known, only by wide-reaching inquiries and patient examination of many old newspaper files. Mrs. Daviess came to Middletown, in Logan county, some years after her father's death, a desolate heart-broken woman, whose past was a sealed book of bitter memories and disappointments. She was morose and reticent, persistently refusing to answer any of the many letters of inquiry addressed to her, or the personal interviewers, seeking information relative to her father's family or her own past life. The years she had lived were full of tribulation and sorrow, and death came to her as a merciful relief.

A LETTER FROM HON. L. B. STRINGER.

It is but justice to the citizens of Lincoln to say that while at the Deaconess hospital Mrs. Daviess received many kindly attentions and was made as comfortable as she could have been had she been possessed of unlimited money. We publish a letter from Hon. L. B. Stringer, which describes the care and attention given the unfortunate lady by the people of Lincoln.-ED.

LINCOLN, ILL., March 26th, 1910.

MRS. JESSIE PALMER WEBER,

Sec. Ill. Historical Soc.,

Springfield, Ill.

DEAR MRS. WEBER:

In reference to the matter of Mrs. Anne Daviess, last surviving member of the immediate family of Gov. Ford, and the newspaper reports concerning her recent death in this city, would say:

That Mrs. Daviess lived for a great many years with her daughter, a Mrs. Gamble, at Middletown, in the extreme western part of this county, near the Menard County line. During all this time the fact of her residence there was substantially unknown to the citizens of Lincoln and those who did know, were not informed

that she was the daughter of Gov. Ford. About three years ago, Mrs. Gamble died. The Gambles were in humble circumstances. Mrs. Gamble left six children surviving her and Mrs. Daviess herself was ill. Under these circumstances, Mr. Gamble was compelled to turn Mrs. Daviess over to Logan County. It then became known, for the first time, to the authorities of the county, that a daughter of Gov. Ford had been a resident of the county. Instead of sending her to the County Farm, as is usually done in such cases, she was placed in the Deaconess' Hospital in the city of Lincoln, one of the best equipped hospitals in the State. We have two excellent hospitals in Lincoln, one Catholic and one Lutheran. The Deaconess' Hospital in Lutheran. During Mrs. Daviess' stay at the Hospital, she was given the same attention as other patients; in fact the Deaconesses gave her especial attention on account of her lineage. She received the best medical service the city afforded during her last illness. Upon it being learned that she was a member of the Episcopal Church, the rector of that church in this city, Rev. Wm. N. Wycoff, made regular and frequent visits to her. Various members of his congregation visited her frequently, a number of the ladies of the church taking especial interest in her, sending her books, papers and flowers. Upon her death, it being ascertained that her one surviving daughter, a Mrs. Watson, of Oskaloosa, Iowa, was not in such financial circumstances as to properly provide for her burial, Morris Emmerson, of the Daily News-Herald and your humble servant, went among our business men, who responded liberally, and secured sufficient funds to give Mrs. Daviess such a funeral and burial as befitted the daughter of one of Illinois' most famous Governors. I enclose newspaper clippings of the obsequies.

Yours respectfully,

LAWRENCE B. STRINGER.

FUNERAL OF MRS. DAVIESS.

Services and burial were held at the Trinity church, Lincoln, Sunday afternoon, marking the closing scenes of the life of Mrs. Anne Daviess, the daughter of one of the greatest governors Illinois has had. The services were attended by possibly a hundred persons, who gathered at the bier which supported a number of bouquets of white roses, the tributes of friends and those who recognized in the death of the woman the departure of a true christian spirit to the other world. The services were in charge of Rector William Wyckoff. He was assisted by the choir, James Chase singing a solo. The rector, in speaking of the deceased read a sketch of her life, also touching upon the career of her father, Governor Ford, and brought out historical points that even close readers of history had missed in their journeys through the pages of biography of great men of Illinois. At the conclusion of the service the remains were taken to the 3:33 p. m. train and then to Peoria, where burial ensued. The remains were accompanied by the daughter and grand-daughter, Mrs. Mary Watson of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and Mrs. J. W. Shaw of Alba, Iowa. The pallbearers were Hon. L. B. Stringer, J. H. Boyd, James E. Hoblit, Joseph Tabke, Nate Landauer and Fred P. Marvine. The interment was in the family lot in Peoria, where under the administration of the late Gov. John P. Altgeld, a stone was raised to the memory of Governor and Mrs. Ford, who are buried there.

POLO HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

The Polo Historical Society has placed a granite boulder over the grave of William Durley, who was killed in the Black Hawk War.

ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA.

The Illinois State Association, recently organized among former Illinois residents now living in southern California, has decided upon an annual picnic on Washington's birthday. Frank L. Blair is president of the club.

100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATED.

FRIENDS AND RELATIVES OF MRS. CELENA KELLEY, OF HAZELDELL, ILL., OBSERVE ANNIVERSARY.

Between 600 and 700 relatives and friends gathered at the village of Hazeldell, Ill., January 28, 1910, to assist in celebrating the one hundredth birthday anniversary of Mrs. Celena Kelley. A feature was the presence of five generations of the family. Mrs. Kelley, notwithstanding her advanced age, is in the enjoyment of all her faculties. She has been a resident of Cumberland county since 1847. Her husband, who died in 1876, was the founder of Hazeldell.

ABOUT COLONEL DON MORRISON.

It occasionally happens that a trivial interruption, or casual remark overheard, will so disconcert the ablest speaker as to break his train of thought or argument, and abruptly end his discourse. An incident of this kind occurred in the brief congressional career of Colonel Don Morrison, to which, however, he very seldom again alluded.

An able lawyer and flowery orator, Don had been an active and prominent Whig politician until the disruption of that party forced him to indulge his intense pro

slavery proclivities in the ranks of his quondam enemy the Democracy. Wealthy and ambitious, the State Senate no longer satisfied his aspirations; he wanted to be a Congressman. His opportunity was soon presented. When Lyman Trumbull, in 1855, was elected to the U. S. Senate he resigned his seat in the lower house, causing a vacancy in the representation of the 8th district of 90 days, to be supplied by election. Repeal of the Missouri Compromise, and Squatter Sovereignty, had so seriously disintegrated the Democratic party that none of its chronic aspirants in that district had the temerity or financial ability to make the race for the place. As Don, a new and enthusiastic proselyte, was eager for it, and willing to run the risk of defeat, as well as to stand the expense of the contest, he was given the nomination, and was elected.

When he assumed his duties in Congress the bitterness of sectional hate and party antagonism had almost reached the point of ignition. To cause his power to be felt in the councils of the nation during his brief term in office, and incidently to make political capital at home, Don had prepared a great speech in support of the new Democracy promulgated by Mr. Douglas. He was delivering it, in his usual splendid, grandiloquent style, to a full house and overflowing galleries, when he rounded out a telling sentence with the dramatic declaration: "I can proudly boast, sir, that I am not a Yankee, or the son of a Yankee." Just then a little old bald headed Connecticut representative on the Republican side, with a deep groan, fervently remarked, "Thank God for that!" The laugh that followed from all parts of the hall punctured Don's inspiration, and he soon brought his discourse to a premature end and resumed his seat.