USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 23
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dency cannot by some means be effectually checked, the time is not far distant when it, too, will require a change of name.
In company with a friend we rode out to the grounds during the progress of the fair, It was the morning before the races; but, so deserted did the place appear, that it almost seemed as if we had come "the day after the fair." In fact our friend jocosely remarked, as we drove in at the gate, that we must have mistaken the day, and come on Sunday instead of Thursday. Noth- ing brought in for exhibition had been removed; but the stalls and sheds were nearly all empty, and the space devoted to farm machinery might have been used by the boys as a base ball ground. Had it not been for the very creditable exhibition in Floral hall (mainly under the energetic and skilful direction of Mrs. C. M. Dur- nam) the fair must have been pronounced a failure, as to all the objects that have hitherto been regarded as germane to an agricultural fair.
The Independence Bulletin, in its next issue after the fair, contains the following notice of the exhibition :
The tenth annual fair of the Buchanan County Agricultural society, which was held near this city last week, was not in all respects the success of former years, yet was not without a certain degree of inter- est to the visitor. In all that went to make up the display in the departments of live stock, farm products, fruits, etc., the exhibition was only partially successful, as it was observed that these divisions were lamentably deficient. A number of the old veteran stock growers of the county did fully their share toward filling up, but were poorly supported.
The ladies came forward in their usual enthusiastic manner, and metamorphosed rough old Floral hall into a wilderness of beauty, with their paintings [several of which were by the talented Buchanan county artist, Miss Hattie Freeman] their embroideries, ornamental and useful needle work, and other products of feminine skill; and the visitor was constrained to observe that, had the community in general manifested the same zeal as the ladies in particular, the fair would have been all that could be desired.
The absorbing interest manifested in the races, is shown by the fact that, on Thursday, the first day devo- ted to that part of the exhibition, "one thousand nine hundred tickets were sold at the gate !"
The capital stock of the society is divided into two hundred shares, one-half of which are owned by Jed Lake, esq., the most of the other half being held by the farmers throughout the county. The society is still in debt about one thousand two hundred dollars.
The present officers are as follows: C. H. Jakway, president ; L. J. Curtis, vice-president ; J. H. Wilson, secretary; W. R. Kenyon, treasurer; Jed Lake, R. O'Brian, J. H. Campbell, executive committee.
The board of directors at present are as follows: J. H. Campbell, W. R. Kenyon, R. O'Brian, L. J. Curtis, Clinton Wilson, J. B. Patton, G. M. Miller, C. H. Jake- way, Jed Lake, G. H. Wilson, and W. O. Curtis.
COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.
This association, auxiliary to the American Bible society, was organized July 26, 1857. The meeting called for this purpose, was held in the Presbyterian church, Independence. After an address by the Rev. S. P. Crawford, agent of the American society, it was re- solved to organize an association to aid in the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. A constitution was adopted,
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which has since been two or three times amended -the last time in 1875, when it was put into the following form :
CONSTITUTION OF THE BUCHANAN COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.
ARTICLE I .- This society shall be called the Buchanan County Bible Society Auxiliary to the American Bible Society.
ARTICLE 11 .- The object of this society shall be to promote the eirenlation of the Holy Scriptures, "without note or comment." and. in English, those of the commonly received version.
ARTICLE 111 .- All persons contributing one dollar to its funds, shall be entitled to one common, forty cent Bible, or its equivalent in Test- aments, for gratis distribution if called for during the year. Those contributing five dollars, shall be members for life, and entitled to one common Bible, each year, for the purpose, and subject to the condi- tions, named above.
ARTICLE IV .- All funds, not wanted for circulating the Scriptures within this society's limits, shall be paid over annually to the Parent Society, to aid distributions among the destitute in other parts of the country, and in foreign lands.
ARTICLE V .- The officers of this society shall consist of a president, one or more vice-presidents, secretary, treasurer, and three directors, wbo shall constitute an executive committee, to wbom shall be in- trusted the management of this society, and who shall have power to fill vacancies in their own body in the interval of annual meetings. The ministers of all co-operating churches within our bounds shall be members of this committee, ex-oficio.
ARTICLE VI .-- There shall be a general meeting of this society each year, at which time the officers shall be elected, and such other business transacted as may be necessary. Should the society fail of an annual meeting, the same officers shall be continued until an election does oc- cur. All persons sustaining this society by their influence or means, shall be entitled to vote at this general meeting.
ARTICLE VII .- It shall be the duty of the executive committee to meet soon after each annual meeting, for the purpose of attending to the following items of business: First .- The report of the secretary for the past year. Second .- Appointment of an auditing committee of two or three persons who shall serve during the year, and to whom shall be referred all reports involving finances. Third .- Report of the depositary and treasurer. Fourth .- The election of a depositary for the ensuing year. Fifth .- The adoption of necessary measures for the supply of the field. Sixth .- Miscellaneous business (reports of committees, etc.) It shall also be their duty to meet frequently on call of the president, or any duly authorized agent of the Parent Society; to see that their depositary is suitably located and well supplied with books; to see that collections are made annually in every congregation, and that all funds are forwarded promptly to the Parent Society.
ARTICLE VIII .- Any branch society or Bible committee formed within the bounds of this auxiliary, by paying over its funds annually, shall receive Bibles and Testaments from this society's depositary for the supply of their field.
ARTICLE IX. - No alteration shall be made in this constitution, ex- cept at a business meeting, and by the consent of two-thirds of the officers present.
After the adoption of the constitution, an election was held for the choice of officers for the ensuing year, which resulted as follows: Rev. J. L. Kelly, president; Mr. Newman Curtis and Mr. C. C. Cadwell, vice-presidents ; Rev. John M. Boggs, secretary; Mr. William C. Morris, treasurer; Mr. J. C. Loomis and Mr. A. C. Blakeley, additional managers.
The organization being thus completed, the society ad- journed.
As appears from the records, there have been but seventeen annual meetings of the society held since the first-none having been held in 1860, 1862, 1865, 1878, 1879 and 1880. There have also been several years when no meeting of the executive committee has been held; but, through the wise provision of the constitution, requiring the officers previously elected to hold over, in
such cases, the society has maintained its existence ; the depositary has always been kept open and supplied with Bibles ; and no year has passed without more or less having been disposed of.
The books of the treasurer and depositary show that, on an average about a hundred and sixty dollars' worth of Bibles have been purchased from the parent society and distributed throughout the county each year since 1857. The largest amount in any one year was in 1869, when the distribution amounted to three hundred and fifteen dollars and eighty-six cents. In cases of inability to purchase, the distribution has sometimes been gratui- tous ; but the most of those found by the canvassers un- supplied with a copy of the Holy Scriptures, have been both willing and able to pay the small price charged by the American Bible society, which, for those sold here, averages about one dollar for Bibles and twenty cents for Testaments. Of course the principal number of books distributed have been in English; but a few have been in French and Norwegian, and still more in German.
Since 1876 the operations of the society have largely fallen off- the entire distributions, since that time, amounting only to two hundred and twenty-one dollars and fifty-seven cents. What has been the actual cause of this we are not informed. It may be because the de- mand is not as great as it was previous to that time- immigration (as we have seen) having materially de- creased since then. Or it may be that the people, being in better circumstances, have supplied themselves, through other channels, with more expensive Bibles. At any rate let us hope that it is not because the interest in the Bible is waning, either among the classes that need to be supplied with it, or in the church that has under- taken to supply them.
Those who have been elected to the office of presi- dent of the society since its first organization, are the following: Rev. J. L. Kelly, Rev. D. Poor, Rev. Harris Kinsley, Rev. William Sampson, Mr. L. N. Putnam, Rev. John Fulton, Dr. Horatio Bryant, Hon. W. G. Donnan, Mr. D. L. Smith, and Mr. J. B. Jones.
The following are those who held the office of vice- presidents: Mr. Newman Curtis, Mr. C. C. Cadwell, Rev. R. H. Freeman, Rev. W. H. Sparling, Mr. J. C. Loomis, Dr. J. G. House, Mr. W. A. Jones, Dr. H. Bryant, Mr. L. A. Main, Rev. Harris Kinsley, Rev. J. G. Schaibel, Rev. W. B. Phelps, Rev. A. Beeles, Rev. C. S. Percival, Mr. J. B. Donnan, Mr. A. B. Clark, Mr. E. W. Purdy, Rev. H. S. Church, Rev. F. A. Marsh, Rev. L. W. Brintnall, Rev. 1). Sheffer, Rev. James Patterson, Rev. F. M. Robertson, Rev. T. B. Kempt, and Rev. M. Knoll.
The following have held the office of secretary: Rev. John M. Boggs, Rev. John Fulton, Rev. Hale Town- send, Mr. J. B. Donnan, Mr. D. B. Sanford, Mr. George R. Warne.
The office of treasurer and that of depositary (or person to keep the depository of books) have always been united in one and the same individual. These two important offices have been held by only five members of the so- ciety, as follows: Mr. William C. Morris, Mr. H. O.
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Jones, Rev. William Sampson, J. P. Sampson, and Mr. S. Waggoner.
Thirty-three members have held the office of director, as follows: Mr. J. C. Loomis, Mr. A. C. Blakely, Mr. E. Curtis, Hon. W. G. Donnan, Dr. H. Bryant, Mr. L. N. Putnam, Mr. W. C. Morris, Rev. Harris Kinsley, Dr. J. G. House, Rev. H. H. Fairall, Mr. H. W. Sparling, Mr. C. C. Cadwell, Mr. M. H. Sanford, Mr. S. Wag- goner, Mr. William Few, Mr. W. Hart, Mr. G. S. Woodruff, Mr. S. W. Noyes, Rev. W. B. Phelps, Rev. C. H. Bissell, Rev. G. M. Preston, Mr. J. B. Jones, Mr. D. Elwell, Mr. L. A. Main, Mr. J. F. Coy, Mr. J. Kitt- ridge, Rev. J. G. Schaibel, Mr. B. S. Brownell, Mr. E. Zinn, Mr. W. E. Kellogg, Mr. George Keifer, Mr. C. F. Herrick, and Mr. W. F. Kellogg.
The following have been the preachers at the annual meetings of the society, some of them on two or more occasions, and all, except Rev. Messrs. Roberts and Phelps, agents of the American Bible society: Rev. S. P. Crawford, Rev. B. Roberts, Rev. Mr. Byon, Rev. D. E. Jones, Rev. Landon Taylor, Rev. Z. D. Scobey, Rev. W. A. Chambers, Rev. J. N. Williams, Rev. E. C. Con- dit, Rev. W. B. Phelps.
The following are the present officers of the society, having been elected in 1877, and holding over, accord- ing to article six of the constitution: J. B. Jones, presi- dent; Rev. W. B. Phelps, Rev. James Patterson, Rev. F. M. Robertson, Rev. Dr. T. B. Kemp, Rev. M. Knoll, Kev. J. G. Schaibel, vice-presidents; George B. Warne, secretary ; S. Waggoner, treasurer; William Few, R. S. Brownell, E. Zinn, W. E. Kellogg, George Keifer, C. F. Herrick, and W. F. Kellogg.
BUCHANAN COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
The physicians from Independence were, from early times, accustomed to hold meetings for consultation, ex- change of views, the establishment of fee-rates, etc .; but no society was formed, embracing the entire county, till 1878. On the eighth of May, in that year, upon a call, issued by some of the leading physicians of the county, a meeting was held and an organization effected, with the name of "the Buchanan County Medical society."
This organization has never comprised all the regular practitioners of the county; since some do not regard the benefits of association as fully compensating for the slight sacrifice of freedom and independence which mem- bership in the society imposes.
Meetings are held on the third Thursday of May, August, November, and February, at which discussions are held in regard to miscellaneous matters connected with the interests of the profession; and interesting cases are reported, that are met with in the practice of the members.
The membership has thus far embraced the following names-all being those of present members, except Doctors House and Fisk, deceased: Doctors John G. House, George Warne, H. C. Markham, S. G. Wilson, and H. H. Hunt, of Independence; L. M. Johnson, of Winthrop; A. L. Clarke, now of Bazille Mills, Nebraska; G. H. Hill, hospital for the insane, Indepen-
dence; J. A. Fisk and F. A. Weir, of Jesup; and Dr. A. W. Trout, of Quasqueton.
Dr. House died on the first of January, 1880. He was a member of the Iowa State Medical society; at a meeting of which body, held at Des Moines, January 29, 1880, eloquent memorials of his life and character were read by Dr. Warne, of Independence, and by Dr. A. Reynolds, of the hospital for the insane. As a bio- graphical sketch of Dr. House, containing the substance of these memorials, is presented in another part of this volume, they are omitted here.
Dr. Fisk died August 10, 1880; and at a meeting of the county society, held on the nineteenth of the same month, the following resolutions, expressive of the esteem in which he was held by his professional brethren, were unanimously adopted:
Rscolved, That we have found in Dr. James A. Fisk, a co-laborer of good ability, genial disposition, and strict integrity. We testify that our association with him has been both pleasant and profitable. We cherish his example and deeply regret his early death.
Resolved, That we express to the bereaved relatives and many friends our sympathy and grief. One dear to them has been called away in the prime of life. In him they lose one eminently worthy of confi dence and love. We commend the sorrowing family to one who has promised to be a companion to the widow and a father to the orphan.
The present officers of the society are as follows: G. H. Hill, president, hospital for insane; H. H. Hunt, vice-president, Independence; I. M. Johnson, secretary, Winthrop; H. C. Markham, treasurer, Independence; Drs. Wier, Trout, and Markham, censors.
GRANGES.
These are secret societies, organized among the farmers, for social enjoyment and instruction; and for counteracting the influence of monopolies and "rings" which have proved deleterious to the farming com- munities. No discussions that involve religious sectari- nnism or party politics, are allowed at their meetings; and whatever political power the "grangers" have exerted, has been generated and directed by machinery never operated inside of the lodge rooms.
The "Patrons of Husbandry" (as the order at large is called) was first organized in 1867, by O. H. Kelly, of Boston, and William Saunders, of the Agricultural Bureau, at Washington, District of Columbia. For three or four years the order increased slowly; but from 1871 to 1874, inclusive, it spread over the country like a prairie fire. In the former year only one hundred and twenty-five granges were established; in 1872, one thousand one hundred and sixty ; in 1873, eight thousand six hundred and sixty-seven ; and in 1874, forty thousand six hundred and eighteen. The whole number of patrons (or "Grangers") in the last named year, was estimated at one million five hundred thousand, since that time the order has diminished almost as rapidly as it increased. In some States it has almost ceased to exist. In Iowa, although there are not half as many granges as there were at one time, yet, at the present, the number is thought to be slightly increasing.
The first grange was established in this county in 1873 or 1874. No grange can be established within five miles of another. There were, a few years since, thirty-
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
five in the county. Now there are not more than twelve. There was formerly a county grange, which sent delegates to the State grange, as that does to the National. The county grange, however, was given up some three or four years ago. But all the granges in the county unite in sending delegates to the State organization.
Membership in a grange is restricted to practical farmers, or horticulturists-together with their wives and their children over fourteen years of age.
The officers of a grange are the master, the overseer, the chaplain, the lecturer, the steward, the assistant steward, the gate-keeper, the secretary, and the treasurer. Any or all of these officers may be ladies; but there are four offices which none but ladies can fill-viz., those of ceres, pomona, flora, and stewardess.
A deputy grand master for each county is appointed ยท by the grand master (i. e. the master of the State grange) who has the general oversight of all the granges-settling all questions of order or jurisdiction, organizing new granges, etc.
Thomas S. Cameron, of Otterville, is the present deputy for Buchanan county.
At Hazleton the "Patrons" own a warehouse for handling grain, and shipping directly from the producers. The upper story is a hall in which their meetings are held. Elsewhere they meet in school-houses and private dwell- ings. At Otterville they have a store at which goods (mostly groceries) are sold only to members of the order, at first cost. The goods are kept in the house of J. W. Flumerfelt, who acts as the agent of the grange in their purchase and sale.
CHAPTER XII. RAILROADS.
Two railroads only have thus far been built in the county-the first built by the Dubuque & Pacific railroad company, and transferred, by a perpetual lease, to the Illinois Central railroad company, about the year 1870; and the second built through this county in 1873, by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad company. The charm of novelty being with the first, we shall give a pretty full account of the discussions and negotiations which preceded its commencement, and of the events which accompanied its completion as far as the county seat. The other we shall pass over with a comparatively brief mention.
Of the abortive railroad projects, which at one time seemed promising, we shall barely allude to that of the Wapsipinicon & St. Peter's Valley road.
THE DUBUQUE AND PACIFIC, ALIAS THE IOWA DIVISION OF
THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL.
No apology is needed for the introduction into this volume of facts relative to the movement resulting in the
building of a road which has aided so materially in the rapid development of the entire county.
The corporation of the Wapsipinicon & St. Peter's Valley railroad, though at one time (i. e., in 1851) appar- ently ready, under the most favorable auspices, to com- mence the construction of a road, which was to begin at Anamosa and run in a northwesterly direction through Quasqueton, Independence and Fairbank, and thence in the same direction to the north line of the State; and which, with its connections, was to constitute an almost air line between St. Louis and St. Paul, had finally mis- carried, leaving the farmers of Buchanan county for several years with little prospect of an outlet which would furnish a market for their surplus products. It was not until the spring of 1858 that another proposi- tion was made to them, looking to the supply of this long felt need. An informal meeting, held at Quasque- ton in May of that year, was addressed by Platt Smith, esq., of Dubuque, vice-president and attorney of the Dubuque & Pacific railroad.
Mr. Smith first gave a brief history of the organization of this company, and spoke of the original intent and primary expectations of the incorporators. They had at first, he said, no expectation of receiving a grant of land to aid them; and yet, taking the experience of the Chicago & Galena road as a basis, they calculated un- doubtingly upon the investment being a paying one. The reasons which justified an expectation were fully stated, and the event had proved the soundness of their deductions.
The Chicago & Galena road had, from the first of its operations, been considered one of the most remunera- tive in the entire country ; and yet, while that road, with forty miles in operation, paid but one thousand, nine hundred dollars per annum, the Dubuque & Pacific road from only thirty miles earned from the eleventh of May to the thirty-first of December, at the rate of two thou- sand, six hundred and ninety-six dollars per mile per annum.
A comparison was then instituted between the natural and artificial advantages of the two roads, to show that while the former road rapidly advanced in its earnings as it advanced in length, until it reached in 1856, with one hundred and eighty-eight miles of road, ten thousand dollars per mile per annum; there was abundant evi- dence that the earnings of the Dubuque & Pacific road would increase in even a greater ratio. This part of Iowa, it was claimed, was fully equal to Illinois in agri- cultural capacity, and was not inferior as regards water power. The country, too, was better settled, and more fully developed, than was that along the line of the Chi- cago & Galena road at the period of its construction in 1849. The value of the property in the counties border- ing the line of this road, from Chicago to Dunleith, one hundred and eighty-eight miles, was seventeen mil- lion dollars, while in the counties through which the Dubuque & Pacific road passes, from Dubuque to Fort Dodge, one hundred and ninety miles, the value of the property was, in 1856, three million dollars. Illinois, it was stated, had at that time one mile of railroad for
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
every five hundred inhabitants, while northern Iowa, with a population of two hundred and seventy-five thou- sand, has but one mile to every six thousand.
As another advantage of the Dubuque & Pacific road over the former, it was demonstrated that the latter road would not suffer from the competition of water carriage by the Mississippi. The vast gypsum, coal and iron de- posits of the interior of the State, if ever brought to market, must be brought by railroads, as our rivers offers no facilities for transportation. Lumber, too, must be freighted west, and these facts demonstrated that their road would be a better paying road than the other, which had heretofore yielded dividends of twenty-two per cent.
In setting forth the resources of the company, it ap- peared that the grant of land from the State comprised an area of one million, two hundred and fifty-one thousand and forty acres, which, at an average of six dollars and twenty-five cents per acre, would more than pay for the building of the road.
Contracts had already been made with Messrs. Mason, Bishop & Company for building the road without equip- ments, but with the necessary buildings, shops, etc. For a first-class road from Dyersville to Cedar Falls, the sum of twenty-three thousand, five hundred dollars per mile would be required ; and from Cedar Falls to Fort Dodge, twenty-three thousand dollars per mile. Besides, there had been donated to the road, in the different towns through which it was to pass, seven hundred lots, with an average value of one hundred and forty-five dollars per lot. In Dubuque, the company owned about eighty acres of property, with a river front of nearly three-fourths of a mile, worth fully another half million of dollars. This property was nearly all donated to the company, or else procured in exchange for property given to them.
The lands of the company were shown to be valuable, as well for their mineral as for their agricultural resources. The projected road ran through and would open the northern portion of the great Iowa coal fields; the com- pany's lands also contained inexhaustible stores of coal, iron and gypsum. Professor Owen, then United States geologist, had estimated the area of the lowa coal fields at twenty-five thousand square miles-sufficient to sup- ply the world with fuel for a thousand years. Pennsyl- vania, it was stated, was receiving from New York and New England seven million dollars per annum for her coal; and why, it was asked, will not this vast deposit become a like source of wealth to the people of Iowa, having tributary to them for their supply of this indis- pensable article of consumption, the immense territory occupied by Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota, Nebraska, and, indeed, the whole region north to the British pos- sessions ? The immense value of the gypsum beds was dwelt upon, and the statement made that the value of this article of commerce was then, in the eastern markets, equal to that of flour. Millions of tons could be re- moved from veins varying in thickness from twenty to forty feet, without a perceptible impression upon the quantity. The iron deposits, it was claimed, were equally valuable and inexhaustible. These minerals and the manufactures to which they must give rise, must of ne-
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