USA > Iowa > Poweshiek County > History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume 1 > Part 17
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"We fling our banner to the breeze at the beginning of the second half cen- tury with everything new, with a high ideal of workmanship and character, with a high standard of requirements and a promise to do exact justice by all as we understand our duty to our fellowmen, and, last but not least, with reciprocity, Roosevelt and republicanism at our masthead, we are shouting for the rights of the people and their complete emancipation from corporate control. Long live the Republican."
Blanchard laid down the editorial pen. The firm of Clark & Bechly took it up, and continued to wield it until April 8, 1909, when the paper, and all its appurtenances, was purchased by the Charles K. Needham Company, composed of Charles K. Needham, Sherman Needham, W. H. Needham, Jr., and J. R. Williams, the latter assuming editorial charge and so continued until February 28, 1910, when the plant was partially destroyed by fire, the loss being estimated at $4,000. After the fire the Republican made its home in a blacksmith shop until the following September, at which time it took up its quarters in the new Jack- son block, installing therein at the time new type, presses, gasolene engine, etc., and today the plant is well equipped for its purposes.
Miss Edith B. McGugin, a young woman of excellent mental and business capacity, who had been in the employ of the Needham syndicate the previous years, was placed in editorial and managerial charge and her conduct of the Republican's affairs is meeting the high anticipations of her friends and the paper's host of subscribers.
THE GRINNELL HERALD.
The Grinnell Herald was founded, March 18, 1868, by A. R. Hillyer & Com- pany, as a weekly six-column folio, at first under the name of Poweshiek County Herald. The Herald's motto was: "Independent in everything; neutral in
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nothing," and it declared that "whatever we believe to be right we shall fearlessly advocate, and whatever wrong, we shall fearlessly condemn, whether it be of a local or general character. In politics we are Union to the core and believe every act tending to its dissolution to be treason."
The paper passed into the hands of Hillyer & Evans for a time in 1869, and became the property of S. F. Cooper and J. M. Chamberlain, December 15, 1869. Their salutatory commits them to republicanism and to recognize "the fact that we live for society, and not society for us." Cooper withdrew, August 17, 1870. The paper was enlarged for the second time, August 16, 1871, and assumed the name Grinnell Herald, by which it has since been known, as that was the name its exchanges insisted on giving it. The "College News Letter" was then intro- duced into it under the care of the college faculty and students, also a religious column provided by the clergymen of the place.
Mr. Chamberlain said in his valedictory of January II, 1872, that the circu- lation of the paper was much larger than that of any other paper in the county, and that Dr. S. A. Cravath would take "the laboring oar." Dr. Cravath announced that he should labor especially to promote the interests of Grinnell and Powe- shiek county. It continued in the ownership of Cravath & Chamberlain till November, 1873, when Colonel S. F. Cooper bought Mr. Chamberlain's interest and shared the editorship until May, 1874, when Dr. Cravath became sole editor and proprietor.
The Malcom Gazette and the Searsboro Journal were issued from the Herald office about two years, and the Gilman Advertiser about one year, while the News Letter became an independent sheet and has been printed and published to the present time in the office of the Herald.
Albert Shaw, editor and founder of that most able magazine, the Review of Reviews, became Dr. Cravath's associate editor, November 18, 1879. In his salutatory he said : "I do not regard a local paper as an avenue to glory, but as a field which, if properly tilled, will afford an honest living and an abundant opportunity of usefulness in the community." This is peculiarly interesting when we think of "the honest living" which the Review of Reviews is now bring- ing him. We will not attempt to announce the increase of his assets year by year, or how far his opinions have influenced legislators, governors or presidents. He sold his interest in 1882.
Dr. Cravath retired from the management of the paper in 1894. R. Mac- Donald followed till 1899 and sold out to G. W. Cowden, who retired in 1908. Austin P. Haines, an unusually bright and breezy writer, had an interest in the paper from 1905 to 1909 and in the fall of 1908 Frisbie became a partner. W. G. Ray, the only man connected with the Herald, or any other paper in the county for twenty-one years, began his editorial service in 1890, and has been its chief writer on the tariff, a member of the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh general assemblies, and a postmaster four years. The Herald has the largest circulation of any paper in the county.
BROOKLYN NEWSPAPERS.
The first newspaper in Brooklyn was published in 1856. It died young, about one year old. We cannot give in detail the history of its Gazettes, Heralds,
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Enterprises, Citizens, Tribunes and Chronicles. Among the earlier editors the one most clearly remembered in the city is Henry Martin, "Pee Wee" Martin, as he was called, because of his peculiarly squeaky voice, yet there was nothing squeaky about his thinking. He and his paper were factors of special impor- tance in the county anti-monopoly campaign and victory of 1873.
The Brooklyn Chronicle was established, September 9. 1875. Its first editor was William M. McFarland front Mt. Pleasant, who sold out to F. R. Conaway in July, 1881. Conaway retained it until he was elected state printer in April, 1894, and sold the Chronicle to Robinson, Crain & Company. Robinson, super- intendent of the Brooklyn schools, sold his interest in it to Crain in 1898. When McFarland and Conaway went from the tripod of the Chronicle into a state office it seemed very much as though Robinson and Crain should follow.
The Chronicle has claimed to have more democratic subscribers than any democratic paper in the county, notwithstanding its unyielding republicanism. The present editor, C. E. Stallcop, is giving its readers an excellent paper from which exchanges often quote.
THE MONTEZUMA DEMOCRAT.
This paper was established in the spring of 1877 by Lon H. Boydston, as the Poweshiek County Democrat. Then it was the only democratic paper in the county, and later the editor was very happy that his paper was the only organ of democracy that was truly democratic during the period of populistic victories in 1896. A competitor gets off this joke on Lon. "With all his faults, we love Lon still-the stiller the better," a deserved compliment. They expected him to say something if he should speak.
THE POWESHIEK COUNTY PALLADIUM.
This democratic paper was begun, July 14, 1895, by R. L. Mortland, because "the change of ownership of the Montezuma Democrat a little more than a year ago appears to have left the democrats without a party paper at the county seat, except in name, a shadow without a substance, its publisher being a democrat for revenue only." The father, R. L. Mortland, sold a half interest to his son, R. A., in 1902, and that same year the form of the paper was changed to a seven-column quarto, and all home print. The Palladium is the official demo- cratic organ of Poweshiek county and has a liberal support both from its busi- ness and reading world.
THE GRINNELL REGISTER.
Several papers have been published in Grinnell, each during a short time, by a variety of editors, and usually republican, but one at a time. The Herald has always had the advantage of being well established, has usually represented the prevailing sentiment of the people and of the republicans, has commonly had a bindery connected with it, and facilities equal to any in the county, and a stranger has the path to success sadly obstructed. Any man who succeeds must
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be a good mixer, must have the support of some of the best men and best busi- ness men, be a good republican, an able writer and wide-awake to local and state and national interests. Some such men have done well for a time.
The history of the paper, told briefly, is about as follows: In 1878, the Grinnell Independent, of democratic proclivities and affiliations, was established by James Sherman. The paper passed into the hands of J. H. Patton, the present mayor of Grinnell, in 1880, and was conducted by him as a semi-weekly, republican organ, until 1886, at which time it was sold to D. S. Beardsley. Mr. Beardsley was made postmaster of Grinnell under the last Cleveland adminis- tration. About 1897, Schoff & Martin merged the Signal, a greenback news- paper advocate, and the Independent, which combination was named the Inde- pendent-Signal. After the Bryan-Mckinley campaign John Longshore secured possession of the plant and still retains a portion, which is stored away some- where. In 1900, L. J. Anderson came from Des Moines and, with part of the Independent-Signal material and machinery started the Grinnell Gazette, as a democratic successor to the parent paper and continued in editorial charge a few months, when the establishment was taken over by G. D. Osborne, of Lake City. He sold to E. S. Weatherby in July, 1901, who induced J. H. Patton to occupy the editorial chair. At the end of a year Mr. Weatherby sold a half interest to Frank Vaughan and the firm name became Weatherby & Vaughan. About a year thereafter, G. W. Cowden bought the Gazette plant and moved it to its present quarters on Broad street and changed the name to the Grinnell Register. January 1, 1910, Charles A. Miller, present proprietor and editor, secured a half interest of Mr. Cowden and April 1, 1910, Cowden sold the other half to Dr. E. B. Wiley, who, on April 1, 1911, transferred his interest to Mr. Miller.
The present editor is now winning his spurs and giving to his patrons a live paper-a "progressive" republican journal. It is a seven-column quarto, issued semi-weekly. In 1908 a linotype was added to the composing room. New machinery and other accessories have been installed and the Register ranks in first place with its competitors in the county.
THE MALCOM WEEKLY LEADER.
The first paper to ask for the patronage of the people of Malcom and vicinity it seems, was the Post, in 1870, and run by a man named Welch, about seven months, when it was consolidated with the Brooklyn Journal. In 1877, James H. Duffus started the Malcom Gazette, after the town had been without a paper some years, and continued its publication till 1883, when it was sold to R. B. Boyd and then in a short time to W. P. Coutts and John Ford. In 1890, L. J. Anderson was in possession and changed the paper's name to The Leader. He sold to T. L. Anderson and A. R. Gross in 1892 and in 1894 J. E. Latchem bought the plant and was arbiter of its destinies until March 1, 1911, when a well mannered, capable young man, in the person of Arden McCoy, came along and purchased it. He is now running a newsy, six-column quarto, half home i rint, which is well edited and patronized.
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DEEP RIVER RECORD.
The present editor of the Record tells the story of Deep River newspapers very 'cutely. He says: "After making diligent inquiry among the oldest resi- dents, I succeeded in cornering one who had no way of escaping, and from him I learned that the first paper published in Deep River was launched in 1886, and was known as the Deep River Times, with E. S. Daley as editor and pub- lisher. Its career was a struggle, and after a year and a half 'it walked the plank.' Six months later Horace E. Greeley started the Deep River Press. He stayed by the ship for six months and gave up, as he wrote himself, 'when star- vation stared him in the face.'
"C. F. Cutler kept the Hustler moving eight years, 1892 to 1899, when the 'hoss medicine' business proved more lucrative.
"A. P. Hughes is now 'devil,' office boy, messenger, mail clerk, business man- ager, editor, job and news compositor, reporter, pressman and chief entertainer, not even having a small boy for a consecutive week. Its circulation has more than doubled and its advertising patronage is increasing."
CHAPTER XIII.
PERSONS OF DISTINCTION.
POWESHIEK COUNTY HAS TURNED OUT HER GREAT MEN AND WOMEN-EDUCATORS-
LEGISLATORS-WRITERS-PAINTERSORATORS AND OTHERS OF EMINENCE- SKETCHES OF THOSE NOW REMEMBERED.
Many, formerly residents of this county, have already won distinction in va- rious employments beyond its limits. It has been a pleasure to blend their names with the history of the county and to record them for the inspiration of those who came later, but a goodly number are already conspicuous in the memory of those who have gone before us, or who live today. Among those likely to be preeminent, or those who ought to be deemed so, we name a few in this chapter. Some have been named elsewhere.
Frank T. Campbell was the brilliant young editor of the Montezuma Repub- lican in 1862, when the call came to him to join the Fortieth Infantry Regiment in the Civil war. He readily dropped his facile pen, abandoned the tripod for which he had great respect, and became captain of Company B, in the regiment of which S. F. Cooper, his predecessor on the newspaper, was lieutenant colonel. Mr. Campbell was as brilliant as a military officer as when he was a journalist. He was distinguished in the legislature of 1872 as a leader in the regulation of railroad charges, and in 1874 as an assistant to the attorney general of the state in successfully defending the law in the courts.
Robert A. Graham was born on a farm in Madison township, thirty-eight years ago. A blackboard hung in the living room of his home, on which his father loved to draw pictures. County Superintendent Heath illustrated a talk of his on the blackboard. Young Graham began to think he could draw, too. An uncle encouraged him at seventeen, and he took lessons in Iowa, then of a Chicago artist, of another in New York, and still another in Boston, accounted one of the best American artists, won a prize in a coterie of artists, and his pictures have been placed on exhibition by the National Academy in New York. His pictures have been sold for $250 to $500.
James E. Bruce, born near Brooklyn, in 1860, the son of a soldier of the Civil war, left fatherless at the age of three, worked on a farm when grown up, and for his board when in the Brooklyn schools. He taught at eighteen, on
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Irish Ridge, graduated from the law department of the Iowa State University at twenty-one, was elected a county attorney at twenty-three in Cass county, and served the Cass-Shelby district in the state senate during the twenty-ninth, thirtieth, thirty-first and thirty-second sessions. He began banking in 1904 at Anita and now owns the Iowa Trust & Savings Bank in Atlantic, the Citizens Savings Bank at Anita, First National Bank at Exira, Massena Savings Bank and the Marne Savings Bank.
He has held some of the three highest offices of the Masons and in the grand lodge, an Odd Fellow, a grand master of the lodge, an Elk, a Knight of Pythias and a shriner in the Des Moines Temple.
Mr. Bruce is now the financial manager of a very large number of Neal In- stitutes for "the cure of the drink habit in three days." These institutes are located over the United States and in Canada and capitalized at $1,000,000.
The boy, working for his board when in school a few years ago, is now reaping the rich rewards of economy, industry and superb business judgment.
Miss Isabella Beaton was the daughter of Grinnell's best musical critic in 1870, and of a mother of excellent musical ability. She has been prominent in musical circles since she was four years old and was concert pianist for Iowa College at twelve. She graduated from the Iowa College Conservatory of Music, studied five years under most eminent instructors and composers in Berlin Uni- versity and at Paris, like Koch, Moszkowski, Friedlander, Bellerman and Ber- thelier, and by special invitation has given an exhibition of her skill before the royal families of Spain, Austria and England.
She was at the head of the Cleveland School of Music in the department of history, and has made it very strong. We cannot take the space to tell of her musical victories in Europe and America, her permission to Japan to publish her compositions and the history of her musical engagements for this year and the next, nor of the incorporation of "The Beaton School of Music" in Cleveland, and of her devotion to raising its endowment fund to $75,000. She is a lady of rare talent, ceaseless industry, and a favorite everywhere. Nature and effort com- bine to give her a first place in many superiorities.
Peter Delescaille deserves a place in local history as the maker, in 1873, of a remarkable clock, ten feet in height and two feet in width. It kept excellent time and ran forty days with a single winding. That piece of mechanism kept up a wonderful ticking in Mr. Delescaille's mind long before it was audible to his ears. He thought out the remarkable ticker, went into the grove, cut down his choice of oak and walnut trees, cut them up, seasoned the lumber thoroughly, carved the wood for the case, made the movement and demonstrated that he was a genius.
It was long the admiration of the locality, and a demonstration that he could do still more and better. It was kept long in some public place for the notice of the people. It is valued at $1,500.
J. Irving Manatt inherited Irish warmth and wit, French grace and brilliancy, and English loftiness and energy of purpose. Always an asthmatic, yet always achieving intellectual results, like a Gladstone. He came out of "the woods of Warren" to college eminent as pupil, and professor, and chancellor, and classic author. He had a splendid memory and could always use it on occasion whether
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it was of that which he had gathered from books or from the speech of men, from old Homer or the sparkling author of today, or even the joke of the boy on the street. The old Greek was to him neither buried nor dead, but the "modern Greek" was very nearly the tongue of the best scholars of Athens today. When he was consul there, it was interestingly like the speech of Homer three thousand years ago. He loved to delve by day and by night among the antiqui- ties of Mycenaae and of Hissarlik, and yet he is as interested in the next in- cumbent of our presidential chair as is Bryan or Roosevelt.
His speech is captivating, and if you hear him, you will want to hear or read it over and over again, and it will be worth it.
Gershon and James L. Hill are the sons of Rev. J. J. Hill, who was one of the Iowa Band and who gave the first dollar to found Iowa College, and per- haps we should say he founded it. The mother, stood out like the Roman Cornelia. She, also, was the mother of two sons whom she prized above the jewels of her boudoir. But the Hill boys were not Gracchi by inheritance or by life. Their father and mother were missionaries in Iowa when they were en- vied by no Croesus or Vanderbilt. They earned the dollars on the wheat field, which they spent for an education, and they knew the exact value of every one of them.
Gershom became a physician, and the state called him to its service through a score or so of years as superintendent of its insane asylum. It chose wisely. With a superintendent calm, deliberate, kindly, yet firm, the asylum prospered until his "Retreat" brought him relief from excessive care, yet continued his benevolent work. He has risen to the head of his profession in his specialty, and his integrity and clear discernment have made him a power among the soldiers of whom he was one, in the church where perfect integrity is needed, and in the management of his alma mater, where he can stand on his own feet while he leads in all intellectual progress. The man whose brain is illuminated by the clear, white light of reason, sufficiently to guide the insane, is well equipped for the world's most difficult duty.
Gershom's brother, Dr. James L. Hill, is his mother's son! Quick to think and act, content only with doing things, how he makes things move around him! Taking the ministerial view of life, he made his pastorates hum until he found that he had tact and talent for business. Now with his hand on many societies he builds summer resorts in New England, and his farms multiply in Dakota, while he plans as alumnus and trustee to add largely to already large things for his alma mater. How pleasantly and shrewdly he tells us of what he has seen and thought when he visits mountains or plain, or Jamaica! Once reading will not be enough !
If you want to laugh and to be instructed through an hour, make him your toastmaster at a banquet ; if you want a friend, try him!
Hon. S. F. Prouty, now a member of congress from Des Moines, spent three years as a farm hand in Chester, in the service of Samuel and William Carter. It was a "Mutual Admiration Society." He loved to speak well of Chester as follows: "I have no hesitancy in saying that that was the friendliest country neighborhood in which I ever lived. It was composed of a devout, sober and industrious people, who made good citizens, good church members and good
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neighbors. While I was a mere work hand, I was, nevertheless, treated with kindness and courtesy by the dear people of that community and for this I shall ever cherish a kind memory."
Mr. Prouty's life there foretold the honors which were awaiting the men also. Those who knew him in Chester would be glad to keep him in congress or in some better place, all the time.
John W. Parks came to Grinnell in 1856. He was born in Victor, New York, in 1848. Philo Parks, his father, was a man with artistic taste, a well known horticulturist, whose home was noteworthy for its beautiful surroundings. He was given charge of the park in Grinnell, planted and cultivated the first trees, which he took from his own woodland.
Young Mr. Park's first work that was known, was figures cut in marble for the cemetery. His first painting lessons were given by Mrs. H. W. Parker. His drawing was also accurate. D. L. Talbott, an artist well known in the early days, had for some time a studio in Grinnell and took a few pupils who showed talent. Here Mr. Parks developed his talent for portrait painting. He painted por- traits of Mr. and Mrs. Grinnell, Dr. Holyoke, Mr. and Mrs. Craver and one for the college of Dr. Magoun, that was destroyed in the cyclone. He painted one of the first governors for the state house in Des Moines. In Rochester he painted two of Susan B. Anthony, one of which was the noted one with the lace fichu. He also painted six of the Sibley family. He has painted portraits in Rochester, New York, Boston, Washington and many other places.
Mrs. Abby R. (Williams) Hill is a painter, now of Tacoma, Washington. Detained at home much of the time by infirmity after thirteen, and motherless at fifteen, students and Miss Ellis especially, the lady principal in Iowa College, brought her pictures, and developed her artistic taste. She taught drawing, studied painting in Chicago and New York, married Dr. Frank R. Hill, a very worthy gentleman, and removed to Tacoma, where she painted the state picture for the World's Fair at Chicago, in 1893. In 1895 she was admitted to Bonn University, the first time any woman was deemed worthy of that honor, and was taught painting by the famous Herman Haase. She returned to Tacoma two years later, added landscapes to her paintings, and furnished the Great Northern railroad twenty pictures, of scenes and Indians along their road for the World's Fair, at St. Louis, in 1904. She took a gold medal at the Alaska- Yukon Fair for an Indian picture and another for a landscape. One of her latest paintings is of an "Empty Papoose Case," to which the mother clings most tenderly. It has captivated many.
Many an orphan has been taken into her home because it first gained a place in her heart. Her life has been a benediction.
William Wheelock Peet, a student of Grinnell College, who received the degree of M. A. in 1898, as treasurer and business manager of the Turkish mis- sions of the A. B. C. F. M. since 1881, has long filled a position of great im- portance and of wide influence. He has conducted important relief work several times in Asia Minor, and in 1909 was chairman of the international committee for that service, having the entire confidence of the Turkish government as well as of the governments of Europe and of America. In this relief work during 1895-6 he distributed over $2,000,000. Since 1900 he has had charge of the
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diplomatic relations of missions in Turkey, and to his influence and ability is very largely due the great and increasingly successful work of those missions dur- ing recent years.
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