USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 45
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SUTHERLAND.
Sutherland is on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad line, on section 7, and was named for the Duke of Sutherland, who was visiting a railroad official at the date the town was projected, hence he named it in honor of him, it is related.
Joseph Cowen erected the first building on the plat in 1882. The West-
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ern Town Lot Company, of course, laid out this as well as numerous other town sites along this line of road. G. W. Meader built the first store build- ing, and in it was kept a hardware stock. Charles Briggs started the second hardware store of the place. A. M. Cilley was the first to dispense drugs. The Park hotel was the pioneer traveler's home, erected with the first year's history of the place. It was built by James Reager and was known as the Reager House.
D. M. Sheldon erected a building for the first general stock, but it was destroyed by a cyclone which went through the town in June, 1882. Among the early buildings in the place were the saloon and the railroad land office. The cyclone made sad work among the new buildings and at first stunned the various enterprises.
The real pioneers, all of whom were there before the close of 1883, were A. Towberman & Son, furniture ; R. M. Van Horn, blacksmith; L. W. Fairbanks, general dealer; Mrs. A. W. Hoyt, millinery; H. A. Peck, land office : Briggs & Cobb, druggists; Horstman Brothers, general store: J. F. Shepard, restaurant; L. Schwertferger, shoe store; Vulgamott Brothers, meat market; J. N. Slick & Company, grocers and boots and shoes ; Thomp- son & Porter, lumber office: F. E. Farnsworth, restaurant; Cleveland & Bark, livery stable; S. Gracey, clothier; E. H. Farnsworth, groceries and provisions : E. C. Cummings, liveryman ; J. B. Dunn & Company, land office ; Sage & Healey, land office ; D. M. Sheldon & Company, grain, coal, stock and lumber ; M. E. Hoyt, livery ; C. E. Johnson, Cleveland Hotel : William Kugel, barber shop: D. W. Nichols, real estate office : M. D. Purcell, auctioneer : J. M. Louthan, physician and surgeon; J. C. Bonham, homeopathic doctor ; George F. Colcord and J. B. Dunn, attorneys-at-law. The above were all identified with Sutherland early in the spring of 1884.
The newspapers of Sutherland will be treated in the Press chapter.
One of the potent factors in Sutherland, and one that tends to show the character and intellect of the population, is the well selected list of volumes in the public library. It is known as the Baker Library and was named in honor of General Baker, so greatly beloved by the settlers of O'Brien county. It was established in Waterman township in 1874, and to Mrs. Roma W. Woods must ever be given much credit for its establishment and final success. During "grasshopper" days it was hard to keep this library alive. Mrs. Woods, in a well-written article in 1884, said: "Two years of enthu- siasm, in the centennial year with its magnificent promise of crops. Alas! for
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the library, also for us all. As the grain was whitening for the harvest, locusts filled the air with silvery brightness, and covered the ground with brown ugliness, destroying the crops entirely."
"Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Doling, of Liberty, and Stephen Harris, of Prim- ghar, were able to pay their interest that year, and they alone. The next year the young locusts sprang from every inch of ground.
"In the long winter that followed, our library was a friend indeed. But few could pay their interest, but the books went everywhere. The height had been reached the second year, and for six years we traveled the lowlands. The income of the library was but nominal; a few new books were added each year and during the fourth year there was sent a box of periodicals from Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Brewster, of New York City, also a box containing forty choice books, the gift of Hon. George W. Ellis and wife, Hon. Edward Russell and wife of Davenport, Iowa, and Stewart Ellis and wife of Moline, Illinois. I am sure these friends have never realized how valuable and timely were their gifts."
The county fair ground is located immediately adjoining the town of Sutherland. While this fair is county wide in its scope, and state wide in its legal intendments, it is like unto the state capital question at Des Moines. There can be but one state capital and it can only be located in one spot. The people, state wide, take a pride in its greatness. It must be Iowa size in proportions. Likewise there can be but one county fair in a county. Des Moines also takes a city pride in the proper appearance and management of its state buildings and surrounding grounds. Likewise, as Hartley in civic pride points to its soldier's monument, erected by a public spirited citizen of the county : likewise, as Sanborn delights in her large railroad round house and shops, in the great work of preparation in management of one hundred miles of a great railroad system, in moving our crops, products and travel : likewise, as Sutherland and Sheldon point with educational pride to their public libraries, and as the latter points to its district fair and three railroads ; likewise, as Primghar feels a satisfaction in the county-seat location ; like as every citizen in this county points out the twenty-five and fifty-thousand-dollar farms in this exclusively agricultural community. so Sutherland points out the county fair. Sutherland has indeed for now twenty-seven years put in that energy and mass citizenship organization, as all public men will recognize as necessary to keep up and maintain such an enterprise. The very fact that it has been so conducted for now more than a quarter of a century speaks its own stability in public affairs as so successfully carried out by this town.
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The beginning of Fourth of July celebrations in Sutherland commenced in 188.4, when George F. Colcord read the Declaration of Independence and J. B. Dunn delivered the oration. It was a rainy day and it was difficult to carry out an interesting program. Two thousand people were in town that day. At nightfall, fireworks illuminated the dark skies.
The first great destruction by the fire fiend was November 30, 1884, when Towberman & Sons' store caught fire in the evening, and the store and contents were totally ruined. An implement warehouse was also burned.
On August 8, 1885, the loyal citizens of Sutherland paid their last loving respects to the dead soldier and statesman, ex-President U. S. Grant. Exer- cises were held in Wood's grove. A procession a full half mile in length. with not less than one thousand people, including many old Grand Army comrades, marched in line to this beautiful grove. Hon. E. C. Herrick, that faithful attorney and orator of Cherokee, delivered a befitting oration.
In the eighties there was a large amount of grain shipped from the new town of Sutherland. From August, 1885, to February, 1886, there were shipped. in all, four hundred and fifty-seven car loads of various kinds of grain, raised on the near-by farm lands.
MUNICIPAL, HISTORY.
Sutherland was legally incorporated in 1883. with officers elected to serve until the March election of 1884, at which time the following were elected town officers: W. S. Hitchings, mayor; C. H. Brintnall, recorder; A. M. Cilley, treasurer; C. W. Inman, assessor: A. Horstman, J. M. Slick, A. C. Bliss, C. W. Briggs. H. E. Hoagland. C. P. Gracey, trustees : C. Nelson, street commissioner.
The mayors have been in the following order to 1889 (the record later being incomplete ) : W. S. Hitchings, A. M. Cilley, J. C. Bonham, W. P. Davis, D. F. Shumway, J. C. Briggs, E. W. Parker, who commenced in 1904.
The corporation officials for the town of Sutherland in 1913 are: E. W. Parker, mayor; C. H. Jenner, clerk; T. B. Bark, treasurer; E. L. Cobb. marshal; J. O. Hakeman, Otto Peters. Adolph Pringel A. J. Sieh. H. J. Briggs, councilmen.
A good system of water works was provided by the issuing of bonds to the amount of three thousand five hundred dollars, running twenty years. This system was commenced in 1903 and consists of a well two hundred and six feet deep that affords an abundance of the purest water. A system of compressed air forces the water over the town. This, with a chemical engine,
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ladders and hose, protects the place from fires. The town also provided itself with a septic tank and filter, which was planned and installed by men of ex- perience from Ames and this gives universal satisfaction. There are two and a half acres of land on which the city has its waterworks plant.
In 1906 a complete sewer system was installed in Sutherland, making it a healthy town in which to reside. In 1893 the authorities purchased a full block of four hundred feet square, for park purposes, and the same year planted out many hundreds of beautiful maple, elm and ash trees. These have already made a fine growth and in the summer the lawn is kept well mowed and cared for by competent persons, making this spot one of rare beauty. Here the native birds and squirrels abound in goodly numbers.
The lighting of the town is furnished by a private corporation known as the Peterson Power and Mill Company, which established here a lighting system by electricity derived from the power gained by the dam across the river at Peterson. This improvement came to Sutherland in 1913.
The postoffice at Sutherland is of the third class and has three rural free delivery routes extending to the country adjacent. The following have served as postmasters here: E. H. Farnsworth, July, 1884, to February, 1886; H. A. Sage, from February, 1886, to October, 1889: C. E. Achorn. from October, 1889, to June, 1893; George Colcord, from June, 1893, to June, 1897: H. L. Chesley, from 1897 to June, 1906; Mrs. Edna Chesley, June. 1906, to October, 1907: Charles W. Briggs, from October, 1907, to present date.
BUSINESS FACTORS OF 1913.
In the month of November, 1913. the following were engaged in busi- ness at Sutherland :
Auto garages-Lewis Goss, Frank Klema, Marcus Jones.
Banks-State and First Savings.
Barber shops-John Hamann, Thomas Doling.
Blacksmith shops-Oliver Smith, Charles Spencer.
Corn-plow shovel factory -- Charles Burmeister.
Clothing-J. C. Paulsen.
Creamery-Mr. Christensen.
Drugs-Ray Crum. Dentist-Dr. Kenderdine. Dray lines-Powell & Townsend, D. W. Parks. Furniture-A. J. Innis.
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General stores-E. Lampman & Son; W. H. Plager, A. H. Schultz. Farmers Co-Operative Store and E. B. Michael.
Grain dealers- Farmers Co-Operative Company, Metcalf & Cannon.
Hotel-The City, by Mrs. Greene.
Hardware-J. O. Hakeman, Charles Van Etten.
Hack line-J. Coulter.
Harness shop-C. H. Merry.
Implements-R. H. Tinkham, D. S. Shumway, Charles Nott.
Jewelers-Charles Spurlock, W. J. Pickrell.
Livery-L. O. Bidwell.
Lumber dealers-J. H. Queal & Co., A. J. Sieh.
Meat market-A. Mueller.
Millinery-Miss Olds and Miss Strand.
Newspaper-The Courier.
Opera House-Charles Nott.
Physicians-D. T. Kas, B. S. Louthan, E. W. Parker, F. L. Nichols, G. A. Auperle.
Photograph-J. C. Claussen.
Produce-Hanfords Produce Company.
Pool halls-Fred Nott, Will Behmer, Dick Rumper.
Restaurants-H. J. Briggs, Burt Phinney, Andrew Hilbert, Mrs. Butler. Stock dealers-Metcalf & Cannon, Jo. Shaeffer, Otto Peters.
Shoe shop-Henry Goetch.
Well maker-Ed. Clift.
The lodges of the town are the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias ; see chapter on lodges in this volume.
The churches are the Methodist, Christian and Catholic, all mentioned in the church chapter. See account of the N. B. Baker public library, by Mrs. Woods.
Many years ago there was organized here a Good Templars lodge and they were provided with a suitable hall which is still in use. This organiza- tion accomplished much good in and around Sutherland.
COMMENT IN GENERAL ON A PIONEER PHASE.
The writer participated for thirty years in many of the pioneer strenuous incidents, as for instance, the fraudulent debt excitements, the Sanborn raid, the squatter questions, with its contests for possession, and the county-seat
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contests and other items. While on sundry of these excitable occasions they became in effect tumults, and while I knew at times that many had revolvers, it never occurred to me that I needed one, or that I even desired to hurt any person physically. I always treated even those excitements as merely public questions, in which I was but an individual part. I never in my life carried a revolver for a single hour. Even in the midst of the Sanborn raid, in which I took a part, George W. Schee and myself, right there on the ground while it was going on, talked of it and decided that whatever else took place we would hold our temper and not bring on a conflict, though we did partici- pate in cutting harness and pulling the nuts off the wagon wheels, but in the act decided that we would desist if a physical conflict came on. We then and there decided that the merits of the question would solve the proposition. Indeed I don't think, serious though it was, that I ever had as much solid amusement and fun and laughter. so to speak, as I did during the week of the Sanborn raid on the court house, with all its details and jokes and oddities, though we all insisted on the rights of the public and the county as we viewed it. The reader will perhaps pardon the use of the pronoun I by the writer hereof at times, inasmuch as he personally participated in these matters.
CHAPTER XXV.
O'BRIEN COUNTY IN THE HUMOROUS.
The early days produced its stern, quaint and eccentric characters on many lines, who did business, and brought results to pass, and made suc- cesses in O'Brien county.
DR. CLANNING LONGSHORE CURED HIM.
Dr. Clanning Longshore, of Sheldon, was an early, eccentric and able physician. He was called to a gentleman patient, in bed on his back. Whether the eccentric doctor had his doubts or why, but as a remedial opera- tion all but surgical, in his rough and tumble manner he actually got into bed with him, and began to roll him and tumble him, very much a la John Sullivan, with the patient heroically remonstrating and finally yelling that it would break his back, with the doctor all the time vigorously continuing to demonstrate as if at a clinic and retorting that that was what he was trying to do, to break his (adjective) back and limber him up and get him out of that bed forthwith and immediately. The patient was only too glad to get up and run clear out of the house, swearing that it was the (adjective) dose of medicine or surgery he ever took in his life. He literally got him up off a sick bed in real earnest.
JOKES OFTEN ILLUSTRATE FACTS.
We will not to any extent give place to small jokes, but, for spice herein, will give space to some jokes which illustrate some early quaint surroundings and the fears, doings and facts in the county.
"POMP" M'CORMACK'S INDIAN SCARE.
As heretofore remarked, "Pomp" McCormack was an inveterate joker, not merely with individuals, but with the whole community. What was known as the "Primghar Art League." a circle of thirty who for ten years in early days conducted a weekly discussion of current events and questions
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at the homes, held an annual outing picnic on the Waterman. With their friends, on this occasion they numbered seventy, going down in buggy convey- ance for the day. "Pomp" was early in the morning on hand and down on the Waterman, as an advance current event. The crowd even were not appraised of it, only a few. He had been on the stage in early life and knew how to "make up" a character. He dressed up as a veritable Indian and went down all prepared with actual pony, feathers, rifle, blanket and tomahawk, with all the gestures. He also made up similarly several of the boys on hand. They first gave out along the route that a band of Indians were on the Waterman. As the crowd proceeded along the road. "Pomp's" advance boys had started up in curiosity, if not fright, and warned them of the fact. At the point of the picnic on the Waterman. on the homestead of O. A. Sutton, on a high hill where it could be seen for a mile or more, "Pomp" put up several wigwam tents, got his pony and the boys and equipments into action, and held a veritable Indian war dance, with whoops and yells and firing of rifles. The news spread all over Grant and part of Highland as the real thing. The fears handed down from the real and awful Spirit Lake massacre were still fresh in people's minds. It was all humorous, half serious. and a quite practical and harmless joke, and worked with both the picnickers and resident families.
POMP AND JURGEN RENKEN'S GARDEN OF EDEN.
This time it was at Sheldon. "Pomp" made himself up as a genuine Irishman, with long, loose duster that hid his identity of body, with other make-up to match, and appeared at the office of Jurgen Renken as a man with means seeking to buy a good sized farm for his family of "byes." Pomp could imitate the Irish brogue to perfection and keep it up all day. Mr. Renken held large land holdings, and sold for others. Mr. Renken was a veritable uplifter of what he could see in the genuine qualities of the grand soil and future of the country, and became quite famous the county over in spreading the word of "Jurgen Renken's Garden of Eden," as he called the lands he showed up to people and purchasers. "Pomp" was quite anxious to get located and Jurgen was anxious to show up his Eden and make sales and settle up the county. A land trip for miles around Sheldon was arranged, and "Pomp" and Mr. Renken were soon driving over the then broad prairies, and "Pomp" all the time entertaining Mr. Renken in continuous flow of Irish wit. Though Mr. Renken and "Pomp" were well acquainted, he did not take in the situation, so perfectly did Mr. McCormack carry it out. When
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within about four miles of Sheldon on return, "Pomp" accidentally ( ?) lost his handkerchief, dropping it. Mr. Renken, all eager to serve his purchaser. jumped out and back after it. when "Pomp" drove off and into Sheldon, with the treats on the Garden of Eden, and Mr. Renken to walk into Sheldon four miles for his health.
SAME IRISH JOKE IN ANOTHER FORM.
"Pomp" was similarly "made up" and with long duster, again Irish. The town of Primghar had just got its road, and E. W. Shuck with others had just laid out the several additions to the town and each eager to sell town lots and get the town started just after the road arrived. Shuck placed the selling of lots in hands of Tom Ward, then new attorney. "Pomp" appeared at Ward's office to locate his "byes" in the town, and would build and im- prove. Shuck was called in, as a secret matter, not to allow the other agents to get hold of it. Though Tom was daily with "Pomp," he never so much as "hooked on," but bit. with full mouth, the whole joke. "Pomp" had elaborate contracts drawn, with all his objections included. Along in the evening, after sundry consultations and "Pomp" walking both Tom and Shuck all over town looking at properties to sell, "Pomp" arranged to have the jokers of town on hand at the climax of signing up the contracts, which was all carried out, when "Pomp" made himself known in front of Tom's office with the boys all calling for the full treats of Shuck and Tom. "Pomp" had suddenly got mad, kicked the contract out. and raised such rumpus that the boys outside all appeared.
THIS TIME IT WAS TOM AND POMP SET UP THE PINS.
Tom Ward was absent all day trying a law suit at Paullina. "Pomp" first got all the town fellows to decorate Tom's front windows and the lot surrounding on the plan of the Sioux City Corn Palace, only in burlesque. They planted out several rows of the biggest tall, five-foot weeds on each side of the office, and the windows and front corresponding, this for Tom's show- ing upon return. Then, through a party happening to be going to Paullina, "Pomp" communicated to Tom and arranged for Tom to have his leg broke in joke and word to be sent back to Primghar during the afternoon. The word came back soon and created a lot of sympathy. Word came that a team was bringing him across on a stretcher. "Pomp" then arranged to have the court house fellows be ready to carry him up stairs to his room in the hotel.
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It all worked out to exact time and fact. Tom's leg was all fixed up true to the expert surgeon, ready for the show with the boys. They actually car- ried him up stairs by main strength, some dozen assisting. In the meantime "Pomp" had said to the town boys that it would be a mean trick to leave the planted weed decorations at his office, under such affliction. They had all carefully removed same when Tom arrived. To round it up, when the right time came, and after they had all gone through with their great sympathies and carefully handling him to his room, he jumped up and danced all over and down stairs and over the hotel, and all wound up in a hilarious time dur- ing the evening. But "Pomp" could work both sides of such a joke to per- fection, and on good sized 'scale.
"POMP" M'CORMACK ON THE COUNTY CAPITOL LOOK.STORY.
This time the joke was on "Pomp" himself. One Sunday forenoon a bunch of the court house officials set up a job, and induced all hands, including "Pomp," to go up on Mt. Aetna to the top of the capitol building, the "Court House Lookatory." It worked, without "Pomp" hooking on, and all hands landed in the cupola. Keeping "Pomp" engaged in conversation, they one by one slid down the ladder in the attic, and drew the ladder after them, leaving "Pomp" as monarch of all he surveyed. For some reason, he had no means of escape. The court house rats for once in their lives all went to church, but first passing the word all along the line, around the square and at hotels, that "Pomp" was holding Sunday services up on high, but that no one should listen to him nor attend upon his services. He remained there until sometime in the afternoon. It was one time that he thought justice was called for.
DIG TILL I COME BACK.
It was Col. Osmond M. Barrett, an attorney at Sheldon and for eight years state senator of this district, who loved a game of chess. He hired an Irishman to dig and prepare a hot bed in the spring. He started the man at work by platting off the size desired, and told him to dig away until he re- turned and went down town. He was soon engaged in a game of chess. He did not return until nearly night. As he approached his home he could see some spadefuls of dirt coming up over a great pile. The man had proved faithful. He had dug a great hole some ten or twelve feet deep. He had dug until he came back. It took another day to fill it up.
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WOLF SCALP JOKE.
J. L. E. Peck was county auditor, whose duty it was to issue the bounties on prairie wolf scalps. George Ginger, of Grant, brought in six young wolves in a sack, alive. The auditor took him out by the side of the court house and between them they killed the wolves. They returned to the auditor's office, and prepared an affidavit for Mr. Ginger to sign to the effect that they were and had been killed. Mr. Ginger was somewhat of a wag. He remarked: "What a damn fool that Peck is to go out himself and see and help kill those wolves and then make me sign an affidavit and swear to it, that they were dead."
FOR WANT OF PREJUDICE.
It was a justice of the peace case that was called and ready for trial before his honor, Justice W. H. Hammond, of Grant township, in an early day. The attorney for the defendant decided to take a change of venue. He made out the affidavit for same, making it read that he asked a change of venue "For want of prejudice."
HIS NAME WAS JIM.
It often happens in the curious and wandering individuals who roam over the country, and who become a nuisance, that they must be restrained and sent to the hospital for the insane, and charged up to the county until it is ascertained where they belong. It also happens that many of these people are cute enough to refuse to give their names or homes. One of these individuals some years ago was before the three commissioners of insanity for the county. They were attempting to ascertain his home in order to get the cost of his care on to some other county. No persuasion could induce him to tell. Question : "Where do you live?" Answer: "In the United States." "What is your name?" "Jim." "What is the rest of your name?" "Well, when they got to Jim they quit." He was sent simply as "Jim."
A BUNDLE OF RAGS.
The commission for insanity in 1912 had one very queer specimen of humanity to deal with. He was not simply ragged. That did not express it. He was simply one mass of strips and rags sewed one on top of the other.
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He had newspapers packed in and around him and between the strips to keep warm, or rather to keep from freezing, for it was winter. The commission stripped from him every vestige of the one-time clothing. He had been sleep- ing in hay stacks, barns, school houses and other like places. He had fright- ened sundry school teachers. When people would notice him. he would run on his hands and knees through the corn fields. His clothes were carefully examined. On his person, in rags upon rags tightly he had thus sewed up two hundred and fifty dollars in bills, many of which he said himself he had had since 1880. They were sent to Washington for redemption. The bills were about ready to fall to pieces from dry rot. He also had one hundred and thirty dollars sewed up likewise in gold, all tarnished from long years of carrying around. He would give no name nor place of residence. He was sent as "John Doe." He said, on questions being asked, that he had seen better days. He was well educated. He was well posted on business mat- ters. He may have been a college professor or banker. He evidently had family connections he would not divulge. His money was returned when released from Cherokee.
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