The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-10-04

q Mr.. Ed Wilson, representing the Chica
, 90 publishing house of G. G. Coffin Il Co,
spent Friday in kankakee and vicinity foI
the purpose of cOllating material for a pOr
ton of 400 page illustrated work soon &c
be issued by the c. |. st. l.. railroad, emit
tied "The Tourists Guide" The beauties
of our river scenery and the attractions OF
the city were fully investigated by the his
torian under the guide of Station Agen,
Swain and Captain Cougar. The work to
be published is for circulation through the
South. Now that both the great railroad
corporations have caught on we may eX-
pect to see the liveliest little city on their
lines the regulaIresort of hundreds of veal
thy strangers who annually come North for
recreation and health.-Kankakee gazette.
As everybody knows it is the fashion
nowadays for the railroads to make sum
mer resorts for the purpose of hauling pas
sengers to them. More than one resort we
could name is literally made by the rail
roads, in spite of natures protest, and have
become popular, not to say fashionable
ColfaX, Iowa, is not exactly case in point,
but nearly so; for no one ever suspected
COlfaX with sinister intent until the b.,
C. II. 81 n. and the Rock Island roads dis
covered the place, and began advertising a
mineral spring there that in point of merit
is about equal to an east side artesian we'll
Yet ColfaX this season has entertained
guests by the thousands from Des Moines,
Davenport, &c, &c.
Kankakee is good deal of the same
sort A dam in the river has made fine
lake for boating; the river banks are i'm
proved; pleasant groves are accessible, and
fine residences line the river, and a small
steamer carries excursion parties from
place to place. In consequence Kankakee
has become very popular throughout this
section Of the country, and excursions by
the score have visited her pleasure grounds
Summer Resorts in a thickly settled
country, are as necessary, say every 40 or
60 miles, as IA large town. The country de
mands them. The thousands of people in
a thickly populated country who need and
take a short summer rest, are those who
have only day or two in the week for
few weeks in midsummer. Not one in
thousand of such people can go $50 miles
away from home to seek recreation Their |
ground must be near at hand ac-
cessible TO business in couple of hours, |
&c. To such people these local pleasure |
grounds are necessity, and the most at
tractive place is the one that will catch
them"
There is large class of people, too, who
go to the country for rest, who are not seek
ing the jam and hustle of the great fashion
able resorts, where they can take long
drives, drink pure water, and live out-of-
doors-people who will travel for few
miles only TO reach stopping place,
Now il dosen't take much imagination TO
see how easily Ottawa may be converted |
into Resort" of this kind.
Even the Rock Island road, which usu.
ally has its eye fixed on the far off west or
northwest and seems 10 have forgotten |
that it has any local business interests in
Illinois, has, by the force OF the facts them
selves, had is attention drawn to the posi-
bilities of this section in that regard. Ii |
has, naturally, seen that which is distinct |
lively its own, the Canyons, and the Sui |
phur Springs west of the city; and has,
as Mr.. 5. +. King informs us, become not
n little interested in that country, being
anxious TO see il opened up more thorough
ly; and have, further expressed a willing
ness to share the expense of advertising
should proper provision be made there for
the entertainment of guests.
The great need Of the county is advertis-
ing and accommodations for the public,
That public hostelries would be we'll pat.
ronized al these places even now, is UNI
,tsal.inpal TIE .l.,,-.,..1- -. IL, I