Jefferson County, Illinois - Chapter 9 (1 of 2 so headed), 1883

Roads, Some Of Which Will Be Built, Etc., Etc

INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS - EARLY ROADS AND TRAILS - SALINE AND WALNUT HILL ROAD- THE VANDALIA ROAD - OTHER HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES - RAILROADS - HOW THEY GREW OUT OF THE OLD IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM - JEFFERSON COUNTY'S EFFORTS FOR RAILROADS - ST. LOUIS & SOUTHEASTERN - THE AIR LINE - PEOJECTED ROADS, SOME OF WHICH WILL BE BUILT, ETC., ETC.

AMONG the internal improvements of a country, none are of more importance than its roads and public highways. It has been said that a stranger may judge of the civilization to which a community has attained by its system of public roads. In this chapter we propose to treat of the public roads and railroads of the county, taking them from their first inception to their present perfected system. First, we shall consider the wagon roads in their order, and then direct our attention to the railroads.

The Saline and Walnut Hill Road. - The reader will pardon us for giving most space to this fii'st road, and the one hardest to get of all our roads. At the beginning, the Goshen road was the only one, and it crossed the present Fairfield road four miles east of town,iust beyond Samuel Brace's. It was necessary to have one through the county seat. There were a few trails, but not even a trail led to Mount Ve'-non, It was said that all roads led to Rome, but it was just the reverse in regard to Mount Vernon - all roads led somewhere else. On the third day of the first term of the County Court, June, 1819, the subject of roads came before the Commissioners, and it was " ordered that William

Goings, Thomas Jordan, James Abbott, James Johnson and John Abbott, or any three of them, do view and make a road the nearest and best way from Mount Vernon to where the old road leaves the county. " It was "further ordered that John Jordan, Nicholas Wren, John C. Casey, Joseph Reed and Robert Cook, or any three of them, do view and make a road from Mount Vernon to where the Prairie road crosses the east boundary line of the county, near Hodge' s " - both boards of Viewers to report in September. These intended roads were what is now within this county of the McLeansboro and Centralia roads.

But when September came it brought no report from Viewers, and a new hoard was appointed for the whole road It was "ordered that William Casey, William Jordan, Sr., and Samuel Bradford, or any two of them, do view a road, beginning at or near the southeast corner of this county, on the nearest and best way to Mount Vernon; from thence, on the nearest and best way, to the lower end of Thomas Jordan's Prairie, taking into consideration a road hereafter to be cut out on a direction to Vandalia, and from Jordan's Prairie, on the best and nearest way, to where the old road crosses the northern boundary lino of this county, and report," etc.

orders than to induce men to do what they were not compelled to do, and indeed, hardly knew how to do. On the same day with the last order - September 7, 1S19 - Curtis Caldwell, John Jordan and Robert Mitchell were appointed to view a road from the ford of the creek near Jordan's - now Garrison's - to where the new road from Maulding's intersected the county line. This last was a road that Maulding had just cut out from his house in Hog Prairie, a few miles this side of where McLeansboro now stands, to Hodge's - late Abe Irvin's - crogsing the east line of the county n ear the southeast corner. These men iu due time made a report: "We, John Jordan and Curtis Caldwell, having been appointed, etc., do hereby certify that we have examined and believe that the nearest and best way is on a straight line from where Maulding's road intersects the county to Joseph Jordan's; thence along the old road to the ford of the creek, interfering with no person's farm, by the Overseers making some small amendments if necessary." This report was approved, and John Jordan made Overseer. The " Old Road " here was a trail from Jordan's to where Lew Beal lives. The " Old Road " in the previous orders was the Goshen road. William Casey, James Johnson and William Goings were now - October 4 - ordered to view the road toward Carlyle. But still some were dissati.'ilied with the Viewers' report just received, and John C. Casey, Samuel Bradford and Oliver Morris were ordered to view the route over again.

Incredible as it may now appear, all those orders and views and reports failed to accomplish anything; and this arose from the fact, wo suppose, that, as is now the case when a railroad is talked of, almost every man thought he lived exactly where the road ought to be made, aud a man was unwilling j

But at length a bold and working board was found. January 4, 1820, William Jordan, James Abbott and Reuben Jackson were ordered to view and mark the road, and James Kelly was requested to procure the services of William Hosick as surveyor. A month or more elapsed and Hosick came not. It was then ordered, February 10, 1820, that the order authorizing Kelly to employ Hosick he rescinded, and Joseph Pace be appointed in his stead. Let this rej^ort speak for itself:

" We, James Abbott, William Jordan and Reuben Jackson, appointed, etc., met at Mount Vernon on Thursday, the 24th day of February, and viewed to the creek (Muddy) and adjourned until the next day; 25th, met at the creek below the ford at a suitable place for a bridge, viewed on thence, crossing the little prairie at the upper end; thence on to the Little or Jordan's Creek, which we crossed, about a quarter of a mile above Hood's Ford; thence on to an arm of Moores' Prairie, at the Bushy Ridge; thence on to Watkins', and, it being night, adjourned; 26th, met and ran on a straight line to Crenshaw's; thence, with the general direction of the old road to where the new road cut by Thomson and Crenshaw intersects the said old road; thence down said new road to the county line. We met on Monday, the 2Sth, agreeably to apjjointment. at Mount Vernon, viewed to the right of Henry Wilkinson's, thence on a line through a corner of Harlow's tield, thence on by Elisha Perkins', thence on to a small creek, and, it being night, adjourned till morning. Tuesday, the 29th, we met agreeably to apj)ointment, and continued our course on through an arm of Jordan's Prairie, running within a quarter of a mile of Wren's place; thence on to Gaston's, thence on to the old road where it comes to the base line. We do hereby certify that we believe the above to be the nearest and best way for a road through the county, and as near to the prayer of your petitioners as one can be got."

This report was dated March 10, 182U; the road was ordered to be made on the route surveyed; it was to be opened eighteen feet wide, and for their services Abbott, Jackson and Jordan, the Viewers, and A. P. and G. P. Casey, the chain carriers, were ordered $12 each, and Joseph Pace §24 as sm-veyor. Daniel Crenshaw was appointed Overseer from the county line to the ninth mile tree; Joseph Reed, from the ninth mile tree to Muddy; A. P. Casey from Muddy to the fifth mile tree, northwest of town; and Samuel Gaston the rest. Just one incident: Two of the Viewers, Jordan and Abbott, were veiy fond of drink, and when they , started out of town the second time they took a bottle of whisky along. When they' got near Harlow's, as mentioned in their report, they began to drink, and after drinking freely themselves, they gave Uncle Joe Pace the bottle and he tvu-ned away and emptied it on the ground. But he was too late. Jordan already had more than he could carry, so he sat down to rest while the others went on. We believe the rest all put up at Perkins' that night; at any rale, no Jordan appeared till some time next day. "When he had rested sufficiently to travel, he had lost his way and spent the nigh' in the wouda.

The road crossed no stream requiring a bridge but Casey's fork of Muddy. Here the first bridge in the county was built by Ben Hood and Carter Wilkey. From the settlement at the March term, 1821, it seems that the structure cost $44.15. Hood and Wilkey sawed the lumber by hand. As soon as the bridge was done, old Mr. Harris came along and was anxious to be the first man to ride over. The workmen considered it unsafe, as the old man had taken some "tea;" but they compromised, the old man dismounted and led his horse, and so got safely over. The road still runs very nearly where it was originally located throughout its entire length.

The Vandalia Road. - Before the opening of the Vandalia road, there was a trail to Peddling Billy Hicks', where old Mr. Bruce afterward lived, and a trail from the Carlyle road by Fleming Greenwood's to the Whitesides settlement, near where Flowns lived more recently, in Jordan's Prairie. These were the avenues leading north. But October 5, 1821, Abraham Casey, James Young and William Maxwell were ordered to " view the ground from Mount Vernon to Lee & Hicks' mill and report the nearest and best route for a road from Mount Vernon to said mill." Emboldened by this beginning, the court also " ordered that the said reviewers continue the review of said road from the said mill on the nearest and best direction toward Vandalia to the county line of Jefferson County. "

Ou the 3d of December, the report came in : "By order of the County Commissioners of Jefferson County, to us, the undersigned, to view the ground from Moimt Vernon to Lee & Hicks' mill, and from said mill to the north boundary line of Jefferson County, ou the direction of Vandalia, and report whether there is ground tit to make a road, and we having received a plat of the Clerk of the Court, have viewed and marked one as straight as we possibly could, and report that we think we have gone as straight as can be without surveying, and think that the gromid will answer. Signed by us, Abraham Casey, William Maxwell, James Young." The report meeting with no oppo-

For the purpose of opening this road, it was next day ordered that Elihu Maxey be Supervisor of that part " that lies between Mount Vernon and the north line of Section No. 25, Range 2, Township 1;" to William Maxwell was assigned the portion " lying between the north line of Section No. 25 and the north line of Section 23, Range 2, Township 1 north, with all the hands east of the county or Carlyle road;" to James Young fell the part "lying between the north line of Section No. 23 and the northern line of the attached part of this county, with all the hands north of the line where he commences." " The said road to be opened eighteen feet wide and made passable for carriages; to be opened smooth," and to be completed by June.

But the road was not opened very smooth, and, indeed, was not used a great deal, so that it was really in danger of growing up. Hence it became necessary, September 1, 1828, to order "that the Sheriff inform Thomas D. Minor and William Maxwell, -Supervisors on the Vandalia road, to proceed to cut out said road twelve feet wide and keep the same in rej^air." This imperative demand had the desired effect, and the road became a permanent highway.

The Frankfort or Golconda Road. - The idea of this road seems to have originated in 1822, from the people of Franklin County having opened one leading from Frankfort to oiix county line. The friendly challenge from Franklin was accepted by our Commissioners, and at their March term - March 5, 1822 - it was ordered "that Barton Atchison, Esq., James Dawson and Nicholas Wren view the ground for a road from where the Frankfort road intersects the county line to where the said road will intersect (the Saline) road at or near the bridge." In due time the report came in:

" Agreeably to an order of the court, we, the undersigned viewers, have viewed and marked the intended road, beginning onehalf mile east of the middle line dividing Range 3, where the Frankfort road intersects our county, thence a little northwest, until we come to the Gun Prairie; continuing the same course through said prairie until we striick the above line; thence on and near the said line to the Saline road near the bridge. We, the viewers, think this to be the nearest and best ground for said road, allowing the Supervisor to vary as he may think necessary." Dated April 12. 1822.

To open this road, James Dawson was appointed Supervisor, with all the hands hitherto belonging to Moses Ham on the Saline road, where Ham bad succeeded Crenshaw, except Young Lenore, Ignatius Atchison, William Southwood, .Joseph Jordan, Daniel Crenshaw and John Crenshaw; "and farther ordered that the said road be opened twelve feet wide arid it be done by the December term of this court."

Notwithstanding these orders, it was not " done by the December tei-m," and at that time it was found necessary to order that Amos Chandler be " Supervisor on that part of said road between the bridge across Muddy and Rollin.s' Creeks, with all the hands north of the creek on which Mr. B. Atchison lives, except the hands formerly allotted to Mr Ham," and that Absalom Estis supervise the portion south of Rollins' Creek, with all the hands south of Atchison's branch, escej^t those formerly allotted to JIi\ Ham. This move secured the opening of the road. In 1838, William Redman built the first bridge over Gun Prairie Creek for S175.

was origiaally the county seat of Washington, and stood on the Okaw, near the mouth of Crooked Creek, about fourteen miles north of Nashville. Indeed, it still stands there, but in considerably reduced prop ortions. When Clinton was formed out of the northern part of Washington. Covington was no longer central, and for a short time before Nashville arose, Georgetown, almost a village, a few miles west of Nashville, was the county seat. Clinton County was formed in 1S25.

Well, the Grand Prairie people, who had only a winding trail by which to come to town, and the town people who wished to build up, asked for a road to Covington, June 4. 1822, the court ordered that Jacob Norton, Isaac Hicks and James E. Davis view and mark the route as far as the county line, and report in September. This certainly was sufficient time, but September brought no report, and it was necessary to issue a new order: " Agreeable to an order asrreeable to a petition handed into this court at the June term, on which Viewers were appoi nted, but have failed to act, therefore ordered that Curtis Caldwell, Thomas Jordan, Jr.. and William Casey be appointed to act as Viewers, to be viewed on the straightest and best way on ;i direction to Covington, as far as the Washington County line, and make return at the December term."

This order was slightly mixed, but "agreeable" and easy to be understood; yet it was entirely without effect. Nor was a "' view " obtained till after March 4, 1823, when Thomas T. Tunstall, Felix McBride and William Deprist were ^appointed for the purpose June 10, they reported that they had marked the road on the nearest and best way, to the best of their knowledge, and that the " course generally runs west of northwest." This road ran not far from where the Eriohview road now runs.

Still the road was not opened till December. Then. December 1, 1823, "for the purpose of opening said road," it was " ordered that William Deprist be and he is hereby appointed Supervisor on that part of said road bptween SEount Vernon and the Middle Fork of Muddy, with the hands as follows, to wit: Isaac Deprist, Jordan Tyler, Lewis Johnson, John T. Johnson, Nicholas Johnson, James E. Davis, Nicholas Stull,

Overbay and his son-in-law, Rhodam Allen, William Maxey, Charles H. Maxey, Joshua C. Maxey, Edward Masey. Zadok Casey, Samuel Hirons, Jarvis Pierce, William Wilkerson, Joel Wilkerson, Samuel Reed and Asahel Batemen." A. P. Casey was Supervisor on the rest of the road, " with all the hands west of Foster's Creek, including the Long Prairie settlement," " said road to be opened by the March term of this court wide enough for carriages to pass." In 1828, this road was vacated, but in a few years it was restored as the Grand Prairie, afterward the Richview, road, a change being made at the west, and under Jacob Breeze, Joe Baldridge and John Switzer, and at the east end under L. F. Casey, H. D. Hinman and J. C. Maxey, all in 1844. The present western terminus was at last located in 1846 by Duncan Cameron, Esq., Isaac Casey, Jr., and Samuel Watkins.

The Georgetotvn or Nashville Road. - At the June Court, 1828, at the same time the last road was vacated, a new one to Georgetown was called for. It was to " cross the Middle Fork of Muddy near Shiloh Meeting House and the West Fork near Hamlin's." Most of our readers will no doubt recollect Noah Bullock's and Bill Maby's " meeting house " better than this Shiloh that stood about the same j)lace. William Casey, Robert Holt and A. Buffington were the viewers, and on their report the Covington road was vacated and the Georgetown road estab- lished. Green, Dysnish and Jim Johnson of Long Prairie were chosen to open the road. It issued from town at the west end of Main street, and ran nearly southwest by west to W. Casey's house on the hill.

The Fairfield Road. - In 1824, John Summers bought A. P. Casey's improvement east of town; and June 5, 1826, he and others petitioned for a road toward Fairfield. Accordingly, he and Joe Jordan and Isaac Casey were appointed to view the route. September 4, they made their report:

"Pursuant to an order of the County Commissioners' Court at their June term, 1826, we, John Summers and Joseph Jordan, have viewed and marked for a road from Moimt Vernon to the county line to Fairfield, commencing at the court house; thence to John Summers'; thence to William Jordan's; thence intersected the road from Fairfield at the county line." John Summers was appointed to open the road, together with Bridges Hynes, Edmund Hines, Jesse Green, Thomas Hopper, John Vance and Hiram Hodge. The next spring court gave him the hands in Adam's Prairie also. The road as then established, ran near where it now does, except that it struck out nearly due east from the court house ran by a cabin that stood where Dr. Green lives, ran nearly a hundred yards south of the Shields House, tlien wound around to the ford below where the old bridge was. In 1838, Coleman Smith built the first bridge over Seven Mile for $25. 87^ In 1839, James Ross, John Johnson and E. H. Ridgway, in accordance with an act of the Legislature, relocated the road from town to the creek, throwing it into Main street, and so on, nearly where it is at present.

The Brownsville and Pinkneyville Roads. - The roads toward Brownsville and Pinkneyville attracted a good deal of attention, considering how little business we ever had at either of the places. The Brownsville road began in 1834. September 27, " the Viewers appointed to view and mark a road from Mount Vernoa to intersect a cart way in Horse Prairie and on a direction to Brownsville, do make the following report: That we have viewed the same to run from Mount Vernon, the present leading road to John Hays' at Elk Prairie; thence angling down said prairie near the east side of John Black's farm; thence down a little arm of said prairie to the lower end of the same; thence crossing Muddy below the hurricane; thence to the county line above the head of Honey Point." Signed by Samuel Boswell and John Hays.

In 1835, Isaac Casey, A. Buffington and Jesse Green were sent to view a road toward Pink-neyville, and failing to do it the job was next year assigned to John Dodds, I. T. Davenport and AVilliam Hicks. They located it by .Tohn Dodd's house from the Nashville road, by Rhodam Allen's field across the prairie, and so on to the Brownsville road. Thus it remained till 1839, when A. Milcher, P. Osborn and J. A. Dees were sent out to see if it were not useless. For anybody but Dodds and Rhodam Allen, it certainly was, so there it died. Then an Elk Prairie road sprang up, 1837, running between Joseph Pace's and Dr. Greethan's, to Bodinis, to Reed's ford, across Muddy, and to the old road at the county line. After changing routes frequently, the Pinkneyville road, was located not far from where it now runs, in March, 1845, by Sam Boswell, Sid Place and Jesse A. Dees, the route having been suggested by J. R. Allen and Eli Gilbert in 1844.

idea how we got them; and the recital also gives an idea that the best evidence as to where they run, is the fact that they run there, the record evidence of exact location being slim. At length, however, roads became literally too numerous to mention. We note the principal ones: In 1838, a road from Nashville to Equality, across the southwest corner of the county, was laid out under the direction of George W. Lee, Thomas Thompson and George McCary. The same year, a road was opened from Salem to Chester, across the northwest corner of the county, and Allen Dolson was the first Supervisor. It was also in the same year that the Maysville road was located. Isaac Casey, Azariah Bruce and Lloyd BuflSngton were the Viewers, and it was described as running with the Fairfield road to a point near the Goshen road; thence to Wright Ballard's, thence to the bridge over Shiloh Fork above Slocum's mill. In 1839, the new State road from McLeansborn to Mount Vernon was located, Ben Hood, Ophey Cook and Wm. Sturman being the Viewers. It was described as coming through John Lowry's field, through Willis Holder's and to a post of Atchison's mill and to the old road between Atchison's and Osborn's. In 1848, a road was opened from the Academy by Short's mill on the creek and by Samuel Atchison's to the county line at or near the Spuriock place. The Farmington road was located in October, 1849, by Jonathan Gregory, Joe Bufiington and Lafayette Casey. In the same jear, the Richview & Fairfield - now the Richview & Farmington - road was located by G. P. Casey, N. S. Johnson and P. T. Maxey. The east Long Prairie road from Seven-Mile bridge was laid out in March, 1850, Abram Marlow, Alexander Moore and Peter Bruce being Viewers. The same year, the Frog Island road began, A. D. Estes, J. Y. Shelton and

Andy Elkins locating it from the Frizzell bridge to A. D. Estes', and southeast to Shelton's mill. The route from Ashley to Willbanks' was completed by S. S. Manner) and S. K. Allen in September, 1852. A road from Rome to John Foutts' on the Carlyle road was viewed in 1853 by Owen Breeze, John Foxitts and Arch Maxwell. The toll road began in June, 1854, and a road was opened from Rome to Kuneville by E. Wimberly and others in 1854. Isaac Garrison, Thomas Moore and Rolla M. Williams located the Mount Vernon & Lynchburg road in July, 1855. B. T. Wood, W. A. Dale and D. B. Davis located one from Council Bluffs to Lynchbm-g in July, 1857. The Spring Garden and Tamaroa road began the same year, viewed bj- J. B. Ward, James Kirk and Henry Williams, and in the same year a way was opened from Lynchburg to Ham's Grove by J. Taylor, W. D. Daily and A. D. Estes, and the next year one from Ham's Grove south by G. H. Puehett, Joshua Hopper and Morgan Harris.

And now roads get to be so numerous it makes our head swim to try to follow the story any further. Indeed, there are so many that a stranger can hardly get anywhere. And the changes have been so many! Some have kept wriggling like a snake. For instance, the Brownsville road. If every move had made a move forward, too, like a snake's, it probably would now be in the middle of Arkansas. We might add that, under township organization, we have very expensive roads and hardly any good ones.

The Railroads. - We desired to give a complete history of the struggles made bj our people to secure railroads, but the story looms up before us now st) long and wide that we submit in despair and consent to give a mere outline.

had a large amount of Saline lands in Gallatin County, aboiit four townships that had long been withheld from aale and leased out by the United States, but at length donated to the State. It was about the year 1831 (L. 1831, 15.15), it was determined to sell 20,000 acres and distribute the proceeds among the counties. Jefferson's share was $200, but we never got it. In 1836 (Laws, tered and our people made an effort to get it, but got only about 400 yards of it across the northwest corner of the county. The older citizens all remember the crazy lit that the Legislature had in 1836-37 and 1838. It was attempted to supply the whole State with railroads at once. One was to be built from Galena to Cairo, one from Alton to Shawneetown, one from Alton to Mount Carmel, one from Alton to Terre Haute, one from Quincy, by Springtield, to the Wabash, one from Bloomington to Pekin and one from Peoria to Warsaw - over 1,300 miles.

Illinois bonds, credit, railroads, and everything else were " dead as a mackerel " until 1850-51, when the new Illinois Central Railroad Company was chartered, and the road now bearing that name was begun. This moved hope and enterprise, and other roads were projected. The Sansramon & Massac

February 15, 1855, gave birth to two or three charters that promised roads for us (L., p. 24U. 296). One was the Belleville & Fairfield with J. L. D. Morrison, et al. , of St. Clair; A. D. Ha}% et al., of Washington; J. M. Johnson, T. M. Casey, Z. Casey and H. T. Pace, of Jefferson; and D. Turney, et al., of Wayne, composing the company, capital unlimited and sis years to begin it. The 'Other was the Mount Vernon Railroad, capital $500,000; election of ofificers at Mount Vernon, wben $1,000 per mile should be subscribed; to run from Mount Vernon to the

All this was undertaken just as the State had. Central or the Chicago branch, and Jefferson begun to recover from a general financial Vallowed to give her swamp lands if the peodepression and had got out of debt. The result was a debt of $14,000,000 and about 100 miles of railroad from Springfield to the Illinois River, that was never worth over $100,000. Our Representative, H. T. Pace, strongly opposed these measm'es, and this was one cause of our getting none of the railroads. But in 1839 (L., p. 252), by the efforts of Noah Johnston in the Senate and H. T. Pace in the House, an act was passed which gave us (?), in addition to the $200, an interest in $200,000 that was appropriated to counties that failed to get any railroad. Yet if a future sui-vey should put Mount Vernon on the road, our interest in the fund was to "determine." So we missed getting a railroad that time; so did the rest; Bo did we miss getting the money - except pie so voted. The charter members were J. N. Johnson, Z. Casey, H. T. Pace, S. H. Anderson, Q. A. Willbanks, J. R. Allen, S. K. Allen, S. W. Carpenter, B. T. Wood, J. H. McCord, Uriah Mills and G. W. Pace. The Bloomington & Toledo road was changed to or united with the St. Louis & Loi;isville. February, 1857, a consolidation was perfected and this was confirmed by the Legislature February 22, 1861.

Before recurring to the Mount Vernon Railroad, we must notice the swamp lands, as these have been the basis of all our efforts. Congress passed a law September 28, 1850, entitled "An act to enable the State of Arkansas and other States to reclaim the swamp lands within their limits," which gave to the States named in the act all the swamp and overflowed lands within their limits for drainage, education or internal improvements. Our Legislature, in the winter of 1851-52, accepted, and gave the land to the several counties whereia it lay. September 6, 1852, GUI- County Court appointed Elijah Piper Drainage Commissioner, with power to sell iirst-class lands at $1, second at 75 cents, and third at 50 cents per acre. But Piper gave no bond till December, when the order was made for a sale at public outcry. February 28, 1853, for cash or work on the drains. From some cause, perhaps iinding an injunction staring him in the face, Piper didn't sell, and all was quiet for awhile. In December, 1854, the Clerk was ordered to notify magistrates to watch for trespassers, and all was quiet again.

As soon, however, as the Mount Vernon Railroad Company would organize, they, by Scales, asked the County Court for a vote at the judicial election, lirst Monday in June, 1855, on a proposition to donate the swamp lands to aid in the construction of the road. On the eve of the election, it was postjaoned until the November election. The donation was conditional, on the road being done in three years, and the land to be sold for not over §2.50 per acre in one year, or $5 after one year. The propositioH carried.

In the meantime it was found that the Illinois Central had taken 7,000 acres of swamp lands in this county, and W. B. Anderson was appointed, August 17, to select other lands instead. On the 28th, he reported nearly 1,000 acres, and notices were sent to the land offices and to Springfield, but we believe that Mi-. T. A. Hendricks replied that the resolution was void. A list of our swamp lands was received from T. H. Campbell, Auditor, August 20, footing up nearly 19,000 acres.

Wisconsin, came with proposals to build the road, but was incontinently snubbed. Gov. Casey founded a company under the style of Vanduzer, Smith & Co., and to these the work was awarded. For Gov. Casey was President, and A. M. Grant Secretary of the old company. Vanduzer was from Ohio, Smith from Troy, N. Y., Vooris from Ohio and Gortschius from New York, but at that time from Peoria, 111. They came; books for subscription were opened at Anderson & Mills' store, and about $40,000 subscribed and several thousands paid in. All went lively. The track was cleared from Ashley to Fairfield and the road-bed nearly finished. Joel Pace, June 2, 1856, was appointed Trustee of the swamp lands, and June 11 filed his bond in the sum of $8,000. Vanduzer, Smith & Co. were everybody's pets. Newby took them out in his buggy or carried out luscious dinners to them on the road. They located a station at John Wilkerson's and went for his beef and spotted horse. They went in debt to everybody. Ties were piled along the lino. They borrowed $6,000 from Shackelford and Givens and got our Trustee to give them a deed to 4,500 acres of our land. Dr. Green and others found themselves guarantors for them to the tune of about $10,000. One of them married one of our handsomest ladies. Vanduzer, accompanied by Casey and Grant, took $500,000 in bonds to New York to sell and we believe his report is not in yet. Things began to drag, slow, slower, slowest, then a full stop - one gasp and all is over - the company is "smashed." The aforesaid guarantors attach what little there is to attach, and are further idemnified by the county with a somewhat dead claim on Warren, and by another party with a somewhat dead note on Vanduzer, Smith & Co. for $3,000. The note died entirely when suit was brought upon it, and the indorsers proved that it was only "a goak." Smith - not Gen. but Dr. - back to Troy and his wife got rich; Vooris went to Memphis and got shot; Gortschius went to Paducah and got a fatal fall, and Vanduzer went to Michigan and got into the penitentiary. Dr. Green didn't get the depot on his land as promised; Capt. Newby didn't get it on his, as promised; and Gov. Casey didn't get it on his, as promised; most of us got " skun " for larger or smaller amounts, and none of us got any railroad.

Of course, by their failure, Vanduzer. Smith & Co. forfeited everything. The original company brought suit for recovery of franchise, etc., by Scates's advice the road bed was suffered to go to sale, and they sent Tom Hobbs to Springfield with $1,000 and he bought it. A new charter, however, was procured for the Ashley & Mount Vernon Railroad. February 21, 1861, with all the privileges of the Central. Z. Casey, H. T. Pace, J. R. Allen, W. D. Green, T. B. Tanner, C. T. Pace and Noah Johnston, being the company. (This was to cover contingencies.) Then came Maurice H. Baron, of New York, and June 28, 1860, contracted to build the road - a four-cornered contract - Baron, one County Court, two; J. Pace, three: several other men, four. Baron was to biiild the road and run it ninety-nine years for the road-bed and swamp lands, and to pay the other parties $30,500 by October 1. The "several other men" were to make the swamp lands up to 19,000 acres. All went smoothly, especially Baron, and he went to London to sell bonds and never came back again. The enterprise was now considered as dead and bm'ied. And so it was, for it didn't exhibit a sign of life for five or six years.

the result, November 6, was. for, 691 ; against, 1,188. Nothing daunted, the friends of the project held a public meeting the nest spring, and May 3, 1867, court was again petiti-^ned to have a vote on it at the June election. The petition was granted, the county was " stumped " and the proposition carried. The stock-holders of the road met in Mount Vernon, November 8, 1867, and chose as Directors W. D. Green, S. T. Stratton, S. K. Casey, H. B. Newby, G. H. Varnell, T. H. Hobbs and T. S. Casey. Dr. Green was chosen President and T. S. Casey Secretary. April 23, 1868, it became necessary to increase the capital stock $200,000, and Varnell, Stratton, Newby, Green and Hobbs went in $40,000 each. Next day a contract was made with Crawford & Doane. John H. Crawford was from Buffalo, N. Y., where he had been engaged in lake commerce; and Isaac S. Doane was from Meadville, Penn. , and was a regular railroad man. The same day Joel Pace resigned and Thomas H. Hobbs was appointed Trustee in his stead. Crawford & Doane agreed to build the road for the swamp lands, the right of way, depot grounds and $100,000, to begin work July 1, 1868, and finish by May 1, 1869. If work was not progressing by September 1, all was to be null and void, Mr, Crawford was elected Vice President and fiscal agint for the company -July 3, A move was made toward organizing an Ashley & St, Louis Company, and our company, August 18, approved it and resolved to get a through line. They therefore extended the time for work to begin to October 1.

It was difficult at that time to raise money, and Crawford & Doane could not begin according to contract, though backed by Beldon with the promise of help to the amount of $6,000,000, During the pause that ensued, March 10, 1869, a new company got a charter for a road from St. Louis to Shawneetown and took the name of St. Louis & Southeastern Railroad Company. The company was O. Poole, James H. Wilson, J. J. Castl es, S. S. Marshall, A. G. Cloud, R. W. Townsend, S. K. Casey, W. D. Green, T. H. Hobbs and E. F. Winslow. All these were old residents except Gen. James H. Wilson, who was Grant's chief of staff during the war, and Gen. Winslow, who was from Maine, had been a merchant in Iowa, broke, went to the war, was i n a dry goods house in Cincinnati, built the Bvough road by Vandalia etc., sold out for $100,000 profit and became a railroad man.

At a meeting of the Mount Vernon Railroad Company, in Mount Vernon, March 26, 1869, Dr. Green was directed to go to Chicago to confer with Crawford, who now resided there, and renew the contract with him or foiTn one with Mr. Winslow, or otherwise, as he might think best. He here met with Douglas, who was then President of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, and Douglas said, "build your road yourself; we will indorse your bonds and lease your road." But Green knew that nothing but a through road would satisfy his company and reluctantly declined the generous offer. He found Crawford with good vouchers, but no through charter, and Winslow just the reverse. As our company had been repeatedly twitted about wanting a " bob-tailed ruad," for the benefit of Mount Vernon, Dr. Green inclined to prefer Winslow. Another fact conlirmed this inclination; he found on a slip of paper that Crawford had accidentally left in a record book, a list of distances, etc. , which indicated that it was Crawford's design to make the railroad junction in Moore's Prairie and build up a large town there at the expense of Mount Vernon. So he gave the contract to Winslow, saying,

Dr. Green, knowing there had been irregularities enough in the elections and legal proceedings in regard to the Mount Vernon Railroad to vitiate everything, if contested and pushed to investigation, went to Springfield, and by help of W. H. Green, lobby member from Cairo, put a bill through by which everything hitherto done in the business was legalized, and the title of the Mount Vernon Railroad Company to the road, franchises, etc., confirmed, March 31, 1869. April 8, the contract with Crawford & Doane was rescinded, and next day the contract was let to Winslow & Wilson. It was a four-cornered contract: St. Louis & Southeastern, one; Mount Vernon Company, two; Court, three; and Hobbs four, thus:

It was first agreed to begin May 24, and finish by January 1. Iron, forty-five pounds to yard and fish-scale joint; guage and grade of Illinois Central; ties, eight feet long, six inches thick, six-inch face, 2640 to the mile; bridges, workmanlike; three stations, at Ashley, Mount Vernon and between.

Second, agreed to give $100,000 county bonds, 14,700 acres of swamp lands, three acres in 600 yards of court house for a depot and right of way from Ashley to Mount Vernon.

Third, agreed to issue the bonds on order of President of Mount Vernon Railroad and completion of road to Ashley, bonds bearing 8 per cent, principal due in twenty years, payable after five years, and to cause swamp lands to be conveyed - the bonds to be a subscription to the capital stock of the railroad.

Adams, F. S. Casey and T. H. Hobbs. The claim of the county against the United States for lands entered after donated by the swamp land act, which sums from the County Court record B, page 632 to have been part of the proposition to aid the Mount Vernon Company, is entirely omitted in this contract. These proceedings secured the road. Perhaps we ought not to go back to say that in 1855 a Marion and Jefferson Coimty Railroad was chartered, but limited to two years to begin, so it didn't begin. In 1865. a Shawneetown branch of the Illinois Central was chartered, which was expected to give lis a road from Tonti through Mount Vernon. This lay pretty still until 1869, when April 1, the St. Louis, Mount Carmel & New Albany Company was chartered. So at the April meeting, 1870, the Supervisors received plenty of petitions, some asking a vote on giving Si500,0()0 to the St. Louis & Southeastern when the road extended to the east county line; some the same for a road toward Benton; some the same for the St. Louis, Mount Carmel & New Albany Company; some the same for almost anybody. The only tangible result was the extension of our road to the southeast, which was completed in 1871. Then those splendid machine shops were built which were bui'nt, as we shall notice hereafter.

The Air Line.- - We have already noticed that imder the internal improvement scheme by the State during the mania of 1835 to 1838, a road was undertaken from Alton to Mount Carmel. The $4,000,000 borrowed to build all these roads was exhausted before any railroads were built. Gen. William Pickering was specially interested in this Albany & Mount Carmel road, and when the whole scheme fell through, the road was seized by its creditors, and thus passed into the hands of Pickering. He undertook to finish it, and spent his fortune upon it, but only got a road from Princeton, Ind., to Albion, 111. He had arrangements made with Eastern capitalists for money, but when Elijah P. Lovejoy was killed at Alton and his press thrown into the river, they became alarmed, considering it an unsafe country for the investment of money, and withdrew their support. Gen. Pickering could go no further, but he held on to what he had till about the time he was appointed Governor of Washington Territoiy, when he sold out to Blueford, Wilson and others. He got none of the money, but after his death his heirs got about $14,000. To cover contingencies, a charter was obtained, April 1, 1869, for the St. Louis. Mount Carmel & New Albany Eailroad, and perhaps another under the name of the Louisville, New Albany & St. Louis Air Line Railway Company. Under the latter name, the company, by Augustus Bradley, President, and George Lyman, Secretary, executed a mortgage to Calhoun & Opdyke, of New York, for $4,525,000, due in 1902, but we don't think they ever got any money.

Not much was done then till 1881. May 20, the stockholders met at the office of Bell & Green, in Mount Carmel, and resolved to issue $3,000,000 first mortgage bonds and $3,000,000 four per cent, fifty jear cumulative income bonds and $1,000,000 second mortgage bonds. Robert Bell was then President, holding two shares, while Goldthwaite, Burr & Wilson held 3,806. The same day it was resolved to increase the capital from $3,000- 000 to $5,000,000. In November of the same year, the name was changed to Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis Railway Com pany. But in June 1881, the company had executed a mortgage to the Mercantile Trust Company aud Noble C. Butler, in which the route is described as being from New

Albany, by Huntingburg, Intjleton, Oakland City, Princeton, Mount Cavmel, Albion and Fairfield, to Mount Vernon, about 192 miles, forty-five miles being already finished from Ingleton to Albion. Tlie change of name was made necessary by a consolidation with roads fi-om Evansville to Jasper, Ind, and from Rockport to Gentry vi lie, Ind., making now a total of 260 miles. March 1, 1882. the road was completed from Mount Vernon to Huntingburg, in all 202 miles, and by a mortgage $1,000,000 was raised to finish it to New Albany. Jonas H. French succeeded Ml-. Bell as President, and he was succeeded in turn by John Goldthwaite, the present incumbent. Thus it will be seen that the Air Line was built without costing our people any great effort or ex-pense. Most of the money was really furnished by Ballon, of Boston. After it was completed, the road was much damaged by high waters, and lay quite awhile before trains ran regularly, but the result was a settling of the earth whioh made" it the best new road-bed in the State. Its business has grown rapidly, and it is already a paying road. The Salisbiu-y Company do its repair work at present, but we expect other shops and a depot at no distant day. The Air Line is using the Louisville & Nashville track to St. Louis, but expect to build a line of their own, when a connection with the Chesapeake & Ohio will give us the most direct route from St. Louis to the Atlantic. The road is noted for the courtesy of it.s ofi&cials.

Coming Boads. - The Kaskaskia, St. Elmo & Southern Railroad Companj' was incorporated in September, 1882, but by a delay in the notice of a meeting of the stockholders last spring, it was apprehended that damage might result, and a new incorporation was perfected July 30, 1883. B. F. Johnson, B. C. Smith, L. E. Stocker, I. H. Johnson,

W. H. Smith, A. M. Johnson, Joseph Micksch and J. B. Leash, all of St. Elmo, are the incorporators; capital, $10,000; shares, $50 each; route, Altamont by Blount Vernon, etc., to the Ohio, opposite Puducah. From Altamont there is a line of roads to Chicago already, 200 miles. The estimated cost of the road is $3,500,000, of which $500,000, to be )-aised on stock and $3,000,- 000 on bonds. A meeting is to be held in October to issue the bonds. Timothy Genay and G. M. Haynes are the financial agents. They have secured the indorsement of Gov. Hamilton, ex-Gov. CuUom, the Chicago Board of Trade, Mayor Harrison, Farwell & Co., the Missottri Pacific and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Companies, and many others, and have every asstu-ance of being able to place the bonds at once when issued. The right of way has been seciu-ed for nearly the entire route.

The Mount Vernon & Tamaroa Railroad comes in place of the Tamaroa, Mount "Vernon & Vincennes Railroad, of two years ago. The latter lapsed by the two- years clause. Its length will be twenty-six miles; estimated cost, $450,000, of which $50,000 are to be raised on .stock and $400,000 on first mortgage bonds. It is to connect with the Wabash, Chester & Western, whose eastern termimis is Tamaroa, with the Air line, and beyond the Mississippi with the Chester & Iron Mountain. This road has been consolidated with the Kankakee, St. Elmo & Southern, Col. Evans, of the Mount Vernon & Tamaroa, becoming Treasurer of the consolidated company, and R. A. D. Willbanks one of the Directors. All the right of way has been secured except a short distance neai- Mount Vernon.

ton, Coles County, by Marti Qsvi lie, in Clark County, to Cairo. Capital, 12,500,000. The incorporators are J. C. Allen, of Olney, John Mason, of Newton; J. G. Rupert, of Decatiu-; E. Pratt Buell, of "Warsaw; O. B. Ficklin, of Charleston; F. A. Vongassy, of Effingham; William Lindsay, of Martinsville; Robert Hannah, of Fairfield; John H. Halley, of Newton. Judge J. C. Allen is President, J. G. Rupert, Secretary. The great advantage of this road is that it has its outlet to the northeast, striking the lake commerce 600 miles nearer to the seaboard than Chicago, parallel with scarcely any other road, crossing them all, and running through an excellent but chiefly undeveloped or very imjaerfectly developed country. The right of way has been obtained, the timber cut off, and a great deal of the grading done. It runs across the sou theast corner of the county, through the flourishing town of Belle Rive,

Besides these roads, the Jacksonville, Northwestern & Southeast Railroad Company was chartered in 1867, and is gradually moving down upon us from the northwest.