USA > Iowa > Shelby County > Past and present of Shelby County, Iowa, Vol. 2 > Part 21
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Of the voters at this time in the county there were born in the United States, 821 ; British America. 35 : England and Wales, 59; Ireland, 30; Scot- land, 14; Germany, 50: Austria, including Hungary and Bohemia, 7; Nor- way, 2; Sweden. none; Denmark, 21; France, none; all other countries, 19. Number of foreigners not naturalized, 209.
At this time there were in the county over sixteen years of age unable to read, only 17 persons. In 1874 there Were 243 births and 93 deaths in the county as shown by the census of 1875.
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SHIELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS, 1875.
Number of acres improved land. 53, 180: rods of fence, 138,437: acres in cultivation. 47.230; spring wheat, 22.029 acres; number of bushels spring wheat. 317.944: there was no winter wheat: 17,674 acres of corn, 689.556 bushels; rye, 17 acres, 280 bushels: 2,254 acres of oats, 71,676 bushels : 667 acres barley, 15,078 bushels ; 9 acres buckwheat. 89 bushels ; 40 acres of sorghum. 3.068 gallons : 91 acres tame grass, 309 tons hay ; 16,276 tons wild hay ; 39 bushels grass seed : no clover seed ; 204 acres Hun- garian grass, 451 tons of hay; 332 acres of potatoes, 24,203 bushels: 238 acres sweet potatoes. 240 bushels : 314 acres onions, 643 bushels : 5,632 acres natural timber : 343 acres planted timber : 10.238 rods of hedge : 993 apple trees in bearing : 953 bushels in 1874: I pear tree; 2 peach trees in 1874: 228 cherry trees, 22 bushels in 1874: 22.652 fruit trees not in bearing ; 2,432 pounds of grapes gathered : 3,529 horses of all ages; 60 sold for export in 1874: 192 mules, 4 sold for export: 3.176 milk cows: 2.305 pounds butter made in 1874; 1,590 pounds cheese manufactured : number of cattle, not in- cluding work oxen. 7, 137: number of cattle slaughtered and sold for slaughter, 1,221; number of thoroughbred Shorthorns, 17: number of hogs, 14,456; number of hogs slaughtered or sold for slaughter. 7.984; 828 sheep; 3.530 pounds wool : 39 head killed by dogs; 1, 121 dogs; 96 stands of bees: 2.620 pounds honey and beeswax ; value of products of farm, $573,046.
COMPARATIVE POPULATION OF SHELBY COUNTY.
Years.
Population.
Per Cent. of Increase
1854
326
1856
456
39.
1859
784
72.
1860
818
4.33
1865
1,900
132.3
1870
2,540
33-7
1875
5.664
123.15
1880
12,696
124.15
1885
16.306
28.43
1890
17,611
8.
1895
17,798
1.06
1900
17.932
.75
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CHAPTER XXXIII.
STORIES AND INCIDENTS.
FIRST SESSION OF DISTRICT COURT AND GRAND JURY.
The Andreas' Historical Atlas of Iowa, published in 1875, has this story of the first session of the district court of Shelby county, held at Galland's Grove :
"Judge Samuel II. Riddle, held the first session of the district court for the three counties in the grocery of Solomon Hancock at Galland's Grove. The Judge charged the grand jury and then sent them into a smoke house to deliberate, and while they were absent it is reported that the lawyers joined the judge in a social game of cards 'for the drinks.' In the meantime the grand jury issued subpoenas for witnesses as to the selling of intoxicating liquors by Solomon Hancock. One witness testified that he drank something in Solomon's grocery, but did not know whether it was really liquor or not; it did not intoxicate him, but made him 'afful sick.' He said water had some- times served him the same way. 'That will do,' said the foreman, 'pass around the jug.' A two-gallon jug was immediately produced from a corner of the smoke house. After it had been passed around the grand jury returned to the grocery, reported that there was nothing before them, and they were thereupon discharged. At this first session of the district court, the following attorneys were present: H. P. Bennett. of Glenwood; L. M. Cline, A. C. Ford and David Price, of Council Bluffs."
A BIBULOUS COUNTY OFFICER.
Andreas' Historical Atlas of 1875 also tells the following story of an early sheriff of the county :
It so happened that the education of the sheriff had been sadly neglected. .and moreover he was in the habit of visiting Solomon Hancock's grocery too often to maintain the reputation of a strict temperance man. Sometime before the first court convened. he. as a county official. received a copy of the code of 1851. He could not read it, but had the good fortune of being the husband
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SHELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
of a wife who could. When he would return home under the influence of Solomon Hancock's whiskey, she would read to him that section which makes habitual drunkenness a sufficient cause for divorce. His attention was so frequently called to this provision of the code. that it became monotonous to him, and having the impression that Judge Riddle had sent the volume, when he came around to hold the court. the 'high sheriff' seized the statute and car- ried it back to the judge and, throwing the book down before him, he ex- claimed. "There, now ; don't you dare send any more such nonsense to my house."
A FARM IN THE WOODS.
The earliest pioneers of Shelby county, like the earliest pioneers every- where, sotight a dwelling place in the woods. for there they could have shelter, fuel and material for their primitive log cabins. It is also true, no doubt. that many of them had been accustomed for generations to live in a timber country and were more at home there. A story is told of William Henderson. a pioneer in the northeastern part of Pottawattamie county, who in the midst of a most beautiful prairie. nevertheless started to clear off a farm on a small tract of timber, in regular Hoosier style. Being asked why, when surrounded by such beautiful prairies, he was felling trees and removing stumps for the purpose of having a farm, he said : "I have always been accustomed to live in a timber country, and by the grace of God. I intend to die in the midst of timber."
THIRSTY OXEN.
One of the experiences of pioneer travelers in Shelby county is related by W. D. Fritz, a son of John Fritz, who came to Shelby county in 1859. Mr. Fritz and his two boys were driving a team of oxen on one of the ridges of Shelby county on a very hot day, during which it was impossible to secure water for the oxen to drink. Mr. Fritz was hauling a load of wheat in sacks. When the two yokes of oxen reached the Botna river, they, in spite of all that Mr. Fritz could do, plunged into the stream, Mr. Fritz and the boys jumping to save themselves. The oxen upset the wheat in the river. Mr. Fritz was obliged to wade in and get out his wheat and dry it before he could return.
PRIMITIVE COMMERCE.
About 1863 Jacob Tague, and his brother Ephraim Tague and his wife, picked in the vicinity of Bowman's Grove and along the 'Botna river there a
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SHELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
fine load of wild plums, which they hanled to Council Bluffs, where they. to- gether with their team and wagon, were carried across to Omaha on the ferry . boat then operating on the Missouri river. Arriving in Omaha, they ascer- tained that another well-known pioneer of Shelby county from another part of the county had been ahead of them with a load of plums, but that soon after arriving in Omaha had become intoxicated, so much so that he had torn the end-gate out of his wagon letting the plums run all over the street. The Tagues, however, sold out their entire load of plums for two dollars per bushel.
GALLANTRY OF 1875.
"A novel scene was witnessed by some of our people last Monday morn- ing. A young lady made the remark on Saturday that if it grew much colder. she did not know how she would get to her school. about a mile distant. A young gentleman who was present jocosely replied that he would take her on a hand sled. The young lady then said that she would hold him to his agree- ment and the one to first back out should forfeit the oysters. To this the young man assented, and agreed to draw her over the mile and one-quarter in thirty minutes without stopping, causing her to alight, or otherwise annoying her. Monday morning found him promptly on hand with his little sled, and the school ma'am seated herself, and off they started, at eight-thirty, and at nine o'clock he had performed his task."
A PLAIN POLITICAL LETTER OF THE PIONEERS.
One of the pioneer county officers, referring to some matter of local poli- tics, wrote a political friend as follows: "Tell H -- to keep cool. There is a hen on. Sapp will attend to this as soon as he gets through to Washing- ton, so he promised me last Monday night. You bet if I get a chance at any of those devils I give them the best I have. looks like a sheep- killing dog. he could not look at me last Monday as I passed through Shelby." (The writer of this letter wrote a post-script as follows: "Don't leave this in sight.")
A NOMINATING SPEECH.
A story told in Shelby county for many years, which never grows less in the telling is this: In one of the early Democratic county conventions, a delegate from the west part of the county in the following words, spoken in a voice that rattled the rafters, nominated a well-known citizen for his third
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SHELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
term as county superintendent of schools: "Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of this convention, I rise to place in nomination for county superintendent a man known to all of you. -, who has in the past performed the
duties of his office with partiality, fidelity, ability and courage, unmoved by friend, undaunted by foe, and regardless of qualifications or anything else."
STORY OF A STORM.
William Wooster, of Jefferson township, recalls vividly an experience of his father and himself during the winter of ISSo. On a particularly fine morning the father, John Wooster, remarked to his son, "Well this is a nice day; I'll go to town with you." The son sacked up the wheat and placed it in the wagon box-set on a sled, the runners of which had been made of a long plank cut in two and shaped up. About noon clouds suddenly gathered and it began to snow and grew very cold. The Woosters, therefore, hurriedly transacted their business in Harlan and about half past one started as rapidly as possible for home. Mr. Errett was then living on or near the place on which J. W. French afterwards resided, and offered to take the travelers in, but told them that he could not take their horses for lack of room. The Woosters, therefore, continued their journey with the snow driving thickly from the northeast. They were seated between two blankets without any hay in the sled, for the horses had eaten all of the hay at noon while they were in town. The snow became so thick that the son could not see a team ahead. He whipped up a little. Later the team suddenly slowed up and he dis- covered that he was beside another team hauling a load of wood. By this time the elder Wooster was becoming very cold and said that they had better stop at George Eokar's, then residing northwest of Kirkman. They stopped, but found both house and barn full, therefore struck for Irwin, hoping to stop at the blacksmith shop and have the horses taken in. Arriving there, the elder Wooster looked into the shop and found it already full of horses so that the travelers continued their journey. Finally reaching the vicinity of No. S school, in Jefferson township, they saw the tracks of school children and knew that it was shortly after four o'clock. They were able to follow the road.by means of the thick crusts of snow where the track lay. About this time they became uncertain as to where they were. The son thought surely they were south of their home. The father happened to turn around and wanted to know what those weeds were doing there. A clump of weeds in mowing the prairie grass had been left. They then discovered from the
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SHELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
location of these weeds that they were thirty rods out of and west of the track. They then swung around and finally reached their home, which then con- sisted of a dug-out. During the night the drifts became piled perfectly level with the top of the dug-out and they were obliged to shovel their way out in the morning. it being the custom to take the shovel into the dug-out during the winter when snows were likely to fall.
LOST ON THE PRAIRIE.
Men were frequently lost on the prairies of the county in an early day when there were few roads, irregularly laid out, few fences, and no farm houses, planted timber, or other landmarks by which one might get his bear- ings. In those days the hollows and hills, covered with prairie grass, had as little variation or distinctive appearance as the undulations of the sea. The author is indebted to Adam Schmitz, of Westphalia, for the facts of the following story :
In 1873 a well-known German of Westphalia township went some miles from home over the trackless prairie to secure some willow poles which he might use in making a roof for his stable. During the afternoon and evening clouds came up rapidly and when this man started for home he became lost. During the early part of the night he wandered over hill and up ravine and across all of the ereeks in the neighborhood. and at about midnight arrived in the vicinity of a farm in the township, then owned by T. D. Pratt, several miles from the home of the wanderer. He was for- tunate enough to hear dogs barking, and finally found a fence, which he followed, at last reaching the premises of Mr. Pratt. The door of the Pratt house was opened and the lost man asked if anyone there could talk German. It happened that Mr. Pratt's wife could speak German, thereby enabling the man in search of his own home to explain his plight. Mr. Pratt took the man in that night and brought him home next morning. He found that his friends were much alarmed over his absence and were out making a search for hin.
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DIDN'T EXPECT PAY.
John B. Shorett, formerly county superintendent of schools in Shelby county, tells this story of pioneer days in Washington township :
"To show the spirit of the times I remember of hearing Samuel Car- roll, father of Frank Carroll, tell a story on my father. He said he came into Washington township and had no money and that he came down to
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611
SHELBY COUNTY, IOW.A.
my father's place to get a load of corn. He told father that he wanted some corn, but he did not have any money to pay for it, but when he got the money he would make the payment. Father told him to go to the crib and get the corn. Some time thereafter Carroll paid my father and remarked that there must have been something about him to make father believe he was honest and he would certinly get the pay or he would not have let him (a stranger ) have the corn, and father replied, 'Oh! that was not the reason. I never expected to get the pay for it.' As you know, in those times people were more liberal than they are at this time. and every man, in order to play hiis part, was expected to be liberal with those around him. They did not have very much, but what they did have they shared to a great extent with their neighbors."
MAKE MORE MINTS.
During the strenuous "Free Silver" campaign in Shelby county, when Republican speakers, from Leslie M. Shaw down, were trying hard to counteract the plausible propositions advanced by "Coin's Financial School." and were campaigning in almost every school district in the county, one of the Harlan Republican speakers had a crushing experience in the vicinity of Corley. He was telling his hearers, in a burst of eloquence, that we had but a few mints and the great void that silver must fill after driving out gold would swamp them. And. waving his arms. he declared. "What would we do? What would we do?" He then waited for a reply. A little rascal, about as big as a pint of soap, sitting on the front seat, held up his hand and said, "Say, mister, we'd make more mints."
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CHAPTER XXXIV.
SOME YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE COUNTY WHO HAVE ACHIEVED DISTINCTION.
John B. Shorett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Shorett, pioneers of Wash- ington township. Two terms, county superintendent of schools of Shelby county. Introduced the idea of township school picnics and rural school graduating exercises. Established many school libraries. Favored consolida- tion of country schools. Famous debater for the State University of Iowa, which he represented in several winning contests against neighboring state universities. Now a practicing lawyer of Seattle, Washington, where he has especially distinguished himself in waterway and harbor law, in which he has been engaged in litigation involving many hundreds of thousands of dollars. Was Democratie candidate for the nomination for Congress from his district at the last primary in Washington.
J. W. Shorett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Shorett, above named. Studied at the Woodbine Normal School and the State University of Iowa. Practiced law at Everett, Washington, and now in partnership with his brother. John B., at Seattle, Washington. Was a delegate to the last Demo- cratic National convention from Washington.
Shelby county teachers have been elected to and have filled with credit to themselves some of the best positions in the country. For instance, Miss Elizabeth Wyland, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Wyland, a graduate of Grinnell College, is an instructor in the East Des Moines high school; her sister, Miss Mary J. Wyland, also a Grinnell graduate. has been principal of the Harlan high school and of the high school at Aberdeen, South Dakota, and besides she has made herself one of the experts of the country on the problems of school and city playgrounds, lecturing extensively on these sub- jects and teaching in teachers' institutes ; Miss Mignonette Cook, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. E. L. Cook, taught for several years in the city schools of Sioux City and of Omaha; Miss Winifred Cockerell has taught in the city schools of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and is now teaching in the city schools of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Miss Tina Anthony, one of the veteran teachers of Shelby county, in addition to having taught a number of years in the city schools of Harlan, taught for some time in the city schools of Red Oak. Iowa; Miss Luln Pickard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. H. Pickard, taught
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SHELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
in the city schools of Boone, Iowa; Miss Lydia Keep for some years has taught in the city schools of Marshalltown, Iowa; Miss Mabel C. Smith, daughter of Hon. and Mrs. T. H. Smith, a graduate of the State University of Iowa, was teacher of Latin in the high schools of Lisbon, North Dakota, North Yakima, Washington, Wenatchee. Washington, and Mckinney, Texas. Her sister. Miss Orpha Smith, a graduate of Northwestern University, taught in the high school of Bismarck, North Dakota; Rufus A. Obrecht, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Obrecht, pioneers of Center township, became a noted expert on the subject of horses, and for some years was a professor in the University of Illinois, and in Purdue University. Miss Frances Car- roll, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Carroll, a graduate of the State Uni- versity of Iowa, held some excellent positions in the best high schools of California. Arthur Nelson taught for several years in the Philippines. Miss Lulu Lewis and Miss Bessie Brown taught in Indian schools, as also did Miss Katie Baker. Miss Lewis taught in the famous government school at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and Miss Brown taught among the Navajoes of the Southwest. Allan Shepherd, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Shepherd, while yet an undergraduate, was honored with a position in the department of English in the State University of Iowa. He, together with Miss Frances Carroll and Miss Hazel Toof, all students of the State University of Iowa, were elected to the honorary scholarship society of Phi Beta Kappa, an organ- ization devoted to literary culture and high scholarship, established before the Revolution in America, and to which many of the most famous men and wonien of America have belonged. The foregoing list is far from being complete, but it is sufficient to serve as encouragement to the young men and the young women of the county desirous of making the best of their talents.
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Geo W Cullisou
BIOGRAPHICAL
GEORGE W. CULLISON.
George W. Cullison, of Harlan, Iowa, was born in Henry county, Iowa, on a farm near New London, October 6, 1848. His father, Elisha Cullison, came to the territory of Iowa in the spring of 1842 from Rush county, Indi- ana. Elisha Cullison was born in Harrison county, Kentucky, January 24, 1808. When he was a young man, he went from there to Indiana and mar- ried Matilda MeCabe, of Rush county, in 1839. The mother, Mrs. Matilda (MeCabe) Cullison, was born in Ireland, June 15, 1818, and was brought to America when an infant.
On coming to Iowa. Elisha Cullison and wife settled on a farm of unim- proved land where George W. Cullison was born. In 1858 the family moved to Missouri and settled on a farm near the village of Paulville, on the eastern edge of Adair county. That part of Missouri does not have the rich soil of western lowa, but it is a most beautiful country. The gently rolling prairies are from four to eight miles wide, sloping off to the southeast : belted on both sides by most beautiful woodland in the midst of which may often be found a perpetually running stream, fringed to the water's edge with sand and gravel. The little village of Paulville was located upon the prairie just at the eastern fringe of one of the timber belts. It was a nice, clean little village of perhaps two hundred souls. Adjoining this village on the east. Elisha Cullison bought a farm and made his future home. In less than two years of peaceful life at his new home, the furies of war broke forth. The people of that locality were nearly evenly divided on the question involved and soon divided into hostile camps, one rebel, the other Union. Bitterness and hate took the place of friendship and love, and peace fled from the little community.
Elisha Cullison was a courageous and determined man. He was born in the mountains of Kentucky, tall. straight, angular and active. He re- mained loyal to the Union and soon became a leader in organizing and help- ing to organize the Union forces in that part of the state. He thereby in-
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SHELBY COUNTY, IOWA.
curred the bitter enmity of the rebels and he and his family suffered many depredations at their hands. They were robbed twice during the war of all their cattle, horses, wagons, harness, flour, feed, grain and hay. The father was hunted and pursued by squads of rebels and rebel sympathizers. They never caught him. On one occasion, they chased him for nearly nine miles, but he eluded them and made his way to the Union lines. He was in the beginning of the war what was known as a "lookout" and would find out the rebel camps, their forces, and their movements generally and convey the information to the Union forces.
If he did not convey the information in person, he usually sent it by his son George W., who was then a lad thirteen or fourteen years of age. The elder son, William, had previously enlisted in the Fourteenth Regiment Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry. The son, George W., was sent many times on such errands. At one time, he was sent from Paulville to Macon, Missouri, a distance of forty miles. He left home at dusk and delivered his message the next morning. At another time he was sent to Lancaster, Missouri, a distance of thirty miles. He left home in the afternoon and reached his destination about midnight, aroused the Union officer and delivered his mes- sage. At still another time, the rebel general, Porter, had passed through Paulville and just as the dawn began to appear his father sent the lad with a dispatch to Edina, Missouri, a distance of twelve miles. The territory through which he passed was full of rebel scouts. His father delivered him the dispatch folded into a very small piece of paper and instructed him that if he were halted by rebels to swallow the dispatch ; he was told to follow the road over which the rebels passed for about three miles and if at that point the trail showed the rebels had gone south, he was to take the east road for Edina : but if the trail showed the rebels went cast, to return home quickly. This was the only time the lad felt fear. To use his own language in describ- ing his feelings, he said. "I never felt afraid to do what father told me to do but once. In fact, the danger in doing such things never occurred to me till I was sent to Edina. I knew the situation better then. Father had been watching. from his hiding place, the rebel army pass during the latter part of the night. I suppose he knew something unusual was on. He aroused me before daylight, told me what had happened and said he wanted me to take a dispatch to Edina. He said the country was full of rebels and they might be headed for Edina and asked me if I was afraid to go. I said no. He directed me to get a horse and go at once. When I was ready to mount, he handed me the little folded paper, gave me directions as to how to go and said, 'If the rebels halt you, swallow the paper.' That made me feel inighty
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SHELBY COUNTY, JOWA.
chilly. I think I shook but said nothing. I intended to rely on my horse. He was fleet and always willing and I knew every cow path on the way. As I rode away, father said, 'Go quickly and be brave.'
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