Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-12-06

1
dow panes from which its faint rays
were filtered through the rhine OF
frost, and in time the perishing party
drew up at the door of Farmer Nc
Loughlin's humble settlers shanty
\ shout called him out, and the storm
was robbed of its prey.
Mr.. Fulton was unable to walk
His feet and legs, and his hands and
arms, and face and ears were frozen
He was carried into the house. Both
feet were planted in one bucket Oh
| ice-cold water, and both arms in an.
other, while wet applications of pulp
ed raw onions were laid upon his
| face and ears. The frost was drawn
with these homely remedies, and am.
putation and perhaps death were
averted. The poor horses escaped
death by freezing. but though all pos.
sible care was given them, out OF
gratitude for their heroic effort, they
died in a little while, and as long as
they lived had bare existence. They
never had the spirit of horses. after
that three days pull, from Sunday
morning till Tuesday night at mid
night.
1t was rare chance that placed
that candle beacon in Farmer Nc
Loughlin's window. He had killed n
beef animal that Tuesday, and that
evening he was seized with an unus-
ual fit of industry, and resolved, with
out any special reason for the resolve
except a mere within. to cut up the
carcass and salt down the meat be-
fore he quit work that night. The
rest of the family retired. but he
worked on. The candle stood on the
table in front of the window. and it
reached out over the prairie far
enough to catch the frosty eyes of
the man in the cutter and guide him
home.
During that cold snap. one of the
severest of the winter, the mercury
in this city, quite a distance south
ward of the place where this wander
ing occurred. registered between %
and Is degrees below zero. 1t was Il
wonder that there were eyes left to
see that candies light
The good reader may say, Very
severe on the sailor" | have to say
that the want of food was no hard
ed experience in bygone days. where
others suffered unto death. True. a
young man persisted from the cold
not far distant from me on my first
night out on the prairie. No wonder
he persisted, for Davenport's two
thermometers on that night marked
% degrees below zero.
AS history. l wish to record that in
1854 a congressional committee was
appointed to select a site for the sol
diers' home of the west. The Daven-
port board of trade appointed Editor
ID. y. Richardson, Hon. s. l.. Bryant
and y. {. Fulton as committee to
visit or address the committee and
lay before it the advantages of Dav-
export and vicinity. Editor ID. ".
Richardson and Hon. S. p. Bryant
stated that they had their hands full
of business and requested Sailor |, as
chairman. to address the august COM
missioners, which l did in the words
as published in the Davenport Demo-
crat of Sunday, Sept. II, 1884, and
which read thus:
ITO the Congressional Committee APP
pointed to select a suitable LOca-
ton for the Soldiers Home:
''Sirs: The Davenport board of
trade appointed s. p. Bryant, ID. y.
Richardson and \. c. Fulton as n com
mittee to visit or address you and
lay before you the advantages of Dav-
export, Scott county, Iowa, as suit
able location for the soldiers home
of the west.
hn ne
that of the seven states from which
you are instructed to make your Sc
lection, Iowa stands first in produc-
tiveness. first in intelligence, second
in health and second in mortality.
"a healthy location within healthy
state; no low or inundated lands in
its vicinity, no malaria taints the
The county and city contains vast
of bluff lands. elevated 100
feet above the river and streams.
The Mississippi river borders these
bluffs on the south, and fertile prai-
ries spread out northward; pure wa
ter can be procured from springs,
wells and river. There is coal and
wood in abundance.
The county of Ccott is famed as
producing every description of grain,
fruits and plants known to this lati-
tude, and is accessible through its
rivers and railroads to the markets
and grainaries of the world. And the
city of Davenport has ever been the
well-stocked storehouse of fertile,
Iowa. There the great states of Hi
nois and Iowa are joined as one by
the government bridge. Here the
government arsenal works are grow
ing to greatness, and here the sailor
and the soldier can look upon the
steamer and the sailing craft. Our
churches embrace almost every re-
ligious sect, and their ministers,
priests and bishops are volunteers
raaIx for erOod xvOrl-S