News items from the Kendall County Record, 1870-1889. 1870 January Jan. 6: The transferment of Oswego from 1869 to 1870 took place at the usual time and without any unusual manifestation; with the exception of those who attended the Watch- meeting of the Methodists, most of its inhabitants were asleep, and therefore unconscious of the great event when it took place; at the Watch-meeting Elder Davison very forcibly reminded his hearers of their short comings in '69 and earnestly exhorted them to do better in '70. Among the newly married are Charles Kimball and Helen Schram; J. Bissell Hunt and Mary F. Porter, our popular teacher; John G. Faust and Almira Hafenrichter. The ladies’ fair and festival in support of the projected hearse was only a partial success; the net profits amounting to only about $80. No discouragement, however, is apparent on the part of the association. These ladies seem to be bound to have a hearse and be buried in style. The gossip mongers very nearly succeeded in starting another sensation. It appears that on New Year’s evening several young gentlemen met together and in order to further the enjoyments of this august holiday, they resorted to some of the ordinary stimulants, the effects of which it was said to have been somewhat extraordinary, producing more than the usual result and seemingly having more than the ordinary properties to make drunks. Yorkville: Hon. Henry Sherrill, member of the Constitutional Convention from Kendall county, introduced a resolution on Monday “that the fees and emoluments of town and county officers for like services performed shall be uniform throughout the State and that all Sheriffs that be eligible for reelection.” At the last session of the Legislature, Mr. Coy, of Kendall, had a law passed reducing the fees of officers in that county. It is claimed that the reduction is so great and so manifestly unjust that this action is necessary. Certainly, the proposition of Mr. Sherrill is fair and honorable. Yorkville is getting almost as bad as Oswego for drunkenness, fights, and saloons. Will State’s Attorney Blanchard look after these things during Court week? Jan. 13: A meeting was held one day last week to consider whether or not the Town collector should be restrained by injunction to collect certain taxes pertaining to the OO&FRVRR. Result, no cause of action. Mrs. Amanda Wicks is filling the vacancy of a teacher, caused by Fannie Porter getting married. The Oswego Division Sons of Temperance, on last Saturday evening threw open their Hall and invited the public to meet with them for the purpose to devise ways and means to further the cause of temperance; owing to the extreme cold weather but a very few turned out; the principal addresses were made by the Rev. Messrs Barclay and Baldwin. Other gentlemen spoke, finding fault with one another's actions in regard the subject. The meeting adjourned without any decisive action. Yorkville: We breakfasted the other morning on tender buffalo steak from the market of Mr. Thomas. As far as we could judge it might as well have been beef as far as taste was concerned. It was very tender and juicy. Thomas has all the novelties of the Chicago market. A manufacturing company is being organized at Plano to be called the “Plano Manufacturing Company,” with an authorized capital of $80,000. C.W. Marsh, Lewis Steward, G.H. Steward, E.H. Gammon, and G.D. Henning are the incorporators. Jan. 20: The transferment of Oswego from 1869 to 1870 took place at the usual time and without any unusual manifestation; with the exception of those who attended the Watch- meeting of the Methodists, most of its inhabitants were asleep and therefore unconscious of the great event when it took place. The latest piece of new music out is “And still they marry,” which was composed by Mr. William P. Danforth and Miss Eliza A. Moore, before familiarly known as Bill Danforth and Lizzie Moore, all of which happened last week Thursday. They immediately started on their wedding tour, which was to be extended to a foreign country, Iowa I believe. The weather has been extremely cold last night; thermometer this morning stood at 3° below zero. For good and sufficient reason the eclipse of the moon yesterday morning was not visible in Oswego. Owing to a change in the mail time, which now is a half hour earlier than formerly of which I was not aware, I have not time to write up a number of interesting items. Yorkville: In a Jan. 20, 1870 letter to the editor of the Kendall County Record, Oswego residents Frederick Coffin, Charles Sutherland, Marcus J. Richards, J.A. Kenney, Alonzo B. Smith, and William Hoze wrote of the new Fox River Railroad: "The road is now graded through here, and it is no great stretch of the imagination to see the bed have on its surface the ties and rails and bear the scream of the engine's whistle and the roar of the passing trains. "Our village and every village on the line of the route will receive an impetus in growth and prosperity in consequence of the road, the years will be but few before the many water powers along the Fox River will be made of value and the noise of scores of manufacturing enterprises will enliven every village, attracting population and capital both of which benefit the agriculturalist and tradesmen, making business lively and prosperous.” We have had every degree of weather from summer to winter in the past week. On Sunday afternoon there was a warm rain--at nine o'clock in the evening it was warm enough out of doors for a linen coat--at 10:30 or eleven at night it thundered and lightened. At eight o'clock Monday morning the thermometer was within eight degrees of zero; a change of about forth degrees in ten hours. And such a day as Monday was a high cold wind blowing all day and penetrating everywhere and everything. Jan. 27: The Literary Association last evening discussed the question, Resolved, “That the Bible should be excluded from the common schools in the United States." Cliggitt, Rank, and Hall on the affirmative; Haight, Vorhees, and Parkhurst negative. Mrs. Jolly acted as umpire and decided the question, much against her inclination, in favor of the affirmative. After the decision was rendered, a few remarks were made by a clergyman present, favoring the negative side. A writing school is in operation taught by Prof. Cross, of Aurora. A dancing association has been formed and the first ball of the series came off Friday evening. Yorkville: Work has stopped on the F.R.V.R.R for the winter. It will commence as soon as possible in the spring. On Friday last as Mr. S. Naden was driving home from Oswego, when near Mr. Cherry’s, he was overtaken by some teams, the drivers of which attempted to pass him. In so doing they ran into his wagon, threw him out, and a wagon passed over him, knocking out several teeth and injuring his head very badly. He was taken into Mr. Cherry’s and cared for. A Negro in the U.S. Senate The Mississippi Legislature last week elected W.H. Revel, a colored member of the State Senate, a native of the state and educated in Ohio, to fill the short term vacancy in the United States Senate expiring March 4, 1871. The same body at the same time elected Governor elect Alcorn as Revel’s successor in the United States Senate for the long term and General Ames, at present the United States military commandant of that State, for his colleague. February -- 1870 Feb. 3: A sad accident occurred at the railroad crossing above this place on Saturday afternoon. Harmon Minkler of Rochelle, in company with his son, Theodore, a lad of 19 years, had been in Aurora selling his work, meeting there his brother, Smith G. Minkler of Specie Grove, it was agreed that they go home with Smith and pay him a visit; the two older Minklers riding together in Smith’s buggy, and the young man following some distance behind with the lumber wagon and in crossing the track was run into by the western bound train, receiving injures of which he afterwards died at the house of A.J. Wormley to which he had been taken…On yesterday morning the railroad company furnished a special train to convey the remains and the friends of the deceased to Turner’s Junction. The faultfinding with our highway commissioners in allowing the railroad company to dispense with a bridge at said crossing has been renewed by this occurrence. Yorkville: By the County Superintendent: Thursday, the 27th, took a drive to a school about three miles east of Oswego in the Squire’s neighborhood. It was a delightful day for riding and we passed through a portion of the county new to us--having never before been on the Naperville road. The farmers in that section should be happy by living among such beautiful scenery. If thus beautiful in winter, what must it be in summer? As the soldiers used to say, “it is God’s country.” Found the school house behind a belt of trees in a pleasant place. Miss Frank Crandall was in charge with some 35 scholars. The room has the improved seats, and is a fair schoolroom. Black boards, maps, and charts in plenty. There are some dozen panes of glass out of the windows; consequently there is plenty of air.