Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19

sssppi river; the
villagers hoping that MAws
in the distant future,
after this should be
completed, the Gov
eminent might with
them, see advantages from this waterway suff-
Gent to connect the upper Illinois river with
Lake Michigan. All this looked inviting, even i'm
pressive on paper and the early settlers of this
primeva prairie saw in prophetic vision and
ardent dreams vast possibilities from this source.
They named the streets of this incubating me-
tropolis after the presidents; but as years sped
by the hopes of the first brave settlers began to
decline population, money, influence, in fact
everything they so much needed and desired in
this venture too slowly came to them.
At this early time household goods and fami-
lies if they did not follow the old Sac and Fox
trail from Fort Dearborn, came up the Illinois
river in small boats to Fort Hennepin and then
had only short portage across the country to
reach Windsor
Let us here bridge a chasm of thirty years;
years of TOLL privation, denial, hardship, sorrow,
bereavement, disappointments, occasionally
mingled with joy. All! who can describe the
hopes and fears of these early settlers? Time,
that leveler of barriers but treasurer of memo
ries, alone can bring order out of chaos or beauty
out of darkness, the works of Father Time are
surely marvellous
The Indiantown of the past has been metamor
phosed into thriving, prosperous city of homes;
a railroad, that great civilizer of our western
prairie has come to them; the Sac and Fox trail
is lost in the sharp angles of town and section
lines, barb wire fences and telegraph poles, and
transportation by small boats the Illinois river
are things of the long ago, and only mentioned
now and then by the oldest inhabitant'
But the ship canal is ever favorite topic and
efforts have been made continually by some of the
leading citizens to bring it their way, most promi
nent among these is James Whitcomb, man of
great resources and friend of every one, bring
ing with him from his eastern home his wife a
bride, each possessing a temperament of culture
and refinement ere he aware their home was
the social center of the community and his opn-
ions were sought upon all questions At first he
the proprietor of the village store of general
merchandise, which also contained the village
postofce there the farmers and citizens would
meet in times of leisure and discuss all matters of
Importance, political and commercial amid kegs
of mackerel and barrels of flour and sugar He
soon built large flour mills of his own thus adding
an important and necessary industry; prairie
land seemed to attract him, before long broad
acres also his, and thus he gathered about
himself goodly possessions.
He took great interest in the canal, and urged
its construction upon the Government officials
whenever opportunity offered, and day it
seemed as if his fondest hopes were about to be
realized; a party was sent by the United States
Government to survey the line for this proposed
Hennepin canal With what joy were they well
coined! In imagination the villagers could see
great ships sailing by their very doors laden to
the brim with produce outward bound by this
waterway to the markets of the great outside
world
In the surveying party was young man-Rob-
ert Underwood-a recent graduate from East
college, with very little practical experience
but vast amount of natural ability laying dor
mant only waiting development
AS Mr.. Whitcomb had taken active part in
promotion