USA > Iowa > Lucas County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 9
USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Past and present of Lucas and Wayne counties, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 9
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25
Many amusing incidents connected with the organization and movement of the Home Guards were related at the time. At one time, early in the war, a full grown rumor spread over the county to the effect that quite a large force of rebel sol- diers had crossed the Missouri state line. About noon on a certain day, the rumor came that a large force of rebels had collected at or near the village of Garden Grove, in Decatur county, Iowa, on their northward march through or over southern Iowa, armed with swords and and torches, expecting to burn and destroy property, and generally spread ruin over the land. Couriers were sent over the county calling the
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Home Guards to arms, and about four o'clock P. M. of that day, quite a number of these soldiers were gathered together on the streets of Chariton with squirrel rifles and shot guns, ready and even anxious to meet the foe. The writer being one of this volunteer organization procured a Sharps rifle, the best gun in the army, and joined in the march south towards Missouri. It seems that the idea that we would ever want anything to eat only occurred to one man. As he had a team of good horses he filled his wagon with provisions, and we were soon on our way to meet the enemy. We arrived at Garden Grove, eighteen miles distant, about nine o'clock P. M .. but found the people there sleeping peacefully. They had not seen any rebels, but they understood that they were in force at or about the town of Leon, about twelve miles further south. We spent the remainder of the night trying to sleep on some boxes and benches on the sidewalks of the village, expecting to move at the peep of day. Very early the next morning we undertook to find a hotel or restaurant where we could break- fast. One patriotic citizen, without reward or the hope thereof, except in the feeling of satisfaction that he had assisted in feeding the defenders of his county, came to our camp with an armful of onions, which he had gathered in his garden. and distributed them among the soldiers, and in a short time our army was in motion.
When we arrived at Leon we were informed that there were no rebels in that locality, but that there was a large force about fifteen miles farther south. When we reached that point, we met a gentleman who informed us that he had been traveling over north Missouri for the greater part of a week, and that he had not seen or heard of any rebel force at any point or place. By this time many of the rank and file of our army became disgusted with soldiering, and regarding the campaign as a huge joke, they became thoroughly insubordi- nate. They considered and treated the orders issued by those who assumed command as mere polite requests not intended to be enforced if the soldiers deemed them unnecessary or incon- venient. However, the people in that locality were patriotic, and gladly gave up their best rooms and beds to the defenders of their country. The next day our army was augmented by the arrival of several other companies of Home Guards from other counties, and commanders in gaudy uniforms began to appear and multiply orders. Honest John Edwards of Lucas
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county, acting under authority from the governor of Iowa, proceeded to take supreme command, and ordered the pur- chase of beans and tobacco for the army.
In pursuance of his order our forces moved the next day to a place called Pleasant Plaines, where it was announced that we would practice the art of war and get ready to fight the rebels when we found them. The distance to Pleasant Plaines was about seventeen miles. The weather was exceed- ingly hot. I was assigned to the rear guard with ten or twelve other boys under the command of a farmer who knew no more than we did about the duties of a soldier.
In making this march we had to cross a river, and the main part of the army being nearly one mile in advance, the boys importuned our commander to permit us to go in swim- ming for just a little while. At first he hesitated, but being a very kindhearted gentleman, he at length consented, and we proceeded to drown our cares in the water. After a short time he suggested that we must move on. Then he urged us to come out. Then an order coming back for him to hurry up, he begged and entreated us to come out. It may not sound military, but the picture of our commander, pacing back and forth on the bank of the river, entreating us to come out, suggested the picture of an old hen pleading with her brood of ducks to swim ashore. At length we did come out, and assuming an unmilitary trot, we soon arrived in camp. I don't know, but I feel confident that our kindhearted old leader never noticed such a little matter as disobedience of an order to march, when the boys wanted to swim so bad.
INTOXICATING LIQUORS
The legislation of Iowa in reference to the sale or keeping for sale of intoxicating liquors, is a disgrace to the state. It may well be doubted whether any law, outside of a law abso- litely prohibiting the manufacture of intoxicating liquors of any kind or character, would operate to prohibit the evils aris- ing from the use of such liquors. It does not seem to matter how stringent the provisions of a law are made, or how severe the penalties for violating a liquor law are made, it seems that men will violate such laws, and if such liquors are made or manufactured, they will be used as a beverage. The desire to use such liquors is planted in the constitution of men, and
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so long as this appetite for liquors exist, and they are manu- factured, men will find some way to procure them.
In the early history of the county there was no law attempt- ing to limit the right to purchase or sell intoxicating liquors, and as physicians claimed that they were absolutely neces- sary as a medicine, the validity of a law absolutely prohibit- ing the manufacture thereof was considered doubtful. But the evils resulting from the use of intoxicating liquors became so glaring and alarming, that quite a large number of the voters of the state began to threaten both of the controlling political parties that if they failed to adopt strong resolutions against the sale of liquors, that this class of voters would vote against their party. In this way they caused the republican party to adopt resolutions in favor of a prohibitory liquor law. This party undertook to redeem its promise to enact prohibitory legislation. It caused the voters at the next elec- tion to vote upon a proposed amendment to the constitution, conferring constitutional power on the Legislature to abso- lutely prohibit the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. This vote carried, and Iowa was preparing to enter upon a plan or scheme of absolute prohibition, when the supreme court declared that on account of some informality in the manner in which said vote had been submitted, that the result of such vote was invalid.
In the meantime the question of prohibition became so unpopular that Horace Boles, the democratic candidate for governor, was elected over an ordinary republican majority of more than thirty thousand votes. This result frightened the leaders of the republican party, and they were further frightened by the complaints of the republican Germans in towns and cities located along the Mississippi river, that they must be given the right to manufacture, sell and use their lager beer. The result was that the republican leaders under- took the difficult task of enacting laws whereby the republi- can Germans might be given the right to manufacture, sell and use lager beer at points and places where the people desired to do so, and at the same time, and by and in the same act, it was declared that the sale of such liquor was criminal in the county and in the small towns and villages where the great majority of the people favored prohibition.
The idea was to pacify the German voters in the large towns and cities, by giving them their lager beer, and at the
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same time to make their peace with the ultra temperance vot- ers in the country and the small towns and villages, by declar- ing the sale of all kinds of intoxicating liquors, including wines and lager beer, to be criminal, and fixing their punishment at a fine of at least three hundred dollars. They undertook to effect this result by enacting what was called the "Mulet law." It is evident that this law is contradictory on its face, that is, they first declare that the sale of any kind of liquors, including wines and lager beer to be absolutely criminal, but provide that if the party who is found guilty of selling any liquor or beer, has obtained permission to do so from the county board of supervisors, then he must go scott free. The penalty of his crime will not be enforced against him. It clearly appears that this law is ridiculous on its face, and many lawyers in the state contend that the provisions of the Mulet law, relieving the party from punishment for his violations of the law are invalid, and that the courts would be compelled to hold the same invalid if such a case is presented to them.
Again, the injurious effects of this law are plainly seen, in the fact that it creates disrespect for the law, and men use it for malicious purposes. One man for some reason becomes offended at another, and especially if the other man is a drug- gist, he awaits an opportunity to commence some criminal proceedings against him for failing to comply with said liquor law, and if he can show that such druggist sold a bottle of lager beer, or in fact any preparation like Jamaica Ginger, containing a certain per cent of alcohol, he can gratify his malicious feeling towards the druggist by causing him to be fined at least three hundred dollars for selling a bottle of beer, or a few ounces of Jamica Ginger, or any other preparation containing a certain per cent of alcohol.
The result of this legislation is to cause many men to purchase liquors by the gallon and keep it in their cellars, and it also furnishes lucrative employment to a class of men called "boot-leggers," who carry around liquors in their pockets and in a valise and sell it. The result is that such vendors of liquors sell a poisonous stuff of positive injury to any person using it. It is true that the sale and use of intoxi- cating liquors is one of the greatest national evils in existence. Its injurious effects are cast upon wives and innocent chil- dren, but there is very little common sense or honesty in the different remedies that have been provided for this evil. The
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moment that the question enters politics, all hopes of it secur- ing a sensible, reasonable and effective legal remedy is gone. May we not hope that some non-partisan movement may occur whereby the fallacy of the claim that intoxicating liquors is necessary as a medicine will be exposed and the manufacture will be prohibited. Until this is done, the great evil result- ing from its use, will continue to curse the people of this country.
Efforts to enforce liquor laws in this county have been spasmodic. The people would endure such evil for a time, and during this time no effort would be made to enforce the law against it. Then upon the commission of some crime arising from its use a wave of reform would pass over the country, and the people for a time would organize to enforce the law, and for a short time liquor sellers would be prosecuted, fined and per- haps placed in jail, but in a short time the people would begin to tire of this crusade against rum, and for a while prosecu- tions would cease and liquor sellers would be comparatively free from prosecutions.
One bad feature of the law was to permit druggists to sell intoxicating liquors for medicinal purposes and permit phy- sicians to prescribe the same to their patients. The purchasers of liquors were required to file with the druggist a written request to purchase the same for lawful uses, but this pro- vision simply operated as an inducement to the druggist to violate the law. He was permitted to purchase and sell liquors for medicinal purposes. He would and did sell them at from fifty to one hundred per cent above cost. The more he could sell, the more money he would make, and hence the law oper- ated as a standing bribe to the druggists to violate its pro- visions.
Thus, for years, the people of this county have struggled to find some remedy for this great evil. but as yet their efforts have been in vain.
SCHOOLS
Iowa may well be proud of her public school system. Under the law each civil township is a school district, called "the district township of Otter Creek" or "Chariton," or any other township, and again, there may be two or three districts
GARFIELD SCHOOL, CHARITON
HIGH SCHOOL, CHARITON
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in one township. Again, towns may be organized into a school district, called "the Independent School District of Chari- ton," or "of Russell," or "of Lucas," as the case may be.
Each school district has a full list of officers, as a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and board of directors. The business of the district and the employment of teachers is conducted by the directors.
Then we have a county superintendent, who has the gen- eral supervision of the schools of the county. The county superintendent, who, of late years is usually a woman, is also constituted a court, with jurisdiction over all controversies that arise between districts, and also between teachers and the board of directors, and also all controversies arising as to the proper location of school houses, and the building thereof.
An appeal lies from the decisions of the board of directors to the county superintendent, and in some cases, from his decision to the state superintendent of schools. But one of the chief excellencies of our school system is in its provisions regarding the building of school houses. By means of a com- paratively small tax a sufficient fund can be raised to build a comfortable and even an elegant school house. During the last thirty or forty years so many school houses have been built in this state, that architects have evolved the best pos- sible plans therefor, and as a result Iowa school houses, as they are now built, are comfortable, commodious and elegant, leaving with teachers and pupils pleasant memories of their school days.
Chariton has four large school houses, conducted by a superintendent and about twenty-five teachers. These teach- ers were required to pass a very strict examination, and to have attended a normal school each year, attended alone by teachers. Each teacher is greatly benefited by the compar- ison of methods adopted by others, and as a result we find in Iowa schools that the best up to date methods of teaching are in use.
While there has been a constant improvement in our public schools, yet there is one criticism of modern methods. that seems to be well founded, and that is, the pupils are rushed along too fast. They are hurried through the elementary branches that they may take up the languages and higher mathematics just as soon as possible.
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For instance, how many graduates of high schools are there of whom it can be said, that he, or she, is an excellent reader; a good penman; entirely familiar with arithmetic, English grammar and history. Not long ago we noticed a criticism offered by an employer of girls and boys to the ef- fect, that few of them were even good readers, or could write a legible hand, or whom he could absolutely trust to solve ordinary problems in arithmetic. The ordinary pupil soon comes to regard these elementary studies as unnecessary. They prefer to go to higher mathematics, or to the translation of Cæsar, to spending their time as they contemptuously say, with "readin', ritin', or 'rithmetic."
We have no doubt, but the time will soon come, when stud- ents will be required to become entirely familiar with these elementary studies, before they are permitted to leave them.
A FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY
By and through the untiring efforts of a Chariton girl, Miss Margaret Brown, we have secured an elegant small library building, and a small library of interesting and useful books of which we all feel proud. I do not mean that this li- brary was secured through the efforts of Miss Brown alone, but in such enterprises one person or a few persons com- paratively, must always spend a large share of their time, and undergo considerable labor to make the enterprise a success. Miss Brown without reward or the hope thereof, except in the feeling of satisfaction attending success, voluntarily devoted her time and labor in securing the establishment of, and in providing for the maintenance of this library. She succeeded. In the first place she acquainted herself with library buildings over the country, in order to obtain the very best plans there- for, and she then thoroughly acquainted herself with the best methods of conducting such libraries, and, having in this way ascertained the kind and character of a building suitable for a small library, and the best method of conducting it, she pro- ceeded to work at this enterprise until it was accomplished. Under the laws of the state of Iowa, towns and cities may vote a tax to aid in the establishment of free public libraries. This tax was voted, and then application was made to Mr. Andrew Carnegie for financial assistance. He promptly responded thereto. A suitable lot was procured and in a
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Residence Scene on Vine Street North Side of East Front Street High School
Residence Street Scene Residence Scenes on Vine Street
SCENES OF LUCAS
AI ONS
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short time the doors were opened in an elegant small library building, and with the aid of donations from the citizens of Chariton. and a small tax on the taxable property of the city, the shelves were well filled with useful books.
Mr. Carnegie and Mr. Rockefeller are certainly entitled to great credit for their financial aid in establishing libraries and in founding institutions of learning all over the country. The statement of Mr. Carnegie that, "the time will come when for a man to die leaving a million dollars undisposed of, will be a disgrace," is sufficient to immortalize his name.
It may seem ungrateful and presumptious in any one to undertake to advise these philanthropists, as to what they should do in the disposal of their money, or even suggest that the plans or methods which they have adopted are not the best, but we will suggest, that while the founding of libraries and the building of appropriate houses for colleges and uni- versities are appropriate aids to education, yet the founding of schools where worthy young men and women can and would be educated, in such a manner as to enable them, not only to properly discharge all the duties devolving upon them as citizens of this republic, but as statesmen, on whose shoul- ders may fall the burden of maintaining in its purity and strength, this, the greatest republic ever founded by man.
While the colossal stone buildings erected by John D. Rockefeller are undying monuments to his philanthropy and generosity, yet, it would seem that he overlooked the fact that these magnificent buildings simply open other doors for the education of the sons and daughters of millionaires. They are not within the reach of the citizen of moderate means. Notwithstanding the vast contributions of Mr. Rockefeller, still the ambitious and worthy young men and women of moderate means cannot pay the sum required to enable them to become graduates of these institutions.
As a general rule our brightest men, our greatest statesmen, the benefactors of our race, were not born or reared in luxury. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Daniel Webster, Abraham Lincoln, and many others, who have witnessed the struggle of the poor, and felt the pangs of poverty, but none of whom could have taken a classical course in one of Mr. Rockefeller's institutions of learning if they had lived since these schools were founded, for want of means to pay the ex- pense of such a course. It is the ambitious, industrious and Vol. 1-7
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worthy sons of the poor, for whom Mr. Rockefeller has made no provision. The expense of attending his schools prohibits them from entering the same. The sons of wealthy parents do not need such institutions. The country is full of schools for them.
Think of it: The interest accumulating on one million of dollars would pay all of the expenses of a school, wherein one hundred students might be graduated each year. While the government is thus educating a class for war, Mr. Rockefeller might educate the same number in the interests of peace. He might produce statesmen, who, by wise action, could avoid the necessity of war. What a monument to the memory of the founder of such a school!
THE BANKS OF LUCAS COUNTY
The first bank established in Chariton was one under the name of F. W. Brooks & Company, and was conducted by F. A. Temple as cashier. In 1869, Lyman Cook and J. C. Peasely of Burlington, Iowa, succeeded to the ownership of this bank, and about 1870, it was merged in the First National Bank of Chariton, which was incorporated by S. H. Mallory, Lyman Cook, J. C. Peasely and D. M. Thompson and E. A. Temple, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars.
S. H. Mallory was the first president of this bank, and E. A. Temple was its first cashier. Mr. Temple was a born banker, and under his management this bank became one of the strongest banks in southern Iowa.
About the year 1882, Mr. Temple organized the Bankers Life Insurance Company, and soon thereafter, he resigned his position of cashier of the First National Bank of Chariton, and removed to Des Moines, Iowa, where he has had the gen- eral management of his insurance company up to the time of his death, which occurred in the year 1910.
The Bankers Life was a mutual insurance company, and under the management of Mr. Temple it became popular, and soon built up a large business. Mr. Temple lived and died in the full belief that the plan of insurance originated by him, would be lasting, but the old line insurance authorities have claimed, and still claim, that the plan adopted by Mr. Temple was not sound, and that time would demonstrate this fact.
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It seems that the present managers of the Bankers Life have also concluded that it would be best to change its original plan, and it is understood that the policies now issued by that company, are founded on what is called, "old line insurance." Of course, this change will not affect any policies issued prior thereto. The company is still regarded as substantial and entirely safe, and its business is managed by reliable men, who have the confidence of the public.
When Mr. Temple resigned his position as cashier of the First National Bank of Chariton, Frank R. Crocker, who had spent his boyhood in the bank, became its cashier, and in fact its general manager, although he was never elected or appointed to such position. He was pleasant, agreeable and very liberal in conducting the bank, and soon acquired the confidence of the people, and became the most popular man in the county.
While at length rumors were heard that perhaps he was engaged in wild schemes of speculation that might affect the financial standing of himself and the bank, yet his friends refused to listen to such rumors, and he continued to control the banking business of the county up to the very day that the bank was closed by direction of the comptroller of the currency.
On October 31, 1907, the government bank examiner came to Chariton to examine the banks. On that night Mr. Crocker took poison, and on the next morning he was found dead in his bed.
The records of the bank, and letters found in the bank to several of his friends, developed the fact that the bank was then, and for two years previous thereto, had been hopelessly insolvent. He had induced the head banker of an insurance organization, known as the Modern Woodmen of America, to deposit over one hundred thousand dollars of its funds in his bank. For a while the bondsmen of Mr. Crocker resisted the action of this company to recover such deposit, claiming. that the fact that he would agree to receive and pay interest on such a large sum of money, was, of itself, sufficient evidence. to put said head banker upon inquiry, as to Mr. Crocker's authority to receive such deposit, and if he had made any inquiry he would have ascertained that he had no such authority, but this controversy was compromised.
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Mr. Crocker was misled by his success. He had had the entire management of this bank for several years, and he never wanted money that he could not obtain it. He was deceived by the prospects of a coal mine located at Lucas. Mr. H. L. Byers had organized a company to operate this mine, and was engaged in the operation thereof. Coal mining experts had decided that this mine contained a large amount of valuable coal, and Mr. Crocker was led to believe that he could easily make a fortune by investment therein. Hence he undertook to meet the pay rolls of a large force of miners, engaged in work at this mine. After thus using about fifty thousand dollars of the bank's money in the operation of said mine, it was discovered that the coal was limited in quan- tity, and of a very poor quality, and that his large investment therein was a complete loss.
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