Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-18

bursting with the produce of the
prairie. Remember and behold its
levee and streets filled and crowded
with teams and wagons loaded with
precious fOOdstuffs and other cOmmOd-
tiles. Recall the steamboats, loading
and unloading at it's wharves, note
the then gay, busy and happy life of
its people. Again, in memory, recall
its church, schools, stores and its So
cial life. l need only mention the
flour, lumber, wood, coal, lime and
hay industries to have you again re-
call the wagon shops, blacksmith
shops, painting, meats, hardware and
other industries of this dear old town
when in the apex of its glory and pros
perity and when in the zenith of its
strength and power.
But, my friends, there was one
other and peculiar industry in those
days, in which Anda1usia stood alone
and predominant, and it would be I'M
pardonable in me should l fail to men
ton it in giving even this incomplete
inventory of its many and various pro-
ducts. 1 need hardly say l allude to
cobbs-bOth corn cobs and other
cobbs. In those days the beautiful
wives and maidens who presided over
the domestic science department of
the various homes, would scOrn to
blacken the bottom of the pots, skill
lets and pans they made use of in pre-
pairing feasts that would justly satisfy
an epicure, by burning coal, nothing
but the clean and white ash of the corn
cob would meet their requirement. OF
the other species of Cobbs you are all
familiar. One popularity about them
was they invariably doubled the labial
consonant and were otherwise noted
liclnT 1aV1t
Speaking of the pleasures of the
table. YOU scarce can fail to recall the
wild game and the piscatorial sports
of those days.
Mary's RetOrt-
Speaking of cooking, reminds me OF
a certain Mary / knew in the village
in those days. Mary was buXun.
blfthe and witty lass, and her father
was an upright deacon in the church;
Mary's plan of joining the boys and
girls in a nutting party was frustrat-
ed by the unexpected arrival OF
number of the brethren" and Mary
had to stay at home and get dinner
for her fathers clerical guests. Her
already ruffled temper was increased
nv the reverend visitors themselves
who sat about the stove and in the
way. One of the especially plouS min
listers noticed the Wrathful lmpatlence,
and imprudently desiring to rebuke
the sinful manifestations, said in that
neculiar nasal tone of voice common
with preachers in those days, Mary
what, ha, do you think, an, viii be
YOUR occupation in hell, ahE Pretty
much the same as on earth, ah, she
repIied. cooking for ministers, ah.
Il shall not, at this time. attempt to
describe the birth, growth, glory and
decay of Andalusia-all this is As
fresh and pure as the dew that kisses
tba roses-upon the mind and memory
of each of you. Born in 1S43, 1t grew
steadily during ante bellum days; was
AT the zenith of its glory and power
during the war and for about i've
wears after the close Of the war Then
came a little insect no larger than the
head of a pin-the chinch bug-and
then ora pro nobis its glory depart
cd and its sons and daughters, like the
children OF Israel, were dispersed. l
do not wish to be understood in assert
ing that this little bug was the sole or
whole cause of the decline and taIi OF
this great Roman empire.
From its birth down to the present /
time Audalusia has been large pro /
ducer of clams-both Of the biyalve /
and other species, and today, the first /
is one OF its principal industries, thus
shaving to what extreme tenulty II /
mas drawn out its industrial enter
nrises. and how tenaciously il held toi