The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-03
Ottawa, H.. March 3, 1888.
BIOGRAPHICAL SIX ETCHES.
Mr.. j. q. NATTINGER.


No object in nature 80 completely chal.
leuges and secures the admiration of man.
kind, as a gray. haired Patriarch who has
devoted his long and busy life In behalf of
his family and his people; who by precept
and by practice has sustained and helped
10 build up and maintain the moral virtues
and religious influences, and whose daily
walk and conversation and consistent ex-
ample, have been the guide of the young,
the emulation of the good, the comfort of
the aged and blessing to society. Bowed
down by the weight of many years, having
exceeded by nearly decade the scriptural
allotment of three score and ten," and
having put his house in.ofder for the final
rum mons. he calmly waits the voice which
shall call him TO higher sphere. These
were the thoughts which came to US when
We lately visited him In his comfortable
home In East Ottawa. and he IL the Patri.
arch we have above described. TO him,
and his family, we are indebted for the
following particulars of his life.
BORN IN GERMANY.
John George Nattlnger was born In the
town, or stadt OF Denkendorf, In the king.
dom of Wurtemburg, in Germany, on JAN
SO 1808 He had two younger brothers,
one dying In Wurtemburg before the fam
Nv left for America. He had two older
brothers, Johannes Jabob and Jacob Colt.
lieb, and sister Barbara. His father,
Johannes Nattinger's business was mainly
farming, but he had acquired much skill
in the treatment of the diseases of horses
and cattle, and his services were often In
requisition among the people In his neigh
borhood. Compulsory education had late.
ly been introduced into Germany, and
tnough 1t was not necessary In Mr. Nattin.
GERS case, he went short time to school,
merely remembering the new law as an
event In that country, long talked about
among the people, and regarded by some
as great act of tyrrany On the part of the
government Mr. Nattinger recalls the
fact that he could read and write when
eight years OF age. Mr.. Nattinger's Inn
pressions of the old country, which he left
when ten years old, are not very numerous
nor vivid, except as to the common amuse
lnrnts of juvenile life, which were much
the same the world over. He remembers
we'll the old farm and the apple trees OF
childhood days. Also the ceremonies OF
the Lutheran church to which his parent.
belonged, and the ruins of grand ole
cemetery of past ages among which he
used TO play.
A PERuoUs yoYAG TOWARDS AMERICA.
la April. 1917, Nc. Nattinger, Sr, and
his family embarked to seek their for
tunes In America. The Mr.. Nattinger OF
this sketch remembers the vessel In which
they sailed, and by prodigious flight Of
fancy called the "Sea Cloud as a horrible
old tub, whose only redeeming quality was
that she generally kept herself on top OF
the waves, but not always, for they fire.
ouently rushed over her deck and seemed
10 bury her down to the very heads OF the
NEST. Still she would somehow crawl ou
from under the mountains OF water which
had been neaved upon her, give herself 6
shake as II to be rid of every drop of the
aggressive flood, and then renew the battle
to be drowned again sometimes ignomin
iously swallowed up by the sea, and some
times bobbing serenely on the surface
never quite sunk TO the bottom and never
securely floating on the top. The yesse
was built In Holland II was stout broad
bottomed and sturdy in Its habits, and II
spite OF the wind and weather and mon
strous waves, she kept ahoat, but as fol
sailing qualities she made no pretence