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 85
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of the year. Apartment houses sprang up in all parts of the city during the year, and readily find occupants. The Ewing, on Locust above Ninth, is one of the more conspicuous of this class of structures. There was a phenomenal de- gree of activity in house-building, both in the city proper and in the various sub- urbs. Whole squares which were vacant a year before were at the close of the season alive with suburban residents. Something approaching a real-estate boom was surely on the city during that first year of the new decade.
The Second Election Under the Des Moines Plan.
The year 1910, though belonging to the relatively present, includes events too important to be omitted in a work covering, even in a general way, the history of the Des Moines "from the earliest period to the present time."
The municipal campaign of 1910 opened in January, and before the close of the month the following were regarded as in the field: For mayor, A. J. Mathis, S. B. Allen, Mack Olsen, E. E. Dorr and J. R. Hanna. The candidates for seats in the council were Messrs. MacVicar, Schramm, Hamery and Ash, of the first council, and Zell G. Roe, E. D. Brigham and W. A. Needham.
The Laymen's Civic Union organized in February, for public service in the coming campaign, their principal aim being to make war on gambling, prostitu- tion, immoral amusements and illicit saloonism, and to investigate and report on the character and qualifications of candidates. Later in the campaign the league addressed a set of questions to the candidates- which in the main were answered -some of them directly, some equivocally, some defiantly.
The East-Side Independent League was organized in February, claiming sixty members at the outset. Its purpose was not definitely announced.
A Consolidated Club was next organized, supposed to be in the interest of a somewhat more "open town" than Councilman Hamery would be likely to per- mit were he to be re-elected. The club's membership at the outset was reported as 457. It endorsed Mayor Mathis, Councilman Ash and John MacVicar, also Zell G. Roe, W. A. Needham and W. H. Brereton. The endorsement of Mr. MacVicar was said to have been owing chiefly to the fact that his re-election was regarded as inevitable.
The Labor League, on the other hand, was divided in support of MacVicar, bur united in support of that councilman's single market-house plan.
The City Club was incorporated late in February "for the purpose of secur- ing the best candidates for political offices." The immediate purpose of the club was impartial investigation and examination of the claims of candidates for city offices.
Local club and ward meetings were held almost nightly, and candidates were present on invitation or by permission, and many were the questions thrashed out at these informal gatherings.
Early in March, the "Laymen's Club" reported with frankness and an evident attempt at fairness on the principal candidates, presenting the strength and weak- ness of their respective claims as the club saw them.
As the day of the primary approached, many personalities were indulged in, and the interest became intense. Accusations and denials filled the air.
The Political Equality Club made a stirring appeal to women to show their strength by voting on the issuance of $400,000 bond for a high school building -the only question on which they were permitted to vote.
The result of the primary was not without its surprises. The vote for mayor was: A. J. Mathis, 4,879; James R. Hanna, 3.143; S. B. Allen, received 1,797 votes ; Mack Olsen, 1,768; E. E. Dorr, 905 ; B. F. Loos, 51. For councilman, the first eight were: John MacVicar, 6.716; Wesley Ash, 6,870; Zell G. Roe, 6,346; W. H. Brereton, 5,090; Charles W. Schramm, 4,582; John L. Hamery, 3.736; W. A. Needham, 3,554 .; E. D. Brigham, 3,338. Of the remaining candidates L. J. Kasson-public ownership candidate-led with 1,946, followed by A. D. Pugh- socialist candidate-with 1,852. The eight remaining candidates received votes ranging from 507 to 102.
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The selection of Professor Hanna as the running mate with Mayor Mathis was the principal surprise of the day. The size of the vote for Roe and Brere- ton -- exceeding that of either Schramm or Hamery, was a dual surprise.
Passing over the short and heated campaign which followed, the election on the 28th of March resulted in a still greater surprise to many-the defeat of Mayor Mathis by Professor Hanna, and the defeat of Councilman Hamery by Mr. Roe. The vote as first announced, stood as follows: Mathis, 7,598; Hanna, 7,531. But the official returns reversed the result, giving Hanna 7,525 and Mathis, 7,509. Mr. Mathis made haste to assure Mr. Hanna that he would not contest the election. As was expected, MacVicar led all the rest. His vote was 9,006 ; Ash next with 8,829; Roe, 8,167; Schramm, 7,371. The next lowest can- didate, Needham, received 5,976; Hamery, 5,947; Brereton, 5,429; Brigham, 4,284.
The success of Mayor Hanna at the polls, in the face of powerful opposition, was variously accounted for. But the judgment of most men who had closely watched the trend of the campaign was that Professor Hanna won the favor of the masses by his evident sincerity and boldness in openly advocating measures which were tabooed by conservatives as "too radical;" by his surprisingly large fund of information on all subjects presented and his preparedness for all ques- tions raised. Instead of being "a mere theorist," the public found him prepared, by previous experiences and study of public questions, for any emergency in debate. The voting strength of Mr. MacVicar was easily accounted for. Pre- pared by long experience in politics and possessed of a wide range of informa- tion on all municipal questions, he was without doubt the best-equipped man in Des Moines on all questions relating to municipal government.
The death of William H. Baily, former corporation counsel for the city, and one of the framers of the commission law now in operation in Des Moines and other cities of the state and country, occurred on the 10th of May, 1910, de- priving the city of a conceded authority on municipal law and one of the ablest lawyers in the state. Mr. Baily had just passed his sixtieth birthday.
Several thousand people gathered at the Coliseum on the evening of May 10, 1910, to greet Senators Dolliver and Cummins, who gave to an enthusiastic audience of "progressives" an account of their insurgency-their rejection of the Aldrich tariff bill because of its failure to redeem the party's pledge, and their insistence upon amendments to the Wickersham railroad bill, thus saving it from failure as a reform measure. Senator Dolliver was at his best, for he was speaking to all Iowa. Senator Cummins was at his best, for he was addressing his fellow-townsmen who "had fought, bled and died" for him! It was a notable meeting, its speakers sounding the keynote of the progressive campaign in Iowa.
The campaign for the republican nomination for congress in 1910 lay be- tween the incumbent, Captain Hull, and a former aspirant for the seat, Judge S. F. Prouty. Both candidates were residents of Des Moines and each had a strong home following. The incumbent ran upon his record of achievement for the district and his regularity in the support of republican measures. The op- posing candidate ran on asurances that, if elected, he would support the "prog- ressive" policies of the period. Before the campaign closed it became apparent that Judge Prouty was forging ahead-that the claims of Captain Hull were not exercising the potent spell of other years. Each candidate made a vigorous cam- paign : but the rising wave of "insurgency" carried the Judge safely over the primaries and into the coveted seat. In the primaries which virtually decided the question of succession, he carried every county in the district except Madison, receiving in his own county 7,240 votes, as against 5,870 votes cast for Hull-a majority of 1,370. His majority in the district was over 2,200. This was Judge Prouty's fourth campaign, and Captain Hull's ninth. By this vote the republicans
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of the district retired a man of large influence and national reputation ; but sub- stituted therefor a man of force and ability who soon made himself heard and felt in the House.
The New Municipal Building.
The new era in Des Moines found emphatic expression in Municipal Day celebration, June II, 1910. On the afternoon of that day the cornerstone of Des Moines' new half-million-dollar municipal building was laid with fitting cere- monies. This imposing edifice is the first local monument to the commission form of government, and this was the first official recognition of the start which had been made in Des Moines. When it was proposed to style the new building the city hall, there was a touch of sentiment in the response of many that there was too much unwelcome suggestion clinging to the name "City Hall." And so, by common consent the structure was christened "Municipal Building"-the words to be carved upon its walls that there might be no reversion to the former title.
The building itself was designed to be something more than a mere commo- dious city hall. Its architecture was the product of the combined skill and judg- ment of a commission made up of Messrs. Proudfoot & Bird, Hallett & Rawson, Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen and Wetherell & Gage. The twenty-five-year-old structure which it was to supersede had long since been outgrown by the muni- cipality. After the voters of the city committed themselves to the Des Moines plan, the necessity of more room for departmental work soon became pressing. In response to pressure from within, and to a general desire to build upon the river front a fitting monument to municipal progress, the taxpayers of the city cheerfully ยท voted the appropriation which made possible Municipal Day.
At 2 p. m. the impressive parade started from east Fifth and Walnut streets, passing over the new bridge and through the business portion of Locust and Walnut streets on the West side, thence back to the site of the building, on the east bank of the river, between Locust street and Grand avenue. The parade consisted of bands of music, cavalry from the army post, state, county and city officials in carriages, the city's fire and police departments, the fraternal orders including the labor organizations. All the men employed by the city formed an industrial parade which gave to spectators new respect for the departmental work in progress.
The laying of the corner stone was under the direction of F. S. Treat, grand master of the Masonic body in the state. The ceremonies were presided over by Mayor James R. Hanna. The copper casket enclosed in the corner stone con- tains historical matter carefully selected by Curator Harlan, of the historical department, including Masonic records, an abstract of municipal history and a roster of all officials of the city since its incorporation, recent acts relating to Des Moines, ordinances of 1907, proceedings of council operating under the new law, photographic views of new Des Moines, copies of Des Moines dailies, a Des Moines directory, a state official register, and much other matter presumably in- teresting to the New Zealander of centuries hence who shall sit upon the ruins of Locust street bridge, making notes on the ancient city of Des Moines !
The costliest fire of the year occurred near midnight on June 29, entirely destroying the extensive building of Brinsmaid & Company, wholesalers and re- tailers of china, glassware, etc. The total loss on the building and stock, and on neighboring buildings, furniture, etc., was estimated at $86,000, most of which was covered with insurance.
A serious set-back in the local business world was the involuntary bankruptcy of the Agar Packing Company, August 13, 1910. The assets and liabilities of the company in Chicago and Des Moines amounted to about $400,000. The pressure of Chicago creditors occasioned the suspension. Subsequent investigation
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strengthened the first impression that the course pursued by the principal cred- itors was part of a preconcerted plan to close out a competitor for Iowa business. W. H. Cathcart of Des Moines was appointed receiver, and, later, the property was sold to a representative of Chicago interests who proceeded to dismantle it. The company was organized in Chicago in 1885. In. 1901 it extended its business to Des Moines, occupying the old plant which had lain idle for several years. In 1902 its capital stock was increased from $200,000 to $500,000. Only a small minority of the stock was owned by Des Moines capitalists.1
The Iowa League of Commercial Clubs was organized in Des Moines August 30, 1910, with headquarters at the capital. The Des Moines Admen's Club was the inspiration of the organization, its main purpose being to increase the popula- tion of Iowa, to diversify Iowa industries and to make Iowa land more produc- tive. Fifty clubs united with the association, with H. E. Stout of Des Moines its secretary. Mayor Hanna and Governor Carroll welcomed the clubs to the Capital city and expressed belief that their mission would result in great benefits to Iowa.
The John A. Kasson Memorial neighborhood house, adjoining St. Mark's church, East side, was dedicated on the 14th of September, 1910. The building was erected by subscription, to enable Rev. Thomas Casady to carry out his plans for the improvement and enrichment of neighborhood life. Senator Cummins delivered the dedicatory address on "Social Justice."
The death of Senator Dolliver, on the 15th of October, was a deep grief to many. A special car bore state officials and intimate personal friends to Fort Dodge to attend the funeral on the 18th.
Among the great gatherings in Des Moines was the 1910 convention of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. The numerous delegates were the guests of the city for nearly two weeks, and made a favorable impression upon Des Moines. The order represented 185,780 members. The chief contention of the united carpenters is the further extension of the eight- hour day to all the trades included in the American Federation of Labor.
Mrs. Alice Cheek, the sweet singer of the war and of subsequent years, whose voice had been heard in hundreds of camp-fires, reunions and conventions, passed away on the 15th of November, leaving a delightful memory of her many gracious free-will offerings of song.
1 The Des Moines Packing Company, J. Muelhaupt, president; Simon Casady, vice president; W. G. Agar, secretary, and J. T. Agar, treasurer, was incorporated November 20, IgII, with a capital of $250,000, and will own and operate the plant.
CHAPTER XI.
RECENT EVENTS AND OCCURRENCES, 19II.
On Tuesday, January 17, Frederick M. Hubbell, the foremost financier in Des Moines, and in all Iowa as well, celebrated his seventy-second birthday. A stranger to Mr. Hubbell on hearing or reading of the harrassing cares and hercu- lean burdens which have been heaped upon this man as he has passed on through the years from comparative poverty to great wealth, might easily imagine him at three score and twelve a prematurely old man to whom vast possessions would be a burden .. Great would be the stranger's surprise on being ushered into his presence to find-not a man with "heart bowed down with weight of woe," but rather a genial, affable, soft-voiced, smooth-faced, bright-eyed man apparently in the fifties, a man who has all the time needed for any business worth his while, and all the patience necessary to gain his point-if not today then tomorrow, or even some far-away tomorrow when new occasions will present new oppor- tunities. Mr. Hubbell was the recipient of many congratulations from old friends and new.
The Scottish-American Society of Des Moines seems to have for its principal mission the keeping alive the memory of the great Scottish bard, Robert Burns. Year after year, the men and women of Scottish birth have assembled in some public hall or hotel and banqueted and sung and talked of the inspired plow-boy whose verse has entered into the heart and life of every Scotchman since his time. The latest banquet of the society was in the "K. P." Hall on the East side, January 24, in honor of the 152d birthday of Burns. More than three hundred were in attendance.
The issue as to Captain Peary's claim to glory for first reaching the North Pole was sharply joined by Captain Evelyn Baldwin, the Arctic explorer, and Dr. Frederick A. Cook, the contestant, at a banquet given Doctor Cook by the Press Club of Des Moines on the night of February 23. The two came on invitation of Chairman Galarno, of the club's program committee. This was said to be Cap- tain Baldwin's first public stand with reference to the Cook-Peary controversy. He did not deny that Peary had reached the boreal center ; but declared Peary had lied in some of his statements discrediting Cook. Dr. Cook was given an en- thusiastic audience, an audience curious to see and hear "the man of wonderful nerve." Some remained unconvinced. Many went away with the feeling that the man was honest in thinking he had reached the pole and that he must have been "very near it" long before Peary reached it. Doctor Cook, feeling he was among friends, spoke with the utmost freedom of Peary and of the strained relations be- tween the two. He made no reference to his disputed claim to the ascent of Mt. McKinley.
The Iowa Retail Hardware Association which held its first convention in 1898, reconvened in Des Moines February 23. At its latest convention the exhibitors had all the room they wanted in the new monster Coliseum, and booths were ar- ranged for at least 120 exhibits.
The pioneer merchant, C. C. Howell, came to Des Moines in 1856, and built up a wholesale hardware business in the city. For a number of years the firm name was Howell, Childs & Sanford. Later, Mr. Howell bought out his partners and founded the partnership of Howell & Seeberger, doing business at the corner of
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Court avenue and Fifth street. Mr. Howell died in 1891, and in 1905 his widow moved to Portland, Oregon, to reside with her sons, George and Charles. The widow died February 24, and the remains were brought to Des Moines and buried in Woodland cemetery. The old Howell home on Third street was, when first occupied, one of the "show places" of Des Moines.
The Des Moines Builders' Exchange was organized March 2, its avowed pur- pose being to advance building in Des Moines, to encourage just building laws, to encourage improved building appliances, and to further commercial and social interests among its members. James H. Maine was elected president; Frank Perkins, vice president; and W. C. Jaeger, treasurer.
Not to be outdone by other suburbs of the city, the residents of Capital Park organized a Capital Park Improvement League on the evening of March 6, with Judge F. T. Van Liew, president; George N. Frink, vice president ; and R. War- gel, secretary-treasurer. The evident purpose of the club is to preserve Capital Park as a residential district, to the exclusion of warehouses and factories, and to make the suburb in other ways attractive.
Sixty Des Moines manufacturers, members of the Iowa State Manufacturers' Association, lunched together at the Savery Hotel, March 7, at the first monthly meeting of the local body. Secretary Wrightman and Messrs. Waterbury, Stotts, Burch, Gunn and Shaver spoke on the desirability of projecting into the business life of the city a new force for progress,-"the force of public faith in manu- facturing as an occupation and as an investment."
A movement upon the city council urging acceptance of the proposition of the Harris company to sell the street railroad to the city was turned aside by the opposition of Mayor Hanna to a resolution to that effect. One of the require- ments of the Harris proposition was that it should be unanimously accepted by the council. Mayor Hanna's attitude was practically at one with that of every member of a committee of twenty-five appointed by the Commercial Club to in- vestigate and confer with the council as to the advisability of purchasing. The mayor's reason for his vote was that the public would not stand for the increased price put upon the property,-an advance of $218,000.
The most successful automobile show thus far held in the middle west was the Des Moines event, March 7-II. The exhibition included fifty-four exhibitors, while the record of Omaha was forty and St. Louis, thirty-six. The immense Coliseum lent itself well to the exhibition, affording much space for display-and yet with every square foot of flooring utilized. The exhibitors in 1910 numbered only twenty-two. The attendance of the year before was a surprise, but that of IgII surpassed all anticipations. The show was given under the auspices of the Des Moines Automobile Dealers' Association, organized in January, 1910, and in- cluding nearly all dealers in the city. The officers of the association were: W. E. Moyer, president; C. G. Van Vliet, secretary; C. R. Prouty, treasurer; R. C. Clements, W. E. Moyer, Dean Schooler, C. R. Prouty, C. G. Van Vliet, W. W. Sears and T. J. Williams, directors. These were accorded the credit for plan- ning the show and making it the brilliant success it was. Visitors came from all parts of the state. One exhibitor reported thirty sales the first day. On the second day more than five thousand paying visitors passed the gates. On the night of the second day, a special band concert brought out the society people, who were received by the exhibitors in evening dress. A sale of over 7,000 tickets was reported on the third day. The total attendance during the week was re- ported to have been more than three times that of the previous year. On Satur- day night, following a successful week, the auto dealers banqueted the officers of the association. Representatives of all the leading motor journals of the coun- try-about a dozen-united in praise of the Des Moines exhibit. Following are the officers for 1911: W. E. Moyer, president; C. G. Van Vliet, secretary.
Booker T. Washington spent Sunday, March 12, in Des Moines. In the course of the day he delivered addresses at St. Paul's Episcopal church, at Foster's opera house-on "Industrial Education," at Plymouth church and at a meeting
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of the four negro congregations of the city, the A. M. E., the Corinthian Baptist, the Burns M. E. and the Union Congregational. He was heard by large audi- ences and it was reported that there were several responses to his eloquent appeal for the foundation of scholarships at Tuskegee.
On the 13th of March the voters of Des Moines gave the school board a vote of confidence, re-electing by large majorities two of its members, Charles H. Martin and J. A. Mckinney, on a ticket which contained five names. The board presented several minor questions-the leasing and selling of certain lots for commercial purposes, all of which were passed. The votes of women on these minor propositions were few because there was nothing of grave importance to arouse their interest.
The Des Moines Credit Men, about fifty in number met at the Chamberlain, March 14, and arranged to send a large delegation to the National Convention of Credit Men at Minneapolis. Papers of a practical nature were read and dis- cussed.
The Thrashermen convened in the Coliseum in Des Moines, March 14-15. Jerry B. Sullivan welcomed the visitors. The convention discussed help, cus- tomers, collections, bookkeeping, care of machinery,-and reciprocity! There were about four hundred present, the guests of the Des Moines Thrasher Club, R. L. Wood, president.
The Iowa Millers' Club met at the Chamberlain Hotel, Des Moines, March 15, on invitation extended by E. F. Consigney and effected a closer and mutually more helpful organization.
.George Kibbe Turner, after a thorough study of the Des Moines plan in operation, published a paper in McClure's Magazine for May entitled "The New American City-The Des Moines Plan-a Triumph in Democracy," in which that able publicist held that "during the two years of the new plan the city of Des Moines has seen a most remarkable revival in business and growth in population. The public improvements have been as remarkable. Pub- lic institutions, hospitals and schools have been greatly enlarged. Millions of new investments have been brought into local business life." He described the cleaning up of the "redlight district," the ousting of the "bond sharks" and the physical renovation of the city, and the reforming effects of publicity in correct- ing evils inherent in the very human natures of men elected to seats in the council.
On the 6th of June, 1911, a brave spirit went out, and friends who knew the years of suffering patiently, even cheerfully, endured, could not but feel that it was well. N. J. Miller, familiarly called "Jim Miller" by his host of friends, while employed as mail clerk on the Burlington road, on the night of April 6, 1875, became the victim of a railroad wreck which left him nearly dead and horribly burned. From that time until stricken with paralysis, just before his death, he was never free from suffering, and yet he never lost heart, but bravely held his place among the workers. Mr. Miller was superintendent of mails at Des Moines, and his efficiency was the admiration of all who came in contact with him officially.
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