which the road was surveyed, subscribed liberally toward building it. Morgan County voted $50,000 stock; Cass, $100,000; Mason, $100,000-$50,000 at two different times; Havana, the county-seat of Mason, voted $15,000; Bath, in Mason County, $10,000, while other cities did well in the same substantial manner. W. G. Wheaton of Peoria, was the first engineer employed, but soon developed a disposition to locate depots and speculate in town lots, which led to a disruption with the directory, and finally resulted in his discharge from the employment of the company, and the selection of another engineer.

The contract was let in May, 1857, for grading, bridging and furnishing cross-ties between Pekin and Jacksonville, a distance of about seventy miles. Allen and McGrady, of Indiana, became the contractors, and the work began at Bath in September, 1857, and was pushed forward rapidly until completed from Pekin to Virginia, which was accomplished in 1859. The section from Pekin to Peoria was finished in 1864, and from Virginia to Jacksonville in 1869; thus completing an unbroken line from Peoria to Jacksonville. For a local road it has always done a heavy business. During the late civil war, the road changed hands, by reason of a foreclosure of first mortgage, and the name was changed to that of Peoria, Pekin and Jacksonville Railroad, and for years, was operated for that company, by John Allen and J. F. Kelsey, who gave very general satisfaction in their management. In 1878, the road went into the hands of a receiver, Mr. John Allen, and sometime after, the controlling interest passed to the Wabash Railway, since which time it has remained a feeder to that great system.

It is a matter of wonder to all strangers who visit Virginia, and a source of considerable profanity to the majority of commercial travelers, that the depot of this road, was located almost as near to Springfield as it is to

Virginia, and "thereby hangs a tale." One, however, which we shall not attempt to "unfold," further than that its being partly at least, caused by the war then existing between the east and west ends of the city, by little under-currents of feeling, local prejudices, and, in fact, wheels within wheels, which together, resulted in the road being located beyond the eastern limits of the city. It is of considerable inconvenience to the citizens of the town and to visitors, and the project now agitated to some extent, of building a union depot, would be hailed by all with unbounded pleasure. However, what is a loss to the citizens and traveling public is a gain to others—the bus

men.

The Springfield division of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad crosses the Peoria, Pekin & Jacksonville road at this place. It was chartered as the Springfield & Illinois Southeastern, and was built through this section in 187172. Cass County manifested her interest in the enterprise by voting $50,000 stock, for which bonds were issued of $1,000 each. Twelve of these bonds have been paid. The road became involved, and after the usual amount of wire-pulling it was sold, and purchased by the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, March 1, 1875, since which time, it has been known as the "Springfield Division of the Ohio & Mississippi." While it is not kept in the best condition, yet it has been of great advantage to Virginia in giving her a more direct outlet to Eastern markets, and connections at Springfield with several first-class roads. These two roads have made Virginia what she is, and afford her ample means of transportation and travel.

The Press. No art save that of printing can reproduce the original emanations of genius in unlimited number, and as long as time shall last. Statues, monuments, paintings, molder and fade, and with them the names of those they were intended to memorialize; but the volume of to-day may be re

printed ten thousand years hence, if the world shall endure so long, and the last copy will be, for all practical purposes, as available as the first. In this age of refinement and civilization, of education and letters; an age in which a Henry Clay rises from the humble "Mill-boy of the Slashes" to the greatest statesman the world ever saw, and an Abraham Lincoln steps up by regular gradation from a gawky rail-splitter to President of the United States; in this age of advancement we say, a town of any importance at all, without a newspaper, would indeed be phenomenal. It is to be regretted, however, that many sections of the country pay so little attention to their newspapers, and contribute so little to their support. Said Daniel Webster: "I care not how unpretending a newspaper may be every issue contains something that is worth the subscription price." In Ohio it is a State law that every newspaper published in the county, shall be kept on file in the office of the County Auditor, and at the end of each year be bound in volumes at the public expense. This is a good move, and should be followed in the other States. There is no other way so correct of preserving the country's history as through the medium of the press. The very advertisements eventually become historical facts, and sometimes of the greatest value. The press of to-day, it can not be disputed, is the ruling element, not only in the political, but in the social world.

The newspaper history of Virginia dates back to 1847, when the Chronicle was established. It was an ultra Whig paper, and was originally started by a Mr. Tilden, an own cousin, it is said, of the Sage of Gramercy Park, Samuel J. Tilden, of New York. Mark W. Dellaha became the editor and proprietor, and conducted the paper until 1852, when he sold out to parties who removed the paper from the town. Mr. Dellaha was a lawyer of considerable prominence and ability, and

a fine orator. After selling out the Chronicle he removed to Kansas, in 1853, and established the first paper at Leavenworth, published in the State. Subsequently he became Judge of the United States District Court of Kansas.

The Cass County Times was the next paper established in Virginia, and sprang into existence about the year 1855, through the energy and enterprise of Richard S. Thomas, one of the most pushing, and live, wide-awake business men in the town. Mr. Thomas conducted the Times as a neutral paper until the campaign of 1860, when it raised the standard of the Republican party, as led by Abraham Lincoln in the contest for the presidency. Thomas disposed of the editorial management of the Times to Prof. McDowell, by whom it was operated until the close of the year 1860, or beginning of 1861, when it was sold to Mr. Naylor, and the office removed to Pekin, a move which resulted in establishing the Tazewell Republican.

During the hotly contested and exciting campaign of 1860, a company was formed which started the Cass County Union, a Douglas paper, edited by Lafayette Briggs, who published it until the fall of 1864. It had become the property of Jacob Dunnaway, who sold it to a gentleman, and it was moved to Beardstown, but was shortly after again removed, and this time to El Paso. Virginia was now without a paper, and remained so until 1867, when a Republican paper was established by John S. Harper and N. S. Purviance. It was shortly after purchased by L. S. Allard, who changed it, or commenced the publication of the Cass County Courier. While these changes were taking place, the Democrats again established a county organ, with a Mr. Friend as editor; it finally fell into the hands of J. J. Bunce, who published for a time the Jeffersonian; but later moved the office to Chandlerville. The Courier was

published by L. S. Allard, until in February, 18 2, when he leased the office to his son, H. C. Allard and W. M. Summers, by whom the name of the paper was changed to the Guzette, and operated by the firm about one year. Mr. Allard then retired and Mr. Summers became editor and proprietor of the paper. The Gazette under the management of Mr. Summers, at once took rank with the best conducted newspapers of the State, being bold and fearless in its advocacy of what its editor deemed right and just. Every issue of the paper was eagerly read by an increasing list of subscribers, and while many may not have agreed with the editor in his policy, or endorsed his methods of treatingmen and measures, all admitted his earnestness, and admired the bold and manly course he pursued in treating of local issues andcounty affairs.

In the memorable contest over the removal of the county seat, the Gazette was a staunch and able advocate of the Virginia interest, and in the county elections pending the contest, to his efforts, more than to any other one man, may be ascribed the successful issue of the "People's movement," which placed in most of the county offices men who were pronounced for Virginia. To say that Mr. Summers was without enemies would be to assert that which is not borne out by the facts. A man of so pronounced a character, so bold in speech, so strong a hater, and so earnest a friend, must needs have enemies, and they lost no opportunity to heap abuse upon him. Through all the Gazette continued to prosper, and became widely known as a fearless, able and outspoken paper. In February, 1876, Mr. Summers's health failed. He had suffered the previous year with disease of the lungs, and was unable at all times to attend to the duties of his office. After vainly seeking health in the cooling breezes of the north, he was compelled to retire from the Gazette, which was purchased by Messrs. Brownlee & Allard, who

assumed charge February 25, 1876. Mr. Summers died in Petersburg, Ill., in November following.

Mr. Allard, of the firm of Brownlee & Allard, was, together with Mr. Summers, a founder of the Gazette. Mr. Allard retired in September, 1876, and Mr. Brownlee continued alone until August 17, 1877, when T. L. Matthews and W. H. Thacker became proprietors. Mr. Matthews bought out Thacker, January 18, 1878, and January 3, 1879, H. C. Allard again became interested in the paper. During the campaign of 1880, C. M. Tinney, the present editor, had editorial control, while Mr. Allard was in Fort Smith, Ark., conducting the New Era, owned by Hon. V. Dell, then United States Marshal of the Western District of Arkansas. April 29, 1881, Mr. Tinney bought the Gazette, and assumed full control of it, which position he has ever since maintained. Under his management, the Gazette has lost nothing of its former high standing as an able and influential newspaper, but continues to improve in character and excellence. It ranks among the very best papers in Central and Southern Illinois, and is the leading Republican paper in this section. Mr. Tinney is an able and efficient writer, and a live, and wide-awake newspaper man, deserving of liberal support from the town and county.

The Virginia Enquirer is a weekly paper, published in Virginia. It is the official organ of the Democratic party in Cass County, and an able and earnest exponent of the principles of the Jacksonian Democracy.

ment to a Democratic Stock Company, and the management of the paper was entrusted to C. A. Crandall and Thomas Thompson. In the winter of 1876, the Stock Company disposed of the property to William T. Dowdall, of the Peoria Democrat. In March, 1877, John Frank, the present proprietor, purchased the paper from Mr. Dowdall, and issued his first number on the nineteenth of that month. Mr. Frank gave the paper a new dress, put in new job material, and otherwise increased the facilities of the office. As time rolled on, the business grew and prospered, and he was compelled from time to time to enlarge the paper. The subscription-list is, at this time, five times. as large as it was when Mr. Frank took possession. The paper is a large seven column quarto, whose advertising columns are crowded with advertisements from the best houses in central Illinois. It is a live local sheet, and ranks among the sterling Democratic papers of the State. Mr. Frank has labored hard to bring it up to its preser.t standard, and the success that has attended his efforts, is no more than he deserves.

The people of Virginia and the surrounding community, have two as able local newspapers in the Enquirer and Gazette as are to be found in any county in the State. They should feel proud of their city press, and support it as it deserves to be supported.

Court Houses.-Virginia has twice been the seat of justice of Cass County. The county was organized in 1837, and Beardstown was made the seat of justice, but, as we learn from Judge Shaw's Centennial address, failed to comply with the act of the legislature requiring the sum of ten thousand dollars to be paid in to the county treasury for the erection of public buildings, and the County Commissioners, under a provision of the act, located the county seat at Virginia. The following act was passed by the legislature and approved March 2, 1839:

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly, That the county seat of Cass County shall be and remain at Virginia, and the courts of said county shall hereafter be held at that place; and the several county officers who are required to keep their offices at the county seat, are required to remove their respective offices, and all bonds, documents, books and papers pertaining to the same to Virginia on or before the first day of May next, and thereafter hold and keep their offices at that place, etc., etc., etc.

Thus the county seat was moved to Virginia in an early period of the county's existence, and also in an early period of the existence of Virginia, which had been laid but a year or two before. Fifteen acres of land were donated by Dr. Hall, the proprietor of Virginia, for the purpose of erecting public buildings. A public square had been laid out, being that in the west end of the town, upon which the public school building now stands. Upon this square a court house was erected at a cost of near $2,000. It was a two-story brick, and served as a temple of justice until the county seat was moved back to Beardstown in 1843-44. The vote was taken in September of 1843, resulting in the "permanent location of the county seat at Beardstown," but which proved to be otherwise than permanent." It was not, however, until the famous election in 1872, that the question of the county seat was settled, perhaps, forever, by again moving it, or re-locating it at Virginia. There is little fear of its ever being moved back to Beardstown, and, indeed, looking at the matter from a disinterested standpoint, we can really see no reason why it should not remain where it now is. It is near the geographical centre of the county, has two railroads crossing almost at right angles, an excellent court house and jail, all of which considered, will no doubt conspire to keep it at Virginia henceforth.

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