Logan County, Illinois - The whole text, 1878 (part 5 of 11)

No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected^ be appointed to any civil office under the* authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time } and no person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office.

Sbo. 7. All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives ; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other bills.

Every bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shaU, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President cl the United States ; if he approve he shall sign it ; but if not he shall return it, with his objections, to that house in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the objections at large on their journal, and Eroceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration two-thirds of that ouse shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of that house, it shall become a law. But in all such cases the votes of both houses shall be determined by yeas and nays, and the names of the persons voting for and against the bill shall be entered on the journal of each house respectively. If any bill shall not be returned by the President within ten days (Sundays excepted), after it shall have been presented to him, the same shall be a law, in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress, by their adjournment, prevent its return, in which case it shall not be a law.

Every order, resolution, oc vote to which the concurrence of the Senate and House of Representatives may be necessary (except on a question of adjournment), shall be presented to the President of the United States, and before the same shall take effect shall be approved by him, or, being disapproved by him, shall be re-passed by two-thirds of the Senate and House of Representatives, according to the rules and limitations prescribed in the case of a bill.

To lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States ; but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States ;

And Its Amendments. 19&

To promote the progress of sciences and useful arts, by securing^ for limited times, to authors and inventors, the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries ;

To provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress ;

To exercise legislation in all cases whatsoever over such district (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of th^ Legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock yards, and other needful buildings; and

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all oUier powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.

Sbo. 9. The migration or importation of such persons as any of the states now existmg shall think proper to admit, shtdl not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a tax or duty may be imposed on such importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each person.

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it.

No preference shall be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of one state over those of another; nor shall vessels bound to or from one state be obliged to enter, clear, or pay duties in another.

No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law ; and a regular statement and account of the receipts and expeditures of all public money shall be published from tune to time.

No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States : and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state.

Sec. 10. No state shall enter into any treaty, aUiance, or confederation; grant letters of marque and. reprisal; coin money; emit bills of credit ; make anything but gold and sUver coin a tender in payment of debts ; pass any bill of attainder, ex post facto law, or law impairing the obligation of contracts, or grant any title of nobility.

No state shall, without the consent of the Congress, lay any impoete or duties on imports or exports, except what may be absolutely necessary for executing its inspection laws, and the net produce of all duties and imposts laid by any state on imports or exports, shall be for the use of the Treasury of the United States ; and all such laws shall be subject to the revision and control of the Congress.

No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty oo tonnage, keep troops or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a forei^ power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as wiU not admit of delay.

Section 1. The Executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his office during the term of four years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same term, be elected as foUows :

Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof mav direct, a number of Electors, equal to the whole number of Senators ana Representatives to which the state may be entitled in the Congress ; but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

[ * The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for two persons, of whom one at least shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves. And they shall make a list of all the persons voted for, and of the number of votes for each ; which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit, sealed, to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if there be more than one who have such majority, and have an equal number of votes, then the House of Representatives shall immediately choose by ballot one of them for President ; and if no person have a majority, then from the five highest on the list the said House shall in like manner choose the President. But in choosing the President, the vote shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote ; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a mtyoritv of all the states shall be necessary to a choice, b every case, after ^e choice of the President^ the person having the greatest number of votes of the Electors shall be the Vice-President. But if there should remain two or more who have equal votes, the Senate shall choose from them by ballot the Vice-President.]

The Congress may determine the time of choosing the Electors, afid the day on which they shall give their votes ; which day shall be the same throughout the United States.

No person except a natural bom citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the ofBce of President ; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice-PBcsident, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation, or inability, both of the President and Vice-President, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordmgly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.

The President shall, at stated times, receive for his services a compensation which shall neither be increased i)or diminished during the period for which he shall have been elected, and he shall not receive within that period any other emolument from the United States or any of them.

^^ I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.''

Sbo. 2. The President shall be commander in chief of the army and navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States ; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective omces, and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardon for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, "other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law ; but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers as they think proper in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.

The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session.

Seo. 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such mea- STires as he shall judge necessary and expedient ; he may on extraordinary occasions convene bot!i houses, or either of them, and in case of disagree* ment between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper ; he shall receive ambassadors and othefr public ministers ; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

Seo. 4. The President, Vice-President, and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

SsonoN I. The judicial power of the' United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court, and such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the Supreme and inferior courts, shall hold their offices during good behavior, and shall, at stated times, receive for their services a compensation, which shall not be diminished during their continuance in office.

Sbc. 2. The judicial power shall extend to all cases, in law and equity, arising under this Constitution, the laws of the United States, and treaties made, or which shall be made, under their authority ; to all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls ; to all cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction ; to controversies to which the United States shall be a party ; to controversies between two or more states ; between a state and citizens of another state ; between citizens of different states ; between citizens of the same state claiming lands under grants of different states, and between a state or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens, or subjects.

In all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls, and those in which a state shall be a party, the Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction.

In sdl the other cases before mentioned, the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions and under such regulations as the Congress shall make.

{'ury ; and such trial shall be held in the state where the said crimes shall lave been committed ; but when not committed within any state, the trial shall be at such place or places as the Congress may by law have directed.

Seo. 8. Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to theif enemies, giving them aid and comfort. No person shall be convicted of treason unless on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.

The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason, but no attainder of treason shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture, except during the life of the person attainted.

Section 1. Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may, by general laws, prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.

A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice and be found in another state, shall, on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime.

No person held to service or labor in one state, under the laws thereof escaping into another, shall, in consequence of any law or regulation therein, be dischai^ed &om such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on the claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due.

Sec. 3. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this Union ; but ncr new state shall be formed or erected within the jurisdiction of any other state ; nor any state be formed by the junction of two or more states, or parts of states, without the consent of the Legislatures of the states concerned, as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States ; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to prejudice any claims of the United States or of any particular state.

Seo. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion, and on application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature can not be convened), against domestic violence.

The Congress, whenever two-thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shaJl propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the appUcation of the Legislatures of two-thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be vaUd to all intents and purposes as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress. Provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article ; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.

All debts contracted and engagements entered into before the adoption of this Constitution shall be as valid against the United States under this Constitution as under the Confederation.

This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made, or which shall be made, nnder the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land ; and the Judges in every state shall be bound thereby, anything in the Constitution or laws of any state to the contrary notwithstanding.

Constitution Of The United States

bers of the several state Legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several statiBS, shall be bound by oath or affirmation to support this Constitution ; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

The ratification of the Conventions of nine states shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the states so ratifying the same.

Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present, the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth. In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

And Its Amekdmsnt8

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

A well regulated militia being ne'cessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall uot be infringed.

No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers^ and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.

No person shall be held to answer fbr a capital or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia when in actual service in time of war or public danger ; nor shall any person be subiect for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb ; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken ror public use, without just compensation.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accfUsed shall enjoy the right to a ^edy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which distiict shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation ; to be confronted with the witnesses against him ; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor; and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preservea, and no frcit

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states^ are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another state, or by citizens or subjects, of any foreign state.

The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by baUot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves ; they shall name in their ballots the person to be voted for as president, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice- President, and of the number of ^votes for each, which list they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate. The President of the Senate shall, in presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted. The person having the greatest number of votes for President shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed ; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest number not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the' President, the votes shall be taken by States, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from twothirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disabiliW of the President. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice- President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be the majority of the whole number of electors appointed, and if no person have a major-' itjT; then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President ; a auorum for the purpose shEdl consist of two-thirds of the whole number ot Senators, ana a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shsJl be e%ible to that of Vice-President of the United States.

Sbotion 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereoi the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Sbotioh 1. All persons bom or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the state wnerein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Sbo. ^. Representatives shall be appointed among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed ; but when the right to vote at any election for the choice of Electors for President and Vice- President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged except for participation in rebellion or other crimes, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.

Sec. 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or Elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or . military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath as a Member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state Legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each house, remove such disability.

Sec. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions land bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall pay any debt or obligation incurred in the aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any loss or emancipation of any slave, but such debts, obligations, and claims shall be held illegal and Void.

Sbotion 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any state, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. '

Electors Of President And Vice-President

How to find gross and net weight and price of hogs. A short and simple method for finding the rut weighty or price of hogs^ when the gross weight or price is given^ and vice versa.

NOTX. - It is generally assumed that the gross weight of Hog« dimlnlahed by 1-6 or 30 per cenL of itself gives the net weighty and the net weight increased by H or 26 per cent, of itself equals the tross weight

RxjLB. - Multiply (by short method) the number of cubic feet by 6308, and point off one decimal place - the result will be the correct answer in bushels and tenths of a bushel.

NOTK. - In estimating corn In the ear, tbe quaUty and the Um« It has been cribbed must be taken into consideration, since com will shrink considerably during the Winter and Spring. This rule generally hoMs good for corn measured at the time it Is cribbed, proTided It is sound and clean.

RuiiS. - Multiply the square of the mean diameter by the depth (all in feet) and this product by 5681 (short method), and point off one decimal place - ^the result will be the contents in barrels of 81i gallons.

Rule. - Under the square of the mean diameter, write the length (all in inches) in reversed order, so that its xtnits will fall under the TENS ; multiply by short method, and this product again by 480 ; point off one decimal place, and the result will be the answer in wine gallons*

Rule. - Multiply the length (in feet) by the width (in inches) and divide the product by 12 - the result will be the contents in square feet.

Rule. - Multiply the width, the thickness, and the length together (the width and thickness in inches, and the length in feet), and divide the product by 12 - the result will be square feet.

Rule. - Multiply the length by the width (in rods), and divide the product by 160 (carrying the division to 2 decimal places if there is a remainder) ; the result will be the answer in acres and hundredths.

How to find the number of square yards in a floor or wall. Rule. - Multiply the length by the width or height (in feet), and divide the product by 9, the result will be square yards.

Bricks are usually made 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and two indhes thick ; hence, it requires 27 bricks to make a cubic foot without mortar, but it is generally assumed that the mortar fills 1-6 of the space.

Mi8Cbllanboxj8 Infoemation

To find the length of the rafters, at onb-pourth pitch, multiply the width of the building by .56 (hundredths) ; at onb-thibd pitch, by .6 (tenths) ; at two-fifths pitch, by .64 (hundredths) ; at one-half pitch, by .71 (hundredths). This gives the length of the rafters from the apex to the end of the wall, and whatever they are to project must be - taken into consideration.

NoTB. - By H or H pitch to meftnt that the apex or comb of the roof Is to be 3^ or 3^ the width of the trailding hiirh«r than the walto or base of the rafters.

Rule. - Level the grain; ascertain the space it occupies in cubic feet ; multiply the number of cubic feet by 8, and point off one place to the left.

If the corn in the box is in the ear, divide the answer by 2, to fijid the number of bushels of shelled corn, because it requires 2 bushels of ear com to make 1 of shelled corn.

In measuring land, the first thing to ascertain is the contents of any given plot in square yards ; then, given the number of yards, find out the number of rods and acres.

The most ancient and simplest measure of distance is a step. Now, an ordinary-sized man can train himself to cover one yard at a stride, on the average, with sufficient accuracy for ordinary purposes.

To make use of this means of measuring distances, it is essential to walk in a straight line ; to do this, fix the eye on two objects in a line straight ahead, one comparatively near, the other remote ; and, in walking, keep these objects constantly in line.

Farmers and others hy adopting the following simple and ingenious contrivance^ may always carry with them the scale to construct a correct yard measure.

Take a foot rule, and commencing at the base of the little finger of the left hand, mark the quarters of the foot on the outer borders of the left arm, pricking in the marks with indelible ink.

To find how many rods in length will make an acre^ the width being given. Rule. - Divide 160 by the width, and the quotient will be the answer.

Q-eneral rule for measurin^g timber^ to find the solid contents in feet. Rule. - Multiply the depth in inches by the breadth in inches, and then multiply by the length in feet, and divide by 144.

Rule. - Multiply the square of one-fifth of the circumference in inches, by twice the length, in feet, and divide by 144. Deduct 1-10 to 1-15 according to the thickness of the bark.

Rule. - The reciprocal of the rate is the time for which the interest on any sum of money will be shown by simply removing the decimal point two places to the left ; for ten times that time, remove the point one place to the left ; for 1-10 of the same time, remove the point three places to the left.

NOTK. - The reciprocal of the rate la fonnd by likT«rtinir the rate ; thns 8 per cent, per month, ln> Terted, becomes Hot m month, or 10 days.

Rule for converting English into American currency. Multiply the pounds, with the shillings and pence stated in decimalB, by 400 plus the premium in fourths, and divide the product by 90.

U. S. Government Land Measure

A quarter section, half a mile square - ^160 acres. An eighth section, half a mile long, north and south, and a quarter of a mile wide - 80 acres.

The sections are divided into quarters, which are named * by the cardinal points. The quarters are divided in the same way. The de* scription of a forty acre lot would read : The louth half of the west half of the south-west quarter of section 1 in township 24, north of range 7 west, or as the case might be ; and sometimes will fall short and sometimes overrun the number of acres it is supposed to contain.

Surveyors' Measure

A league is three miles, but its length is variable, for it is strictly speaking a nautical term, and should be three geographical miles, equal to 8.45 statute miles, but when used on land, three statute miles are said to be a league.

How To Keep Accounts

Every farmer and mechanic, whether he does much or little business, should keep a record of his transactions in a clear and systematic manner. For the benefit of those who have not had the opportunity of acquiring a primary knowledge of the principles of book-keeping, we here present a simple form of keeping accounts which is easily comprehended, and weU adapted to record the business transactions of farmers, mechanics and laborers.

Interest Table

Multiply the principal (ftmount of money at iDterest) by the Ume reduced to doyt; then divide this product t>y the mMtient obtained by dirldlng 860 (the number of days In the interest year) by the per cent of Interest* madthe quotient thue obtained will be the required Interest.

Require the interest of $468.50 for one month and eighteen days at 6 per cent. An Interest month is 80 days: one month and eighteen days equal 48 days. $468.60 multi-

Hi8Gbllanbous Information

Virginia. - The oldest of the States, was so called in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the "Virgin Queen," in whose reign Sir Walter Raleigh made his first attempt to colonize that region.

Florida. - Ponce de Leon landed on the coast of Florida on Easter Sunday, and called the country in commemoration of the day, which was the Pasqua Florida of the Spaniards, or " Feast of Flowers/'

Pdblic Library

.Teztu is the American word for the Mexican name by which all that section of the country was called before it was ceded to the United States.

Topography And Geology

Logan County lies south of the fortyrfirst parallel of latitude and nearly in the center of the State. It is also almost in the center of the great producing portion of Illinois, that part from which comes such vast numbers of cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, and other domestic animals, and where great quantities of grain are annually raised for home consumption and for foreign shipment.

The county is divided into seventeen townships, and contains 518 square miles. It is bounded on the east by DeWitt and Macon Counties ; on the south, by Macon and Sangamon ; on the west, by Sangamon, Menard and Mason ; and on the north, by Tazewell and McLean. According* to the area of its territory, Logan County contains a ^eater proportion of tillable lands of a superior quality than any county in the state. There is, in reality, no waste land in the county.

The surface of the county is of a gently undulating character, covered here and there with beautiful groves of timber. These are in almost all cases situated on the borders of some stream of water, and were the places always selected by the early pioneers in which to plant their homes. From the summit of many of the slight eminences, found every where throughout the county, charming views of prairie scenery can be obtained. From these elevations one can see many miles in every direction, every where observing improved farms, supplied with every modem convenience, occupied by intelligent, prosperous owners, whose tasteful residences greet t^he vision from all directions. The finest views of these prairie scenes are usually at the early morning sunrise, or at sunset. In either case, as the light comes to the beholder, its flashes are reflected from hundreds of windows, causing the observer to wonder if there is not some fairy eastern city in the valleys around him.

The principal streams of the county are the Salt, Sugar, Kickapoo, Prairie and Deer Creek, and the Lake Fork of Salt Creek. These, with their numerous tributaries, water all parts of the county, and afford drainage to all low lands therein. Of these streams. Salt Creek is the largest. It rises near Farmer City, DeWitt County, and after traversing that county in a westerly direction, flows through the townships of JStna, Chester, Broadwell and Corwin, and soon tf ter leaving Logan empties into the Sangamon River. Its principal tributaries are the Lake Fork, which flows from the south, and Deer Creek and Eickapoo from the north, the latter of which rises near Bloomington and flows southwest until it forms a confluence with Salt Creek. North of these is Sugar Creek, which also

The soil of Logan County is unusually productive. It is composed chiefly of a dark vegetable loam, capable of producing abundant crops and needing but little dressing. Along the streams and on the high plateaus of land it is thinner and mixed with clay. Wherever this occurs, the productiveness is not so great. The character of the soil is much the same as that on the river bottoms, which, in some cases, as in Randolph and St. Clair Counties, has been cultivated more than a century without deterioration. The midland counties of Illinois have proved unusually productive and best suited for corn culture. Here corn is king. Counties on the river bottoms prove by experience to be best adapted to wheat, while those in the interior can not be excelled in the cultivation of corn. Other cereals are grown abundantly and to good advantage.

The cultivation of fruit has caused considerable attention of late years among the rural population. Apples and peaches are not a sure crop, the climate being unfavorable. The smaller fruits grow abundantly, however, and are a source of much profit to many farmers. Grapes, especially, are produced lavishly and of an excellent quality. Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and others of a kindred nature do well.

- timber are oak and hickory, with a small undergrowth. But few trees now grow to a size suitable for lumber ; hence the timber is useful chiefly in erecting sheds for stock or inclosures where sawn timber is not neces-

- sary. Every where throughout the county groves of shade trees and orchard trees have been set out, many trees of which have grown to a considerable size and afford comfortable shade, or yield abundant fruit. These are chiefly to be seen near and around the farm dwellings.

Logan County contains 398,087 acres of land, of which 321,709 acres were reported in 1870 under cultivation. This would give an average of over 500 acres of improved land, to each section. That same year there were reported in the county 2,531 farms, each containing an average of 134 acres. In 1877 the county clerk reports 362,087 acres improved lands, valued at $8,707,096, or $24.05 per acre. This gives 585.8 acres improved lands to each section, showing fully there is very little land in the county unimproved. This latter is mostly used for pasturage, and hence is not valueless land. The total valuation of the land is $9,087,782, or $23.12 per acre. The town lots and personal property in the county is returned by the same officer at $2,909,298 ; the jailroad property at, $4,070, giving a total of taxable property valued at nearly fourteen millions of dollars. More than five sevenths being agricultural property, showing that in proportion to its wealth compared with other counties, the percentage is strongly in favor of that pursuit. During the year 1874 there were grown in wheat 15,965 acres ; in corn, 133,683 acres ; in oats, 11,515 acres; in meadows, 13,883 acres; and in other field products, 4,252 acres. The number of acres, in pasture was 59,452; in orchard lands, 2,816 ; and in w^dland, 26,894. The returns for the year 1877 were not given by the assessors, hence the latest furnished were used, being those of 1874. The same returns, had they been made for 1877, would without doubt be materially larger.

Some interesting items may be gathered from the number of persons engaged in agricultural pursuits, their nationality, and the improvement made in this important branch of industry. By the school census of 1876 there were in the county 12,407 persons between the ages of six and twenty-one years. This would give a population of about thirty-seven thousand in the county, allowing this class to comprise one third of the aggregate population. The density to the square mile is then about sixty, which calculation including the towns must be nearly correct. In 1870, 50.7 per cent, of the people of Illinois were engaged in agricultural oallings, including all the large cities and prominent manufacturing centers. The same per centage would in no wise hold good when applied to Logan County, as there are no large manufacturing establishments within her borders. As the county is settled mainly by Americans, the percentage applied to them, 77.6 of whom are farmers, would be nearer the truth.

As has been stated, maize is the main cereal grown. It is the first crpp both in importance and chronology. Speaking of the agricultural districts of Illinois in November, 1779, George Rogers Clark, the famous Western general in the French and Indian war, said: "On the river You'll find the finest Lands the Sun ever shone on. In the high country You will find a Variety of Poor and Rich Lands with large Meadows extending beyond the reach of Your Eyes, Varigated with groves of Trees appearing like Islands in the seas, covered with Buffioes and other Game: in many places with a good Glass You can see all those that is on their feet in half a Million of Acres ; so level is the country which some future day will excell in cattle." In 1678 Marquette speaks of maize; AUouez in 1676 ; Membre in 1679 ; and in 1680, Robert de LaSalle found maize in large quantities hidden under the lodges of a tribe of Indians at the -present town of Utica, Illinois, who were temporarily absent on the chase. . Charlevoix in 1721 ; Du Pratz in 1768, and Pitman in 1770, speak of the early French residents as cultivating this important grain. Its cultivation* in a large extent was liot begun, however, until the war of 1812, when the French learned from the Americans the use of the plow^ and from that date, as the Americans settled the state, the raising oi this grain increased. Wheat does not grow so well here as nearer the river. It was first raised in the state as early as 1758, and from letters of that date, written from the early colonies, we learn it was an important factor in the products of the pioneers. In 1757 4,000 barrels were shipped down the Mississippi to New Orleans, then the market for this country. In 1770 quite a large number of mills for grinding wheat and corn were in operation, and annually ^hipping large quantities of corn-meal and flour south.

The early pioneers of Logan County used prairie hay for feeding, and in many cases that growing in swamps or sloughs, owing to its great length, for making shelter for their stock. The introduction of tame hay has largely superseded that primitive article, until now it is almost a rarity. Potatoes, turnips, and other roots are now grown abundantly* Carrots were grown in the gardens of the Indians, and Father Allouez, in 1676, speaking of the Kaskaskia Indians, says : ^^ They eat fourteen kinds of fruits which they find in the prairies. They made me eat them ; I found them good, and very sweet." Some of these are, no doubt, domesticated and daily used by the present residents of th6 prairies.

The earliest settlers of the county found wild fruits in great abundance. " They gather," says AUouez, speaking of the Indians in 1667, " fruits of forty-two different kinds, which are excellent."

Father Membre, in 1680, mentions grapes whose clusters were of prodigious size and of very agreeable taste. Pittman, in 1770, says: *' European fruits come to great perfection." Strawberries grew all over the west ; raspberries and other small fruits grew well, and when cultivJtted, excited the expectations of the growers.

The oldest orchards in the state are found in St. Chtir and Randolph Counties. Being farther south, and in a milder climate than Logan County, fruit there does better as a general thing ; but good orchards are now seen on every hand throughout the county, and from every station, fruit by the car load, is sent to city markets.

As corn is the chief and most productive crop in Logan County, large numbers of cattle and hogs are raised. Over twelve thousand horses ; about fifty thousand hogs ; five thousand sheep ; three thousand mules, and nearly thirty thousand head of cattle were returned for taxation in 1877. The value of these vast herds of domestic animals, was fully two millions of dollars, which amount being added to the fourteen millions mentioned elsewhere, gives a total wealth of sixteen millions of dollars within the county.

The first domestic animals brought to the state were by the French residents in Randolph County. In 1800, Gov. R^nolds says large stocks of horses were grown by the inhabitants. He adds that the horses were of the Arabian strain. " The Spaniards introduced them into their American possessions, and from this race originated the ^French horses." In 1797, Col. Whiteside brought fine blooded horses of the Janus stock into the country. Major Woods, says : in 1820, " most of the horses are of Spanish origin. They are light and clean, but not very handsome." Ford says : *'A French pony is a marvel for strength and endurance." As late as 1831, wild horses were often found on the prairies in Central and Southern Illinois. Peck, in his Gazetteer, says: *^They are small of size, of the Indian or Canadian breed, and very hardy." Cattle were early known in the west. The early French missionaries called the bison found on the prairies, "wild cattle." In 1770, ** plenty of cattle and poultry," says Pittman, " are found at^Cahokia."

Swine were first introduced by the French. " Hams are furnished to the troops," says Pittman, referring to the war of 1812. When Logan county was first settled, wild hogs were often found, as well as in all other parts of the state. These were of an inferior quality, however, and not until a superior stock was introduced, and they were fed on com, did they become a staple article of food and merchandise.

In the early days of the county, agricultural implements were in accordance with the times, and strongly spoke of primitive days. The old bar-share was used by the earliest American settlers, while the French and Spanish used the same class of implement in use in the mother country. It was wholly of wood, save a small iron fastened to the point of the wood to cut the earth. This metal was tied on by means of a piece of untanned raw hide. The hoe of the American settlers was similar to that used at the present day. As shops of all kinds were scarce in pioneer days, it was often difficult to obtain iron implements of any kind. Some of the earliest mould-boards of plows were made of wood, someti^les covered with hoop iron. All this has changed as if by the hand of magic. Improved riding plows and cultivators are common occurrences, and farming is becoming an easy and pleasant vocation.

Before leaving this part of the narrative it will be well to notice the advances made in public exhibitions, especially relating to this county. The earliest fair held within the limits of Illinois was organized in 1819, says Hon. W. C. Flagg, of Mono, Illinois, from whom many of these items are obtained. An Agricultural Society was formed in 1819, and Mr. Birbeck was made president. It held its first meeting at Kaskaskia, the first state capital. This fair continued to meet, it appears from various records, several years, "until the members becoming tired," says George Churchill, one of the members, "of keeping up their organization, turned over their surplus funds to the Sunday school agent (Rev. J. M., Peck), and dissolved." In 1822, an agricultural society wau organized in Madison County, and in 1839, the " Union Agricultural Society" of Northern Illinois was chartered. Judge John Dean Caton was its first president, Wm. B. Ogden its first treasurer, Lewis Ellsworth its first vice president, and John S. Wright its secretary.. M. L. Dunlap, widely known as " Rural " of the Chicago TVibune^ was also a secretary.

Another society was organized in Springfield in 18-tl, which did not for some reason succeed. In 1846, the " Buel Institute " of Putnam County was organized, and is now the oldest organization in Illinois. An horticultural society was formed at Farmington, Fulton County, in November, 1847, and one at Chicago. In December, 1850, the Northwestern Fruit Growers* Association was constituted, and in 1851, the Alton Agricultural Society was formed. In 1853, the Illinois State Agricultural Society was organized and chartered, and continued until 1871, when it was reorganized and continued under the name of the State Board of Agriculture.

In 1852, a " rope fair company," as it was often called, organized in Logan County, and that Autumn a public exhibition was held at Mt. Pulaski. A rope was stretched around the articles exhibited, and at the close of the day's exhibition a hat was passed around alnong those attending to raise the necessary funds to pay premiums. One or two other fairs were also held there, the same means being used to inclose the articles exhibited and to collect money. Hence the name attached to the fair. In 1856, a fair was held in Lincoln under like circumstances. The General Assembly of 1867 incorporated the ** Logan County AgricuRural Society and Mechanical Institution," and under its management annual fairs were held until 1862, when the One Hundredth and Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry being quartered on the grounds of the association, a fire occurred in some of the booths, which resulted in serious damage to the buildings and improvements, and which, together with the effect of war upon such matters, broke up the association. In the latter part of 1868, and in the early part of 1869, some of the leading citizens of the county, including the prominent .^^rope fair*' company, organized a joint stock company, and formed the Logan County Agricultural Society and Mechanical Association. One hundred and sixty acres of highly improved land, about one mile east of the court house, were purchased at a cost of <>70 per acre, and over $20,000 expended in improvements and grading; all but seventy-one a,y:es were used for a fair ground. This much had been sold to Martin Spitley. Here annual fairs were held until 1873, when a new stock company was organized and purchased the old grounds, and are yet holding annual fairs, which are a credit to the county. The grounds are about six hundred yards east of the corporate limits of Lincoln, and are among the most eligible, well improved, and beautiful fair grounds in the state. Attached to the grounds is a full mile track, laid off and completed in the most approved style, and which is owned by persons belonging to the association, whose purpose is finally to make it a part of the fair association property. In 1860, the citizens of Atlanta, joined by the majority of the people from the northern part of the county, and several citizens of Tazewell, McLean, and DeWitt Counties, organized the Atlanta Union Central Agricultural Society.

The society obtained its charter from the General Assembly of 1860- 61. From this lattef date the exhibitions have occurred each fall until the present date without an interruption, and have all been an excellent success.

This society has now over two hundred members, and property valued at $8,000. About two thousand entries are annually made, and over two thousand dollars paid in premiums.

The number of members in the Logan County Agricultural and Mechanical Association is nearly two hundred, and their property is valued at over twelve thousand dollars. Over two thousand articles are entered for premiums, and over three thousand dollars paid out to reward the successful competitors.

These two societies elect a county board who gather statistical matter from each, and who represent the county in all agricultural and horticultural conventions.

But one coal mine is in active operation in the county. The company operating it was fonned in December, 1867, under the general incorporation law of Illinois, but afterwards became incorporated under a special charter, adopted at a special session of the General Assembly of 1869. The stock of the company was divided into five hundred shares of one hundred dollars each. Two hundred and ninety were sold and paid for in full, ten were donated to Mr. James Braucher, who had previously bored for coal about six miles south of Lincoln, and had awakened some interest on the subject, and the remaining two hundred shares were apportioned among the stockholders, accoraing to the number of shares each held, upon their paying thirty dollars for each share. This company was coiQposed of some of the most energetic citizens of Lincoln and vicinity, among whom were Silas Beason, Dr. A. M. Miller, Frank Frorer» and James Coddington.

H18T0Bt Op Logan County

is now the crossing of the Chicago, Alton and St. Louis, and Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railroads, and on the first day of January,

1868, the company began to sink a shaft. The work was pushed forward until a depth of fifty-two feet was reached, when a bed of quicksand and water, eighteen feet in depth, retarded their progress. They labored long and at great expense in overcoming this, and it was not until September,

1869, that the present vein of coal was reached at a depth of two hundred and seventy-one feet. Preparations were immediately made for putting in machinery for raising coal, and on the 15th of December, 1869, nearly two years after the commencement of the work, coal was brought to the surface. In sinking the shaft several veins of coal were passed. At a depth of one hundred feet, a vein eighteen inches thick was found ;- at a depth of one hundred and fifty feet, one of thirty inches ; and seventy feet farther down, one forty-two inches in thickness was passed. The vein opei*ated is five feet in thickness, and jJroves to be of an excellent quality. The cost of the shaft was $70,000, or $30,000 more than the amount of capital paid in. Bonds of the corporation were issued to the amount of $10,000, and a trust deed was executed on the property of the company as security. These bonds maturing in August, 1871, and the holders refusing to extend the time, the property was advertised and sold on the 23rd day of December, 1871. Frank Frorer became purchaser for the amount of the indebtedness of the company, for the use of all the stockholders who should join in forming a new company, and contribute thereto in proportion to the stock held by them in the old company. By this purchase a new company was formed, and a capital of $80,000 contributed. The name of the old company was the Lincoln Coal Company ; that of the new, the Lincoln Coal Mining Company. This latter company is now composed of four stockholders, of whom Silas Beason is president, D. H. Harts, secretary and treasurer, and Frank Frorer, superintendent. The amount of coal varies from fifty to two hundred and fifty tons per day, according to the demand. The trade increasing about fifteen per cent, annually. Did the demand warrant it five hundred tons daily could be i^ised. The vein of coal operated underlies the entire county. In adjoining counties it is reached at about the same depth, and found generally of the same thickness. But very litttle building stone is found in Logan County. At Rankin's mill, on Salt Creek, in the northwest quarter of section seven in Broad well Township, the creek flows over a bed of limestone, which is quarried at one or two places on the southern bank. The rock is a light gray, or bluish-gray irregular bedded limestone, and

. contains a few of the common coal measure fossills. Its thickness here, as ascertained by a well dug in one of the quarries, was eleven feet. Underneath it was found four feet of black slate, underlaid by seventeen feet of fire clay, and then six feet of limestone. The well was continued to a depth of eighty feet below the surface, where a seam of good coal was struck. On this same creek, some distance above Middletown, a few tumbling masses of bluish limestone are found, but no good exposures. Messrs. Boyd, Paisley & Co., of Lincoln, made a boring in the side of the bluff in the southeast quarter of section thirteen, in Corwin Township. This boring passed through one hundred and thirty feet of alternating qeds of limestone, and arenaceous and argillaceous shales, passing through the drift and surface deposits at a depth of only fifteen feet. A seam of of coal was met with near the bottom of the boring, but its thickness was not accurately ascertained.

The early settlers of the county obtained some coal and much building stone, of a rough quality, along this part of Salt Creek. These limestone ledges furnish a fair material for the rougher kinds of masonry, and have been considerably quarried for this purpose. Dimension stone, and that used in building have generally been brought from the quarries at Joliet.

Logan County is eminently an agricultural county, the soil being so well adapted to the various cereals, and of such a depth as to banish any fear of its durability.

Timber. - The various streams flowing throughout the county are skirted with groves of timber, in which at one time stately forest trees were growing. In addition to these belts of timber, various groves were also found' by early settlers who always located therein. The principal varieties of trees wei:e the oak, maple, bass-wood, red-bud, sassafras, etc. On the river bottoms, and in low damp lands generally, the sycamore, buckeye, black ash, elm, etc., are abundant. The sandy ridges are generally covered with a growth of scrubby oak and black-jack, with a sparse admixture of other species.

In the early occupation of this county, trees of an immense size were found along the streams and in the groves. These were generally oak or black walnut. The latter is yet found in many places of a good size and excellent quality. Oak trees have been found from six to nine feet in diameter, and walnut logs have been shipped to extensive cabinet-dealers, that were a marvel for size and soundness. Much of this class of timber has already been cut oflF, and oiily occasionally is a giant of the forest seen to remind the passer-by of the grand trees that once graced these forests.

Fruit and shade trees are now abundantly set out. Nearly every farmhouse has an orchard, and a yard of fine shade trees. Of late years the culture of the apple has attracted attention, and when sufficiently protected from the cold, prairie winds, good crops of this fruit are raised. Peaches do not do as well as farther south, or in a more sandy soil.

Many of the farmers throughout the countj'^ are beginning to see the utility and economy of drainage, and are reclaiming fields once worthless, and bringing into cultivation a class of lands whose productive qualities - are unbounded, and whose soil never wears out.

When Illinois was admitted into the Union it was composed of fifteen counties, one of which. Bond, included the present county of Logan, and much of the northern part of the state. During the legislative session of 1820-21, Sangamon County was created, the act being approved January 30, 1821. Its limits then included the following defined territory, which any reader can readily trace on a township map of the state. Commencing at the northeast corner of Locust Township in Christian

County, then north to a point on the Illinois River about two miles below the City of Peru, down the middle of the river to the boundary line between Cass and Morgan Counties, then east to the northeast comer of Morgan County, then south on the line between Morgan and Sangamon Counties to the northwest corner of Otter Township in Macoupin County, then east to the place of beginning. The territory defined included what is now a part of Christian County, a small part of Macon, all of Logan, part of McLean, all of Tazewell, part of Woodford, part of Marshall, part of Putnam, and all of Mason, Menard and Cass.

Logan County remained a part of Sangamon until the session of 1838 - 9, when a bill was presented to the Legislature by prominent citizens of this portion of Sangamon, asking for a separate county organization, under the name of "Logan County." The origin of the name of the county is not now definitely known. It is ascribed to the Indian Chief Logan, to Judge Logan, and to Logan County, Kentucky. Which of these, is correct, can not now be determined. In February, 1839, the act was approved. Its prominent parts read as follows :

'* Act to incorporate Logan County." Section one of the act 'defines the boundaries of Menard County. Section two related especially to Logan and reads : ^^ Be it enacted by the people of the State of Illinoif represented in the General Assembly. That all the tract of country lying within the following boundaries, to wit : Beginning at the northwest comer of township twenty north, of range four west ; thence south to the southwest corner of section eighteen ; thence east one mile ; thence south to the southeast corner of Menard ; thence east to the line dividing ranges three and four ; thence south to the southwest corner of section seven, township seventeen north, of range three west; thence east to the northeast corner of section fifteen, jbownship last aforesaid ; thence south one mile ; thence east to the eastern boundary of Sangamon County ; thence with the present boundary of Sangamon County to the place of beginning, shall constitute the County of Logan."

** That Charles Emmerson, of Macon County, Cheney Thomas, of McLean County, and Charles Matheny, of Sangamon County, be, and they are hereby, appointed commissioners to locate the seat of justice of Logan County ; and who, or a majority of whom, shall in all respects perform their duties in the manner that the commissioners for the location of the county seats of the Counties of Menard and Dane are by this act required to do ; and shall meet at the town of Postville, in the said County of Logan, on the first Monday of May next, or within twenty days thereafter, for the purpose of performing the same ; and such location, when 80 made, shall be and remain the seat of justice of the said County of Logan until the end of the session of the General Assembly in the year 1841."

The act further provided for an election to be held in each of the counties on the first Monday of April following. In Logan County the election for county officers was to be held at Postville and Mt. Pulaski.

These new counties were attached to and became a part of the first judicial district. Logan was allowed one representative in the next General Assembly, and until the officers were qualified to act in the

On the day appointed the -election of officers was held, which resulted in the choice of Michael Mann, probate justice; John Deskins, sheriff; Gteorge B. Lucas, coroner ; Jabez Capps, recorder ; and Thomas R. Skinner, surveyor.

The county was now divided into two election precincts, the voting places being at Mt. Pulaski and the county seat. Three commissioners transacted all the business for the county ; laid out roads ; regulated licenses ; attended to the poor, then generally " farmed out," as it was termed, that is, given to some one who would feed and clothe them for a certain consideration paid out of the county treasury. The commissioners, at their first meeting, drew lots for their respective terms of office^ one serving for three years ; one for two vears, and one for one- year. Thereafter one commissioner was elected annually. Soon after the organization of the county, it was found inconvenient for all voters to come to Mt. Pulaski and Postville to vote, and an additional precinct was made with a voting place at Middle town. Another was soon after made on Salt Creek, one on Sugar Creek, one at Elkhart, and one at the Kickapoo. On Salt Creek the voting place was Eli Fletcher's barn. Other voting places were formed from time to time as the county settled, until 1866, when the vote on township organization was made, which resulted in the adoption of that mode of division for the county.

The law creating township organization in Illinois passed the General Assembly in 1861. By its provisions, the people of any county could so organize their county for judicial and civil purposes whenever a majority so desired. The vote on this question was held in November, 1865, butfor some cause was declared illegal, and the next year another vote was obtained, which resulted in the adoption of the law in this county. The county court, at the December term of 1866, appointed Asa C. Barnes, of Atlanta, H. C. St. Clair, of Mt. Pulaski, and L. D. Dana, of Elkhart, commissioners to divide the county into townships, and to give to each a name. This duty was performed in March of the following year, when the commissioners defined the limits of each township, and gave to each the name it yet bears. An election for township officers was held in each township on Tuesday, April 2, and on the 13th of May the new board of supervisors, seventeen in number, met for the first time. Since that date this board has performed the functions of the old board of commissioners, and the civil division remains the same.

The following is a complete list - furnished by the secretary of state - of the officers of this county from the date of its organization until the present time.

Hi8Toby Of Logan County

The first school taught in Logan County was *^ kept " in Mr. James Latham's house, by Mr. Erastus Wright. This, as were all schools then, was supported by subscription. Mr. Wright afterwards became one of the best known men in the state. Col. Latham well remembers that he would be taken on the teacher's knee, the letters pointed out to him with the teacher's pocket knife, and when he did not pay good attention the teacher would gently prick him in the forehead to retain his attention, and to aid him in remembering the names of the letters. Soon after Robert Buckles settled, a stable on his farm was cleaned and a few rude benches placed therein, and school opened, The teacher was Judge Skinner, afterwards one of the most prominent men in the county. Wiluam Copeland, was also a teacher here. There was no window in this primitive structure, and a small door gave ingress and egress to the inmates. Cracks between the logs gave the necessary light. They were not bothered about the ventilation, as fresh air was abundant. Some of the lads and lasses were John Buckles, Mart. Turley, Amelia Cass, Isom Burks, and Leonard Scroggins. When Mr. Wright came to James Latham's to commence his school, he wheeled his trunk on a wheelbarrow and took it away in the same manner. The first school house in the county was built on Lake Fork, near John Turner's. It was a log structure, and to supply light a log from one side was entirely removed and window glass inserted. Pegs were inserted in the wall on one side of the roon), on which a long board was placed ; on this the pupils learned to write, standing during that exercise. The seats were always of slabs with legs sufficiently high to keep the feet of the smaller ones from the floor, while the older ones were in an equally awkward position from the seats being too low. Gradation in seats or backs, was seldom thoug^ht of, and scarcely ever adopted. Webster's Elementary Spelling Book and the Testament were the principal books used. The former was the established authority on orthography, and in after years it was considered an honor attained by few to be able to spell all the words in that book. Many of the old settlers now greatly delight in narrating their experiences in these early spelling contests, commonly known as *^ spellingschools,'* and look back with pride and pleasure to the evenings passed in this intellectual amusement. The spelling-school is now seldom conducted, as the profit derived therefrom is nearly always overbalanced by other considerations. Spelling by writing is much better, and more productive of good results, and is rapidly superseding the oral method*

There are, according to the late report of the State Superintendent of Instruction, in Logan County, 4,282 males, and 8,851 females, in all 8,183 persons of school age. To accommodate these there are 118 school districts, in which 125 school houses are erected and in which schoor is maintained an average of nearly eight months in the year. The whole number of pupils enrolled in 1875-6 was 6,204, of which number 8,291 were boys, and 2,913 girls. To instruct these, 121 male and 99 female teachers were employed. There are eight graded schools in the county, two public high schools, and three private schools. These latter enrolled 182 male, and 182 female scholars, affording employment for seven teachers. The Superintendent reports seven brick and 119 frame school houses - 126 in alL For the support of the common schools, the township fund is now $49,317.96, of which amount $48,900.37 is loaned. The highest monthly wages paid to any male teacher in the county was 9162.00 ; to any female teacher $66.66. The lowest monthly wages paid to any male teacher was $2f5; to any female teacher "the same. The average monthly wages of male teachers is $53.65 ; of female teachers, $41.17. The tax levied in support of the schools was $76,005.25.

The County School Superintendent made during the school year of 1875-6, 162 visits, the fourth highest number of any superintendent in the state. He received for his services $1,160. He has also held six institutes during the same time.

Logan County reports eight males and three females - eleven persons - between the ages of twelve and twenty-one, who are unable to read and write. That number will undoubtedly decrease until none will be left.

The amount paid to teachers is now over eighty thousand dollars annually, and the total value of school property does not fall short of three hundred thousand dollars.

The first teacher's institute in the county was held in July^ 1862, and was organized by Dr. Beidler, then school commissioner of the county. Owing to the small interest taken in the matter by those most interested, the enterprise was abandoned until 1867, when, under the direction of Mr. Chalfant, School Superintendent, a five days' session was held in March of that year. Seventy-eight teachers were present at the institute, and a lively interest manifested. In October of the same year, another institute was held with an increased attendance, which resulted in the organization of the Logan County Teacher's Institute, one of the permanent institutions of the county. One or two sessions have been regularly held each year since, continuing from one to four weeks, producing the beat of results.

For several years the old settlers of Logan County have considered at various gatherings the desirableness of forming a permanent association, which should hold annual meetings, where old times could be remembered, and where a pleasant reminder of those -'good old days" would be heard. One or two meetings were held, but not until 1873 was the organization perfected. That year, on October first, a meeting of several old settlers interested in the sul)ject, was held at Mt. Pulaski. It was called to order by Mr. David W. Clark, president of the temporary organization. Prayer was offered by Rev. John England, after which an address was delivered by Colonel Wm. M. Allen. He was followed by ex- Judge R. B. Ewing, and he by J. W. Randolph. These speeches were all concerning the pioneer days of the county, and told vividly of the trials these and others endured in the early settlement of the county. After these and other remarks, a sumptuous repast was served. On assembling after dinner, Mr. John Buckles moved for the permanent organization of the society, which carried, and the enrollment of members began. .This being completed, the time for the next annual meeting was fixed, and the association adjourned.

Pulaski, in Clapp's Park, and a most enjoyable day passed. Many new members were added. It was suggested that all those coming to the county prior to the deep snow, should be classed as pioneers, and those who came prior to 1840, be classed as early settlers.

The third reunion was held at the Salt Creek bridge, on the Lincoln and Mt. Pulaski road. Mr. Clark presided, and seve^'al early settlors narrated their experiences in the settlement of the county.

In 1876, the reunion was held in the Court house at Lincoln. Quite a number were present, and " experiences " similar to those related the year previously were again given. They will be found by the reader in that portion of the volume devoted to the early settlement of the county.

In the Autumn of 1877, the reunion was held in Gillett's Hall. Speeches were made here, and a number of reminiscences again related, which are also narrated elsewhere in these pages.

A partial record has only been obtained by the society of the pioneers and old settlers. Several are also on the books who located after 1840, but it is the aim of the society to secure as large a list as possible ; hence particular attention is not paid to the date of settlement.

Name

The railroad system of Logan County consists of the Chicago, Alton & St. Louis - length in the county, 28 miles; its Jacksonville branchy 1 mile ; the Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur, 88 miles ; the Gilman, Clinton & Springfield, 18 miles ; Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western, 25 miles ; and the Peoria, Atlanta & Decatur, 15 miles. Total lengtb of railroads in the county, 120 miles. Of these roads, the Chicago & Alton, one of the most important roads in the United States, is now operated by a company under a charter granted February 27, 1847, under the name of the " Chicago and Mississippi Railroad." Various amendments and re-organizations have been made, from time to time. The company and various portions of its line have had several different names since that date, among which have been ^' Alton and Sangamon," ** Joliet and Chicago," ** St. Louis, Alton and Chicago," and '^ Alton and St. Louis" Railroad Companies. The last amendment of the charter, under which this company exists, was made February 16, 1865, and the company, at the present time, under the name of Chicago & Alton Railroad, are operating 675 miles, connecting Chicago 'and St. Louis, both by way of Springfield and Jacksonville, also from

Roodhouse, a point on the Jacksonville branch, 110 miles southwest of Bloomington, extending west to the Missouri River, crossing the Mississippi at Louisiana, Mo., on an iron bridge under their entire control. Thus win be seen the importance of this road to all portions of tlie county ; as close connections are made at all important crossings, with other roads. No road in the United States has a better equipment, or is operated with greater caution, thereby insuring comfort and safety to passengers and freight intrusted to their care.

The Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur was chartered in 1851, but no action was taken toward commencing the work until the charter was about to expire, when, in 1867, a re-charter was obtained. The company was organized and a survey made in the Summer of 1767, and a proposition for Logan County to subscribe $300,000 was submitted to the legal voters and defeated by seventeen votes. In 1869 the charter was so amended as to require at least ten miles of the road to be finished before any of the county bonds were to be issued, and the proposition was again submitted to a vote, which resulted in favor of the subscription. A contract was made with the Pekin Construction Company to build the road, and the work was commenced and finished to Delavan in 1870. On the 4th of July, 1871, the road was completed to Lincoln, and in October, to Decatur. The lease was forfeited, and the road sold under a foreclosure of the mortgage bond-holders. They re-organized under the name of Pekin, Lincoln & Decatur Railway Company. The road runs to Peoria, and connects at Decatur with the T. W. & W. Railway. -

The Havanah, Mason City, Lincoln & Eastern Railroad Company was incorporated by act of the Legislature of Illinois, approved March 27, 1869. It was sold to, or consolidated with, the I. B. & W. Railway Company, which company constructed the road. Work was oommenced in 1871, and the* road finished January, 1873. They are now running trains from Havana, via Lincoln, to Indianapolis, there connecting with jEastem roads.

The Peoria, Atlanta & Decatur road was chartered in March, 1869, ;and work commenced' in June, 1870, but not finished until November, 1874. The name has been changed to ^^ Illinois Midland." This road benefits the northeastern and eastern portions of the county, as it runs ^Arough the towns of Eminence and Atlanta, and very near the east litie ^i Oran and iEtna.

It will be seen that Logan County is well supplied with railroad communication - every township, except Corwin, having a road or roads running through some portion of it, so that every farmer, stock dealer, iOr bi:^iness man, has the benefit of railroad transportation near him.

la located in the northwest corner of the Court House square, and was erected by the County of Logan and City of Lincoln, in honor of their heroic dead. The lower base is composed of three blocks of limestone, the largest being five feet in diameter, on which rests the upper base, ddhsisting of two blocks of marble, the smallest being three feet in diameter, all octagonal in shi^e, and each about twelve inches in tfaicktteas. Upon this base is placed the first disc, of the same shape, on which is engraved the names of 826 noble soldiers, once citizens of Logan County, who fell in the defense of our country, in the *' War for the Union." On the top of this disc is a cap which supports the second disc, a plain block of marble three feet in height. On the top of the second disc is the plinth, on which stands the life-size statue of a soldier in full*- dress uniform*

This monument was designed and built by F. C. Bushway, Esq., at a cost of $5,^)00, including the iron railing which surrounds it. The whole height, from the ground to the top of the soldier's head, is twentythree feet, and it is a fine specimen of artistic skill which reflects muoh credit upon the genius of the artist, A. O. Baldwin, Esq., late of Lincoln.

The public buildings of the coiint} are : 1. A Court House, situated. on block sixteen, original plat of Lincoln, between Kickapoo and McLean, and Broadway and Pulaski Streets. It was built in 1858, at a cost of 913,000. The size is forty-five by seventy-five feet. The second story contains a court room and two jury rooms, and the ground floor is divided into offices used by the County Treasurer, Sheriff, Surveyor, and*Super» intendent of Schools. There are also two fire-proof offices, one for the use of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and the countv records, and the other for, the County Clerk, in which are kept the books and papers pertaining to the Probate Court and finances of the county.

2. The County Jail, which was erected in 1868 at a cost of $36,000, is located on a block originally designed for a public park, bounded by Hamilton, Sherman, Broadway and Pekin Streets. The front, intended as a residence for the Sheriff, is of brick; and the rear of Joliet stone, and contains twenty cells, which afford a secure receptacle for those who violate the laws of the county.

3. The Poor House and farm are about three miles from the Court House. The farm contains one hundred and sixty acres under a good state of cultivation, and was purchased of C. H. Couch, Esq., at f62.50 per acre. In 1869, good buildings were erected on the same, which make it a comfortable asylum for the poor and destitute of the county. The whole cost of the farm, buildings and furniture was about $20,000, and tax-payers flatter themselves that no county in the state, of the siztf and population of Logan, can furnish more comfortable accommodations for those for whom the laws require them to provide.

The Illinois Asylum For Feeble Minded Children

The Illinois Asylum for Feeble Minded Children was organized by an act of the General Assembly of the state, at its regular session in 1865.

Applications for admission were so numerous that, in 1867, a building was erected to furnish additional room for its pupils. Other buildings were added, all of them cheap frame structures, which were filled as soon as completed, until in 1871, at the regular session of the General Assembly, an act of incorporation was passed making the asylum one of the permanent charitable institutions of the state.

The establishment grew so rapidly in public favor, and accomplished such remarkable results, that in 1B75 the General Assembly of the state appropriated the sum of $185,000 for the purchase of land and the construction of permanent buildings.

The act provided for the appointment of seven commissioners, who were empowered to select a permanent location for the institution, and plans for the new buildings.

After visiting nearly all of the prominent cities and towns of the state, a tract of land in Lincoln, Logan County, was selected as the most beautiful and desirable site in the state for the permanent location of the Asylum.

The plans furnished by the architect were completely remodeled by the superintendent of the asylum, and the building was completed and turned over to the trustees June 11, 1877.

The design and object of the asylum are not of a custodial character, but to furnish the means of education to that portion of the youth of the state not provided for in any of its other educational institutions, who are -of a proper school-attending age, and who shall remain such periods of time as shall, in the estimation of the superintendent and board of trustees, suffice to impart all the education practicable in each particular case, and, in conformity with the regulations of the asylum, children between the ages of ten and eighteen, who are feeble minded, or so deficient in intelligence as to be incapable of being educated at an ordinary school, and who are not epileptic, insane or greatly deformed, may be admitted by the superintendent.

The education furnished by the institution will include not only the simpler elements of instruction usually taught in common schools, where that is practicable, but will embrace a course of training in the more practical matters of every-day life, the cultivation of habits of decency, propriety, self-reliance, * and the development and enlargement of a capacity for useful occupation.

Hi8Tobt Of Logan Codnty History And Settlement

The earliest settlement of any country is its most interesting peri4 ttnd one from which many valuable lessons can be learned. To look back and view the trials of the pioneers of this country, their fortitude, their unswerving purpose, their endurance, teaches the present generation the value of these qualities of human natilre, and the important part they took as represented in the individuals then coming to these wilds. Before the year 1819 no settler is known to have located within the present limits of Logan County. If any one saw the beautiful groves and prairies now comprising it, it was the Indian, or the white hunter, or some white man travarsingthe country to the cpuntry farther west.

Early in the Fall of 1818, James Chapman, with his wife, Betsey, k daughter of James Latham, and her brother, Richard, came from Union County, Kentucky, to the Sangamon River, above the present City of Springfield, and there made a claim. Not long after they were joined hj James Latham, who deirigned settling on the same river. A January thaw occurring, the land was overflowed, and Mr. Latham concluded to find a more elevated portion of country. He, Richard, and a relative named Ebenezer Briggs started for this purpose, and in the course of their search came to the Elkhart Grove. Here they found a beautiful location near a spring of water, and determined to locate. This spring was not far from where Mrs. Frank Thompson now lives. They at once built a small cabin, and on the opening of Spring planted a crop, in the mean time having brought farming tools from Mr. Chapman's. After the crop was cultivated they built a large double log cabin in the edge of the grove. This house was one of the best cabins erected in pioneer days. It was roomy, had a covered porch between the two parts, and was tilie house and home for many emigrants coming to this part of the country. As soon as it was completed, Mr. Latham returned to Kentucky for his family. He brought them and his household goods in several large wagons, arriving at his western home in September. Mr. Chapman remained in Sangamon County until the Spring of 1820, when he came to the mouth of Lake Fork, built a cabin and made an improvement. Two years after, he sold the place to Jerry Burks and removed further down Salt Creek, near Rocky Ford, where he remained a few years. He next went to Tazewell County and resided some time, but again returned to Logan, where he.died.

The grove wjiere Mr. Latham settled received its name from the Indians, who fancied it resembled the heart of an elk. The proper spellii^ is E-1-k-h-e-a-r-t. The word Itaska, the name of the lake from which the Mississippi rises, is the feminine of the same word, and was by them applied to that beautiful sheet of water. Says Schoolcraft, its discoverer: " The beauty and poetry of the name so struck me, I determined it should be preserved."

During the Spring of 1820, James Turley located on the east side of the Lake Fork timber. He was the first settler there. He was a prominent man in the pioneer days of the county, and left a large family. In the Summer, Aquilla Davis settled near the grove. John Stephenson came in the Fall, and probably a few others. The settlements now b^^n

Mr. Latham, being the first in the county, deserves more than a passing notice. His house was always open to the traveler, and his hospitality unlimited. He was a native of Virginia, and was very well situated when he came to Illinois. In 1824 he was made Indian agent by President Adams, and removed with his family at once to Fort Clark ^PefJiia). Two years after, he died there, and the family returned to Elkhart Grove to the old home. Mr. Latham was buried here. His ff^mily was always well known, and all became useful members of society . Sichard Latham was better known in the county than his father* He was a young man on his arrival, married soon after, and became one of the most prominent citizens of early days. He built the "Kentucky House,'' so well known in those days, and where all travelers delighted to pass their evenings. It was almost always the stopping place for travelers, especially lawyers, many of whom have since became noted in the nation, when attending court in Postville. The old house was burned about two years ago.

On the 22d of October, shortly after the arrival of James Latham and his family, Robert Musick, with 'his family, arrived from Gibson County, Indiana, and settlecj on Sugar Creek, near where Robert Raybum now lives. He came out the Fall before, prospecting, and the next Spring returned and put in a crop. He brought the family in the Fall. His family consisted of himself, his wife, two daughters and one son. The children were Mary Ann, now Mrs. Jacob Judy, of Atlanta, seven years old at the time of settlement; Esther, five years old. She afterward married Mr. John W. Haws. Berry, a baby. Mr. Musick remained on this farm until his death in 1846.

John Hamlin, who afterward became one of Peoria's best and most influential citizens, came on a prospecting tour through this part of the west, and arriving in the vicinity of Elkhart Grove in the Fall of 1819, remained with Mr. Latham all Winter. The next Spring he made an improvement near; but not long after abandoned it and went to Peoria, then a small place, whose inhabitants were chiefly French and American traders, and Indians. The individuals enumerated were in all probability all the white people living in the bounds of the county during the Winter of 1819 and '20. The oldest settlers now in the county can remember of no others being mentioned by their parents, or by the oldest residents of other counties. Springfield contained but three cabins, and no thoughts of a city there were entertained. The oldest settler there was a bachelor named Elisha Kelly, who emigmted from North Carolina about the year 1818, stopping first in Macoupin County. Being exceedingly fond of hunting, he passed the greater part of his time in this pursuit. The heavy timber along the river made an excellent hunting ground for deer, and in his pursuit of this game he came to the spot where the city has since been built. Greatly pleased with it, he returned to his native state and induced his father, Henry Kelly, and his four brothel's, John, older than himself, and Elijah, William and George, younger, to emigrate with him. These formed a nucleus around which

Others settled, so that when the commissioners met to locate the*sea^t c^ Sangamon County on April 10, 1821, they selected a spot in the. prairie near "John Kelly's field, on the wateirs of Spring Creek, at a stake marked Z. & D., as the temporary seat of justice for said county, and do further agree that the said county seat shall be called Springfield." Tliis spot was near the corner of what is now the northwest corner of Jefferson and Second Streets, and here the first court house in Sangamon County was erected.

It is thought John Porter came in the Fall of 1819. This would make him contemporary with the earliest settlers. It is probable^ however, lie did not locate until a year after. Richard Latham made an improvement in the Spring of 1820 at the grove. Charles Turley moved here in the year 1820 or '21, the exact date cannot now be determined. The persons, mentioned were about all the settlers within the limits of the present county by the close oif the season of 1820. A few others may have been here, but their names are now lost, and they have passed away. Thejr were probably persons in search of a home, and only stopped to see the country, afterward locating elsewhere.

It was during this Summer that the first mill in the county was built by Mr. Latham, who saw its necessity, and began its erection. It was a common horse mill, and was a great convenience to the settlers. Before this they had to go to Edwardsville, a distance of over a hundred miles, to mill. When the horse mill was completed, men came a great ways to get grinding done, and often would camp out while waiting their turn. It will be well to notice the habits of life of these pioneers. Money was generally an unknown quantity with them, and all luxuries of life, if groceries, boots and shoes, or "store clothes," may be termed luxuries, were obtained by barter. Their daily life was very simple, their wants few, because easily satisfied, and their generosity and kindness unbounded. Corn meal was the staple article. of food, prepared in various ways. A very common mode of making corn meal, was to take a piece of tin, generally a worn-out pan, and make a grater and grate the corn. It was often prepared after the Indian fashion, by hollowing out a log or stump,' and placing the grain in the cavity, pound it with a hfeavy pestle. This would pulverize it, when it would be sifted and be ready for use. No stoves were thought of. Indeed for many years after the early settlement of the county, a stove was unheard of. It was stated at one of the meetings of the old settlers, that at one time not a woman lived in the settlement who knew how to bake bread in one. Very shortly after the establishment of the town of Springfield, a store was started there by Major Elijah lies. He was a native of Kentucky and after attaining hism^ority herded cattle in the mountains of that state. In 1818 he visited St. Louis, from there he went to Old Franklin, Mo., opposite the present town of Brownsville. In 1821 he visited Kentucky, making the journey on horseback, passing over the present site of the Illinois State Capital. Being greatly pleased with the country there, he determined to return and settle. He arrived in June and in July opened the first store in the place. The only families in the settlement were those of Charles R. Matheny, John and William Kelly, Andrew Elliott, Levi D. and Jacob Ellis, Lanterman, Little and Lindsay. Mr. lies boarded with John Kelly one year after settling. When Mr. Robert Buckles moved to