USA > Iowa > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 21
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Time rolls on and the rats under the hearth having increased in numbers and boldness, they became almost unbearable and father set traps and caught quite a number of them. The cabin all being in one room, we could watch them by the light of the fireplace from all quarters of the room, and I must say that it was amusing to see father spring out of bed on hearing the trap spring and kill the rat, set the trap again, and retire, sometimes only remaining in bed but a short time, when he would repeat the operation. Someone prescribed a remedy. It was as follows: Catch a rat, singe it over the fire and turn it loose and the rats would all take a leave of absence. Father caught the rat, but his heart failed him when it came to the singeing process and the rat never got singed. So much for rat- trapping around the old fireside.
Other improvements had been made to facilitate corn planting. A farmer a few miles distant had purchased a two-horse planter for about seventy-five dollars, and we could hire it for about fifteen cents per aere. The ground when ready to plant was first marked off with a kind of sled; the first one to appear made two marks at once and in a few years someone made an improvement on the marker and it made three marks. About this time we thought we would cap the climax. We made two wooden axles that would fit our wagon wheels, one short and one long one, coupled them together and made tour marks at a time, which was easy on the team and by this improvement forty acres could be marked off in a few hours. The ground being marked, two persons, a driver and a dropper, a team of horses and the new corn planter, would plant from ten to fifteen acres per day. The most common variety of corn planted during those days was the bloody buteher, although more or less white corn was grown.
A threshing machine had been introduced with a short straw carrier attachment known as the buffalo pitts, which was quite an improvement over the old chaff piler. In connection with this thresher was introduced a system of tallying the number of bushels of grain threshed. It consisted mainly of a board attached to the side of the machine where the grain came out. It had a number of one- fourth-inch holes in it, arranged in rows, into which pegs were moved for each bushel of grain threshed. The board would tally up to 1,000 bushels, when it became necessary to begin again at the first.
By this time Osceola had a railroad. The Leon merchants had their goods shipped to Osceola and hired them hauled in wagons across the country. Engaged in the hauling of goods was a Mr. Hughes, Mr. Goins, Mr. Lindsey and others, all of whom were
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residents of Leon. Hughes was engaged at a certain time in hauling shingles. One day while en route to Leon with a load of shingles his horses became frightened and ran away, scattering shingles along the highway for some distance. Mr. Hughes received the name of "Shingle sower."
Another step forward was taken and the two-horse cultivator was introduced to the farmers. We bargained for a Black Hawk walking cultivator with the firm of Richards & Close, whose advertisement appeared in the Decatur County Journal of that time. The plow was delivered at our gate at the old homestead by the Mr. Hughes above referred to, while en route to Leon. The plow cost $35 and was the first two-horse cultivator the writer ever saw.
In the early days of Decatur County considerable hay and grain were stolen. Movers and travelers going across the country would often steal their horse feed and take rails from the fences with which to make fuel. One farmer, however, got even with a mover. He had missed some rails from his fence and mounting a horse, went after them, and overtaking the mover before he reached Osceola, made him pay fifty cents each for the rails he had burned. The farmers would often see them in the act. The writer on one occasion caught some young, well-dressed fellows stealing hay. I asked what they did that for and they asked me to set a price, which I did. They said that it was not any too much and paid and drove on.
Good-blooded horses were very scarce, but at the same time there were a good many serviceable horses on the farms, among which were the Canadian horses as they were called.
The first hogs were the well-known hazel-splitters or razor-backs that were allowed to rove the prairies at will, and you might imagine yourself among the brush or in the tall prairie grass with a salamander in your hand searching for a hog to butcher or one that might have a family of pigs to care for. It was not uncommon to fail in finding a young litter of swine until they were several days old. As to cattle there were just cattle and a conglomeration of colors and kinds. They all had horns and most of them good long ones. There were some excellent milkers and some expert kickers among them.
RAILROADS
In the year 1870 the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Com- pany was organized to build a railroad from Burlington west. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company soon took over a
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controlling interest in this road, and since this time has been under this ownership. The greater part of the line east and west through Iowa was built in 1871 and at the same time a line was built from Chariton to Leon, under the name of the Chariton Branch. To obtain this branch line the localities through which it passed had to raise considerable money. Over eighty thousand dollars was raised in Decatur County. Garden Grove Township gave $25,000, while Center gave $50,000 and the right of way between Garden Grove and Leon. At Leon the road stopped for eight years. In 1879 it was extended south as far as Bethany, Mo., and in the following year a branch was built from a point in New Buda Township, now called Togo, through Mount Ayr, in Ringgold County, to Grant City, Mo. This was done under the name of the Leon, Mount Ayr & Southwestern, but really by the Burlington company. New Buda voted a 5 per cent tax, which yielded $27,000, and Davis City also voted a tax, besides the private subscriptions which were obtained. The Bethany Branch has been extended to St. Joseph, Mo., and farther southward since.
The Humeston & Shenandoah Railroad was built in 1879 and 1880. The Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska Line extended its road to Van Wert, in Decatur County, and then turned over the line from Humeston to Van Wert to the Humeston & Shenandoah Company, which company then built on to Shenandoah. Franklin and Long Creek townships voted aid in the form of taxes, with the understand- ing that the road should be built through the center of the townships. However, the road extended along the northern border and the townships which had voted the money opposed the collection of it. Franklin won out, while Long Creek paid only enough to eover court costs. This line is now owned by the Burlington System.
The Des Moines, Osceola & Southern Railroad, which was at first known as the narrow gauge, was projected and constructed by Osceola parties, aided by subscriptions along the line. The company was organized at Osceola in 1880 and the actual work of construction was begun in the spring of 1881. In 1882 the road was built south from Osceola to Decatur City, in Decatur County. There it stopped for some months, the officers of the company apparently undecided which way to go. Decatur Township contributed over twenty thou- sand dollars in tax, besides the subseriptions. The following year the road turned at a right angle and came to Leon, arriving October 1, 1883. Leon gave $30,000 and also the right of way to the south line of Eden Township. In the spring of 1884 the line was started
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south again and completed to Cainesville, Mo. Eden Township gave $6,000 and Hamilton Township $11,000 and the right of way. This line later passed into the hands of a receiver and then was taken over by the Burlington System, which owns all the railroads in Deca- tur County at present.
GRAND RIVER OUTLAWS
In all the realms of human fancy it is impossible to conceive of a more desperate band of incendiaries, cattle thieves and insurance fraud promoters than that which for years infested the regions adja- cent to the little Town of Grand River, in Decatur County, Ia.
Even the Cantril band of grave robbers was not more daring in its movements, more diabolical in its plans and more devilishly shrewd in putting those plans into action than what were called Frank Green- land's barn-burners and horse-killers who held sway for perhaps ten years until finally run to earth by men who represented insurance companies in Iowa and other states. Now the band is broken up. Greenland is under indictment for shooting two horses and has also been convicted of cattle stealing and is now serving a term at Fort Madison. Other members of the gang, among them Dick Pray, the chief lieutenant, confessed after awaiting until the statute of limitations made them immune from prosecution. The terrorism which hovered over Grand River in a cloud has been dispelled, and the frauds, unique and cunning, have ended. Here in brief is the system employed by the gang:
Members would purchase horses for a couple of dollars each. They would remove good animals from their barns and place within the plugs. The barn would be mysteriously destroyed by fire, the insurance companies would be forced to pay for the barn and for the destroyed animals, and the good horses would then be sold at the highest market value in some distant point. Still further it devel- oped, when Dick Pray took the witness stand, that these men would knock horses in the head, singe the hair on the neck and faces with matches, place the carcasses near barbed wire fences and collect insur- ance for the supposed lightning struck animals.
In one case, it came to view, two horses were tied to a tree, knocked in the head, dynamite was exploded in the branches, and the insurance companies paid $190 on the alleged victims of lightning. And that on horses which cost less than $5 apiece.
In the territory around Grand River, the gang numbering per- haps a dozen, ruled with absolute power. No one dared oppose or
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speak against the methods employed. Whenever a resident had the courage to say what he thought, his barn or other property would mysteriously catch fire. The power of the gang was endless. And thus for several years it pursued its course of burning, destroying and collecting until hundreds of dollars were filched from the treas- uries of the insurance companies. Within the year 1901 alone thirty- three horses were destroyed by the fire or lightning and the insurance was collected for them, notwithstanding the fact that suspicion pointed an accusing finger at some of the owners.
To I. N. Corbett, of Des Moines, the claim adjuster of the State Insurance Company, more than to any other is due the credit for unveiling the mystery and dispersing the band. In 1901 Green- land's barn burned and with it nineteen head of horses. The State Insurance Company claimed that fraud had been used. It refused to pay the $4,000 insurance. The case was taken into District Court and judgment was given Greenland for that amount. Mr. Corbett redoubled his labors. For three years he searched for evidence against what he believed to be the gang at the bottom of the work. Finally the statute of limitations having intervened, members of the gang confessed, and in October, 1904, Judge Towner set aside the judg- ment. Judge Towner's decision in setting aside the judgment was a masterpiece. It scored members of the band in a manner delightful to the residents of Grand River district.
After the night of September 8, 1901, when Greenland's barn burned with the nineteen head of horses, Mr. Corbett was sent to the scene to look over the situation before the money for insurance was paid. The first suspicious sign that struck Corbett was the fact that the horses had been buried before being examined. He secured a veterinarian and went to the spot where the horses were interred, with the intention of digging up the carcasses and inspecting them. By looking at their teeth the veterinarian was expected to tell the age and sex of the animals. Fancy the surprise when out of the nine- teen horses exhumed but one had teeth. The other eighteen were headless. This looked like fraud to Corbett, and after a little further investigation he recommended that the claim not be allowed and thus resulted the law suit. Since then it has developed that the highest price paid for any animal in that barn was $11 and the lowest $1. That was the value of the $120 horses. Later it became known that the night before the fire Greenland had taken all of his good stock out of the barn and had hidden them nearby. In their places he put nineteen plugs.
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The number of other fires convinced the insurance companies that crime was afoot, so Corbett was kept on the trail for the next few years. He was known to the gang and his way was not replete with success by any means. In his search for evidence he traveled con- siderably over the Middle West. Finally, in October, 1904, the men confessed.
The change wrought by the elimination of the criminals was remarkable. Before Grand River and vicinity had been in a state of lawless disorder, saloons ran without license, and shooting scrapes and destruction of property passed without trial because there could be found no witnesses who had the temerity to speak what they knew. In natural order, the country around settled down after the appre- hending of the desperadoes and has been peaceful ever since.
PIONEER REMINISCENCES
The article following is from the pen of C. B. Jordan, now a resi- dent of Oklahoma. In this story he finds exception to many things which have heretofore been legion in the history of the county:
Speaking of the first term of court, of which Daniel Moad was clerk, I will never forget seeing him use the county seal for the first time. There was no frame or lever about the seal, simply the brass circle. He smoothed a piece of a log in the woodpile with an axe and placed the paper thereon, then placed the brass piece only con- taining the letters thereon, then struck it with the axe to make the impression.
Much of the election of relocation of the county seat I remember distinctly. The general advertised understanding up to within forty- eight hours of the date of the election was that two points only were to be voted on; one was the point at Decatur City, then there was a strong element who were going to vote for a point at the center of the county; and about forty-eight hours prior to election day John Vanderpool, William Oney, Hiram J. Stanley, Doctor Thompson and my father, John Jordan, all being interested east of Little River, counted noses and they believed that they could defeat both the other places by a little quiek work, and locate the county seat on the high prairie east of Little River, so they selected three of their number with good horses and saddles and ordered them to see every voter east of Little River and east of range 25, south of Little River, between that and election morning and tell them about this game. and swear them not to let anyone west of the same lines know a thing
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about it, but to go up early the morning of the election and vote for a point named Independence. Decatur City did not hear of it until the next day. My memory is that it carried by eight votes over all others.
Now to Lamoni. I left that country in the year 1875, and Mr. Banta, as president of the colony, accompanied by Mr. Dancer, as vice president, purchased the first land of me, as agent of the land that the church bought, they having made purchases of other agents who had no authority to sell, and returned to Leon expecting some deeds to have been there, but not one deed had arrived. Then they came to my office, and I assured them if they bought land of me that the deed would come, except in case the owner had died since my authority. The third day after they gave me some money two deeds arrived by mail, and they were so well pleased they made my office their headquarters until I had sold them something over one hundred and ten thousand dollars worth. I found them a nice set of men. I think the Joe Smith of Mormon reputation has been in my office several times. Mr. Banta delighted in being called a Mormon.
Now as to changing the name from Independence and from South Independence to Leon. I was at that meeting, and George L. Moore. at that time a merchant in partnership with Seth Richards. was empowered fully by the meeting to select some suitable short name. and he selected Leon. The present generation do not know how awkward that name seemed to be at first. The first house, built by Thomas H. East, was built before the town was located and was just immediately south of the present Methodist Church, between that and the alley, if there is an alley there. The schoolhouse that Mrs. Delilah Loe thinks was a mile east of town, in 1853, was in the east edge of Leffler's Addition; if my memory is right. the teacher's name was Hastings. Along about those years there was a school taught in what was known as the old Blair courthouse building, by Josephus C. Porter, who nearly scared me to death for whispering to my girl. But the first school was taught in a loghouse on what was known later as Hurst's Store Corner, by Humphrey Fullerton, a brother of Mrs. F. F. Thompson, and one term by Carrington S. Porter.
It has been stated that Charles B. Jordan, of Enid, Okla., started the abstract books, and the clerical work was performed by Albert Hale. I wish to state that the real blank books that were up to date were bought and commenced at a date (which I have forgotten) by George Burton and J. Barr Morrison. About the same date and
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unknown to either party Albert Hale and W. E. Dawson purchased a set of blanks of another book firm, all of the blank books arriving in Leon at about the same time. If either had known of the other's action there would have been but one set purchased. Soon the former firm disagreed and quit work; soon thereafter I bought Burton's interest, without consulting Mr. Morrison. About the same day William H. Robb bought Mr. Morrison's interest, without consulting Mr. Burton, so unknown to each other the firm of Jordan & Robb was established. Later I purchased Mr. Robb's interest. I worked steadily along for three years in my books, employing Albert Hale to complete the last record book. I paid him $5 per day. It took twenty days in which to complete them up to date. You will find that set of books mainly in my handwriting. After a time Dawson and Hale did not hitch good, and Mr. Dawson coaxed me to buy Mr. Hale out, which I did, and later I bought Mr. Dawson out. This set of books were mainly in Mr. Hale's handwriting, but I never used them, as they were not up to date.
CHRISTMAS FIFTY YEARS AGO
By an Old Timer
The Christmas spirit is doubtless the same today that it was forty years ago, though manifested in different ways of feasting and serving.
One of the first Christmas entertainments within my recollection was held in the old Methodist Episcopal Church, where the Carnegie Library now stands. The tree was not a graceful evergreen, but a wild crabapple from the backyard of Ira B. Ryan's home on West Commercial Street. The children covered its branches with bright- colored paper and strands of popcorn.
Aunty Patterson made tissue paper snowballs with which to adorn it.
The teachers made silver paper baskets, which were filled with nuts and candy for each scholar. Of the program I remember that Jennie Blodgett directed the music; I. P. Martin made a speech about the use of profane language. Uzz Tharp and Heck Sanford sang a comic song. Pretty little Alice Dilsaver recited in trumpet tones, "Hang Up the Baby's Stocking." Dan Portor picked a fan- dangle (I think that was what he called it) on a guitar. Rosy- cheeked, bluc-eyed Emma and Ollie Gillham, looking like big "chainy" dolls, sang a song about a lost kitten. Then J. L. Young,
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representing Santa Claus, distributed the presents. The most popu- lar little girls received sugar apples and china dollheads (dolls had no bodies in those days) .
The larger girls received bottles of choice perfumery, such as musk and bergamot. The big boys received bear-shaped bottles of hair oil and candy hearts bearing sentiments of affeetion, the latter creating much merriment, being read by Santa Claus before they reached their owners.
On the top of the tree was a huge turkey for Rev. G. P. Bennett.
But the erowning event of the holiday week was the annual "festi- ble" held in the old briek schoolhouse. Every man, woman and child that could raise the necessary four bits attended. Long before dark the crowd began to arrive. The tables extended the entire length of the room and were filled with every product the village and country- side afforded. In those days we had no smothered or frieasseed chicken, but great platters of fried and roasted fowls; no veal loaf or jellied beef, but stacks of old-fashioned roast beef, home-cured ham and plenty of crisp, juicy turkey. No salads, olives or celery, but pickles galore, cucumbers, beets, mango, pickled eggs, piceililli and cold slaw. No patties, but each plate was supplied with a little jelly tart.
For dessert we could boast no sherbet, ices or frappe, but oceans of preserves, pies and cakes. Stem glass dishes were passed back and forth containing crabapple, tomato, ground cherry, plum, wild strawberry, watermelon and citron preserves.
The pies were equally as varied, gooseberry, blackberry, elder- berry, squash, pumpkin, grape and vinegar.
Beside each plate was a goblet filled with float, ornamented with a bit of currant jelly. Conspicuous among the viands were Mrs. Uriah Bobbit's and Mrs. S. C. Thompson's sugar-coated rusks, Mrs. J. B. Lunbeek's and Mrs. S. H. Gates' golden erulls, Mrs. S. W. Hurst's, white mountain cake adorned with a bouquet of artificial flowers, Mrs. L. H. Sales' big fruit cake, Mrs. I. N. Clark's cake trimmed with red gum-drops, Mrs. Udell's pyramid cake formed of forty-two small cakes, Mrs. Craigo's fine marble cake, Mrs. Hil- dreth's white-frosted eake with the date, "1869," outlined in red sand sugar.
In place of carnations and roses the center of each table was decked with baskets of Aunt Rhoda Hawkins' feather flowers of bril- liant hues.
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The baskets were made of crystallized alum and glittered and sparkled under the blinking candles, making a veritable Jack Frost scene. How merry everyone seemed as they marched around view- ing the tables. There was no changing of plates; everything to eat in sight. How "smelly" the coffee and the baked beans and mashed potatoes when the lids were lifted from the big tureens!
Hettie Rogers, Ada Kirk, Anna Gardner, Ester Sanger, "Doc" Warner and Wesley Silvers poured the coffee-not in little china shells, but in big heavy cups that held nearly a pint, and that com- pleted the serving. After supper we had some singing led by Jabez Dawson; then the young folks played "Needle's Eye;" Billy Boone, Wade Wood, Billy Smith and Cass Sales got "choosed" the oftenest. While Kittie Givens, Hattie Lindsey, Emma Vaughn and Hila Fishburn were the belles of the evening-perhaps on account of their beautiful curls, the kind that curled naturally -- around a hot poker. Among the little misses that caused much envy by the pretti- ness of their dresses were Katie Finley, in bright Scotch plaid; Emma Elsworth, in flowered Marseillaise; Helen Dawson, in red alpaca, and Etta MeClelland, in blue wool delaine trimmed with cloverleaf tettin'. There were many little boys present, but none attracted more atten- tion than little Harry and Orra Long, in velveteen sailor suits, with red sashes tied military fashion.
Next came Aunt Jane Miller's big cake containing a gold ring. The cake was cut in many pieces, each piece selling at 10 cents. Sam Ellis drew the ring and gave it to Mollie Miles or Emma Schaffer- I have now forgotten which. Then a cane was voted to the laziest man, and a cake to the handsomest lady. Albert Hale carried off the cane, and Mrs. E. J. Close won the cake. The big "festible" netted over one hundred dollars for the schoolhouse organ, and thus closed the holiday season of 1869, which probably for good fellow- ship and real enjoyment is not far surpassed by the more elaborate festivities of the present day.
DECATUR COUNTY IMMIGRATION SOCIETY
In September, 1869, an organization was effected which was called the Decatur County Immigration Society. The officers of this association were: President, H. C. Bechtold; vice president. G. W. Baker: treasurer, S. C. Thompson; secretary, H. Kompe; assistant secretary, W. W. Ellis. A constitution and by-laws were adopted and quite a sum of money was subscribed towards paying the expenses
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