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Caption: Book - History of the University (Powell)
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74 History University of Illinois company with F. W. S. Brawley, school superintendent of that county. During this period Rutherford kept Turner informed of the progress he was making by writing letters full of good humor and witticisms that helped no doubt to relieve the strain under which they worked. He kept Murray informed by frequent visits to his home in Ottawa. In regard to the meeting at Henry he wrote: Sf'I met the enemy and they are ours' — resolutions carried by rising vote, every man and woman on their feet." 24 He reported taking the names of seventy-one persons for memberships and the sale of sixty copies of the league's report at this place. At the next place he took sixty names for memberships and so on seldom obtaining less than twenty-five at any one place. Rutherford met some opposition. At Ottawa he met a 11 snag" in the person of a Judge Dickey who felt injured that he had not been consulted about league affairs. In this case he wrote that he thought he had best " float around this snag." At Belvidere he found another situation. " I found a nasty spot of work done up at Belvidere. The adjourned meeting that I spoke about was attended by only from six to ten persons with Elder Rae (Baptist) at their head. They wholly perverted and misrepresented all our aims and propositions and came to the conclusion—one man dissenting and denying their grounds— that they were bound to oppose it whereupon they adjourned. The editor too, a man whose head does {grow beneath his shoulders ' with no brains above his cheek bones is out against it with the usual knock down argument j humbug \ " 2 5 Rutherford planned to return there later and straighten things out in good style. However, with the one or two exceptions as shown by Rutherford's letters and by an article written by him,26 the meetings were well attended and were composed of the most prominent and intelligent citizens of the places visited. In most cases resolutions were passed endorsing the cause and earnestly recommending prompt, energetic, and immediate action on the "Butherford to Turner, April 19, 1854, Turner manuscripts. "Rutherford to Turner, April 19, 1854, Turner manuscripts. "Prairie Farmer, June, 1854.
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