The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-03-10

| obhh'sp iN'N's
poverty, hunger, thirst anu all the Gthe
Ills Of SOL which grew only weeds
stun,ed grass, swamp ilsgs, willows, Ton
scsnty and feeble 10 be even of the weep
ing kind, mere samples, knotty shrubs
just peeping above the ooze beneath. Mr.
Na,tinger's plan OF buying land was unique
Riding up to a farmers shanty and seeing
forlorn, ragged and shivering person a
the gate or bars, II there were such eVi
dences of civilization, he would ask
"Who owns this farm"
Farmer. "Wall, l kinder do"
N. Want to sell IT,"
Farmer. "Yass"
N. How much an acres"
Farmer. "Wall,-three dollars"
N. "Done, III give you five dollars al
acre, want the coal under II, here's ,er
dollars TO bind the bargain, meet me a
Ottawa on Wednesday next, sign the deeds
and get the balance, but first sign this
agreement for fear one of us might back
out.
The tewildered farmer would sign, and
the trade WAS made. He paid s., So, SlC
or $l5 or more per acre, according TO cir
cumstances. BY this expeditions mode
he had secured all the ground he wanted
and in brief space of time. In this way
he bought 81 acres Of J. G. Campbell:
father, which would now be worth for
tune. In all, he invested 100000 for the
company, paying for some land not more
than five cents, and but little at S. per acre
No one, however, was cheated. He frank
ly told every one he wanted the land for
sake of the coal, and they knew the
coal was there, but TO mine 1t and get 1t to
market, twenty miles to the nearest rail.
road, of course, under such circumstances
II was worthless to the farmer, and he was
glad to get rid of it for IS per acre, or
what he could obtain.
HOW THEY TRADED WITH Nh. CALKINS.
Near the center of Mr.. Ms operations,
lived Mr.. Calkins. The capitalists, when
they went to Hard Scrabble to inspect the
country, boarded with him, and Mrs c.
was as attentive to their wants as her mar.
row circumstances would permit. Mr.. n.
also stopped at her house while buying
land He wanted her farm, SO acres.
She left the price TO him. expecting 81 or
So dollars per acre. Mr.. Calkins had spent
much ON the land, and 1t had yielded him
little but disappointment. Mr.. N. prepared
the papers and drew check tor fifteen
hundred dollars, and the poor family were
made happy.
THE wHIPPLE CAMERON AFFAIR.
A good anecdote is remembered by Mr.
Na,;inger on which he rather got the
bst,er of NJ. Dwight F. Cameron, an
Ottawa boy now in Chicago, in coal land
purchase, A Mr.. Whipple, the station agent
at Odell, had the selling or controlling
interest in several hundred acres of very
desirable coal land near Streator. Mr.. G..
having discovered that the new Vermillion
Coal Company we're eagerly buying up all
the available coal land in that region, be-
thought him of the Whipple tracts, and
straightway procured swift horse and
buggy at Ottawa, and headed for Odeil. In
the meantime Mr.. Nattinger had got wind
of Mr. C.'s departure, and objective point
aud shrewdly guessed his purpose. twas
Saturday Mr. n. took the first train for
Chicago and called at the headquarters of
the Alton road, found that he could not get
out on Sunday, no train leaving on that
day. But by little maneuver be did get
evening, and lie arrived at Mr.. Whipple's
In the night, and was shown to bed. In
the meantime Mr.. e. had arrived on Sun
day morning while Mr. W. and family
were at church, He promptly repaired
there and had Mr.. Whipple summoned
out. He came, and on Mr.. C.'s making
his errand known, promptly replied, This
is Sunday, and do no business on the
Sabbath day" but he invited Mr.. G. home
and gave him & lodging Next morning tc
the great surprise of Mr.. c., he found Mr.
NattinCer at the breakfast table He fell
so sure that he had been outwitted and sold
that he guiped down his breakfast In 6
lump and WAS soon seen, in his buggy
Jogging IF disconsolately for Ottawa, anC
Mr.. Nat;iDger GOV the land,
COAL AGENT &C.
He closed out his dry goods store in 1859
For severa! years he had been dealing II
coal, and now In return for his services
they made him their sole agent at Ottawa
He was u director in the O. o. u +. r. V
railroad company, which built road from
Streator through Ottawa to Aurora, and
voted against the transfer of that road t
the G. b, Il q, railroad company. He was
the first coal dealer in Ottawa and continue!
the business to this day. He has long beer
an active and reliable business man, and
credit TO our city. He is man of strong
religious belief, and faithful member o.