The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-09-06
To Cash by Peter Cartwright. $50
Cash lnannH n, tho mi.sinn ON EnN

1iS 81 !
| Following this was evidently the credit
side of the account, but unfortunately this
part of the page had been torn of, eXcepta
small traction. We are sorry, because We
should like TO know Just how the old Mis-.
sIOnary paid up. But we know that he
did not repudiatc.
Il is curious how much can be learned
even from such a scrap of paper as this
II seems to establish the fact that James
Walker settled at Walkers Grove as early
rs 1926. Also that the mission on Fox river
was still kept mp and that the new one on
the Du Page had been started.
We also learn the prices otsome commod-
lues at that time. Corn meal was 30 cents
per bushel; flour was $500 per hundred /;
buckwheat 50 cents per bushel and pork
$500 per hundred while plank was 1925
per hundred feet
Besides the above we have five other
fragments which seem to have been torn
from the same book, bearing various dates
from 1888 to 1886 Mr.. James Walker, be.
sides running his saw and grlst mill, car
red on a general trading business.
One account Is against Rev. VIM. See,
who was a pioneer preacher Of those days,
residing sometimes at one place, and again
at another. His name occurs III the carly
records of Chicago as having performed
several marriages in the year 1880, and he
is said to have performed the first at that
village. His name also appears IN the poll
lists of some elections for Chicago precinct,
Peoria county, in 1890, and at the term OF
the County Commissioners court Of Peoria
county, in $780, the following order was
passed:
"Ordered, That William See be allowed
to keep ferry across the Caliimlnk, ut the
head of Lake Michigan, pay tax Of two
dollars, and charge the following rates;
Each foot passenger. .................$ .l2l.
Each man and horse .... ..........., -
Each wagon asd cart drawn ny two
horses or oxen observation-disclosures. 20
Each four horse agon............... l.uO
Each one.horsc carriage or wagon. .315a
But it seems that neither his marriage
fees, nor his ferry charges made him very
rich as he appears to have moved to Walk
er's Grove, and lived on corn and meal In
1883, al the items charged against him on
this old Walker book were half hushel lots
OF corn meal for which he was charged
sometimes 31l5 and somGimes 80 cents
At one time he got s.bushCl and halt
Tkis seems TO have been the principal diet
else charged against him. He is credited
in one place with $500 cash.
Rev. VIM See was a sergeant in Capt
Walkers company IN 1882. The name Is
printed Lee by mistake IL copying, the two
letters when written being easily con
founded.
Another account is against Miles Royce,
one OF the old settlers OF Plainheid, which
J. - ,.,fA h..
average charge for saving being from -
cents TO 800 per hundred. Uncle Sam IL
those days furnished the logs, and the cos
Of lumber was the cutting, hauling anu
saving.
There are also charges agaiDstJ0hn WI
son, Jesse Eaudolan, Benjamin I. Wat
kins, Samuel Fountain ana Reason JOINER,
names which we have never before got hold
of. Probably quite an extent Of country
was then tributary to Walkers Grove. We
find one charge to which we cannot decy-
pher any date against DR.. NJ. K DrownsOu,
who lived IN 1884, kept tavern and pos,
office at Cass, on the Chicago road, but who
iac,uded Walkers Grove IN his ride"
There is also a charge aCains: dr Rod
ney House, probably our good old Deacon
House, who lived on the Ausable, about ten
miles west, in 1894 or 1885. He IS charged
$2.i4 for 2G4 feet Of lumber, 3Il9 cents ioi
three bushels of wheat bran, aud - cents
for corn meal and shorts. Hope you have
got Il receipt Deacon!
There are many other charges against
wellknown names in the early history Of
PlaintielG. Ana we are happy to record
that there is no charge for any kind of or.
dent spirits and only two pounds OF tobacco
IN the entire lot. Benjamin +. Watkins is
charged IN 1888 four dollars for hat.
Hugh Alexander is charged ten dollars tor
five hogs Those were probably the kind
we used 70 call the school Section" breed,
and would not be likely to take the prize
away from our fancy breeders.