The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-04-30


been SO blind 10 their own present and futur
; interests. Even those who took up" farm
did SO, we are told, with great discomfort, ant
, in most cases because they had no other altern
alive.
But SO it came that the nucleus was laid to
Irish colonies and settlements IN Illinois
which attracted other accretions from abroad
' and thus the unwilling Irish colonists of 1885,
to 1850 and their descendants are now anon.
the most prosperous farmers in the state
The proof is visible IN the rich farms anC
thriving towns and settlements owned, OF
largely populated, by Irishmen and the sons
lof Irishmen. The farming population anC
neighborng settlements of Joliet Seneca OF
tawa, La Sale, and across to Kane and Nc
l Henry counties, and down along the Ilinoi:
river to Peoria, are largely Irish. Name
might be given and copious facts narrated te
show how the Irish farmers prospered. No
a few have accumulated considerable wealth
and many of the most important merchants
and traders in the towns and districts referred
to and IN the city OF Chicago are the sons OF
these Irish farmers.
| We are informed that along the line of the
/ New York canals like result followed tha,
there, too considerable numbers Of the Irish
men employed on the canal and the public
works OF the state bought or prccmpted land
prosperous and even wealthy farmers. Smll'
arly the building and extension Of the West
ern railroads have given the same opportunity
to the men employed in the work but how
few comparatively of the Irishmen thus en-
gagged have had the wisdom and push" to get
on the land!
The purpose of this sketch is TO point out
the curious and interesting fact which gave
rise to the Irish farming settlements in The
State of Illinois But one or two other Incl.
dental facts and illustrations bearing on the
subject may be brought forward.
lrishmen dug the canal; they did more ;
they furnished much OF the engineering talent
required to survey it and carry ON the work.
They were prominent and powerful in the
legislature OF the state. aiding the project by
their influence and advocating it by their eo-
qnence. AT critical juncture in the finances
OF the state, during the progress of the under
taking, an Illinois lrishman was commission
ed by the governor of the state--GovcrnOr
Ford-to proceed to London to negotiate the
loan of 81 100000 by which the completion OF
the canal was made possible, and he succeeded;
or rather, rs the result Of his representations
and the ability displayed in the negotiations
with the English capitalists, Barring Bros, he
laid the foundations for the successful com.
pletlOn of the loan.
Senator Michael Ryan, canal engineer and
State senator, had foremost part in the en-
cheering work of the canal He subsequent
ly became one of the leading senators in the
Illinois Legislature, and he there exercised a
commanding influence by his ability and high
character. When it WAS finally determined to-
appoint commissioners to negotiate the neces-
sary loan, Senator Ryan WAS selected as one
of the two to undertake the delicate ard i'm.
porlant trust; and he was the recognized head
and brains OF the commission. The estima-
ton in which he was held in Illinois may be
judged by the universal regrets that were ex-
pressed at his death IN lS45.
Another notable lrishman figured promin.
emily in the public affairs of Illinois about the
same perlod-Dr. Richard Murphy DR..
Murphy served three successive terms IN the
legislature, representing Chicago and that
district. He was man of marked ability and
power and he early won leading position in
the state.
More prominent than either, and more wide
ly known IN later times, naturally occurs the
name of General James Shields, who first rose
tn cminence In Illinois But the story of his
public life in posts and stations of the highest
trust in state and nation; the distinctions heI
achieved in campaigns abroad and at home i
the unequallcd honUrs conferred upon him by,
three states; the testimonies which came toI
him from grateful people, who honored him
for his bravery and loved hun for his honesty
all this memorable record may not fifty be-
told here.
With one other name honorable in IRISH
American history this sketch will be brought
to close
Thomas Darcy McGee, whose labors toI
promote Irish colonization IN the West can
never be too gratefully remembered was fire.
qucnt visitor 10 Chicago and Illinois, and It'll
was IN tribute to scenes with which he was IA
miliar, and to emphasize his teaching on the
subject of colonlzation that he wro,e the spin.
tied ballad which appears in the printed edi-
ton OF his poems-"rne Irish Homes of ILL.,
nois." The colonization movement which he
initiated resulted in the convention called toI
meet in Buffalo in 1856 and several represen-
ta,ive freshmen from Chicago and the state
attended and took a leading part in Its delib.
eratious
1t Is now plainly lamentaOle that the plans
and suggestions then presented and advocated
by Mr.. MCGEE were not more generally heed.
ed, and that the people of Irish race in Ameri.
ca were not moved to carry them INTO effect.
Mr. MCGEE was not free from faults in hisI
public course, but, to ms honor be 1t SAID, he
labored LOYALTY and faithfully to elevate his
countrymeD IN the United States, and he point
ed out to them with sagacty the means which
would improve their condition and assure
them and their descendants u certain and
commanding future.
Many years before he had placed on record
IN The Trash Settlers in America the prophecy,
referring to his favorite topic of Irish colonl-
Zation:
"Whatevcr we can do for ourselves, as o.
people, III North America, must be done before
the close of this century, or the cptaph of our
race will be written in the West with the sin
gle sentence, I'0O ldtci'"
Red Owl.