The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1890-07-12
JOHN q. NATTINGER.
He Died at His Residence In East Ottawa
Tuesday Evening.

He Died NJ Ills ISesiueuce III I"s' o''""'
Tuesday Evening.
John G.. Nattnger died at his resi-
dence in east Ottawa at about hall
past eight Tuesday evening OF old
age and general debility. He had been
falling gradually for a number or
wears past. but il has been only for a
comparatively short time that the end
has been expected from day TO day.
His children living abroad were all
home with him in his last days and
saw him in his last hours, and saw the
end come as he passed quietly away TO
solve the last great mystery OF life.
John G.. Nattinger was born Jan'y
30. 1908, at Denkendorf, in the then
Kingdom Of Wurtemburg. In April
1917 John G.. sailed with his par
ents for America from Amsterdam.
The "Sea Cloud" was 4 Dutch vessel,
and large for those days, carrying on
this voyage 666 passengers: but she
was, nevertheless, poor saller, prey
Of the winds and the storm: and aiter
a voyage of six months, during when
a storm nearly sank the ship. the
weary passengers and crew, half dead
with starvation, landed at Bergen,
Norway, were farther away from
America than when she started. Here
they remained all winter and in the
spring Of 1918 again took ship IN "A
Norwegian bark for America, setting
sail May /, 1918, and after a voyage OF
enormous length at last arrived, jan
uary u, 1919, at Baltimore, having
been eight months and half from
Bergen and nearly two years from Am
sterdam.
At Baltimore Nattinger secured
work as a glass blower, but afterward
moved farther west to Wheeling, and
afterward t( Morgan Co., Ohio, where
John G.. began life as farm hand.
Here too his father died at the age OF
76
In 1924 John G.. struck out for him
self. going to GAINESVILLE, Ohio, where
he worked on a farm at 81 month.
In 1926 he went to Lancaster, acting
as hotel clerk for livelihood and
spending his spare time in study, ne
also worked as store clerk in Chilli
Gothic, Ohio, and in 1927 went to Spring
field, where he worked with such abil-
ity and faithfulness that in 1884 Hon.
Chas. Anthony, then a member OF
congress, set him up in business FOR
himself, by furnishing him with ample
cash. He succeeded well, but after
wards sold out his interest to Mr.. An
thony, his patron. At Springfield ne
married his first wife, sister OF r.. Y.
Griggs, OF this city, who died within "A
year of their marriage.
In 1915 he came to Ottawa, coming ria
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to st.
Louis and thence up the Illinois river
and canal to Ottawa. He opened a
store on the lot where Mitchell's cigar
store now stands, but soon after re-
moved to the old and once well known
Reddick block, further north on the
same street. In 1854 he erected "a
building on the corner OF La Sale and
Main streets, now occupied by M.
Stiefel which was his location so long
as he afterward continued in mercan-
tile business.
Mr.. Nattinger's great life work, how
ever, was in his connection with the
development Of the great coal fields at
StreatOr. From the first discovery OF
coal at that point he began to take an
active interest in it. fOreSeelng the
great magnitude of the interests that
could be developed there. Long before
there was any railroad there he hauled
the mineral in wagons to Ottawa, and
TO satisfy himself Of the quality of the
coal shipped car load OF 1T to Cleve-
land, the first coal ever shipped from
StreatOr 1t was largely through his
efforts afterwards that DR.. StrcatOr,
Col. Plumb and Others organized in
Ottawa thai great corporation now
known as the Vermillon Coal Co., he
having unassisted had the coal tested
and brought to the attention of the
men who had the money to develop 1t
on a scale that has made the company
enormously rich and built around its
shafts the prosperous city Of Streator.
1t was he, too, who after the company |
was organized, secured the coal rights
under the lands controlled 10y the com
pany, buying freely 100000 worth of
coal privileges at the rate of So to $l5
per acre. Yet he never took advantage |
of any one. His mission was made |
plain TO every seller Of coal and he
often paid more than the owners asked
for the coal right. One instance is
cited where a poor family selling the
right to 50 acres left the price to him,
expecting ~ or So an acre. He gave
them check for $500.
In 1859 he closed out his dry goods
business in Ottawa and as soon as the
Fox river road was opened to Ottawa,
(Of which road he was director. vOt- |
ing against the sale to the G. b. Il q. J |
he began handling the Nermillion
company's coal-the first regular coal
dealer in Ottawa; and this continued
TO lie his business during the remain
der Of his life.
He also took deep interest In the
clays OF Ottawa and was probably the
first to have Ottawa fire clays tested
samples taken from shafts Of his own
sinking on the Gentleman farm south |
east from the city. The clays were,
however, OF minor interest until late
ly, and nothing ever came directly of
his activity in that direction.
lie was "A man of strong religious
beliefs. His parents were Luthcrans,
we believe. but he himself, at least |
ever since his coming to Ottawa, was
a devout and consistent member Of |
the Congregational church of this
city and was one of the deacons of the |
church almost IL not wholly continu-
ously since 1915.
There is no need at this late day to
enlarge upOn the character of John e.,