The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-09-11

of his coupus g Hch ne "'n Oh ha''o"
seems to mas. t,.@l ulm.
Col. Iaylor a. AS mtru The "eaior
these youn. .. ...n urhngwr to name
knowing the. u, ht, li'le difficulty
enlisting ,.pm .. ne interest of his tw
darling pr,..... .nd ,hry both worke
faithfully ua Tor The canal aud tn
capital rem
About leS, r ecrion las held to select
among olhc ..rs, states attorney 10
the circuit ..r in district comprising
sangamou Morgan and dozen or more ad
Joining conn, g, Al the solicitation OF Col
Taylor, !sues rurney, attorney gen "a!
the state. vas induced though under pro
test. TO take the nomination for the torme
office. The Morgan delegation came t
Springfield, the place OF the Democratic con
yenion. solid for young Douglas, then ca!!el
the boy lawyer and, as Col Taylor re
members, just admitted to the bar. Whi!'
the Democracy had a strong majority in thu
circuit over their opponents, the wings, II
was feared that the legal hedgling Douglas
would be beaten by almost any lawyer on
the other side bu; the Sancamon delegates
knew the worth Of their young iavorite and
stuck to him Gen. rurney declined. Dou
glas was nominated and triumphantly elect
ed to his first public Office.
Passing over some disagrcements in the
Democratic party in q contest for governor
between Wm A. Richardson, 7f Quincy, and
Dr. RisseN, in which Col Taylor and his
friend Douglas differed and another, a con.
test in winch Taylor's side won, as in the
first we find COL "Dick" receiver Of the
land office at Chicago in 1879. He resigned
as senator to take this post, under the hand
AMI seal of Andrew Jackson, the famous
"Ey the Eternal president. In 40 days ne
had sold lands for which he received in cash
four hundred and nnetythree thousand
dollars, which vast sum was covered by a
bond Of only three thousand dollars
He became a permanent resident Of Chi.
cago, which be still considers his home. He
entered large body Of coal lands at La
Salle-l2 900 acres,--anl together with Jas.
F. Joy, Of Detroit, Mich, expended about
$500, 10000 in developing different mines
around the lately named Imperial City"
r. - oF ALL
when the Union cause was badly pinched
for want Of ready each, President Lincoln
sent for Col. Taylor, TO advise with him as
10 the best method by which to obtain the
sinews Of war-noaty. In January Of that
year Col. Taylor responded to his old friends
call, ana the result was the illegal tender
notes of that period-a financial scheme
which Col. Taylor considers the prouiest
achievement Of his lie, by which over eight
hundred millions Of dollars of interest were
saved to the country, and on whose substan.
tisl basis our armies were kept in the field
and sustained till they triumphed and saved
the Union. The following letter, from the
President to Col Taylor, explains itself
w Dear CJi Dicf-I have long determn.
ed to make public the origin Of the green
back, and tell the world that it is one of
Dick Taylor's creations. You had always
been friendly TO me, and when trOublOus
times fell on ne, and my shoulders, though
broad and willing were weak, and myself
1,l ~. al l.
people that knew not whom to trust, then |
said in my extremity; al will send for
Col. Taylor; he will know what to do" |
link it was in January, 1862, on or about
he 10Th, that | did so. You came, and | !
said to you; "What can we do?' Said you :
why, issue treasury notes bearing no in |
crest, printed on the best banking paper |
ISSUE enough to pay off the army expenses,
md declare it legal tender" Chase thought |
{ a hazardous thing, but we finally accom-.
,lishcd it, and gave TO the people of this |
Republic the greatest blessing they ever had |
their own paper TO pay their own debts. |
Il is due to you, the father Of the present
,reenback, that the people should know it, |
md take great pleasure in making it
Known. How many times have laughed at
your telling me that was too la2y.to be any
hing hut "A lawyer.
Yours truly, A. LINCOLN,
President. |
Col. Taylor, as commissioner on the part
# the State of Illinois, built the first rail. |
Dad in the Northwest. 1t ran from Spring.
ield 10 Meridocis, 80 miles, with branch |
o Naples, 10 miles further, both near The
Mississippi river. This road was running
II 1914, when the writer saw ii in the full |
enith of its splendor. The rails were FIAT
md of ,rood the cars were small in proper
ion to full grown freight cars of the present
lay, and the propelling power was--m"ls,
The tram consisted of one or two cars, and
'aIried surprising loads, considering the
light weight of the locomotives. The latter
we're not provided with whistles to warn
cams and pedestrians at crossings. but &C.
when these engines became
onesome, or hungry, and yearned for the
growing thistles by the wayside, they would
over their long ears and lift up their mighty
,n;,ao aud rnnuo tLa C1aap;nr ncbnaa e.,