676
HISTORY OF KANE COUNTY.
stone buildings of modern style and construction, three stories high, with iron and slate roofs, equipped with standpipes, hose and all facilities for preventing and extinguishing fires. A large, deep well furnishes a copious supply of excellent water that, of course, is freely conducted throughout the buildings and grounds. Up-to-date steam and electric plants furnish power, heat and light for all the various uses about the place, and also for lighting the court-house and jail at Geneva. There are 92 male and 79 female inmates; more than half of them-viz.: 55 men and 50 women-are considered mildly insane. Mrs. Eliza Smith Keyes is matron, and she has associated with her five assistants. Two of them attend the insane women; one cares for the old and feeble; another conducts the laundry, and the fifth is in the Superintendent's kitchen. The large and well-ventilated rooms are very comfortably furnished and scrupulously clean and sunny, and no prison or hospital odor whatever can be detected. The pantry, kitchen, and dining room are clean and wholesome, and an appearance of comfort and abundance prevails everywhere. The cooling and cold-storage room for fresh meats is of the very best pattern, and the great quarters of meat upon its hooks are of the best quality. The matron's cold pantry for butter, eggs, fruits, etc., is a great economy and convenience. There is an excellent cattle and hay-barn, and fairly good stables for the horses, while the original dwelling shelters the swine. The horses upon the place are estimated to be worth about $1,200 and the cattle and hogs $4,000. To the latter such care has been given to selecting and properly rearing animals of the best strain of blood, that each year a number of choice breeding animals are sold at high prices. Much small fruits, and all the vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, etc., required for the tables, are produced upon the farm, and sufficient milk is sold to buy the needed butter. Every day the inmates are supplied with a generous portion of fruit. Of course all grain and hay for the stock is raised upon the farm. As much of the work as is proper, is done by the more healthy inmates. The Superintendent employs two assistant farmers, two attendants in charge of insane men, and one night watchman and attendant; also one electrician, one engineer and one cook. The plant is estimated to be worth $100,000.
CHAPTER XIV.
HIGHWAYS-POSTOFFICES-THE PRESS.
TREND OF KOADS TO THE NORTHWEST INDIAN
TRAILS DEVELOP INTO STAGE LINES AND STATE
KOADS-ROAD LAWS ADVENT OF THE RAILKOAD
GALENA & CHICAGO UNION AND OTHER PIO
NEER LINES POSTOFFICES AND POST ROUTES-
INAUGURATION OF FREE DELIVERY SYSTEM- NEWSPAPER HISTORY.
In ancient times it was said, boastingly, that "all roads led to Rome." It is certain that in the ages gone by, as well as now, all trails and paths from the Great West and Northwest converged toward the foot of the vast chain of the largest lakes in the world, and the short land-portage between them and the long water-route of the interior rivers to the gulf. The paths of the buffalo and trails of the Indian instinctively followed the lines of least obstruction; and, as naturally, the roads of the pioneers kept on the same track. The most casual observer of the map of Kane County will note the trend of all the main highways to be northwesterly from the river crossings at the cities, and more carefully examination will show that these are usually located at the places where the animals and the Indians had discovered the fords most accessible and convenient. Along the river banks, and from those leading toward the northwest, the early settlers followed the trails, gradually by travel developing them into roads. By bridging small streams and draining and turn-piking sloughs, these have been straightened and constantly improved, and as necessity arose they have been connected by convenient cross-roads. Under progressive legislation all have been legalized, and thus has been steadily evolved our present net-work of highways.
The incidents of the early efforts to improve these trails and incipient roads, and sufficiently divert them from their original line, to bring travel to the new taverns and projected villages, are numerous and full of interest. Two are given as typical of many others. In 1836 McCarty Mill (now Aurora) obtained its mail at Naperville, and Frink & Walker's stage line
