USA > Iowa > Jefferson County > Jefferson County, Iowa; centennial history. 1776. 1876 > Part 5
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wife, Mr.and Mrs. Jacob Butler and Miss Jarboe, later Mrs. Seth Humphreys. Back in Skaneateles, New York, whose | scenery, he thought, would rival what Mr. VanHorne had described as spread around the Mt. Holyoke of his boy- hood. ho had looked on the map of beautiful Iowa, and longed to see the land. On his way out he met Mr. Lillibridge, father of Chet, who was enthusiastic about the City of the Great Bend. He was thus drawn hither, landing in July, the city dusty as a Sahara, and no street sprinkling. Ho was a Democrat at that time-it was a good while ago-and Muscatine was a Democratic city, and to show what tho old Democracy was like, he stated that he went through the city and looked into . every corner, and reported to a good friend back east, that there was not a saloon in the place. Such was the Iowa and Muscatine Democracy of 1852. He had much difficulty in tind- ing a house to live in; was taken up and shown to "Old Chepultepec." the long barracks recently standing on the Brent lots, 4th street, and then recently vacated by a lot of railroad hands, but finally found a roof on the hill. where his wife entranced by the beautful prospect. That was a stirring year in Muscatine. Among the buildings going up were the resi- dences of Mr. C. Chaphin, Dr. Reeder,
Jacob Butler, W. W. MeQuesten, Abraham Smalley, and the now Con- gregational church, Reuling's block, Greon & Stone's, Hare's hall, the Scott House , Nevada Mill. the old Music Hall, Trinity church, Isett's brick stable, additions to the Eastern and Commercial hotels. The speaker gave a description of Second street and its occupants. Though one of the later settlers, there is but one business place, continuously occupied by the same person, older than his own-Stein's lumber oflice. Most of the houses have changed business and occupants. The U. B. church is the only one now used for service that was then ocenpied for Sunday worship. He bought his first watermelon of Benj. Neidig; his first Doctor's fee was paid to Dr. Waters; his first law fee to J. Scott Richman and did his first trading with Mr. Hull. Henry Clay Dean was preaching his last sermons here, and the speaker spoke of his interest in him. Tho suburbs were described, the Avenue running into a bank where the Methodist parsonage ought to be. The speaker referred to many of the Old Settlers and their peculiarities. and concluding he
said that hadn't spoken of the women, because he wouldn't have the temerity to speak in that presence of ladies whom he had known thirty-five years ago!
The choir rendered the beautiful song of "Sweet and Low."
The President calling on the meet. ing generally for remarks, Secretary Peter Jackson read from the records some interesting reminiscences of the first settlement of Muscatine and of Iowa.
While the Secretary was reading, Rev. Dr. Robbins entered the hall, from the train, on his return from Ot- tumwa, and the President called him to the speaker s stand. The Doctor delivered the following address.
REMARKS OF REV. A. B. ROBBINS, D. D.
As our worthy president bas told me in substance that if I would write something for this gathering of Old Settlers it should be printed, "seria- tnm, punctuatum, et verbatim," and as, at least one man, the printer, and another man, the proof reader, and another man, the writer, will read
what is written, I have consented (thongh way down on the Des Moines and close by where Stormy Jordan and his loving friends hold sway) to put down on paper a lew thoughts: 1 have been at the thriving city of Ot- tumwa-to help do what I think has never yet been done in lowa, certainty not in our order of Christians-viz: dedicate a parsonage. costing $7,000, or more, thongh sold the church at (t- tumwa for $5,000. It is a house with ten rooms, built of orick and stone, with a mansard roof; with water works. gas, Edison electricity, fire places. a furnace and laundry; just about the right sort of a house for a Congrega- tional minister. It was purchased and dedicated in honor of Rev. Benj. A. Spaulding, the first pastor of the church, and one of the band coming in 1843 to Iowa, and who died in 1867.
My impression is that the personal experience of that good brother as to a pastor's home was more like my own experience about those days. It is a fact, in my old settler experience, that, for one year at least, my home was marked by a necessary protrusion of a stove pipe through the front window of my residence, which was then on a little elevation of the site, at present, of Mr Bitzer's store, corner of 4th and Mulberry streets. Mr. Spaulding's eyes would glisten could be have seen, on the evening of Feb. 15th, the bril- liantly lighted and finely warmed Spaulding parsonage.
I belong to the orthodox band of the old settlers, those who came to lowa before it was made a State, December 28. 1846. My belief has ever been that an old settlers' society would gradually grow less and less, as they pass into the gates of the life beyond, Que by one, until the last two shall meet and say farewell; and their children and all the children of all the old settlers should gather and bury them with honor; and tile away, in the archives of the Historical Society of the State, the record of their meetings, their names and any good and noble deed done by them. The poem about "The Last Man," not seen or read by me for a long time, has left abiding a sense of tho courageons and sublime; look- ing ont as he did upon a desolated and depopulated world. and bidding it a kind and grateful farewell, wrap- ping his cloak about him, and lying down upon the mountain top for his last long sleep, and, like Moses, leav-
ing his body to be cared for by that God who said at the creation of man, in distinction from all other animals, "Let us make man in our own imago and after our likeness.""
But the wisdom of others, the ma- jority, was that the society be perpetu- ated by the admission of more recent settlers who have a little smack of what it is to be a pioneer: and as they have proved themselves a genial and well-behaved, and, some of them, a handsome set of men and women, and are helpers to us, we shall be content to the degree that we shall not grumble or look askance upon them.
I wish that they and we all. "Kinghts of Labor." "Greenbackers," "Demo- crats," "Republicans," "Soldiers." "Good Templars," and all loyal men. of the score or more society organiza- tions, and all loyal men, whether out or in the church, or holding aloof from all bonds of society, State or church; I wish we might all unite in the effort to make law and order and merey and justice prevail over demagogues and saloon keepers. No one need say that this is introdneing polities into this meeting of old settlers. There is no politics in it. It is a question of morals, whether liquor and its twin, bawdvism, shall prevail; and I would that all old settlers would say "No more of that. if you please!"' I have had the honor to vote, once in my life for a Democrat, a Knight of Labor, and though a Yankee of the Yankees, as blue as they can make them, for an Irishman. I would do the same again if thereby I could mark a seore against the hoary old tyrant, Alcohol.
My former ministerial brother and co-laborer here, Rev. Henry Clay Dean. said once "that he hated the war Democrats like the devil." Like the woman who thanked the man for swearing for her when they were both lato for the train just passing out the end of the depot platforin, I am about ready to adopt the rather profane sentiment of that out-spoken hater, if I may be allowed to put the word "saloon" before either Republican. Democrat, Knight of Labor or Giern- backer or church member. I don't mean when I let him say for me that I hato a saloon Republican or a saloon Democrat, that I have any malicious hatred to anybody, but that I have a tremendous amount of holy indigna- tion against any man that will not do what he can to abolish that which only
curses ourselves and our children and our fellow citizens and
brings three-fourths of all the terrible accidents that come upon us und multiplies our burdens wonder- fully. And when I say I am inclined to thank Brother Dean for saving for me that I hate "like the devil." I sun- pose him to mean that he has a su- 1 perlative amount of indignation against a "war Democrat." and that a man can say piously, almost as well as it may be said maliciously, that he hates like the devil. It is mainly a matter of taste in the use of language. Rev- erence becomes us when we use the name of God, but only enution is neces- sary when we mention the name of Satan, for fear ho may get a little too near.
But. passing this, do we not feel to- day somewhat as soldiers feel who have just passed through a hard attack and who, when they close up, tind. with sadness, that too many have fal- len. This has been a year, as I suppose vou have already noticed and had called to your attention, of unusual bereavement among us. Especially
true has this been In
own more immediate circle. It has had the effeet. in my own case. to make more full of interest to me each and all of those left. They look. however much spectacled and grav. however much stooping and slow. however homely and forlorn. however wanting in those traits which I more highly esteem, more and more near to me. I have more personal interest in them ; my heart goes after them the more. I long more, as my business is to speak to men, so to speak to them a. to help warm and cheer them. -
have had some hard knocks this year. I have joined the ranks of the broken-armed legion. I am, de- spite my determination and tho evident indistinctness of utterance in others. which prevails so much in this elocu- tionary age. passing along into the hard-hearing or deaf squad. A "fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind." and I don't feel quite so confidently that no man ought to be broken in limb, or thick in speech, or slow in going up stairs, or have a headache or be unable to digest good food. And I begin to feel that it is partly. at least, my own fault, that all tho beef seems to come from Texas and nearly all other meats seem to bo impregnated with guita percha. Some of us are getting to-
!
ward the seventh act of the play. If we would do anything for each other (and the poor fellows that are out- siders know nothing of the privilege of being an old settler,) we must do it SOOD.
The choir sang "Auld Lang Syne" in which the audience joined.
The President now announced a recess for social converse and to give Old Settlers an opportunity to look over the Album, and for the contri- bution of their photographs; also to permit persons to join the society by signing the constitution.
Among those present from the country was Mr. W. S. Fultz. who brought the poll list of 1850-52 of Moscow township, whose jurat and names excited much interest. Moscow seems to have run down to Muscatine in those days.
On motion of Secretary Jackson a vote of thanks was tendered to Trinity choir for the beautiful music they had contributed to the meeting.
No business presenting itself, the re- union was adjourned.
A
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GRAND CELEBRATION
OF THE
FOURTH OF JULY
IN THE
PARK, FAIRFIELD, IOWA,
MARSHAL OF THE DAY, - J. N. SMITH.
COMMITTEE ON TOASTS AND RESPONSES: H. N. WEST AND C. M. MCELROY.
COMMITTEE ON MUSIC: INSTRUMENTAL: A W. JAQUES AND CHAS. SIPPEL VOCAL: DR. WOODS THEO. HIGLEY, MISS MELL MCKEMEY AND MRS. S. B. HIGLEY.
COMMITTEE OF FLAGS: R. H. MOORE AND DR. T. L. JAMES.
COMMITTEE ON ARRANGEMENTS: W. T. BURGESS, J. J. CUMMINGS, DR. HAMMOND STEELE BRIGHT AND THOMAS BELL.
COM. ON FINANCE: W. W. JUNKIN, G. P. LANG AND J. W. SAMPSON.
RIFJNE PRINT
1
7040
شالبـ
ـيو
النار
ـبسيه
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