The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-10-27
THE LANDS END.
what wilson. the Good Guesser.'
Has 90 Nay About Cairo.
His Talk With Old Settlers
MS Ielk WIN via oettlere.
The Young Pine Between Two Royal
Oaks

I
Mr.. +. v. Wilson, who visited Cairo
and lecturcd under the auspices of the
Liberal Religious Association, few
weeks ago, speaks thus of his visit,
through the columns Of his paper, the
Spirituaiist al Work:
Cairo, the capital Of Egypt in Illinois,
the shire town of Alexander county. is
literally the LANDS End Of Illinois,
situated on a tongue Of land lying be-
tween the Mississippi and Ohio rivers,
200 miles below st. Louis, 800 miles be-
low Cincinnati. When standing on the
extreme point of this land you look to
the south "way down INTO Dixie Turn
to the left. looking east, and there lies
Kentucky, with its story of the clark
and bloody ground - turn to the right,
looking west, and there lies Missouri.
Between these States and where we stand
flows ia belle Ohio" on the left, on the
right the Father OF Waters" the Mis,is-
sippi river. Turn around. look north
ward, and before you spreads out the
fourth State in the Union, Illinois. fifty
eight years ago territory. then the
home OF savages and the haunt of wild
beasts, now garden, oyer
which and through which floats
and rolls the commerce of
many States. Turning to the rivers on
your right and on your left, you behold
a new river every minute. for the swift
flowing waters tarry not, but flow on
and new waters take their place. Yes
terday we stood on the levcc, aud saw
the waters of fifteen States and Terrific
ries rolling by u. an empire of them
selves, mingling their tears in the we'd
ding of these rivers. Over our head the
telegraph, on which our soul can send its
thoughts to the uttermost parts of the
world-only a few minutes of precious
time between Cairo of the Nile and Cairo
of the Mississippi and Ohio. On our
right and left the iron rail on which rolls
the iron horse, all ready for the race.
and with tireless speed whirls you
swiftly on from lands end to lands end.
BY us Il palace floats, yea, many of them,
freighted deep with the products of civil
ization. No longer the war whoop Of
the red man or the howl of the wolf or
the scrcech Of the panther is heard no
more the birchen canoe with its dusky
pilot is seen. All have given place to
the pale face. a race of strangers.
Yesterday, Sept 30, we sat between
two men, Col Webb and DR.. AFTER. 1t
was at the tea table in tie pleasant home
OF the doctor. Turning to the Colonel
we asked, "When did you come into thi,
country?''
''In 1878, sir; the year Illinois became
a State"
''The year we were born. And how old
are you. Colonel?"
"Eighty-one past"
"And you, doctor =
.Seventy-eight past
"And all these years you have lIyed
hcrc?"
"les." v
"And are there any living now, Col
onel, that were here when you came:"
mo, not one all are gone and alone
am left. Last year my wife died. ant
soon |, too, will co.
"Great changes and mighty revolutions
have taken place in your day, COlonel'
"Yes. indeed"
| c,,lt La nj "a n
between these two old men, either ole
enough to be our father, and yet we are &
grandfather. And then as we listened tt
the pleasant voice OF Col. Webb, wher
speaking of his interviews with
jackson, VanBuren, Benton, Clay
Douglas, Lincoln, Harrison, Taylor, aud
others when he spoke of the Black
f Hawk and the Mexican wars, in both OF
which he took part, we ielt indeed
child by the side of this grand old soul
one of the first settlers of Illinois. And
, as we gazcd Into his eyes, and looked w
to his massive brow and snOw-whilt
locks, we felt that the past and the pres
| ent were shaking hands, saying 10 cacl
5 other, Good evening, for tomorrow w
/ will greet each other on the shining
shores of the river OF Life. beyond thu
| Lands End of Time, and with the opci
, country OF Eternity before us.
In the evening we spoke in Liberia
a Hall. On our right and lett sat these
a grand old men. We felt like the greer
young pine between two royal oaks, OF
, whose scared brows the frost of u thou
. sand winters had fallen, aud standing
thus we tclt the inspiration OF the pas
!, blending with the present, urging us OF
,, to the future. We cannot do better than
!, to close this already too long article vii.
. the compliments OF the Cairo Daily Bul
ietin OF Oct. |.
:, "Mr. +. V. Wilson lectured last night
> and delivered one of the most elOqucn
discourscs we have heard IN Cairo"
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= warning.