Alto Township (part 3 of 3)

The very best of citizenship is found in Alto. The church-going element jDredominates almost to the extent of taking in every family in the township.

Once in the lifetime of Wesley Steward, he owned considerable over two thousand acres of land in this township and his brother, Lewis Stewai'd. owned something like one thousand three hundred acres.

James Kirby, for many years superAdsor, and one of the bigmen of Lee county before his death, owned in Ms home farm nearly a thousand acres of land, I am told.

Considerable useful information concerning Alto lauds will be found in the chapter devoted to the Inlet drainage scheme, one of' the biggest in the state.

Lands in Alto township run up to two hundred and fifty and" three hmidred dollars, and I doubt if the latter figure could buy a single acre of the beautiful ^Nloi-ris Cook farm, just east of to\\Ti. Mr. Cook is a splendid farmer and when he speaks of threshing a season's crop, it means anything from ten thousand bushels upward. Mr. Cook holds to the theory that one year with another, it pays to market one's grain from the mouth of the machine, and'

The village of Steward is ouly six uiiles from Rochelle aud very naturally trade at Rochelle, the larger place, would gravitate that way, but Steward has some spleudid stocks of geueral merchandise and the merchauts enjo}' a splendid trade, running as high as hftytive thousand dollars in a single year, 1 have been told, with one of them, Mr. John P. Yetter, the postmaster.

Rev. F. A. G-raham, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Chui'ch here and at Fertile Valley, has two very substantial congregations and his Sunday schools are very prosperous.

Steward Op Today

Steward, located in the midst of the best body of land on this earth almost, naturally reaps many advantages, one of which is that until Scarboro, just below it, was platted, one million bushels of grain and over were marketed every year there. Three large elevators take care of it and iu one of them there are three dum})S which may be operated at the same moment, so that one man may come to market black oats, another may market white oats and still another with wheat, barley or corn may l)e served without interference. This grain elevator of Shearer Brothers, on one occasion i)aid out in one day for grain, $22;000. I doubt if any place of ten times the size of Steward can make that boast. This is the concern, too, which does a large banking business as well as grain business and, too, they own one of the elevators at Scarboro.

What is true of the grain trade is triie of the livestock trade. H. K. Sherlock, one of the buyers, spent $24,000 for six weeks' receipts. In two other months he ]iaid out $22,000. Besides him, other dealers luiy: Mr. G. AY. Durin, Peter Damn, P. C. VYagner and Thomas Kelley.

Besides owiung the harness sho]). E. T. ( 'orwin riuis the garage tliei'e and lie tells lue tliei'e are nearly one hundi'ed automobiles tributai'v to Steward. Soiiiething like thirt\' were sold in the jilace last season.

Kicliardson, costing $12,000. Cemeut sidewalks are laid l)efore every lot iu Stewai'd. This is one of the few places which has an independent electric light all. night sei'A'ice, called the Steward Electric Light and Water ConiiJany, managed by L. D. Beitel. The town is lighted by fifteen (i-l-candlep< »wei' Tnngsten lights, and never since Mr. Beitel has controlled the plant has the town been without light. SteAvard also has a splendid water service furnished by the electric light company at moderate figures. Tlie ])refisure can be made seventy-five ])(»unds to the square inch in an instant.

Hon. Wesley Steward, who foimded the little place, died not long ago, leaving Mrs. Steward, his widow, and Miss Bertha, his daughter, two charming ladies, survi'\ing him. ^liss Steward is a member of the Rochelle chapter, D. A. R. She also is a membei' of the State Historical Society and is very nmch interested in historical subjects. Her father, before his death, kept a diary every day of his life after he came to Alto township in 1S55, and therein evei'y transaction was recorded just as it occurred, and when it occurred. When he came there he bought up 2,100 acres of land and his brothei', Lewis, owned 1,300 acres more. ]\Ir. Steward broke the first furrow on the land on whicli lie lived and on which the village of Steward is situated, and ever since 1855, he lived on that land. During all his long career he was one of the leading citizens of Illinois and in Lee comity, no one occu])ied a greater share of puljlic esteem. Since his death. Mrs. Steward and ^liss Steward spend much of their time in travel, especiall}' dui'iuu' the winter months.

Just now, two railroads pass through Steward, the old Kinckley road, now the Chicago, Burlington and Quiney, and the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paail riuming north and south.