USA > Iowa > Poweshiek County > The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, &c.,. > Part 48
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In 1858, this county, in common with a large majority of the counties of the State, engaged in the speculation of railroad building, without fully counting the cost. The old railroad corporation known as the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company proposed to build a road across the county, on condition that the county would issue to it, in bonds, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. This, or a similar proposition, was accepted by a vote of the county, and the bonds were issued. It was afterward
412
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
claimed that the railroad which was afterward built, and is now known as the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, did not fill the conditions of the proposition, and the county, through its Board of Supervisors, refused to pay the bonds. This refusal resulted in much litigation, and the Super- visors, refusing to comply with certain orders of the Federal Court, were summoned to Des Moines, to answer for contempt. After much litigation and additional expense, the county officials made the proper provisions for the payment of the bonds, and this debt, which has been the source of so much excitement, is now being gradually extinguished. In order that the reader may fully understand the condition on which the bonds were voted, we give a copy of the proclamation issued by the County Judge, Alanson Jones:
" Now, to wit, on the third day of March, 1858, S. F. Cooper and Reu- ben Sears filed, in this office, a petition signed by one-fourth or more of the legal voters of the county, asking that a proposition be submitted to the people of the county, for the purpose of determining whether the county, in its corporate capacity, will subscribe to the capital stock of the Missis- sippi and Missouri Railroad Company the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. Thereupon, it is ordered by the court that a proclamation be is- sued, authorizing the legal voters of the county, at the April election, to be holden in the county, on the first Monday in April, 1858, at the several places for holding elections in the county, to vote on the following propo- sitions, to wit: Whether the County Judge, for and in behalf of said county, be authorized and directed to subscribe one hundred thousand dol- lars to the capital stock of said railroad company, to and in constructing their road through the county of Poweshiek, Iowa, and whether, for the purpose of paying for said stock, the county will issue its bonds, payable in twenty years from the date of their issue, bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum; and whether, for the purpose of paying the inter- est that shall accrue on said bonds, the county Judge shall levy annually a tax on all the taxable property, not to exceed one per cent. Provided, that no part of the said one hundred thousand dollars shall be expended without the county of Poweshiek; and provided, that the said railroad company shall receive said bonds in full for payment of said stock in said road to the amount of one hundred thousand drllars; and provided, the County Judge shall issue said bonds in manner following: Fifty thousand dollars of bonds when said company shall have expended fifty thousand dollars in said county, and the remainder when said company shall have completed said road, and put the same in operation to a point at least within ten miles in the limits of said county; and provided, still further, that said company
413
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
shall complete, furnish, aud put in operation said road to a point ten miles within the county within eighteen months from the fifth day of April, 1858, and that the first fifty thousand dollars of bonds shall not be issued until satisfactory assurance be given by said company that the said road shall be completed, and put in operation; and provided, further, that said railroad company shall pay to the county, in par stock of said company, whatever interest said county may be compelled to pay upon said bonds until said road shall be completed, and put in operation to Des Moines City; and provided, further, that said company shall issue to said county certificates of stock in said road at the same time that the county shall issue its bonds to said company, and for an equal amount; that is, one hundred thousand dollars of bonds. It being understood that the above conditions and provisions are to be strictly complied with, on the part of the railroad company, the time above mentioned, to wit: eighteen months, being considered an essential element in said provisions. It is also further ordered that the manner of voting at said election shall be by ballot. Those wishing to vote for said propositions shall have written or printed on their ballots, 'For railroad stock and tax'; and those wishing to vote against said propositions shall have written or printed on their ballots, ' Against railroad stock and tax.'
" ALANSON JONES, "County Judge."
The vote on these propositions stood as follows:
For stock and tax 616
Against stock and tax .286
On the fifteenth day of June, 1858, the directors of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company accepted the vote of the county, and filed a copy of the resolution of acceptance in the office of the County Judge.
A proclamation was issued by the County Judge, on the twenty-fifth day of May, 1868, providing for an election to be held, on the fourth Mon- day in June, to vote on a proposition to amend the conditions upon which the bonds should be issued, to wit: whether the County Judge should be directed to add to the proposition taking stock in the Mississippi and Mis- souri Railroad a provision as follows: "Provided, however, that said stock shall in no case be subscribed unless said company shall locate their road within one mile of the town of Montezuma."
The proposition to amend was carried, the vote being as follows:
For amendment 544
Against amendment .502
414
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
On the twentieth day of October, 1858, J. B. Grinnell and John M. Talbott filed, with the County Judge, a petition, asking that a proposition similar to the first one be submitted to the voters of the county. This proposition had no provision in it relative to the location of the line within one mile of Montezuma. The election was held on the nineteenth day of November, and a majority of the votes cast was in favor of the proposition; the vote was as follows:
For the proposition. 621
Against the proposition . 451
As our readers are aware, the road was built across the county, and the bonds were issued. After the completion of the road and the maturity of the bonds, the county defaulted in the payment of interest aud principal, and suit was commenced in the Federal Courts against the county by the holders of the bonds. The suits were, of course, decided against the county, and provision was made for the payment of them. There yet remains quite a sum to be paid, and it will be a number of years before the debt is entirely canceled.
Having made these brief allusions to the county finances in times past, we come to speak of the finances of more recent times. We first give the county valuation, rate of levy and amount of tax for the past four years:
1876.
Valuation
$6,274,337.00
Levy
12 mills.
Amount of tax
147,376.76
1877.
Valuation
$5,021,695.00
Levy.
11 mills.
Amount of tax
118,168.99
1878.
Valuation
$5,358,385.00
Levy
10 mills.
Amount of tax
109,828.52
1879
$5,261,259.00
Valuation.
8 mills.
Levy
Amount of tax 96,189.91
415
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
It will be seen that during the past four years there has been a decrease in the amount of tax levied, amounting to $51,133.05, being a decrease of about 35 per cent on the levy of 1876.
'T'he amount of taxes levied for the year 1879, for the various funds, was as follows.
State
$10,522.32
Special State railroad
619.46
County
15,783.59
County school
5,261.33
Bridge.
5,261.33
Railroad
5,261.33
Teachers' fund
29,794.76
School-house
3,568.54
School, contingent
9,375.95
Road
4,321.17
Municipal
4,872.41
Special.
165.58
County poll
2,001.50
Total
$96,809.27
In this total amount is included the special railroad tax, which the rail- roads pay for defraying the expenses of the Railroad Commissioners. This tax was $619.46, which, deducted from the sum of $96,809.27, leaves $96,- 189.91.
For the sake of comparison, we hereby give the tax levy in the counties of Washington, Keokuk and Warren for the year 1879. These counties are introduced because they have about the same population and the valua- tion is about the same:
WASHINGTON.
State
$ 10,611.82
County
23,453.15
School
5,305.91
Bridge
10,611.82
Poor house
5,305.91
Insane
2,652.96
District school
29,425.22
City
2,497.42
Railroad aid
29,780.62
Township
16.10
416
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
Township cemetery
375.64
Special State, railroad 330.82
Road
1,976.75
Washington City road
968.18
Total
$123,312.32
KEOKUK.
Total valuation $4,999,537.00
State
$ 9,997.07
County
14,995.61
School
4,998.54
Bridge
4,998.54
Insane
4,998.54
Poor farm
4,994.54
County bond
4,994.54
Poll
2,361.00
Road
1,473.15
District
31,155.34
Railroad
55,307.58
City
1,032.60
Total.
$141,315.04
WARREN.
Total valuation.
$4,905,937.00
County
$ 19,607.03
State
9,803.50
School.
4,901.75 .
Bridge
7,352.59
Poor farm
2,450.55
Bond
2,450.85
2,450.85
Insane Poll
2,158.00
Road
4,915.88
District
18,185.16
School-house
5,708.12
Contingent
8,567.46
City .
2,118.99
Total
$ 90,733.03
?
417
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
The following was the valuation and levy for the various towns and townships in the county in 1879:
TOWNSHIPS.
VALUATION.
TAX.
Jefferson
$237,732.00
$ 4,635.05
Madison
233,137.00
3,837.45
Sheridan
234,820.00
3,880.57
Chester
308,534.00
5,123.32
Grinnell township
370,815,00
5,127.63
Grinnell, city
420,371.00
14,234.62
Malcom township
323,872.00
5,423.64
Malcom, city
97,853.00
2,252.54
Bear Creek
327,435.00
6,272.39
Brooklyn.
134.920.00
5,065.22
Warren
328,522.00
5,659.75
Victor
7,225.00
246.49
Lincoln
229,084.00
3,474.42
Scott
210,538.00
2,931.59
Pleasant
282,318.00
4,310.57
Washington
212,217.00
3,560.11
Searsboro, town
24,825.00
821.25
Sugar Creek
258,099.00
4,300.12
Union
171,780.00
3,273.18
Montezuma
146,042.00
1,303.53
Jackson
368,336.00
6,336.07
Deep River
272,784.00
4,120.30
Total
$5,261,259.00
$96,189.81
The county expenses are these in which the people most generally interest themselves, and in this direction do they most usually attempt re- trenchment. They insist upon the privilege of voting one another's prop- erty away for the purpose of building railroads for the enhance ment of the value of their own property; taxes are paid willingly for the erection of bridges and other public structures; the schools which after all are the most important and as a rule most economically managed, are cheerfully and liberally maintained; but the management of courts and county offices, which are sought after by so many aspirants, is closely scrutinized and the complaint of mismanagement and extravagance is often made, and the cry of retrenchment raised for the purpose of making political capital and to further the schemes of certain ambitious men who are desirous to fill the places. We give a statement of the county expenses for the year 1879, and also the county expenses in the three counties of Boone, Warren and Keokuk, in order that the people may, by comparing the items, be able to
418
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
judge whether or not their county officials are economical in the adminis- tration of affairs:
POWESHIEK.
Auditor's office
$ 1,800.00
Treasurer's office
2,280.00
Attorney
100.00
Sheriff ..
150.00
Superintendent of Schools.
609.20
Members of Board Supervisors
330.48
Township assessors
1,535.00
Election officers
386.20
Township clerks and trustees
855.60
Criminal prosecutions
3,953.55
District Attorney .
307.72
Court Reporter, District
88.00
Court Reporter, Circuit
39.00
Sheriff's bailiff
212.50
Jail expenses
690.51
Insane.
151.95
Poor Farm
1,059.31
Poor, outside poor-house
1,892.56
Roads.
35.55
Petit Jurors
1,251.97
Grand Jurors
366.60
Wolf scalps.
19 00
Books and stationery
894.01
Injuries from bridge
140.00
Printing
1,253.09
Insurance
190.00
Fuel
205.44
Printing bonds
42.00
Expense exchanging bonds
247.50
Timber for poor-farm
100.00
Wagon “
75.00
Difference on transfer
115.00
Redemption of land.
120.00
Asylum for feeble-minded
23.10
Change of venue case
186.00
Military company
39.00
Repairs
216.55
419
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
Furniture
82.96
Cleaning court-house
29.05
Assessing Chester township, 1878
32.00
Carpet, court-room
11.95
Postage.
195.81
Total
$22,313.26
BOONE COUNTY.
Treasurer
$ 1,625.00
Auditor.
1,950.00
Deputy Treasurer
845.00
Deputy Clerk
1,341.67
Sup't Schools
771.00
Clerk
106.25
Deputy Collector
110.78
Watchman.
54.00
Mine Inspector
54.00
Coroner
53.30
Steward poor-farm
162.50
Sheriff and Bailiff
1,751.44
Physicians
254.00
Jail expenses
576.00
Supervisors
907.00
Agricultural Society
150.00
Judgments
326.45
Attorneys.
711.00
Township officers
3,819.84
Poor ...
1,779.93
Poor-farm
1,159.96
Roads
82.50
Bridges
2,479.79
Bridge over Des Moines
14,855.50
Redemption 310.63
Change of venue case
1,180.55
Jurors.
2,969.40
Witnesses, State cases
1,275.50
Grand Jury cases 310.75
Fuel, lights and repairs
234.18
Insane.
200.25
Treasurer's certificate.
470.93
420
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
Printing and blank books 2,567.44
Wolf scalps.
62.00
Court Reporters
541.00
Total
$46,051.28
WARREN COUNTY.
Courts
$12,390.34
Grand Jury.
876.25
Township officers
1,419.55
Supervisor and county officers
7,508.68
Collecting taxes.
50.90
Roads.
23.50
Certificate of balance
5,219.76
Assessors
991.00
Fuel
315.29
Merchandise
181.29
Jail expenses
644.55
Books and printing
3,036.97
Janitor.
520.00
Miscellaneous
2,541.34
County fund
14,044.76
Bridge fund
5,580.10
Poor-farm fund
1,784.03
Insane fund
357.55
Total
. $41,158.10
KEOKUK COUNTY.
Courts.
$ 2,390.34
Supervisors .
765.86
Sup't schools
980.27
County officers
2,999.15
Township officers
2,235.66
Roads and bridges
6,270.86
Fuel light and repairs
873.44
Books and stationery
1,197.20
Sheriff's bailiffs.
797.29
Jail expenses
754.45
Deaf, dumb and insane
1,705.24
Justices and constables .
716.53
421
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
Witnesses in justice's courts
755.25
Election 579.75
Poor-house
2,709.83
Insane building 2,864.20
Poor outside poor-house
1,800.11
Printing
1,463.58
Miscellaneous
204.15
Total.
$32,063.16
The following statistics will be interesting to the reader:
Valuation of the personal property of the county by towns and townships, for 1880:
Jefferson
$ 49,855.00
Madison .
54.991.00
Sheridan
47,378.00
Chester
61,712.00
Grinnell
71,843.00
Malcom
53,284.00
Bear Creek 61,404.00
Warren
65,823.00
Lincoln
58,227.00
Scott
43,730.00
Pleasant
62,032.00
Washington .
60,829.00
Sugar Creek.
45,378.00
Union
32,896.00
Jackson
67,057.00
Deep River
71,569.00
Grinnell City
200,848.00
Malcom City
42,662.00
Brooklyn
63,102.00
Victor
965.00
Searsboro
7,138.00
Montezuma
77,443.00
Total
$ 1,300,156.00
The valuation of the railroads was $ 419,178.00
The valuation of real estate was.
3,651,991.00
Making the entire valuation of property of the county for 1880
amount to the sum of.
$ 5,371,325.00
422
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
POLITICAL.
As before stated, the first election occurred in 1848. This election, it is hardly necessary to state, had nothing of the nature of a political contest. The object was simply to organize the county, and political differences had not yet appeared. Very soon, however, there came a change, and the po- litical issues between the Whig and Democratic parties, which had thereto- fore kept the people of older communities in a state of mental fermenta- tion, were likewise introduced as an element of discord into this county. At first the citizens were generally quiet, industrious and at peace with one another. Occasional disputes arose, which in the main were soon over- looked or forgotten on account of the necessary and mutual dependence for aid and convenience, as well as for the common defense in their pioneer homes.
Dissensions and enmities, however, began to creep in, as the settlements progressed, and continued to increase in working mischief, very much in proportion as the settlers became more independently situated, and they became more exclusive in devotion to self-interest and advancement. The consciousness of dependency goes a great way toward making an individual affable and accommodating, and a long continued period of prosperity has a tendency to make people selfish as well as vain.
This unwelcome spirit of dissension began to manifest itself to the pub- lic most clearly about the year 1850, and continued to grow in intensity. There were numerous aspirants who desired to fill the offices made vacant each year; also by reason of the location of the county seat away from the geographical center of the county, was there early manifested a spirit of jealousy between the northern and southern sections of the county. The most bitter and unfortunate controversies which ever occur are those grow- ing out of county seat contests. They engender animosities which are trans- mitted from father to son, and the strife in which people thereby become embroiled, lasts from generation to generation. By reason of the ill feeling thus engendered, the material progress of a community is retarded, and the evil effects produced on the manners and morals of the people are truly deplorable.
The offices, during the first years, of course presented no great induce- ment for being sought after, so far as the salary was concerned; but then the county official did not have much to do, and it was emphatically true, that to whom little was given, of him there was little required, either in re- gard to his qualifications or the amount of work to be done. Then, too, these offices afforded positions of influence and preference, and they might, in the near future, prove very convenient stepping-stones to more lucrative
423
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
and influential positions; besides it was no small honor to fill for the first time the offices created in the new county. In this regard they afforded considerable inducement for being sought for by those ambitious for offi- cial distinction, and the county office then, as now, was a prize for which many sought. To be able to say "I was the first incumbent of a county office," was for many years considered to be an undisputed recommenda- tion to public favor. Those who remember Conrad Swaney, will not need to be told with what little meekness the pioneer minion of the law wore this badge of distinction. Conrad was a worthy citizen of Poweshiek county in pioneer times, and, although he was the possessor of but a modi- cum of that subtle substance known as cerebrum, was not deficient in the amount of cerebellum, which goes to make up the component part of an average healthy brain. Though not the most sagacious of fowls, cerebel- lum predominates in the brain of the peacock, and this vain fowl doubtless never paraded its gay plumage among the denizens of the barnyard with more haughtiness than did Mr. Prosecuting Attorney Swaney his blue pigeon-tailed coat with the brass buttons, on all State occasions. It is said by some, that Conrad was elected as a joke, but he did not at all regard it as such; with him it was a serious fact, and although he knew no law, and there would have been no occasion for the employment of legal knowledge, even had he been a veritable Coke, as there were no suits and no courts during his term of office, yet he carefully preserved his blue coat, and wore it on all State occasions until the day of his death. At fourth of July cele- brations, elections and camp meetings, Conrad was a special object of in- terest, and wherever a spectator beheld a large crowd of full grown men and small boys gathered around a blue coat with brass buttons, he would always find, on close examination, an ex-prosecuting attorney within.
At that time, as well as now, there were many influential citizens, who, so far as their desire for official position was concerned, were entirely dis- interested in the political canvass. These persons sought no such positions and would not have accepted an office of any kind. Public applause and criticism were not at all coveted by them. Nevertheless, they were as deeply interested in the welfare of the county as any other citizen, and had a decided preference as to who should receive their votes. They desired to entrust the county affairs in the hands of efficient and trustworthy men, who were willing to assume the responsibility and capable of conducting the business of the county in a safe and judicious way, while themselves pre- ferred to engage in some other department of industry more congenial to their tastes. On the other hand, there was always a sufficient number to accept these positions, more or less cheerfully, upon being elected to office; indeed it was early the case that the number of offices was not equal to the
424
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
number of applicants, and the contests as to who should fill them were spirited and not unfrequently acrimonious. Then, as now, the prize did not always fall to the most competent and deserving; the wire-puller and the caucus .bummer were developed during the first period of American civilization, and with the star of empire their course has ever been toward the west.
The desire to hold office is altogether natural and commendable; it be- comes reprehensible only when dishonest means are resorted to. Our gov- ernment was founded upon the principle that it is every man's privilege and duty to hold office, and the many official positions which are held out as prizes for industry and merit have done much to make people intelligent, industrious and loyal.
The adherents to the two old political parties, the Whig and Demo- cratic, were very nearly equally divided in this county from its organiza- tion until the disintegration of the Whig party. The Republican party was popular in this county from the first, and its candidates at the election of 1856, which was the first trial of strength between the old Democratic party and its new adversary, the Republican party, were elected by an average majority of one hundred in a total vote of seven hundred and twenty. It was two years prior to this, when James W. Grimes was elected governor of the State, the people first manifested a disposition to generally oppose the party formerly in power; since 1856 the county, as well as the State, has been uniformly and decidedly Republican. The fact that the representative counties of the State have for many years been strongly Republican, can be accounted for on the same principle that a representative county in the State south of us had always been strongly Democratic. When Missouri and Iowa were first settled the question of slavery was the all-absorbing is- sue in politics. Those who believed in the peculiar institution usually went to the former State, and those who did not, although perchance Democrats, settled in the latter State. In those days it was the policy of the Demo- cratic party to protect the institution and consequently Missourians became Democrats; the Republican party was founded on the platform of hostility to slavery, and many who were originally Democrats and had settled in Iowa because they were opposed to slave labor, fell in with the prevailing senti- ment of the community and joined the new party. We can thus readily see why a majority of the people comprising a representative Iowa county, should be Republicans. It may be said that the issue has long since been changed and that the Democratic party of to-day stands on a platform of principles entirely different from those principles which constituted its platform during the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas. This is emphati- cally true, but party organizations are very tenacious of life, and, as a rule,
*
John Conaway
1
427
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
men will be found rallying around the same party standard long after the emblems it bears have lost their significance.
The unexpected movement in 1854 which changed the large Dem- ocratic majority of the State over to an opposition majority, affected the political status of Poweshiek county, and party lines began to be strictly drawn, not only in National affairs but also in the choice of State and county officers. In order to show the comparative strength of the two parties, we herewith give the vote for certain officers at various times from 1851 to the present:
COUNTY JUDGE.
Richard B. Ogden 71 Wm. Harklerode. 43
SHERIFF.
James W. Wilson 76
Isaac G. Dement. 32
RECORDER AND TREASURER.
Joseph Newell. 75
Isaac G. Wilson 49
SURVEYOR.
Wm. R. Cassidy . 104
SUPERVISOR.
John Farmer. 56
John Moore. 33
Washington Harden 16 William Butt 7
Joseph Allman 4
CORONER.
John Redmund 48
Wm. H. Palmer 42
JUDGE FOURTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT.
James P. Carleton
32
Wm. H. Seevers 1
27
428
HISTORY OR POWESHIEK COUNTY.
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