Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-03-06
EARLY DAY EXPERIENCES.

The First Railroad end the Manner
in Which Its Advent was celebrated
"A jolly Trip Up the Great River.
Correspondence of the Argus:
Rock ISLAND, March Sin 1854 the
Chicago & Rock Island railroad reached
this place. this road being the first to
approach the Mississippi river-although
the Galena & Chicago had the start of
some two or three years-being built
only to Freeport. fifty miles east of Ga.
lena. Thif portion of the road between
Galena and Freeport, after about two
years delay, was sold out to the Illinois
Central, to be used as a part of their
western branch to the Mississippi river.
The directors of the Galena & Chicago
line made great mistake IN doing 80, but
they were afraid to encounter the rough
hills between Galena and Series Mound,
only twenty miles. President Farnam
of the Rock Island road, as soon as it
was finished. sent out invitations to some
three or four hundred representative
men, living in the eastern states, to take
free ride to the Mississippi and thence
to st. Paul. The directors of the Ga
lena q st. Paul Packet company entered
heartily into the arrangement and placed
five of their magnificent steamers at the
disposal of their eastern guests-board
and transportation free for the whole
trip. An invitation was extended to
limited number to join the excursionists
along the river-myself among the rest.
II was one OF the largest and best excur>
sions ever organized on the great river.
Our eastern guests were filled with
wonder and admiration at the beautiful
and varied scenery that they passed as
they steamed up the river. The scenery
in wild. rugged grandeur. increasing from
day to day. Expressions like this were
often head: This beats the Hudson; %
or 1.-The stored Rhine cannot compare
with this" After spending a whole day
at st. Paul and vicinity visiting. noting
the intense activity and enterprise there
and at Minneapolis. the excursionis;s
turned their faces down stream Three
or the swiftest OF the steamers were
placed at the disposal of the railroad
guests. with orders to make no landings
except for wood. The trip down to Rock
Island was made in twenty-slx hours-if
my recollection is right. Tue stage o.
wafer Was high. The time was only dou>
BILE that of the present railroad time.
In those early days I often made trips
up the river sometimes on business and
often for pleasure. On my second trip
In 1S4S, at the invitation of Lieut.. Hail
and his wife, intimate friends of ours, we
made them visit at Fort Smelling
Lieut.. Hall was in command at the time.
The fort was the only place at which
We could stop then. While there,
Mrs. Hall, my wife and myself with TIE
two little girls belonging to each, took
the only buggy in that section aud start
ed for Lake Carolina, a beautiful sheet of
water about four miles from the fort.
On our way we stopped at the Minnehaha
Falls, made famous by Longfelow in his
''Hiawatha," as the home of old Mako
mis-" and of Laughing Water" We
descended rugged steps into the wild
gorge that opens below the falls.
While looking at the beautiful sill
yer sheet and the rain bow shining
through to the west. Mrs. Hall hantered
me to go around under the shelving rock
that overhangs the falls; my wife would
not go and objected strongly to the dan
gerous trip, but said if we would GO, she
would take care of the children. By
picking our way carefully over the slip
perry rocks and getting somewhat wet
with the spray, We reached the other side
Mrs. II. did not wish TO take the return
trip IN the same way My wife hearing
her, said TO me. take Mrs. H. on your
back and bring her across the stream"
| did so, but foundt difficult JOB ss the
water was very swift and full OF small
boulders. but deposited my fair burden
safely on the other shore. We then went
out to the lake and sitting down on the
grassy margin, took our lunch. | then
got out my fishing tackle and wading out
over the gravely bottom, soon bagged a
fine black bass. Wsding out still further
into four feet of water and trying NV
luck again, looked into nv creil and
saw the fine bass just swimming out and
disappearing. This ended my bass fish,
ing for that day, and ever since When
came back found the little ones busy
picking the wild strawberries. their faces
and hands beautiful crimson On our
trip we passed number of Sioux In
dians. We had very pleasant visit with
our friends.
There were then ! think, two compan.
les OF soldiers quartered there, and every
thing about the fort was kept In neat,
beautiful order. Capt. Eastman, with
whom we were well acquainted. was then
the commandment, but was absent down
the river. s. w. Mem.