USA > Iowa > Washington County > History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I > Part 22
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the spectacles -- men reeling, vomiting, swearing, voiding obscenity, lying help- less in their filth like hogs in a fence corner, embalmed in stucco from a mud- hole. All decent instincts revolted at such sights, and for several years there was a see-saw of license and no-license issues in city spring campaigns. The temperance sentiment grew, and with it a detestation of the insolent manners of liquor-dealers and the vile habits of their victims. The prohibition con- stitutional amendment carried in county and state in 1882, and, though it was thrown out by the supreme court, on a technicality, statutory legislation had followed, and our powerful county temperance league came in collision with W'm. Jugenheimer who owned a brewery and supplied three of his own saloons here and elsewhere with beer, as well as rival saloons, perhaps. In '84 the Jugenheimer places were declared nuisances. Years before, when he built the brewery, and sold its product. there was no protest, popular or indi- vidual. He was not molested or even questioned when he invested several thousand dollars in the plant. But by '84 and earlier, there was a strony sen- timent against his works. On April 20, '85, steps were taken against jugen- heimer before 'Squire J. H. Mclaughlin. Just a year later the trouble cul- minated in an order to Sheriff M. O'Loughlin to seize and destroy the liquors in the brewery, and six and a half hogsheads and nineteen kegs of beer were spilled. Of course, the plant was paralyzed, virtually confiscated. and many men thought that, in spite of all just provocation, a just valuation should have been put on the old German's property and fair remuneration made him. I confess that I have so held, and felt, and still feel, that the harsh confiscatory action was and is a stain on our city record. It could, and should, have been managed in a better and more rational temper. Passion having long since subsided. the people would now pay the old man, were it to be done over. Any reader, curious to trace the action, may do so on page 192 of the docket from November 24. '82, to September 20, '87.
It may be added that J. P. Spittler had run a brewery here, and there was one in Richmond, no protest launched at these concerns at their inception. There was not a kick against planting any of them ; therefore, when public sentiment recognized them as nuisances, we should have given Jugenheimer a fair price for his products, machinery and buildings, that could not be con- verted to other uses, as a condition of their effacement, for by not protesting against starting them, we were in a sense, a moral sense, silent partners in the plants. Jugenheimer sued for damages in federal court, but never recovered.
Heresy Trial-Indignation Meeting .- Let this chapter end with some- thing personal, though the incident of Burrell's heresy trial in 1868, I guess it was, belongs neither to court, crime, har, nor accident. It turned out so
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ridiculously, it was such an utter abortion, it might be classed with amuse- ments. Under the M. E. church pastorate of the late Frank Evans, he and a few others who had worms took foolish umbrage at a squib, intended solely as pleasantry and badinage, on a certain church choir, and the cabal started in to do the editor in an indignation meeting, and boycott his paper both by stopping it and withdrawing advertisements. Perhaps said editor's penchant for fun and his disposition to be a free lance, had made him seem all sorts of a fool to the unco' gude. Perhaps he was a mustard poultice on this, at that time, straight-laced community (it has changed mightily since), and may have needed discipline, but that was not the way to get or give it. Anyway, one evening, "at early candle-lighting," in the First U. P. church-what is now Music Hall-a big crowd gathered, some to penalize the culprit, but, as it turned out, lots more to see the fun at a bear dance, and to vote for Satan when the time should come. Entering a half hour late, "a chiel amang them, takin' notes, and faith he'll prent 'em," he knew he had the situation by the top-knot, by the way those miserable sinners "stomped" and ovated "the cuss." Some one stated the object of the meeting, amid snickering. A few feeble remarks were made by several saints and Pharisees. Rev. Dr. Doig spoke kindly, saying the editor seemed to have a considerable knowledge of the Bible, and was, perhaps, a bit too unconventional in quoting it. One brother, a merchant, in a fiery moment, advised all to take out their ads, but as the whole thing was an amusing fiasco, he was the first business man to get into the band-wagon with alacrity-early the next Monday morning, the day before publication, he brought in a column ad., and thus heaped a whole hod full of live coals on the editor's exalted head. In fairness, the meeting asked the defendant to speak in self-defense. He said he was no speaker, had merely come to report the proceedings, and would make his speech in the next Press. At this, several insurgents swallowed so hard they came near losing their cuds and Adam's-apples. A committee of three was sent out to draft resolu- tions of censure, whereupon arose a little fellow named Rev. 'Bije Conner of the Second U. P. church, and told the meeting they were doing a very foolish thing ; he believed in free speech and free press, and wanted no such snap- judgments taken, like this. He added, the editor merely saw the funny side of things, and if there was anything ridiculous going, he was sure to fasten on that, as it loomed up in his eyes as big as a barn in a fog. The plucky little fellow enthused the hoi polloi and threw several ponds of moisture on the pseudo saints. The resolutions were read ; they were quite mild, and limp under Conner's cold water douche, and when the motion was put, just three men were brave enough to say Aye, while the Noes sounded like hail on a tin roof.
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And how the congratulatory letters did come in, with subscriptions unso- licited ! Editors and publishers, if you want to get a circulation, manage to get foolishly "indignated." An indignation meeting is trumps, and a bully good hand. It was the best piece of newspaper luck that ever happened to yours truly, and the net result of it must go into the pot with the usufruct of three libel suits for ten thousand dollars each, by which he made in clear money thirty thousand dollars-by beating them all.
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CHAPTER XIV.
FRATERNAL AND OTHER ASSOCIATIONS, ETC.
Secret societies attract many minds and give them satisfactions via in- struction, sociability and amusement, especially those that have a goat annex. A goat is like Artemus Ward's kangaroo, "a most amoosin' little cuss." And, then, the idea of having a secret that not even wife or sweet- heart can share, though curiosity breaks their necks to find out, and they sort o' suicide into the Eastern Star auxiliary to get even. Besides, it is a certificate of good fellowship and personal popularity, to escape a blackball. And, then, if there is opposition to the society, particularly by a church, as there used to be here thirty years ago, that stimulates recruiting. There are probably over five hundred straight Masons in this county, not count- ing men in the sub-divisions called, I believe, capitular and cryptic Masonry, etc. Washington Lodge, No. 26 A F. & A. M. was founded June 13, 1851, by N. Chipman, R. W. McElroy, J. F. Sales, E. Clemmons, G. H. Jamison, Wm. Fisher, J. K. Walker-all dead. Chipman was W. M. till he moved from the county, McElroy was tyler, as well as constable, for ages, being as permanent as the axis of the earth and the Pole star.
The lodge met first in the lowa house, on the Crail corner, and is now handsomely lodged on the third floor of the Temple. Among the more noted Masons were Dr. Rousseau, Hon. and Rev. G. W. Teas, S. G. Owen, John Chilcote, James Thompson, Wm. Wilson. Jr., Dr. Scofield, A. H. Wallace, Judge A. R. Dewey, Hon. A. N. Alberson, 'Squire Terry and Rev. Dr. Coxe, and one will have to call nearly the entire roll of M. E. ministers, who had as brisk appetites for Masonry as for chickens.
Cyrus Chapter, No. 13, was chartered June 1, '56, and Col. Crabb shone in that. Cryptic Masonry was established in '59 and ran till '78 when there was a consolidation of Council with Chapter degrees. Leon Mayer, Milt Barrett and J. S. Allen were conspicuous. The Chapter has now one hundred and twenty members.
The Knights Templar have here Bethlehem Commandery, No. 45. The charter was granted in '83. It is the only one in the county, and has one
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hundred and four members, and they are the gay, shining boys, in their glad rags and plumes, swords and gauntlet gloves, and their resplendent shapes are mirrored splendidly in all maidens' and women's eyes, like trees in clear rivers.
Richmond Lodge, No. 96, was organized June 4, '57. by J. L. L. Terry, the Rownds, Benns, Maples, Scotts, Van Pattons. Bunkers, Gallaghers, O'Lough- lins, Gwinns ; it has forty members, and was long ago transferred to Kalona.
The Fleaks, Prizers. Aulds et al. chartered Lodge No. 64 in Brighton June 6, '55, but differences arose and it dissolved, but it may soon revive.
Dayton Lodge No. 149 was chartered June 6, '60, and now flourishes with sixty members in Wellman. Riverside's Victoria Lodge No. 516 is fifty strong, and was sired by the Beardsleys. Druffs. Otts, Godloves. Ainsworth's Orient Lodge No. 365 has forty-five members. and was founded by the Mickeys, Parkinsons, Andersons, Hulls, Matthewses. December 9, 75. Craw- fordsville No. 4 got in early. June 8, '54, and has twenty-one members.
As auxiliary to the Masons, the sisters who, for some mysterious reason can't possibly be Masons, founded Eastern Stars, one each in Washington. Wellman, Riverside, Ainsworth.
I. O. O. F .- Odd Fellowship is strong in this county. Washington Cove- nant Lodge No. 101, was chartered January I. '56. by Col. Cowles. O. H. Graves, Fred Vogt. J. M. Schilling. J. H. Harrington : Judge Dewey. Col. Rodman, W. V. Mason, John Yockey. Hugh Kendall. J. F. Henderson were later noted members. They once lodged on the west side, their property was burned, and for many years they perched in Blair's third story, but now they own the Crawford block, paying six thousand two hundred and fifty dollars for it. There are about eighty-five members. Washington Encampment No. 43 was started in '69.
Brighton, Riverside, Richmond, Wellman, Kalona, Dublin, Crawfords- ville, Ainsworth have I. O. O. F. lodges and encampments and auxiliary Rebekahs.
Fraternal Insurance .-- Several secret societies were organized with that purpose, as the A. O. U. W. Our Hawkeye Lodge No. I was the very first dating January 14. '72. It split into two factions. It cost four dollars a year at first, but after long years, if one did not, as Dante said, "have the hope to die," it cost so much that many quit, unable to shoulder the dollars they had sunk. But the dying ones were lucky-their families got two thousand dollars each. C. H. Dixon's home was the first to realize the benefaction. On the whole the society did much good. The Legion of Honor went the same way. as all such societies must go as members age-recruiting stops, since new organizations come up to attract younger people. The Legion started April
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1
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E. B. Bolens
W. G. Simmons
S. Thornton
Irv. A. Keck
M. Bradford
E. Crandall
G. S. Eddy
Leslie Parker
Florian Balzer
Wm. Ditmars
Daniel S. Eicher
G. W. Hull
WASHINGTON'S FAMOUS BAND, ORGANIZED IN 1866
THE NEW YORK I UBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX
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15. '79, succeeding the I. O. M. A., which ran a year. Then there was the Pioneer Relief, appearing in November, '79, which paid as much for sickness per week, either six, or ten, or twenty dollars, as members paid per year.
The Knights of Pythias belong in this list. They came on the carpet in '83, Judge Dewey being the first Chancellor Commander. There are one hundred and forty members. The objects are endowment, sick benefit, social pleasures, etc. The dues are five dollars a year, and a sick member gets three dollars a week and the service of a nurse.
There are here two hundred and seventy-five to three hundred Woodmen, the Court of Honor numbers one hundred and fifty, the Brotherhood of American Yeomen sixty, the Fraternal Aid Society, the Modern Brotherhood of America perhaps fifty members. Home Guards fifty-all flourishing. fra- ternal insurance being the main thing, plus sociability.
The Pythian Sisters are auxiliary to the K. P.'s, the Royal Neighbors ditto to the Woodmen, Degree of Honor to Workmen. The Sisters, Rebekahs and Eastern Stars initiate men, and each order keeps an agile goat for the men to ride, and as the eritter bucks the illuminated motto is stuck up, "Let joy be unconfined-go it !"-and the goat does. All of the above last named orders, except the Woodmen, are co-ed, so to speak. You can't keep the sexes apart, not even with a chib.
P. E. O .- This order started in a school in Mt. Pleasant, January 21, '69, and was the dream of seven maidens, one of whom became our Mrs. Rev. C. L. Stafford. They never thought it was contagious, but it was, and cities and states "took" it. Our Chapter J was organized February 6, '85, by Mrs. Julia Baldwin-McKibbin. Charter members-Mrs. Hattie Williams, Eva Denney, Ida Cunningham, Sara McJunkin, Belle Patterson, Anna E. Buchanan, Helen Sturgis, and seventy joined. The meetings are fortnightly. Our chapter has business, literary and musical programs, then runs to sociability and good cheer. An annual tea, a real banquet, is served February 6, and every woman who is unfortunate enough to be married may bring hubby by the hand. "Feed the brute!" This is, perhaps, intended as a bribe to marry P. E. O. girls. Then there are doings on Hallowe'en Night, to which the single lass, who wishes to escape her hated singularity, may bring her solidity or incipiency. as the case may be. All a scheme of hooks and eyes and affinities. All right- go it!
For some years all chapters owed allegiance to the supreme chapter, but when chapters became numerous they made obeisance to a state chapter organ- ized in 1893. Mrs. Sarah Dewey was president of the supreme chapter, also vice president later, and was historian ; Mrs. Ola Miller is now president of the state chapter ; Eva Denney was vice president of the supreme, and Mrs.
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Winnie Richards Durland has been organizer. Mrs. Lulu B. Patrick was very prominent. The "Lives" of that lady and of Mrs. Dewey and many more are published in a pretty book loaned me; there's one queer thing in it- hardly one "Life" gives the subject's age! Why is this thus, girls? You can't fool us all the time, that is, unless you have store teeth. You might as well have given the birth year, for we can tell your ages by your natural teeth -when you smile, laugh, talk, eat.
Our chapter has had one convention each of supreme and state chapters, and entertained them well.
The name P. E. O .? what does it mean? No man really knows, and many have lost their minds trying to find out, years ago, but now every body is pretty certain what the three initials stand for, hence all is now quiet on the Potomac.
Our chapter has done a lot of good in esthetic ways. On one Thanks- giving day it sent baskets of goodies to the poor ; in 1901 it had a Christmas tree and invited in two hundred poor kids to get, each, a sack of candy, pop- corn ball, book, doll, knife or toy ; next year it grew a Christmas tree for the kindergarten tots, and it helped many a poor child to attend that school. So, three cheers for the P. E. O .!
Rest Room Association .- This room in the court house basement was one of the best institutions ever invented. Rest and relief it has brought to thou- sands of women in the last eight to ten years.
Card Club .- In 1906 Mesdames Rothschilds, Dr. Stewart, Rude Warfel. Frank Stewart, Guest, George Stewart, Harry Montgomery, C. J. Wilson, Archie McCulley, Ernest Lemmon, Ed. Bowman, Crail, and Bratton, and Misses Esther McGugin and Lou Cunningham organized the Afternoon Card Club, and had a world of fun, I guess, slapping the cards down hard on their fair knuckles and laughing, squealing, talking all at once, and no one missed a word that was said! They gave prizes of china and cut glass, and games were as strenuous as Roosevelt's lion-hunting in Africa. The churches, when in revival hcat, slapped card-playing, looking severely at this club, perhaps, and perhaps not, but the sisters went right on cutting bread and spreading butter just the same.
Cooking Club .- One was started in '96 by Kate and Myrta Jeffrey, Alice Samson, Maud Hott, Anna Henderson, Anne Burrell, Doll Daugherty, Emma Miller, Mame Stewart. Cora Bell, and it is running yet. The girls met at each other's homes, and the hostess had to cook and serve the meal. Tradi- tion says some suppers were divine, and others were certain death. Cupid kept picking 'em off, but the club recruited. Six married, and some went away
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permanently-to escape the meals? You can't keep anything taut, that has girls in it, they are so fluid and erratic about men !
Commercial Club .- Half a dozen years ago a lot of men formed this club and bought the Win. Smouse-Ed. Blair-C. H. Wilson brick house east of the opera house, and built a long annex, and serve up billiards, bowling, reading room, gymnasium (only the apparatus is not used), and dances on the hard- wood floor. The ostensible object was, to promote anything that would help the town. It could be made of far more good use than we have yet seen.
IV. R. C .- There are about a hundred members of Washington Women's Relief Corps, and they have done for many years, and are still doing, a blessed work for the poor in soldiers' families, nor restricting their service to that class alone. Their committee is vigilant in finding the destitute and in getting supplies to them.
G. A. R .- I. G. White Post has been recognized as a worthy institution for many years. The scope of the work it and the W. R. C. do, and have done, is so well known that space need not be used for encomiums. Most every town in the county has a Post.
D. A. R .- Who would have believed there were so many Daughters of the American Revolution hereabout ? These were the charter members of the Chapter organized in Washington, November 19, 1906: Dr. Cora Smeltzer Allen and Nellie Smeltzer Juzeler, Dr. Ida Bailey, Hallie Berdo, Gertrude Stewart, Lorle Rickey Cook, Ella Corbin, Mrs. Everson, Mrs. Harwood, Anna Henderson, Mrs. Mary Lemmon, Maud Morton, Mrs. Laveria Stewart, Mrs. Owen Wilson, Mrs. E. A. White.
Since then. these joined: Josephine Babcock, Mrs. Ola Miller, Mrs. Col. Palmer, Florence Parrish, Mrs. Mame S. Smith, Mrs. Josephine Smith and her daughters Kate and Gertrude will join when their "naturalization" papers are perfected, as well as Mrs. C. J. Wilson and Mrs. Archie McCully.
The chapter meets monthly and discusses Colonial and Revolutionary his- tory themes. The colors are red, white and blue.
Mrs. Harwood was privileged to be a delegate to the national body in Washington city since the inauguration of Taft. His wife's first reception was to these ladies, and the big fellow enjoyed it more than did his wife, apparently. She seemed bored, but he had his famous smile with him. That body has a half million building just across from the presidential cow pasture, and Mrs. Harwood vouches for that noted Jersey that has browsed all through the American journals. Each of the thirteen original states sent a tall marble column. It is a splendid structure, and some way the Daughters coaxed the funds out of breeches' pockets all right. It's not the first time their fair, soft hands have found their subtle way into said cavities and fetched up valuables.
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It was through the untiring efforts of Mrs. Ella Wilson Corbin and Mrs. Dr. Bailey that the organization was completed. They worked all the summer of 1906 to help the members get their application papers from the national chapter at Washington, D. C., as each member has to belong to that before joining a local chapter. Dr. Bailey was appointed regent here by the state regent, and elected president the second year ; Mrs. Corbin treasurer, Anna Henderson vice regent, Mrs. Bowman recording and Miss Berdo correspond- ing secretary, Mrs. Cook registrar, Mrs. White historian.
Some wanted to name the chapter "Timothy Brown," for the Revolu- tionary soldier, but "Washington" prevailed. The object is to promote patriotism, reverence the flag, mark Revolutionary soldiers' graves, study colonial times. They celebrate June 14 as Flag Day, and meet at some mem- ber's home: the first year at Mrs. H. M. Letts', next at Mrs. Ernest Lem- mon's, the next at Mrs. Cook's, and this year at Mrs. Juzeler's. Each year prizes of five dollars and three dollars are given the grammar grade to stimu- late study of U. S. history. The chapter gave fifteen dollars to the Iowa room in Continental Hall. Two members have died-Mrs. Everson December 13, '07. and Mrs. Brown May 2, '07.
The Automobile Club is the drollest of all. The ladies are not cynical or vixenish, but just humorous, and meet once in a while to "run over every body." It is an expansion or extension of the private club that Artemus Ward's mother and a neighbor woman organized, to b'ile soap together and "aboos their neighbors." They have so much fun, they do not need a goat.
Then there are the Rose Club, the Navajo Club, a basket affair, the Bachelor Maids who hate to stay maids, the Ready Maids, ready for any- thing romantic, and for sodas, ices, flirtations, perhaps, I don't know, the A, B, C's for girls, and the Ready Bats for boys, etc. I hope I have got 'em all now. but will not gamble on it. We are organized to death, both society and church.
Yes, there was an Eczema Club, that was full of business and activity when the rash burned and itched. A. H. Wallace was president, H. A. Burrell vice, Elmer Mason treasurer to pay for dopes, washes, salves and other fakes and frauds, and George Griffith chaplain. Its sessions were as lively as those of a squad fighting seven-year itch, or bedbugs or mosquitoes.
After the surgical fad of opening people with prayer, to cut out the vermi- form appendix, got well started, the victims, who were minus that pendant, organized an Appendicitis Club, and had a museum where each one's bottle of vermiform, pickled in alcohol, was labeled and on exhibition, or the trophy was dried, like a strip of mummied venison or jerked buffalo.
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There was once a Y. M. C. A., but in the presence of so many churches there seemed to be no need of it, and it languished and quit. But just now an effort is making to reorganize on a popular scale and erect a worthy building.
It wasn't exactly a club, but a rifle team that did wonders. It was organ- ized about 1885 by Bill Mccutcheon, D. S. Cole, A. A. Rodman, Chas. Heb- ener, Alex. Coffman, Gola Hise, 'Phon Sheets, J. J. Kellogg, Mart Whit- comb, C. J. Wilson, A. H. Wallace, Will McClean, Tom Teller. They used old muskets, not even the improved Springfield, and they beat all rival teams, the Denver Rifles, Minneapolis Rifles, two or three inatches, Chicago Lake View team, Davenport Rodman Rifles, Muscatine, West Liberty, Columbus Junction, etc. The Rodmans had never been beaten before. Mccutcheon shot in shirt sleeves and breeches bagging both at seat and knees, and after he shot he went behind the house, hutching up the slack in his pants. The fastidious and chagrined Rodmans said by way of explanation of their defeat, "He ( Bill) is a damned old trapper from the Rocky mountains!" Our boys always carried the badge of the brigade, never lost it. They were as expert as the squirrel hunters in the South Carolina war. Capt. Kellogg was secre- tary and treasurer of our team.
A W. C. T. U. would seem to be superfluous in this county any more, but it endures. Washington, city and county, is thirty years ahead of the won- derful temperance wave-movement that has swept over the country the last two or three years, especially thro' the South, the old slave states, and that part of the northern states that is covered with brush, that appears to be the native lair of the drink habit. We have had no saloons since '84. Railways and many large business corporations will not use drinking men. Folk are tired of this relic of barbarism-booze. It fosters crime, domestic misery, poverty, and is the worst sort of economy, no matter how much revenue it creates. Whisky is tabu. But it is amusing to hear local humorists, who used to wet their whistles, tell of the hard times after the adoption of the consti- tutional amendment, the expedients that drinkers resorted to, to titillate the beer and whisky nerve. All of a sudden there was a great run on certain easy drug stores for bitters. The damp brigade would send this one and that one to buy a bottle, till the club had enough for an inward bath. They could get a variety of bitters-Boreheaves Holland Bitters, Drake's Plantation, Lo- back's Bitters, Hop and Vinegar Bitters, Centennial, Red Jacket, Yahoo, etc., each containing fifteen, twenty, thirty and forty-five per cent of alcohol. Every brand had a fang that squirted poison. The club sent in a farmer to buy for them. He didn't know what to ask for. "Hostetter," they prompted. "I can't mind that name," he objected, and called for Hostile Bitters. Another granger emissary forgot the name and said, "The kind that - buys."
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