USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people, Vol. I > Part 36
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
The election was contested by the citizens of Webb City and fought through the courts to the Supreme court, that body declaring the elec- tion void because the voters had not used the Australian system, which had been made a part of the laws of 1891 and had taken effect a few days prior to the election.
The matter was resubmitted to the people on May 9, 1893, and after a hotly contested campaign the tax was again voted, the ballot being as follows: For the court house tax, 8,174; against, 3,281; majority above the required two-thirds, 1,612.
CORNER STONE LAID OF JOPLIN COURT HOUSE
The laying of the corner stones of the two court houses marked two great days in Jasper county history. The court house at Joplin, being Vol. I-21
.
322
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
the smaller of the two, was of course soonest ready for occupaney and the corner stone first laid.
The corner stone of the Jasper county court house at Joplin was laid with appropriate ceremonies May 8, 1894, and was a gala day for that city. Although the morning portended rain, fully 15,000 people took part in the exercises, which were slightly marred by the storm which came on before the ceremonies were coneluded. The Board of Education dismissed the schools for the day and the 3,300 pupils witnessed the demonstration.
The parade was a most imposing spectacle and was participated in by fifty-one organizations which moved as follows:
(1) Grand Marshal D. M. Page and staff.
(2) Military division, Major F. E. Williams commanding : Joplin Drum Corps, Carthage Light Guards, Joplin Rifles and Searrett Guards of Neosho.
(3) School division, consisting of three marching organizations rep- resenting the Macedonian Phalanx, the Crusaders and the Continental Minute Men of 1775.
These three organizations had participated (in costume) in a school entertainment, February 22nd, and had made such a hit that they were especially invited to participate in the corner stone parade. The Mace- donian Phalanx appeared in the costume of the time of Alexander the Great, the boys carrying spears. The Crusaders, in the habiliments of the legions of Richard Cœur de Lion, carried swords. The Minute Men appeared in the uniform of the Continental patriots and drew after them a small eannon which had been cast at Freeman's foundry and which had done serviee as an enthusiasm raiser, in the campaign of 1892, also the court house eampaign.
(4) Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Aneient Order of United Workmen division, Capt. R. A. Spear, commanding: Twin City band; Joplin and Carthage cantons; Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodges of the county and Ancient Order of United Workmen lodge-twelve or- ganizations in line.
(5) Knights of Pythias division, Capt. G. K. Davidson, command- ing : Joplin Cadet band ; Uniformed Ranks Knights of Pythias, divisions from Carthage, Webb City and Joplin and subordinate lodges of Jasper county.
(6) Miners' division. Marsh Ilinton, commanding : Marching club of miners in working clothes, carrying dinner pails, etc., followed by floats on which were seated two miners and carrying out the idea that the spade hands are the real kings in whose keeping are the destinies of the mining district.
(7) Masonie division, Maj. Clark Craycroft, commanding: Car- thage Light Guard band ; Knights Templar, Carthage and Joplin, Grand Lodge of Emergency; Masons of Jasper county; county officials and invited guests.
(8) Neosho Hayseed band and Knights and Ladies of Honor lodges.
(9) Fire departments, Chief A. Hanghton, commanding : Joplin's
323
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
COURT HOUSE, JOPLIN
324
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
new paid fire department, with their new fire wagon and celebrated span of horses, Major and Dan ; volunteer departments of Carthage, Carter- ville and Neosho.
(10) Mounted division, T. W. Cunningham, commanding : Galena Firemen's band and one hundred men on horseback, riding four abreast and making a magnificent appearance. Each of the horsemen wore a small United States flag in his hat and in each of the horses' bridles was a pretty boutonniere of red white and blue.
The following composed the Grand Lodge of Emergency who laid the corner stone: Most Worshipful Master, P. L. Crossman ; Right Worship- ful Master, Al Reynolds; S. W., E. C. H. Squire; J. W., E. F. Martin ; Treasurer, W. S. Carson; Secretary, Harmon Cline; Chaplain, Rev. J. J. Martin ; S. D., W. A. Skelton ; J. D., Jno. H. Tutt ; Grand Pursnviant, J. C. Faulkender, Tyler, T. J. Patterson ; Grand Stewards, C. H. Hand, W. H. Miles, W. M. Thompson and A. S. Abbott; Bearer of the Bible Square and Compass, John S. Reynolds; Bearer of the Constitution, John S. MeDonald.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies a number of addresses were made, among them those of S. A. Stuekey, Carl Junetion, Jacob Friek, Jasper, and the mayors of Carthage and Carterville. The coming on of the rain shortened the program.
One of the most delightful features of the day was the entertainment provided by the Joplin Club: Capt. E. O. Bartlett as chairman of the entertainment committee, dispensed for the club at the Keystone Hotel, light refreshments before and after the exercises and every out-of-town visitor was invited to partake of the hospitality.
The Joplin court house was dedicated in April, 1895, and used until June 13, 1911, when it was destroyed by fire. At this writing it has not been rebuilt.
THE COURT HOUSE AT CARTHAGE
The corner stone of the Jasper county court house was laid August 23, 1894, and was an event long to be remembered. The ceremonies were conducted by Masons, assisted by varions fraternal and military societies acting as escort in the grand parade which preceded the exer- eises.
PARADE
(1) Col. W. K. Coffee and staff acted as grand marshal of the day and the parade moved in the following order.
(2) Carriage containing the then four oldest living eitizens in the county-Mr. and Mrs. John A. Dale, John Onstott and Judge Rushe.
(3) Carriages containing the county officials.
(4) Carthage Light Guard band.
(5) Second Battalion, Seeond Regiment, M. N. G., Maj. F. E. Will- iams, commanding.
(6) Masonic lodges of Jasper county, escorted by the Knights Templar.
325
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
(7) Galena Firemen's band.
(8) Battalion of Uniformed Ranks Knights. of Pythias, consisting of divisions from Carthage, Webb City and Joplin, commanded by Col. Carl Gray.
(9) Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodges of Jasper county, es- corted by Patriarchs Militant.
(10) Carthage Drum Corps.
(11) Veterans of Civil war.
(12) Joplin Drum Corps.
(13) Stone entters working on the court house.
(14) Citizens.
The corner stone was placed in position by Honorable John D. Vincil of St. Louis, past grand master Missouri Grand Lodge of Masons. The following articles were deposited in the receptacle : The IIoly Bible and photograph of workmen throwing first shovel of dirt; copy of High School Star; advertisements and posters of court house meetings; certi- fied order of court announcing result of election; World's Fair coins; Rosters G. A. R. posts of Jasper county ; literary societies of Carthage and Masonic bodies participating in the ceremonies; a $10 Confederate bill; copies of all newspapers in the county ; miscellaneous articles.
Mayor E. B. Jacobs, C. O. Harrington and T. B. Tuttle comprised the committee which planned and carried out the details of the exereises.
Fifteen thousand people witnessed the impressive corner stone ceremonies.
DEDICATION OF THE COURT HOUSE
The Carthage court house was formally dedicated October 9, 1895, with appropriate ceremonies. The exercises opened with a parade which was participated in by the military and civic societies and the school children of Carthage. The latter feature was an imposing spectacle, every one of the pupils wearing a badge and carrying a United States flag. John W. Halliburton was the marshal of the day.
Two speakers' stands were erected one at the northeast and one at the southeast corners of the court house and addresses were made by Congressman Burton E. C. Devore, of Carterville, T. B. Iloughawout and Major H. H. Harding.
In the evening, at the Harrington Hotel, the Jasper Courts Bar As- sociation held a meeting and concluded with a banquet, Hon. Galen Spencer of Joplin presiding as toast master. Among the toasts and re- sponses were the following: "Our Courts," Major H. H. Harding; "The Lawyer," J. W. McAntire; "Our Clients," Thomas Hackney ; "The Jury," L. P. Cunningham; "Oratory in Court," John H. Flannigan.
AT THE SOUTH WEST MISSOURI TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION OF 1890.
At the meeting of the South West Missouri Teachers' Association in December, 1890, at Lebanon, Jasper county carried off all of the honors.
326
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
In the oratorieal contest in which sixteen of the twenty-seven counties in the association sent a contestant, Miss D. Lorane Buchanan, of Joplin, won the first prize. Miss Buchanan later bceame an actress of great ability. In the prize essay contest W. M. Wharton, principal of the Medoc school, and later county superintendent, won the first honor and in the general display of school work the Webb City sehools captured the blue ribbon.
R. D. Shannon and S. A. Underwood, of Joplin, were elected presi- dent and secretary of the association and J. M. Stevenson, county sehool commissioner of Jasper county, treasurer, while Joplin was chosen as the place for holding the next session. At the Joplin meeting in De- cember, 1891, a pleasing incident occurred. Treasurer J. M. Stevenson and Secretary S. A. Underwood were both present at the meeting in Carthage when the association was formed in 1878, and each had at- tended every session of the association from its formation. These gentle- men, with other teachers who were prominent in the educational affairs of South West Missouri presented to the association a gavel made of twenty-seven pieces of wood-one piece obtained in each of the twenty- seven counties. The gavel was a splendid souvenir and was also a beautiful piece of mechanical work. The gavel had in it ten different kinds of wood grown in South West Missouri. In presenting it to the president Professor Stevenson told a number of interesting reminiscences of the Jasper schools. A feature of the Joplin meeting was a class of sixteen boys and girls from the Longfellow school in Kansas City, who came to the meeting accompanied by the physical director of the Kansas City Schools and gave an interesting exhibition of ealisthenic exercises. The director also read a very instructive paper on how to teach physical culture in the public schools.
THE TEACHERS' NORMAL
All during the nineties the Teachers' Normal continued to be a great factor in educational eireles. Three hundred teachers and applicants for teachers' certificates attended the 1890 Normal and all who were in attendance felt that a profitable and pleasant school month had been spent. The faculty this year consisted of County Commissioner J. M. Stevenson. conductor: Prof. Howe, of the Warrensberg State Normal; Prof. Dodd, of the Carthage High School ; Lyda Clark and V. L. Vawter.
Spelling was a feature of this year's course of study and at the elose of the Normal a spelling contest was had in which 225 teachers par- ticipated. The following were among the teachers who scored 100: Agnes McCarty, A. B. Callison. Euphema Potts, W. M. Wharton, Alice Corley. Stella Hodshier, Sakie Gray and Ella Lawton.
In the final examination H. Church, of Carthage, received honorable mention for having turned in the neatest set of papers of the entire teaching body.
At the school election in 1893 W. M. Wharton was elected county com- missioner and was twice reelected. In 1899 Prof. E. B. Denision, of ·Joplin, was elected superintendent.
327
IIISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
All during the nineties the Normal was a great summer school, al- ways having had a most excellent corps of teachers, and each year showed some advancement over the year previous. We will not attempt to set out in detail the accomplishments of each of the normals, other than to say that during the nineties it was held every three years at Carthage, Webb City and Joplin.
W. M. Wharton, who became county superintendent in 1893, intro- duced in the Normal the plan of issuing diplomas to the teachers who had completed the courses of study mapped out. The first Normal class graduated in 1898 and the examination passed by the graduates was the same as given by the state superintendent for a five-year state certificate.
AT THE WORLD'S FAIR, CHICAGO ( 1893)
In the selection of the Missouri Board of World's Fair Commission- ers, Governor Francis honored JJasper county with the selection of Col. Il. Il. Gregg, of Joplin, as one of the five to look after the proper adver- tisement and showing of Missouri's great industries and resources, and to him was especially assigned the collection of mining exhibits.
In the Missouri building at the fair JJasper county was assigned one room, and this was filled up by the county under the direction of a board of lady managers selected from the different cities of the county. Mrs. .J. W. Harper, of Carthage, was the president of the board of lady man- agers for the Jasper county room and this association met at stated in- tervals at different points over the county to devise ways and means for decorating the room and collecting the exhibits. In Joplin, Carthage and Webb City entertainments and balls were given by the ladies and a neat sum raised, to which the mine operators added $3,300 for the dis- tribution of advertising matter at the fair. The room was tastefully decorated and attracted much attention. Among the exhibits in the Jasper County room which excited favorable comment were samples of the various forms of lead in its native state and the manufactured prod- uet by the Picher Lead Company of Joplin. A huge pyramid of zinc was exhibited, made from specimens sent in from the different camps. Among the single pieces of zine was a mass from the Blendville mines weighing 6.500 pounds and one from Webb City weighing 2,600.
THE INTER STATE CHAUTAUQUA ASSEMBLY
In 1897 there was organized the Inter State Chautauqua Assembly and the first of a mimber of interesting and instructive meetings held at Carthage June 21st to July 9th of that year.
It was originally intended to be a Jasper-Cherokee county affair and the first board of directors were chosen from the several cities of Jasper county and Galena, Kansas.
The officers for 1897 were: President. Dr. D. J. Stewart. of Car- thage ; vice president, Rev. J. B. Welty, of Joplin. Among the Jasper county citizens on the board were: Jno. H. Taylor, Rev. Paul Brown
328
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
and G. B. Young, of Joplin ; Dr. Cook, president of Webb City College, and A. A. Hulett, of Webb City; J. W. Petty, of Carterville, and Dr. Goucher of Carthage.
The first assembly was a success in every particular excepting that the finances ran short on account of a severe storm during the middle of the meeting which kept down the attendance. Days were set apart for various organizations and a number of speakers of national reputation were in attendance, among them, William Jennings Bryan, Senator Dol- liver of Iowa; Gen. S. B. Prentis, the hero of Shiloh; T. DeWitt Tal- mage ; Sam Jones and many others.
Bryan day, June 24th, 20,000 people were on the grounds and on the Sound Money day, when Senator Dolliver was the orator, almost as many were in attendance.
It was regrettable that the severe rain, which came on in the midst of the assemble, marred the financial success of the meet, because it had brought together, in a delightful summer school, the literary and musie loving people of the county. Among the musical celebrities from abroad none outshone Jasper county's own Miss Emma Johns, of Carthage, now Mrs. De Armond, whose piano performances thrilled the vast as- semblage who heard her play. The first Jasper County Chautauqua went down in history as a most delightful literary and social suceess.
BUILDING OF THE INTER URBAN STREET RAILWAY SYSTEM.
As in the seventies, the building of the three lines of railroad trans- formed Jasper county from an unimportant country community to a great wideawake business eenter, so during the nineties, three eleetrie street railways were built and they wrought wonderful changes, both in a business and social way. The three electric roads built and operated were the Joplin Electric Street Railway Company, the South West Missouri Electric Railway Company and the Jasper County Electrie Railroad.
The Joplin Electric Railway is mentioned in the history of Joplin and we will therefore speak here only of the South West Missouri Elec- trie and the Jasper County Electric, all three of which are now con- solidated and under the management of the South West Missouri Rail- road Company.
In 1889 A. H. Rogers of Springfield built a mule street car line from Webb City to Carterville and operated it until 1893, when he organized the South West Missouri Electrie Railway Company, took over the roll- ing stock, ear barn, etc., of the Webb City-Carterville Street Railway Company and built an electric railway from Joplin to Prosperity via Webb City and Carterville. A considerable difficulty was experienced in seeuring the franchise in Webb City, there being quite a senti- mment against an interurban line, many of the merchants feeling that a line to Joplin would have a tendency to take business away from the
329
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
local merchant. By a great stroke of policy, Mayor Manker, of Webb City, secured the insertion of a clause in the franchise providing that the principal offices, power house, car barns, etc., should be located in Webb City ; and thus the second city in the county became the center of all the business activities of the now great interurban system. The importance of this coup d'etat will be more readily seen when it is called to mind that the road now has over 250 employees, fully one half of whom live in Webb City.
The South West Missouri Electric railroad was completed in the summer of 1893, the first car making the run from Webb City to Joplin on July 4th of that year. In 1896 the road purchased the Jasper County Electric Railway, running from Carthage to Carterville, the Joplin Electric & Galena Electric railways. This consolidation gave to Jasper county a splendid interurban service. In 1903 the company extended its lines to Duenweg and also to Smelter Hill and Chitwood in Joplin.
In 1906 the South West Missouri Railroad Company was organized and took over the South West Missouri Eleetrie with its several holdings and the Webb City Northern Electric Railway Company-an extension which had been built north to Oronogo, Purcell and Alba. In 1908 the road extended its line from Joplin to Duenweg, thus making a complete belt of the mining district. The same year the Villa Heights extension in Joplin was also made.
It will be noted from the above that the system is a most important part of Jasper county and with this quick transportation makes all sec- tions of Jasper county neighbors. The line now has a total of over seventy-five miles.
It is a matter of pride to the county that there has never been a labor disturbance of any kind on the road. The employees are from the best families of the county.
In 1910 the Railway Company and A. II. Rogers built for the Electric Railway Club (an organization composed of the employees of the road) a beautiful club home. The building was furnished by the club and here a number of social functions for the members and their families have occurred.
The Jasper County Electric Railway Company, composed mostly of Carthage capital, was organized in 1892 for the purpose of building an electric railway from Carthage to Carterville and Webb City. After securing franchises in Carthage and Carterville, during which time many obstacles were overcome, work on the line was commenced in 1894 and the road completed in July, 1895. The road, which is now a part of the South West Missouri Railway Company System, at first entered Carter- ville from the south, running through the northern portion of Johns- town.
The South West Missouri Electric Railway acquired this property in 1896 and have since greatly improved the roadbed, service, etc. The opening of the Jasper County Electric brought into popularity beauti-
330
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
ful Lake Side park, which from then to now has been a most popular pleasure resort.
ANNUAL BANQUET OF THE JASPER COUNTY ELECTRIC CLUB.
Beginning with 1904 the members of the Jasper County Electric Rail- way Club have held an annual banquet at which as many of the men- bers as possible. with their wives and sweethearts, meet and spend a social hour. We copy here from the Joplin Daily Globe its account of the 7th annual banquet held at Webb City, December 14. 1911. as it will give an idea of the importance of these gatherings and the universal good feel- ing which exists among the employees of the road.
"The seventh annual dinner of the Electric Railway Club," says the Globe. "was held at the club house at Webb City last night. The ban- quet was served in the auditorium of the club house, which was hand- somely decorated with chrysanthemums, white carnations and roses. The pillars were festooned with pampas grass wreathed with holly. Sprays of mistletoe were hung on the chandeliers. In nooks and corners were palms and potted plants.
"Shortly after 8 o'clock the great crowd, numbering 150, filed into the banquet hall. The wives and daughters of the street railroad men served the dinner. It was after 10 o'clock before the menn, which be- gan with an oyster cocktail, followed by turkey and eranberry sauee, to the accompaniment of Pacific punch, then hot mince pie and coffee, was coneluded. The smoke of a hundred eigars or more hung in contented clouds when Allen MeReynolds, attorney for the Southwest Missouri Rail- road Company, assumed his duties as toastmaster.
"Mr. MeReynolds presided happily and gracefully. There was a fine balance of wit and dignity, a rare blende of seriousness and levity in his observations, while his introductions were models of consciseness and aptness.
"'A year ago tonight,' said Mr. MeReynolds. 'we dedicated this club house. It might not be amiss, then, to consider this occasion as the "feast of the passover." This elub house, as most of us here know, is the property of the employes of the Southwest Missouri Railroad Company. I say employes, and I use the word advisedly. for we are all employes of this company from the president down to the trackman. Each of us has his work to do. Each of us is doing it, not merely in a routine way, not as a burdensome thing ; but each of us is doing his part cheerfully and with enthusiasm. It can truthfully be said of the men of this company that the end of the day finds every man with a record back of him of work well done.'
"A number of newspapers were represented among the guests. Harry Moody of the Carterville Record, Arthur Rozelle of the Webb City Regis- ter, Hal Wise of the Webb City Sentinel, P. E. Burton of the Joplin Nors Herald and E. II. James of The Joplin Globe, responded to the call of the chair.
331
HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
" 'Once upon a time,' said the toastmaster. after the representatives of the press had testified to the pleasure of the occasion and to the im- portance of the great transportation system in the industrial develop- ment of the county-'once upon a time there was a president of the United States who coined the expression "innocuous desuetude," a con- dition into which he subsided shortly after the utterance. We have here tonight a namesake of that president, who, it should be said, has not reached that deplorable situation.'
"The Rev. W. M. Cleaveland, of the First Presbyterian church of Joplin, frankly acknowledged that he didn't know what 'innocuous desuetude' meant, but, without pausing to lament that fact, he declared it to be his intention of joining the Electric Railway Club if he could possibly qualify as a member.
"Mr. Cleaveland dwelt in an effective way upon the value of such meetings as this. . The courtesy of the trainmen of the Southwest Mis- souri Railroad Company,' said Mr. Cleaveland, 'is not only a matter of local comment; it is known afar. It has given the road and the com- pany a reputation. This courtesy is not a mere superficial attribute. It is based upon a substantial foundation, the mutual confidence between the employer and the employed. This spirit of confidence finds sound expression in just such gatherings as this. These are great things. They make for fellowship. They make for trust. They are an advanced way of meeting one of the great issues before the people of today, the rela- tionship between capital and labor. It is widely known, and here at home it is a matter of intense pride, that in the conduct of this trans- portation company the strife and bitterness that are too often found are not found here. You are about five years ahead of the procession. This situation is necessarily the result of effort and purpose, both on the part of the company and on the part of the men in the company's employ.'
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.