The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-23
OLD SETTLERS FESTIVAL.
THEIR ANNUAL REUNION AT THE
ROCK ISLAND HOUSE.
Large and Enthusiastic Assembly.

The annual festival the Old Settlers so
ciety, at the Rock Island House, on Thurs
day evening, was large and successful
meeting About $50 persons were pres
ent, mostly old settlers-but very few
young people, and they quietly stepped
back and gave the old folks a chance to
enjoy themselves, this time.
Supper was served at o'clock Upon
entering the dining room, which was done
in a much more orderly manner than ever
before-the older people being seated
first, the retiring president, Mr.. Isaac Ne
gus, made a neat little speech, and at its
conclusion presented the newly elected
president, Mr.. James Taylor, of Taylor
Ridge, the society cane, with the remark
that he hoped his official course during the
coming year would be as honorable and
satisfactory Ito himself) as was that of his
predecessor.
After few suitable remarks to Mr.. Ne
gus, upon accepting the cane, Mr.. Taylor
delivered the following address to the So
ciety:
Friends and old Settlers Of Rock Isl
and county: 1t has pleased this society to
place this mementO Of former days in my
hands for the present year. wish | could
command words adequate to express to
you the pleasure it gives me to be the
recipient of the Office of president of the
Old Settlers society. | will endeavor to
i all I e. Il n
perity 1t gives me the greatest pleasure
to!see so many familiar faces around me,
and | hope We may continue so to meet
| for many years to come. All Of US who
came here in an early day found many
disadvantages. We had no market only st,
| Louis. But God gave unto US glorious
heritage, a most beautiful country, with
one of the largert rivers III the world run.
ming past our doors which took away our
surplus produce, and to considerable ex-
| tent does so now.
In 1854, just % years ago to-day, on the
anniversary of the birth of the immortal
Washington the Chicago Il Rock Island
railway entered this city, and from that
day to this we have steadily increased in
wealth and population.
| All Of us can recollect our prairles in
their natural state, how magnificent they
were in the summer, clothed with the most
beautiful of flowers, of every shade and
Color which have all disappeared never
more to return. In their place we have
large corn fields, meadows, orchards and
we'll filled graneries, and in place of the
log cabin we have comfortable dwellings.
and in many instances beautiful residences
alike In town and country, and we all re.
ioice to see the change. My friends, our
best citizens are those that improve and
build not only houses and barns, but even
more, those that build shops and factories,
giving employment to all classes of me
chanics and laborers, and those who build
railroads and improve our means of trans
portatioD, and who, when they come to die
viii leave behind them good name, worth
much more than gold, boarded up, and left
for some one to quarrel over. When th>
most of US came to this country, Moline
and Milan were not heard of, and now lool
at Moline, second only to Rock Island il
population, and exceeding it manufactor
, les, To-day Rock Island county beats tht
world in the manufacture of plows, and ii
not behind in many other articles Of com
merce, such as the tub and pail factory o
Moline, the glass and stove factories 0
e Rock Island, the cotton and g-ist mills o
= Milan, and many other Industries too nu
merous 20 mention.
c Ali the old farmers know as we'll as
can tell them of the great trouble ant
vexation we had with the cast iron mole
board pillow, that would not scour an,
: more than stick OF wood dragged
: through the ground. The truth is W,
y could root little, pillow He could not
= The soil was not turned over, it wa
: showed along. The first pillow that | say
: that would turn over the soil came iron
= Grand Detour, and was made by job
: Deere, now Of Moline, and, my fri -nds
q that plow was the first great pionee
: that successfully subdued the prairie sol
!. Now we have the satisfaction to knCS
:, Il that Rock Islsnd and Moline plows bea
y all competitors at the late centennial ez
. position, which is surely great thin
\ to say for new country.
y am pleased to hear that we are t
u have our early history written up by Cap
Haverstick, and l hope that all the old SET
tiers who know of any thing interestin
will not be backward, but come forwar
9r and give him the items, so that we ma
j. have as complete history as it is 30:
a sibly to make. He lately asked me if
ic to MY first settling here, | said | woui
n thiLk it over. have been studying
~ over but cant as yet think of any thin
W that would be particularly interestin!
I'd What | have passed through nearly a
is the old settlers have experience
he something similar In the storm of Jur
IL 1914, my cabin was unroofed, and mI
ne self and child carried away oyer half
ns mile, and | assure you | was glad when
got back to the remaining logs of til;
cabin, and found my wife and childre
unhurt. The child | had alone with u
was nearly dead with the dashing rain an
- hail. But there were others around TIL
suffered nearly as much. so | though
that even this would hardly be interes
ing. And here let me say that l wi
never forget the kindness of the la
Jonathan Buffum who sent all his bo,
,ir the next day to help me repair my cabi
he [ am informed that the historical r
or cords of our society are imperfect, al
IS, that they never have been so full az
or complete as they should be. Not only
or it important that the names, date al
is place of birth, the state, county, al
n, town from which early settlers came, al
the time they settled here, should be r
corded, but we ought to have some lnG
cidents of personal history recorded b.
fore it be too late. Many Of the old sc
tiers were marked characters, who a
n. passing away or have already gone
IS their long homes. We meet and repe
ne personal lncloehts Vi interest," put we ma
Nv no authentic record of them. | hope Il
al society will take measures to preser
an these ere it be too late.
IA =, ,ol1