The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-06
ghe 19ailg Atgns.
Mercer County Correspondence.

THE ARGUS has quite num- Der of patrons
il this locality. and thinking, therefore,
that an occasional letter from here would
prove interesting, | propose furnishing the
same. The weather for the past two
weeks has been exceedingly favorable for
farming, aud the farmers have been very
busy getting ready the ground for planting
corr. Within circuit of four miles from,
this point, we claim to have the garden
spot of this whole region of country. The
land is almost level and the soil very
prolific. The farmers are. almost all of
them, in independent, at least comfortable
circumstances, and their beautiful resi-
dences, along with numerous churches and
schoolhouses, testify to the prosperity and
culture of the inhabitants.
The village of Hamlet, although not
very pretentious in point Of population, is
we are looking forward hopefully to the
munication with the outside world The
prospects are favorable for the narrow
gauge road inside two years. At present
the nearest point to railroad is at Aledo,
distance OF eight miles. With the roads
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have been for the past three months, great
inconvenience is experienced in getting
anything to market. A number OF new
buildings will be erected this season, and
the indications are favorable for this place
becoming quite business centre.
The recent accidental homicide at Rock
Island created an exciting interest in this
neighborhood, inasmuch as David Van
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well and favorably known. He has a
brother and sister residing here at present,
and they are universally esteemed for
those quafitie3 that adorn manhood and
womanhood. David is remembered as an
excellent boy, Of good ard sterling qualities
and kindly disposition. Ia the absence of
affair reached here, the opinion was
universal that his action must certainly
have been in self-defence and under
circumstances of greatest provocation.-
when full details of the unfortunate affair
was received, and the suggestions of his
friends corroborated, sense of relief was
experienced that gave itself vent 10 gratu-
lations that, however deplorable the actual
result, the circumstances were such as to
exhonerate Van Meter from all blame -
When desperadoes, such as abound in
Rock island, are permitted with impunity
to intimidate the press, it is high time
some retOrmatory measures were adopted
for the benefit Of society at large. 1t is a
sad thing, at any time, and under any
circumstances, to take the life OF a human
being, but there are occasions when
homicide not only becomes Unsuitable but
praiseworthy. When a man is permitted
tC run at large, terror to the community,
a dangerous man, disturber Of the peace,
vicious and awless character, constantly
putting peacable peoll lie under fear Of
their lives, the sudden stopping of such a
career is a matter Of congratulation. -
Rock Island is infested with many, very
many, vicious characters who are dis
grace to the reputation of the city. The
recent highway robberies on the road TO
} Milan have caused general alarm all
J through this section, and farmers from a
distance who do their trading in Rock
Island, returning h2me in TIE evening, are
f apprehensive OF their safety. If some
thing be not done speedily to rid your city
of the desperate characters who seem to
have taken possession of it, the business
interests of the city must suffer.
A few miles south OF Hamlet, on and
near to the road leading to Aledo, is quite
an extensive colony Of Pennsylyanians
mostly from The good old Democratic
county of Columbia Columbia county
a hospitality is almost as proverbial as that
of old Virginia. Their leading charteristics
are, first, Democratic in politics; next
sterling integrity, combined with industry
e and unbounded hospitality-and hospitality
J with them means not alone the generous
q welcome, but the substantial comforts oil
!, an always overlooking and we'll kept Iarder
e When a Rock Island or Davenport
4 vendor of strange wares once gets ID the
b vicinity of Sugar Grove, it is hard to drive
i him away These Columbia county men;
these Democrats; these hospitable farm
ers; are unusually we'll blessed with the
comforts of the land And they live as
if life was blessing and they meant tc
enjoy it. Their residences are large anc
comfortable, with such interior adorn
ments as batoken taste and retirement
Books and newspapers are found il
every house, and about all a genial air Of
n social warmth that makes the soiournel
s long to tarry. How great the contrast
Q with another settlement in another di
9 rection, not far from here. There the farm
ers are equally we'll circumstance but not
one in dozen takes newspal r, ant
they live little better than the aborigines
u. One of this class the other day asked tht
i writer what is the meaning of tht
; Centennial But more anon. HAMLET.
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