History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882, Part 50

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa.
Number of Pages: 980

USA > Iowa > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882 > Part 50

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His Excellency Governor Chambers, and Mr. Secretary Stull, were also in town, having arrived from Burlington on the Saturday previous.

The weather during Friday, on which day most of the members started from their homes, was excessively disagreeable, a cold sleet having fallen during the whole day, accompanied by high winds. During the night the rain ceased, but the cold increased and with it the wind, to a degree of fierceness sufficient almost to blow the hair off one's head.

It did make sad havoc with the hats and cloaks of those who breasted " the pitiless peltings of the storm," as we happen to know from woeful experience; our companion in a ride from Bloomington [Muscatine] here, having been kept pretty busily engaged, exercising his trotter's in pursuit of the fugitive articles, while upon us devolved, every now and then, the duty-" shivering in the wind"-of watching our faithful steed. This occurring in the midst of our large prairies, was a picture upon which a painter might have exercised his talents to good effect. On Sunday the weather, though somewhat more calm, was still pretty severe, and we cheerfully bear testimony to the credit due legislators, and other public functionaries, for their perseverence in reaching here under such adverse circumstances.

Once here, however, they were in a haven of safety and comfort; and some of them, no doubt, found things very differently situated from what they had anticipated.

Taught to suppose that they were coming to a place where no conven- iences would attend them, and where they should have, perhaps, to spend the winter in a condition bordering upon savage life, a widely and totally different state of things presents itself. They find themselves in a most thriving town of some seven or eight hundred inhabitants, built upon a site unsurpassed for beauty by any that we have ever beheld anywhere in the interior. This we declare in all sincerity; and in this every individual whose mind is unprejudiced upon the subject, must agree with us.

They find halls prepared for their assemblage, with every convenience and comfort that they could reasonably desire, and fitted up in a style of neatness and taste highly creditable to those by whom they were arranged. The hands of the ladies of this city, by the by, are plainly preceptible in this arrangement, and many thanks are due them for it. Much credit is due, too, to our public-spirited fellow citizen, Mr. Butler, for his exertions in getting the building in readiness for the reception of the legislature; and he well deserves to be favorably remembered for it.

But there are other things found here, which some probably did not expect to find. They find accommodations for boarding and lodging,

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

much more comfortable than they expected. We can speak, at any rate, for a mess of a dozen or so, with whom we have the good fortune to be most agreeably ensconced. If there be any better living or pleasanter quarters in the territory than those of our "good host of the hill," we have not yet seen them. They find, too, a highly intelligent and order-loving population, with places of public worship either erected or in the progress of erection, in which to do homage to the Giver of All Good. And, "last though not least," they find fair woman, spreading over all that indescrib- able charm which virtuous woman only is capable of producing. With this state of things, who will gainsay that a residence at the new capital of our young territory is a matter to be desired.

The same paper contains a list of the officers elected for that first Iowa City session, besides a full report of all proceedings up to Saturday, the day of publication. Henry Felkner was the representative from Johnson county, and S. C. Hastings represented Johnson and Muscatine coun- ties in the upper house, then called "council." The following counties were represented: Lee, Van Buren, Des Moines, Henry, Louisa, Wash- ington, Muscatine, Johnson, Cedar, Jones, Linn, Scott, Clinton, Dubuque, Clayton, Delaware and Jackson. The officers were as follows;

IN THE COUNCIL.

Jonathan Parker, president; James W. Woods, secretary; Edward J. Darken, assistant secretary; George S. Hampton and George W. Harris, transcribing clerks; Samuel Parker, sergeant-at-arms; Orrin Dood, door keeper; Miles Driscoll, messenger, and Daniel Change, fireman.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Warner Lewis, speaker; Joseph T. Fales, chief clerk; Lemuel Park- hurst, assistant clerk; S. B. Gardner, recording clerk; Wm. A. Thurston, engrossing clerk; Benjamin Tucker, enrolling clerk; Charles Price, sear- geant-at-arms; John R. Williams, door keeper; H. L. Jeannin, assistant door keeper; T. B. Brown, messenger; B. W.Gillock, assistant messen- ger; Wm. Abbey, fireman.

A NEWSPAPER TUG OF WAR.

The house of representatives contained sixteen democrats and ten whigs. There were three newspapers already in existence, The Iowa City Standard, started by Wm. Crum, June 10, 1841. as the whig organ; The Iowa City Argus, a democratic paper, started by one Dr. Nathan Jackson, from Indiana, in 1841, and the Iowa Capital Reporter, started by Gen. Van Antwerp and Thomas Hughes, Dec. 4, 1841, also a democratic paper. Of course there was a partisan and also somewhat personal strife over the choice of officers and the public printing; and of course the democrats licked the cream from off that buttermilk, electing all the offi- cers and giving the public printing to the Reporter office (democrat). Thereupon the country at once, in whig eyes, hung over the yawning gulf of everlasting ruin, for the next issue of The Standard, the whig paper, contained this startling announcement:

We are credibly informed that at an early stage of the Star Chamber

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doings, a solemn resolve was taken, that no whig county in the territory should have an officer in the legislature, either whig or locofoco .* We feel it our indispensable duty to call the attention of the people of this territory to these facts, that they may ponder upon them, and consider whether such a state of things can last long without an entire subversion of the principles of social rights and the destruction of public liberty !!! "

HUMMER'S BELL.

The First Presbyterian church of Iowa City was organized in August, 1840, and Rev. Michael Hummer was its first pastor, from 1841 to 1846. The presbytery then appointed him as their agent to go east and collect funds for the establishment of a Presbyterian college or seminary at West Point in Lee county. He seems to have been successful in his mission, and also to have been instrumental in procuring a fine bell to be donated to the new church building at Iowa City, which had been commenced in 1844, and first used (the basement only) in December, 1846, but was not completed until 1850. [This building was afterward burned down.] The bell was received and put up in the church tower in 1847 or '4S. But during Mr. Hummer's absence east, he had embraced some Sweden- borgian, or spiritualistic, or "spirit-rapping" ideas that were very unortho- dox, and out of this probably grew some accusations of " bad faith " also in the matter of funds-a most natural thing, whether he was honest or not; for he had to pay his own salary and expenses out of the funds donated or given to him as agent for the college, and nobody knew but himself just how much he had received. At any rate charges were brought against him in presbytery. Over the trial on these he got furious, storming angry, and left the room in a rage, declaring that the presbytery was " a den of ecclesiastical thieves." From this time forth he paid no regard to the authority of the presbytery, and at its next session he was formally expelled from the ministry. Meanwhile he had gone to Keokuk and was planning to build a spiritual temple or church there, for which that fine bell at Iowa City would be a crowning jewel, He still held claims against the church for his unpaid salary while pastor, and concluded to sieze on the bell for those claims. This was in 1848. So he and a Dr. Margrave came up from Keokuk with a team to carry the bell away. Hummer got a ladder and climbed up into the belfry with ropes and tackle and let the bell down. But this was a work of considerable time and difficulty for two men, and ere they had got it down a curious crowd was gathered about. As soon as it became known what was going on a scheme was made up to prevent the bell from being carried away to do duty for a rival town. As soon as Hummer got it down a wagon was brought up and the bell loaded into it and taken away while Hummer was up in the belfry unfastening his ropes and tackle, and his assistant, Hargrave, had gone to fetch their team, the ladder having been also removed so that

*A current nickname for democrat.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

Hummer could not get down. It was all the work of a few minutes, and when Margrave got back, the bell was gone, and Hummer raving and scolding and gesticulating like a madman, at which the boys and loafers below were laughing and hurrahing as if they were seeing the clown in " the biggest show on earth." Hargrave put the ladder back and let his reverend friend get down; but, alas! the bell! the bell! it was nowhere to be seen.

Eli Myers drove the team that carried off the bell, followed by David Lamreau, James Miller, A. B. Newcomb, and two or three others. They took it up the river to near the mouth of Rapid creek and sank it deep out of sight. Its hiding place was to be kept a profound secret until Hum- mer's lawful claims against the church were in some way settled, so that the bell should not by any possible legal process get into his possession again and be taken away. When this danger was all past, it was then to be returned and put up in the church belfry again. But while things were waiting in this shape, Myers, Newcomb, Lamreau, Miller, and some oth- ers started for California. Some of them secretly fished up that bell, packed it in a strong box, loaded it into Newcomb's wagon, and took it with them to speculate on. At Salt Lake they sold it to the Mormons for what they could get. All this was only known then to the men who took it away; they started from Iowa City, April 15, 1850. Somehow the clapper to the bell was left behind, and ultimately found its way into Thomas Hughes' cellar, where it lay rusting many years. But the bell was searched for after Hummer was safely out of the way, and behold it had "washed down the river," or "sunk through to China, or something. The "spirit rappings" told Hummer that it was buried under the State house. Nobody could imagine what had become of it, until long years afterward some returned California gold hunters let the secret out. In 1868, Rev. S. M. Osmond was pastor of the Presbyterian'Church of Iowa City; he heard what the returned Californians had reported, and so wrote to Brigham Young, the Salt Lake Mormon potentate, with seventeen wives, in regard to it. Brigham Young wrote back, yes, the bell is here. We have no use for it, and have never used it. It will be sent to the con- gregation it was made for, when they will pay shipping expenses. This letter was dated Salt Lake City, November 3, 1868. Asa Calkins, who was then a clerk in Brigham Young's office, lived in Iowa City when Hummer took the bell down, and knew all about the affair at the time. The Iowa City church has never ordered it sent back.

This Hummer's bell fiasco was a notable and exciting affair in its day- was talked about, and laughed over, and turned into a great deal of fun. Hon. John P. Cook and Hon. Wm. H. Tuthill, then young lawyers, com- posed a song on the subject, which has often been published; and Cook sang it for the amusement of his fellow lawyers and the judge one evening after court. Stephen Whicher, Esq., was present at the time and wrote

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

down the verses as they were improvised by Cook and Tutthill. [The entire song may be found in Annals of Iowa, July, 1864, p. 333.] A young artist of Iowa City made a pictorial sketch of the affair, which is still pre- served in the State Historical rooms.

THE GREAT CYCLONE.

In 1859 occurred the great " cyclone " which passed through a portion of Johnson county. Its greatest force was spent while crossing the Iowa river, just below the fair grounds, where it is reported that it scooped out the water till the bed of the stream could be seen entirely across. Such freaks of the elements were not common then and not a little consterna- tion was caused by the "water spout," as it was termed, though no one was fatally injured.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

On Tuesday night, Oct. 11, 1864, occurred one of the most extensive fires in the history of Iowa City. A report published at the time relates:

The fire originated in a shed in the rear of Beibshimer's confectionery store, whence it spread with great rapidity among the surrounding wooden buildings. On the west of the building first burned, the house lately occupied by Mr. Taylor, as a tailor shop, and the dry goods and grocery store of Mr. Kruger were destroyed. The further spread of the fire in this direction was stopped by the excellent three story brick build- ing of Mr. P. P. Freeman. On the east the fire met with no check. The frame building occupied by Mr. Xanten was destroyed, together with much furniture and stock. Here the brick building owned in part by Mr. Zimmerman, and partly by Chas. Boye, Esq., offered for a time some resistance to the flames, but the wooden sheds in the rear having caught, the whole building was speedily destroyed. Zimmerman succeeded in saving most of his furniture and stock.

Etzel, who occupied the east half as a saloon and residence, lost heavily in liquors, and had some bedding stolen. From here the fire turned the corner, taking Deitz's grocery store, Aeschelman's barber shop, Saykora's saloon, Rapp's boot and shoe store, and Bishop's harness shop, the last building on the alley was torn down, thus saving the other buildings on the block. The total number of houses destroyed was thirteen; they were all occupied as business houses and their loss will be severely felt.

The surmises concerning the origin of the fire are numerous; that it was the work of an incendiary there can be little doubt, as there had been no fire during the day in the building which was first burned.

OBSEQUIES TO PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

April 14, 1865, President Lincoln received the assassin Booth's fatal shot, died at 7:30 o'clock A. M., on the 15th; and at 11 o'clock, only three and a half hours later, Vice President Johnson was sworn in by Chief Justice S. P. Chase, and assumed the duties of chief magistrate of the

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

nation. The following proceedings had at Iowa City belong to the local history of the time, and explain themselves. The programme as here laid down was fully carried out:

PUBLIC MEETING.

In compliance with a call issued during the day, April 17, 1865, the citi- zens of Iowa City assembled at the court house.

On motion, ex-Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood was called to the chair, and Thos. J. Cox, chosen secretary.

The chairman stated the object of the meeting, which was to take some steps in reference to the sad event of the assassination and death of Presi- dent Lincoln.

On motion, a committee of seven was appointed by the chair to draft resolutions.

The following were appointed: Messrs. N. H. Brainerd, C. T. Ran- som, R. S. Finkbine, S. C. Trowbridge, E. W. Lucas, W. E. Miller and John Williams.

The committee having retired to Judge Williams' office, remarks appro- priate to the occasion were made, by Z. C. Luse, J. C. Edmonds, S. H. Fairall, Rev. Lafferty and W. C. Gaston.

The committee on return made the following report, which, on motion, was received and adopted:

Your committee would recommend the adoption of the following pro- gramme, to be observed of our lamented chief magistrate, Abraham Lin- coln.

That on the day of the funeral ceremonies at Washington City, the citi- zens of Iowa City and Johnson county turn out en masse, and form a fun- eral procession; that all the places of business be closed; that all business be suspended during the entire day; that all business places and offices be draped in mourning; that all flags be suspended at half mast, with the union down; that the procession be formed at 12:30 o'clock p. m., under the direction of the marshals, to march to music to place of public speak- ing, at the State University, the oration to be delivered by Gov. Kirk- wood.

That Col. Williams act as chief marshal, and that a committee of arrangement, composed of nine gentlemen, be appointed to superintend all the necessary preparations. The following were appointed as committee of arrangement: Messrs. Z. C. Luse, R. Hutchinson, S. II. Fairall, E. Clark, H. Murray, M. Fisher, John Williams, Rush Clark and E. Shep- hard.

On motion, it was further ordered, that the mayor be requested to issue his proclamation, to close all saloons and business places during the day.

On motion, the meeting adjourned.

SAM'L J. KIRKWOOD, President.

THOS. Cox, Secretary.

A WINTER OF DISTRESS.

During the winter of 1874 -- 75, there was so little employment for labor- ing people, such a severe winter and so much destitution, that a soup house was opened and kept up by the benevolent people of the city. The following final report published March 26, 1875, shows of its operations:

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

It was in operation forty-four days, and we are enabled to submit the following:

STATEMENT.

Quarts of soup to the poor 1,786

Loaves of bread to the poor . . 583

Expense 44 days at $5.13 per day . $225.53

Receipts 44 days at $3.60 per day . 156.65

Deficit

69.88

The deficit has been assumed by a gentleman who had an interest in the cause.

THE SPELLING MANIA.

During the winter of 1874-75, a spelling-school epidemic swept over the country, and Johnson county "had it bad." The newspapers of the time are full of it. The Iowa City Daily Press of April 15, 1875, says:

The spelling match last night was attended by an immense audience, and the fun was perfectly uproarious. Mr. Hirschel of the law class, and Mr. Brush, tutor in Latin, were captains of their respective sides, and fell before their men went down. The contest was spirited, and good spelling was done by all the class who had time to recover from their first ner- vousness. The last three up were Prof. Hammond and Mr. Springer, of Hirschel's side, and Mr. Ball of the Bushwhackers. Finally Springer went down by forgetting that the Latin c in nomen gets changed to i in English, and then Ball rolled off on "extravasation," and Prof. Hammond was left the victor in a very fine and well fought orthographical battle. So pleased was every one at the close that it was announced that another contest would be held upon notice in the newspapers. The propounder had an unquiet night of contention with the ghosts of Webster and Worcester, imagined himself an unabridged dictionary, buried under a mound of spell- ing books with 'Aam' at his head and 'Zythum' at his feet."

THE PAPER MILL EXPLOSION.

The most frightful catastrophe that has ever occurred in Johnson county, was the explosion of Close's paper mill at Coralville, about nine o'clock on Thursday evening, July 23, 1875. The State Press published a detailed report of the terrible calamity at the time; and from its files we compile the following points of permanent historic interest

One of the largest of our manufacturing establishments was Close's paper mill at Coralville, one and one-half miles from this city. It ran two paper machines, eleven beating engines and four pulping tanks. Its man- ual force was thirty men and women, divided into two gangs, each twelve hours on and twelve off. It stopped only at 12 o'clock each Saturday night, to start again at 12 each Sunday night, and the week saw no pause in the ponderous and interesting machinery. Its product was six tons of paper every 24 hours, ready for shipping, and every bale left its doors for the freight cars upon a track immediately in front, which carried it to all the markets.

The following diagram will aid much in understanding the account of this strange, sad casualty. It should be borne in mind that the machinery was run by water power; steam was only used for cooking and chemical

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

purposes; the "engines" named were not steam engines, but huge beating machines employed in purifying the pulp:

DIAGRAM OF ROOMS AND MACHINERY.

NORTH.

Paper Machines.

Beating Engines.

3 4

. 2

IOWA RIVER.

SOUTH.

The long ell projecting to the west was the stock-room, in which "C" represents the position of the straw cutter, "B B" represents the boiler- room, in which was generated the steam used in pulping or cooking the straw in the tanks numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, in the adjoining room. Next in rear of the tank-room are the beating-engines, in which the pulp is washed free of the chemicals used in reducing the straw. Another similar engine room is at the north side of the tank room, both of these last being indi- cated by "engines."

The north side of the building was occupied by the two paper machines with their heads to the west where the finished paper was delivered to the counters and balers at "W W." The black lines show the outer walls and partitions that were demolished.

The explosion occurred in the tank-room, tank No. 3, weighing 6,000 pounds, being lifted from its bottom and blown so high that it looked no larger than a flour barrel, and falling into the river, where its fall is marked by "5" in the diagram. The gang of hands that came on at noon were within three hours of the end of their stent. The midnight gang had finished their sleep, and supped, and were scattered around the village waiting for their time.

Frank Chiha, the fireman, whose duty it was to regulate the steam passing into the tanks, was at his post at "B B." Jos. Smally was in the stock-room behind tank No. 4. Tierny was at the straw cutter, " C." Gilmore and Sinton were in the room over the tanks, and Herman Bechtel, an employe of the flouring-mill near by, was chatting with Chiha in the boiler room. These six were instantly killed.

Jas. Smally, son of Joseph, was in the engine-room next the river and cowering in the corner, the explosion passed over him and he was unhurt.

George Stevens, George Close (son of the proprietor of the mill), W. A. Forbes, machine tenders, were in the machine room, and although all were knocked down by the concussion, were not seriously hurt.

Thomas Lally, engine tender, was in the engine-room north of the tanks and escaped without much injury.

The ladies, Mary Ward, Jennie Warren, Jane Basor, and Martha Doch-

WEST.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

erty, were at their places at the "delivery" of the paper machines, marked " W W." Mary Ward was struck on the back with debris. Jane Basor was knocked down twice by falling timbers or brick, and Martha Doch- erty was cut on the shoulder, but none of their injuries were serious.

There were in the mill at the time, Mary Ward, Jennie Warren, Jane Basor, Mary Docherty, George Stevens, George Close, W. A. Forbes, Thomas Lally, James Smally, Nathaniel Gilmore, Frank Chiha, Walter Sinton, Patrick Tierney, Joseph Smally, Herman Bechtel, fifteen per- sons in all, and the last six of whom were instantly killed.

Nathaniel Gilmore was blown many hundred feet into the air and struck the ground in front of the flour mill, 100 feet north of the paper mill. His pitchfork and lantern (he was a straw handler), made the dread journey, and were found with him.

Frank Chiha went into the air and struck 100 feet west of the boilers, "B. B."

Walter Sinton was blown into the air and fell seventy yards from the mill, west, across the street, striking and piercing the roof of a paint shop in the second story of Statler's wagon factory. To so great a hight did the impetus carry him that in his fall he made a hole in the roof as large as his body, breaking through the shingles, the inch sheathing and snap- ping two rafters! His body was not found until the hole in the roof was seen the next morning.

Patrick Tierney's body was found near the straw cutter "C."

Joseph Smally lay in the angle made by the south wall and the parti- tion between the east engine room and the tank room, in an almost direct line east of tank No. 4, and with the tank on top of him. He was literally cooked with the steam and hot liquor from the tank.

Herman Bechtel was blown west and struck the ground 500 feet from the mill. His head struck first and dented the hard soil six inches; the body bounded about eight feet.

THE DEAD.

Nathaniel Gilmore had been married about a year, and leaves a wife about to become a mother.

Frank Chiha was an upright and exemplary young Bohemian, about to be married to a young lady of his nationality.

Walter Sinton was a Scotchman, had been in this cou ry about three years, and leaves a wife and two children.

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History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882, Part 50

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa. Number of Pages: 980

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa.
Number of Pages: 980