| Madison County
Letters© - 18Oct1852 Copyright 2000 Fredi Perry In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data and images may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or for other presentation without express permission by the contributor(s) Troy, Madison Co., Illinois, Oct. 18, 1852 Dear Caroline, Your father, step mother, and little Henry Clay, were here today, apparently in good health. Since I saw him before, your father had taken a course of Calomel, and was salivated, so that for three weeks he could not speak. All this was intended for the benefit of his liver. I trust you are now enjoying your Sweet potatoes. A Mr. Kinney, of Rock Island, says in the Prairie Farmer, that he cultivates a variety of the Sweet Potato which is hardy at the North, and can be kept through the winter. Probably you had better try them. Norman made us a visit early in the summer; and left for West Union, Iowa: since which time I have not hear from him. Miss A. L. Woodruff has commenced her second term in Monticello French Seminary, and paid $40 in advance. Female education is quite costly, to what it used to be. I suppose that within two years you will be able to come from Freeport to Caseyville by Rail Road - following the Central R. R. to the Central City in Marion Co., and then turning to the right on the Ohio and Mississippi R. R. which will land you at Caseyville. Ultimately there will be a shorter route, turning to the right at Vandalia on the Atlantic and Mississippi R. R. The obituary of our Legislature has thus far prevented this road from being constructed, lest it might benefit St. Louis. The Alton & Springfield R. R. is now in traveling order, and the Actonians are very much disappointed, for the produce comes from the North and goes right ahead to St. Louis, upon two steamboats owned by the Railroad Co., The merchandise also comes from St. Louis and goes directly from the steamboat to the car: so that a few draymen at Alton are all who devise much benefit from the road. Great has been the indignation of the Altonians, and they have expressed it by incontinently electing Dr. Thomas M. Hope to be their Lord Mayor! A forlorn hope, truly! The cholera has prevailed this fall at Caseyville, and carried off about ten. Caseyville will doubtless ever remain a sickly place, so long as any body remains there to be sick. Mr. Andrew Jackson Swain has married one of Horatio McCray's daughters, and lives directly opposite the place where Judge Bingham's wife was born. Madison Jilton lives in the Horatio house. He married one of Horatio's girls. Widow Rowell, the eldest of the daughters, with her five fatherless children, has removed to Iowa, to live with Mr. Rowell's father. The other girl has married, an removed to Connecticut. They have built a brick school house in the Mount Gilead neighborhood. Old Mrs. Husong is dead. Rev. Wm. P. Renfro has just married his second wife, a daughter of John C. Duggen. Mr. B. J. Haglis (?) is alive yet, but he lost two of his children this year. At my last dates from Galesburg, Mr. & Mrs. Weeks were gone to Wisconsin on a visit. I suppose you saw them. Dr. George Churchill and Miss L. (S?) Booth were teaching a High School at Farmington, Ill., T8N, R4E. Compliments to Husband, Brothers and Sisters. Please write soon, and oblige yours truly. George Churchill. |