United labor bulletin., 1913-11-01

but a frail footing at the
embankment's edge the last reminders of
= once thriving and populous place will
have been swept away.
Almost seventy years ago the hamlet
OF st John was founded by a man named N
Hetlinger and few of his followers
Inc site chosen a commanding one
on the blum overlooking the lake and
ohe-haf mile east OF the point where the nortt
western depot at the Village of Highwood no,
stands The great clay bank with the stretch @
sand beach which shelves away to the waters edg
at Its foot looks II 1t were strong enough an
far enough removed from the breakers TO be saf
against the angriest northeaster that ever blew
The men who built their houses upon the plai
surmounting the embankment thought their four
cations we're as sure though founded on tn
traditional rock They did take the precautor
however. to limit their building operations on IN
east by line drawn nifty yards from the edge a
the blum. That line has long since been buried 1
.ae sand under the waves. and with It are tn
houses and the shops OF the early settlers
In the year lsf5 the Village of St John wa. IN
rival OF Waukegan. which then called I.ttI
fort Both were prosperous and both were grow
ing Highwood tradition hath It that people pas.
ing through the two places from Chicago declare
that st John showed the ear marks OF success an
mat IL was destined to be big city. Other peopl
beside the chcagoans thought so. too. and they
noeked to the place and built substantial houses
and shops Tie two apple trees which alone re-
main OF all that pertained the Village OF ST
'onh grew In the yard OF Sebastian Richards.
whose house farther removed from tho
trees were back OF the residence Not long ago
the foundation OF bricks. which was all that
was left OF Richards dwelling slid down the
blum into tho lake during the height of n win
ter storm, Tho roots OF OF the apple trees
are even now extending into the air through the
side OF the embankment One good strong push
would send It burtling the beach 100 feet
below.
Among the OF the builders OF St John
In addition 10 those OF Hettinger and Sebastian
Richards. the only that the Oldest High
wood Inhabitants remember. are Frank
Mitch. Peter Baker and George Shepard Mitch
was shoemaker and It IS said that he is stiI
following the trade in a town in the far north
As far is known he is the only survivor of
the who founded the Village OF st John
In tho year lss7 there several stores n
blacksmith shop. n tavern and postofice in the
Village OF St John. which then held a popula-
ton OF about 200 people. In that day there was
n stage coach line between Chicago and NIL
waukee. The tavern at St John was n relay
station for the stage. Henry Mowers who re-
members tho village In its latter days saws
that the tavern was noted for its table. and its
liquor. and that people frequently took the stage
Journey from Chicago for tho solo purpose of
getting good dinner and n good glass
II who intended becoming n resi-
dent OF st. John that afterward founded the
Village OF Half Day He had looked over the
lakeside village. and then had declared that he
would establish that would last longer and
had more people in It. The automobilists who
every Sunday through Half Day on their
runs to Waukegan and return may look on tho
halfdozen houses there assembled and know
that the man who turned his back St John
has kept his word
When the Chicago and Milwaukee railroad was
built the surveyed line one-half mile west
OF the Village OF St John An adequate idea
OF the Importance OF place of which now bare
ly vestige remains may be had when II is
known that tho railroad authorities built a spur
line running to the south edge of the town
Some OF tho practical residents of the place had
discovered that excellent quality of brick
could be made from the clay which was found
In a pit short distance south OF the blacksmith
shop. As a matter OF fact. the presence of this
brickyard was one of the chief that the
branch line OF the railroad was built When
Uncle Sam accepted from the Commercial Club
OF Chicago the land to the north of tho city ms
q military reservation the soldiers drew hun.
dreds of carloads OF both good brick and broken
brick from the site of the old brickyard and
used the material for temporary road.making
and for tho hlling in of swamp spots. Tho fore
thought OF the St. John people In leaving be-
mind them specimens of their handiwork saved
the United States government n great many
dollars.
II Ia possible to trace today with no difficulty
at all the embankment upon which the branch
line OF tho railroad TO the brckyard and TO
the now lost Village OF ST. John. In size and
outline It looks like military redoubt and II
would perfectly answer the purpose OF one The
embankmcnt was leveied Mt it's western end
when stores were erected In the Village of High
wood. II starts now from a point almost direct
~ back OF the little Methodist church and runs
eastward. broken only by roads which have been
dug through II.
OF ST. John that the people awakened to a poaai
BILE danger to their homes by tho cncrpachment
OF the waves OF the lake. It II true that tbev