USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > Historical and reminiscences of Chickasaw County, Iowa > Part 14
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aware that they were watching me. I turned down the lamp, rolled up the curtains, and then again turned up the lamp. This gave outsiders a full view of my actions, and I disrobed, as if preparing for bed, turned ont the lamp, and hastily redressing fol- lowed so I could see them enter the hotel. In a few minutes I could see their shadows in their room, and after disrobing. they turned out the light. I then went to my stable and harnessed my horse, and before breakfast time the next morning I was twenty miles away, at Charles City, ready for the convention. The missionaries from West Union returned the next morning and reported that everything was safe, as I had not gone to the convention. In conferring with the friends of G. J. Patterson, he being our candidate for senator, the prospect was anything but encouraging, but when Howard county delegation came, I thought I could see a possible ray of hope, as two of the dele- gates were my First Lieutenant and a Ser- geant in my company, in the army. Of course I was glad to see them, and made known my wants. They informed me that they had been instructed for Judge Hitch- cock, and that if I would invent some way
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for them to overcome that, they would vote for my man. They finally agreed that if they could get beyond the informal ballot, they would support Patterson. I had a short interview with Starr, who was looking after the interests of Patterson, and it was arranged that at the close of the informal ballot. he was to make a motion at once for a formal ballot, before any other motion could intervene. There was no time to explain, as I had got excused for a moment's absence, after being seated at the dinner table. On the informal ballot, Hitchcock had two majority, and he and Patterson supposed that the contest was ended. and it was with an effort that Starr got the floor to make his motion. The formal ballot pro- gressed all right, and when my friends came to vote, I handed them a ballot and they cast for Patterson, giving him a majority of two. I threw up my hat, shouted. jumped over the chairs and did everything I could until I could get to Starr to have him make a motion to adjourn before any motion should be made for further action, and the convention adjourned without even appoint- ing a committee.
This was point number one gained. Tis-
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dale having held the office one term. it was thought that opposition to his nomination would be futile, and he took the party nom- ination as a matter of course. To make assurance doubly sure, Weller, of Nashua. came out as independent, and it was fixed so that we were in the condition of "heads we lose, tails you win." and to support either, we would vote for the southern line.
G. M. Reynolds, the editor of the Courier, and Dr. Mixer, espoused the cause against Tisdale, and charges and countercharges flew fast and furious. To make the fight exciting, and to allay all suspicion, I es- poused the side of the regular nominee, and all circulars were met at once with one to rebut anything that was said. It became evident that there was something secret be- ing prepared. and a lookout was established to see if any bills were printed. It was re- ported that the press had been at work one night, and that they had counted by the shadow when they took an impression. that there were fifty impressions taken. Before morning there had been an impression taken from the forms which they had failed to distribute, and early in the morning an answer was ready. The circular was sup-
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pressed, and again there was a like report as the night before, and the type was dis- tributed. and the Doctor took all the copies home, and it appeared that we were bafiled, but as luck would have it, there was a mis- take when they took their proof, and they took the first proof impression to wipe off the forms with, and this they threw out, and from this we were prepared the next morn- ing with an answer.
Much blame was laid to the workman. but they denied all complicity with securing the copies. This circular met the fate of its predi- cessor, and was suppressed. The next night the guard reported that fifty more impres- sions had been taken, but in no way could a copy be obtained. The watch was kept up all night, and early in the morning they were seen giving a boy a package in an envelope, and the boy started towards Jacksonville. As he went by the Brink House road, I took the timber road past the old Vanauken place, running my horse over to Hartley's. about two and one-half miles northeast of New Hampton, when I turned and met the boy just as he had crossed the Wapsie. I asked him if they had sent those circulars, as they were in .a great hurry for them, and he
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assured me he had them. I then asked to see them so as to be sure they were the right ones, and he handed me the envelope, and after extracting one, I returned the envelope, assuring him that they were the right ones and that he must hurry. In an hour we had an answer and presented it to the Courier for printing, much to their surprise. I speak of this to show how vigilent we were to keep up the fight between Tisdale and Weller so as not to arouse suspicion as to what we were doing. In the meantime I had secured a little printing press belonging to E. E. Adams, the son of our Congregational minister, and the young lad struck off the tickets with the name of William Tucker for Representative, running the press in the second story of the Parsonage. The following circular was printed in like manner and distributed with the tickets:
RAILROAD!
In political struggles it is the duty of each voter to cast his ballot for the man who will carry out his wishes.
The only question of vital importance to the voters of Chickasaw county, in the election of Rep- resentative is, shall the land granted by act of Congress to the State of Iowa to aid in the con- struction of a railroad from McGregor westward 19
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on the 43d parallel, be taken from the company running from Calmar through the heart of Chick- asaw County and give to a new company running from MeGregor through West Union, Fredericks- burg and Bradford?
The people of Fayette County, and southern part of this County, are doing all in their power to elect a member from this County, as they have done for the last six years, who will represent to the Legislature of Iowa that it is the wish of Chickasaw County that the land grant should be given to the company proposing to run through West Union, Fredericksburg and Bradford.
Voters, is it your desire that this should be done? If it is not. and you desire to build up and bring wealth and enterprise into northern and cen- tral Chickasaw, the time has now arrived when you must strike strongly and unitedly in favor of the man who will look well to your interests. But one of the roads will be built, and that will be the one obtaining the grant of land from the next Legisla- ture. See Section 2, Chapter 144, of session Laws of 1866.
Will you cast your ballots in your own interest or in the interest of others?
ANSWER AT THE POLLS.
At the request of many voters whose interest is at stake as well as my own, I have consented to be a candidate for Representative, and pledge myself, if elected, to use my utmost influence and energy
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to secure the Land Grant for the benefit of the northern route if they comply with the law in building the railroad.
WMr. TUCKER.
CHICKASAW, October 7, 1867.
Just before election, and in the night time, I took the circulars and tickets, and begin- ning at Stapleton, left a bundle with trusty agents in every northern township. The .. last town to be visited, was Chickasaw. where Tucker lived, and as I came up the hill from the north, I saw Tisdale and Weller coming into town. I immediately backed my horse down the hill out of sight, and leaving my horse in the brush, crossed over the dam to the mill to see Tucker be- fore the candidates should meet him. I found him in the mill, and told him what had been done. He was much excited, and when I told him who was up town, he wanted to know what he had better do. I had been nominated as Drainage Commis- sioner, as a joke, that being an office with- out duties or emoluments, and was passed around from year to year for the fun that could be gotten out of it. I told him to re- fuse to commit himself to either of them, as he was pledged to use all his influence for my election, and that a pledge to either
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might hurt his chances. I recrossed the dam and Tucker started for up town. Wring- ing out my stockings, I went to my horse and rode into town, arriving about the time Tucker did, and jumping out shook his hand warmly, and asked what my chances for election were. He assured me he was re- deeming his pledges to me by giving me active support. Both condidates had a very unsatisfactory interview with him. and as they waxed warm trying to convince bim that my nomination was simply a joke, it was fun to see with what tenacity he stuck by me. It was not until election morning that they were apprised of Tucker's candi- dacy, when they reached New Hampton, on their road from North Washington, where they had spoken the night before. On hear- ing the report, Tisdale came to my office and asked if it was so, and I informed him that it was, and gave him a copy of the cir- cular. He immediately started back to North Washington, and I jumped upon my horse and run her up the Wapsie, and reached the polling place a mile ahead of him. They had told each of the candidates the night before that each would receive as many votes as the other.
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As I stood concealed when Tisdale came up, I heard him call Byers out and ask him how it was running, and Byers told him that he would get as many votes as Weller, but that neither would get a single vote. Tucker was voted for by a solid north, while the south was divided, and thus we made our second point in electing Tucker. Some one not in the secret, had reported that Tucker was going to be a candidate on the railroad issue, and Weller issued a circular with the intent of placing himself right with the north part of the county. As Tucker was in ignorance of the move, when the cir- cular of Weller's appeared, he declared he was not and had never intended to be a can- didate, and we took much pains to get this denial before the people, lest the south part of the county should believe it and concen- trate on one of the other candidates. The following is the Weller circular, written by Dr. Mixer and printed by G. M. Reynolds:
FARMERS OF CHICKASAW COUNTY-READ AND PONDER.
Wm. Tucker, a played-out politician, a life-long office-seeker, a man whom you never trusted, and never gave a position, who would not dare present himself on his merits, -this man, is sprung upon
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you at the eleventh hour, and you are to be made to vote for him under the pretext that your Rail Road interests are in danger. The whole thing is a dodge! Mr. Weller's position is no secret! Read his letter! Don't permit yourself to be made the victims of a Confidence Game:
BRADFORD, IOWA, Oct. 3d, 1967.
To all Persons whom it May Concern:
In a card. published in the Nashua Post, and New Hampton Courier, I have heretofore (as I supposed in some unmistakable terms), set myself before the people of Chickasaw county, on the question of the McGregor Railway, running west on the line of the 43d parallel of latitude: in which card I distinctly set forth that I favored no north, nor south lines, nor any particular town, but that if elected, I would use my influence to secure the application of the Land Grant to build a railway, so as best to accommodate the people of the whole county.
But certain persons in New Hampton, and other towns in the north part of the county, desiring a more explicit statement of my position, I wish to say: That, in view of the fact that the McGregor Western Railway Co., have built forty miles of road in substantial compliance with provisions of the act of congress; and are now making a survey preliminary to an extension of the road westward through the central part of the county; I am there- fore in favor of holding the land for said company
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on their compliance with the provisions of the Grant; and if elected I cheerfully pledge my influ- ence, in and out of the legislature, in favor of such action. L. H. WELLER.
Tucker was an Englishman by birth, and a fine specimen of a physical man. He was faithful to his pledges on the railroad ques- tion, and worked hard for the object his constituents had elected him for, and the the land grant was given to the northern route, and this secured the road through the center of the county. He is now in the Treasury department at Washington, where he has been for many years. After Tisdale
was defeated, he became agent for a school book publishing firm, and also became con- ductor of county school institutes. He was employed by the county Superintendent of this county, and gave a lecture to the teach- ers. Dr. Mixer had been so active in oppo- sition to his candidacy for Representative, that he could not withold a caustic criti- cism of the effort, prompted, probably. partly by feeling, and partly because it was deserved. There was a reply, and a lively personal war of words followed. In this criticism, among other mild things, was the following: "It evinced no study; showed
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no deliberation: was prepared with no care. It had neither beginning nor ending; neither premises or conclusions. It was a wild far- ago of senseless, sounding phrases, as discon- nected as the words in the dictionary, and . as meaningless as the clatter of hailstones upon the shingled roof."
To this there was a reply charging that the critic was self-conceited, "which was the effect of self-esteem and a great diploma, obtained by graduating at some great insti- tution of learning, in some great city, which causes its possessor to get outside of the region for which nature designed him, and to frown at every thing that does not come up to his exalted standard of perfection, not realizing
How much a dunce who has been sent to Rome, Excels a dunce that has been kept at home; And how much he who at true merit sneers Excels a donkey, save in length of ears.
To this came the retort courteous, "In wallowing in filth, this man Tisdale can dive down deeper, stay longer, and come up dirtier than any other man I ever saw."
Had Mr. Tisdale been possessed of suffi- cient moral stamina, he would have had a . bright future before him, but he succumbed
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to his passions, and met the reward of those who ignore the moral code, and prospects faded and hope departed, and he sought pleasure with those whose path lead down- ward, and wholly disappeared to his old con- stituency.
On the evening of the thirteenth day of February, 1567, E. T. Runion was on his way home from a trip to the east part of the county, and when he came to the house of W. E. Beach, about a half mile west of old Jacksonville, he called to see his daughter, who had married Frank Weed, a step-son of Beach, leaving his team standing in the road. His daughter. Hannah, decided to go home with him, and handing her father a bed quilt to be used as a wrap, they started for the team. Just as they started the team started also, and thinking that they would overtake it in a few minutes, they followed. When they had passed beyond the old Wolf place at the top of the hill, it was open prai- rie to New Hampton. With the team in sight, they followed, expecting to overtake it at once. Not more than a quarter of a mile after striking the prairie, they were struck by a blizzard, and the team disap- peared from view, but they pressed on as
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fast as possible, thinking that they would overtake it soon. Coming to two roads. the team took the right hand oue and they the left, it being a wood road that led much too far south, and of course all prospect of over- taking the team disappeared. The storm was blinding and they soon lost the road amid the drifts. Exhausted, Hannah could walk no farther, and as the storm and dark- ness prevented seeing any object, they camped for the night, Runion wrapping the girl with the bed quilt and kicking the snow around her to keep her from freezing. Runion stamped and walked around her through the night, to keep himself from freezing and to scare away the wolves that were howling around.
When morning came he aroused his daugh- ter for the purpose of gaining a habitation, but found that her feet and legs were frozen nearly to her knees, and that she could only hobble a little with his aid. As the storm was still raging he became convinced that be alone could not succeed, and he decided to protect her as well as he could and go for help. Stamping the snow to get a place to protect her, he broke through the ice that had been formed when the water was high,
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and then receded, leaving a hollow cavity between the upper ice and the bed of the creek. Into this he put the girl, and crowd- ing down after her the bed quilt, he started for help. He finally reached Vincent's, one mile east of New Hampton, with his hands, face and ears frozen. As soon as they could thaw him out, they took a team and went for the girl. To their dismay the place could not be found, and after hunting the rest of the day, they returned to Vincent's. The next morning the alarm was given and the entire male population of New Hampton
started on the search. About ten o'clock one of the searchers broke through where she was, and to the surprise of all she was alive. She was taken to the house of Mr. Jolly, where she received medical aid. As it subsequently appeared, when she was put under the ice, her frozen feet broke through the lower ice into the water. Not knowing it, she left them there until the cold water extracted the frost. She was, during this time, in a semi-conscious state, amusing her- self watching the fishes and hearing the searchers calling her, sleeping during the night.
She suffered but little from the exposure,
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only losing part of two toes. The same night that they started for home, a company of married people had gone with a four horse team to Forest City, to spend the evening. It was a mild and beautiful night, but there were premonitions of a storm, and we started back, meeting the blizzard about three miles south of town. When it struck us it was blinding, and we set out men on each side of the track to guard against losing it and it was with much relief that the announcement was made that they had struck David Edwards' fence one and one-half miles south of town. Men were kept along the fence calling to the driver, so that he should not go astray. The sleigh was blown over once, and it was almost impossible to make the horses beat against the storm. As we came past Runion's house there was a light and they were putting out his team that had left him. When we got home, the storm was terrible, and we run the horses into the barn and left them with their harnesses on until morning.
During the summer of 1S65, C. O. Case resigned his office as Clerk of the District Court, to accept the position of station agent . at Waverly. and F. D. Bosworth was
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appointed to fill the vacancy. Bosworth became an aspirant for election to the posi- tion, at the fall election. The four southern townships had a majority of one delegate under the representation based upon the preceding election, in the Republican con- vention, and Bosworth had carried all but Richland, that being deemed secure, it being his own township. The arrogance of these townships in dictating to the county who should be nominated. had engendered con- siderable feeling, and to this was left the sting of former county seat difficulties.
As a bitter partizan southern man, Pos- worth was objectionable to most of the northern voters. Partaking of this feeling there was not a very strong desire for his success, and a diversion was sought of some of his delegates, by which his defeat might be accomplished.
The day before the caucus in Richland township, I made it in my way to pass from Bradford to Williamstown, and as Zelotes Baily lived on that road, took pains to inter- view him. He was found trying to plow a small field of sickly, weedy corn, with an old blind horse, he being driver and holder of the plow. As he started from the road side
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to plow from the road. I hailed him, and he stopped his horse and came to the fence. He had but one suspender, wore a hat with the rim half torn off, was barefoot and with- out coat or vest. In fact he was about as true a specimen of discouragement as I had ever seen.
After passing the time of day and speaking about the prospect of a crop, he replied that his health was very poor, that he had no team, and that he was about discouraged. I then suggested that he run for clerk. and assured him that if he could secure his town- ship delegation, he would be nominated the next day. After a few moments of reflec- tion, he said he believed he could, and un- hitching his horse, hanging the harness on the fence and turning his horse into the road, he started for " Uncle Hi's," and that night secured the delegates from Richland township. This secured his nomination, and he was elected and held the office for the three following terms. His health be- came so impaired, he never having recov- ered from his army exposure, he was obliged to leave the office.
Zelotes was brother to the first bride it was my pleasure to see married in the
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county, and he had a brother, T. S. Bailey, who aided him in erecting the first brick kiln burned in the county, and who was generally known by the nick-name of "Tip," and at the breaking out of the rebellion, he was struggling along, trying to get an edu- cation, paying his way by his own exertions. At the call of his country for volunteers, he entered the military service, and joined the Third Iowa Infantry. He lost a hand at the battle of Jackson, Miss., and returned to his studies, with the additional disadvantage of having but one hand with which to battle for subsistance, and carve his way to success. He worked his way through his studies and entered the ministry, and attained to the position of State Secretary for Iowa, and has charge of all Presbyterian missions and mis- sionary churches in the state. Cut off by the loss of his hand from pursuing a life of manual labor, he has developed his head and heart in a way that almost makes us thank- ful that the current of his life was changed beyond his control. As a Christian gentle- man and servant of his Master, he stands the peer of the foremost, and the eloquence and soundness of his discourses, added to his executive ability, make him one of the lead- ing and marked men of the state.
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F. M. Haislet was attracted to Chickasaw county, by representations of parties that there was a chance to make a successful venture in the newspaper business, as there was but one paper at the county seat, and that he could become spokesman for an opposition that had revenges and heartburn- ings, and that he could become an opposition organ. Up to this time the press had been moved by high principle and a spirit of fair dealing, and had ignored all personal jour- nalism, and the safety of personal character was assured, but there were those who felt that they should like to see the moral and religious element humiliated. or at least made to suffer the darts of a disturber. The scorner, the discontented, the disappointed and constitutionally sour, were elements that were to welcome any paper that should raise the "skull and cross bones" and float the pirate flag. This was not only done edi- torially, but in fact, by having the "skull and cross bones" painted as a sign. There was this commendable thing about it, it did not sail under false colors. It came down "like a wolf upon the fold," and made itself a reputation and a place as an exponent of opposition.
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With a good intellect, a fair discerner of events, the Tribune had no politics, but used its influence to build up a kind of personal party, trying to make selection out of both parties, and for a consideration, boom them. If perchance they were elected, they were pointed as the fruits of the Tribune influ- ence; and if they were defeated. they passed into innocuous desuetude, and their defeat soon passed into oblivion.
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