USA > Minnesota > Otter Tail County > History of Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 65
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Tige was a cowardly kind of fellow, and did not have courage to resist the demands of the excited protestants. He promised to see Austin. He did. He came with tears in his eyes, and told how the "people" were objecting to the mutilation of the street. He disliked to interfere, but was bound by his oath of office to protect the thoroughfares of the district within his jurisdiction, and finally, in a lame kind of a way, ordered Austin to desist.
Jake heard him through very patiently, and when Tige's order came to stop work, he broke loose and said: "You and your 'people' can go to
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h-1. I won't grade the street, but I'll cut down my own side of it; and if you come around here again I'll kick you off the place, and you won't be able to deliver any more complaints for a month." Tige made a sudden exit, and Jake continued operations according to his proposal, and cut the hill down to the middle of the street, a distance of about four feet. In this shape it remained for over a year. One could tell to which faction a pass- erby belonged; those on Austin's side made use of the lower portion, while the opposition traveled the upper side, and the neutrals took to the middle. The latter excited most contempt in Austin. He could respect an antago- nist, but despised a neutral.
Austin was right and public spirited in his undertaking. The street was afterwards cut down over twenty-five feet, clear below the bottom of the well on top of the hill, when the water disappeared from it, but the fac- tional strift failed to follow the water of the well. That remained. That was the first battle of the long war.
In popular parlance it is common to designate the War of the Factions by adjective words as Rat war, Graveyard war, Church war, and so on. These terms simply distinguish different subjects of contention. It would be more accurate to name them as battle of the Graveyards and the battle of the Churches, ad infinitum. There was but one war, but many battles.
Of course, there were occasional cessations. The longest truce was when the grasshoppers came. Their "intervention" caused a suspension of hostilities. The combatants paused to inquire: "What must we do to be saved?" This brings us to
THE GRAVEYARD WAR.
At one time it was expected that there would be war, and preparations went so far that each faction secured for itself a separate graveyard. The question where the dead should lie was a live issue. One wing of the people fixed upon a certain locality, and that was a signal for the other side to don the war paint. Secret meetings were held, articles of incorporation adopted, books opened for sale of lots, and in an incredibly short time the young town had two graveyards running in full opposition, with a lively competition for subjects with which to colonize them. If a person caught a cold or showed the least indisposition, he was immediately waited upon by anxious and inquir- ing friends, and the beauties of these several last resting places pictured in terms almost inviting. And if that person, in an unguarded moment, was imprudent enough to express a preference for either place of interment, his social status was fixed from that minute. Old Settler had his finger in this pie, and for a time kept up quite a show of business by shipping corpses from below to be buried in his particular cemetery. It is too much to say that either party wished any one's death for the mere satisfaction of seeing
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a funeral procession headed toward their cemetery-it is only that they acted as though such were the fact. The factions were finally shamed out of this strife by seeing so many people shipping their friends back east for burial. It would have been a good thing, could they, in some way, have been shamed out of many other equally absurd quarrels.
THE NEW CHURCH.
In the primitive times, of Fergus Falls, when the spiritual welfare of the people was not looked after so sharply as now, there was but one church organization in the town. The place soon outgrew that. No one church could contain the two factions of the bustling village any more than one cage in a zoological garden could contain all the specimens. So, one cold day in midwinter, there came strolling over the prairie a lone missionary in search of a field wherein to plant a new church. He refreshed himself with such fare as was set before his class in those days, stayed over night and preached a sermon the next morning, which happened to be Sunday. This meeting was held in a hall on Union avenue, directly east and across the street from the old Sundahl opera house. After the sermon this missionary announced that he would preach at the same place in the evening, at which time a vote would be taken to decide whether a new church should be estab- lished-invited, I think he called it.
There he made a mistake. He never should have announced that inten- tion. The vigilant citizens of Fergus got no rest that Sunday afternoon. The whole town and surrounding country were canvassed and the most persuasive arguments used by each faction to get out a full vote at the evening meeting. Each party claimed that the eternal salvation of the people depended upon the decision of the pending question, whether a new church should be invited. Evening came and the hall was one literal jam. Where all the people came from no one could guess; but there they were-the halt, lame and blind; old, young and middle aged; American, Dutch and Scandinavians. The by-ways and hedges had contributed their full quota.
Well, the sermon was finally over, the last hymn sung and the last prayer said. One could feel a sort of "getting-ready" movement on the part of the whole audience-a sort of bracing up for a catastrophe. The question was put up by the missionary: "All who are in favor of establishing a Presby- terian church, please arise." First a deacon arose, then others got up-then came a pause, after which a number more arose. The affirmative had all voted, and they made a fair showing. They were told to be seated, when, next. "all opposed stand up." Here the leader of the opposition arose, waved his wand (a cane he carried in his left hand), and it seemed as though all Fergus was flocking to final judgment, and everyone expected to be
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counted a sheep. A halo of victory adorned every brow; the opposition outnumbered their opponents ten to one.
It was a meager benediction the missionary pronounced that night. He seemed sad, but soon the old Adam within him arose. His militant spirit awoke, and, bringing his closed fist down upon the table with good old ortho- dox emphasis, he swore by all that a missionary is allowed to swear by, that the new church should come. vote or no vote, and, my friends, it came; and still the earth swung grandly on around the sun; not a star left its orbit; the Red river poured its potential might over the falls of Fergus, and not a water power was destroyed or diminished.
But the proposition served for a first-class Fergusonian row, and feel- ings were engendered that lasted for years-feelings which the peaceful and harmonious people here today cannot understand or appreciate.
THE CHURCH WAR.
Not only temporal affairs, but spiritual interests, were vigilantly watched in those benighted days. Church membership was not a necessary qualifi- cation for a soldier in those wars. Every man, metaphorically, shouldered his musket and took his stand within the ranks of his faction, and Zion's war was as long and deadly as any of the other numerous conflicts. I some- times thought that the feelings they engendered were more bitter than any occasioned by other feuds. But that, I believe, has been the history of the world through. This strife took the place of the rat war of a somewhat earlier day, and every effort was put forth to recruit for the church of each faction. There were different grades in the ranks of these armies, and that of recruiting officer was the post of greatest honor and responsibility. Their duty was, first to capture and hold fast any newcomer, regardless of race or color, and, second, as often as possible, secure desertions from the ranks of the enemy.
The schemes and devices resorted to by these recruiting officers form one of the most amusing chapters in the history of early Fergus. If a stranger came to town he was waited upon at once and invited to sing in the choir. It was immaterial whether he could sing or not. His presence was what was wanted, regardless of the voice. Weekly choir meetings were held in a hall and always ended with a dance. The choir could dance. if they could not sing, and in this way a fellowship with the singers was made desirable. The efforts of these recruiting officers gave an unbalanced appearance to the congregations, and many were the sermons preached to empty pews and full choirs, but this top-heavy appearance finally disappeared with other Fergus follies.
I do not impute to any Christian men and women the responsibility for this state of affairs. A great zest for the cause may have led many of them
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to extraordinary efforts, but the trouble was mostly inspired by poor, benighted souls without a hope of heaven. But the town outgrew these absurdities, just as a man outgrows the follies of his boyhood. The only regret is that they were not sooner discarded. One missionary came expressly to act as a harmonizer, but he was laughed at and derisively dubbed "Old Harmony,". while the juggernaut of discord rolled on, and he never made himself even felt.
A FONDNESS FOR BONDS.
"But," may be asked, "was there nothing in which the founders of Fergus could agree?" and I answer, "Yes."
There was one proposition, let it come in what form, and at what time it would, always had the effect of a flag of truce. On its appearance hos- tilities ceased and whitewinged peace spread her pinions over all. It was a panacea for all ills and a signal for unity of action. This was a good quality in our people, and to its development is due the after years of growth and prosperity of our city. Dispute it who may, it is the united power of a com- munity, harmoniously applied for the mutual promotion of general interests, that brings success.
This great panacea was nothing more or less than a proposition to vote county or city bonds. Let it come from whom it would-for whatever pur- pose conceived-and the effect was magical. At once all Fergusonians became as patriotic as Artemus Ward, who was willing to send all his wife's relations to suppress the rebellion. I am sure that this effort was due to some ingre- dient of the medicine, for it was repeatedly applied, and invariably with a like effect.
OLD SETTLER TO THE FRONT.
No matter what the battle raging might be-political, religious, social or personal-but let Old Settler appear before the excited combatants with one of his long-winded petitions, and unfold that document with a smile, childlike and bland, and demonstrate how the more bonds the people voted the lighter would be the taxes, then there would be a love feast. It strengthened one's faith in humanity to see the Old Settler and his great graveyard opponent fall on each other's bosoms and weep tears of joy and repentance. At such times they would improvise waterworks for the occasion, without even a hint of confiscation of each other's property. The people in the county did get somewhat tired of voting on these Utopian schemes, but the people of Fergus, never.
On one occasion during the boom spasm, Mr. Wright was coming down the street holding in his hands a characteristic petition for an election to vote bonds, which petition, as usual, included an argument to show the issue of bonds would lessen taxation, when he met a man who was always opposed
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to these bonds. Mr. Wright stopped, extended his petition, and said, "Read that." After reading it, he handed it back to Mr. Wright, when the latter asked, "What do you say to that?" "Well," said the other, "I say to that, Hic jacet George B. Wright." Mr. Wright turned his head on one side, thought a minute, and answered, "No, he is not dead yet." "True," was the reply, "but he lies here just the same."
Mr. Wright's frequent repetition of the turn showed that he saw the point and enjoyed the joke. Mr. Wright was a man of original personality. He had remarkable diversity of mind, coupled with an indomitable energy and capacity for work. He was a civil engineer, an architect, a geologist, a poet, an artist, and a writer of romances of no mean quality. He was a wit, and kind hearted withal, a generous man who loved his friends and bore no malice toward his enemies. In his death Fergus lost her best friend.
REPUDIATION.
Aside from voting bonds, there was only one other thing in which the people showed a similar unanimity, and that was in voting to repudiate them. On one of the numerous occasions when Old Settler called on the county to vote bonds, the people of the state were to vote on a proposition to pay the old state bonds, which had been long repudiated-an admitted dishonor and standing menace to the credit of the state. In the young town there were thirteen votes against issuing county bonds, and but seven votes in favor of paying the state bonds. This was another condition of affairs which the people of today will hardly appreciate. The old bonds were at last paid, the credit of our fair state redeemed, and in a few years afterwards every- one wondered how it could have happened that the banner state of the North- west could have repudiated her pledge of honor.
It is good discipline to stop, once in a while, and look at the absurd way that we learn to avoid it ourselves. The state of affairs, in those times, made it natural for the members of each party to believe the opposition a pack of scoundrels and the criticisms applied by the respective parties were not flat- tering in any eminent degree. People were supplied with a great many imaginary qualities, and not very desirable ones, at that. Both parties were mistaken. The honest intentions of one faction were about equal to those of the other, and a blind prejudice, common to both, prevented either from seeing the truth. There is not such a great difference in people, after all and when their reason instead of their passion governs them, there is not much difficulty in getting along together.
The citizens frequently went upon the theory that "what is everybody's business is nobody's business," and when a move was made by one, the bal- ance would stand on their dignity and find fault with him who did act.
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CHARTER AMENDMENTS.
This was well illustrated on one occasion when the village charter had been amended, taking from the council the right to lay out streets. No one in Fergus knew that such an act was being procured. At first all people were indignant and public sentiment generally pointed to Old Settler as the master mind that conceived the outrage. They all called it "an outrage."
Soon it was discovered that such unanimity would never do. It was contrary to all precedent in Fergus. The factions divided and, while neither thought the legislation right, still each thought the other party responsible. This amendment took place at the last annual session of the Legislature; so there were two years of constant condemnation of the wretch who took from the august council the power to lay out streets, and an ardent longing the next session when the statute books could be purged of the "outrage." Just prior to the meeting of the next Legislature, a public meeting of citizens was called to consider and discuss proposed amendments to the village charter. One who had heard the "outrage" talked over for two long years would have expected to see that meeting a rousing one. The result was otherwise. Not a soul appeared. The interest in the "outrage" had oozed out, and public attention was centered on some other theme, which, in all probability, was nobody's business.
Parties in those days were fond of sitting around stores and law offices, telling how a town should be managed, what acts should be procured and what policy adopted, but if there was ever any concurrent movement towards any given end, it has escaped my recollection.
THE SCHOOL RECORD.
I have not talked much about the good qualities of our pioneers, because it is unnecessary; they had their full share, but goodness is very similar the world around, and while ever commendable, is liable to be tame. Besides if I only talked of the good qualities, it would be impossible to give a local color to the bit of history. But when we come to our school system, we approach that which excites a pride in the breast of every inhabitant of the city. It is not only distinguished at home, but distinguishes us throughout the state, and the excellence of our system is known and acknowledged all over Minnesota. This splendid achievement sprang from rather humble and unimportant beginnings. School district No. 21, which embraced Fergus Falls, was organized in 1871, and the first school opened in one end of a horse stable, on the river bank, near the Wright estate water-power. One Mrs. Fuller was teacher. Scholars were few, but mischievous; heat was oppres- sive and flies abundant. These conditions, coupled with stable fumes, ren- dered life all but unbearable to the teacher, till at last she sought relief by
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eloping with a stage driver, and her husband and her scholars were thrown back on the cold comforts of home. To prevent the recurrence of such a scandal, the school board rented the little brick house near the corner of Lincoln and Union avenues, and hired a male teacher for the winter term.
The pedagogue so employed was one W. Yeulen Smith, affectionately called by his pupils, "Billy Y"-and to the prohibition precepts by him drilled into the minds of young Fergusonians, may be traced the temperance principles of our younger pioneers. The summer school opened in the second story of a frame building on Lincoln avenue, where the Allen block now stands, with a Miss Sherwin as teacher. The same year, 1872, a frame two-story house was built on the site now occupied by the high school building, and the winter term opened with J. P. Williams as principal and Miss Sherwin as assistant. If the position of teacher may be called an "office," that was the beginning of Mr. Williams's long and worthy official career.
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION.
In a somewhat later day, and when a boom was on in Fergus, a propo- sition was pending for the location of a Presbyterian college at this place. A meeting of the business men was called at the mayor's office, where the subject was discussed, pro and con. One prominent man-a natural-born town builder-advocated in strong terms an active attempt to procure the college. He said: "Gentlemen, I came from a town of schools, and I want to tell you that your town will never amount to nothing without them. I am in favor of getting the men who have the location of the college to come here, treat them well and make it pleasant for them. Them little attentions go a great ways." Mr. Compton, a recognized authority on all Presbyterian ques- tions, replied that he did not think that the location of the school would be left to a number of men in that way, but that it would be decided by the general synod. "All right," said Mr. "send for General Synod, bring him right here, pay his expenses, show him the town, and if necessary, give him a hundred dollars. It's money well spent." It is safe to say that General Synod was not "seen," as the college never came.
POLITICAL SCHEMES.
Many of the wrangles in the early days of Fergus Falls were over sub- jects which made them ridiculous per se, while others assumed a shape and aspect that had a direct and material influence on the growth of the place. The natural location of the town necessitated a great deal of grading of streets and public grounds. The party in power was always the party of progress, while the outs were always the obstruction party, and this without regard to consistency or previous attitudes. So it happened that needed public improvements went on about the same, no matter who was in. False
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alarms constantly kept the public pulse at a fever heat. First, a gunpowder plot was discovered to blow the whole business part of town over the river, and on to Bismarck avenue. That was no sooner thwarted than a counter plot was unearthed to draw the village all up to the east water-power, called Guttenberg. And so time kept on, and Fergus continued to reach out until she not only embraced both sides of the river, but Guttenberg and beyond.
In the early history of the state, there was a versatile demagogue called Donnelly, who had traded so long on his political character and honor that he was at one time reduced to great financial and moral straits, so much so that he could promise his supporters nothing better than pups. But let me say that the local politicians of early Fergus were more prolific in promises than the ingenuous Donnelly. Every aspirant for local favors in those days was-in his mind-a modern Croesus. To have fulfilled all the promises made before our charter elections would have taken the wealth of a Peruvian Inca.
Anything from a bridge across the Red river, or location of a bank, to a half interest in Guttenberg was as freely pledged as the actual drink was freely given-and freely taken. If the old First National Bank had been located on all the sites promised in those ante-election days, there would have been a flourishing financial institution on every corner of every block on Lincoln and Bismarck avenues, with several branches on back alleys.
THE WATERWORKS SCHEME.
We had characters-interesting and original-in those early days. One in particular called himself a natural "town-builder." He was fond of declaring that we had too many ba-a-ad men to ever amount to anything. Some were unkind enough to say that "suspicion always haunts the guilty minds," but I need resort to no such accusation. He could scent a vicious scheme farther than any other man in America. He discovered a giant African in the woodpile the time when George B. Wright had a bill intro- duced in the Legislature, granting to him and his associates the exclusive priv- ilege of constructing waterworks in the village, and supplying its inhabitants with good, wholesome water. The bill was very complete, guarding suffi- ciently the interests of the grantees, and limiting the maximum rates they should be permitted to charge for the service; which rates, I presume, were sufficiently high to prevent loss to the water company. The bill also granted to the company the right to condemn land of private individuals when neces- sary to lay mains. The founder of Guttenberg was alarmed. He proclaimed the bill a b-a-d measure of a b-a-d man. He said it would ruin the town and confiscate every man's property. He was opposed to confiscation. A meet- ing of his faction was called at which strong resolutions were adopted, con- demnatory of the bill and protesting against its passage. Money was sub-
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scribed and an attorney employed to go to St. Paul and present the resolutions to the legislative committee in charge of the bill. . The measure was defeated and Guttenberg saved from confiscation.
Not long after this, Judge Newcomb became a joint owner with Mr. Austin in the Guttenberg property. At the next session of the Legislature I happened one day to be in the House, when a bill was introduced, granting to Newcomb and Austin the exclusive privileges of putting in waterworks in Fergus Falls, and supplying the inhabitants thereof with good, wholesome water. It was a great surprise, and yet, sounded familiar. Nothing had been said at home about it. Mr. Wright, when he attempted to secure his franchise, sent a copy of the bill up for the approval of the citizens, but noth- ing of the kind had been done by the Guttenberg proprietors. I procured the bill and found it was an exact copy-excepting the names-of the bill so strongly denounced and condemned a year or two before; and I said to myself, "Verily, it maketh a great difference whose property is to be con- fiscated." The bill was buried without any obsequies whatever.
MAJOR BEACH'S TELEGRAPH.
It would be difficult for people now to imagine the city without the telegraph, telephone and all modern electrical appliances, but there was a time when the town had neither. The advent of the first telegraph, away back in 1872, was an advent indeed. It was induced to come to us, through a wild country and over one hundred miles in advance of any railroad, through the great influence a certain Major Beach was supposed to have had with the telegraph company and other great corporations. In return for this favor, the people were to turn in and elect the Major to the state Senate. With the weakness peculiar to all politicians, the Major made a multitude of promises. Before the line reached here-while the scheme was in embyro. as one might say-the two factions divided on the location of the telegraph office. Each claimed that if placed within the lines of the enemy, no man's business would be safe; that all commercial transactions over the wire would be made public, and in this way, the financial transactions of the party using the same, end in disaster.
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