Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-26
EARLY ILLINOIS.
The Experience and Service of the
1iOneccA.

Pioneers.
From an Address by T. NJ. Rogers at Quincy.
Think of the courage it took for John
Wood to build his cabin at the foot If Del
aware street seventy-five years ago. lsolat-
ed and alone All this country was then d
bowling wilderness. And here 1 will di-
gress a little, as l cannot follow the text
The first settlement south was Atlas, forty
miles away. Here they went to mill. The
next Gilead, forty miles more. There was
none to the north. There was For. Ed
wards at what is now Warsaw, Fort Clarke
at what is now Peoria and Fort Dearborn
or Chicago. But there were no settlements
All this country from the mouth of HE IL
linois river to the Wisconsin line, includ-
ing what is now Chicago and Cook county
was known as Pike county. Out Of this
territory more than fifty counties have
been organized, and the population Is now
fully, if not quite. 2.50oOD people. Col.
Ross and two brothers. from Pit'sfiell
Mass had settled at Atlas in 1920. The
legislature. then in session at Vandalia
heard of this settlement and without be-
ing asked organized what was then known
as Pike county, making Gilead the county
seat. An election for judge and county Of
ficers was ordered. and thirty-five votes
were cast in all this territory. When the
court was organized the first ON the docket
was a divorce case, when there were not a
dozen women IN lne WnOle country. YES,
it required brave men to penetrate this
wilderness and pave the way for future
generations. But this class of pioneers arc
gone. The UNEMPLOYED west is no more,
and we shall never see the like again.
One of the grandeSt and most unselfiSh
institutions that was ever started III this
or any other country was located at Quincy
and situated in what is now known as
East Quincy. 1t was called the Mission In
stitute A chapel and square building
&c. no nc
were surrounded with boarding houses and
cottages for the use of the students. This
institution was established by God-fearing
men and women Men sold their farms
and devoted their money and time freely
in its interest. Money poured in from the
east for it's support. Missionaries were
sent out from this institute to all parts of
the world. But it is now all gone. and
there is scarcely foundation stone left
This was the earliest and most notable i'll
stitution of the kind established in the
country and 1t would have been q great
benefit for Quincy, and for the triumph of
the principles it stood for, If 1t hal been
continued.
While the mission institute was ostcnsi-
bly, for the education of missionaries. It
was also essentially anti-siavery. not of the
radical abolition order, but for gradual
emancipation and colonization. and that
was the principal reason for establishing
it on the border Of slave state. When
anti-slave societies were organized in New
England the argument was advanced tndl
they would do no good there. The field for
opera ton was in slave territory. There
they should go and create a moral senti-
ment against slavery. BENJAMIN Lundy
tried it in Tennessee and North Carolina
with his paper, and was glad to get away
with his life. Garrison tried it in Baltl-
more, and the result was he went to
prison. Elijah p. Lovejoy tried it in ST.
Louis, but he was driven out and subse-
ouentiy killed. and on Monday last. the
anniversary of his death and martyrdom.
a monument was dedicated to his memory.
Then 1t was tried over here in Marion coun-
ty. Mo. An institute was started at Il little
place called Philadelphia: but every one
connected with it and all who advocated
colonization or emancipation were driven
out. Among them was the celebrated DR..
David Nelson author of standard work
on infdelity, and STAKEHOLDER ct the time.
It is said that while hiding in the bottoms
across the river, waiting to be conveyed to
this side, he wrote that beautiful hymn
that is now found in old church hymn
books. MY days are gliding swiftly by
and l a pilgrim stranger" and known as
..The Shining Shore" The idea OF shining
shore was given him by seeing the lights
on our bluffs from his place of hiding.
That was the last effort to create a moral
sentiment against slavery in slave terri
tory.