USA > Iowa > Linn County > History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 16
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BARNEY MCSHANE CABIN Built in 1847 Near Springville
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CABIN IN "CRACKER SETTLEMENT" NEAR MT. VERNON
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YORK
MARY
HON
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A HERO OF THE CANADIAN REBELLION
"The young swains, and especially the editorial gallants, who were so greatly enamored with the charms of Miss Katherine Johnson while in our city, often rallied each other afterwards on the subject; and some who appeared from their newspaper eulogies to be the most moon-struck while the romance lasted, and had written the largest amount of very soft poetry on the lovely daughter of the hero of the Thousand Isles, were the first to forget the object of their ador- ation. Alas for the fickleness of man's affection and the mutability of his attachments."
The above tells the story of how much trouble the various communities in lowa had with bogus Bill Johnson and the various interpretations of the life and character of the outlaw and his alleged daughter. Mr. Ellis still insists that his interpretation of the life and character of this outlaw is as he tells it and no one perhaps knew the principal characters better than he did. Mr. Ellis was the first one who met JJohnson in Wisconsin as he was about to emigrate into Iowa. Ile was one of the actors in the occurrence at the Phillips House in Marion, he was the old friend and companion of William Abbe and knew most of the men in the Bennett party, such as Evans, Parrish, Rowley, and others, and he met in California many years afterwards the heroine who had become the wife of Peck and there had a conversation with both of them. Mr. Ellis is of the opinion that when Johnson suddenly left Marion he went to Missouri and later drifted baek into Mahaska county, Iowa, where he was murdered. It was thought that Kate knew more about the murder than she let on, but living a life as she had lived it would not be best for her to tell all she knew of the various transactions with her so-called father. So far as Mr. Ellis ascertained Kate had reformed and carried herself in goodly repute among the miners of the far west where she was then known, it is said, at times as the Queen of the Thousand Isles. Her husband, it is stated, was a reputable person and had always stood well in the community up to the time of the Johnson murder, and what part, if any, he took in that no one ever knew.
Bogus Bill Johnson is said to be buried in an unknown grave in Mahaska county and no stone has ever been found that marked his last resting place.
Kate, Queen of the Thousand Isles, sleeps in one of the mountain valleys of the Sierras on the Pacific slope and no one knows just when she died or where she was buried. The dual lives of the characters in this drama ended as all such lives do end. in infamy and disgraee.
CHAPTER XV The Newspapers of the County
BY FREDERICK J. LAZELL
From the days of the early settlers until now the newspapers of Linn county have been among the most potent factors in the upbuilding of the community. They have been, as a rule, constructive newspapers. Their mission has been to build up, to help their communities grow in wealth and influence. The news- papers of the county have been noted for their sagacity and their breadth of vision. their conservatism and their tolerance. They have exerted a strong and a whole- some influence upon this and adjoining counties. In the state at large their influence for good has not been small.
The old adage that the good die young has not been true of Linn county's newspapers The best papers today are those which were started in the earliest days of the various towns in this county. They have prospered as their respective communities have prospered. Their publishers and editors have been, for the most part, men with personal and property interests in their respective commun- ities. That is why they have been builders and boosters. Linn county's proud position among the counties of the state, commercially, intellectually, and politi- cally, is largely due to the fact that men of ability and integrity have worked and written and fought for the things they knew would be helpful to their constituents. And this is as true of the weekly newspapers as it is of the daily press. Very few counties in the state have had such an able corps of newspaper writers.
There were some weaklings, papers which were born and soon died. There have been a few freak newspapers. But not many. There have also been many able, brilliant young newspaper men who did good work in the Linn county edi- torial and newspaper offices for awhile and then left for larger fields of labor. Some of the county's ablest politieians and some of its most prominent. business men have occasionally dabbled in newspapering, for the sake of some party or some pet project they were anxious to push through. That was in the earlier days. There has been very little of it in the county of late years.
In the main the newspaper men of the county have been men to the manner born, with a knowledge of the business from the ground up. men to whom the smell of printer's ink is as essential to their enjoyment of life as the seent of the sea to a sailor. If. as Elbert Hubbard tells us, art is the expression of man's joy in his work, then nine-tenths of the newspaper men of Linn county have been real artists. for they have stuck to their papers when they might have made heaps more money in some other line of business. But this love of the work so characteristic among the brethren of the Linn county press doubtless has some- thing to do with the fact that their readable papers are read and quoted by the readers of other papers, from one end of the state to the other.
No chronological list of the newspapers of Linn county has been published. but it is interesting and instructive, and worthy of preservation in permanent form :
1851 The Progressire Era, started by D. O. Finch. in Cedar Rapids.
1852 The Prairie Star, started at Marion by A. Hoyt. Same year the name was changed to the Linn County Register, by J. H. and G. H. Jennison.
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THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY
1854 Name of the Progressive Era changed to the Cedar Valley Times. J. L. Enos assumes control.
1856 Cedar Valley Farmer started in Cedar Rapids by J. L. Enos. This was a monthly agricultural paper.
Cedar Rapids Democrat, started at Cedar Rapids by W. W. Perkins & Co. The Voice of Iowa, started at Cedar Rapids by J. L. Enos. Later this was called the School Journal.
1857
1863
Linn County Register bought by A. G. Lueas, who changes its name to the Linn County Patriot.
1864 Linn County Patriot bought by Captain S. W. Rathbun, who changes its name to the Marion Register.
1865
The Franklin Record, started at Mt. Vernon by J. T. and J. S. Riee.
1866
The name of the Franklin Record changed to the Mt. Vernon Citizen; passes into the hands of H. S. Bradshaw.
1867
1868
The Cedar Rapids Atlas, started by A. G. Lucas. Lasted three montlis. Western World, started at Cedar Rapids. Republican in politics. J. L. Enos, editor.
Linn County Signal, started in Marion by F. H. Williams.
Cedar Valley Times changes its name to the Cedar Rapids Times. The Slovan-Ameriky, started in Cedar Rapids by J. B. Letovsky.
1869
Linn County Signal moves to Cedar Rapids.
The Daily Observer, started in Cedar Rapids by J. L. Enos and T. G. New- man, father of A. H. Newman.
Linn County Hawk-Eye, started at Mt. Vernon by J. T. Rice. Purchased the same year by S. H. Bauman, and its name changed to the Mt. Vernon Hawk-Eye.
1870 The Daily Observer, which had been started as a demoeratie paper, changes its name to the Cedar Rapids Republican, and changes its polities to correspond.
1871 The Linn County Pilot, started by C. W. Kepler at Mt. Vernon.
1872 Name of the Cedar Rapids Republican changed to the Daily Republican. Linn County Signal becomes the Linn County Liberal.
1873
The Lotus, started at Center Point by J. F. Wilson & Co.
1874 The Linn County Pilot moved from Mt. Vernon to Marion by A. Beatty. The Linn County Liberal moves from Marion to Cedar Rapids and takes the name of the Standard.
The Sun started at Lisbon by J. W. Zeigenfus.
The Center Point Mirror, started at Center Point by T. J. Metealf and S. M. Dunlap.
1879 The Iowa Staats-Zeitung, started at Cedar Rapids by A. Hunt.
The Iowa Farmer, started at Cedar Rapids by Alex Charles.
The Independent, started at Springville, editions also being printed for Prairieburg and Central City.
The Stylus, started at Cedar Rapids by Ralph Van Vechten.
1882 The People, started at Cedar Rapids by A. J. Huss.
The New Era, started at Springville by J. F. Butler, passing the same year into the hands of C. S. Shanklin.
1883 The Walker News, started at Walker by David Brant.
The Daily Gazette, started in Cedar Rapids by Otis & Post.
1884
The Gazette Company organized in March and takes over the Daily Gazette. In July all the stock purchased by Fred W. Faulkes and Clarence L. Miller.
1886
The Saturday Evening Chat, started in Cedar Rapids by A. J. Huss. The Linn County Pilot becomes the Marion Pilot, Rev. J. W. Chaffee, editor. The Linn County Independent removes to Marion.
1876
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
1888 Kvinden og Hjemmet. monthly illustrated magazine for the Norwegian and Danish women in America, with a Swedish edition. Quinnan och Hemmet. started at Cedar Rapids by N. Fr. Hansen.
The News-Letter, started at Central City.
1889 Town Topics, started in Cedar Rapids by Ernest A. Sherman.
The Monitor, started at Coggon.
1891 Saturday Record, started in Cedar Rapids by Sherman & Hatmaker.
1894 The Herald, started at Lisbon by W. F. Stahl.
1893 The Record, started at Mt. Vernon by Lloyd MeCuteheon.
1902 Iowa Post brought to Cedar Rapids from lowa City by Henry Gundling.
1903 The Tribune. established by the Cedar Rapids Federation of Labor.
1906 The ('edar Rapidske Liste, Bohemian humorous weekly.
The Optimus, started at Cedar Rapids by E. C. Barber.
1909 West Side Enterprise, started December 30th by W. I. Endicott, owner and publisher.
Much of the early history of Liun county, and more especially of Cedar Rapids. is interwoven with the history of the Progressire Era, which afterwards became the Cedar Rapids Times. The Progressive Era was established by D. O. Finch in 1851. It was democratie in politics and elaimed to be devoted to the interests of Cedar Rapids and Linn county. It was a seven column, four page paper, and rather a eredit to the town at that time. Worse papers have been published since.
It was but a short time until Mr. Finch had all the newspaper experience he wanted. JJoseph Greene then purchased the paper and ran it until 1854. During this time Ezra Van Metre, James JJ. Child. Esq., and JJames L. Enos were sue- cessively its editors.
James L. Enos had something to do with nearly every paper that was started during the early days of Linn county. He loved the smell of printer's ink. The types had a fascination for him. He delighted to see his thoughts reproduced in print. In September, 1854, he and F. Augustus Williams purchased Mr. Greene's interest in the Progressive Era. They changed the name to the Cedar Valley Times. They changed the polities of the paper from democratie to the new Americanism of that time. Then came the organization of the republican party. Like other adherents to the American party living in the north. the editors of the Times east in their lot with the new republican party and warmly advocated and defended the principles on which it was founded.
One J. G. Davenport figures also in the early history of the Times. He had acquired an interest in the paper, and during the campaign he was its nominal editor. although there were not wanting those who deelared that he had not the ability to write a three line notice of a church supper, let alone an editorial. Any- way, he made the Times his stepping stone into the postmaster's seat. and his conduct of that office was such that an investigation of his shortages followed. His bondsmen, one of whom was the late J. J. Snouffer, made good the loss, and shortly afterwards Davenport, after some more operations of a minor character and similar nature, left Cedar Rapids.
They were rare old political fighters in those days. Polities, rather than news. was the chief end and aim of the owner of a newspaper. When Greene. Merritt & Co. closed out Davenport. having held a bill of sale on the Times office, the Times was made the personal organ of Colonel William HI. Merritt in his cam- paign against Kirkwood. To do this it had to change from republicanism to democracy, but it waged a hot fight. Colonel Merritt being its editor. However. Kirkwood was elected and in 1862 C. M. Hollis purchased the Times and he made great success of it up to 1866 when he disposed of the paper to Avers and McClelland.
Much might be written about some of the old printers who helped to publish those early Linn county newspapers. There has been a host of them and they have
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UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH, LISBON
MAIN STREET, MT. VERNON
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THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY
ineluded some notable men. One was no less a personage than Mr. Rosewater, of the Omaha Bee, who onee worked as a journeyman printer in the office of the Slovan-Americky. It was when he was on his way to the west. Some of the old printers have long since passed away. One of the latest of them was Stephen M. Jones, who died at Hampton four years ago. Concerning his work here in Cedar Rapids, Captain J. O. Stewart, himself one of the veteran printers of the state, writes interestingly as follows :
"Stephen Jones commeneed to learn the trade in the Progressive Era office in this city, in the year 1851, serving a four years' apprenticeship, at the end of which time he went to Vinton and worked in the Eagle office, at that time con- ducted by Fred Layman, I believe. The office of the Progressive Era was located on the corner of First street and Third avenue, where the Warfield-Pratt-Howell wholesale building now stands, and was the first paper published in Cedar Rapids. It was an old frame building erected by the Greene brothers and formerly used as a store room. At the time of this story the lower floor front was used on Sundays by the Episcopal church for service, the printing office was overhead and the back part, three stories, including basement, was used as a store room for dressed hogs. 'Steve,' as he was called, and your correspondent were what was known as 'printer's devils.' After some years residence in Vinton Steve got about a wheelbarrow load of material and started his paper in Hampton and christened it the Hampton Chronicle, which is still among the live, able newspapers in Iowa. He was later appointed postmaster of Hampton, which position he held for twelve years.
"There is one other who would rank with us if he is still living, and he was a few years ago, on his farm near Lone Tree in Johnson county. His name is Dan Shaffer. Dan, with a Mr. Foster, whose first name I have forgotten, were employed in the office doing the work on the Iowa Supreme Court Reports by Justice George Greene, formerly of this city. This was a book of some 600 or more pages and an edition of 500 volumes. This book can be found on the shelves of many of the Iowa lawyers, especially the older practitioners. This work was all done on a Washington hand press and 500 impressions was considered a good day's work. Steve's principal business, until he was relieved by the writer, was to ink the forms from which the impressions were made. This was done by passing over the type forms two large rollers made of glue and molasses, leaving and returning onto a large wooden roller revolved by a crank at one end, which process equally distributed the ink which was applied to the two rollers by a still smaller one and designated the 'brayer' -- old printers will recognize the article. For nearly two years this was the principal part of the writer's duties. interspersed with hunting up and down the banks of the river dragging out floating slabs that got away from the saw mills up at the dam, for fuel for the office, the proprietors being too poor to buy cordwood at $1.75 per eord. The paper was published by Dan O. Finch, who later became distinguished as a lawyer of high ability. The last I knew of him, a few years ago, he was still living, making his home with a son some place on the Pacific coast,- Seattle, I believe. The other publisher was William Williams, son of Chief Justice Williams of this state. The material was owned by the Greene brothers. Some time later the Era office was moved to the building that stood on the corner where the Rudolph store now is. The proprietors changed hands pretty often, and finally the paper came into the hands of Robert and LeRoy MeCabe, older brothers of the famous Chaplain Charles C. MeCabe, who then elerked for Greene Bros. in their store under the printing offiee. The Masonie lodge room was in the third story of this building. While the MeCabe brothers conducted the paper your correspondent graduated and started out as a full fledged journeyman printer. It may be of interest to the craft of the day to give your correspondent's salary. The first year he was to receive $35, second $50, third $75, and the fourth the princely sum of $100.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
Out of this he was supposed to pay his board and furnish his clothing. The first job he secured after his apprenticeship was $10 per week and pay his own board. This was in the year 1856.
"The tramping jour. printers of those days, like Bret Harte's Heathen Chinee, were peculiar. As a class they were the best of workmen ; bright and in- telligent, knowing the 'art preservative' thoroughly, but possessed of that roving disposition so common to all printers of that time, and many of them given to drink. They would work for a time and get a little ahead and then get on a 'toot' and seek newer fields. They often resorted to peculiar methods to procure a job. I recall an incident while I was yet the 'devil' of the Era office. It was on the day we were moving the office to the new quarters. The heavy press and material had to be skidded from the second floor to the ground through a large door in the front of the building. When the heavier part of the press was partly down a rather tall, strong built, intelligent looking man put in an appear- ance. He watched the process for a short time not saying a word. Finally he took from his pocket a slip of dirty paper and wrote on it 'don't you need some help ?' and handed it to the proprietor, Mr. Robert MeCabe. He was asked if he could talk. His reply was simply by signs indicating that he was deaf and dumb. He proved an excellent help and stayed for more than three months. never indicating that he could speak. He was a skilled printer, but cross and particular, and often we 'devils' called him hard names to his face. But his time had come and he must have his periodical, and he did. He threw his money to the kids on the streets and had a jolly time, never once indicating he could speak. Abont the third day he came into the office and took Mr. MeCabe to the lodge room above and wrote: 'What will they do to me if I talk ?' Being assured that he would not be harmed and to the astonishment of the boss he reached out his hand and exelaimed, 'How are you, Bob?' The same surprise was waiting for the rest of us, and you may be assured we 'devils.' who had been giving him such choice names, were looking for a chance to hide. He soon left and I never heard of him again.
"As I have said, the publishers changed often, and for some time after the MeCabe brothers left the paper it was hard to tell just who did manage the paper, the Greenes owning the material. After many vicissitudes, which all the papers of that carly day had to pass through, it fell into the hands of Joseph Davenport, a practical printer who associated with him James L. Enos, well known and well remembered by the earlier settlers, who changed the name of the paper and re-christened it the Cedar Valley Times. Later it was changed to the Cedar Rapids Times, and was, after changing hands many times, finally owned by Dr. MeClelland and L. M. Ayers, who published it for years, when it finally died of old age, owned and published by Dr. MeClelland. The old Pro- gressire Era was the original progenitor of your present Daily Times."
Full of interest are those old files of the Times which deal with the beginning . of the war period in the history of Linn county. There is the description of a "democratie field day" in Cedar Rapids, October 10, 1860, when Stephen A. Douglas came over from lowa City and spoke to the multitude. Bands came from Vinton and Mt. Vernon ; drum corps from Bertram and Cedar Rapids. A local merchant bought a barrel of good whiskey, diluted it sufficiently to accommodate the capacity of the six thousand who made up the audience, sold all of it and counted the meeting as the best thing which ever had happened in Cedar Rapids. There was a parade of the "Wide-awakes" that night, and the visiting bands remained over to furnish a part of the inspiration. There were big posters. beginning with the couplet
"O. dinna ye hear the slogan, boys ?
"Tis Douglas and his men."
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THE NEWSPAPERS OF THE COUNTY
That gave the editor of the Times an opportunity to write the first seare head which ever appeared in a Cedar Rapids newspaper. With the true newspaper instinet he remembered that slogan and used it for a sting at the end of the headline. This was the headline the week of the election :
"ELECTION OVER
ABRAHAM LINCOLN IS PRESIDENT-ELECT
Shout the Glad Tidings, Exultingly Sing; Old Abe is Elected and Cotton Ain't King - Secession Rebuked -Popular Sovereignty Now Here - Fusion Worse Confounded - The Bell Tolling for the Dead - Union Preserved - Dinna Ye Hear the Slogan."
Mr. C. M. Hollis, who was editor of the Cedar Valley Times from 1862 to 1866, gives an illuminating insight into the history of Linn county during the early days of the war:
"My office in Cedar Rapids was naturally the meeting place of politicians. There the men who controlled or sought to control got together and talked plainly. And the plain talk of politicians is very different from the phrasings which they use in publie speeches. It was thus that our Linn county leaders reasoned. 'This war is becoming something in which the whole people have intense interest. They will judge of men from the faet of participation or oppo- sition. When the struggle is over the men who control in politics will be those who have been soldiers.' And so these men went after commissions. They were wise and far-seeing and reaped reward of their prudence as well as of their valor. I saw the commission of one Linn county man made out for the majoralty in an Iowa regiment, not only before the regiment had been organized, but even before a single company had been raised. I saw another for a coloneley, fixed out ahead in the same way, by reason of political grace and pull. Not but what these men. and others. made good officers. I am only explaining the reasoning which prompted some of them to enter service, and the means which were most effica- cious in securing prominent places.
"And after a time it was considered that to get a high commission was tanta- mount to drawing a big political prize. Men were thus rewarded for their assistance given to successful candidates, and opponents found their way to army prominence beset with many obstacles. You know that a movement was started in Linn county to defeat Kirkwood for governor for the second term. This developed considerable strength, and a ticket was nominated with William H. Merritt of Cedar Rapids at its head. Merritt had been lieutenant-colonel of the First Iowa. and his was known as the 'fusion' ticket. It was an attempt to combine 'war democrats' and some elements of the republican party. Kirkwood was successful. and those men who had sought his defeat were, naturally, persona non grata with the state government. When commissions were going they were not remembered. Seymour D. Carpenter was one of these. But he did finally become surgeon of a regiment, because there was erying need for surgeons. Then when he was away from gubernatorial influence promotion was rapid, and the doetor was given a position as medical director of a department. Ellsworth N. Bates was another who suffered because of participation in the anti-Kirkwood movement. Mr. Bates persisted, however, and his merits and standing could not be ignored. He was elected captain of a company. With his regiment he served with more than usual credit, until he siekened and came home to die. There were others in Cedar Rapids and in Linn county who had similar experiences. Some of those who are still living, if they would but give full statements, would verify my re-
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
mark that the proportion of politics mixed with the patriotism of those times was greater than is generally known.
"Speaking of Ellsworth N. Bates reealls to mind one whose name deserves to be remembered in Cedar Rapids and in Linn county. He came to the town fresh from college. Ile was a real scholar and a man of rare natural abilities. Ile had the art of making friends - of gaining and retaining esteem of all who knew him. He was one of the very best public speakers I have ever heard - quick to respond to varying oceasion, with ready thought and a phenomenal command of language. Ilis choice of words and use of appropriate imagery made his addresses models of their kind. As a lawyer he met with instant snecess. Ile represented Linn county in the legislature, and was acknowledged as a strong man among the law-makers. He made a splendid fight for the state senatorship candidaey. against. H. G. Angle. He was assistant secretary of the second con- stitutional convention of Iowa. When the war broke out he was one of those who did much to rouse sentiment for support of the government. Then he raised Company A of the Twentieth, and proved himself a real soldier in camp and field. When he came home, near to death, he had lost none of his old enthusiasm. He and I were intimate friends, and to me he told his plans for the future. Had E. N. Bates lived, I know that he would have ranked among the real statesmen of Iowa. As it was he accomplished more and had greater influence upon contem- poraneous affairs than many whose deeds are very carefully preserved."
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