Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-11-11

come and join them. In 1S47 and 1s4s
hundreds of Swedes, men and women,
left their homes for the imagined
blissful haven fer troubled spirits.
Many arrived at Chicago in 1S49, when
the cholera was raging there, and
score persisted by the dreaded disease.
From that city most of these immi-
grants of both sexes walked to Bish-
.op Hill.
Was Regularly Organized.
The Bishop Hill society was organ
lied by the election of officers and the
adoption of a constitution and by
laws and. as the common fund was
sufficiently swollen, extensive tracts
of land were purchased and the entire
colony set themselves to work. The
greatest number went to farming.
but there were those who practiced all
he different shandicrafts. The society
appeared to prosper. jonas Olson
and Eric jansen were the leaders and
virtually the rulers. They took their
turns in preaching to the people, for
a time in barns or in the fields. but at
length d church was built and stated
y
this Eric Jansen died, leaving the field
to Jonas Olson, who kept on eXpound-
ing the scriptures for many years
longer. The church building has not
gone TIC decay, but still remains an
interesting land mark in the place.
Even the clock that struck the hour
for the people to repair to the tables
alongside the kitchen to partalle. as
the early christians are supposed to
have done. of their meals in common
even this clock is still in place and
capable of giving forth the same old
sound
All seemed to be going favorably,
when, in an unlucky year. a man
named John Root came into the col
ony. He had been an officer in the
Swedish army and was a soldier in
the United States army i'll the Mexican
war. Soon he married a cousin of Eric
jansen. but becoming dissatisfied he
left fer Chicago. He took his wife
with him. but she was pursued. over
taken and brought back to Bishop
Hill.
Root Kills Jansen.
Root, returned. took his wife and
started for st. Louis, but on the way
was captured again. This time he
was arrested and conveyed to Cam
bridge. the county seat Of Henry
county. for arraignment and trial.
In the COURTEOUS on May Is, 1850, at
the noon hour, when the court was
adjourned for dinner. Root shot and
killed Jansen. For this offense he
was on a change of venue. tried in
Knox county and convicted of man
slaughter and sentenced to the peni-
Tertiary for two years. He served but
small part of that time. as the gov
ernor pardCned him. Then he went to
Chicago to reside. and here he not
long after died. His wife, Mrs. Root,
very lately was still living at Bishop
HILL
In 1853 the Bishop Hill society was
Incorporated and the charter 1t re-
ceived was one of the most compre-
hensive ever granted in the state. The
trustees purchased more land, till
they had 5000 acres. and extended
their operations in various directions.
They built blocks of houses and
stores and large hotel. All this time
they continued the communistic Sys-
TEN Of living. Then they fell heavily
in debt, and soon their affairs were in
utter confusion. Their young men en-
listed in the army fer the suppression
of the rebellion and their old men in
sisted upon division of the property.
Finally this was done. And so failed
this attempt to found sociaIistic
community in our neighboring coun-
.ty.