Ocean to Ocean on Horseback Part 23

"What would your next advice be?"

"Aspire."

"But what then?"

"Aspire."

Chicago believes in that advice. She has always believed in it. Nay, more, she has lived it.

CHAPTER XX.

CHICAGO TO DAVENPORT.

One hundred and Twenty-sixth Day.

_Jewell House_, MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, _September 14, 1876_.

In the morning I settled with Darby, and in the afternoon he returned to Decatur.

At nightfall here, the excitement which had been rising during the day reached its climax when the Michigan City Democrats repaired to the New Albany depot to hold a ma.s.s meeting.

Notwithstanding my own sentiments, I went too, and was highly entertained by the speakers, among whom were Hon. Daniel W. Voorhees of Terre Haute, Hon. James Williams--better known in the Hoosier State as "Blue Jeans" Williams--and Hon. Morgan Weir, of La Porte.

When Voorhees arrived his enthusiastic partisans had him driven in state from the station in a carriage drawn by four white horses. He was no doubt the lion of the occasion and his energetic language drew forth frequent applause. The strong features, straight brows and broad forehead of this politician would proclaim him a man of force anywhere.

A large crowd had gathered at the appointed place and business began at eight o'clock. As time pa.s.sed the excitement grew more intense, and towards the close of the meeting an amusing incident was noted, when the honorable senator took issue with his opponents. I then became aware that there were others present of a different faith, besides myself, for no sooner were Voorhees' anti-Republican sentiments voiced than a vehement champion of the Republican party jumped to his feet denouncing as false the statements made, winding up his remarks by thumping his cane on the benches and saying that all that had been spoken was a "pack of lies!" Off in another part of the building an excited Irishman also jumped up crying out: "Mr. Voorhees is a perfect gintleman, sor!" A compliment which the Hoosiers quickly took up and the depot rang with: "Mr. Voorhees is a perfect gintleman, sor!"

My co-partisan was silenced, if not convinced. The other speakers scored several points for their cause and the meeting closed with three cheers and a tiger for the Democratic candidates.

One hundred and Twenty-seventh Day.

_Jewell House_, MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, _September Fifteenth_.

Being detained on account of the condition of my horse, and as the weather now was most delightful, I made the best of the situation by looking about the place, since I had seen comparatively little of it up to this time. Possibly no city or town along my route labors under greater disadvantages from a geographical or commercial point of view than this "city of sand," situated as it is at the extreme southern end of Lake Michigan, with the water splashing against it on one side and the wind and sand storms beating against it on the other.

However, it has overcome these obstacles to a certain degree and is hardly lacking in enterprise, as the ma.s.s meeting of the preceding day testified. Here, perhaps, more than at any other of the towns and cities lying around Lake Michigan, one is impressed with the resistless force of this splendid inland sea, and so unique an impression did the place make upon me that my detention did not become irksome, although all the fascinations of the Great West lay beyond.

One hundred and Twenty-eighth Day.

_Hobart House_, HOBART, INDIANA, _September Sixteenth_.

Did not get on the road until nearly eleven o'clock. The rest and treatment which _Paul_ had received at Michigan City put him in excellent spirits for a rapid journey and he stepped off nimbly when I gave him the reins in front of the Jewell House. I was greatly encouraged by the condition of my horse and now that the word was once more "onward," all the fascination of the ride came back.

Although the scenes I pa.s.sed through were very like others, there being nothing of marked interest to the traveller in this section of Indiana, I still found much pleasure in looking over the farms as I pa.s.sed them and noticing the variety of methods and effects.

A good stimulating breeze came inland from the lake and by noon it had added zest to my appet.i.te. I stopped for dinner at the village of Chesterton and then pushed on to this place which was reached in the evening by seven o'clock--twenty-eight miles having been covered during the day.

The only accommodation to be found was nothing more nor less than a beer-saloon with sleeping rooms attached, a characteristic, I regret to say, which I observed in many of the small towns through this section of the country. As immediate environment has an influence in making impressions, my opinion of this halting-place on the borders of "Hoosierdom" was not the most exalted.

One hundred and Twenty-ninth Day.

_Rohmer House_, RICHTON, ILLINOIS, _September Seventeenth_.

Owing to the late hour of my arrival at Hobart the previous evening I was unable to observe my usual practice of looking through the place and making a note of its striking points in my journal, and for this reason I was not in the saddle until ten o'clock A. M., although the time was spent more in seeing than in chronicling what was seen.

_Paul_ was still in the happiest of spirits and I rode away from Hobart at a gallop, stirring the dust of this sleepy little village as it had possibly not been stirred for many moons. The cheerful fact was made clear to me before leaving that I was as far from Joliet at Hobart as I had supposed myself to be at Michigan City.

In the course of the day, in which twenty-eight miles were again covered, Centralia, Sherryville and Dyer were pa.s.sed, these towns being on Grand Prairie, across which I rode from morning till night. At four o'clock I reached the boundary between Indiana and Illinois, realizing that at this point six States had added their rich scenes and splendid enterprises to my memory.

As I was moving along on the prairie just before dark my ears caught the sound of a peculiar barking and soon a pack of what I supposed to be dogs were following me. I noticed that _Paul's_ manner changed and he appeared disturbed, but attributed this to the barking and the persistent keeping at his heels of the little animals. To a man whom I met later, I explained that I had been followed for some hours by a pack of dogs, when he promptly informed me that they were doubtless prairie wolves. Of course to an Easterner this news gave an added interest to Grand Prairie.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COUNTRY ROAD IN ILLINOIS.]

One hundred and Thirtieth Day.

_Robertson House_, JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

_September Eighteenth_.

Had _Paul_ brought out at eight o'clock. As soon as he was saddled at Richton the man who attended to him threw the rein over the neck of the horse, and a moment later he made his appearance unaccompanied in front of the Rohmer House. This being an undoubted sign of his anxiety to be off, I mounted at once and we were soon lessening the distance to Joliet, our evening destination, twenty-one miles away.

Was all day again on Grand Prairie, which may give some idea of this the greatest and truly the grandest prairie yet pa.s.sed on my route. Its proximity to Chicago is doubtless one of the chief causes of the high winds for which the "Windy City" is noted; and if Chicago could, she would gladly change her inconvenient environment.

At Lenox I halted for dinner, reaching Joliet at four P. M. In riding through Jefferson street, I was met by Babc.o.c.k who seemed much surprised at my early arrival. Notwithstanding the fact that "Rip Van Winkle" was being played at the opera house, Robert McWade, a young actor of some prominence, taking the leading _role_, I found a fair audience awaiting me at Werner Hall in the evening, which proved that interest was still felt in the Custer Monument movement.

One hundred and Thirty-first Day.

_Hopkins House_, MORRIS, ILLINOIS, _September Nineteenth_.

On calling for my bill at the Robertson House, Joliet, in the morning, Mr. Conklin the proprietor, declined to accept any pay for my accommodations, and when I insisted, said he wished the pleasure of making me his guest during my stay. I did not get a very early start, as a family by the name of Horner, upon hearing of my arrival, called at the hotel and at their solicitation I made them a short visit. They knew of my journey and interest in the Custer a.s.sociation, and being patriotic made this their reason for wishing to meet me. Their friendliness was but another proof of the hospitality of the people of Joliet, among whom I had come the day before as a comparative stranger, but whom I left with the kindliest of feeling.

Before leaving, Mr. Conklin suggested that I ride along the tow-path of the Michigan Ca.n.a.l from Joliet to Chanahon, and I followed his advice, having dinner at the latter place. It happened that the innkeeper was well supplied with sweet cider and I helped him to dispose of it by drinking the contents of six well-filled gla.s.ses. Beyond Chanahon, on the Illinois River, I borrowed a hook and line of a farmer who was fishing and caught twenty-three perch in half an hour.

At four o'clock I reached the summit of a hill on the border of a prairie from which I could look off for fifteen or twenty miles over a fertile country through which two silver streams wound to unite just below--the Kankakee here paying tribute to the Illinois. The atmosphere was perfect--clear and pure; the trees were tinged red and yellow with the first frosts, and to all this was added the glory of the sunset which I lingered to admire before turning away from so charming a scene.

Such a view leaves a deep impress on the memory, and stirs recollections of more youthful days. Emotions like these have a purifying effect upon all men.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AN ILLINOIS HOME.]