The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-10-11
DOWN TIE ILLINOIS.
From Lacon tn Peoria by neutrality-suspicious.
rescue Hills and Charming scenery
Aurora, goddess of the morning,

A
Whose rosy fingers ope the gates oil "hy'
IN the farthest east began to draw the silauy
curtains of her bed, as grip in h'hd
stepped upon the gang of the steamer "a"
glen bound for cruise down that portion OF
the Illinois from Lacon to Peoria seldom
did the gods usher in more glorious uay'
Not a breath of wind disturbed the SOLITUDE
of hill or plain, as
"Sol through white curtains shot tim rons ray,
And oped those eyes that must eclipse 'ne "'S'
gauzv mist yelled the fields ana me
grasses sparkled like mammoth diamonds
with their wealth OF morning dew. Inc
woods were Just beginning to don thelr au-
tumn tints and looked their loHelleSt IKE
Eve, before the fall
With the exception of the upper Mlssls-
sippi, there is not in all this western couil-
try a more charming river ride than the IL
lnois affords from Lacon to Peoria. lis
banks are one glorious panorama OF ever
changing beauty, picturesque IN the eN-
IRENE and teeming with lovelinesS, with sue
cession of hills, bluffs and promontorles,
sweeping back from the river in graceful
lines. and dotted with forest shades OF the
oak and maple, the soft, sweet locust ana
the weeping willow.
As we climbed to the upper deck OF the
Eagle deafening scream from her colhpl-
nation of whistles sounded the alarm OF de
parture, and backing off from her moorngs
on the bank below the pontoon bridge that
spans the river at that place, we were soon
rounding with the current and gliding
down the stream to the music OF the en-
gines and the patter of the paddles. From
a seat on camp stool on the poop deck, "
as the Eagle skinned along, look out up
on the beautiful prairie farms, now golden
with their wealth of yellow corn, prolific
orchards and pastures green, and anon a
meandering stream rolling down to mingle
its waters with the Illinois. Closer now we
hug the banks and gaze in wlstful admira
ton on the acres of yellow flowers that dot
the plains, reminding one of the spring pc
ct who sang
"Garden flowers are reared by few,
And to that few belong alone;
But flowers that spring by vale or stream
Each one may claim them for his own
And now the scene changes and our boat
glides on by lovely groves densely shaded
with swarthy forest trees. There is some
thing sacred in the associations of grow es,
and whether we are gliding by the wooded
banks of some grand stream or travelling on
the "dirty dusty rail" there is inspiration
in the sight of those grand old groves
Goods first temples"-at a time "when eve
rybody went to church and when the human
dweller among their shades felt more than
the awe which the noblest church spire ev-
er inspired. He sang with the birds his
praises to every morn in the leafy isles. |
When noontide cleaned above the deep
recesses of their shady arches, he found "A
thousand objects of contemplation which
beggared the decorations Of the grandest
affairs erected by man" The choicest pines
were not put up at auction to be knocked
down to the highest bidder. No maccaroni
warbers sang the street ballads Of foreign
countries and called them classic His
pews, carpeted with flowers and cushioned
with moses, and his choir the voices Of
loved nature
Aerial music in the warblng wood
Entangled deep in its enchanting snarcs
That listening hearts forgot their duties and
their cares.
Ii is not until the lake region is reached
that the most charming sights are TO be had
Then il is that the entire beauty of the re
zion breaks upon the view, like glimpse
of fairy land, the glories of which once
seen forever remain painted in rose tinted
oolors upon the memory. Strictly speaking
this Is nolake, but an expansion of the river
spreading out to lake-like proportions. But
for the peace and harmony and the happy
delusion of those who dwell along its
banks, we will continue to call it lake
1t Is pleasing TO the mind and gladening
TO the heart, and, too, when in all its broad
expanse not an island dots It's surface, but
on either side high bluffs raise their lordly
battlementS more tndn TWO HuiuTtu leel
above the waters edge, which like Titanic
sentinels for untold ages have looked calm
ly down upon their reflections in the bosom
of that clear lake; and
"All around tn hills stand,
Like watch-towers placed to guard the land,
Where all conspircs To yield delight,
Where pleasures reign by day and night"
Charmed with the changing scenes of for
est, hill and plain, our mind wanaers back
DER the valleys of time to those mild Sep,
TENDER days of more than two hundred
years ago, when Marquette and his little
band of adventures for the first time sailed
up this stream, whose waters till then had
never reflected the face of white man.
As we look out upon the scene, it Is easy |
for us TO imagine the cause of their ont
bursts of glee In causing "the wild woods
10 ring with songs of joyous praise as day |
after day they stemmed its tranquil current,