USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > History of O'Brien County, Iowa, from its organization to the present time > Part 19
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"In the northeast corner is the second primary, taught by Miss Alice Hawk. Forty-four pupils enrolled in this depart- ment.
"The first intermediate, with thirty-seven enrolled, and with Miss Alma Magee teacher, is in the northwest corner.
"The southwest corner room is occupied by the second in- termediate, thirty-three enrolled, and Miss Minnie Gardner teacher.
" The principal's office is located at the west end of the hall, and be- tween rooms three and four.
" Ascending the broad, easy and handsome stairway to the second floor, we find in the northeast cor- ner, room No. 5, or the third inter- mediate grade with Miss Lydia Skyles teacher and 33 enrolled.
" The recitation room for the high school is next the fifth room, on the north of the hall, that is, between LULU SHAFFER. the fifth and sixth rooms. This is a fine large recitation room, seated with high backed chairs with bookrests.
" Next this recitation room, and in the north-west corner, is the grammar grade, in which 57 are enrolled, with Miss Emily S. Lennon teacher.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
" The seventh grade or room is located in the south-east corner. There are 50 pupils enrolled in this department, and Miss Carrie Macey, the second assistant principal, is the teacher.
" In the south-west corner of the second floor is the high school department, the most commodious room in the build- ing. Miss Esma B. Gault, the first assistant principal pre- sides here.
" Between the two rooms last named is located the library room. There are nice cases in this room, and more than 200 books. When the $300 now in the library fund are expended, the school will have the finest library in the county.
" Each school room has a large, well-finished cloak room, and each cloak room has a separate closet for the teacher to keep extra books, etc.
" The attic story is not yet completed. Here will be located the assembly hall, capable of seating three or four hundred people.
" Our picture shows the south and east fronts, with the main entrances used by the pupils. There is also a wide entrance on the north side, and a basement entrance on the west. Fifth street is on the south, and Main street on the east. A broad walk extends from the corner of the street, to and along both fronts of the building, and a similar walk ex- NINA OLDHAM. tends southwest to Fifth street. The interior of the building is finished with hard pine. The out- side steps are stone; the entrance floors are laid with colored tiles.
" The total amount expended by the district for excavating, grading up, walks, plans, specifications, advertising,į;building, and heating plant and extras" thereto, new seats, etc., is fully
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
$17,000, and it will take at least $1,000 to complete every- thing, including the assembly room. In addition to the amount of bonds voted by the tax payers, there were several thousands of dollars on hand to begin with, besides what was paid in in taxes for the current year.
" In addition to this building the district owns a good sub- stantial building on the south side, where about forty pupils are enrolled, Miss Cora M. Moody, a very efficient and suc- cessful teacher, having had charge for several years.
" The members of the Board of Education who deserve great credit for carrying to a successful issue this important undertaking, are: Geo. Hakeman, president; Prof. R. B. Daniels, principal; J. F. Kerberg, J. F. Martini, T. T. Shaff- ner, M. M. Burns, Aug. Shoel, directors; J. H. Daly, treas- urer; and Geo. O. Wheeler, secretary.
HARTLEY.
The independent district of Hartley is under good manage- ment. From the Hartley Journal and the pen of Claude Charles we are told, that "Hartley has much reason to feel grateful for her public schools. During the past ten years the schools have been rapidly advancing under the supervision of different principals and teachers. To meet the requirements of increased school population, the board of direc- tors has, during the past two years, deemed it necessary to enlarge the building and employ more teachers.
" At present the school is graded into eleven grades or years. Miss Martha Palen is the efficient teacher SADIE HOEPPNER. of the primary department. Miss Palen's experience in primary work has shown plainly that she is mistress of her calling.
" Miss Myrtle G. Rose is in charge of the second primary de- partment. Miss Rose is a late student of our state university
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
and also of a kindergarten training school in Chicago. She has completely won the confidence of her pupils and the patrons.
" Miss Josie Gage has charge of our intermediate depart- ment. Miss Gage has taught during the past four years in this county, and is now serving her second year as inter- mediate teacher in this school. The good results obtained from her work bespeak the ability of Miss Gage.
" Miss Ida Nelson is teacher of the first grammar depart- ment, and although she has been in the department but one term, it is plain to be seen by her methods of instruction and discipline, that she is doing effective work for which the patrons have frequently expressed their approval. " Miss Mary B. Stocks, who is to be succeeded January 4th, '97 by Miss Boot, at present a student of the University of South Dakota, has had charge of the second gram- mar department since September, '95. Miss Stocks has proven herself a teacher in the fullest sense of the term. The results of her work will remain with her pupils, not only dur- MISS MAY BENNINK. ing their school days, but throughout life. January 10, '97, Miss Stocks takes up her duties as county superintendent of Lyman county, South Dakota.
" E. W. Richards, principal and teacher of the high school, is now serving his second year. Mr. Richards is a former student of the Iowa State Normal school, also of the normal at Dixon, Ill. It is evident that he is endeavoring to do much for the schools, and from the present condition of the high school one may know, that it is the whole purpose of our prin- cipal to fit each student for the citizenship that they must soon claim. There are at present two grades in the high school. The members of the eleventh grade, if in good standing at
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
the close of the present year, will graduate and receive diplomas from the board."
SUTHERLAND.
Sutherland has a good school building, but undoubtedly in the future will require something larger. It is a square frame building, two stories. On the lower floor are two good sized rooms, which contain the primary and intermediate depart- ments. These are well furnished, there are also large halls, and cloak rooms. Above is the high school room with seat- ing capacity for one hundred pupils. Opening from this room are two recitation rooms, and there is a library of well selected books. Five teachers are employed as follows: £ M. P. Fobes, principal; Helen Biglow, Bertha Booth, Bernice Bush and Nina Magarity.
PAULLINA.
Paullina has a white painted frame school building of two stories. It has four rooms of good size with recitation room, two below and two above. The building has spacious grounds with trees. It has five teachers: G. G. Washburn, principal; Mrs. E. Dudley, assistant; Mrs. Emma Washburn, Dora Rerick and Lizzie Gardner.
PRIMGHAR.
The school at Primghar, in charge of J. J. Billingsly as principal, is one of the best in the county. Their first school building was erected in 1874, and was about 30 by 40 feet in size, two stories. The present school building in its main part was built in 1890, at a cost of $5,000. In 1896, the building was doubled in size, which gives now plenty of room for the pupils which the school contains, to the number of 277. Prof. Billingsly has for assistants: Miss Berta Mitchell, Miss Lou Rollins, Miss Bertha Mosier, Miss Grace Foskett, and Miss Matie Rerick.
The professor is admirably fitted for duties of school in- structor, and his continued employment, shows, that he has the confidence of the community, as a teacher, and as a citizen.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
As a rule the country districts are careful in the selection of teachers, and the training of the rising generation is carefully looked after. In this connection, we have noticed there is some discussion in our state, as to a new method of running our township schools, and which to the writer would seem to be a desirable change. This method has been adopted in Ohio, and is described as follows:
" Instead of the little red or white school houses a few miles apart, such as we still have in Iowa, they are providing one large building in center of the township, usually built of brick and two stories. To this central point all the school children
PRIMGHAR SCHOOL BUILDING.
are brought in stages furnished for free transportation by the township. The vehicles hold about twenty-five pupils, are comfortably fitted up, and are arranged so as to be either open or covered. The routes, which are made to pass every house, are open to competitive bidders. The drivers of the stage go
PRIMGHAR SCHOOL TEACHERS AND PROFESSOR.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
in the morning to the extreme limits of the townships, and blow a horn when within earshot of a house, to notify the child- ren who are to take passage. When the school hours are over, the stage re-appears, and the scholars are taken home. The system has been going but about two years, but it is said to work perfectly.
" It is claimed the new system is better than the old because the work can be more systematic. The pupils can be more perfectly graded, the buildings are better, more conveniences and appliances can be had, and finally it is said that a higher average of teachers is secured and that the expense of main- taining these schools is even less than that of maintaining so many separate schools. Not so many teachers are required."
The present school officers of the various townships, with their postoffice address, are as follows:
FLOYD TOWNSHIP.
District No. 8, Fred Nelson, Sheldon, president.
District No. 7, T. Donahue, Sheldon, secretary.
District No. 6, P. H. Sullivan, Sheldon.
District No. 3, Phil Ling, Sheldon.
District No. I, Henry Biggs, Sheldon.
District No. 2, Chas. Dougherty, Sheldon.
District No. 5, S. A. Barrett, Sheldon.
District No. 4, C. Hain, Sheldon.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, W. H. Porter, Sanborn.
District No. 3, Peter Miller, Sanborn.
District No. 4, John Breier, Sanborn.
District No. 5, R. H. Magee, Sanborn, president.
District No. 9, B. W. Jackson, Sanborn. D. M. Norton, secretary.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, C. C. Dutton, Hartley.
District No. 2, G. F. Waekerle, Hartley.
District No. 3, L. W. Walker, Sanborn.
O'BRIEN COUNTY FARM SCENE.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
District No. 4, Mark Toal, Sanborn.
District No. 5, W. C. Cunning, Sanborn, president.
F. E. Nunns, Hartley, secretary. District No. 6, W. Y. Chapman, Hartley. District No. 7, F. Boasted, Hartley.
District No. 8, T. W. Farnsworth, Sanborn.
HARTLEY TOWNSHIP.
District No. 2, Gilbert Page, Hartley.
District No. 3, Martin Linder, Hartley.
District No. 4, T. H. Mueller, Hartley.
District No. 5, Solomon Longbottom, Hartley, president.
District No. 6, R. Jones, Hartley.
District No. 7, E. B. Steece, Hartley.
District No. 8, Thomas Worden, Hartley.
Henry M. Waller, Hartley secretary.
CARROLL TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, J. H. Burns, Sheldon.
District No. 2, E. H. McClellan, Sheldon.
District No. 4, Lias McMillen, Sheldon.
District No. 5, M. F. McNutt, president.
Miss Gertie De Younge, Sheldon, secretary.
District No. 6, G. H. Whitmore, Sheldon.
District No. 7. A. Appleton, Sheldon,
District No. 8, Wm. Longman, Sheldon.
District No. 9, John Englehardt, Sheldon.
SUMMIT TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, Wm. Brundage, Sanborn, president.
District No. 2, J. F. Geister, Sanborn.
District No. 3, R. Arnold, Archer.
District No. 4, James Dow, Sanborn, secretary.
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, Fred Year, Hartley.
District No. 2, Hugo Alberts, Sanborn.
District No. 3, John Watters, Sanborn.
STAR ENG TO
T. J. GRIGGS.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
District No. 4, J. C. Porter, Primghar, president.
District No. 5, W. B. Conger, Primghar, secretary.
District No. 6, W. T. Voss, Hartley.
District No. 7. John Phitzmier, Hartley. District No. 8, C. H. Powell, Hartley.
District No. 9, A. Irving, Hartley.
OMEGA TOWNSHIP.
District No. 1, B. Blothand, Hartley.
District No. 2, J. Dahms, Hartley.
District No. 3, C. L. Hopfe, Hartley.
District No. 4, J. Leih, Hartley.
District No. 5, J. Zinn, Hartley.
District No. 6, P. C. Keith, Hartley.
District No. 7, Frank Lighter, Hartley.
District No. 8, W. S. Yelland, Hartley, president.
John Saunders, secretary.
District No. 9, W. Hopfe, Hartley.
BAKER TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, S. A. Wilson, Archer.
District No. 2, E. Philby, Sheldon.
District No. 3, W. E. Benner, Sheldon.
District No. 4, Geo. Benbow, Sheldon, secretary.
District No. 5, Fred Thomas, Granville.
District No. 6, not reported.
District No. 7, not reported.
District No. 8, Tallon, Granville.
District No. 9. Leonard Grady, Granville.
DALE TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, Frank Cassidy, Primghar.
District No. 2, John Klink, Primghar.
District No. 3, Ed Gere, Primghar.
District No. 4, Alfred Johnson, Paullina.
District No. 5, David Fife, Paullina.
District No. 6, J. T. Daniels, Primghar.
RESIDENCE OF E. B. MESSER, HARTLEY.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
District No. 7, L. Goodmanson, Paullina.
District No. 8, Wm. Cain, Paullina. District No. 9, Robert Myer, Paullina.
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, J. F. Doyle, Primghar, secretary. 4
District No. 2, James Irvine, Primghar.
District No. 3, Fred Peck, Primghar.
District No. 4, P. Tjossem, Primghar.
District No. 5, Hans Peterson, Gaza.
District No. 6, James Brosh, Sutherland.
District No. 7, A. Johansen, Sutherland.
District No. 8, D. H. Lemberg, Gaza.
District No. 9, W. A. Smith, Gaza, president.
GRANT TOWNSHIP.
District No. 1, Milton Eckman, Trimello.
District No. 2, Arthur Chapman, Trimello.
District No. 3, Alex McCreath, Sutherland.
District No. 4, Wm. Kaiser, Sutherland.
District No. 5, S. B. Crosser, Sutherland, president. District No. 6, O. A. Sutton, Sutherland.
District No. 7, W. Wager, Sutherland.
District No. 8, E. Barry, Sutherland.
District No. 9, S. J. Jordan, Sutherland.
Miss Maud Clighorn, secretary.
CALEDONIA TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, H. Hibbing, Paullina.
District No. 2, F. Lustfield, Germantown.
District No. 3, Theo. Breithbarth, Granville.
District No. 4, Christ Kuester, Germantown. District No. 5, Chas. Bobzin, Germantown. District No. 6, F. Schukneckt, Germantown.
District No. 7, T. Vass, Germantown.
District No. 8, John Fisch, Germantown.
District No. 9, F. Schmidt, Germantown.
W.HBIGELOW DRIVING PARK
DRIVING PARK, SANBORN.
22
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
District No. 4, Chas. Ihle, Paullina.
District No. 5, H. M. Winter, Paullina.
District No. 6, H. G. Culp, Paullina. District No. 7, R. J. Paeper, Paullina.
District No. 8, M. T. Taylor, Paullina.
District No. 9, Adolph Large, Paullina.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
District No. 1, John Engelke, Sutherland, president.
District No. 2, J. C. Doling, Paullina.
District No. 3, Wm. Wiese, Calumet.
District No. 4, C. W. Ray, Sutherland.
District No. 5, Herman Reimers, Calumet.
District No. 6, John Kundel, Calumet.
District No. 7, H. P. Scott, Calumet, secretary.
WATERMAN TOWNSHIP.
District No. I, J. P. Martin, Sutherland.
District No. 2, Gust Schwein, Sutherland.
District No. 4. Silas Steel, Sutherland.
District No. 5, F. M. Gaskill, Sutherland.
District No. 6, L. B. Hill, Peterson.
District No. 7, M. E. Kauffman, Peterson.
District No. 8, A. Broadstreet, Sutherland, president.
District No. 9, L. D. Cobb, Sutherland.
F. W. Hulser, Sutherland, secretary.
County school directors of independent districts.
SHELDON.
W. H. Meyers, Ed. C. Brown, E. P. Messer, J. Mc- Candless, John Bowley, S. S. Bailey, Richard Peakman sec- retary.
SANBORN.
George Hakeman, M. N. Burns, T. T. Shaffner, A. Schoel, J. F. Kerberg, G. F. Martini, G. O. Wheeler, sec- retary.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
HARTLEY.
C. H. Westfall, Dr. D. T. Stewart, C. A. Simms, S. L. Young, Wm. Fuller, W. G. Wellman and E. E. Hall, sec- retary.
PAULLINA.
A. P. Jacobs, president, W. E. McCauley, W. W. Delmage, John Metcalf, Geo. Carfield, W. J. Hakes, Stephen Harris, secretary.
SUTHERLAND.
D. M. Sheldon, W. S. Hitchings, J. C. Briggs, G. K. Schultz, Otto Kirchhof, I. N. Slick, E. O. Woodbury, sec- retary.
PRIMGHAR.
C. H. Slocum, president, W. S. Armstrong, J. P. Knox, W. J. Bruce, Henry Rerick, Wm. Ortman, David Algyer, secretary.
FINANCES.
Up to the time Mr. Waterman came to the county, or rather to 1858, gold and silver were the principal medium of exchange, but as Mr. Waterman had but little of either of these, and was the only settler for several years, there is nothing of the finances of the county then, which requires mention in this history. Soon after, there was scattered over the western country, an unlimited supply of wild cat paper, or rather the paper of pri- vate and state banks, embellished with flaring cuts, beautiful to look at. They were very fine pictures float- ing around, with a value on the dollar, from one cent up. Soon as W. N. STRONG. the county warrant machine was started up, then county war- rants were the county currency, and merchandise was priced accordingly. Later on, there was added to this, the gopher
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
scalp currency, but what is the difference if one desires to buy something, whether he pays in gold dollars, or in gopher scalps, as long as he gets what he wants, and has the price in either to pay for it.
As will be seen elsewhere in this book, debts were con- tracted at an early date by the gang of thieves who organized the county. It is very easy to get into debt, this is under- stood from individual experiences, and much easier for a county, when a corrupt set of officials have every opportunity to issue warrants, without any restriction or hindrance. All it needs is the proper blank, and they are easily obtained, and then the amount filled in, and signed by the auditor; and while those early organizers may have been idle otherwise, they were exceedingly industrious in the labor of issuing war- rants. The truth of the matter is, that the county should not have been organized until 1871, as then there were.incoming actual settlers who came not to plunder, but to make homes on the prairie. But it was organized, and the disgraceful record of its early organization is before us. It is true the county has now overcome this early debt, its resources and its valuable taxable list of property enables the county to keep its warrants at par, and pay as it goes. A debt can be easily created when the expenses exceed the income, and when war- rants are depreciated, when an article of the market value of $5, requires a payment of $25 to obtain it. After some state- ments made in the general written history, and particularly when J. W. Kelley was on the board of supervisors, it is enough perhaps to give the following statement made by Auditor Schee in January, 1877:
REPORT OF SUPERVISORS.
Judgment bonds $ 80,700.00
Judgment bonds
12,500.00
Balance due on Judgment bonds 68,200.00
Funding bonds issued prior to January Ist, 1876_ 62,400.00
Funding bonds issued in 1876 53,700.00
Total funding bonds $116,100.00
M. E. CHURCH. SHELDON.
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
Total amount of judgment and funding bonds, the legality of which are not in dispute. 184,300.00
There are funding bonds of 1861 issue, not can- celled 11,800.00
Interest on the above
17,700.00
Total 213,800.00
Outstanding bounty warrants
6,000.00
Interest on the bounty warrants 6,600.00
Total 12,600.00
Total amount of all bonded indebtedness, including the bounty warrants 226,400.00
Judgments 19,570.00
Amount floating warrants
27,755.00
Making a total debt of $273,725.00
Expenses of running the county in 1874, over its income $ 16,328.55
Expenses of running the county in 1875, over its income 20,249.96
Expenses of running the county in 1876, over its income 16,882.30
The expenses of the county for 1876. 25,082.30
In 1880 there was paid on this debt the sum of $30,000, and a sinking fund was created, which was intended to decrease the debt each year. The county has several times bonded its indebtedness. It did this in 1881 at seven per cent interest, and rebonded in 1886 at five per cent interest. In 1894 an action was brought by certain parties to enjoin the payment of these bonds, upon the ground that the debt at the time it was contracted, exceeded the constitutional limitation of five per cent. This action perhaps might have been prosecuted to a final termination successfully, but it became a question again among the people, whether or not it would be better to pay the debt, and preserve the credit of the county. After awhile the action resulted in rebonding again, at a lower rate
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
of interest, so that these bonds now draw four per cent. The plaintiffs in this last named action, were accused of dismissing the case for a consideration, but as to this we do not know, as the business was transacted at Canton, South Dakota, whither the chairman of the board and the auditor, went to close the matter up. It was done in Dakota, for the reason, that the bondholders were afraid to open the satchel containing the bonds in Iowa, for fear that some one in the interest of the county, and in the interest of himself as a taxpayer, might seize them with some process of law. It is enough to say that the county now has smooth sailing financially, and that outside parties seeking investment for their money, need have no fear of unjust or oppressive taxation.
RESIDENCE OF H. B. WYMAN, BURNED, 1895.
In the fall of 1881, while T. J. Alexander was treasurer of the county, his cash was found to be short $11,000. From the fact that Mr. Alexander was known to be a thoroughly honest man, and naturally free from the slightest inclination to steal, this shortage when it became known, was the cause of much discussion and surprise. Another singular thing about
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
it was, that the shortage was not known at the time generally, but came out in 1885, during a political campaign, and then got into the newspapers, and in the columns of these, state- ments were made by Mr. Alexander, Geo. W. Schee, and an article by J. L. E. Peck. When Mr. Alexander found that he was short, he informed some of his friends, and it was a question whether he was short in his accounts, or his cash.
C. E. Achorn was then agreed upon as a committee to examine the books, which he did, and reported that in these, there was no error, it was a shortage of cash; somebody had taken bodily out of the treasurer's safe $11.000 in clean cash, and the remaining question was, who took it.
The county did not lose anything, as Mr. Schee furnished the money to Mr. Alexander to make up the shortage, taking from Alexander certain securities. When the matter became fully known in 1885, so that the people and the newspapers were talking about it, it required explanation. The first state- ment was made by Mr. Alexander in October, 1885, in which he said, " I wish to state, that in the fall of 1881, I found I was short some $11,000. Being convinced I was short in my cash, and not in my accounts, I then informed my friends. They believed it was in my accounts, and would eventually be found, helped me to reimburse the county, thus saving the county from any loss. I also wish to state, that I have no idea where the money went, or who got it. I deny of ever making any statement or insinuations that Geo. W. Schee had the money, or that I believed that he had the money." This was the first statement made by Mr. Alexander in the matter.
A week afterwards he made another statement, in which he said substantially, that when he was satisfied that the money was gone, and that the mistake was not in his accounts, he informed Mr. Achorn, who spent most of his time for three days in looking over the books, hoping to find the error. He then told Mr. Schee what was wrong, and that he could find no mistake in the books. Mr. Schee said he was satisfied the error would be found, but after further investigation, it was
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
thought it could not be found, and then he made arrangements with Mr. Schee to save the county from loss. He deeded to Mr. Schee the south half of the southeast quarter of section 34-97-41, which he thought was worth $2,000. Turned in to Mr. Schee $1,250 of notes held against various parties, and gave his own note for $500 to be paid out of his second year's salary, and had an understanding with Mr. Schee, that he was to have the use of any surplus county funds to the amount of the shortage. Mr. Alexander also stated, that Mr. Schee told him in the first conversation had, if it should prove true that the shortage was in the cash, and not in the books, that the matter must be fixed up, both for Mr. Schee's sake, and for the sake of the board of su- pervisors in the bond- ing matter. That Mr. Schee further told him that he was worth about $4,000 more than he could account for, and therefore was willing that it should go towards making . up the shortage. A week after that, Mr. Schee made a state- ment, in which he RESIDENCE OF F. R. PATCH, HARTLEY. starts out by saying " I never stole $12,000 from Mr. Alexan- der, I never settled with him for $7,000, I never made him a present of $7,000. I do not think any person in the county honestly believes that I ever stole of Mr. Alexander or any other man $12,000, or any other amount." He also states that he never had $4,000 in 1881, or at any other time that he could not account for. Mr. Schee further wanted to know why Mr. Al- exander for nearly four years since the shortage, had been his
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