The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1876-06-15
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Letter from Illinois.

EDITOR NEws:-I have not written
you for some time, and the reason is,
/ have had little to write that might
have interested your readers.
At our home on Catawba Island,
we had a mild winter, and fruit of all
kinds came through safely, buta Sc
we're cold snap one Sunday night
some weeks ago, killed almost all OF
our peaches, and part of the plums
and pears.
Our apple crop, however, 1 think
will be large, and the prospect fona
good crop of grapes, is also Aatter-
ing.
The fishing interest about our ISL
and is very extensive, but those ea-
gagged in it this Spring have not
made fortunes, and only done mod
erately well.
Mr.. S. A. Glenn, who moved to
our place from Missouri about year
since, lost his house and furniture
by fire about the first of February
last-partly insured. But his losses
in that and the fishing business SO
disgusted him with our Island that
he left in April for his old home in
Missouri.
Another of our citizens lost his
house and contents by fire in March,
barely escaping with his family in
their night clothes from the flames.
He is rebuilding, however, having
good farm and vineyard, and is one
of the old settlers.
Put-in-Bay hotels opened about
the 18th of May, and quite num-
Der of guests had arrived when I left
home on May 25th, Notwithstanding
the great show at Philadelphia is in
full blast.
Out here in Illinois the prospects
of the farmers are most excellent for
everything except, perhaps, wheat.
The wheat crop of this State and
Indiana will undoubtedly be very
short. Thousands of acres have
been plowed under this spring, and
planted to corn.
The winter and spring have
brought great quantities of rain, and
spring planting has been very much
delayed on account of the continued
wet weather. But the weather now
is propitious, and crops are growing
finely.
Fruit is quite abundant, except
apples, which in some sections prom
Use but small crop.
Strawberries are plenty and cheap.
Large quantities are shipped on the
''fruit trains" of the Illinois Central
from Egypt" to Chicago and towns
throughout the State. In st. Louis
yesterday they were selling at (8)
eight cents per quart for the finest
varieties.
The past week has been lively
one for the High Schools and Semi
naries of this section of Illinois.
Commencements are nearly all over,
and the students returned home.
This city is a great educational
center, and has been unusually gay
with the crowds of visitors attending
the exercises of the half dozen
schools and seminaries located here.
The Railroads are advertising half
rates to the Cincinnati Convention,
and much excitement exists in re-
gard to political matters. Great in
terest is felt in regard to the ''Com-
ing Man" among both parties.
Visitors to the Centennial at Phil
adelphia are not crowding the east
ward bound trains in numbers suffi-
cient to put the railroad men into a
happy frame of mind, and it is
thought that further reduction OF
fares will be made before long to in
duce travel.
Much dissatisfaction is also ex-
pressed among people generally at
the entrance fee of fifty cents charg-
ed by the Exhibition, and the rates
of fare asked by the hotels.
A liberal deduction by all these
parties may increase materially the
m RAVETTNG