Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-22


they succeeded You all know. Was
there ever a better prosecutor than
Joe Knox? Was there ever a better
detective than Bonney? Did ever Off
Gals have more earnest and valuable
support than was rendered by the
community at large? All realized that
it was a question OF life and death, and
labored in season and out of season to
accomplish the desired object. Either
the gang or the law must be supreme
In the end the law was indicated and
the banditti of the prairies had gone
out of business forever. With the
death of the daring leader. John Long,
the gang dispersed and order reigned.
The good people of Rock Island never
enjoyed sweeter repose than the night
of the day these villains suffered death
on the gallOws. The early settlers not
only had rObber bands to contend with
but had a wilderness to subdue, and
ever had TO fight against hard COndi
tons. They were poor. and we can
scarcely realize the poverty and hard
ships endured by them.
Troubles of Times.
81 remember a story told by my ven
perienced, when he lived on farm or
Rock river. The corn meal was low;
n fact. exhausted. He went TO the old
water mill for 80 cents worth of corn
meal. The proprietor of the mill re-
fused to trust him. He was almost
heartbrOken. He had TO return to his
home and make another journey. He
took the last half dollar in the house,
one that had been laid by for a rainy
day. Ut was the custom to lay away
all the silver coins TO pay taxes. as the
county treasurer would not accept pa
per money!.
Another time, he told me of coming
to Rock Island with a load of pump
! kinS He sold the pumpkins for 80
cents. On his way home he broke his
wagon, and it cost 81 TO get it repaired.
! He said that, although in his business
career afterwards he had met with
many heavy losses, he never felt so
poor in all his life. At another time
he had some hogs to sell. The nearest
market was Galena. III. When ne ar
rived he found that the place was more
than supplied. and he had TO go on to
| Plattville, Wis. where he sold his pork
pay one-haIf goods from the store and
the other half in bank bills that proved
worthless. When he was not meeting
troubles like these, he was shaking
with the ague Sometimes he would
feel that all would end well. and about
that time Rock river would overflow
its banks and deluge the farm.
Perseverance Brings Prosperity.
In time, perseverance brought pros
perity. My father lived to the ripe old
age of 90. and saw, before he died,
within radius of 20 miles of that old
farm. 100000 as happy, contented and
prosperous people as can be found
upon the face of the earth
Our fathers and mothers did not
dress as well or have as many COM
forts and Injuries as their successors.
they were satisfied with the necessar
les of life. Nor did the children have
as many toys and playthings. AS a
boy. l cannot forget my first penInife.
II was the old Barlow pattern. 1t seems
like a small thing to speak of here, but
! shall never forget the pride with
which | received it. 1t was, if | re-
member, made in Sheffield, England.
At that time nearly all of our cutlery
and machinery came from that place.
What a wonderful change in so short
a time. About seventy-five years ago
the first locomotive was shipped to
America. piecemeal from England
Only recently we sent a consignment
of 20 mammoth mogul engines TO Great
Britain. We are sending rails to ST.
IBERIA building railroads in Japan,
bridges in Africa. and electric tram
ways in Egypt. So rapid has our prog
ress and advancement been along these
lines that Sheffield has been supplant-
ed and Pittsburg has become the steel
king of the world
Dress and cotton goods were i'm
ported from Manchester. The price
was very high. and a woman, the pos
SCISSOR of a calico gown, was looked
upon as belonging to the fashionable
set. In most cases they made their
garments from cloth spun and woven
with their own hands. The old spin
ming wheel was found in every home.
What a change, Manchester has been
forced to give way to Lowell. We are
no longer importers, but exporters.
Tribute 10 Women.
Somewhere in this address | want
to pay tribute TO the women of those
times, and | might as well say ii right
here. They did their part. and did It
wei. as they always do. sometimes
think they did more than their share
They were absolutely indispensable.
Men get discouraged; women do not.
Men sometimes give up; women never
do. Did you ever know one who did?
Ladies'. | want TO congratulate you,
that the long. weary struggle is over,
and that you have lived to see the
Rock Island of today. I congratulate
YOU that you live in a country where
woman is held in higher esteem than
anywhere else on earth