Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-14
LOOKING BACK.
president hartzell's Address to
the Pioneers.
SOME INTERESTING EARLY HISTORY
Reviews the Advance OF Civilization from
the Time of the First White Settlers
The Wilderness Has BIossomed as a Rose
date of Eligibility Changed.

the Time of the First White Settlers
The Wilderness Has BIossomed as Rose
date OF Eligibility Changed.
In his valedictory address before
the county pioneers at their annual
picnic at Moline Yesterday, President
Hartzell in transferring the cane of
authority to his successor. S. w. Nc
Master, the Goth president of the So
ciety, made one Of the most interest
ing speeches ever delivered before
the pioneers. 1t was brimful of rem
iniscences of our early history. In
beginning he said he was one of the
charter members, and that he left
Pennsylvania in 1885, and came to
Rock Island via the Ohio and Missis-
slppi rivers. The first letter he
wrote to his sweetheart was dated
from Pennington, and the postage
was % cents. In 1885 the county
was located and the county seat
named Stephenson. In 1886 he went
back 70 Pennsylvania and made the
best investment of his life, taking to
himself a wife with whom he had
lived now 81 years. He came near
losing her once when large Indian
asked G. II. Case, his brother-in-law
If he thought he could buy that
squaw, who was with his wife. He
offered five ponies for her. When
Mr.. Case told him that she was mar
ried. he replied that Indians some
times sold their wives. If he had
persisted" said Mr.. Hartzell, There
might have been fuss when
| got home" Said he:
1.-The natives, among them Black
Hawk, came to the village to trade
| and to have their war dances. met
keokuk, who succeeded Black Hawk.
in 1887. | heard him make 4 noble
plea before the United States land
agents, who were here to treat for
the lands west of the Des Moines
river. The meeting was held on Lee
! Clairc's addition to Davenport
There were HOO Indians present,
and the treaty was ratified. Fort
Armstrong was occupied by garri-
son of soldiers. That fall they were
moved to Prairie Du Chen. The
country was sparsely settled, but 4
few families farming in small way
They grew up with the growth of the
| country.
Il was one of the first men that
found Col. Davenport lying well
tering in his blood at his home on
| Rock Island, and | saw three OF his
murderers pay the penalty of their
| crime. When we look back half a
century, as some of us can, truly can
we say, The wilderness has bios
sOmed as rose Towns and cities
have been built. Within radius OF
10 miles in our own locality, three
cities are located, with some 20
Inhabitants. The emigrants and
sturdy yoemen have built up the
country; the hills are dotted with
churches and schools, and the child
rem are learning the duties of life
Date of Eligibility Changed.
The committee appointed in the
| forenoon on :he subject Of movin y
forward the date OF eligibility to
membership. reported in favor of
changing the year from 1850 to 1854 g,
and hereafter moving the date for
ward one year each year: but only
those who settled in this or an ad-
joining county previous to 1915 are
to be known as pioneers, and these
only will be eligible to the presiden-
cy and to holding the cane. At
ter the last of these are dead. the
cane, with the long list which ii
bears of the presidents who have held
it, viii be preserved in the archives
OF the society. The report was