USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > Historical and reminiscences of Chickasaw County, Iowa > Part 6
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The hotel accommodations of those days were not very commodious and no one could fully appreciate the old saying that "an omnibus would always hold one more," until after being a guest in a new country hotel.
Generally the upper story-mostly a half- story-was all in one room and this was
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called the "School Section." taking its name from its figurative resemblance to the gov- ernment school section, which was number sixteen, these rooms being supposed to con- tain sixteen beds.
The capacity of a hotel was just begun to be taxed when the beds were full, for there was still the floor and tables, and I have known boards to be laid on the stove to make beds on. Neither was the extraordi- mary capacity of a house confined to a hotel. for David Edwards of New Hampton, with a family of sixteen, wintered in a house four- teen feet by sixteen feet and one story high, and extended hospitality to many a trav- eler. This house was only sided up and was unplastered, and one of the children froze a finger while in bed. Mr. Shoffler had a house in Richland township, eight feet by ten feet, and the table had to be put outside before they could make up their bed. This was a palace compared to some of the places in which some of the early settlers were forced to stay. This kind of life was much harder on the women than on men, and the remark of a close observer that "a new country was hell on women and oxen," was literally true. Most emigrants spent their
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first years in Iowa at the age when the wife must reasonably expect to put on the cares of the maternal relation, and these women, having left home and friends, and without any of the auxiliaries of civilization to aid them in their hour of trial, but with an accumulation of cares and responsibilities, grew prematurely old, as a natural sequence of such demands upon their vitality and strength. The sacrifices that these women have made, the lives that have been expended, the hearts that have bled, none can tell, but there is much of woman's life that has entered into and become a part of these homes that are now being enjoyed by their children and grand children, and their mem- ories should be kept green, and if living. their declining years made peaceful and happy.
Unknown in public life, unrecorded in pub- lic records, yet women have been the heart and soul of our development and growth.
Antedating the railroad, there was a heavy freighting business along the old military road running via Ft. Atkinson and Jackson- ville, thus on westward via Pettybones and Osage into the western counties.
Teamsters usually went in gangs for
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mutual help and company, and nearly every house on the route kept travelers. Of course these teamsters became acquainted with the peculiarities of every stopping place.
On one of these trips, a new teamster had joined them, and the snow was deep and the drifts heavy, and it was late when they reacbed their rendezvous for the night. When they had taken care of and fed their horses they went to the house to partake of a bountiful supper that the good woman of the house had prepared. When seated at the table and the matron had poured the coffee, she commenced to ask each one if he would have milk in his coffee. This question was answered in the negative by all the old teamsters, but when it came to the new man he responded, "If you please." At this she brought forth the maternal fount and dextrously commenced to deposit the lacteal fluid into his coffee. Seeing this, he hastily exclaimed, "No, no, no; it sours on my stomach." He ever after went by the sobri- quet of "Sour Stomach."
The first convention for the nomination of county officers, that I attended, was in the fall of 1857. The convention was held in New Hampton in the lower story of Gurley's unfinished store building .
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The fight was between the north and the south. The first struggle was on the basis of representation. If the basis was on the vote cast at the preceding election, as was contended by the south, then the south would be in the majority, but if the vote was to be an additional one for each township, as claimed by the north. then the north would be three in the majority. Bradford was on hand, and just at the hour of organ- ization nominated one of their number as chairman and at once declared him elected. Then came the question of township repre- sentation, and when the roll was called, the presiding officer ruled that none of the rep- resentatives from townships could vote, and when this ruling was appealed from, he made the same ruling on the right to vote on the appeal. Of course that left the south mas- ters of the situation. At this the northern delegates withdrew, and going to a lumber pile that had been drawn to erect a house for Deacon Gardner, it being the house now just south of the Court House square, they organized by electing Edwin Cudworth chairman. The southern wing nominated Lorenzo Bailey, County Judge, F. I). Bos- worth, Recorder and Treasurer, Fred Padden,
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Sheriff, and C. M. Webster. Surveyor. The northern wing nominated J. C. H. Miller, County Judge, Wesley Swazey, Treasurer and Recorder, A. E. Bigelow. Sheriff, and Henry Shaffer for Surveyor. Cwing to the treachery of Jacksonville the southern candidates were elected. This was undoubt- edly due to the figuring of the Rev. J. H. Dickens to bring out Jacksonville as a rival for the county seat. The Bradford men used the argument that if it was to go north, it ought to go to a place that was dry enough to allow of the building of a town, and as New Hampton was so wet that it would be impossible to build anywhere only on a little knoll, it ought to go to Jacksonville, and thus practiced upon the credulity of its voters, while to the south they held that as but one town could run at an election, Jack- sonville could be most easily beaten, beside it would divide the north. Thus it will be seen that political taffy had an early growth in the county, and sometimes I have the feeling that it become deeply rooted and has not been entirely eradicated yet.
Edwin Cudworth, who was elected chair- man of what was known as the "Board Pile Convention," was a man of rotund appear -.
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ance, and upon whom official honors had not been lavishly bestowed, although he had often intimated that the county could not do better than to elect him.
Reared in Vermont, retaining the proverb- ial Yankee twang in exaggeration, jovial and credulous, he was an ingredient that could illy be spared in a new country, and was a perfect specimen of Dicken's Mark Tapley. The pranks that were played upon him, and the tax upon his credulity only need to be recalled, to bring a blossoming smile upon the faces of the "Old Chickasaw Boys."
In the winter of 1S57 there was much gathering of logs at the sawmills, and it was more a question of team and ability to do the work, than title to domain, that meas- ured ones supply at the mill, and owners of timber lots became somewhat exercised as to their rights, as against trespassers. There was an oak tree noted for its size, growing upon the land of Dr. Sam Carpenter, Jr., and W. W. Birdsell and Thompson Bailey decided to appropriate it. It was over four and one- half feet in diameter, and it took them over half a day to prepare it for loading. When they rolled it upon their sled, it broke the
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sted to pieces. Not to be baffled, they went to Smith's and secured another sled and after much labor, landed it at the saw mill. They had met Hiram Bailey on their way to the mill, and he having Carpenter's tim- ber in charge, took the back track and found where the log came from. Just as they were finishing unloading the log, Bailey rode up and asked the boys where the log came from and who it belonged to. They took in the situation and both declared that they did not know, that they had hauled it in so they could say that they had delivered the largest log ever delivered at the mill. He told them that it came off of Car- penter's land, when they proposed to have it sawed and give the lumber to Rev. N. R. George, a Baptist minister, who was a brother-in-law of Bailey, and was then build- ing a house. Seeing that it was to be used for a righteous purpose, and from entirely disinterested motives, Bailey consented and the lumber was delivered to the Rev. and went into his house, it making about two thousand feet of boards. I afterwards bought the house and moved it north of New Hampton, where it is now used as a farm house. This house was moved seven
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and one-half miles in one day, using twenty- four yoke of oxen. I bought a house that had been built for the father of Hiram Bailey, which was located on the Wapise flats, sixteen feet by twenty, with twelve feet posts, and sided with oak siding. and moved the same to New Hampton. and it was my home for fourteen years. It was in this house that I received Governors and United States Senators, and embarrassed my young wife by necesitating her to cook in the only room in the house, and in the presence of our guests. This house was also moved seven and one-half miles in one day.
There were many stories about adventures in stealing timber in those early days. There was a Mr. H. W. living in Chickasaw, who had a fine piece of timber, and the boys laid plans to secure a part of it.
Going to the owner, in confidence they told him that they knew where they could get some fine logs, but as they had no team, they could not avail themselves of their knowledge. They proposed to cut the logs and help him load. if he would draw to the halves. He readily assented, and they took him around through the brush so that he did not kuow his whereabouts, and for two
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days he hauled logs. On Sunday he thought he would go out and look after his own tim- ber, when to his surprise he found that he had been stealing off his own land.
The Bradford interests had secured A. J. Felt to starta paper, and the northern inter- ests had secured Isaac Watson to start one in Jacksonville. Felt was a young man who had learned his trade while with, and had been connected with the North Iowa Times, a paper published by Colonel Richardson, at McGregors Landing. When I first saw Felt, he was a slim dandy looking young man. and was wearing a circular cloak jauntily thrown over his shoulders, and would to-day impress one as being a " dude." He was a democrat in politics, but started a neutral paper under the name of The Cedar Valley News, but it bore a tinge of the politics of its editor. He proved to be a journalist of superior ability in catching the popular ear, and although surrounded with little out of which to make a newspaper, in its modern sense, he added to his scant material, a vivacity and wit that challenged interest, and his paper was much sought after. He had a wonderful precep- tion of passing events, and a full apprecia- tion of the ludicrous, and a new country was .
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indigenous of circumstances that gave free scope to his facile pen, and no number of his paper was without some example of his power in this line.
While at times he trenched upon doubtful ground as to the proprieties, yet we over- looked these indescretious, and looked with interest for each issue. His ability to write was supplimented with a readiness as a speaker, to respond at short notice, and in a vein that captivated and made enjoyable, although some of his conclusions did not follow as a sequence from his premises. With a sparsely settled country, and with ja population largely engaged in making mew homes and fighting the wolf from the door, there was little chance to make a newspaper self-supporting, and as soon as the gratuity that induced the embarkation of the enterprise was exhausted, it began to feel the blighting influence of an empty exchequer, and in a few months was sold to other parties, and Felt went into mercantile business, where he was found at the breaking out of the war of the rebellion. Having been a Douglas Demo- crat, he espoused the Union side and was among the first to enter the service as a vol-
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unteer, and was mustered into the service as private in Company B, 7th Iowa Infantry. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Bel- mont, and remained, with others. incarcer- ated in Southern prisons for several months, and when exchanged was a pitiable object, being scarcely more than skin and bones.
Having passed through the alembic of rebel hate. the rectifying process had dis- tilled all Democracy out of him, and he has ever since been a Republican. He subse- quently started a paper at West Union, sold out and again entered the office of the North Iowa Times, where he remained but a short time before he again embarked in another newspaper enterprise. and started the
"Rough Notes" at Decorah. He remained here but a short time when he. returned to Chickasaw county and started the Nashua Post. This he edited for some time, when he sold out to J. F. Grawe and bought an interest in the Waterloo Courier, which he edited until he emigrated to Kansas, where he is now (1892) Lieutenant-Governor of the State and editor of a paper. He made a full success as an editor, but while in Iowa he never attained to official trust and con- fidence, although a frequent aspirant, and 9
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this was largely due to a want of confidence in his sincerity, and because of his faithless- ness to individuals. Many an aspirant for preferment who had trusted his cause in his keeping found. to his dismay, that he had been betrayed to his opponent, and bit- ter were his imprecations as he drank of the dregs of disappointment.
Isaac Watson was a square built, middle aged man, and came to Iowa from Missouri, ยท where he had been engaged in editing a paper. He was a reserved, quiet gentleman, with the natural instincts of a newspaper man, and while he lacked the vivacity of Felt, he published a paper that the most fas- tidious could not object to introduce into his family.
The same causes that drove felt out of the News, drove Watson out of the Chickasaw County Republican. He returned to Missouri in a few months, where, at the breaking out of the Rebellion he espoused the Union side, and was killed by bushwhackers. Strong in his convictions, as was shown by his being a Republican in Missouri before the war, he took aggressive ground in favor of a united country, and was sacrificed upon her altar.
At the starting of the two papers there
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was considerable rivalry as to which should issue first, and it becoming known that the Republican expected to start on the second Wednesday of May, the News quietly decided to issue the Tuesday before, and thus become the first paper in the county. Learning this, through MI. B. Taylor, who was then a Dep- uty in the Treasurer and Recorder's office. and whose home was in Bradford, I started about 9 o'clock p. M. and walked to Jackson- ville and gave them notice, and then walked back again, arriving in time to take break- fast, without anyone suspecting that I had been absent. As a result of my visit the Republican was issued on the first Wednes- day of May. 185S, and thus became the first newspaper in the county.
Finding that Watson would be unable to continue the publication of the Republican. on the 1Sth day of December, 1857, the "Chickasaw County Republican Association" was formed, and the following amount of stock was subscribed: F. D. Bosworth. $10; D. A. Babcock, $10; J. H. Powers, $10; W. E. Beach $10; J. Cole, $200 (turning in forty acres of land to make the payment); H. H. Brakeman, $60; G. W. Howard, $10; J. P. North, $30; Little & Wood, $50; A. Vaughn,
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$20, and Cruver, $20. Hazard Green was elected President of the Association, and J. H. Powers Secretary. Walter E. Beach was chosen editor, to be assisted by whoever would be willing to contribute under his censorship. Earl, one of Beach's boys, about thirteen years old, had learned to set type, and by walking over and working the press at night we issued the paper for several months, but the burden was too heavy, and the paper died. .
In the meantime the history of the News was similar. Felt sold to a man by the name of Bushnell, and he, realizing that time alone would exhaust his resources, gave notice of its early demise, and a joint stock company was formed. The stockholders and sub- scribers of this association were: D. A. Bab- cock. $30; R. C Horton, $30; G. W. Howard, $30; B. E. DePuy, $20; A. W. Billings, $30; W. W. Foster, $10; Thomas Pooler, $30; Luthan Morgan, $10; L. L. Morse, $30, and A. E. Bigelow, $10. D. A. Babcock was selected as editor, and in a short time he was joined by G. M. Reynolds, a veteran editor from Pennsylvania. This arrangement ran for a time, and then it died.
Soon after entering upon my duties as
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County Clerk, and while the office was held in the northeast room of David Edwards' house, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. a couple rode up on horseback, with blankets and blind bridles. The woman dismounted promptly, and. giving the reins to the man. run into the office and asked if the Clerk was present who made marriage licenses. On being answered in the affirmative, she said: "That man out there wants to get one, and as he is very bashful I thought I would mention it before he came in." As sug- gested, when the young man came in I opened the way and commenced to fill out a marriage license. The woman remarked that they had got stuck in a slough, but left their wagon where it was, fearing that if they stayed to get it out they would be too late to get a license that night. As I came to the age of the parties, he gave his age as twenty-three. Turning to the woman, she promptly gave her name, and in place of giv- ing her age, shook her head and looked implor- ingly. With a gallant impulse, I remarked. "all right, twenty-two," and left the blank unfilled. While the man was unhitching the horses, she leaned over the table and in a stage whisper, said, "thirty-five," and I filled
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up the blank and delivered it to her. This couple wanted that I should marry them, but not having the authority. I directed them to Judge Bailey, who lived on the road by which they must return. By the time they had returned to their wagon and extracted it from the slough, it was late, and in the darkness they missed the road, and about 9 o'clock in the evening they brought up at the house of Malichi Havelick. Hallooing, Havelick came to the door, and they asked if they could stay all night. An inquiry was made as to their number, and being informed that there were but two. Havelick remarked they might if they were husband and wife, for he had but one spare bed. To this remark the woman quickly responded, "we are not, but have got a license and want to be." With true western hospitality, and with a heart yearning for the welfare of humanity. he told them to come in and he would have them fixed. While supper was being prepared, Judge Bailey was sent for. but further disappoint- ment awaited the fair couple, and on hear- ing the news that the Judge had gone to McGregor that morning, the poor disap- pointed woman burst into tears and amid
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heartbroken sobs, declared that she did not want to sit up all night. This was another strong appeal, and a man with Malachi's sympathies could not but be touched, and he immediately dispatched a boy for F. D. Hall, who was Prosecuting Attorney and ex-officio County Judge in his absence. Coming with haste, without any idea of this urgent call he found to his dismay that he was expected to perform the marriage ceremony. The host arranged the couple side by side, and demanded that the officer proceed with the ceremony. As he was young. bashful, and had never acted in that capacity, and cling- ing to court forms. he began, "You solemnly swear"-At this point he was overhauled by Havelick and told to marry thein and not to swear them. The task was done, the ceremony completed. the goal reached and the two made one. Hall went to the house of Judge Bailey to spend the rest of the night, and the newly married couple were sent up the ladder into the loft of the log house to spend the remainder of the event- ful night. The next morning while the host was commencing to build a fire. he was much surprised to see two feet plant them- selves on the top round of the ladder.
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Shortly the bride of the night before stood by his side and with an anxious and dis- turbed look asked if the marriage of the night before was legal. On being asked why she asked that question, she replied that they did not take hold of hands. She was assured that it did not make any difference, and that it was just as legal as though they had. She did not appear quite satisfied, and added. "I don't feel like a married woman." The irreverant and peculiar reply of Haverlick would not appear well in print.
At another time a couple came in from the south and desired a marriage license, which was issued to them. This couple also desired that I marry them. I informed them that I had no authority, but as I was going their way, I would conduct them to Judge Bailey, who would marry them.
When about a mile north of where the Judge lived, we found him loading hay. The wind was blowing and his hat had blown off, and his shirt collar and rist-bands were unfastened. So far as ventilation was con- cerned, he appeared to be a success. As we came up, I accosted him and he responded with "How are you, Powers?" To this I responded and then added, "these young
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people have a little business with you." "Want to get married, don't they?" To this I responded that they did. "Is it all right, Powers?" I answered that I had issued a marriage license to them. At no time had the Judge stopped work, and as he placed another fork of hay and commenced tread- ing it down, he swung around and asked them if they wanted to get married. They nodded an affirmative, and, without stop- ping his work, the Judge said, "All right, drive on, you are husband and wife; Powers, make out the papers." I obeved orders.
The winter of 1857-S was cold and stormy, and the snow was very deep, and as the coun- try was sparsely settled and New Hampton off any regular through route, there was but little to change the monotony, and it was quite a relief to have some one come in on business. The county offices had been moved from the front room of David Edwards' house as soon as the room could be finished, into the front upper room over Gur- ley's store. There was an unplastered room at the head of the stairs, through which they passed to enter the county office, and Pow- ers and Bosworth put in a bed and Taylor made his on the office table.
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As there was no break from the stair entrance into this room. these sleeping apart- ments were a little chilly, and as Taylor slept by the fire, it was his duty to get up in the morning and build a fire, and when the room was warm call those outside. when they would shake the snow off their clothing and run in and dress by the fire. The out- siders did not escape practical jokes, for one very cold morning when there was a regular blizzard, Taylor dressed, and without mak- ing a fire slipped out and went to the hotel, calling the outsiders as he went through, announcing that breakfast was ready. With
a rush, Bosworth jumped barefooted into the snow, and gathering his clothing and shak- ing it, rushed into the office expecting to find a warm fire to dress by. It may not have been very warm, but Bosworth was, and it sounded sulphurous. We boarded with Dan Shook, and during the winter there was a snow blockade, and our land- lord run out of all kinds of provision but sauerkraut and buckwheat, and for weeks these were our diet three times a day. As we were each paying four dollars a week for table board, Taylor calculated that a good sized cabbage head would bring shook about
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a dollar. A traveler coming along. our land- lord bought a can of oysters. and by cutting in pieces of trype that he got of Haslam, we had a great feast. During this blockade we were without mail for six weeks. and then hired a Norwegian who lived three miles south of town, by the name of John Johnson, to go to Waucoma on his snow shoes and bring the mail. His snow shoes were ten feet long and about, four inches wide and turned up a little at the front end, and slip- ping his toes under a strap about the middle, he slid them on the surface of the snow. He carried a hoe for an alpine stick, which he could strike into the crust and retard his motion if he found himself going down hill too fast. He was gone three days, and we looked over the prairie with anxiety, and were much relieved when he put in an appearance. When we first commenced boarding with Shook he lived in a log house, situated where Briggs' drug store now is, he having bought out Harvey S. Hill, who had kept it for a hotel. This Hill was a character in his day, and by reason of his notoriety as a talker and "blower," he was called "Gabriel." and claimed the right to blow his trumpet. He was something of a sport, and
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