USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people > Part 22
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THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS
By act of the legislature passed February 5, 1874, a court of com- mon pleas was established in the city of Joplin. This court had the fol- lowing jurisdiction within the limits of Joplin and Galena townships :
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First, original and concurrent jurisdiction in all cases, both law and equity, with the circuit court of Jasper county, Missouri (except where the title to real estate was involved), and concurrent jurisdiction with justices of the peace, except where they have exclusive jurisdiction; second, power to issue injunctions, above named exceptions applying, and to hear and determine matters of habeas corpus the same as circuit courts; also exclusive appellate jurisdiction from Joplin police court, and in case of appeals from justices of Joplin and Galena township. At this time there were four terms of the Jasper county common pleas court held at Carthage, and three extra terms for the transaction of probate business. Galen Spencer was elected judge of the court and served until January 26, 1875, when the legislature passed an act abolishing the court and providing that three terms a year of the common pleas court which was called at Carthage should be held at Joplin, and three terms of said court at Carthage, making six terms a year in the county. This act, abolishing the Joplin court, also ordered the clerk (the judge of this court was by the act creating the court made, the judge, ex-officio clerk his court) of the Joplin court to transfer to the clerk of the Jasper county common pleas court the records of the Joplin court. Both the Joplin court and the Jasper county courts of common pleas were courts of record.
In 1877 the legislature passed an act establishing a circuit court at Joplin each year, in June and December, and two at Carthage, in Sep- tember and March. The circuit clerk has since kept a deputy at Joplin and keeps an office there.
THE LAND OWNERS' ASSOCIATION
March 20, 1875, the smelters and land owners of Joplin formed an association for their mutual protection and mutual interests. The fol- lowing were the officers: John B. Sergeant, president; John H. Taylor, secretary ; W. P. Davis, treasurer.
The formation of this association was misunderstood by the miners, many of them believing that it was formed in the nature of a trust and with a view of crushing the labor interests, although such was not the case. But the agitation continued and did not abate until the McCorcle Smelter in East Joplin was burned, supposedly because of the forma- tion of the Land Owners' Association.
JOPLIN'S FIRST CIRCUS
In June, 1875, Dan Rice's circus showed in Baxter Springs. A num- ber of Joplin people went over to see the performance, among them Daniel Collins, the Broadway liveryman. The show was on Saturday and at the close of the afternoon performances Mr. Collins presented to the management a proposition to take the aggregation of animals and all to Joplin for a performance the next day, Sunday afternoon. The prop- osition did not look good to the showman. The performances could not
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be advertised and it was necessary to take the tents, horses and animal cages overland to Joplin, fording two streams, Spring river and Shoal creek, and then return in time to load the show on the cars and make the next town in time for a show Monday; but he said in a joking way to Mr. Collins, if he would like to undertake the venture, that he would rent him the show for a day.
Mr. Collins knew a good thing when he saw it and accepted the prop- osition, agreeing .to deliver the show in Baxter by 3 o'clock A. M. Mon- day and to pay all the performers the extra salary for the trip to Joplin. After the night performance, the tents were torn down and the entire aggregation started overland for Joplin, arriving in the mining metrop- olis about nine o'clock in the morning. It was not necessary to advertise the show, for in those days business houses were all open until noon on Sunday and some of them all day, and the streets were crowded with the miners and their families doing their week's trading. So when the red wagons began rolling down West Main street and heading for a vacant place between the two towns, half the population which thronged the street followed the circus to the show grounds and watched with in- terest the putting up of the big tent.
Everything was in readiness by 1 o'clock and the ticket wagon opened. The circus, which, by the way, was a good one showed to an audience which taxed the capacity of the tent, and Mr. Collins reaped a rich reward for his show venture. After the performance the tents were again struck and the aggregation returned to Baxter in time to load and make the next town on schedule time. The big house at this performance established Joplin's reputation as a show town, and each season since some one or more of the great traveling shows has visited "the city that Jack built."
JOPLIN'S FIRST THEATER
During 1875 a company was organized which erected the Joplin Theater building, on Main street between Fourth and Fifth where now stands the Bartlett building. The theater was a one-story structure forty by one hundred feet, and built out of oak lumber according to the prevailing style of architecture of that day, a plain box-house ar- rangement. The stage, however, was arranged with four different set- tings.
1875-7 were the palmy days of this theater. Most play houses have a general fixed kind of amusement and have a reputation for the presenta- tion of some kind of play, such as tragedy, comedy, melodrama, vaude- ville, etc., but the Joplin was confined to no one class of amusements. Some very good attractions were presented, but the amusements for the most part were designed to please the floating population which made life in Joplin one constant round of excitement.
The following interview, published in the Kansas City Globe in March, 1890, gives an idea of the unique manner in which the Joplin
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miners overcame the money question, following the panic of 1873, and also the popularity of the "show" in Joplin during the pioneer days. "Way back in the 'seventies," says J. J. Lodge, of the Midland Theatre, "I was traveling through the southwest with Zera Seeman and Kit Clark. I had him out, and we were giving a gift show. Seeman did the sleight-of-hand and magic business, and we gave away every night gold watches, furniture, etc. During our trip we made a week's stand at Joplin. I lost a great opportunity to make a fortune prospecting, or rather digging a test shaft. The capital of the prospectors had given out and they wanted me to grub-stake them. I didn't think there was any- thing in it, but before we left town they had struck rich mineral and both made a fortune.
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"Well, that's neither here nor there. The strange thing about our Joplin engagement was the kind of admission fees we took at the door. The miners would come up wheeling a little barrow of ore, and ask if that would let them in. We had been told before what to expect, and had a man there to examine the dirt. If he said it was all right the barrow load would be taken around to the back of the building and dumped and the fellow who brought it got an admission check. When we got ready to come away we sold the pile that had accumulated, and it brought us a good deal more than the admission at regular prices would. That is one of the experiences managers in this day don't often have."
FOURTH OF JULY, 1875
The Fourth of July, 1875, was again celebrated by Joplin at the Grand Falls and the celebration was unique in its character. The games and amusements were fashioned after a tournament of the day "when knighthood was in flower."
A number of young men organized for the occasion a company of knights and they, as in the day of Richard Coeur-de-Lion, contested for the honors of the day.
The gallant knights carried lances and to determine their superiority rode at full pace past a certain spot where a ring was suspended and threw the lance which was carried through the ring; that is, they threw the lance at the ring and the knight who won the most points in this contest was voted the champion and was privileged to name the Queen of Festivities, while the six next best named the Maids of Honor to the Queen.
T. J. Maupin was the winner and placed the laurel crown on the head of Miss Julia Quick, now Mrs. William Fallis, while Daniel Gulley, E. D. Porter and F. E. Williams were among the knights-errant who chose the maids of honor.
Besides this sport, other games and contests were had during the afternoon and at night the merry picnickers came home with as much pomp as Robin Hood and his archers returning from the tournament of Prince John.
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HUGH DYER & COMPANY, BOILER WORKS
In May, 1875, Hugh Dyer established at Joplin the Hugh Dyer & Company Boiler Works, the first plant of its kind to be established in the mining district. The founding of this machine works was of vast im- portance to the district, as it materially reduced the cost of mining ma- chinery.
HACK LINES TO CARTHAGE AND NEOSHO
In 1875 Messrs Thomas Connor and W. Kilgore established two hack lines, one making daily trips to the county seat and the other to Neosho. Both lines did a good business, but the Carthage line of course was the most used. During 1875-6 the fare to Carthage on the Connor-Kil-
JOPLIN'S FIRST FOUNDRY
gore line was twenty-five cents, the same as now charged by the electric street railway.
BOARD OF TRADE
The first business-men's organization of Joplin was organized during 1875 and called the Board of Trade. Club rooms were fitted up in the basement of the Heathwood building and here the meetings were had. There were seventy-five members of the organization.
ORGANIZATION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT
After the fire in East Joplin in 1872, steps were taken to secure better fire protection and two hook and ladder trucks were bought early in 1873 which were manned by volunteer companies. The records of these two companies have been lost and we are unable to give the personnel of the two organizations other than to say that they were composed of the best citizens of both towns.
In 1875 a Babcock fire engine was purchased and a fire company or- ganized on March 10th with the following officers: Chief, C. J. G. Work-
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izer; foreman, E. D. Porter; assistant foreman, D. W. Cowan. The com- pany was named in honor of Joplin's first prospector, the E. R. Moffet Fire Company.
CITY ELECTION, 1875
At the fall election in October, 1875, the following officers were elected : Mayor, F. L. Thompson; marshal, J. F. Bair; police judge, W. B. McAntire; city attorney, John C. Trigg; treasurer, A. E. Blackwell; councilmen, M. Clark, Ira Taylor and L. B. West, with F. E. Williams, P. L. Swartz and L. Adams holding over.
The appointed officers were: City clerk, I. W. Davis; assessor and collector, J. W. Reed; fire warden, George Merwin, street commissioner, E. F. Scudder.
OLD-FASHIONED SPELLING MATCH (MAY, 1875)
The winter of '74-5 was a severe one and there was much suffering among the poor. To relieve the situation the charitably-inclined ladies of the city formed an aid society and gave a series of entertainments for the purpose of raising money. The last of these entertainments consisted of a series of spelling matches during the latter part of May. The first one of these was held May 22nd and was well attended. Miss S. S. Mc- Cracken, a teacher in the West Joplin schools, and Attorney O. H. Tous- ley, of the east side, were the captains, and chose up. The winner in the contest was W. H. Calfee, Mrs. William Simpson taking second honors.
At the next match, one week later, there was much interest mani- fested and quite a number of the old-time champions brushed up for the occasion.
At eleven o'clock, the room had been spelled down save three, W. H. Calfee, the champion of the first match, U. B. Webster, and Thomas Sutton.
At twelve o'clock the trio were still on the floor and the affair was called a draw, each sharing the honors of the evening.
It might be added as an item of interest that Mr. Calfee's daughter, now Mrs. W. A. Nickell, inherited her father's faculty for correct spelling and during her school days seldom misspelled or mispronounced a word, graduating as the valedictorian of her class in 1887. Her daughter, Miss Maude Nickell, graduated from the Joplin High School in 1911 and, like her mother, was valedictorian of her class.
EAST JOPLIN PUBLIC LIBRARY
On the 22d of February, 1876, at a meeting of the literary and book- loving people of East Joplin, a Library Association was formed with the following officers : President, U. B. Webster; vice president, Thomas Sut- ton; secretary, O. H. Tousley; treasurer, John Rousch.
During the month of March a series of entertainments were given and two hundred and seventy-five dollars raised, which sum was spent in the
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purchase of newspapers, magazines and periodicals, and a reading room was maintained by the society until 1877. During that year there was a decline in the lead market and the temporary shutting down of a number of the mines brought on for a short time a financial unrest which caused the organization to close the rooms.
BRUCE YOUNGER
During the summer of 1876 Bruce Younger, brother of Cole Younger, came to Joplin and worked in the mines under an assumed name.
On the evening of August 1st of that year a band of masked men rushed into a saloon where the young man was standing, and, seizing him, hurried to the street where the entire party mounted horses and rode rapidly out of town, almost before the lookers-on realized what was going on. On learning that the young man who had been kidnapped was a brother of one of the members of the James gang, it was thought that that body of marauders was in the neighborhood and had spirited Bruce away lest his identity become known.
JOPLIN AT THE CENTENNIAL
At the Centennial exposition at Philadelphia, in 1876, Joplin had a creditable display of minerals. The expense of maintaining the exhibit was defrayed by a fund contributed by the large mining companies and by the ladies of Joplin, who gave a series of entertainments and socials for the purpose.
CITY ELECTION, CENTENNIAL YEAR
The city election in October, 1876, occurred during the midst of the presidential campaign and, although the party lines were not drawn, it was hotly contested. The two opposing candidates for mayor were F. E. Williams, druggist in East Joplin, and E. D. Porter, of the firm of Porter & Roberts, West Joplin. Both men were exceedingly popular, being held in the highest esteem by their fellow townsmen. During the cam- paign the old prejudice and jealousy between the two towns was re- newed and feeling ran high. East Joplin, as in 1873, voted almost solidly for her candidate. Porter carried West Joplin and Lone Elm, but the tremendous majority for Williams in East Joplin elected him by 111.
The vote at this mayoralty election was as follows: East Joplin, F. E. Williams, 441; E. D. Porter, 44.
West Joplin-Williams, 298; Porter, 570.
Lone Elm-Williams, 176; Porter, 190.
Much interest was also manifested in the contest for marshal. J. W. Lupton and W. S. Norton, who had figured so prominently in the riot in 1874, were both candidates and the feeling between their friends ran high. It was feared that the election of either one would cause trouble and L. C. (Cass) Hamilton, who was deputy under Mr. Bair, was in- duced to shy his castor into the ring. The result was: Hamilton, 1,119;
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Lupton, 365; Norton, 226, Mr. Hamilton was for ten successive terms reelected marshal of Joplin, closing his political career in 1887. He was elected police judge in 1885 and served two years.
The vote on city attorney was : C. H. Montgomery, 681; G. D. Orner, 632; J. C. Trigg, 355.
The vote on treasurer was: C. W. Babst (Lone Elm), 578; A. E. Blackwell, 538; F. L. Thompson, 354.
The election for councilmen was also close in East Joplin. C. F. Taylor defeated William Quick by four votes. William Watkins in West Joplin defeated M. Clark by eight votes. I. W. Gilbert, of Lone Elm came into the aldermanic body as the representative of that thriving burg.
F. E. WILLIAMS
Frank E. Williams was a native of Michigan, being born December 6, 1849. After graduating from the Ann Arbor High School in June, 1866, he following the advice of Horace Greely, came "west to grow up with the country," and first settled at Lawrence, Kansas, clerking in a general store for three and a half years.
The later part of 1869 Mr. Williams went to Granby, Newton county, where he opened a general store and was shortly after appointed post- master of that place. He came to Joplin in August, 1873, and opened a drug store in East Joplin in connection with his brother, Henry, who was a graduate of the pharmaceutical department of the University of Michigan.
Mr. Williams at once became prominently identified with the public enterprise of the city and was elected a member of the city council from East Joplin in October, 1874. During his membership in that body he urged the building of sidewalks and a uniform system of grading the streets. He saw to it that East Joplin got all that was coming to it and it was this loyalty to the east side that gained for him the almost unan- imous support of the First ward at the election of 1876. During his oc- cupancy of the mayor's chair, however, he was fair and impartial and worked for the good of the whole town, carrying into vigorous execution his policies of civic improvement.
Personally, Mr. Williams was a most popular man, having scarcely an enemy. His polite and polished manner and his many little deeds of kindness gained for him the title of "Lord Chesterfield of Joplin."
Mr. Williams was president of the Board of Education in 1889 and took a prominent part also in military affairs, being major of the Second Missouri Regiment, United States Volunteers, during the Spanish-Amer- ican war. During his second year as mayor he moved his drug business to West Joplin and was closely identified with the business interests of the city, being a director in the Miners' Bank and South Joplin Land Company. A mention of the reception given in honor of his wedding will be made in our notes of "Joplin During the 'Eighties." Major Williams died in 1901.
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PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN 1876
Very naturally the presidential campaign of 1876 caused much ex- citement in Joplin. Both the Democratic and Republican committees maintained club rooms and, in addition to having a number of speeches and ward meetings, had torch-light processions. A mention of the two monster torch-light processions and the Democratic barbecue has al- ready been made in the chapter on "County Politics During the 'Sev- enties."
The vote in Joplin at the presidential election of 1876 was as fol- lows: Hayes, Republican-East Joplin, 381; West Joplin, 538.
Tilden, Democrat-East Joplin, 523; West Joplin, 657.
Cooper, Greenbacker-East Joplin, 47; West Joplin, 31.
The successful candidates on the Galena township ticket were: Trus- tees-W. B. McCracken, Geo. Orear and J. P. Newell; assessor, P. L. Swartz; collector. J. J. Breazeale; constables-L. A. Short and John T. Hodshier.
SOCIETY MASK-BALL DECEMBER 28, 1876
The society event of 1876 was the mask-ball at the Joplin Hotel, the close of the Centennial year.
The following were among the jolly throng of dancers: Miss Fannie Davis, as Catharine Howard; Miss Addie Stoddard, as Lady Jane Grey ; Miss Nellie Coyle, as Anne Boleyn ; Miss F. C. Burns, as Mary Queen of Scots; Miss Jo. Roberts, as Queen Elizabeth: little Lillie Henderson. as Daughter of the Regiment; Miss Agnes Conway, as Anne of Austria; Miss Beach, as Juliet; Mrs. Cronk, as Topsy; Jas. Wise, as Prince of 'Frisco; W. G. Baker, as Duke of Essex; E. D. Porter, as Cassius; J. D. Rainwatter, as officer in Confederate Army; C. A. Powell, as Thomas Jefferson; Mayor F. C. Williams, as Hamlet; Mr. Coyle, as Brother Jon- athan; G. B. Young, as George Washington; P. H. Head, as Royal Guardsman; M. W. Stafford, as Oxford Student; Jas. M. Leonard, as Charles II; W. E. Maynard, as King Henry VIII; A. D. Coon, as Sir Peter Teazle; W. H. Picher, as Sitting Bull; Mose Weiler and Joe Frank- lin, as Crusaders.
THE RISELING BUILDING
A few years ago there was a funny story that went the rounds about the Bingville school board. The story briefly told was as follows: The district had outgrown the schoolhouse and it was voted to build a new one and in order to economize, it was decided to use the bricks in the old school with which to build the new temple of learning, and to the end that no time be lost, it was further agreed to use the old schoolhouse until the new building was completed. Joplin, during the first boom days, had a parallel to the above and, although a larger and substantial house was not built from an old one, a new and larger store was actually built around an old structure while an extensive and profitable business was being carried on, without the loss of a single day's occupancy of the store.
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During the summer of 1876, Levi Riseling built at the corner of Third and Main street a two-story brick store room, fifty by one hundred feet, in and around a two-story frame building which he was using as a gen- eral hardware and furniture store.
The shelving was first moved in from the north and south side of the room and a temporary wooden water-shed built. After placing props under the roof the side walls were torn down, the foundation dug and the massive walls of the brick store put up. The new building extended further back than the old house and the rear wall was built at the same time as the side walls. On the completion of these three walls, tem- porary center-pieces were put in and the roof built over the old house.
The old frame was then torn down and as much of the lumber as was available was used in the new structure; in fact, almost every par- ticle of timber in the old building, excepting the shingles and siding, were put to some use. All the time that this work was going on, a large business was being carried on, some five or six clerks being employed in the store, besides a couple of delivery wagons which were in use all the time. Of course, during this time the stock of goods was shifted a great many times to accommodate the daily changing conditions. All of the men employed in building were paid off each night at the close of the day's work and out of the sales of the day's business.
THE EAST JOPLIN SCHOOL
Mr. Ormsby was succeeded as principal of the East Joplin school by S. A. Underwood. Mr. Underwood was a good organizer and brought the schools up to a high standard, retiring in 1877, when he was elected county superintendent of schools. For notes on his administration as county commissioner the reader is referred to the chapter on "Educa- tional Matters."
The teaching force in East Joplin during the Centennial year com- prised the following, with the number enrolled by each on the first day of the term : S. A. Underwood, principal, 40; U. B. Webster, 60; Josie Culpepper, 70; Anna Whitwell, 80; total, 250. With two hundred and fifty pupils in the four rooms the first day, one can readily imagine the ingenuity it required to plan for the school when all the pupils are en- rolled. Mr. Underwood devised a system of hearing recitation under these trying circumstances.
THE WEST JOPLIN SCHOOLS
Mr. Arnold continued in charge of the West Joplin Schools during 1874-6, under the same conditions as at the organization, with one as- sistant in the brick building at 4th and Pennsylvania, and two assistants at the Methodist church, Fourth and Kentucky.
At the close of the term in the spring of 1875, public exercises were conducted in the several rooms and the Joplin Daily News published
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the names of the pupils who had made in, the closing examinations, a grade of 90 per cent. or more.
The following were in the honor list : Emma Giles, 100; Artie Spencer (A. E.), 100; Ordie Allen, 99.5; Ethel Holman, 98; Emma Bingham, 98; Ida Miller, 98; Millie Smith, 98; Gee Howell, 98; Elsie Mitchell, 97.5; Mamie McClaren, 97.5; Phoebe Reubart, 97.5; Laura McAdams, 97.5; Clarence Franz, 97; Isabel Irwin, 97; Jack Dolan, 97; Wilson Mc- Adams, 97; Frank Reed, 97; Frank Warren, 96; Frank Hobbs, 96; Addie Irwin, 96; Willie Henrichs, 95.5; Anna McClarren, 95; Caddie Goodwin, 94.4; Almanda Prewitt, 94; Joe Reibart, 93.5; Mamie Alley, 93; Ella Weidener, 92.5; Mamie Holman, 92.5; Mamie Norton, 92; and Martha Caldwell, 92.
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