The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-28

Gregg, and the stern. stubborn oratory of
our lanlenfed ex-president, Jake Norris, |
trust that the proverbial kindness and for
bearance OF Old Settlers will let me down
easy.
Old Settlers, will ask you to return
With me, in memory, to the time when
Rock Island county was the west" the
realization of that magic word, which has
been. and still is, great moving power TO
mankind. will give you few items as
memory recalls them of Rock Island in its
primitive days. Forty years agos Rock
Island was on the borders of civilization.
You then looked across the Father of
Waters, the Territory of Wisconsin was
before you. and the smoke Of the pioneer S
cabin was behind The residence of
Antoine LeClaire in the cabin across the
and old Fort Armstrong on the Island,
were the only signs of civilization that
greeted your vision. All else was a wild,
waste prairie. About that time Rock
Island, or Stephenson,as as it was then called,
began to put on style and assume city airs
A dozen or SO of cabins made corner lots
very desirable, and indeed the future
prospects we're so fattering that Capt
Henry Powars contracted with Wm Morris
to build him buggyl In due course of
time it made its appearance. 1t was all
oak-except the tires. About the same
time John Thompson started dray.
am not certain whether the event was
usheled 10 with bonfire, but think not,
| as there was great danger that the prairie
might take FIRE aud the result be disas-
trous to the future city, as we'll as to
Thompson's old white horse and dray.
We had NO water works then. In case of
nre a line of buckets and dinner pots to
the Mississippi soon put the insurance
agents at ease.
The hote. of that time was built of logs,
with frame front, boarded barn fashion
with green lumber My first night in
Rock Island was spent there, November
Is. 1885. / slept warmly, with nice
convering OF snow for a caunterpane, The
bill of fare was genuine whole-soued
hospitality, with plenty to eat. The
| landlady is now the esteemed wife of our
worthy ex president, John A, Boyer.
| Forty years ago the total taxes of Rock
Island County amounted to So, CAT, Just
| $345s s592 744 less than the tax of 1875.
Michael Bartlett was Collector in 1885.
The preacher of the Gospel was here.
There was no $4,000 house of worship,
but the cabin of j. w. Spencer as we'll as
the hearts of its inmates. was always open.
Forty years have swept the cabin from ex-
istense, but have failed to contract or cor
| rode those generous hearts. In place of
| the Leep, rich toned organ aud paid choir
of the present. the rich honest voice OF
the pioneer sounded scng of praise to ths
Most High
| The courts at that time were held 10 8
building called the Shot Tower, named 81
on account of its great height, 1t wal
two stories high. The Judges bencl
was dry goods box, and the Jury sat up
on the smooth side of rail. tninl
some of the iurymen are here tonight
Judge Lynch occasionally held shnr
session. Should the verdict of guilty b
brought in punishment was speedy art
sure. with no expense to the county
/ PardoDs were seldom granted.
| The Jail of that peroid was log black
, smith shop. The door was fastened b,
setting a log against It, The post ofic
was in the double log cabin of NJ w Cor
way he being the Post Master The mali
to and from the north were carried on
! weakly horse. Frink & Walker ran mu
wagon to Chicago carrying pa: "ngers, ma
e and light freight g.
There was also school house and
school, The key of the school house b,
ing lost, and the art of picking locks vi
known, Young America gained admi
sion by kicking in the lower panel of ii
] door. The teacher was man well quail
e fed for the position. He was Superb
b tendent. taught al! the differen. branche
was janitor, ard with the help of the ba.
e chopped wood for the school, and | thin
D filled the important office of Board
Education. He was kind hearted IRA
He used to let the scholars thaw the
frozen fingers beside his own at Il
: stove, and never sent them out to e.
), in the cold while be toasted bis shins
!. the ere that the boys had chopped wood
y build 1t was at that school that gradu
Z ted. There was no formal presentation
diploma, but there was often an inform
g presertation aud application of what Il
dullest scholar could ieelingly spprecia,
There was also select school at what
now called Brooks Crossing. This scht
= house in some respects resembled Sol
mon 4 Temple, for the sound af hamms
y saw or trowel was not heard 10 its CO
D struction, but the axe was skilfully use
J Il was built OF round logs. The roof W
e of split shakes held in place with los
Is split and laid with the fat side up. T
y floor was of logs plastered with mud. I
e door was made of split shakes and fasten
together with wooden pins. Creased I
per was used for glass. The walls We
plastered with mud by the naked hand
r its architect and builder, aud there "
Is not q nail in the whole edi6ce. Its
er terror arrangements consisted of bench
Z: made of logs split and hewn smooth, des
er of the same material, rife hung on t
lg pegs above the FIRE place, aud q coffee i
ng and frying pan on peg ia the corner. |
teacher was an educated man. w,
Point graduate, was clad in bnckskin, "
creased and polished by contact with 90
:. kettles and powder. He did his own COS
= ing and lodged 10 the school-room. smak
cob phi e in school, had cows horn
call young Asnerica to their studies. a
e did they come early or late, the la
y y string was never pulled in.s A graduate
= that institution is here with you to-nie
y = / vii! ask of the young folks Of the pres,
o' ilp4v they woiiid like that kind of sche
Forty years aso j. was not found ,
te whether man belonged to our party,
oar church. OF our society, or our sef.
ck oar class. or our cube or our order. ar ,
ed ring. or whether he was rich. Each n
20 Was a h-. ,fhsr tn his fsfsaW-,nau FrieI