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 24
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It was developed as part of the published proceedings that "the citizens of Fort Des Moines, on the West side of the river, went to Iowa City, last winter a year ago, professedly to enlarge the boundaries of Fort Des Moines two miles square on the West side of the river only, declaring emphatically that they did not wish to take in the East side of the river contrary to their wishes; instead of which, they incorporated the two towns together, in opposition to the re- monstrances of every ninety-eight out of a hundred citizens of East Des Moines."
"The whole people of the East side," continues the report, "feel it is a fraud of the blackest dye, that an intense feeling of abhorrence at this unparalleled act of tyranny is increasing daily, and an entire and complete separation of the two towns must be made soon, if they will be compelled ultimately to become one in name and interest."
The floating bridge across the Des Moines was, the last of September, once more suspended from shore to shore.
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CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY
East Des Moines was, at this time, gratified over the reopening of the East side postoffice, which some time before had been closed by the department.
A democratic supper, in glorification of the victory of Douglas over Lincoln in Illinois, was held at the Demoine House Saturday evening, November 14. About sixty democrats were there. D. O. Finch presided "with the grace of a veteran." The democratic editors of Des Moines were unanimously requested to run up the flag of Douglas for the presidency in 1860, subject to the action of the Charleston convention. The Statesman reluctantly declined, deeming such expression premature.
The Des Moines Literary Institute was organized in November, 1858. The first lecture, on Poland, was delivered by Melville B. Hoxie.
A railroad meeting was held in Sherman's Hall, November 27, and another December 4, '58, to determine and act upon a plan best calculated to afford "present relief, ultimate security and an early completion of our railroads." The call for these meetings was signed by forty-three leading citizens. D. O. Finch presided and B. D. Thomas acted as secretary. The principal speakers were C. C. Cole, J. A. Williamson, P. M. Casady, W. H. McHenry, J. Teesdale, Stewart Goodrell and John A. Kasson. On motion of Judge Cole a committee of seven "to take into consideration all that had been urged at the meeting, and report upon the best plan to bring Des Moines into early connection with the east, the chair appointed as such committee, Messrs. Cole, Sypher, Laird, Baus- man, McHenry, (M. D.), Goodrell and Williamson.
Dr. William P. Davis lectured before the Des Moines Literary Institute December 9, on "The Influence of Intelligence Upon the Morals." On the 16th, Charles C. Dawson read "Longfellow's new poem, The Courtship of Miles Standish." On the 23d, Chief Justice Wright lectured on "The Law of Kindness."
In December, Francis C. Misner opened a school in which French, German and the classics were taught, in a building on Ninth and Des Moines streets, east, erected by W. H. McHenry, H. Lyon, M. L. Devin, Stewart Goodrell and others.
Christmas Eve was observed in the Supreme Court room at the Capitol. Toasts and responses were offered and letters read. The occasion was in honor of the retiring state officers, Pattee, Fisher and Parvin. The toasters-in-chief were M. L. Morris, Elijah. Sells, J. W. Jones, Lewis Kinsey, William Duane Wilson and Thomas F. Withrow.
John A. Kasson lectured in Sherman Hall, January 20, 1859, on "The Pur- chase of Mt. Vernon by the Ladies' Association of the Union." Mrs. D. O. Finch and Mrs. J. A. Williamson were credited with having induced Mr. Kasson to aid the cause. The proceeds were donated toward the purchase of the "Home and Grave of Washington."
In the winter and spring of '59 the whole Des Moines valley was alive with railroad meetings and preparations for meetings, the general purpose of which was to emphasize the need of roads, to insist that the companies should keep their promises, and to press the claims of localities to special consideration. A convention at Oskaloosa, January 26, was a contest of localities and of rival interests, chiefly valuable in "stirring things up." After freely expressing doubts as to the Keokuk, Fort Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad Company, the con- vention in its resolutions expressed full confidence in the good faith of that corporation. It resolved that it would do all that could be done "to aid in building the railroad from Des Moines, via Pella, Oskaloosa and Ottumwa, so as to form a southern and such eastern connections as will be thereby afforded with the Capital of the State." It also favored the Central Route to the Pacific. Mr. Williamson, of the Statesman, a week later, dissented from the views ex- pressed by his partner Tomlinson. The only new project Williamson favored was "a unison of the Keokuk and Burlington roads for the purpose of pushing on to the Capital."
Another meeting of the belligerent East siders was held March 19, "to take into consideration the best means of taking care of their interests."
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CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY
The Des Moines had continued navigable all winter. There had not been a period of five days at a time without steamboat arrivals from St. Louis.
John McWilliams, the grocer, was busy in March supplying wagon trains with provisions for the exodus to Pike's Peak.
A manifest of the Clara Hine, arrived March 9 from St. Louis, shows that the importations by water at the time were chiefly salt, sugar, molasses, coffee, dried fruit, nails, ale, sheet iron, glass, soap and general merchandise .
The "Des Moines Belle" is the name chosen by Mr. Tisdale for a new boat built in Des Moines and launched April 5. "She only draws five inches as she lays."
The Charles Rodgers returned on the morning of April 10, from a round trip to Fort Dodge, having left Fort Dodge on the forenoon of the 9th. Captain Beers reported the navigation better above than below the forks.
An event of the spring of '59 was the arrival of the "Demoine City," a new steamboat described as a two-boiler, double-engine boat, 130 feet keel, 36 feet beam, 312 hold, full cabin, with sixteen staterooms. It was built in Pittsburg for the Des Moines trade. It came loaded with passengers and freight. Among its passengers was Governor Lowe, also J. B. Stewart, of Des Moines. The Statesman pronounced it the best boat on the river, though not quite equal in cabin capacity to the "Flora Temple."
Though the oncoming of the railroad was only a question of a few years at the longest, it is evident that Des Moines still hugged the hope that river naviga- tion was to play an important part in her development. The Statesman says : "Our citizens greeted with pleasure the boat that bears the name of their city, and large numbers visited her during her stay in port."
The last number of the Statesman, April 28, 1859, published the arrivals of steamboats at Des Moines since the opening of navigation. March 9, The Clara Hine registered six arrivals; the Charles Rodgers, 9; the Colonel Morgan, 5; the Defiance, I ; the Flora Temple, 2; the Desmoine City, I,-24 in all.
This number contains the Mayor's Proclamation announcing a city election, May 2, for the selection of a mayor and fourteen aldermen, two for each ward, At the same time the voters of the city were to pass upon the question: "Shall the Mayor and Aldermen receive pay?" R. L. Tidrick was mayor at the time. The voters decided that the mayor should be paid.
The valedictory of Messrs. Williamson and Tomlinson, as they turn their sub- scribers over to the Journal, has the pathetic tone so familiar to the old-time reader of country newspapers. The two had conducted the Statesman at a loss from the start. Their subscribers who had so freely promised "cash or produce" had failed to keep their word. As a consequence they had been "com- pelled to pay for the blank paper alone more than five dollars for every one received on subscription." They had "already made too many and too great sacrifices to justify any further continuance.'
June 22 and 23, 1859, were exciting days in Des Moines. The town was full of republicans and democrats, each good-naturedly bantering the other, and all, together, severely testing the hospitality of the Capital city.
Hon. Francis W. Palmer, better known as "Frank" Palmer, then editor of the Dubuque Times, writes Mr. Hussey of his long journey from Dubuque to Des Moines via Burlington, Ottumwa and the Des Moines river, to attend the repub- lican State Convention of '59. Most of the passengers up the river were fellow- delegates, among them Willis Drummond of Clayton, FitzHenry Warren and "a young man named Lane, of Burlington." He remembers that "the passen- gers and crew watched with intense eagerness all the possible obstacles, . . in the form of sand-bars, abrupt bends in the channel, floating trees and hidden rocks." But there was no serious detention and the delegates reached Des Moines in ample time to serve their country.
The Democratic State Convention was held in Des Moines on the day fol- lowing, and many of the delegates came up the river, on the steamer DeMoine
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City, reporting a pleasant trip. The democrats enjoyed with their republican brethren Jim Revault's little pleasantry at their expense. Mr. Hussey records it thus :
"Yesterday the Republican party came in on us and ate up everything we had, and today the Democratic party have come in and are drinking up everything we have! And taking it all around, it's going to be a darned hard winter on the poor !".
CHAPTER VI. .
THE CAPITOL LOCATION SCANDAL-CHARGES OF GRAFT IN THE LOCATION OF THE CAPITOL.
The unhappy sequel to the story of the re-location of the seat of government was a charge of fraud in the location, with an investigation of the acts and utterances of the commissioners.
The charge was brought before a committee of the Iowa House "appointed to investigate charges of fraud. on the part of the commissioners in locating the Capitol." The memorial presented the committee was signed by W. C. Bur- ton, Thomas McMullin, A. N. Marsh, J. S. Cook, James Crane, James Sherman, H. K. Lovejoy and F. C. Grimmel. William Baker's name was also signed, but a line is drawn through the signature.1
The memorialists offer to prove that the several commissioners did not per- form their duty with a "strict regard to the interests of the entire State ;" but located the Capitol "at the point where the inhabitants and proprietors of the land did offer to and did pay said commissioners the largest personal Bribe or Bonus for locating the same."
They further state that "notwithstanding that people and citizens residing on the West Side offered to donate to the State sufficient lands for public use, and to make the State a donation of lands to the amount of $200,000, or thereabouts," to secure the location on the West side, the commissioners per- sisted in selecting the East side site "without any donation of lands to the State other than for public buildings, (or without any donation amounting to any con- siderable sum,) and did receive in consideration of said location sums in land and money amounting to from seven to ten thousand dollars to each "
They aver further that the commissioners, "or a majority of them, suffered themselves to be and were improperly influenced in their decision, and were induced to make and did make their said location for the promotion of private and personal ends." 2
The memorialists, in a supplemental paper, demanded an investigation on the grounds that, if the charges were true, the dignity of the State had been griev- ously outraged; the legislature was entitled to an investigation, the better "to guard against such frauds in future legislation ;" the State's duty was clearly to ferret out all wrongs against her dignity and her interests; "the interests of the entire State" had been disregarded; it was the duty of the State to ascertain whether the commissioners had obtained for the State all the grants and dona- tions they might have obtained and, if they had obtained donations for them- selves, then they would be chargeable "with every foot of land given them indi-
1 In the printed report of the investigation the following additional names are given as signers of a memorial : John L. Smith, William Baker. John Tyler. D. P. Kenyon, H. M. Bush, A. Newman, J. A. Woods, Wm. McClelland, Jr .. Charles Weitz, Joseph Rogg, John Johns. F. W. Chaffee, Greenup Scott, William Allen. J. A. McConahey, F. C. Grim- mel. Jr., Jacob Lehman, C. C. Howell, J. C. Lovejoy. J. F. Kemp, D. P. W. Day, W. C. Burton. J. D. Davis, Samuel Gruell. William Phillips. James Crane, J. S. Dicks. C. P. Luce. L. T. Filson. G. W. Dunke, D. Harris, John H. Given, D. D. Skinner. C. W. Van Horn, John S. Smith, H. C. Grimmel. C. Lehman. E. R. Sanford, David Norris, P. M. Scott, W. W. Moore, George Green, R. W. Concklin. R. W. Sypher, S. McCain, John H. Thode, E. R. Clapp, R. Holcombe, J. J. Harrod, H. Stephenson, Jonathan Lyon.
2 Filed with House Committee, February 13, 1858.
174
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CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY
vidually in consideration of their official action. Should the State be dissatisfied with the tract selected, and find another more desirable, it would be free to reopen the question of location, in case the alleged fraud had been committed; and, finally, the new Constitution did not provide for a site, but for a municipal district which should contain the seat of government, and neither the legislature nor the governor nor the constitutional convention, nor the people, could be considered as having ratified a fraud if any had been committed."
Two of the late commissioners, Guy Wells and Stewart Goodrell, presented a brief statement. They stated that all the commissioners were present when the location was chosen, and had made all the examination they deemed it neces- sary to make. They waited upon citizens and examined different donations pro- posed, and were unanimous in the opinion that the location selected was for the best interest of the State. They deemed it "unnecessary to state all the reasons and causes that were taken into consideration in forming their judgment."
After they had decided and acted, citizens on the West side had "made some propositions that had not been previously made, and which were considered by the commissioners."
The two commissioners denied that they, or either of them, or any other commissioner to their knowledge, had acted under the influence of any gift or bribe. On the contrary, they had voted "their honest convictions and best judg- ment." They denied emphatically, "the charges unjustly made in the memorial."
Then follows the original paper '(dated April 22, 1856) showing the sub- scriptions-in real estate at appraised valuations-made by the West-siders pro- vided the location be made "in the forks of the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers.3 This was supplemented by a statement from J. E. Jewett signed April 22, 1856, in substance that "tomorrow morning" the citizens of Fort Des Moines would offer ten acres of land. "on an eligible situation and in a suitable place, and $200,000, if said location shall be made on the west side of the Des Moines river and within the Raccoon forks."
This is followed by a supplemental list of donors, showing $30,450-in real estate-added to the subscriptions already made.4
3 Following is a copy of the list :
$5,000
Jonathan Lyon 15,000
P. M. Casady
S. Y. Keene 5,000
James Campbell
5,000
L. P. Sherman 300
Lovell White 3,000
W. H. Hervey 1,000
Ira Cook 4,000
Wm. F. Ayers
5,000
F. C. Grimmel 10,000
Thomas McMullin
5,000
R. Holcombe 10,000
500
W. W. Moore
500
J. D. Davis
1,000
J. Lewis
1,000
H. Stephenson
300
J. E. Jewett 2,000
B. Rice . 500
William Busick 500
R. L. Tidrick 1,000
H. C. Grimmel 400
500
Edwin Hall
2,000
And. J. . Stevens
2,000
G. Holland
5,000
W. C. Burton
3,000
Francis Grimmel, Jr.
1,000
George Snear
1,000
R. W. Sypher
10,000
4 Following is the list :
C. W. Vanhorn 400
John Mumma
$500
Barlow Granger for Bird.
2,000
Martin Winters
600
Wesley Redhead
1,000
Thomas Boyd 300
A. Newton 1,000
C. H. & W. A. Poindexter
5,000
Laird Brothers 500
1,000
Wm. M. Baker
1,000
John Yost
J. C. Jones 6,000
J. S. Dicks 500
H. M. Hoxie
I,000
Hoyt Sherman
3,000
H. R. Lovejoy
300
L. T. Filson
1,000
D. P. W. Day 2,000
B. F. Allen 2,000
1,000
J. W. Bradshaw
D. O. Finch
W. W. Williamson
500
James Crane 500
James Sherman
500
Total
$128,800
Milton Scott 1,000
E. R. Clapp
F. R. West 10,000
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CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY
The investigation committee heard testimony during a large part of the month of March, 1858. Many witnesses were subpoenaed. Much of the testimony went to show that the commissioners were not regardful of the best interests of the State, in that they had been indifferent to the larger offer of the West Side.
The voluminous report of the Special Committee of the House, filed with the testimony, reviews the evidence and weighs its value, and concludes therefrom that the charges are sustained as to Commissioner Pegram, but not as to the other commissioners.
In detail it found at the outset, that the charges contained in the original memorial were not "sufficiently explicit, or specific." Therefore a number of the memorialists made them more definite. Objection having been made to the proposed ex parte examination, the committee granted the request of some of the accused to appear by counsel.
As to the first charge, the committee held that the commissioners did not act with "strict regard for the interests of the State" in preferring the East side location, with less land, and that not worth more than $150 an acre at the time, The commitee could not "perceive by what considerations of advantage or benefit to the State the commissioners were so actuated." In reference to the counter- charge of the commissioners that the West side subscriptions were not made in good faith, the committee held that "as the commissioners could have required the payment of these subscriptions as a condition precedent," no value should be placed upon that part of the testimony.
The first charge was therefore substantiated.
To maintain the second charge, the memorialists relied chiefly on Messrs. Baldwin, Scott, Williamson and Mitchell, to show that property, estimated at about $50,000, was given the commissioners "as a bribe, bonus or gratuity to influence them in making the location." These witnesses refused to testify on important points, and the House of Representatives to which body the committee had reported their course, had not yet determined as to the duty of the com- mittee in the premises. "This contumacy of the principal witnesses," left the committee without conclusive evidence as to the question at issue. But even without this evidence sufficient had been elicited to convince the committee that Commissioner Pegram "was influenced, as charged, in making the location, by personal and private considerations, and that he did receive a bribe, a bonus, in consideration of his vote for the location of the Capitol."
The testimony of Mr. Van "that 250 lots were set apart by the proprietors of land and town lots . to influence the location," with that of Mr. Lyon who had given some property and Mr. Baldwin "who received it for his influ- ence with the commissioners," was regarded as conclusively showing undue influ- ence. The close intimacy of Baldwin and Pegram, and other circumstances cor- roborated the judgment of the committee that Baldwin was the agent, or go- between of Pegram, if not of other of the commissioners. "Mr. Baldwin appeared to have Pegram, if not a majority of the commissioners on sale to the highest bidder." Whether by the knowledge or consent of the commissioners, except Pegram, is left to presumption.
As to Commissioner Wells, J. B. Stewart testified that Wells was interested
Casper Hibbard
1,000
R. W. Concklin 200
J. S. Cook
500
J. A. Nash
500
G. W. Cleveland & Co.
500
William P. Davis
1,000
John W. Penny
500
H. L. Whitman
Warner & Spofford
500
John W. Jones
500
A. S. Kingman
200
Leas F. Harsh
500
Thompson Bird
5,000
H. R. Lovejoy
200
John Tyler
300
B. Bryant
500
James Stanton
200
F: Palmer
500
J. M. Reichsucker
200
John Kuntz . 2,000
200
David Morris
500
John H. Story
500
A. Hepburn 150
Total $30,450
FREDERICK M. HUBBELL AT SIXTEEN
From a daguerreotype taken in Birmingham four days before he started, with his father, for Fort Des Moines, in the spring of 1855
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CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY
to the extent of ten acres at the time and before the Capitol was located,-the land being near the location chosen. It appeared that the land was purchased at or about the time the act was passed for the re-location of the Capitol. The committee contented itself with stating the fact, but "might be warranted in draw- ing an inference unfavorable to the commissioner."
As to Commissioners Street and Crookham, there was no testimony connect- ing them with any of the 250 lots referred to, yet circumstantial testimony went far, "if not to a necessary extent, to connect them in interest with some of that property." The refusal of material witnesses to testify on this point had made it impossible to develop the facts in that connection.
As to Commissioner Goodrell, there appeared to be "nothing in the testimony elicited implicating him in the frauds alleged in the second charge." It did appear that he "purchased property near the Capitol site after the location was made, as, of course, he had a right to do."
In closing, the committee referred to the extremely disagreeable duty put upon them. "Placed between two excited parties whose passions were aroused, it was extremely difficult to avoid incurring the displeasure of one or the other in every step of the investigation." But the committee felt sure that they had discharged their duty impartially.
The report was signed by L. G. Collins, H. Anthony, B. Millard, and D. A. Mahony.
A dissenting opinion was given by G. W. McCrary, a member of the com- mittee. Mr. McCrary believed the committee was not called upon to express an opinion as to the relative value and desirability of the location chosen by the commissioners; that the question left to the committee was "whether the com- missioners knowingly and intentionally disregarded the best interests of the whole State." He did not desire "that the commissioners should suffer on account of having acted contrary to what they might conceive to be for the best interests of the State. He felt bound to say that, with the exception of Pegram, he could see "no sufficient evidence of a wilful disregard of the interests of the State." He believed that a considerable part of the subscription raised on the West side was not bona fide, and that a number signed the subscription lists without ex- pecting ever to be called on to pay. He did not believe that the land represented by those subscriptions, "at their inflated prices" ought to have been regarded as sufficient inducement to locate the Capitol where, in the commissioners' opinion, it ought not to have been located with a view to the future of the State.
There was some testimony tending strongly to show that the West side sub- scription was not presented until after the commissioners had agreed upon a location.
Mr. McCrary was not willing to presume that the refusal of some of the witnesses to testify should implicate persons not implicated by the other testi- mony. He regarded such a presumption "most dangerous and unwarranted."
He saw no force in the fact that Wells owned a small tract of land near where the location was made, inasmuch as he had purchased it long before the location was made and before the law was passed under which he was appointed a commissioner.
In conclusion, he believed the charges sustained by the evidence as to Com- missioner Pegram, but not as to the other commissioners.
L. G. Collins, chairman, recommended "that the Attorney General be in- structed to institute proceedings against the commissioners for relocating the seat of government for the recovery from them of any bonus they may have received for their vote or influence in making said location, as any such bonus should have been for the benefit of the State, and not for the benefit of said commissioners. The recommendations of the committee appended to the report were :
"That Section 2647 of the Code be so amended that every employe of the State, County and City be included in the provisions of that portion of the Vol. I-12.
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CITY OF DES MOINES AND POLK COUNTY
criminal law of the State for the causes set forth in that section of the code, and which are made criminal thereby.
"Also that the Attorney-General be instructed to institute proceedings against the commissioners for re-locating the seat of government, for the recovery from them of any bonus they may have received for their vote or influence in making said location, as any such bonus should have been for the benefit of the State and not for the benefit of said commissioners.
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