The boom is on in Collinsville. John has sold $1150 in lots this spring. The residential area referred to as "Collinsville" was the east side of Boody street, north from the old Rock Island depot.

The C. M. & St. P. RR offered excursion rates of $25.46 to the presidential inauguration at Washington D. C. The Burlington competed with an offer of a round trip to the nation's capitol for a one-way fare.

The Catholic Union and Times, published in Buffalo, N. Y., carried the following article: "Father Tierney of Ossian, Iowa, is pronounced the 'Father Mathew of the West', and is doing good work for the temperance cause."

Father Tierney was later appointed Spiritual Director of Total Abstinence for the Diocese of Dubuque. We found several items of his delivering lectures on temperance both in neighboring states and communities in N. E. Iowa. He was also director of the Ossian Dramatic Troupe. This group presented several stage performances for the benefit of the De Sales school.

THE FIRST STREET LIGHTS

WANTED!!! Bids for oil, wicking and chimneys, and applicants for the job of lamplighter.—John Collins, C. H. Blanchaine and L. Green, commissioners.

James Cahill was the successful applicant for this position at a salary of $6 a month.

Editor Carter comments; "The 19 street lamps when lighted at night makes Ossian look very "city-fled."

There were still a few of these street lamps in city hall when this recorder was a boy. We borrowed one to use for lighting our tent on camp-outs. They might be described as an extra large model of a kerosene farm lantern--measuring an estimated two to three feet in heighth and, perhaps, three in circumference. Their base was designed to accommodate the top of a post about three inches in diameter. Compared to other lanterns of this vintage, they gave considerable illumination, later we find complaints of oil thefts from the street lamps.

1889

OSSIAN BUSINESSES OF THIS PERIOD