Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard GlazierOwens, John Algernon
History
Sword and Pen: Ventures and Adventures of Willard Glazier
Owens, John Algernon
Glazier, Willard W., 1841-1905; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Personal narratives
On the seventeenth he crossed the boundary between Indiana and Illinois.
On Grand Prairie, after dark, his ears were made familiar with the
peculiar howl of the prairie wolf, numbers of which followed in his
track for a distance of two or three miles. Not having seen any of these
animals before, he supposed them at first to be dogs, until advised by
"Paul's" manner and movements that they were animals less friendly to
his equine companion.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Glazier rode into Joliet, and met Mr.
Thomas Babcock, his advance agent, on Jefferson Street. Preparations had
been made here for the delivery of the lecture, and several prominent
citizens called upon him, having heard of his projected visit to the
place. His brother Herbert, who was also acting in the capacity of
advance agent, had departed to Ottawa to prepare for a lecture there on
the twentieth. While at Joliet, Captain Glazier stopped at the Robertson
House, the proprietor of which, Mr. Conklin, sent word through the
agent, that the captain was to consider himself his guest.
At the suggestion of Mr. Conklin, Captain Glazier on leaving Joliet,
rode his horse along the tow-path of the Michigan Canal, and borrowing a
hook and line from a gentleman who was fishing, caught twenty-three
perch in less than half an hour, the canal seeming literally alive with
this fish.
Leaving Morris, in Grundy County, Illinois, his journey lay along the
north bank of the Illinois River, and after encountering a very severe
rain storm, he reached Ottawa, September twentieth, stopping at the
Clifton House. From the proprietors of this hotel he received many
courtesies. The lecture, as arranged, was delivered in the evening with
the usual satisfactory results.
On leaving Ottawa, the captain followed the telegraph poles along the
Illinois River, passing a large number of very fine corn-fields, and
overtaking an emigrant train on its journey from Ohio to Western
Nebraska. La Salle was reached at six o'clock on the evening of the
twenty-first. Here he enjoyed the society and hospitality of Colonel R.
C. Stevens, and was introduced to a number of other prominent gentlemen,
who were attracted to him by their interest in the projected monument to
General Custer. The lecture was delivered at Opera Hall, Colonel Stevens
making the introduction. The following letter may be presented here to
show the estimation in which Captain Glazier continued to be held as he
progressed in his journey westward:
La Salle, Illinois,
_September 25th, 1876_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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