Decatur Township (part 3 of 46)

$450,000, lor the purpose of extracting oil from corn. The plant consists of five large buildings, locateil in the east part of the city witli a frontage of 450 feet on the W'abasli Railroad; next to the Millikin University it is tlie largest grou|) of Imiidings in Decatur. 'l"liis is the first and only mill of its kind in the world. Tiie surface covered hy these buildings is ecpial to about two blocks in the city. ( >ne hundre<l cars of machinery were place<l into the plant. Two miles of pipe and four hundred and fifty valves were used. Storage room for 600,000 gallons of oil. and 100,000 gallons of naphtha is provided. The output daily is 25,000 gallons of oil and 300 tons of feed. The process with its accompanying result has retjuired seven years for its |>erfection. .Mr. Pratt is largely res|)onsible for its evolvement. The raw material used is the waste from the hominy mills; the hominy chops and the germ of the grain. The hominy chop is about leu |)er cent oil and the germ is about twenty-four per cent oil. .\bout 300 tons or ten carloads of raw material is consumed every twenty-four hours. The oil is extracted from the corn by first grinding it, then steeping it in :i solvent that assimilates the corn oil; then drawing the solution oft' at the bottom of the percolating tanks. The corn oil is then separated from the solution by <listillation. The solvent is condensed and stored for future use. while tile corn oil is passed through filter ))res.scs to remove starch or any foreign substances that may remain after which it is ready for the market. This oil is usee! for painting, for soapmaking, to give botly to varnish, also in making salads. The officers are: V. M. Pratt, president, treasurer and manager; C. Krisman, secretary; R. F'". Pratt, vice-president.

The Macon County Telephone Conij)any is owned and o|)erated by local ca))ital and is ](urely a home enterprise. It occupies the front half of the third floor of the Arcade building with its offices and exchange and shops; eight rooms are used. It has a switch board of nine hundred drops and stalls, bourteen operators employed ; five men are given regular employment, while fre(|uently a large number u{ extra men are used. The company has nine hundred subscribers; two huiulred and forty loll line conned ions, covering :dl the central i)art of the slate. .\II the business part of the city from the \\ abash to Wood street and from Church street to liroadway is being sup- ])lied with an underground system, at an exjiense of about ijiio.ooo. The company manufactures all its own telephones and controls a number of important patents. All its instruments and appliances of all kinds are of the latest approved patterns. This company connects with the business and professional men as well as the farmers throughout the localities which it traverses. This comi)any was organized in 1894 and cai)italized for $200,000. The officers arc : C. S. Mankins, presi<lenl ; .M. .\. llankins, secretary. The directors are: C. S. llankins. .M. .\. Hankins and W. P. Shade.

The business of (ieorge R. Bacon & Coml)any was organized December, 1881, then known as the Itacon & Saxton Comjiany, but later Mr. Saxton droiijied out of the firm and it assumed its present name. The present firm bought the land and erected the two-story brick buibling, located at the corner of North Main and I-lldorado streets, in which the btisiness is now conducted. They carry a large slock of stationery, wrapping pai>er and bags, twines and a varied assortment of showcase articles such as are usually displayed in retail stores of all grades. A wholesale jobbing business with the general merchant is the work <lonc by this firm. A jirinting eslablisiiment is conducted in conjunction with their other line. The territory covered by them practically includes all of central Illinois, or it is the adjacent locality within a radius of a Inindred miles of Decatur. When this business house was built it was the only business house on North Main street except the one on Prairie street, now used by the American Express Company. During the last ten years this kind of business has undergone a great change ; the qualities of paper have become so varied and numerous that it requires a very large stock to accommodate the custom. Ball twine only was then used ; now ball, cone and tube must be in stock ; while in wrapping paper the colors in vogue necessitate carrying an extensive stock.

The Leader Iron Works, incorporated by William C. Field, William A. Shorb and \\'. T. Delahunty in July, 1903, for $40,000, succeeds the Leader Manufacturing Company, which was organized in 1895. The plant, consisting of a substantial brick building covering an area of over 14,000 feet of floor space, is located one mile west of Lincoln Square and adjacent to Fair Mew Park. The firm makes a complete list of brick-making machinery and contemplates making and repairing of boilers and engines. Leader machinery is well and favorably known throughout the United States and even in South and Central American countries. The mechanical construction of the machinery is under the supervision of H. J. Votaw, who has been with the company since its organization.

The Suffern & Hunt Company was organized under the laws of the state of Illinois December, 1892 ; incorporators, William H. SufTern and Robert I. Hunt ; capital stock, $50,000. They are exporters and manufacturers of kiln dried white corn goods, and jobbers and exporters of corn and oats. They operate one mill of 10,000 bushels capacity in Decatur and one of 4.000 bushels capacit}- in Lafayette, Ind. Their plants are thoroughly equipped with the latest machinery known to the millers' trade. Any innovation tending to better their product or economize time or labor finds a ready trial by them and, if successful, is immediately installed. Their excellent manufactured goods find a ready market in the United States, England, Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, Holland, Norway, Sweden, and South Africa. They export large quantities of corn and oats to continental Europe, shipping principally through the port of New Orleans, and in all do an aggregate business of about $4,000,000 per year. They employ seventyfive people in their plants, forty-two being in the Decatur mill. The company has recently transformed the mill in this city from a frame to a complete brick structure, spending $20,000 in improvements, which increased its capacity from 7,000 to 10,000 bushels per day. They are the largest independent corn millers in the United States. The officers are : William H. Suffern, president; Robert I. Hunt, secretary and treasurer.

The H. H. Brown Manufacturing Company, located at 320-24 East Main street, dates from the 70s as " H. H. Brown & Co." In 1893 it was incorporated under its present name and capitalized at $20,000. The company manufactures a patent fastener for caskets and a cattle de-horner. The casket fastener is sold direct to all coffin manufacturers in the country. The de-horner is sold throughout the United States, and all the cattle-growing sections of South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Scotland, and Cuba. In the United States the sales are made through jobbers ; in the outside countries are sold through their New York correspondent. Their advertising catalogue reaches every cattle country in the civilized world. The manager and principal owner of this company is C. H. Brown ; the other stockholders are members of his family.

South Main street. Lincoln .St|narc. J. li. Starr & Son Harness Company was incorporatid iS«M. W. II. Starr, president : E. .\l. Starr, vice-president ; Hahlwin Starr, secretary. Located No. 801-805 North liroadway, wholesale manufacturers of harmss and .saddlery. Tiie largest mail order harness house (to dealers only) in the Tnited Stales. The Starr trademark is a synonym of excellence. This house was founded by Joseph (1. Starr nearly fifty years ajjo. and has continuously occupied the same location. They carry a fully line of harness an<l vehicles. This firm is so well known in .Macon and a<ljoininy that Starr's harness leads them all

The .\.-l>ur\ L.xiracl Company, localeil on North Water street, just north of the \\ ahash railroad, was organized in 1898. The firm manufactures a full line of extracts, |)ancake Hours, shoe i)olish : als<i crushed fruits for soda fountains. Its products are wholesaled to the jobber and retailer throusihout Illinois, Mis.s«juri and Iniliana. A. A. Hunter is sole owner and manager.

The Hosteller IVintin};; House was established Novcniber 1. 1900. It is located at ill) ami 221 South Tark street. W. J. Hosteller is its manager an<l pr<i|)rietnr. He does a line of commercial printing, b<H)kbinding, compiling of catalogues, and manufactures a general line of commercial blank books and office sui>plies.

The Decatur Tent & Awning Company, located at 1 18 b'ast William street, was organized by W. D. I'hamberlain in iS8(). for the manufacUire of tents, awnings and mattresses. The present company is composeil of W. 1). Chamberlain ancl H. W. .\veretl. Sales are made tlirough traveling men throiigiiout Illinois.

E. \\ . \\ Doil .Manufacturing riiarmacv, located at 214 and Ji8 West .Main street, was established 1-ebruary 10, i8<yi, by I'anglu & I'lint : on the 10th of .\pril. i8»>o, .Mr. I'aught sold his interest to 1"!. W. \\ ood. They make bulk goods for ]>hysicians : such as tluids. tablets, ointments, and |)owders. \\\\\k goods are also sold to smaller manufacturers.

( )sgood & Heiner .Manufacturing Company, located at 5i() and 520 Towers building, was established .\ugust, njoi. for the manufacture of ladies' petticoats and night dresses. Since its organization the business has more than <loul)le<l itself and is still increasing so that ihe company contem|)latcs adding more room and machinery at once. Their goods are sold by traveling salesmen in the following territory : Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, .Mimusota. and to some extent in many other adjoining states.

Herman Speis' Hookbindery, located at 127 South Water street, was established ( )ctober, 1885. He does a large local business in bookbinding and in the manufacture of commercial blank books.

The Heall Improvement Company, located at C\\U and TnS .Millikin building, was organized in nx^o for the purpose of manufacturing corn and Hour milling machinery. Ihe factory is located at 316 East Decatur street. Their goods are sold through agents Iocate<l at different points throughout the country: an agent is maintained at Liverpool, b'ngland, one in Ontario, Canada, and others throtighout the United States and in Mexico anri South ,\merica. The officers are: C. D. White, secretary anil manager: Hugh Crea, president.

The Decatur Trunk Factory, located at 308 North Water street, was estabhshed in 1890 as a stock company, but at the end of the lirst year was sold to J. R. Aloore, who has since conducted the business as a private enterprise. He manufactures trunks, suit cases, telescopes, sample cases, and other lines of smaller articles. His sales are to the local trade as well as the following outside territory: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and in specialties much contiguous territory, worked by traveling salesmen.

The Review Publishing Company, located at 365 North Main street, was incorporated September 28, 1887. Capital stock, at present, $100,000. Officers: Howard C. Schaub, president ; Inez J- Bender, vicepresident ; Jerry Donahue, secretary ; J. P. Drennan, treasurer and manager. This company publishes the dail}-, weekly, and Sunday Review.

The Review Printing and Stationery Company, located at 365 North Main street, was incorporated September 4, 1895. Officers : Howard C. Schaub, president ; V. W. Henley, vice-president ; J. P. Drennan, treasurer; E. \^ Huston, secretary; C. E. Uhler, manager. This company does a general line of job printing and bookbinding and manufactures a staple line of commercial blank books and office supplies.

The Herald-Dispatch Company, located at 222 East Main street, was incorporated in March, 1890. It was capitalized for $26,000. Officers: W. F. Calhoun, president; C. N. Wagenseller, vice-president; B. K. Hamsher, secretary ; Owen Scott, treasurer and manager. This company publishes the Daily and Semi-Weekly Herald.

The Herald Printing and Stationery Company, located at 222 East iNIain street, was incorporated November 20, 1899. It was capitalized for $15,000. Officers: W. F. Calhoun, president; Owen Scott, secretary- and treasurer; B. K. Hamsher, vicepresident and manager. This company does a general line of printing and bookbinding and manufactures a full line of commercial blank books and office supplies.

The Cerrodine Company, located at 141 East Main street, established in 1890, manufactures the Cerrodine LaGrippe Cure, Catarrh Cure, Headache Cure, and Laxation Tonic ; also a specialty for Albaugh Brothers, Dove & Company. These goods are made from formulas owned and controlled by S. H. Jameson.

C. F. Savage, wholesale and jobbing, established in 1894, located at 258 North Park street. A general wholesale grocery business is carried on.

The Mueller, Piatt & Wheeland Company, located at 326 and 328 North Water street, was incorporated in August, 1896, capitalized for $70,000. E. M. Piatt, president ; C. E. Wheeland, vice-president ; C. M. Luling, secretary and treasurer ; G. W. ^lueller, manager. This company does a wholesale grocer}- and grocery fixture business, over a territory embracing a radius of about seventy-five miles.

Bachman Bros. & Martin Company, located at 359 and 363 North \\'ater street, was incorporated in 1892. Capital stock, $20,000. Officers: W. G. Bachman, president ; Charles F. Bachman, treasurer ; Luther F. Martin, secretary. This company handles a general line of furniture and house furnishing goods. Their territory covers a very large radius about Decatur.

The Henry Bachrach Company, at 100 and 104 Merchant street, was incorporated in March, 1902. Capital stock, $30,000. Henry Bachrach, president; Albert* Bachrach. vice-president and secretarj- ; Mrs. Tillie Bachrach. treasurer. The firm car-

The Central .Malleable Iron Company, located at (i<>5 North I.owber street, was incoriKirated in H)02. Capital stock, $(x),- CXK). This company manufactures malleable and gray iron castings.

The Cidver lilectric Company, in the i<X) block on East .North street, was incorporated in January, 1S93. Capital stock, $25,(.K)0. Officers: John H. Culver, president and treasurer; Florence 11. Culver, secretary. This compSiny does general contracting for electric light and water works ]>lants.

The lihrman Laundrj* Company, located at IJJ and IJ4 West Prairie street, was incorporated in n)oo. Capital stock, $3,500. Officers: 1. W. Khrman, president and manager: Harry l'\ Khrman, secretary and treasurer. This company docs a general laundry business.

The Decatur Bridge Com|)any, located at the corner of I%ldora(lo and C. H. & D. Ry., was incorporated October, 1902. Capital stock, $30,000. Officers: Thomas I-. Blackburn, president ; George .\. Caldwell, vicepresident and superintendent ; William Melville Wood, treasurer and chief engineer ; Fdgar B. Tyler, secretary and general manager. This company manufactures and contracts steel bridge supplies.

The Decatur lillevator Company, located at 257 North Main street, was incorporated in F-'ebruary, KXJ3. r)fficers : D. S. Shellabarger, president; B. G. Iludnut, vice-president; Oscar N. East, treasurer; Charles W. Cooper, secretary and general manager. Tin's company owns a line of elevators and carries on a general grain business. Their elevators are located in central Illinois.

The Decatur Furniture Company, located at the corner of Franklin and East William streets, was incorporated in 1882. Capitalized at $100,000. Officers : J. Bering Burrows, vicc-presi<lent ; John B. Priestley, secretary and treasurer. i'his company was organized for the purpose of manufacturing a special line of furnilure.

ihe Decatur Harrow Works, located at 1459 and 1461 East Eldorado street, was incorporated in Novend>er, 1902. Capital stock, $12,000. C. A. Wilson, ])resident ; O. K. Oppen, vice-president ; C. P. Thatcher, secretary and treasurer. This company was organized for the purpose of Muuiufacluring a patent harrow.

The Decatur Model Laundry, located at 147 South Water street, was incorporated in 1899. Capital stock, $2,500. E. C. Stein, president; Lulu Whitmcr, vice-president; I'raiik 11. Whitmer, secretary and treasurer. This company does a general laundry business in and about Decatur.

The Decatur Phnnbing and Heating Company, located at 300 North Water street, was incorporated June 3, 1896. Capital stock, $20,000. W. H. Elwood, president; J. B. Bullard, vice-president; H. E. Kizer, secretary and treasurer ; W. E. .\dams, general superintendent. This company does a general line of contract and repair work and carries a full line of plumbers' goods.

The Field & Shorb Cc^mpany, located at 213 North Main street, was incorporated .\pril 2J, 1902. Capital stock, $25,000. William C Field, president; W. T. Dilahunty, vice-president ; William .\. .Shorb, treasurer: Wilbur R. Batchelder, secretary. This company does a general line of contracting and repair work and carries a full line of plumbers' goods.

12 Columbia block, was incorporated in January, 1903. Capital stock, $60,000. Walter Harrington, president ; Jasper J. Monnett, vice-president: John C. F. Harrington, secretary and business manager and treasurer. This company does a general line of manufacturing and wholesale jewelry.

The Macon County Title and Trust Company, at 148 South Water street, was incorporated May 14, 1902, for the purpose of carrying on a general abstract business in Macon county. Capital stock, $50,000. W. C. Outten, president ; John Crocker, vice-president ; B. O. ]McReynolds, treasurer ; Thomas B. Jack, secretary ; Charles T. Kellum, manager ; S. E. Kenne}-, assistant manager.

The Manufacturers' and Consumers' Coal Company, office 248 North Water street, was incorporated 1901. Capital stock, $100,000. Officers: D. S. Shellabarger, ])residcnt : J. F. Mattes, vice-president ; Robert I. Hunt, secretary: B. O. McReynolds, treasurer ; S. A. Tuttle, general manager.

The J. M. Miller Broom Manufacturing Compan}-, 213 East Marietta street, was incorporated in February, 1903. Capital stock, $10,000. H. H. Crea, president ; James M. Miller, vice-president and general manager ; W. Frank Godwin, secretary and treasurer. This company does a large business in the manufacture of brooms and wholesaling and retailing the same.

The Ryan Clothing Company, 239 North Water street, was incorporated in 1898 with a capital stock of $7,500. M. Ryan, president ; Jerome B. Longeni, secretary and treasurer. This company carries on a clothing and gentlemen's furnishing supply house.

The Scovill Company, corner North Park and Water streets, was incorporated in 1898. Capital stock. $15,000. George ,\\'. Scovill, president; Guy N. Scovill. vicepresident ; J. J. Scovill, treasurer ; E. A. Scovill-Carpenlcr, secretary. This company carries on a general trade in furniture an'd house furnishing goods.

The B. Stine ' Clothing Compan}^ 102 East Main street, was incorporated in 1890. Capital stock, $32,000. Officers: B. Stine, ])resident : Leo G. Heilburn, secretary and treasurer. This company carries a general line of gent's furnishing goods and ready made clothing.

B. S. Tyler & Company, 108 East William street, was incorporated in January, 1897. Capital stock, $15,000. Officers: T. A. Bone, president and treasurer; Frank L. Evans, secretary and general manager. This company does a general grain business : they own a line of grain elevators in central Illinois.

D. W. Brenneman & Company, 148 and 152 North Franklin street, was established thirty years ago, and reorganized in 1892 with D. W. Brenneman, M. G. Brenneman and \^^ P. Shade as owners. This company is engaged in the wholesaling of liquors throughout Illinois and Indiana.

The American Hominy Company, of which the Shellabarger Mill and Elevator Company and The Pratt Cereal Mill Company form a part, was incorporated in May, Tgo2. Capitalization, $3,500,000. The daily capacity of their combined plants is 85,000 bushels of corn. The capacity of the two Decatur plants is 22,000 bushels. This company makes corn meal and flour, hominy, grits, cerealine flakes, flaked hominy and corn oil. Their territory is America, Europe, Africa, Australia, China and Japan.

The Riddell, Stadler and McClelland Company, 140 and 146 North Franklin streets, was established in 1902. J. Sherman McClelland is its manager. This comjiany does a wholesale grocery and grocers' fixtures business covering an adjacent territory of about 100 miles in radius.

I'he Decatur Hard i'laster Company, 341 and 343 Wabash avenue, manufactures wall i>laster, and tleals in cement, lime, |)laster paris, fire brick, and roofing gravel. John 11. Uren, proprietor.

Ammann i^- Company, composed of \\ . < i. .\mmaiin, Martin ( iahring and l*"retl Hlack. do a general line of brickmaking for the outside as well as the local trade.

James II. Hall, i-,<) East -Main, carries on a general gent's furnishing and ready maile clothing establishment. His line is complete and up-to-date.

( itteiiheimer & Company, 258 to 260 .N'orih Water, carries a stock of clothing anil gent's furnishing goods. His stock is large ami select.

The Bench And Bar

The lirsi L'ircuit Court held in Decatur was in .May. 1830, S. I). Fockwood of the !~^ui)reme Court presiding. In 1835 a l:iw was i)assed by the State Legislature separating the Circuit Court from the Supreme Court.

Judge Lock wood came to Illinois in an early day and was (|uite a factor in its early history. He presided as Circuit Judge from 1830 to 1835. In the same year the Slate Legislature elected Stephen T. Logan of Springfield, Illinois, to succeed Mr. Lockwood as Circuit Judge. This county then formed jiart of the First Judicial District. Judge Logan resigned his position in 1.S37 and William Brown of Jacksonville was appointed by Covernor Duncan to fill the vacancy. He was followed by Jesse 1!. Thomas, who in a very short time was succeeded by S. H. Treat, who held the office from 1839 to 1848. David Davis of lUoomington succeeded him and held the position from 1849 to 1853. In 1854 Charles Ivmerson of Macon county became his successor, and held the j)osition until 18(17. wluii he was succeeded by .\rtluir j. ( iallagher, who served until 1873.

The following is a list of the lawyers who have at various times practiced law in Macon county, including the present members of the Macon County Bar :

Sheridan Wait, member of the firm of Gallagher, Wait & Oglesby, cafne to Decatur in 1852. He was General Oglesby's adjutant general in the Civil war.

Colonel Nathan W. Tupper of Washington, New York, removed to Decatur in 1854 for the purpose of practicing law. In 1862 Mr. Tupper was commissioned as colonel of the ii6th regiment of Illinois Volunteers. Colonel Tupper died at Decatur, from exposure and hardships of army life, I\Tarch 10, 1864.

Kirby Benedict, from the state of Connecticut, located in Decatur in 1836, he being the second resident lawyer in the county, Charles Emerson being the first.

James B. Boyd, a native of Ohio, came to this county in 1855 and was shortly after elected county surveyor. In i860 he was elected prosecuting attorney, serving until 1862, when he resigned to accept the position as lieutenant colonel of the ii6th regiment of Illinois A^olunteers. He was wounded at the siege of Vicksburg, from the effects of which he died in 1869.

In 1846 he became a soldier in the Mexican war, a member of the 4tli regiment of Illinois Volunteers, commanded by Col. E. D. Baker. In 1856 he was elected to the state Senate, serving two terms. While a legislator he championed the bill establishing the State Normal University at Normal, Illinois.

John W. Smith was born in this county in February, 1843. ^^ graduated at Albany Law School in New York, beginning the practice of law here as a member of the firm of Emerson & Smith. He is the author of a history of Macon county ; he now resides in Chicago.

A. B. Bunn, a native of Ohio, settled at Mt. Pulaski in 1844. In July, 1850, he located in Decatur, entering the office of Joel S. Post, being admitted to the bar in 1851. He was elected to the state Legislature in 1866. He held the office of assessor of internal revenue and also served as city clerk and attorney of the city of Decatur.

S. G. Malone, a native of Ohio, was admitted to the bar in Indiana in 1848. He came to Decatur in 1856, entering the firm of W. S. Freese and Judge Prather.

Hon. Richard J. Oglesby was born in Kentucky in 1824. He came to Decatur with his uncle, Willis Oglesby, in 1836. In 1844 he began the study of law in Springfield and was admitted to practice in 1845. He opened an office in Sullivan and remained there until 1846. He then enlisted for the Mexican war, being commissioned first lieutenant of Company C, 4th regiment of Illinois Volunteers. On his return home he again took up his practice, locating at Decatur. In 1849 ^^ took a trip to California as a result of the " gold fever." Returning in 1852 he again resumed his law practice. In 1856 he made a tour of Europe, Asia and Africa; returning he entered the law linn ut Ciallayhcr, Wail & ( )glcsl)y. In i8<o lie was clcclcil stale senator. In 1861 lie was elected colonel of the 8th Illinois Infantry. At the battle of I'ort Donelson he was in command of a brigade. .\l Corinth he was wounded, lie had been promoted brigadier general in .\pril. .\fter partial recovery he was promoted to major general, for bravery. His commission dated from November, 1862. Owing t<i inability, on account of his wound to ilo field work, he lentlered his resignation, which was not acceptetl, howexer, and he was detailed on court martial duty at Washington. In May, i8()4, on his return home, he was elected governor of Illinois. In 187J he was reelected to that office, but resigned to accept the United States senatorship in 1873. In 1882 he was again elected governor of Illinois, this being the last pidilic position heltl by him.

Tluimas Lie, a native of County Limerick, Ireland, came to .\merica in 1855. He graduated from the Springfield high school, studied law in Decatur with S. F. Murphy, and in .\ugust. 1869. was admitted to the bar.

Charles A. Emerson was born in Kentucky, but came to Illinois in 1850. He graduated from the .Mbgny Law School in i860. The same year he began the practice of law in Decatur, being a member of the firm of Crea, Ewing & Walker.

1'-. K. Eldridge, a native of Inrliana, came to Ta/ewell county, Illinois, in 1856. Graduating from Eureka College in i8<i9, he removed to Decatur in May. 1870, and became a member of the Macon County Bar.

its first graduating class. Coming tu Decatur in i87(), he formed a partnership with Thomas Lee, later entering the firm of Crea, I-lwing & Walker.

Judge .\nthony Thornton was born in Kentucky in 1815. He graduated from the .Miami College in Ohio in 1835. He studied law' at Paris, Kentucky, and w;as granted his license by the Court of .\ppcals in 1836.

In 1837 he removed to Shelby County, Illinois. He was appointed a member of the Constitutional Convention of Illinois in 1848. In 1850 he was elected to the state Legislature. In ]Sfi^ Mr. Thornton was elected to the Thirty-ninth Congress. In July, 1870. he was elected to the Supreme Court of this state and served until the first Monday in June, 1873, when he resigned. He removed to Decatur in 1879.

James T. Whitley, born in Macon county, Illinois, March 19, 1871. His primary education was acquired in the public schools of Nevada, Missouri. After completing the ward and high school curriculum at this place he completctl a course at the Kansas State Normal College at Ft. Scott, graduating in 1889. He began reading law in 1891 with Buckingham & Schroll, being admitted to the bar in August, 1893.

.Marshall C. Criffin was born and reared in .\rgent;'.. He finished the public school course in .\rgcnta in 1888. Graduating from the Indiana State Normal School in 1891, he taught school in Sanganum and in Oakley for several years during which time he pusucd the stiuly of law, being admitted to the bar in November, 1897. In 1898 he entered the office of Lee & Le- Forgee. Three years later he went into business for himself.

James M. Gray was born in Fayette county June I, 1862. After finishing the country school and high school cotirsc he graduated from the Indiana .State Normal School at Valparaiso, receiving the degrees of B. S.

and L.L. B. In 1890 he located in Decatur for the practice of law. He is now a member of the state Legislature, having been twice elected to that position from the Twenty-eighth senatorial district.

W. E. Redmon was born on a farm in Jasper county, where he grew to manhood. He attended the country schools and later the Normal University at Carbondale, Illinois. He taught school in Cumberland, Richland and Jasper counties, at the same time jnirsuing the stud)' of law, being admitted to the bar in March, 1888: After practicing four years in Logan county he located in Decatur in 1893. He was elected to the states attorneyship in November, 1900, which office he now holds.

I. R. JMills was born September 5, 1853, and reared on a farm near Magnolia, Putnam county, Illinois, acquiring his preliminar}' education in the country schools. He graduated from the Lincoln University in 1876. He went to Chicago and pursued the study of law three years, being admitted to the bar at Chicago in 1879, and during the same year he established a law office in Decatur. He served as city attorney from 1886 to 1889, was appointed state attorney by the board of supervisors, to fill the unexpired term of E. P. Vail, who was elected circuit judge in 1888. He served in this capacity until 1900. In May, 1901, Mr. Mills was appointed internal revenue collector, which office he now fills. Mr. Mills is a member of the board of managers of the Millikin University. For eighteen years he has been in partnership with his brother, A. H. Mills, under the firm name of Mills Brothers.

John .1. Montgomery is a native of Ohio and was educated in Philadelphia. Fie graduated from the law department of the Michigan University at Ann Arbor, in 1900. Since that time he has been engaged in the practice of law in Decatm".

D. L. Bunn is a native of McLean county, Illinois. In 1844 he, with his parents, removed to Macon county. His education was completed in Lombard College, Galesburg. In 1855, on coming to Decatur, he secured a position in the public schools of the cily which he held until 1859. ^^ read law with J. S. Post and was admitted to the bar in the fall of 1862. In the same year ho was appointed states attorney by Richard Yates, father of the present governor, serving under that appointment two years. In 1864 he was elected state's attorney and served four years. At the beginning of the Civil war he was appointed collector of internal revenue by Abraham Lincoln.

Edwin Park, a native of New York, came to Bellville in 1856. He was admitted to the bar at Bellville the same year he came to Illinois, but taught school several years before entering upon his practice. After coming to Decatur he was engaged as teacher in its public schools for four years and was then elected superintendent of the Macon county schools, filling that office from 1863 to 1869. In 1870 he took up the ])ractice of law, continuing until 1876 when he formed a partnership with D. L. Bunn which still exists.

O. W. Smith was born and grew to manhood in Jasper county, Illinois. After completing the country school course he took up the profession of teaching. During the intervals of his teaching he attended Mc- Kendree College at Lebanon, from which he graduated in June, 1891, in the law department. He practiced law in Newton two years before coming to Decatur. He was elected county judge in 1902, which office he now holds.

J. R. Fitzgerald was born in Moultrie county. Illinois. He received his early education in the schools of Bethany, from which he graduated in 1890, after which he attended Lincoln University and also the University of Illinois. He read law with W. G. Cochran, and completed his law

James ). I'inn located in Decaliir in 1S71. I'ifteen years ago he w'as apj)oiiited master in chancery, having just hecn succeeded by \\ . 11. Klack. lie has recently fi>rmed a partnership with Alexander .Mcintosh for the practice of law.

John t". Lee is a nati\e of Macon county. His early education was acquired in the .Macon county schools, later attending the Indiana Slate .Normal School at \ 'al])araiso. lie taught school a few years, after which he read law with l*"inn, McDonald iS: l.e- I'"orgec, being admitted to the bar in iSt>2. He formed a partnershi)) with C. C. 1-e- P'orgee which continued five years; at the exj)iration of this time a partnershi]) with David Ilutchin.son. Recently he has formed a partnership with his brother, Morris Lee.

William l". Johns was born in Ohio, but when two years old his parents removed to I'iatt county, ami in i8-y locate<l in the city of Decatur. He was educated in the Decatur schi^ols an<l in the I'niversity of Michigan, from which he graduated in iS(x) and from the .Mbany. New York, School of Law in 1870. He was admitted to the bar of New York in 1S70, and to the bar of Illinois in September of the same year, at once entering upon his chosen profession in this city. In 18.S0 he was elected states attorney; he also served as state senator from 1S87 to i8<>i. In ic/o.^ lie was elected circuit judge to succeed Judge L. I'. \'ail. which office he now holds.

L. H. .Shelley was born in .Maroa township of this coimty and educated in the schools of this city, graduating from the Decatur high school in i88_v He gra<luated from the law clepartment of the I'niversity of Minnesota in 1894 and was admitted to

W. W. Shelley was born in Maroa township and educated in this city, graduating ir'im the Decatur high school in 1889. .\fter rea<ling law both in Decatur and in St. Louis he was admitted to the bar of Illinois in i8<)5. He is a member of the law firm of Shelley Hmthers.

W. (.'. < lutten was born in Cass countv, Illinois. In iW)^ his i>areiUs moved to .Macon county. He attende<l the country schools, later the W esleyan L"niversily at I'llooirington and Ann .\rbor. Michigan, graduating from the latter in 1875. In the same year Mr. < )utten located in Decatur and began tin- |)ractice of law. He is a member of the firm of < )utten & Roby. brank C. R<jby is a native of Decatur. .\fter completing the curriculum of the Decatur schools he attended Harvard College from which he holds a degree. He practiced several years in Chicago before locating permanently in Decatur. He is a member of the firm of ( )utten & Roby.

.\. 11. Mills was born in Putnam county, Illinois, ( )ctober 5, 1851. In his boyhood he .-itteiuled the country schools, later entering the Lincoln I'niversity, from which he graduated in 1875, receiving the degree of .\. P. Two years later at the termination of a ])ost-graduate course he added the degree of A. M. b'or two years he remained as instructor in his alma mater. The next three years were spent as superintendent of the Waverly schtiols, in .Morgan county. During this time he also read law, being admitted to the bar in 1881. In the same year he formed a partnershi]) with his brother Isaac R. .Mills, the firm name being Mills Prothers. l-rom 1888 to 1900 he was assistant states attorney for Macon county.

to Decatur in 1857, his education was acquired in subscription schools. At the age of sixteen he began the study of law with his father. In August, 1844, he was admitted to the bar in his native state. In 1857 he opened a law office in Decatur and has ever since been an active practitioner, irie was appointed a member of the Constitutional Committee for the revision of the statutes; was also elected a memTier of the Twenty-seventh General Assembly of IIImois, which convened immediately after the adoption of the Constitution of 1870. He was elected circuit judge of the Fourteenth circuit in June. 1877, filling the office one term. He was, in 1886, elected county judge, serving in that capacity during eight years.

Felix B. Tait was born in Macon county November 29, 1850. He attended the district schools until maturity, when he entered the Normal University at Normal, Illinois, from which he graduated in 1873. He was a teacher in Woodstock Seminary tlie year following his graduation. On his return to Decatur he took up the study of law with Smith & Clokey, being admitted to the bar in 1876. He was associated with John A. Brown for the practice of law but on account of failing health he abandoned the practice in 1880, turning his attention to the manufacture of check-rowers and cornplanters.

John A. Brown was born July 32, 1843, in Abington, ^Massachusetts. At an early age he removed with his parents to Vermont, then to Ohio, where he remained until 1857. In that year he came to Hannibal, Missouri, where he completed his education in the ])nhlic schools. He started out for himself at the age of sixteen. Later he was employed as ticket agent for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railway at Chillicothe, Missouri. He was thus emplo3'ed when the war broke out. In 1861 he resigned his position and rvent to Jacksonville, Illinois, where for four years he engaged in teaching. In the spring of 1865 he drove a span of horses to Decatur, where he has since resided. For a number of years he was connected with the newspapers of Decatur. Being admitted to the bar in 1875 he entered into a partnership with F. B. Tait for the practice of law. In 1875 he was appointed master in chancery of Macon county by Judge C. B. Smith. This position he held for fifteen years.

Henry P. Page was a native of Massachusetts, spending the first thirteen years of his life in the state of his birth and in its public schools, where he acquired his primary education. After removing to ;\Iichlgan he became a student at Ann Arbor in the University of Michigan, from which he graduated in 1883. Immediately afterward he came to Decatur and taught in the Decatur high school for four years.' \Miile teaching he pursued the study of law, being admitted to the bar in 1887. Mr. Page was a member of the law firm of Outten & Page.

Josiah M. Clokey is a native of Ohio who in i860 came to Aledo. Mercer county, Illinois. He read law in Springfield, Ohio, and attended law lectures at the University of Michigan, being admitted to the bar in March, 1868. In September, 1873, he became a member of the Macon County Bar.

J. C. Hostetler is a native of Indiana, coming to Decatur in 1857. He graduated from Union College, New York, in the class of 1 87 1. He read law with Eden & Odor in this place and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He formed a partnership with E. K. Eldridge for the practice of law.

Albert G. Webber is of German extraction, being a native of Wurtemburg, and coming to America in 1863. He read law four years at Keokuk, Iowa, and was admitted to the bar in 1879. He has since practiced his profession in Decatur.

graduation. Eor a time he read law in Slielbyvillc afterward completing liis reading witli A. r>. Uunn of this place. He was admitted to tlie bar in June. iS<)(). and lias since practiced in Decatur.

Harvey Pasco became a resilient ui Decatur in i80J. He is a graduate of tlic L'niv.!rsity of Michigan, class of 1871. He was admitted to the bar on his diploma. Soon after he opened an office in Decatur and has since been a regular practitioner of this place.

Charles M. Rorchcrs was born in Lockville, I'airficld county, (Jliio, November 18, 1869. After completing the schools of Macon county he took up the profession of teaching, which he ])ursue(l for eight years, while at the same time he at his leisure studiously applied himself to the study of law, being admitted to the bar in February, 1897. The g"-cater part of the last year, previous to his admittance to the bar. he read in the office of A. G. Webber. During the last si.x years he has practiced at the Macon county bar.

L harles .\. I-'wing, Jr., was born in Decatur, .\pril 18, 1878. He graduated at Lake I-'orest .\cademy at Lake Forest, then attended Princeton for a lime, after which he entered the law department of the Wesleyan University at Rloomington. Illinois, at the same time reading with James Mwing of Bloomington. He was admitted to the bar ^^^y 7, 1903. He is associated with William G. McCullough for the practice of law.

William G. McCullough was born on a farm near Wayncsville, DeWitt county, Illinois, graduating from the Wcsleyan University in 1901 and from the law department in 190.V He was admitted to the bar May 7, 1903. In September he associated himself with Charles A. Ewing for the practice of law.

primary education in the country schools, after which he graduated from the \'alparaiso Normal of Indiana in 189a He read law with Thomas Lee in Decatur anil was admitted to the bar in 1890. He practiced law in Omaha and in Pender, Nebraska, for a time, but hps recently formed a partnership with his brother. John C. Leo. in the practice of law.

K. H. Roby was Ijurn in Xcw Hampshire and came to Illinois in 185S. first locating at Salem, in Marion county, where he studied law with llryon & Shaffer. Coming to Decatur in \Hr<o. he continued the study of law with Tupper & Nel.son, being admitted to the bar in 1862. .After .Mr. Tnpper's withdrawal from the firm Mr. Roby remained as a partner of .Mr. Nelson's. Mr. Roby is at present engaged in the banking business, being the president of the Decatur National P.ank.

Edward P. \'ail was born in this state, read law at Rushville in 1868-9, being admitted to the bar in 1870. He practiced seven years in Rushville, during four years of which he was state's attorney of Schuyler county. In 1877 he located in Macon county, and in 1889 he was elected circuit judge, which place he held until 1903. .After the close of his extended term of office he removed to Chicago, where he is now pursuing the practice of law

William II. Black was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated in the common schools of Champaign county, afterward pursuing a select literary course in Chadwick College at Quincy, Illinois, and the Wesleyan University of Bloomington. He graduated from the law department of the Wcsleyan University in Jtme, 1892, He came to Decatur June 18 of the same year for the practice of his profession. He was elected chairman of the Macon County Republican Central Committee in i')oj. He was appointed master in chanlie.

lames S. ilaUiwin was born September 14. 1^74- After completing the common school course he entered the New Albany high school, from which he graduateil in 18^3. ITe graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1896. He located in Decatur January, 1897, in l)artnership with l^dward Wilson for the practice of law. In September, 1897, he withdrew from the firm and practiced alone until October i, 1898, when he formed a partnership with Frank Ewing until Januarj- I, 1903, when this firm was dissolved. Since then he has been alone. He is at present secretary of the Macon County Republican Central Committee.

Louis A. Mills was born October 15, 1864, in Magnolia, Putnam county, Illinois. He was educated in the common schools of Putnam county, the high school of Decatur and Lincoln University. He read law with Mills Brothers, being admitted in May, 1890. He remained with Mills Brothers three years after he was admitted. The three years following this he was a member of the Columbia Manufacturing Company of Decatur. In Way. 1896, he formed a partnership with J. R. Fitzgerald for the practice of law, of which firm he is now a member.

Robert E. Gray was born August 29, i860, on a farm in Fayette county, near Ramsey. Illinois. Fie completed the common schools of his county, also the high school at Ramsey, later attending the Southern Normal at Carbondale. He taught school one year after which he took a course at Valparaiso, Indiana, from which he graduated in 1 891. Fie next read law with Farmer & Brown of Vandalia, four years after which he took a law course in the same school. He was admitted to the bar in 1896 immediately establishing an office in Decatur for the practice of law.

W. Xay Boggess was born February 20, 1873. in Marion county. West Virginia, and educated at the West Virginia Academy and the Decatur high school. He read law with the law firm of Mills Brothers of this city and was admitted to the bar May 3, 1894, at once entering upon the ])ractice of his profession.

John J. Hogan was born near Mt. Zion, Illinois, in Macon county, .\.])ril 19, 1875. He obtained his literary education in the University of Notre Dame and his legal education in the .Xortlnvestorn L'niversity, graduating from the latter in 1896, at which time he was admitted to the bar and practiced in Chicago two years. In 1898, on coming to Decatur, he formed a partnership with W. E. Redmon. When Mr. Redmon was elected state's attorney in 1900 Mr. Hogan became assistant state's attorney, which position he now holds.

Brice I. Sterrett was born in Pennsylvania and secured his literary education at Dickenson College, Carlisle, from which school he graduated in the class of 1867. In the same year he took up the study of law at Carlisle, but a few months after he came to Decatur where he continued his studies with the firm of Emerson & Smith, being admitted to the bar in August, 1868.

David Hutchinson was brought up at Andover, Massachusetts, and prepared for college at Philips' University of that place, graduating from the Albany Law School of that place May 15. 1877. On July 25 of the same year he came to Decatur, when he began the practice of law in Macon county.

Robert P. Vail was born November 13, 1877, at Frederick, Illinois. After securing his primary education in the Decatur schools he attended Harvard College. He then entered his father's law office as a law student, where he remained for four years. During these four years of reading he held the position of court stenographer of ATacon county. He was admitted to the bar in

John !'.. Moffcit was born and reared in .M:icon county. After coniplctinjj his primary education he attended the Lincoln I'niversity and tlie University of Illinois, wiiere he secured his literary education. Later he attcmled the law department of the W'esleyan I'niversity at lUoominpton and the Albany Law .^cliool at Albany, New York, rrraduating from the latter in 1SS4, and admitted to the bar in 18S5. Fn m 1885 to 1892 he was located in Dodge City, Kansas, and from 1892 to 1897 was in Kingfisher, ( )kIahoma. While there he served as prosccutintj attorney one term. I le opened an office in Decatur in 189S where he is now located.

I--dmund S. ^[cDonaId'was born in Wood county. West Virginia, September 2, 1851. He was educated in the common schools of Macon I'ounty. Illinois, obtaining his literary education in the Northwestern I'niversity at I-lvanston, Illinois. lie read law three years with Nelson & Roby and two years with trea &- lowing, being admitted to the bar in the Centennial class of 1876. lie opened an (tifice in Decatur in 1878 for the ))ractice of law. He has since practiced continuously in this city, lie was elected city attorney in i88(> and re-elected in iS<)i, serving two terms. In 181)2 he was admit terl to the bar of the .*^upreme Court of the United States, in which he has since hail a good practice.

Clement C. Walter^ w.i- born near Lafayette. Indiana, .September 22. i8<)7. lie was educated in th" common schools, after which he took up teaching for several years. During this ])eriod of teaching he attended Hnshncll C'ollegc at intervals; he also read law with ( )utten i1- Page, anri later with ( >utten & Kobey : altogether two years rcailing. He was admitted to the bar June 10,

Hugh W. Housum was born .March 25, 1878, in Decatur, llliiu)is. .\fter comiileting the city schools of Decatur, graduating from the, high sclun)l in June, i8t>3, he com- |)leled a business course at I'.rown's Business College of Decatur in June. i8(/j. He studied law with Judge W . L'. Johns from September 1. 1896, to September i, 1901. The year following he finished the course of reading with the Hon. Hugh Crea, being admitted to the bar by the .'^uitreine Court I if Illinois December (). 1902.

I )ouglas D. Hill was born in I'lark cmmly, .Missouri, near .Mexandria, September 5, |W)0. He secured his primary education in the common schools and later enlarged u])on this by attending the Valparaiso Normal of Indiana. He read law at Robinson, Illinois, with Callahan & Jones, being admitted to the I)ar .n 188(1.

He taught school two years before entering the Normal at \'alpar;iiso, after which he taught four more years, all of which was in Crawford county. Illinois. The same year in which he was admitted to the bar he became a member of the firm of Maxwell i\: Hill at Robinson. This partnershi]) continued until 1892. During his practice he served as city attorney of Robinson tw'o years. In 1892 he located in Decatur where he liPs established a very successful i)ractice.

C. C Lel-'orgee was born in Decatur, Illinois, July 7, \Stt~. He recei\ed his literary education in the city schools of Decatur, and completed a law course in the Northwestern University, graduating from that school in i88<j. He |)racticed law with .Mason l^rothcrs in Chicago the year follis lowing his graduation. He then, in 1890, associated himself with E. S. McDonald in Decatur, Illinois, for the practice of law. After dissolving this partnership he was alone for a time, when he entered into partnership with J. C. Lee. This was after a time also dissolved, and since 1897 he has been alone in his practice.

C. E. Schroll was born Uctober 5, 1863, in Macon county, Illinois. Graduated from the Decatur schools in 1885, carrying the honors of his class through the entire four years of the course, tie secured his higher literary and law education in Harvard Uni- \ersity from which he was admitted to the bar August 30, 1889. In September of the same year he became a member of the firm of Buckingham & Schroll for the practice of law. This partnership was dissolved at the end of six years, since which time he has practiced alone.

Benjamin F. Shipley was born near Vandalia in Fayette county, Illinois, February 14, 1850. After completing the V'andalia schools he took up the study of Jaw. While pursuing his law studies he was elected county superintendent of schools of Fayette county, Illinois, which position he held ten years. In 1886 he came to Maroa and was elected superintendent of the Maroa schools, holding the position seven years. In 1893 he began the practice of law in Aiaroa, having been admitted to the bar in 1889.

Hugh Crea is one of the oldest practitioners in Decatur, and one of the most successful. For a number of years he was a member of the firm of Crea, Ewing & Walker. While he has never held office he has always been considered safe counsel in a political campaign. H. H. Crea is a son of Hugh Crea and is also well estalalishcd in his practice. Some time after he took up the jiractice of law he located in Monticello, where he remained for some years, but a few years ago he re-located in Decatur.

Our Honored Dead

Macon county was favorably represented in the Civil war, as the appended list of brave soldiers, who never survived the ordeal so silently testify. The name of Our Abraham Lincoln, who was among us in his youth and early manhood and whose early law practice as well was also among us, will naturally head its list, in 1832 he was chosen captain of his company in the Black Hawk war. In 1834 he was honored by being elected to the Illinois Legislature. By his successive elections he served in the House continually until 1842. He next served as representative in the Thirteenth Congress from 1847 to 1849. ^^^° '^^ was elected President of the United States and re-elected in 18O4.

Richard J. Uglesby was commissioned lieutenant ot the Fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteers and served through the Mexican war, taking part in the battles of Vera Cruz and Cerro bordo. In i860 he was elected to the state Senate but resigned to accept the colonelcy of the Eighth Illinois Volunteers. Ihrough gallantry at Ft. Henry, Ft. Donelson and Corinth, he rose to be major general, being wounded at the latter place. He resigned his commission on account of disability in May, 1864, and the following November was elected governor oi Illinois, in 1872 he was re-elected governor, but two weeks after his inauguration he resigned to accept a seat m the United States Senate, to which he was elected by the State Legislature in 1873. In 1884 he was elected governor for the third time, being the only man in the history of the state who was thus honored.

1. C. Pugh served as captain in the Black Hawk war. He was captain of Company C in the Mexican war, taking part in the battles of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo; his company captured Santa Anna's cork leg. He was colonel of the Forty-first regiment

Joel S. Post in 1846 entered the service as a Mexican soldier and was niaile (]uarterniasler witb the rank of captain, l-'roni 1S50 to i860 he was a representative in the state Lcpislattire from Macon county.

.Arthur |. ( iallai,'luT was a soldier in ilic Mexican war. in the command of Colonel Bissell, later governor of Illinois. He participated in the battle of Buena Vista. In 1862 he raised a company of cavalry for the Civil war, remaining in the army one year. In 1869 he was elected circuit judge of the old Sixteenth circuit, which position he held until 1873.

William Cirason enlisteil in the army in 1S62 and was elected sergeant of Company A, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Infantry. The regiment formed part of the Second Division, Fifth Army Corps, under General Sherman. He was engaged in the battle of Tallehoochee. was in the first attack on \'icksburg and the siege of the city; also at .\rkansas Post. In the charge at Ft. Hill he was shot in the left lung. He was in the charge at \'icksburg May 19 which almost annihilated his company, hut thirteen of them returning from the charge. He was again wounded at Joncshoro, .Mabama. He was in the " March to the Sea." taking part in the grand review at Washington. He was made lieutenant .April 28, i86_^, and mustered out captain lunc 7, 1865.

William H. Shorb entered the army in t86i from Green Castle, Pennsylvania. He was at once made orderly sergeant of Company C, Second Pennsylvania Regiment, which he himself had raised. He took part in the Ranks expedition. During his service he was made sergeant major; later second lieutenant, and soon after first lieutenant. He was wounded in front of Petersburg by the explosion of a shell. Being disabled for duty Ik- \\.i> made i|ii;u U r-iiia?-ur, serving in this position until his discharge. Ansel Tujjper enteretl the army in 1861 and was made licuten:int colonel of the h'orty-lirsl Illinois Infantry. In the same ycjir he took |);»rt in llie b:ittli-s of l'"t. Henry, h't. Donelson, and Pittsburg Lauding, losing his life at the latter jdace. April fi, iSd.'.

Jesse H. Moore entered the service in i8r)2 as colonel of the ( )ne Hundred and Fifteenth Regiment Infantry. He was in the battles of luka, Chickamauga, charge at Tunnel Hill, Georgia; Resaca, Georgia. His regiment Iuli)ed drive General Bragg's army, then in command of Hood, out of the valley of the Cumberland. In 1805 he wa« promoted brevet brigadier general.

.\'. W. Tu])per enlisted in the army in i8()2, was made colonel of the ( )ne Hundred and .Sixteenth Infantry. He was engaged in the battles of Chickasaw. .Arkansas Post, the charge at \'ickslnirg. and was present at its surrender ; was at Jackson, Mississippi: Missionary Ridge, Resaca, Georgia; Dallas, Big Shanty, Kenesaw Mountain. Stone Mountain, Ezra Chapel, Atlanta. Jonesboro, " Sherman's March to the Sea," Ft. McAllister, Pocatalgo, and Bentonvillc. North Carolina. The citizens of Macon county have erected in Greenwood cemetery a monument to the memory of the two Colonels Tupper's patriotic service.

I'.y referring to the roster of the companies raised in Maom county, you will find over two hundre<l others out of tlie two thousand and over from Macon, who never wore the stripes, that gave uj) their lives

Forty Years Ago

FORTY YEARS AGO. 1892. Christmas Reminiscences for the Young People. It is just forty years ago this blessed day since the writer lirst set foot in the town of Decatur. On the 6th day of December, 1852. with a corps of eighteen men, wc set out from ."Springfield, Illinois, to make a survey tor the Wabash (^then called the Great Western) Railroad, and reached Decatur on Christmas day, which was then a little hamlet containing scarcely five hundred souls. The country was sparsely settled and after leaving the .Sangamon river at Riverton (then called "Jim-town"), a trackless, treeless, houseless prairie presented itself as far as the eye could reach, save to the south where the sangamou timber skirted above the horizon to relieve the monotony of the scene, and to a yotmg man fresh from the hills of Xew England the pros])ect was one of intense interest and awftd grandeur. The country abounded with deer, wolf and countless thousands of geese, duck and prairie chickens. The deer were so tame that we frequently approached them near enough to see their large and beautiful eyes. The weather was quite mild, similar to the winter weather we have been having recently, so wc suffered little from cold. The party was composed of young men full of ambition and enthusiasm and, at times, we made the lonely prairie ring with shouts, laughter, and song. .Sometimes we were troublcti to get enough to eat, for, being dependent upon the settlers along the timber, who were very " few and far between." and though the)- were very hospitable and never turned us away, they were not always prepared to entertain so many hungry men, but did the best they could to appease our appetites and make us comfortable for the night. There was so little change in the natural features of the country that but few incidents occurred to break the monotony of the scenery. When we reached the site wdiere Illiopolis is located we found some stakes that had been set there more than fifteen years before, for the purpose of marking out the ground for the state capital - that point having been decided upon b}^ some enterprising speculators as being the geographical center of the state of Illinois, and, therefore, the proper place to locate the capital. A little further east and we were on the land of the future "King of Xiantic," Jesse Lockhart, Esq., and, although a long way off, "the King" spied us and hastened to see who it was bold enough to invade his domain without his royal permission. ^Ve informed him that the construction of a railroad through his kingdom was contemplated, and that we were engaged in making a survey for that purpose ; but the king was wroth and declared that he wanted no railroad through his ground, and that if we set stakes on his ground for that purpose he would proceed to pull them up. A\'e replied that although the railroad company had the right to make the survey, it was liable for an\- damage done, and hoped he would not disturb the stakes. But Jesse was inexorable and said the railroads would ruin the country by scaring away the stock and destroying the range ; that he had just left a country which was all fenced in (Kentucky) to come to a country where there was plenty of room. But as we had no time to argue that point, we left "the King" to act as he thought best. But on our return over the line a short time after, sure enough we found that the stakes had been removed, and went to Jesse's cabin and there saw them lying in a pile near his door. We again expostulated with him, saying the stakes certainly could do no harm. So finally, Jesse became ashamed of his conduct and helped replace them, and ever afterward was a good friend of the road. \\'hen we reached the place where Niantic now is, it was growing dark. A light snow had fallen during the day and the ground was covered, ^^'here we were to stay that night we knew not. Nothing to be seen so far as the eye could reach but the "beautiful." Our only refuge was to "break for the timber" four miles south of us, which we reached in about an hour, striking " Dingman's Point " where we met Mr. Dingman. We informed him who we were and what we wanted. He cordially invited us into his house, where we for the first time saw the genial countenance of our since illustrious townsman, Richard J. Oglesby, who was on his way home from Springfield, horseback, and had stopped with Dingman to feed his horse and get his supper. Of course when " Dick " found out what our business was, he. as well as ^Ir. Dingman, became much interested in us. ]\Ir. Dingman's famih^ was sick and though he could not entertain us at his house, he supplied us with bread, ham and potatoes, and directed us to an inioccupied cabin, a short distance away, in wliich was a large fire-place, and with plenty of wood and straw we cooked our supper and made our beds, thus passing a very comfortable night. On Christmas day we got near enough to Decatur to make the town our headquarters, and therefore marched in with the whole outfit ; the arrival of the Great Western Railroad Engineering Corps into the village was soon noised about, and the villagers were at once astir, for it was not only a very unusual event, but marked a very important epoch in the history and progress of the little town. \\"e quartered with Landlady Harrell, who kept the hotel called " Social Hall," which stood on the site now occupied by the St.

Nicliolas. She was a- very woriliy woman and knew how to keep a hotel. We were lliat nijjhl t^iven a reception, hall and snpper. The late James .SlioatT, Esq., publisher of Shoaff's Ciazctte, was the leading spirit of the occasion. The ball was held in the old court house, which stood in the southeast corner of the square (now Lincoln Park) and was torn down about twenty-live years ago. Some of the peculiar features of the ball were that the gentlemen wore heavy boots with pants inside the legs of them ; and that the music consisted of one fiddle played by Matt Johnson, who was a character in those days. Me disdained to wear a coat, and sitting in a chair with a little brown jug" by his side, at the close of each " cotillion " he would regale himself from the contents of the jug. .Among the citizens jircsent at the reception were Col. Pngh, Sheriff Wheeler, Henry Prather, Wni. Caulrall, Col. Carter, S. K. Thompson, all of whom are long since dead; lion. J. J. Pcdicord. Gov. Oglesby and perhaps a few others still living were also present. These men were the active business men of those days, men, each of whom, in their respective calling, did their ])art to make the city of Decatur what it now is. They were the pioneers and laid the foundation u]ion which the city now stands, antl to them much is due for its present atid future ])rospcrity. We found here. 1oo, in advance of us the Illinois Central R. R. Co., resident engineers, the late II. C. Plant and C. A. Tnttle and their assistants, who met ns cordially and with professional etiipiette tendered us the use of their office, which was gladly accepted, and they also gave us much valuable information.

In the spring of 1854 the cars were running on the Wabash to NVylie's Switch (now called Troutman), an<l got into Decatur in the fall of the same year and haided the iron for the Illinois Central from the Illinois river to lav its track south : the latter road got into Decatur the following winter from the north. To the casual reader there may not ajipear anything of much interest or imi>ortance in the simiile narrative by one ol the pioneers in railroad construction in this state, but when considered in its connection with the beginning of a great system 01 railroads that has made the develojiment of the resources of the great and powerful state of Illinois |)ossibIe, and has been the prime cause of bringing millions of pei>ple from all i)arts of the civilized world within her borders, with the countless millions of wealth these people have create<l. and who arc the most prosperous, most intelligent and haiipiest people on earth, and have made Illinois the ICmpire .*^tate of the great West, and which will soon be the first state in the Union, as its great metropolis on the lakes of the north is destined to become the greatest and most imiiortant city in .\merica, and one of the greatest in the world; a city about to give unto all the people of the earth the grandest exhibition as a result of labor, art, science and literature that man has ever looked upon. When considered in this connection it becomes a matter of nuich importance to all interested in the history and progress of the state of Illinois, and of all the United .'^tales of America.

The Public Schools Of

THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF DECATUR. By Enoch A. Gastman. riu- early settlers of central Illinois were not able to give much attention to popular education. They were busy in i)roviding food and shelter for their wives and children. Hut as soon as the immediate necessities of life were provided, the jiarents began to seek ways to secure at least the elements of an education for their children. .\t first this was done through ]>rivate schools. A subscription paper would be circulated in the neighborhood and if enough money was promised to pay the teacher a very moderate salary the school would be opened. The teacher generally boarded around among tlie families, staying a week or longer in each household, according to the number of pupils which it furnished to the school. If the teacher had a home of his own he would be paid a somewhat better salary, but he would be expected to receive in payment butter, eggs, pork, potatoes, and such other articles as he could use in his own family. ThQse schools usually continued in session but a few months in each year. Often they were so inefficient that but little was accomplished during the term.

Reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic made up the course of stud}'. The rod was freely used not only to correct the infractions of the rules of good behavior but to induce the better preparation of assigned lessons.

Early in the history of the state men began to see that these schools could not produce an intelligent citizenship and dilTerent bills were introduced into the Legislature to provide for a system of free public schools.

The present school law of Illinois is based upon an act of the General Assembly approved February 15, 1855. The essential feature of that act was that of taxing all of the property of the state for the education of all the children of the state. It also made it obligatory upon all districts to maintain schools free to all the children for at least six months in the year. A law passed in 1849 allowed the people to vote that .a tax should be levied upon the property of the district for the support of free public schools. Comparatively few districts in the state took advantage of this permission. But Decatur earlv organized under

At a meeting of the inhabitants, legal voters, of school district No. i, in township 16, N. R. 2 E., in Macon county, held at the court house in Decatur, on the 26th day of July, A. D. 1851, in pursuance of legal notice given b}'^ the directors of said school district for the purpose of voting for or against levj^ing a tax for school purposes. It is certified by the chairman and secretary of said meeting to the directors of said district that at said meeting there was cast for levying a tax of ten cents on the one hundred dollars worth of taxable property in said district for the repairs of the * brick school house and furnishing same 30 votes, and against levying said tax 12 votes and that the following is a list of the resident tax payers in said district :

The collector's book for 1851 is lost and it is impossible to say that the tax was extended and collected, but the probability is that the wish of the voters was carried out. It is believed that this is the first school tax that was paid in Decatur. No school tax seems to have been levied in 1852, or in 1853. but the collector's book of 1854 shows that such a tax was collected.

We the undersigned president and clerk of the board of directors for district number one in township 16 N., R. 2 E., in the county of Macon and state of Illinois, do hereby certify that the said board have estimated and required to be levied for the year 1855, the rate of fiftv cents on each one hundred

* It is believed that this refers to the old Masonic hall which stood at the corner of North Water and North Park streets. It was erected in the earlv '40s by an arrangement between the citizens and the Masons. It was probably the first school house in the city dollars valuation of all the taxable property in said district for the purpose of building a school house, and the rate of five cents on each hundred dollars valuation of taxable property in the said district for general expenses connected with schools in said district. Given under our hands this 30th day of June, 1855. Daniel Barnes, Pres.

We the undersigned board of trustees of township number 16 north, range 2 east, in the county of Macon and state of Illinois, do hereby certify that as a board of trustees we have estimated and required to be levied for the year 1855, for general school purposes and extending terms of schools the rate of three mills on each dollar's valuation of taxable property in said township. Given under our hands this 30th day of April, A. D. 1855.

On the 19th of June, 1855, Elisha D. Carter and Christiana his wife, conveyed lots one, two, three, four, and five, in block eight, of Piandy's addition, to the school trustees of town 16, for the use of district number one, for the sum of eight hundred dollars. This is the site of the present Church street school and it is believed to

On the 14th day of April, 1856, David L. Allen and Julia, liis wife, Thomas H. Read and Elizabeth, his wife, conveyed to the trustee of schools of town 16 in trust for the benefit of the inhabitants of school district number one and for the use of schools therein, for the sum of five dollars, all of lot number one in block throe of .\llen, Mc- Rcynolds & Co.'s addition to the town of Decatur, and ten feet off of the west side of lot four in the same block. This is the corner where the Scovill furniture company is now located. So far as is known this was the first and the only gift that has ever been made to the public schools of the city.

In 1856, the directors, Jasper J. Peddccord, Edward O. Smith, and Philip B. Shepherd, commenced the building of the south part of the Church street school. There are no records of the elections that must have been held before the directors could have purchased the site or levied the taxes for its erection. The plan of the building was somewhat peculiar. The upper story was in one large room with two small recitation rooms which now make the hall in the center of the house. About 140 pupils could be seated at double desks in the assembly room. Recitations were held in the three rooms. The lower story furnished two good-sized school rooins with a recitation room adjoining each. Each school had a principal and an assistant who took charge of the recitation room. Seven teachers were employed in the building. Since that time two school rooms have been added and six teachers take care of the pupils in the whole house.

tleniaii for vvhoni the W'righlonian society in tJK' State Normal University was named, said that he visited Decatur when the foundation walls of the new school building were just ready for the first tier of joists. He was invited by one of the directors to visit the building. After looking over the foundation walls and admiring their strength he inquired what would be the arrangement of the school rooms. The director replied, " ]Mr. Wright, there are none of us who know anything about the proper arrangement of a schoo.l house and we have determined to put up the outside walls and then get some good school man to come and divide the building into rooms for us."

The following note is taken from the second volume of the Illinois Teacher, published in Peoria. Under date of February 25, 1856, Daniel AVilkins of Bloomington, writes : " A few days since I visited Decatur, the county seat of ]Macon, containing two thousand five hundred inhabitants. They are making arrangements to put up a large brick building ne.xt summer for the use of a graded school. J. H. Remsberg and lady have charge of a flourishing institute with one hundred forty pupils, while the high school, one hundred eighty pupils, is taught by John W. Coleman, assisted by his wife and Miss Ela. There is also a female seminary under the care of Mrs. A. A. Powers, and a school taught by Miss Gillespie."

The new building was opened in the fall of 1857 with J. H. Remsberg as principal and David L. Bunn and Miss Helen E. Parsons assistants up stairs. No record has been found of the other assistant nor of the enrollment of pupils.

On July 3, 1857, Jasper J. Peddecord and Edward O. Smith, directors, certify to the county clerk that they require a levy of sixty cents on each one hundred dollars of taxable property for general purposes, and forty cents for paying teachers and extending schools. They submit a list of 704 tax

The records of the board of directors are not complete. The first meeting of which the minutes have been preserved was held November 30, 1858, and the members present were Messrs. Alexander T. Hill and James P. Boyd. It was determined to open a school in the lower room of the Masonic building. The teacher. Miss Mary C. Bassett of Maroa, was to be paid $35 per month, but she was to build the fires and keep the room in order.

At the close of the schools in the spring of 1859, the directors, Alexander T. Hill, Samuel K. Swingley and James P. Boyd, published a report of the schools showing an expenditure of $2,780.50 for the year, of district No. i, town 16, 2 East.

We hereby certify that we require the rate of 3 mills to be levied for school purposes on all the taxable property of our district for the year 1859-60. Also i mill on each dollar for fvirnishing fuel and other incidental expenses.

It was agreed to rent of Captain David I.. Allen his two-story frame hnilding situated to the west of Jasper J. Peddecord's residence (where the Woman's chili hnilding stands now) for six months for $ioo, the said Allen tit make all necessary repairs and to have the house reails ><u llu- lotli of September, i860.

The following text books wtr alopt- ' for use in the schools: \\ ebstcrs Elementary Sjielling Rook, McdufTcy's New Series of Readers, Wells's English (irammar. Mitchell's I'irst Lessons, Primary, and Conmion School Geographies. Lossing's Primary anrt Picti>rial History of the I'nitcd States. Payton. Dunton and Scribner's System of Penmanship.

.\fter calling an election on the first .Monday in September, i8()0, to choose three dilectors to serve for one, two, and three xears, all the members resigned.

The new board of <lirectors consisted of .Messrs. Lowber Burrows, president, David L. Muun. clerk, and William h". Nelson. It IS a remarkable fact that at the end of forty-three years these three men are still active in the affairs of this city. These gentlemen served for one year when they resigned and Enos M. llenkle, Henry P.. Durfee and David L. Punii were chosen to succeed them. ( >n the 25th of .September, 1861, Mr. r.umi resigned, and in \Xiij. .Mr. Ray, then county clerk, was elected to lill the vacancy. Mr. llenkle acted as president and Mr. Durfee as clerk. These three men contiiuied to serve until the election of the board of education, .\pril 4, i8(}5. There was a tacit agreement among them that Mr. Rea should not be called uiion to attend the meetings unless Messrs. llenkle and Durfee could not agree.

There was but one school building in the district and as the ]iopulation was ra|>idly increasing the directors found it very diflicull to secure rooms in which to open sclunds. The basements of the Methodist, Presbyterian, and the Baptist churches were rented and a few rooms were secured in ')ther parts of the city. They were wln)lly unsuitable for school rooms, but as nothing better could be found the teachers had to get along the best way they could.

In the fall of i8(.i, D. C. .McCloir took charge as principal of the liig Brick scIkkjI. He was a very fine gentleman liut not a very successful school master. There was a good deal of di.sordcr alxmt the school. It fre<iuenlly haj>penerl that when the bell was rung at the close of the recess in the afternoon most of the boys would go off skating for the remainder of the day. ( )n account of this lack of governing power on the part of the principal, the directors received a good many complaints from dissatisfied parents. When they attempted to nnprove matters by caUing upon the teachers in the lower rooms to help him in maintaining disci])Hne they were met with the statement that these teachers did not regard themselves as under the jurisdiction of " the man up stairs." A little examination of the records showed that the several departments had always been treated as independent schools and that, therefore, the teachers were right in their contention. The directors determined to have a different organization the next year.

( )n the 1 2th of June, 1862, an election was held at the court house at which it was ordered that a site for a school house should be purchased in the Third ward and that a special levy of 25 cents on the $100 should be made to build it. Plans were secured for a two-room, one-story house from G. P. Randall, architect, of Chicago, at a cost of fifty dollars, and the contract for building the same was awarded to Messrs. Mills and Shockley. These men are still doing business in Decatur. But on the 30th of July following the directors voted, " that in view of the present unsettled state of the country, it is ordered that the levy of the tax for building a school house as authorized by vote be postponed for the present year and the building of the house be suspended until such times as it may be deemed more expedient to make the levy authorized. But that we may secure a desirable location for building said house when more prosperous times shall again visit our land, it is ordered that the treasurer, John F. Miles, procure a clear title to lots numbers ID and II in block number 10 in the Western addition to Decatur, in the name of the township trustees for the use of district number one, and that he be authorized to pay therefor the sum of one hundred fifty dollars in currency, to procure which he is authorized to sell coin belonging to the district to the best advantage, giving the district credit with the premium."

The house was erected the next year by Mills & Shockley. It is the two lower rooms on the east side of the Wood street school. The president of the board of directors, Mr. E.M. Henkle, believed that no school house should be more than one story high and that the front entrance should be right at the sidewalk so that when the children came out they could at once disperse to their homes. The house was erected to conform to his ideas, but .both have been discarded for many 3''ears.

1862, it was determined to elect " a principal for all the schools " who should also be the principal of the high school which was to be organized. Enoch A. Gastman was elected to fill the position at a salary of $80 per month for the school year of six months. Miss Frances A. Peterson, a teacher in the State Normal University, was elected his assistant at a salary of $30 per month. She did a large part of the work of organizing and teaching in the high school during the first year of its history. She died the following Februar}' within two weeks of the close of the year.

At a meeting of the directors held March 23, 1863, it was ordered that Messrs. Mills and Shockley proceed with the building of the school house in the Third ward upon the contract and that they be allowed in addition the advance on material and labor as per liills furnished and specifications and plans. Said Mills and Shockley to keep accurate account of any alterations or addi- t)n the same ilato the followin;^ note was cntereil on the record after a list of teachers appointed. " The above appoininu-nts are made from the teachers of last term on account of their success and apparent earnestness in their vocation.

On the "th of April, i8<)4. a petition, signed by all the teachers in the schools, was presented to the board respectfully asking for an increase of salary in view of the great advance in the price of all things. An addition of five dollars per month for the present term was allowed to all the teachers. The name of E. A. Gastman appears as clerk for the first time on the records of this meeting.

June 14. 1804, the electors voted for or against a nine-months school. One hundred sixty-seven votes were cast for and twentyfive against the proposition.

On June j8, iX(<4, the directors resolved that the teachers would not be appointed to any particular position but that they would be i)laced wherever the interest of the schools might demand when it should he known who would he the teachers for the coming year.

On February 18, i8<J5, the teachers sent a committee requesting the directors to meet them at the basement of the I'aptist church at the corner of Water and William streets. .\ conimittee appointed at a previous meeting of the teachers reported that owing to the advance in prices it was impossible for them to make a living. They respectfully asked that the directors make such an addition to their salaries as the financial condition of the treasury would allow. After a full interchange of opinions, it was ordered that an addition of 30 per cent be made to all salaries un<ler S40 per month, and 25 per cent to all above that amount.

mri(.i'ii> iiMi liie p<i\\er> wind) the}' were given by the state law for the management of the schools of a rural district were not sufficient to enable them to carry on eflicieiitly the schools of a rapidly growing city. It was difficult often to purchase a desirable school site because the owners were unwilling to have it publicly advertised that they would sell i)ropert)' to be used for a i)ublic school because it might injure the sale of other adjacent property. Another class of owners were anxious to have a school house erected near their additions because it would attract the attention of desirable jjurchasers to their lots. A |)ublic election gave such persons an excellent op|>ortunity to work for the advancement of their private interests. .Again, the directors had no power to borrow money and this made it very difficult to erect needed school buildings, .\fter a good deal of discussion and inquiry it was decided to request the F.egislaturc to grant the district a sjjecial charter. The honorable Xcwton liatcman, state superintendent, was asked to recommen<l a charter that was in satisfactory use in the state that the board might use as a model. He recommended the one granted to the Rock Island school district in 1857. It was carefidly examined and such amendments made as would adapt it to the wants of this district, .\lmost the only (|uestiou that caused any discussion related t<i the amount of territory to be included in the new district. Director Henkle favored the idea of luaking the boundaries conterminous with the city but Director Durfee thought that the people living in the present district and outside of the city limits might be put to serious trouble in fin<ling convenient school accommodations for their children if they were cut off from the privilege of attending the Decatur scIkmiIs. I'inally, it was decided to adopt the boinidarics of tlistrict one as then existing. This embraced a territory three

.\11 of sections one, two, three, eleven, Iwche, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, and the north half of sections twenty-two, twentythree and twenty-four ; and also the north half of the south half of said sections twentv-two, twenty-three and twcnt}--four. all in township number sixteen north, of range number two east of the third principal meridian, is hereby constituted a school district to be known as " Decatur School District."

The bill was introduced in the house of representatives by (ieneral Isaac C. Pugh, the member from this city. It passed through the Legislature with very little opposition and was approved by Governor Oglesby, February 16, 1865. See volume 2, Private Laws of Illinois, 1865, pages 314- 321, and City Code, 1886, pages 146-159. It was amended in 1867 and again in [869. Through a blunder on the part of some one section ten was omitted trom the act as finally passed by the Legislature.

On June 15, 1865, General I. C. Pugh and others petitioned the board of education to receive into the Decatur school district all that portion of section 10, which is not included within the corporate limits of the city of Decatur. The prayer of the jietition was unanimously granted. The territory of the district remained the same until November I, 1895, when Salona place was received by a petition signed by Johnson Ende and others.

In 1891 the territory- lying between Oakland avenue and the Wabash railroad south of Decatur street was annexed to the city and thereby became a part of the school district.

Note. - It is probable that the first directors were elected in 1850 or T851, but it has been impossible to secure the names of any before 1855. Mr. Ebenezer McNabb came here in the spring of 1855 and he believes that Joel S. Post was a director at that time. ;\lr. Lowell Krohn thinks that Dr. Benjamin V. A\'est, General Isaac C. Pugh, and ^\'illiam Prather were among the early directors. Mr. James Carter thinks that Dr. Ira B. Curtis was a director about 1856.

The following is a list of teachers who taught in the public schools previous to the organization of the Board of Education. It is probable that there are a number of omissions and errors owing to the imperfect condition of the early records - corrections will be thankfully received. - E. A. G.

Board of Education. The charter {)rovidiHl that an election should be held on .\pril 4, 1865. The directors gave notice of this meeting but they positively refused to become candidates for members of the board of education. Un .-\pril 10, 1865, a meeting was held in the courtroom of the old court house which stood in the southeast corner of the old square. The hillowing is a copy of the minutes of the first meeting of the board of cilucation of the Decatur school district:

The oath of office was duly administered to the members by John K. Warren, Notary Public. ( )n motion David P. P.uun was unanimously elected i)resident of the board and I-'noch A. Gastman, clerk.

On motion, Jerome R. Gorin was unanimously elected treasurer of the board. The amount of his bond was fixed at $^5,000, and his salary at one and one-half per

On moti<^in. the clerk was instructed to look for a room to be used for the meetings of this board, ami as an office for the superintendent of i)ul)lic schools.

The folk)wing extracts from the minutes of dirt'erent meetings will show that the new board entered with vigor upon the solution of the ))rol)lem of providing better school accommodations for the children and teachers of the city of Decatur:

.\ petition was received from J. B. R. Shcrrick and others asking for a school house in the Ftuirth ward. It was discussed and laid over for future action.

.\pril 20, 1865. The first office of the board was rented of ticorge W. Baker for $50 i)er year. It was the front upstairs room, number 144 East Main street. .Mr. I'aker had a real estate office in the same room. 'J'his arrangement did not prove satisfactory and early in lS^>7 the board rented the rear room of the second story of the I . .M. I )viatt building, 149 East .Main street, where the office, remained until it was removed to the new high srli.w il lniilillnL' in the fall of 1869.

June 20, iH/tS. Messrs. Jacobs and Slain.^, representing the members of the colored .M. E.. church, petitioned the board to give them a school, an<l tendered the use of the basement of their church for that purpose. Eloquent speeches were made by the two gentlemen and the board took the matter under advisement. In iW)8. $122.53 ^^'^^ spent in repairing and fitting up this room.

were received from G. P. Randall, Chicago, for a new school house to be erected in the First ward. Ordered that bids for erecting the same be received until July i, 1865. It was also agreed to purchase lots i, 3, and 5, in block i, of Oglesby & \Vait"s addition, for $600, to be used for a school site in the Fourth ward. W. L. Hammer was appointed a committee to see if money could be borrowed to build the house.

Tuly 5. W. L. Hammer reported that he could not find any person willing to loan money to the district and the following was unanimously passed :

Resolved. That for the want of funds and in view of the exorbitant prices of labor and materials this board deems it inexpedient to build this year.

July 25, 1865. The question of erecting a school house in the Fourth ward was discussed but it was finally decided to repair the one room building now occupied.

August 12, 1865. Resolved, That a colored grade of school be established to which all persons of African descent shall be admitted. The right was reserved to close the school and dismiss the teacher whenever it might be thought best. Mrs. J. H. Roell was appointed the teacher of the school at a salarj^ of $25 per month.

October 3, 1865, it was ordered that the regidar meetings of the teachers be held once each month instead of twice as had been the practice heretofore.

Resolved, That in cases of suspensions from the schools all appeals from the decision of the superintendent shall be heard and determined at a meeting of the board. This action was taken because the son of a prominent citizen had been suspended for absence as the rule of the board provided ; the father, to whom the superintendent was per.sona non grata " determined not to ask the officer to reinstate the boy but finding two memoers of the board in a private office appealed directly to them. Without thinking what effect their action would have upon the authority of the superintendent they reinstated the pupil. When their attention was called to the matter, the above rule was at once passed. It is, perhaps, fair to say that this is the only instance, in thirty-eight years, where there has been any difference between the board and the superintendent concerning his duties.

Early in 1866 the superintendent was authorized to buy ink for the use of the schools and to spend not exceeding five dollars in the purchase of books for poor children. He was also directed to purchase five globes for the schools at a cost of not more than $12 each.

The duty of beautifying the school grounds was early recognized by the board and in the spring of 1866 a number of " silver maples " were purchased at 60c each of one Smith, a Bloomington man. which he set around the Church street school. C. D. Humphreys was paid the same price for boxing them.

On the twenty-first of June, 1866, the board accepted the plans prepared by Ebenezer McNabb for a two-room school house in the Fourth ward and ordered that bids should be received imtil July 7th for its erection.

August 6, 1866, ordered that the board purchase of Messrs. Durfee & Warren lots II and 12, of the re-survey of block 7, of Read & Co.'s addition, for the sum of $2,400. Also lot 10 of the same block of Thomas H. Read for $1,000. The high school stands upon these lots.