi river, he found at the juno.
ton OF these rivers a lake, about seven
miles In width and twenty miles in length
While We may admit the existence of q
lake here, we are constrained, by what we
have personally observed. 20 bring It's
waters into much narrower limits. While
We have, In the different strata underly-
ing us, convincing proof that the site
upon which Cairo stands, In fact all that
section between Cache river and Charles
ton, Missouri, Is what is commonly de-
o"Su h"oc iaiiu -tne proWtn OF
alluvial and vegetable deposits--it is true
nevertheless, that It's formation dates back
to aperiod long anterior to the discovery
OF America. A sycamore stump. vet
standing in the upper part of the city,
shows growth Of 52s years; within the
past twenty years cottonwood trees of
more than sixteen feet girth, have been
removed from all parts of the city site,
one OF them from a point beyond the
old fort, aud within hundred yards O
the Junction OF u~ -i's.~. I.inc Inn
Der grew upon the Missouri shore
conspiouously sycamore in the old
Birds lane, which presented a diameter
of nearly eleven feet. The timber on
The Kentucky shore shows a Younger
growth, but even there we find trees
standing within two hundred Yards of
the rivers edge, that show growth of
more than two hundred years. Hence
we conclude that the 'lake story" was an
innocent fiction, and that the ia-Jo-sh,,,.'
OF the Ohio river, in fact, the junction of
the two rivers, has remained, in so far rs
the effect upon this Delta is concerned
practically fixed and unchanged. Abrasion
ana accretion, have changed the form of
the Delta somewhat, and that, too, within
The memory of our "oldest inhabitant."
The Father Of Waters has made inroods
al one point, but, as If governed by law
Of compensation. has made additions a,
another Hence conclude that we have
lett TO us every ounce OF earth we had
two hundred years ago, and that the
complete washing away of our CITY.
which men who are wise In their own
conceit foretell, will be simultaneous
with another predicted event, viz: the
destruction OF the earth by contact with
the sun. When these events occur. we
can well do without Cairo, and, in con.
templating the destruction Of world.
VIII be exceedingly selfish if we fail TO
forget our individual sorrows.
To the happy coincidence that the Ohio
and Mississippi both concluded 10 meet
and minsle at this point, we may ascribe
the location Of Cairo. Early in the wear
lsi7, while Illinois was yet a territory
ule value Of this coincidence was annre-
c'ated; and certain men, with more enter
PRISE than money-with more faith in the
guinbllity Of the public than practical
sense OF their own, conceived the iden NJ |
building here city that should servo os
uie grand commercial entrepot and bust |
ness emporium OF the Mississippi valley
ihey entered, under the credit system
theh prevailing, 800 acres of land and
aier securing liberal charter from tho
Territorial Legislature, commenced oper.
atoms under the name of The CITY and
Bank Company Of Cairo. II was Mi
company that originated the idea Of tbe
Illinois Central railroad. They laid oo
about two hundred acres OF their lands
Into town lots. The streets (all of which
were so feet in width ran parrellel with
The Ohio river, with cross streets nj in.
tervals OF five hundred feet. runnipg NJ
right angles to the Mississippi Every
thirtieth block was set aside rs n public
square. The lots were 25 by 100 feet, and
the price 'Oas fired By lac at $50 per lot
The plans adopted to effect sales. al
.nough somewhat more original than
NAV pursued by the present Trustees,
was py no means as successful. The ap-
p"ca,'' Tor lot was required to deposit
Fl" VIC "edit OF the Cairo Bank,