ANALYSIS OF LITHIA SPRINGS WATER.

By Prof. Palmer of Our State University.
Champaign, Ill., June 27, ‘90
Rev. Mr. J. L. Douthit,
Shelbyville, Ill.

Dear Sir:
  I send you herewith the results of our analysis of the mineral water which you submitted to us for examination some time ago.
  Our examination was made with reference to the more common mineral constituents only and the quantities of these found we have calculated to grains per U. S. Gallon of 58,318 grains.

Silica, grs per U.S. gal. ...........1.1057
Oxide of Aluminum, grs per U.S. gal.   ........... .1350
Chloride of Sodium, grs per U.S. gal.    ...........1.1151
Chloride of Potassium, grs per U.S. gal.  ...........    .4751
Bicarbonate of Sodium, grs per U.S. gal. ...........   18.4007
Bicarbonate of Calcium, grs per U.S. gal. ...........   15.6417
Bicarbonate of Magnesium, grs per U.S. gal.  ...........  13.3637
Bicarbonate of Iron, grs per U.S. gal. ...........   .4860
Total        ...........               50.7230

Arthur W. Palmer, Sc. Dr.
Professor of Chemistry, University of Illinois.

The Rare Virtues of the Water.

  It will be noticed that Prof. Palmer says in above note that his "examination was made with reference to THE MORE COMMON MINERAL CONSTITUENTS ONLY." The rare minerals such as lithium etc,., that are supposed to be in the water, judging by its effects, could not be discovered except by a much more thorough analysis. This is promised at an early date.
  Nevertheless, this incomplete analysis shows that the peculiar properties of the water is very similar to that of some of the most celebrated medicinal springs in Europe and America. A reference to the encyclopedias will convince any one of this fact.
  The water of these springs has been shipped in kegs and barrels to New Orleans, California and other distant localities.
  Thos who have used the water of Saylor Springs, Illinois, and Waukesha, Wis., and other celebrated health springs, pronounce this Lithia Springs water to be equally beneficial for invalids as that of any of those famous health resorts.
  Scores of persons in Shelby County have testified to the great benefit of the water. Invalids who have lived in the locality, and others who have camped there for weeks and used the water, have been greatly improved in health and in some instances restored from years of invalidism.
  The proprietor could publish hundreds of honest testimonials from those who have tried it, as to the great value of this water for various chronic diseases Liver, Spleen, Kidney, Bladder troubles, Hemorrhoids, &c.
  The Springs are about one mile north of Middlesworth station, which is nearly equally distant between Shelbyville and Windsor, and on the Indianapolis and St. Louis Railroad. All but the limited express and through freight trains stop at this station.
  The Springs are in a narrow bottom land through which a creek flows close by the Springs and into which the water from the Springs flow. This bottom is covered with a rich growth of sugar maple, walnut, oak, cottonwood, sycamore and other wild wood trees. The hills rise high on each side of the creek and the scenery is rugged and picturesque. It is a quiet and delightful spot for camping out, walking, climbing steep bluffs, and resting for awhile, away from the busy, noisy world.

ty-six years the Shelby County Agricultural Fair has been held and grown larger and better. The grounds contain thirty acres of level ground and plenty of luxuriant shade trees and is supplied with plenty of water from the city water company. The grounds are well supplied with buildings. There is an amphitheater which will seat several thousands, a pretty bandstand, large floral hall, and agricultural hall besides ample accommodations for poultry and stock.  Although there are sometimes immense crowds on the grounds good order is always preserved. No gambling or dinking is allowed on the grounds by the authorities and this fair has the reputation of being one of the respectable fairs of the state. The county may well be proud of her annual fair and her grounds. The editor has seen state fairs in past years that did not make so fine an exhibit on the whole as may be seen of late years at our Shelby County Fair.

  Not only Shelbyville but the village of Moweaqua, Tower Hill, Cowden, Stewardson, Fancher, Findlay, Prairie Bird, and all the townships in the county excepting three or four, are free of dramshops.
  Every year the lines are drawn more stringently against violators of the liquor law. As evidence of this fact we are informed that our present capable and efficient State Attorney Wm. B. Townsend has, during his administration of four years and more, secured more convictions in proportion to the indictments found and information filed, than have ever been secured in the same time, perhaps, in the history of the county. The majority of our present county and city officials are mostly total abstainers.
  Our criminal docket is remarkably small and grows less each year. Our jail has few inmates and part of the time it is empty. This we believe to be a state of affairs that scarcely exists in any county of the same population to this great state.

  Josephine Garis was born in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and is a lineal descent of Fitch, the steamboat inventory. Her early life was spent amid the surroundings of mills and mill machinery in several small towns on the Ohio River and in Indiana. Her father had charge of mills – woolen mills, grist mills and saw mills. While living at Valparaiso, Ind., where her father held the offices of county surveyor and state swamp engineer until his death, Miss Garis attended the female seminary in that city. When the institution was burned she spent the enforced vacation with a sister in Windsor, Ill. Here she met and was married to William A. Cochran, who was during his life one of the most prominent men and politicians in this section. One child was born, who, with the husband and father, has been dead many years. Soon after her husband’s death Mrs. Cochran began making plans to bring out a machine to do the larger part of the drudgery of dishwashing by machinery, and thus save our overworked women many hours each week. In 1884 the Cochran dishwasher was patented. This machine washes and dries the dishes in the most perfect manner, with but a fraction of the time spent in the old way. No small machines for family use have yet been manufactured, but large, steam power machines are running in the Central W. C. T. U. restaurant, 69 Washington Street, and in the Tremont House, Chicago.

  The above represents one of Shelbyville’s oldest and most substantial citizens – John A. Tackett.  His father, John Tackett, came here in 1827 and kept a hotel on the corner where the Tallman House now stands, and farmed and dealt in stock. The son, John A. Tackett, was born Sept. 28, 1834 and has lived here always. In 1880 he was married to Flora N. Cash of Westfield, Ill.  One pretty flaxen haired daughter, Irma, has made their home bright for some ten summers. Their home on North Broadway is one of the neatest and prettiest in this city of beautiful dwellings. Mr. Tackett was one of the founders of our Shelby County Fair. He and Philo Parker bought the ground and kept it for several years for that purpose. For twenty years Mr. Tackett was President of the Fair Association and it is largely due his efforts that Shelby County now has such splendid fair grounds and hold annual exhibits of such great merit. Mr. Tackett has served in several offices of this city and held the office of city treasurer several years. Of late he has retired form active business life and during part of the time looks after the interests of his three fine farms near Shelbyville. In brief Mr. Tackett is one of our reliable citizens, honest in all his dealings, a man of few words and yet outspoken and square up for what he believes to be right whether it be with the minority or majority. 

ELIAS MILLER.

  Elias Miller, better known as "E," has been a resident of this mundane sphere since October 21, 1863, on which day he was born in Clarksville, Texas. At four years of age he saw Shelbyville, and liked it so well that he has remained here most of the time since. Mr. Miller began his business life as a delivery boy and clerk in the grocery store of Hannaman & Dixon. He afterwards worked for Allen & Smith and Chas. W. Steward. He remained with Mr. Steward for many years, and by his faithfulness, energy and activity rose to the position of head clerk, which position he held for ten successive years. Everybody came to know "E," and finding him always pleasant and accommodating liked to trade with him, so that when, in 1890, he bought out his former employer, C. W. Steward, and started in business for himself, it was a foregone conclusion that he would have a big trade and do a lively business. And he has. He aims to keep the best in his line that can be had. The fact that two delivery wagons are kept from morning till night of each day delivering groceries to the people of Shelbyville is pretty good evidence that he is doing so. His store on the south side of Main Street has recently been refitted and refurnished and is known as the "Real Red" grocery. It is a model of neatness; the wares are artistically and tastefully arranged.  The "Real Red" is always up to the times and customers are drawn not only by the attractive appearance and arrangement but by the fair prices which prevail. Fine fruits are a specialty, and some days more fruits have been sold here than all other places combined. 

JAMES N. BALLARD

  James N. Ballard was born in Ross County, Ohio, 1846, and was raise don a farm. In 1868 he came to this place and worked in the marble business for ten years.  He was engaged in the boot and shoe business in Springfield, Mo., from 1883 to 1884, but returning to Shelbyville entered the dry goods business with Jesse Levering. The firm, Levering & Ballard, continued until a few months ago. Since that time Mr. Ballard has conducted the business alone.

  The store is conducted on a cash basis, has a large stock and a great variety of goods and has an immense trade. Mr. Ballard has no catch penny attractions but conducts his business on the "merit wins" plan. Mr. Ballard was married in 1874 to Miss Princess E. Scott of Marion, Ohio, who passed form earth but a few years ago, leaving the husband and two sons to mourn. As an evidence of Mr. Ballard’s popular qualities it need but be mentioned that he served as Justice of the Peace for many years being elected on the Republican ticket in a townships largely Democratic and this without treating for votes or using any of the low methods too common in political contests.

Was born May 13, 1855, the youngest of fifteen children – nine of whom are still living. His life was spent mostly at home on the farm, until his eighteenth year when he entered Westfield (Ill.) College. After spending a few years at that institution and also graduating from Bryant & Stratton’s BusinessCollege in Chicago, he entered the service of Kleeman & Goldstein, dry goods merchants of Shelbyville.  After a year and a half, he, in company with J. A. James, engaged in the dry goods and general merchandise business for  a number of years. For the past few years Mr. Yantis has been engaged in the Real Estate and Loan business.  He is an active member of the I.O.O.F. and K. of P. organization and is a man of temperate habits and industrious. He is affable in manner and ever willing to do a friend a favor and help public enterprises. Mr. Yantis has served several years as a member of the state board of Equalization and during the past session took quite an active part in the deliberations of that body in serving the interests of equality and justice. In 1876 he was married to Miss Tarcy J. James. His wife passed away and left the husband with two daughters. In 1881 Mr. Yantis took in marriage Miss Cordelia James and a son and daughter are the result of this union. The Yantis family have a pleasant home on North Washington Street.

  If this face had more of a hearty good-natured smile, it would fairly represent James Cochran of Ash Grove. He is one of the noble yeomanry of Shelby County. He is now in his seventy-eighth year, hale and hearty, and lives happily with the good wife, who has traveled life’s journey with him more than sixty years. Their comfortable home is three miles southeast of Windsor; and on that same spot they have wrought diligently with their hands all their married life. They have raised four sons, the oldest, William A., was a noted and much honored man in Shelby County, and did rare service as clerk of the circuit court for many years. He died in 1883, leaving a widow, a sketch of whom is given in in this edition. John J. died in 1839. The other two sons, James H. and George R. reside with their families near the old family homestead. Uncle Jimmy’s great grandfather was born on board a ship of which his father was commander. John Cochran, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a brave soldier of the revolution, serving most of the time under the gallant Carolinian Gen. Francis Marion. This noble old veteran came to

This county and settled the place in 1824 where his son James now lives, and lived there till his death (1853) at the advanced age of ninety four years.
  Uncle Jimmy and his wife are members of the Unitarian Congregational Church. No man in Shelby County has a better record for sobriety, honesty, industry and simple habits, and peaceable, friendly disposition to everybody, than this venerable fellow citizen, James Cochran, senior. 

Was born in Shelby County, in 1864. His early life was spent on his father’s farm, and he lived the life of a farmer until a few years ago. He came to our city with the object of becoming a first-class photographic artist. Realizing that success in that business depends on mastering details, he entered the studio in Shelbyville, beginning at the bottom as an apprentice, as an earnest student in the art.  In 1890-91 he spent much time in taking country scene sand school groups. In March, 1891, he opened his own photographic studio, over Hunter & Dearing's shoe store, and in this gallery his is doing satisfactory work for  his patrons. Mr. Calvert is popular among all who know him,. And by his good work is building up a good business.  If you want cabinet photos, tin types, or groups, try Mar. Calvert, he will do his best to please you. Mr. Calvert, with his family, consisting of his wife (once Miss Maggie Barrickman) and their two sons now resides in this city, in a pleasant North Broadway home.

  The above represents the largest hay dealer in this part of the country. D. N. Harwood was born in Herkimer County, N. Y. in 1832, and spent his early years on a farm and teaching school.  He came to Illinois in 1856, settling in Christian County as a teacher, farmer and grain and hay dealer. In 1864 he came to Shelbyville and engaged in buying grain and hay. For almost thirty years he has been engaged in the hay business alone, selling farm implements and nursery stock part of the time to accommodate his customers. His business has grown year by year and he has branches in Windsor, Mattoon and Cowden. Mr. Harwood buys a loose hay at as high prices as farmers can get  for it pressed. He studies the markets and knows where and how to sell. He was married to 1857 to Miss U. E. Moore, and two daughters live with them at home and one son is associated with the father in the hay business. Mr. Harwood is a man of vim and push, and of independent thought and general intelligence and is every ready to help in any cause he deems just and right. 

Many interesting local items must give place to sketches and portraits this week.  But the items will appear next week.