36 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



The early settlers seemed to think trees were made to make war on — 

 a war of extermination — and if it were not for the fact that the 

 land became poor so soon after removing the trees, there would have 

 been no trees to make or help make the beautiful scene from the 

 distance. 



The greater part of the growth is what we call second growth, 

 and by letting it alone nature will again clothe the hillsides, except 

 when too badly washed; but we must assist her by planting the 

 evergreen and other trees, and I urge on all land owners, everywhere, 

 to plant forest trees on your rough and broken lands. They will add 

 to the beauty of the landscape and help to retain the moisture in the 

 atmosphere, which latter we have needed much the past summer. 

 By a united effort of all the land owners to plant groves, in a great 

 many cases saving the natural groves, the country will become more 

 pleasing to the eye and the land more valuable. Especially is this 

 the case in our section; but I am glad to note there is some little 

 move in this direction, but we want more, and we hope to have the 

 pleasure some time in the future of showing this Society the most 

 magnificent landscape in the West, one that will bear inspection, by 

 finding well-kept homes, smooth lawns, trees and flowers, but we can 

 not do it now. 1 suppose the reason is, the people are too busy 

 making a living to think of the beautiful. 



As before stated, I have the pleasure of living in a park, and 

 have no apology to offer in describing " Wild Cat Springs." The 

 spring gushing out of a sixty-foot limestone cliff, about one-third of 

 the way up, falling froma spout into a large tank, furnishing plenty 

 of pure cold water for all, is the principal attraction of the grounds, 

 with plenty of shade and picturesque walks over the bluffs. The 

 principal picnic grounds being a plateau just above the spring, which 

 is mostly covered with white-oak groves, interspersed with ever- 

 greens. 



Wild Cat is not a park of set drives and paths; there are no 

 notices ''Keep off the grass," but instead one may roam at pleasure. 

 But to return to the beginning of the improvement of these grounds. 

 In the year 1857 my father, seeing the destruction of the forests 

 then going on, decided to save one of the most desirable spots in 

 our country from the devastating wood-chopper. He bought five 

 acres surrounding the spring, and from year to year we have added 

 to this, until there are now fifty acres. Portions of this, when 

 bought, had, as the parties supposed, been all stripped of the timber 

 except a few saplings, as we term them. By carefully saving every- 

 thing that would make a tree, we now have one of the finest groves 

 in the country, and with the attractions of the spring and cliffs, the 

 grounds are visited by crowds of people during the summer season 

 for picnicing and camping parties, coming mostly from Keokuk, 

 Iowa, two and one-half miles distant, across the river. Keokuk has 

 a fine park (Rand's), but they still come to Wild Cat, for the simple 



