Excerpts from
The Schuyler Citizen

 

December 28, 1871

    DRUNKENNESS is plainly on the increase in Rushville. Drug stores, saloons, beer houses, and venders from coat tail pockets snap their fingers at the ordinances, and grow bolder every day in the devilish business of selling intoxicating drinks. Rows are becoming frequent, and nothing is done to check them. Let the trustees appoint or have elected a marshal who will not be in sympathy with the whisky interest; pay him a good salary; authorize him to act vigorously and order will be insured.

    PERSONALS
The following persons, former residents of Rushville, have been spending the Christmas holidays among relatives and friends here:
    Mr Cowan and family, Galesburg;
    Miss Abbie Corfield, Macomb;
    Mrs. Gardner and family, Quincy;
    Robert McCreery, Kinmundy, Ill.;
    Zack T. Booker, Windsor, Ill.;
    S. P. McIntyre and lady, Chicago;
    Miss Anna Percell, Jacksonville;
    John K. Hall, Muskegon, Mich.;
    Thomas Munroe, Muskegon, Mich.;
    James Munroe, Chicago;
    Ensley Moore, Jacksonville;
    Mary McConnel, Augusta, Kansas;
    Miss Cora Valentine and sister, Ind.;
    Rev. T. S. Lowe and wife, Salina, Kas.;
    George C. Scripps, Detroit, Mich.;
And others whose names we have not obtained.

OBITUARY
    WILSON.--Died, at his residence near Littleton, on the 16th inst., of a paralytic stroke, E. M. WILSON, Sr., aged nearly 88 years.
    Father Wilson was born in Prince Edward county, Virginia, May 23d, 1789; moved to Illinois in 1828, and was one of Schuyler county's earliest settlers.
    In 1808 he made a profession of religion and united with the Baptist Church, with which he maintained a consistent and uninterrupted fellowship for 68 years.
    The stroke which closed his earthly career was sudden and unexpected, but did not find him unprepared. Although his widow and children mourn the loss of an affectionate husband and father, they know that their loss is his great eternal gain. He was not permitted to leave any dying testimony, but a long and active life spent in the Master's cause warrant us in saying that though
From earth removed, he treads a brighter sphere,
Crowned with a glory which he found not here.
The God he faithful served is now his joy,
And songs of praise his pleasure and employ.
    His funeral was attended from the Baptist Church in Littleton by a large and sympathizing congregation of neighbors and friends. K.

DIED SUDDENLY

Mr. Pelatiah Rodgers, an aged and highly respected citizen of Peoria county, died very suddenly a few evenings since. He did up his evening's work as usual, had family worship, and on rising from his knees remarked to his wife that he did not feel very well this evening, and immediately died.

BURNED TO DEATH

    Mrs. Clara Stewart, of Virginia, was burned to death on the 8th inst. She was seated on the floor doing some work on a picture frame when her clothes caught fire, burning her so terribly that she died in a few hours.

SHORTS

    Several new estrays again this week.
    Alton Lime at A. B. Clarke's.
    Wheat has advanced to $1.30, and $1.35 for best.
    A fine stock of cassimere shirts at W. H. SCRIPPS'.
    A large fox was killed near Farmington a few days since.
    If you want to buy Paints and oils go to A. B. CLARKE'S.
    Beardstown has a Literary Society in a flourishing condition.
    Webster's unabridged dictionary at A. B. CLARKE'S.
    The new Masonic hall of Camden was dedicated yesterday, St. John's day.
    Ready made clothing of every grade in great variety at W. H. SCRIPPS'.
    The Congregationalists and Methodists of Avon united in getting up a Christmas "ship."
    If you want to buy school books go to A. B. CLARKE'S.
    D. G. Swan, late of the Havana Reveille, has removed to Bushnell to start a job office.
    Mr. John Landon is paying cash for eggs--highest market price.
    The editor of the Canton Ledger lost a valuable cow last week. It was killed near his residence by a railroad train.
    If you want a good suit of clothes for a small amount of money, go to W. H. Scripps'.
    The proceedings of our supervisors' court in to-day's paper are exceedingly interesting. Read them.
    To buy a good lamp cheap go to A. B. CLARKE'S.
    The Rev. John Hughes (Universalist) preached in the court house on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings last.
    Beans, Potatoes, Dried Apples, Corn and in fact Every Kind of Produce wanted by T. M. Hall.
    The Masons of Lewistown gave a grand entertainment last night (27th), consisting of tableaux, pantomimes, refreshments, etc., etc.
    If you want to buy patent medicines, all valuable kinds are to be found at A. B. CLARKE'S.
    Dr. Ritchey, dentist, will be at the Merchants' Hotel on Wednesday next, and on each alternate Wednesday thereafter.
    The post-office at Beardstown was robbed a few nights since. The thieves tore the letters all open, but it is thought they found but little. The letters were left behind the butcher shop and the mail boxes back of the foundry.
    PIANO MUSIC.--Miss Clark gives lessons on the piano, organ and guitar, at her residence, south of the square opposite Thomas Wilson's residence. She has an established reputation here as a teacher of instrumental music, and deserves a large patronage.
        The Beardstown Illinoian of the 21st says:--"We are informed that some one entered the house of Peleg Child, on Saturday night, and, by the use of chloroform, succeeded in getting his pants containing twenty-seven hundred and sixty-five dollars. Mr. C. had returned that evening from St. Louis, where he had drawn the monty on a shipment of whisky manufactured in Schuyler county. There were other valuables in the room untouched.

    Editor Citizen:--On Thursday evening last (21st inst.) James H. Carden, a well known citizen of this place, killed himself with a revolver. On the morning of this fatal day he had gone to the neighborhood of Huntsville to sell some property which, as constable, he had levied on. He came home quite drunk, but apparently in a good humor; attended an auction sale of goods and bought a trunk, overcoat, and other goods, saying that he was going to leave the country. On going home he told some of his family he was good as dead, but they paid little attention to the threat, as he had been accustomed to threaten his life.
    After the family had retired for the night, Carden went into the bed-room of his son-in-law and daughter, and took a revolver from a drawer and some business papers. Holding up the revolver he asked his son-in-law, "Do you see this?" and passed out. His little son who slept in the same bed with him says he placed the revolver and papers under his pillow, and told him to be careful, and that he intended to shoot himself. He then went to bed, but shortly after arose, dressed himself, went out of the house, remaining till all was asleep he returned, took off his coat and vest, went up to the head of his bed, and taking out his revolver, placed the muzzle behind his ear and fired. He survived about an hour.
    Whisky caused this man's death, and I regard the man who sold him this liquor as his murderer.
Truly yours, BIRMINGHAM.
    We learn in addition to what our correspondent states that Carden some ten or more years since attempted his life by cutting his throat. He was between forty and fifty years, and leaves quit a family, It is also said his domestic relations were unhappy. Poor man!--ED.]

    A correspondent of the Quincy Whig has the following in regard to our place:
    Rushville, the county seat of Schuyler county, is situated in the center of said county, at the terminus of the Buda branch of the C., B. & Q. R. R., 110 miles south of Buda, the junction of the main road--57 miles from Yates City, the junction of the Peoria branch--about 80 miles from Peoria--15 miles from Vermont, the intersection of the R., R. I. & St. Louis R. R.--85 1/2 miles from Galesburg, and 58 miles from Quincy.
    Rushville is one of the oldest, as well as most substantial towns in this section of the state. The town was originally named Rushton, after a man named Rush, and was first laid off by commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate the county seat, February 20, 1826. The commissioners were Leven Green, Thos. Blair, and Benj. Chadsey. The commissioners received the land, s. w. qr. sec. 30, t'p 2 N. R. 1 w., Jacob White advancing the money to purchase it, and the town authorities dividing half and half with him. The name was changed to Rushville, April 24, 1826. Among the first records of the county we find that Samuel Turner was allowed $2 for the use of house for holding court three days, and Jesse Bartlett $6 for assessing the property in the county. Alas! those days of cheap rates have passed. Among the oldest citizens now living are Benj. Chadsey, George Baker, Sr., J. G. McCreery, and others.
    The population of Rushville is about 1,800.
    The sale of liquor is prohibited, though it occasionally leaks out through drug stores.
    There are five churches, viz.: One Methodist Episcopal Church; one Southern Methodist; one Baptist; one Presbyterian, and one Christian. The number of children attending the Sabbath schools, of which there are five, is about 650.
    The Sabbath schools of the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches are very large and efficient--the attendance at the Methodist having reached as high as 306. G. W. Scripps, Esq., has been superintendent of this school for 21 years. The Methodist Church building is one of the most commodious and elegantly arranged in this portion of the state. It was recently erected at a cost of $30,000, an extremely low price for such an edifice, and is a two-story brick building, about 45 by 80 feet, with a beautiful spire 182 feet high. The auditorium is elegantly furnished.
    The schools of Rushville are of a high order, and attended by about 700 children. A new brick school building has recently been erected at a cost of $80,000, which is a great credit to the town, and will accommodate all the public schools in the town. Prof. J. M. Coyner, late of Indiana, a gentleman of pleasing address and standing high as an educator, is the principal.
    The Schuyler CITIZEN, conducted by G. W. Scripps, has by far the largest circulation of any newspaper in this county or vicinity, and receives, as it deserves, a hearty support. Mr. Scripps took hold of the CITIZEN on the organization of the Republican party in 1856, "and has fought it out on that line" ever since. His local and foreign news is up to the times always, and every good home project is ably advocated. The CITIZEN is the best advertising medium in this vicinity. Mr. Scripps is also post-master.--Correspondence Quincy Whig.
    Our best bow for this last item.

    Frosty nights remind us that the ice crop for the warm weather of 1872 will soon have to be gathered, and plans for ice-houses will soon be in demand. Any builder or architect can design and put up an elaborate ice-house which may or may not preserve the ice entrusted to its keeping, but a cheap make-shift ice-house, which will serve a temporary purpose until a better one can be erected, is greatly to be desired. We know by experience that a very simple structure will serve every purpose, and the following directions, which we clip from the Country Gentleman, seem to meet the required conditions as well as any we have seen:
    "Throw down a dozen or two of old rails or poles upon a piece of ground sufficiently inclined to throw off water, fill the crevices between the poles with sawdust, cover with old boards, slabs, or bark--get from the saw-mill a few loads of slabs, take four--say twelve feet long, notch the corners, like a log house, set them on the platform, and you have a crib about ten and a half feet long by the width of the slab deep; fill this crib with sawdust and pack it down hard. Cut your ice so that it will pack close, and eight feet square; lay it on the sawdust, put on another crib of slabs and fill up and pack hard with sawdust all around, and go on till you get up to six or eight feet, then put a foot and a half of sawdust on top; over this put a shed roof of slabs--one end of the slabs nearly to the ice, raising the other nearly three feet. If ice is all that is wanted, it will keep in this manner as well as in a varnished house. Let a farmer once get in the habit of keeping ice, and he will soon find a way to make something better than a crib to keep it in--and I think this cheap plan will be apt to get him started.