commonly called A. B. C. or E. O. or faro bank, or any other gaming table or bank of like kind, to be played in his or her house, shall for every such offense forfeit and pay the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, to be recovered in any court of record by any person who will sue for the same. Dueling was a capital offense. No mercy for the man with a hair trigger. The murder of Hamilton by Burr in 1804 seems to have set the seal of national condemnation on the barbarous practice. So there was this act in the Virginia code: That any person who shall hereafter wilfully and maliciously, fight a duel or single combat with any engine, instrument, or weapon, and in so doing shall kill his antagonist, or inflict such injuries that the person shall die thereof within three months thereafter, such offender, his aiders, abettors, and counsellors being thereof duly convicted, shall be guilty of murder, and suffer death by being hanged by the neck, any law or usage of this territory to the contrary notwithstanding.

ILLINOIS A STATE.

After nine years as a distinct territory, the next and last political change came with the act of Congress, April 15, 1818, "to enable the people of Illinois territory to form a constitution and state government, and for the admission of such states into the Union on an equal footing with the original states.

This act provided for the election of thirty-three delegates to a convention to be held at Kaskaskia on the first Monday of the following August. All white male persons over twenty-one, and who had resided in the territory six months prior to election, could vote. There were fifteen counties in the territory. Two delegates were apportioned to each of the counties. of Bond, Monroe, Randolph, Jackson, Johnson, Pope, White, Edwards, Crawford, Union, Washington, and Franklin, while Madison, St. Clair and Gallatin had each three representatives. In the bill for statehood as passed was an amendment, apparently trifling, but of critical and lasting value to the prosperity of Illinois.

By the Ordinance of 1787, there were to be not less than three, nor more than five states in the territory northwest of the Ohio river. Congress reserved the power, if deemed expedient, to form one or two states in that part of the territory lying north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend of Lake Michigan. That line, as Ford says in his history, was generally supposed to be the north boundary of Illinois. Nathaniel Pope, our delegate in Congress, seeing that Chicago was north of that line, and would be excluded by it from the state, and that the contemplated Illinois and Michigan canal to connect the lakes with the Mississippi, would be partly without the state, came to the conclusion that it was competent for Congress to extend the boundaries of the new state as far north as they pleased. This amendment was to extend the northern boundary of the new state to the parallel of forty-two degrees thirty minutes north latitude. Few persons realize what we owe to Pope's amendment. It simply secured for Illinois instead of Wisconsin, fourteen of our splendid northern counties. including the city of Chicago. A small empire. Everlasting honor to

Nathaniel Pope, whose far-seeing sagacity gave forever to Illinois one of the richest jewels in her crown.

Shadrach Bond was elected first governor, and began his term of four years in October, 1818. He was a native of Maryland, a farmer and early settler, and what is remarkable, suggests Ford, in his first message made a Ninian recommendation in favor of the Illinois and Michigan canal. Edwards and Jesse B. Thomas, were elected the first senators. The first legislature provided for the removal of the seat of government from Kaskaskia," the seat of power for one hundred and fifty years, to Vandalia, a spot selected by the commissioners. The state archives, a small wagon load, were accordingly removed by Sidney Breese, then clerk to the secretary of state, for twenty-five dollars.

But other towns were after the capital, Jacksonville, Peoria, Alton, and there was a strenuous canvass. The question was settled, however, Feb. 28, 1837, when the two houses met in joint session, and on the fourth ballot, Springfield was chosen, receiving seventy-three votes, a majority over all competitors. The old capital building at Vandalia was several times remodeled, and is still standing, its small cupola visible through the trees to the traveler on the Illinois Central. The corner stone of the new building at Springfield was laid July 4, 1837, and the brilliant E. D. Baker, afterwards senator from Oregon, who fell in the civil war, was orator of the occasion.

During the early years of statehood, Illinois was the frontier state of the Northwest, Iowa not being organized until 1846, and Wisconsin not until 1848. In 1818 the northern part of the state was almost wholly unoccupied by white settlers, and even in the southern half the settlements were separated by long stretches of wilderness. In 1818 the whole population was about forty-five thousand. Some of these were descendants of the old French settlers, and lived in the style of peasants in old France hundreds of years ago. We quote a paragraph from Ford to show the simple manners of these primitive communities.

The farmer raised his own provisions, tea and coffee being rarely used except on special occasions. The farmer's sheep furnished wool for winter clothing, and he raised cotton and flax for summer attire. His wife and daughters spun and made it into garments. The fur of the raccoon made a cap. The skins of deer or cattle tanned or dressed by himself, made shoes or moccasins. A log cabin without glass, nails or hinges, was considered a comfortable home. Every farmer made his own plows and harness, as well as furniture for the house in the shape of chairs, tables and bedsteads. Carts were made without tires, used without tar, and creaked with a vengeance.

During the thirty years from 1820 to 1850 the progress was remarkable. The building of the Erie canal in New York, the improvement of navigation on the lakes and rivers, the removal of the Indians, gave an impetus to emigration. Instead of the easy plodders from Kentucky and the border states, came a stream of resolute men and women from Pennsylvania, New York, and New England. From 55,000 in 1820, Illinois increased to a population of 850,000 in 1850. Chicago was beginning its marvelous devel

opment. From a fort and village in 1833, 'in 1850 it had a population of 30,000, and in 1853 had increased to 60,000.

ORGANIZATION OF WHITESIDE.

For many of the facts given under this head we are indebted to the careful researches of Charles Bent and Robert L. Wilson. Previous to 1825 the whole northern part of the state extending for a considerable distance south of Peoria, was included in the county of Tazewell, but on Jan. 13, 1825, an act was passed setting off Peoria county, which extended south of the city of Peoria, then known as Fort Clark, and north to the northern boundary of the state. This territory included a large number of the present counties of northwestern Illinois, among them Whiteside. On Feb. 17, 1827, Jo Daviess county was formed, and included within its boundaries the territory constituting the present county of Whiteside, where it remained until Jan. 16, 1836, with the exception of that portion of the territory embraced in the present townships of Portland and Prophetstown, which had been set off to Henry county by the act organizing that county in 1836. That part of the act of Jan. 16, 1836, fixing the present boundaries of Whiteside is as follows:

Section 6. All that tract of country within the following boundary, commencing at the southeast corner of township numbered nineteen, north of seven, range east of the fourth principal meridian; thence west with the said township line to Rock river; thence down along the middle of Rock river to the middle of the Meredosia with the line of Rock Island county to the Mississippi river; thence along the main channel of the Mississippi river to the point where the north line of township twenty-two intersects the same; thence east with said last mentioned township line to the southeast corner of township twenty-three; thence south with the line between ranges seven and eight to the point of beginning, shall constitute a county to be called Whiteside.

Sec. 16. The county of Whiteside shall continue to form a part of the county of Jo Daviess until it shall be organized according to this act, and be attached to said county in all general elections, until otherwise provided by law, and that after the organization of Ogle county, the county of Whiteside shall be attached to said county of Ogle for all judicial and county purposes, until it shall be organized.

So much in a general way for the ingenious, geographical and political arrangements devised by the early Solons for the welfare of the county. Next came the subdivisions.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.

An election was held in 1849 in the different precincts for the purpose of allowing the electors to vote for or against township organization. There was a vote in favor, but on account of some illegality, another election was held on Nov. 4, 1851, which resulted in a majority for the measure of 232 in a total vote of 543. L. D. Crandall, L. H. Woodworth, and William Pollock were appointed commissioners to divide the county into townships, and to fix names and boundaries, under the township organization law adopted

at the election of Nov. 4, 1851. On Feb. 24, 1852, the commissioners reported the following townships: Fulton, Ustick, Clyde, Genesee, Jordan, Sterling, Montmorency, Coloma, Hahnaman, Hume, Como, Hopkins, Tampico, Volney, Prophetstown, Portland, Erie, Fenton, Lyndon, Mt. Pleasant, Union Grove, Garden Plain, Albany, Newton. These made twenty-four, but as Como was merged in Hopkins, and Volney in Prophetstown, the number became as at present, twenty-two.

The first town meeting under the township organization law was held on the first Tuesday of April, 1852 in Albany, Coloma, Clyde, Erie, Fenton, Fulton, Garden Plain, Genesee, Hopkins, Jordan, Lyndon, Newton, Mt. Pleasant, Prophetstown, Portland, Sterling, Union Grove, Ustick. Elections were not held in Montmorency, Hahnaman, Hume, and Tampico, as they were not fully organized. The first annual meeting of the Board was held at Sterling, Sept. 13, 1852, and W. S. Barnes was elected chairman.

DIFFICULTIES OF EARLY TRAVEL.

Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood,
Stand dressed in living green,

So to the Jews old Canaan stood,

While Jordan rolled between.-Watts.

First catch your rabbit, was the standing advice in the cook books before directions were given for cooking the quadruped. So the men of the east considering removal to Illinois had before them the serious proposition of getting there. Around them were their native hills, a thousand miles to the west the virgin prairies, but lying between a region of difficult travel like unexplored Ethiopia in the ancient geographies.

Two general routes were open to the eastern emigrant: From New England by the Erie canal and lakes to Chicago; from Pennsylvania by canal and the rivers. The points inland had, of course, to be reached by wagon. A few illustrations may give a good idea of the Jericho road our pioneers had to traverse.

In the spring of 1831, John H. Bryant, brother of the poet, set out for Illinois from Cummington, Mass. At Albany he took a boat on the Erie canal, and reached Buffalo in seven days, a trip now made in almost as many hours. The lake at Buffalo being full of ice, he was obliged to hire a team to Dunkirk. Then by wagon to Warren on the Alleghany river in Pennsylvania. He found quarters with an English family who were making the voyage in a craft called an ark down the stream to Pittsburg. This occupied seven days. From this city by steamboat to St. Louis, and thence up the Illinois river to Naples. He was now within twenty-two miles of his destination, Jacksonville, and completed the journey on foot. The whole trip occupied five weeks, and cost $60. Now you can make it in a Pullman car in thirty-six hours. The next year he and brother Cyrus rode to Princeton, in Bureau county, on horseback.

Samuel Willard in his Reminiscences in Illinois from 1830 to 1850, says his father went from Boston to Carrollton, Greene county, in March and

April, 1831, taking twenty-seven days to reach Bluffdale. He with wife and three sons, traveled by stage and steamer till they reached Pittsburg, and then by boat on the Ohio, Mississippi, and Illinois. A canoe up a "sloo" brought them to the end of water travel, with a walk of two miles to the house of a friend. Household goods went from Boston to New Orleans, and were brought north by boat, arriving months afterward.

The father and mother of Henry Holbrook traveled from Steuben county, New York, in 1838, in a buggy drawn by one horse, while the family and goods were conveyed by two. At Erie, Pa., a large box was shipped on a sailing vessel. After a tedious trip of five weeks, suffering severely from exposure, they arrived at Genesee Grove in December. Edward Richardson was in company, traveling the whole distance on foot. The vessel was wrecked, but a part of the goods were received a year later.

Col. Ebenezer Seely, one of Portland's strenuous pioneers, had his eventful experience in early transportation. With his own family, and those of John Reed and Henry Brewer, he floated down the Alleghany and Ohio rivers to Louisville, where he took a steamer for St. Louis, and thence to Rock Island, arriving June 4, 1835. After much effort he secured a team to take his family to Portland, and a ferry boat to bring his goods from Rock Island.

Sometimes the trip from the East was made on horseback by men who wished like Joshua to spy out the land, and make a leisurely survey of the conditions. In this way, it is said, the father of Hugh Wallace rode from Pennsylvania, and selected the land for Hugh, Elijah and Hamilton, who afterwards occupied it.

Nathaniel G. Reynolds, Prophetstown, came from Buffalo to Detroit by water, thence to Chicago by team. From Chicago to Rock river only an Indian trail, and for forty-four miles before reaching Prophetstown, not a house in sight. This was in 1835.

As there were no bridges across the smaller streams, it was often necessary to swim the horses. This was especially dangerous in time of high water, when even creeks became raging torrents. Peter Cartwright, the celebrated Methodist preacher, who had half of Illinois for his circuit, was often obliged in meeting his appointments, to swim the flood, and dry his clothes on the other side.

Another tremendous bugbear was the sloughs or in western dialect, "sloos." They were, in some respects, more troublesome than the streams. These could be forded or swam, if the current was not too swift. But the slough was sometimes an impassable barrier. If a team got stuck in the morass, nothing could be done unless more power could be secured. The mire was deep, tough, sticky. So teams traveled in company, and by doubling up, the wagons could be jerked through the swamp. These sloughs occurred in the hollows of the prairies, and travelers who rattle along today over our graveled roads have no idea of the profanity that rang from these treacherous bottoms.

James Talbot, who settled in Jordan in 1835, in coming to the west. sailed down a small stream in a flatboat to Pittsburg, where he took a steamer