USA > Iowa > Polk County > Des Moines > Des Moines, the pioneer of municipal progress and reform of the middle West, together with the history of Polk County, Iowa, the largest, most populous and most prosperous county in the state of Iowa; Volume I > Part 23
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The first state editorial convention held in the Capital city was convened at the Collins House on Monday, January 18, with E. N. Chapin of the Central Journal, Marshalltown, in the chair, and A. P. Wagstaff of the Chariton Re- publican secretary. About a dozen editors and publishers were present. A com- mittee was appointed to arrange for another convention.
The printers employed in the Capital city held a festival the same evening at the same hotel, Gen. William Duane Wilson presiding. A bounteous supper was served. "Every one present had a 'fat take,'" Two-minute responses to toasts were given. Among the numerous toasts was the following:
"Des Moines-The Infant Capital. May the hand of progress mark her onward course, and may she wear with honor the name and position she has assumed."
The record for brevity in prayer was made in the House, by Rev. A. T. Shinn, of Marshall, on Washington's birthday. It reads : "Great God! Bless the. young and growing State of Iowa; bless her senators and representatives, her Governor and other State officers; give us a sound currency, pure water, and undefiled religion, for Christ's sake. Amen."
Washington's birthday was celebrated with a festival at the Demoine House, in honor of the statesmen on the hill. Toasts followed dinner, and several elo- quent legislators responded. Hon. John A. Kasson presided "in the most happy and dignified manner." Parker's band furnished the music, and dancing fol- lowed the speaking, continuing until 3 A. M.
The Citizen, on the 23d, complained of the slight toll exacted from legisla-
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tors and strangers every time they crossed the river, maintaining that it did much to keep up the division of feeling between the East and West side, laid an embargo on intercourse, and was a needless vexation.
It also facetiously noted the organization of the "Third House," and Gover- nor Price's message, commending "many subjects to the favorable consideration of gentlemen of the lobby, and of the subordinate branches."
Its next issue notes that Court avenue bridge passes have been issued to members and officers of the legislature. It hopes the day is not far distant when the toll will be lifted.
A 'bus line operated for a time between the Capitol and the West side,-fare ten cents : but so many legislators, visitors and townspeople preferred to walk for their health that after a few weeks the enterprising proprietors returned overland to Waterloo.
The record-starting Seventh General Assembly adjourned on the 23d of March, 1858, after a laborious session of seventy-two days,-laborious and yet so blended with social activities that the members who, to borrow a phrase from Mrs. Malaprop, "expected to be disappointed," returned to their homes with only words of praise for the new Capital city.
CHAPTER IV.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE IN THE CAPITAL CITY IN '58.
We turn again to the advertising pages of the press to find a reflex of the business and professional life of the period under consideration.
Business in Des Moines in 1858 was not as highly specialized as it was later ; and yet the "general store" of that period was a prototype of the department store of the present time. Most of the dry-goods stores of '58 carried several side-lines, some groceries; others clothing, hats and caps, boots and shoes, and still others hardware, glassware, etc. The principal dry-goods dealers in evi- dence were: A. Newton, Little, Garrison & Company, J. H. Hatch and (on the East side) J. M. Clouston.
Clothing, boots and shoes, hats and caps were represented by J. & J. Kuhns, Billstein, Simon & Strauss and James Crane.
W. G. Andrews & Company, Oliver H. Baker, Joseph Rogg and I. N. Newell sold watches and jewelry.
In the book trade of the city, Redhead & Dawson's only rival was J. R. Hadsell.
The wholesale and retail druggists were Dr. W. Baker & Company, Alex- ander Shaw of the Eagle Drug store, and Charles Good.
Groceries were handled, at wholesale and retail, by John McWilliams, J. D. Cavenor & Company and J. H. Thode, and the Laird Brothers.
The Iron City Hardware store was conducted by Galbraith, Latshaw & Woodwell, and Childs, Sanford & Howell.
Tarbell & Company and Houston & Company sold furniture; C. Sexauer & Brother, mattresses and upholstery; and Susan Sharman, pianos and other musical instruments.
T. J. Morris & Company sold boots and shoes, leather and findings at whole- sale and retail, and J. F. Kemp retailed footwear.
Morris & Downer were merchant tailors, and sold ready-made clothing.
Terry & Butler made and sold harness, saddles, trunks, whips, flynets, etc.
D. F. Arnold was a money and real-estate broker. Among the many real- estate brokers of the period were: Jester Hedge, Dewey & Tubby, McGaughey, Nash & Company, D. P. W. Day, Thomas Cavanagh, J. A. Williamson and the Van Meters.
Lovejoy & Brother were extensive dealers in lumber.
R. B. Harris, plain and ornamental painter, advertised to paint flags, banners, transparencies, etc.
The Iowa Foundry, on Front street, east side, had just begun operations with Stephen J. Loughran superintendent.
Stanton & Ziegler were proprietors of the Vine street flouring mill, and William F. Ayers & Company advertise "the best mill in Central Iowa."
S. A. Robertson and James Monroe advertised "bricks by the million."
S. M. Good had a forwarding and commission warehouse "near the steam- boat landing."
The hotels advertised are the Demoine House, Thomas J. Cannon, formerly of the Clinton House, Iowa City, proprietor ; the Everett House, A. Morris, proprietor.
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G. L. Reynolds advertised ambrotypes and photographs taken and colored in the highest style of the art. From his artistic height he "drops into poetry" in these fetching lines :
"Do they miss you at home, do they miss you? Yes-but a picture they have that's so dear And so lifelike, they say that it is you,
Minus voice-and they hold it most dear."
The professional cards in the Citizen and the Journal include many well- known names. The attorneys are: C. C. Cole, Thomas F. Withrow, W. W. Williamson, Stephen Sibley, S. V. White, Casady & Crocker, Cassiday & Rey- nolds, Finch & Mitchell, J. S. Polk, W. J. Gatling, S. Reynolds, R. H. Ballenger, John G. Weeks, J. W. Dennison, and M. D. and W. H. McHenry The last named firm, the junior member of which is vividly recalled by the younger generation, announce that "the senior partner having been engaged extensively in the business of the law in the courts of Kentucky for nearly thirty years, and the junior partner having been engaged in the land business in Iowa for eight years past, during which time he has made actual survey of a large por- tion of Polk and adjoining counties, they feel confident they will be able to render a satisfactory account of all business entrusted to them."
Following are the physicians whose cards appear: Alexander Shaw, T. R. Rogers, H. C. Grimmel, J. B. O. Lancton (from Montreal), William P. Davis, R. A. Bird (consumption specialist), Fox, (eye specialist), L. C. Hillman (from New York), J. O. Skinner, William Allen, and N. G. McGonegal, (homeo- pathist).
'Architects and builders-S. A. Robertson and George S. Greene, U. B. White, bridge builder, etc.
Civil engineers-B. Callan, John C. Booth.
Dentists-W. T. Bailey, S. C. Brownell.
Will Tomlinson, ex-journalist, doled out justice at the foot of the hill on the East side.
Rev. W. M. Stryker announced a select primary and classical school under the auspices of the Old School Presbyterian church.
CHAPTER V.
A NEARER VIEW OF LIFE IN DES MOINES IN THE LATE FIFTIES.
The first number of the Tri-Weekly Citizen, in January, 1858, presents a sharp contrast between the city then and the city now. The editor complain- ingly remarks that while groping his way along the sidewalk, one evening, he found his way blocked by a horse and wagon-"not an unusual occurrence." He breaks out with-"There is no propriety, or civility, no courtesy, and, in fact, no sense, in having horses, wheelbarrows, store boxes, and miscellaneous goods blocking up the sidewalks of the city."
The Journal, about the same time, learned that a theatrical troupe was on its way to Des Moines for the purpose of opening a theatre, and opined that a good theatre would be quite an addition to the city. The pastor of the M. E. church inveighed against the stage as altogether demoralizing, and said the coming of a theatre company was deplorable.
The Court avenue bridge across the Des Moines, the first of the several bridges which span the river, stood out in "beautiful proportions to attract the eyes and accommodate the necessities of the people, an honor to the
builder, the company and our city." The Journal says it was completed in the short space of five months. It included four spans of 135 feet each, with double trusses and double arches. It was the wonder and admiration of all.
The spirit of "benevolent assimilation" felt by the citizens of Des Moines toward the General Assembly is seen in many ways, one of which is recorded in the Senate Journal on January 13, 1858. Mr. Davis, of Polk, presented a communication from the secretary of the Des Moines reading room tendering to the members of the Senate the use of its reading matter. Another was a communication signed by the pioneer clergyman, Thompson Bird, stating that at a meeting of Des Moines clergymen held on the 13th of January, it was unanimously resolved that its members would comply with the request of the Senate that they act as chaplain of the Senate by such an arrangement among themselves as might suit their convenience. On the 14th, a resolution, in the same hospitable spirit was adopted by the Senate, tendering to the citizens of Des Moines the use of the Senate chamber from and after 2 p. m. on that day for the purpose of holding an Inauguration Festival. And, later, at the close of the session, a resolution by Senator Trimble was agreed to tendering to the citizens of Des Moines their "grateful acknowledgments and heartfelt thanks, for the generous hospitality and innumerable offices of kindness during their sojourn among them."
Even in "the good old days of '58" there were the social evils which the reformers of our time incline to regard as the product of complicated present day conditions. "A Citizen" had posted on the east end of Court avenue bridge what he termed "A Few Sober Thoughts [!] for East Des Moines and friends of humanity generally." He called attention to a den of prostitution and crime situated at the base of Capitol Hill, "the keeper of which," he said was "a man whose heart is black as hell," who "stalks abroad at noon-day dressed in the finest clothes. He may be seen lurking about houses in this city for the purpose of enticing young and innocent girls from the path of virtue to the shades of death." Then follows an indignant demand
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that this "fiend of hell" "be suspended by a rope to the limb of a neighboring tree," and that his house be "razed to the ground." The Journal editor with much force urges "Citizen" to turn informer and have the guilty man arrested, assuring him that the mayor and justices have never yet refused to do their duty. It should be added that the alleged procurer was arrested, tried and convicted.
High water late in January and early in February interfered with the mails. The stage from Iowa City on January 29 was brought to "a perplexing pause on the bank of the Skunk river ; and many hours elapsed before the mail could be rafted to the west side."
The Fort Dodge stage arrived at the Capital on the same day, after a five- days' journey, through "bottomless pits, impassable torrents, interminable mud, drenching rain"!
The election of Governor Grimes to the United States Senatorship on the 26th of January, 1858, was followed on the 29th by a supper given by the successful candidate at the Demoine House. About two hundred legislators, visiting statesmen and townsmen attended. Toasts were given and responses made, "and," says the democratic Journal, "the guests left pleased at least with the hospitality and liberality of the host if not with his political predi- lections."
The pioneer Society of Turners gave a concert and ball at Sherman Hall on the Ist of February.
A temperance mass convention was held at the M. E. church February 2, and visiting delegates were entertained by the faithful. Judge M. D. McHenry of Des Moines, presided. The convention remonstrated against a repeal of the prohibitory law.
A Court avenue saloon fire raised the warning cry, "Where is the fire engine ?"
Several thousand acres of public lands were daily disposed of at the Govern- ment land office in February. There were still some 50,000 acres of unsold land in the Des Moines district. Messrs. Cooper and Brown, representing the Government, were doing their best to accommodate the rush.
Messrs. McWilliams, Kasson and Sherman had liberally fitted up a reading room in the Exchange block, over Newton's store, and generously supplied it with periodicals, and the room was open day and evening; but complaint was made that the enterprise was not appreciated, as the room was not well patron- ized.
The most disastrous fire in years occurred on the East side, February 3, the burning of Stanton & Zeigler's mills.
On the 5th, the steamer Colonel Morgan, which had been anchored at the wharf in Des Moines since the previous spring, took a trip down the river, under the impetus of the midwinter flood. Several persons took the winter excursion.
Long before the war, Des Moines became interested in the slavery ques- tion. The first resident governor of Iowa, Governor Grimes, brought with him to the new Capital an atmosphere of sympathy with the slave and of desire for his freedom. Des Moines was one of the far-western stations of the "Underground Railroad." Among the men in Des Moines who were active in their endeavors to help the runaway slaves on to freedom were John Tees- dale, Isaac Brandt, and Polk county's first whig senator, James C. Jordan.
When, in February, 1859, John Brown and his followers fled with twelve ex-slaves from Missouri to Canada, they stopped over, on the 17th, with Jordan, and on the 18th with Teesdale. On the 19th, Teesdale paid their ferriage across the Des Moines, and on the 20th they were received by Grinnell and his fellow abolitionists.1 Jeremiah G. Anderson, one of Brown's trusted men who died by his side at Harper's Ferry, was a Des Moines boy who went all the way to Kansas to join the would-be emancipator.
.1 Gue-History of Iowa, v. I, pp. 381-2.
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General Reed, president of the Keokuk, Des Moines and Minnesota Rail- road Company was a guest of the Demoine House for a fortnight in February. He confidently predicted a completion of the road to Des Moines at an early day. The Citizen editor says: "The people of the Des Moines valley -- who have been so grievously disappointed by the failure of the scheme for securing the benefits of slack-water navigation-earnestly call upon the legislature to hasten such legislation as will secure for the Valley Railroad the aid so certain to follow from a diversion of the grant of Congress."
Des Moines' large contribution to wagon transportation, with the city's con- sequent need of railroads, was strongiy presented by "B" in the Citizen of Feb -. ruary 27, '58. The writer had obtained from the books of Des Moines mer- chants and manufacturers the aggregate amount of wagon freights paid by them from the termini of the two eastern railroads during the past year. He found that the aggregate was $93,634. To this total were added the following items :
On machinery for four large mills $ 6,200
On other machinery 4,500
On pine lumber. 8,000
On iron, plate, window-caps, sills, etc., shipped to builders 4,000
On household furniture, stoves, wagons, etc., shipped direct
to purchasers. 4,500
Total annual wagon freight of Des Moines $120,834
These freight charges were reported as varying from $30 to $50 per ton, the rate "governed by the condition of the roads, &c." Assuming that the wagon rate averages $40 a ton; and that the railroad rate from Iowa City, or Bentonsport, to Des Moines would be $6 per ton, or an aggregate of $18,124, the difference in favor of railroads would be $102,710. Assuming that the population of Des Moines in '58 was 5,000, the present tax was estimated at '$20.54 for every man, woman and child, or about $100 per annum for each family residing in Des Moines."
One of Des Moines' distinguished citizens, Hon. George C. Tichenor, wrote, at Mr. Hussey's suggestion, a delightfully frank story of his advent in Des Moines. He started out to seek his fortune from his birthplace in Kentucky early in March, 1858, having several points in view. Finding Keokuk dull, after two weeks of vain endeavor to get work at the painter's trade or as a bookkeeper, he took passage on the Clara Hine headed for Des Moines. Captain Patton, "a tall, raw-boned man of few words and determined manner," had no work for him, but offered to take him to "the Fort" for $10, on condition that he would lend a hand if needed. The boat's cargo consisted of dry goods and groceries for the Fort and other points along the river. There were five passengers besides himself. At night the captain proceeded, very slowly, to avoid not only snags but overhanging limbs of trees along the banks. The boat anchored frequently to cut away limbs of trees which threatened the smoke-stack and the pilot house. The boat landed at Campbell's Point, Fort Des Moines, at sunset, on the 19th of April, eight days after leaving the dock in Keokuk. Mr. Tichenor recalls the loud solicitation of runners for the Demoine House, the Collins House, and the Morris House. After some haggling, the runner for the Collins agreed to take his trunk to the hotel for "two bits," and board and lodge him at $2.25 a week, or 75 cents a day. He describes the old Collins House of 1858 as "a long, nar- row, low, two story, white frame house with adjoining 'office,' and 'parlor,' dining room and kitchen on the lower floor, and about a dozen sleeping rooms, about 6 by 8 feet square, on either side of a narrow hallway on the second floor, and was situated between Third and Fourth streets near the 'Coon river."
After eating supper, young Tichenor took account of stock and found he had only a three-cent piece left. This he invested in a "Principe" cigar, at the
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hotel office. Thus he found himself, at nineteen, without a cent in his pockets ; but with two suits of clothes, a suit of overalls, six shirts-one of them with a starched bosom, six pairs of home-knit socks, a copy of Josephus, of Plutarch's Lives, and of Seneca's Morals and an open-faced gold watch,-and he a thou- sand miles from home! He found Des Moines suffering depression resultant from the panic of '57, and a very dead town, but, evidently he found work for he remained and soon obtained a substantial foothold there. It had been made the State Capital the year before, and the jealousies of the East and West side were everywhere apparent. The river was spanned, near the foot of Locust street, with "a primitive and quite unstable sort of pontoon bridge, which was the only means of passage except by small ferry, skiff or canoe." During part of that spring and the succeeding spring of '59, "the river extended from Front street west to the bluffs, or Capitol Hill, east. Mr. Tichenor remembers making the passage time and again in a skiff from the landing at the Demoine House, west, to the Walker House in East Des Moines. In after years, as chairman of the bridge committee in the City Council, Mr. Tichenor had the satisfaction of contributing his influence and services toward building two substantial free bridges across the Des Moines.
In September, 1859, a novel gathering was seen on the new Capitol grounds. The report is that there were some 1500 Sacs and Foxes in camp on Four-Mile Creek, in Polk county, chiefly descendants of the "first families" who vacated,- or were supposed to have vacated-the reservation in 1846. State Secretary Sells and State Treasurer Jones had arranged to have these braves appear in full costume and give the citizens of Des Moines an old-time war-dance. The Indians arrived in full feather and paint, with knives, firearms and trophies, their musicians beating tom toms to their crude dances. Their audience was immense and the applause generous. Several times Messrs. Sells and Jones would pass the hat through the throng for the benefit of the visitors. The weird program lasted till nearly midnight.
A democratic mass meeting called to order by P. M. Casady and addressed by Judge Trimble of Keokuk, occurred on the 8th of September.
The Capital Guards, J. C. Booth, captain ; J. Hyde, first lieutenant ; and Will Tomlinson, second lieutenant-officers appointed by Governor Lowe-was or- ganized in September. The Statesman reports that Tomlinson had become a strict disciplinarian, insisting on "getting the boys out at 5 o'clock and marching them to the river and back before breakfast !" Three years later, the reorganized Capital Guards had passed "from jest to earnest," and were drilling in prepara- tion for the awful certainty of service at the front of battle !
"Peaceable Secession"-East Side vs. West Side.
The local jealousies sure to crop out from time to time in cities so fortunate, æsthetically, so unfortunate politically, as to be divided by a river, were so much in evidence in the fall of 1858 that the Statesman of September 9, at the risk of being charged with "showing the white feather," advised either peaceable seces- sion or .a mass meeting with a view to getting together on some basis of mutual concession. "Shall we agree to separate at once," says the Statesman, "so that one side shall not clog or impede the progress of the other, or shall we conclude to build up one great town here, irrespective of sides, and commence at once?"
Specifically, it calls attention to the need of "improving at least one thorough- fare through our city limits, east and west," and if possible, also one running north and south. It says there is not a decent stage-road leading to the city in any direction. It sees the Capital city, destined to be the great railroad center of Iowa, frittering away its prospects "in petty quarrels which would disgrace a lot of school-boys." It calls on the Citizen and the Journal to speak out on the question.
That the spirit of resentment was in the air on the East side of the Des
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Moines is evident from the published proceedings of a mass meeting held Sep- tember 10, 1858, when, pursuant to call, the citizens of the fifth, sixth and seventh wards, -- the East side-convened "for the purpose of instructing the alderinen of those wards, in compliance with their own request, as to their duty as representatives of East side interests.
T. A. Walker presided and E. S. Griffith served as secretary. The aldermen of these wards addressed the meeting presenting nine grievances to which they had been personally subjected,-grievances wherein, as they maintained, were involved the interests of their constituents, as well as their own sense of outrage. These, in brief were :
(I) Extravagant expenditures by the city government, imposing heavy taxes and injuring the city credit.
(2) The Mayor had recently refused their appeal from the decision of the chair, and had been sustained by a majority of the council, thus compelling them to "withdraw in self-defense."
(3) The Mayor, sustained by some of the council, had frequently misin- terpreted the charter and ordinances, depriving the minority of their rights.
(4) The published proceedings did not always agree with the journal of the council.
(5) The Mayor had voted when there was no tie in defiance of the charter depriving him of a vote, except to break a tie.
(6) The Council had legally voted $5 a day salary to the mayor; but, at a called meeting, at which only seven aldermen were present, the mayor's salary had been raised to $500, in defiance of the law requiring a two-thirds vote.
(7) At a called meeting for a special purpose, the mayor had lugged in other matters foreign to the call; and on the withdrawal of the East side mem- bers, the seven remaining aldermen, with the vote of the mayor, filled a vacancy on the board. Besides raising the mayor's salary unlawfully, they had reconsidered action on a bill which had twice been vetoed and ordered a warrant drawn for the claimant, again violating the two-thirds rule.
(8) A tax list had been ordered published at a cost of about $800, in viola- tion of the same rule.
(9) West side councilmen, by expunging records and by personal admis- sions, had acknowledged they had perpetrated injuries upon the rights and interests of the East side.
Resolutions were adopted in effect, that, whereas these illegal and unauthorized acts, sanctioned, as was believed, "by a majority of the citizens residing in the west division of our city," had demonstrated "the hopelessness of a permanent union between East and West Des Moines," the citizens of the East side joined in requesting their aldermen never to meet in council during their term of office ; resolving, further, "that the vital interests of both sides of the river imperatively demand a separation," and they of the East side felt "anxious to terminate a union which" was "one only in name;" that they would "continue on the de- fensive," and act only whenever their "rights, honor and interests are assailed."
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