The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-10-02


ls4O--The old Court Houses, accom-
cluded From Last Week.
GOING WEST.
The fame of the Illinois and Michigan
canal had spread pretty generally in the
east. Every town now in existence, and
several others that were the creatures of
paper and Imagination, were household
words in New York and Boston, and even
those cities were, it was thought in danger
Of being out.stripped and dwarfed by the
Aux. sables, Dresdens, Gibraltars, Mechanics
vile, Sciences and Marseilles, Of Illinois.
Ottawa was better known than Chicago, and
her corner lots were bringing fabulous
prices-in wildcat money, and Tom Dick
and Henry's notes! All immigrants there
gave Chicago the go-by, and struck out for
Ottawa, outlet" Peru or Hennepin. Mr..
Wood and five others chose Ottawa as the
Eldorado of their hopes, and hired man
with a span of plugs" and "rattletop" Of
engers were to ride on the good roads and
walk where they were lad and also to assist
the horses in getting the wagon across
soughs They did so and pretty much
nothing else, for it seemed one continuous
slough all the way. After several days and
nights they struck
OTTAWA, IN 1887
They stopped in East Ottawa, which was
then plowed field and ready for corn, and
some oats growing, and owned by Mr.. Henry
Green, part of whose house yet stands on
East Main street. The town was nearly all,
then, on the south side. The party were
ferried across the river in a skft, which to
Mr.. Wood, in shape and general appearance,
looked like coffin. They assembled the bluff
and entered Downey Buchanan's tavern,
where Mr.. Wood boarded for long time.
Then Ottawa numbered perhaps, 500 souls.
The scenery around it was singularly roman
tic, and beautiful, and lover of a delightful
landscape view was more than gratified here.
The plateau on the north side was covered
with green grass, low trees, not hiding the
ground but disclosing the surface and
softening the outline.
eastman & Thompson had store near
where stands the toll house Of the Illinois
river bridge. Jim Days store was about the
second block back from the bluff. Mr..
Cushman's dwelling was near the present
Field residence. Mr.. Crook had a store at
the foot of the bluff and B. c.. Cook, after
wards a congressman, was clerk therein.
Mr.. J. o. Gover's father lived in a house in
a ravine up the bluff.
THE BOOM OF 1887.
Mr., Bergen, Jas Campbell, Jas. Agar and
Henry L. Brush, all spectators in corner
and other lots, lived on the south side. The
period of fabulous prices for real estate was
in Its glory. Day had 20 acre place, now
part of j. H. Picken's farm, which sold for
10000! and $4,000 considered as mere
nominal figure for any fair middling lot.
Everybody speculated. Mr.. Wood frequent
ly heard these paper millionarles talk of
evenings: One had cleared 81 600, another
$4,000, another s., 900 and even $4,000 was
not an unfrequent claim as a tolerable day
profits! Mr.. Woods hair fairly stood on
end when he listened to these accounts,
given as mere matter Of course transact
ions! The spectators talked of their thous-
ands as man nowadays would Of potato
bugs. He thought he had struck mine of
wealth, and longed to become one of the
noble army of spectators! But clever in
auiry into their methods of doing business
surprised him. All these mighty sums were
max ed lots and each others-promises to pay
corner lots against notes. All paper and not
a SOW markee in money.
INSANE.
Among the most active of this lot Of specu-
latars was "Jim' Day, who had we'll stock
ed farm of good horses and cattle, besides he
swned valuable property on Rock river. He
to rea!ize money out of his speculations. Just
about that time the bottom fell out Of the
"great boom and everything fell with a
crash. Day returned, insane He swan his
horses and carriage, somehow, across the
Illinois river. That he escaped drowning
was wonderful, and yet true. Noticing some
excitement on the river bank, Mr.. Wood
started to the hotel, on his way to the river,
and there he found Day, with all the mems
coats that he had been able to pick up about
the house, warped around him, and he was
rolling himself about in the sand! He, how
ever, recovered his senses, but not his old |
time shrewdness. He was heavily in debt,
and his property was to be sold by Sheriff
Woodruff. Days foreman, named Higgins,
came to Mr.. Wood, learning that he thought |
Of bidding on some of the property, and ask.
ed him as personal favor to Mr.. Days fam. |
lily not to bid as the goods and chattles were