Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-12-29
DAYS OF LONG AGO.
Illinois Last Democratic Gov
ernOr.
SOME PAST HISTORY RECALLED

! Gen Singleton, Senator Richardson and O
ii. Browning at the inaugural of Gov
Mstteson at Springfield just Forty Years
Ago.
Quincy Herald.
Now that the Inauguration of Gov.
Atteeld Is so near at hand "reminiscences
of the inauguration of Joel A. Matteson.
the last democratic executive of the state.
are IN order. 1t took place Jan. 10. 1853
exactly 40 years 10 the day set for Alt
geid's Inauguration.
A statement VAS printed in some news.
paper few days ago that the ipaugpra-
ton OF Joel Matteson was followed Ly a
ball at the state house (uow the court
mousse OF Saugsmon county, and that
there was such crush of silk and satin
there that the dresses of many of the la
dies were rulDed. There was an inaugural
Dali on that occasion, After the election
OF Judge Douglas as United States sena>
tor, few days after Mstteson's inaugur
alton, the new senator gave a ball
wnich every new United States senator in
those days WIS expected to give-but the
soiree IN question had no connection with
Gov. Matteson's incoming.
Chas. P. Limpher. still living in
Springfield at the age of rs years, was
editor OF the Springfield Register at the
time OF Aatteson's Inauguration and re-
members the event. He says there was
DO unusual stir. That Maueson came
from his home in Joliet by river and
overland and arrived a day or two before
the date fixed. He stopped at the old
American house and only a few people
OF prominence called. Taere were not
as many democrats then as now and they
were not so hungry as the horde which
Will swoop down on Springfield with
Judge Aitgeld.
The outgoing governor sent in his
message after the two houses were
organized, and then Matteson sent in his
inaugural address, which was read by
| the clerk of the house. While it was he
ing read the new governor was moving
his belongings over to the mansion
which at that time stood on Eighth street
between Capitol avenue and jackson
street, on the site where S, Fl. Jones.
penltentlary commissioner, now lives.
There was no display, no parade,
no music, not a gun fired nor a sky
rocket sent skyVad.
| 81 don't know said Dir. Llmphier
whistler the action of Matteson's pre-
decessor had anything to do with damp
| ing the ardOr of the militia or not. He
was very plain. man. The day of his
Inauguration the militia company, osily
attired. marched to the house he occu
pied and put on a good many airs. The
captain OF the company sent up word
| that his company was present and
| awaited the governor to review it. The
| governor looked out of window and
saw the handful of troops and sent back
| the answer that he had something else to
| do besides wasting his time on tomfoolery
OF that sort, that the young militia had
better go home and put on Their every
| day clothes. and attend 10 their business.
If they had any"
a member Of the legislature of that
winter wss o II. Browning. who alters
wards became LjIcoln's secret.rg OF the
interior. He is dead.
Another WAS James ". Singleton, who
was one OF tue peace commissioners sent
to Richardson, i'll 1868. Another was
"DicS" Richmond, who was q United
States senator and member of congress
1. n. Morris was also prominent then.
All three are deed.
Isaac Curren, now living near Alton
was Jaweler in Springfield at the time
and was known as the governors conf
dental friend. They went % Europe
afterwsrd together. Zimri Eaos. q sur
veyor, Mrs. Benjamin s. Edwards, Gen.
McClernand, Senator Palmer. Mr.. Hern-
don, brother of Lincoln's law partner, are
ell living in Springfield and were there at
the time of the inauguration Of the last
democratic governor. And Mrs Matte
son. widow of the governor. is living with
her daughter, Mrs. Doolittle, in Grove
land park, Chicago.
And this comprises majority of those
who were most prominent at that time