USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people > Part 24
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THE MISSOURI AND NORTHWESTERN
In 1879 the Missouri and Northwestern Railway, now the 'Frisco, was built from Oronogo to Joplin and the cars were running before the close of the year.
When the road was first built it was a branch line and was operated as such until the 'nineties when the main-line train began running
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through Joplin. J. L. Briggs was the first agent of the 'Frisco Railway Company in Joplin.
THE KANSAS CITY, FORT SCOTT AND GULF
During 1879 the Kansas City, Ft. Scott and Gulf, later the Memphis route and now a part of the 'Frisco system was built to Joplin and the train began running in October, 1879.
A CITY OF HOLES
As mentioned before, the early mining of Joplin was shallow digging and, too often, when the miner had mined out the first pocket struck he abandoned the shaft. In time this left the city with hundreds of aban- doned mines and the Carthage Banner very appropriately spoke of Jop- lin during the latter 'seventies as the City of Holes. It was not until a number of accidents had happened, and several deaths had occurred, be- fore the owners of the land and the miners were compelled to fill up the abandoned mines in close proximity to the streets and largely traveled roads.
DEATH OF JOSHUA P. TAYLOR
The following article, clipped from the Daily News, August 12, 1877, will illustrate how dangerous was the conditions of the locality during the 'seventies: "Never before have we been called upon to chronicle an affair with as great sorrow as we now record the terrible and sudden death of Joshua P. Taylor, the foreman of the Daily News. Saturday evening Mr. Taylor left the office in company with a fellow-craftsman, an old-time acquaintance, and to please him, who had heard so much of Joplin, they took a stroll over the city. They remained on West Main street until near ten o'clock, when they passed down on Broadway, merely through curiosity. The night was dark and they missed their way and Mr. Taylor who was in advance, fell head-long into a shaft which opened its cavernous jaws to receive him. His companion gave the alarm, and in a few moments the shaft was surrounded by sturdy miners, a windlass and rope were immediately procured, and they soon had the dying man at the top. He was taken to his residence on Joplin street, where a more careful examination of his injuries was made. His scalp was found cut in three places, and his skull slightly fractured. No bones were broken, but he received internal injuries to the lungs which showed that death was inevitable. His wife up to this time had been led to be- lieve that his wounds were slight, and when informed that medical skill could not save him her grief was indeed painful to witness. At half past two o'clock Sunday morning the spirit of Joshua P. Taylor took its flight and the circle of friends who stood about his couch beheld only the in- animate remains of one whom they had learned to love and admire for his noble qualities and goodness of heart.
"The remains were then taken charge of by the Masonic fraternity, of
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which the deceased had long been an honored member. His death will be learned with profound sorrow by his old associates both in the East and West, and many a printer who has been his companion in the past will drop a tear to his memory."
SOMETHING ABOUT BLACK JACK
Toward the close of the 'seventies zinc had come into considerable prominence in the mining district. We publish here a clipping from the Daily News, April 4, 1878, which gives an idea of the manner it steadily crept into prominence: "The dissatisfaction existing among many miners concerning the prices paid for black jack, arises in many cases from the fact that to us in the southwest zinc ore is but imperfectly understood, it having been a remarkable product here only within the past three or four years. Until within the last two and a half years the price paid for it was so small that but few miners cared to handle it; in fact, it did not pay them to do so unless they had a solid face of the rosin ore on which to work. This being the case, and consequently not being experts, they find it to be a difficult matter to distinguish between first class ores and those of lower grades.
"Black jack at present is quoted at $11 a ton for 'strictly first-class' ore, and that is all that is paid for it. But there is ore which is graded even above ,'first class,' and which commands a premium in the market. Only two mines yielding such ore are found in the southwest, which are on Parr hill and operated by Hoffman & Saunders and Barbee & Mc- Clelland. This ore is much better than any other now mined and com- mands about thirty-three per cent. more in the market. Consequently, many labor under the impression that their ore should be worth as much as the Parr hill article because, not being experts, they cannot distinguish the difference in the grades.
"Why the Parr hill ore should be any better than any other in the same locality is a matter which even the most expert geologists have not been able to explain. The presence of iron, salvage, mundic and other impurities tend greatly to reduce the value of the article, and we have noticed that those who take the most pains to clean their ore always re- ceive the highest price. It should be well cleaned, for if it is not the buyer must not only pay for cleaning it himself, but must pay freights to distant points on the dirt as well as the ore. This fact the buyer takes into consideration, and the result is, the miner who sells dirty ore must pay all those expenses, which reduces the value of his ore. As soon as southwest miners become as well acquainted with zinc ore as they are with lead ore and as able to grade it, then transactions between them and buyers will be far more pleasant than at present."
BOARD OF TRADE
On October 31, 1877, the Joplin Board of Trade was organized, its charter list representing nearly every line of business in the city. Shortly
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after its organization that body made a trip to Kansas City for the pur- pose of becoming better acquainted with the wholesale interests and to catch a few pointers on up-to-date merchandising. The trip was both pleasant and profitable.
BUILDING OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
In 1876 the Rev. D. K. Campbell of Alleghany City, Pennsylvania, came to the Joplin field and took charge of the First Presbyterian church. Rev. Campbell was sent to the Joplin charge by the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions. West Joplin had now passed East Joplin in point of size and it was the sense of the new pastor that the church would cover a larger field of activity if the congregation was moved to West town, and, accordingly, the half interest which the Presbyterians owned in the East Joplin church was sold back to the South Methodists and the church moved to the west side, taking temporary quarters in Fergu- son's hall at Fourth and Main streets.
Measures were now taken to erect a church building and Col. O. S. Picher, father of O. H. and W. H. Picher, of the Picher Lead Company, donated a lot seventy by one hundred and ten feet at the northeast corner of Seventh and Main streets, and there a brick church was erected in 1877, the edifice being dedicated the first Sabbath in September of that year.
Rev. Cyrus H. Dunlap, of Springfield, preached the dedicatory ser- mon and was assisted by the Rev. W. S. Knight of Carthage. The bell (now in the belfry of the Bethany church, South Joplin) was a gift to the society of John H. Taylor, who, at that time, was a citizen of Carth- age. At the time the congregation entered its new home the church mem- bership was thirty-five.
THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS
April 26, 1877, the natal day of the three-linked fraternity, was duly celebrated in Joplin. The parade, which included the several lodges of the county and the encampments of Joplin and Carthage, was followed by the exercises at the Tabernacle. The oration of the day was delivered by John W. McAntire and those who heard the address pronounced it his masterpiece.
THE ANCIENT ORDER OF UNITED WORKMEN
Fraternal insurance, which now is exceedingly popular throughout the land, first came into prominent notice through the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and while that society is not the pioneer in fraternal insurance it may properly be said that it was popularized by this or- ganization.
Joplin Lodge No. 34 was organized November 19, 1877, with the fol- lowing charter members : T. J. Howell, W. B. Halyard, J. C. Faulkender, L. C. Hamilton, H. L. Checkering, John Page, Ira Creech, H. C. Combs,
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John Gibbons, John Rousch, F. L. Combs, Jacob Schlars, W. J. Husted, A. E. McGregor, S. H. Caldwell, J. C. Gastos, Philip Arnold and L. A. Fillmore.
THE WHITE LEAD WORKS
During the year 1877 the first plant of the White Lead Works was built and from then to now, the lead factory has been the pride of all Joplin and perhaps its most widely-advertised institution.
Prior to the building of these works, lead was smelted by the old process and a considerable portion of the lead fumes went up in smoke; in fact, the best and most experienced smelters would lose at least one- third of the lead in this manner.
E. O. Bartlett, of Philadelphia, conceived the idea of catching the lead fumes, extracting them from the smoke and thus save the millions of dollars formerly lost in the smelting process.
For ten years, from 1866 to 1876, he experimented with a process which he had thought out. At length, in 1876, feeling certain that he had worked out the process satisfactorily, he came to Joplin and asked permission of Moffet & Sergeant to erect a small experimental lead fac- tory at the smelter of the Lone Elm Mining & Smelting Company. This firm, quick to see the value of an invention of this kind, granted the permission and the process was attached to all of the eyes in their lead furnaces. The experiment was a success and Mr. Bartlett patented his process.
A company was now organized, consisting of Messrs. E. O. Bartlett, Moffet & Sergeant and Geo. T. Lewis, to build white lead works using the new process. The first plant cost $80,000 and was a frame structure. This factory turned out a high grade of lead spelter and also manufac- tured pure and sublimated white lead which is sold in all the markets of the world; the United States government is a purchaser from this factory, using the Joplin white lead to paint the battleships of the navy. The lead works are now owned and operated by the Picher Lead Company. A further mention of this wonderful process will be made in our notes of the last decade.
THE GRANBY SMELTER
During the fall of 1877 the Granby Mining and Smelting Company erected a large furnace in Lone Elm. This smelter employed a large force of men and smelted the lead from their lands, but during the 'eighties the plant was abandoned and torn down.
THE JOPLIN OPERA HOUSE
The Blackwell (Joplin) Opera House was built in 1877, and was for its time a nice show-house. The amusement hall occupied the second floor of a business block between First and Second, and H. H. Haven was the manager of the theater. The house was opened September 17th, with Blanche De Barr in "Fair Women." The Joplin was a popular
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show house until the middle 'eighties, and a number of old-time stars appeared before its footlights, among them Fay Templeton and Blind Tom.
THE "HERALD"
On March 4, 1877, the Sunday Herald made its first appearance in Joplin and was published as a weekly until November, when it was changed to a daily and continued as such until 1901, when it consoli- dated with the Daily News under the name of the Joplin News-Herald.
The Herald was ably edited by A. W. Carson, more commonly known as Kit Carson, and from its beginning was a popular sheet. Mr. Car- son was quick to see the funny side of life and often chronicled the happenings of the day in a humorous vein. He, too, had a faculty of knowing what was news and its columns were both interesting and spicy. Politically, the Herald was Democratic. In compiling the remaining pages of this book the author will quote frequently from the Herald, a full file of which is at the Carnegie Library, a gift to that institution by Mr. Carson some years before his death.
THE MINERS' BANK
In 1877 the private banking house of P. Murphy & Company opened its doors to the public. Patrick Murphy was its president and Frank Kershaw cashier. A year later Mr. Murphy became associated with T. K. Tootle of St. Joseph, T. K. Hanna of Kansas City, and C. H. Brew- ster of Boonville, and its name was changed to the Miners' Bank, which was chartered as a state institution. The officers of the reorganized in- stitution were: P. Murphy, president ; C. H. Brewster, vice president; Frank Kershaw, cashier.
The great confidence which the citizens of Joplin had in Pat Murphy, together with the financial reputation of the Tooles of St. Joseph brought to the bank a large business.
JOPLIN GAS WORKS
On September 19, 1876, C. E. Gray, Henry Flood and A. B. Bowman, of St. Louis, met with the city council in special session and submitted a proposition to erect gas works in Joplin and pipe it through the city. The proposition seemed fair and was accepted, an ordinance granting a franchise being passed by that body. C. J. Lewis of Lawrence, Kansas, a construction engineer of ability, was engaged to superintend the work. Material for the construction was at once ordered and in Decem- ber the work of laying mains and building the plant was commenced. On March 4th, the same day that the Herald made its first publication, fires were placed in the benches, and on the 24th day of the same month Joplin was illuminated for the first time. The Herald in its issue of March 25th says: "The gas works were completed a few days ago and gas turned into the main for the first time last night. Considering that
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it is the first production of the works, it burns exceedingly well. This is the grandest feather that has ever been stuck in Joplin's cap. The speedy manner in which the works have been pushed forward to com- pletion merits for the company the thanks of the citizens of this city."
The gas plant and reservoir were located between the two towns on Joplin creek just south of Broadway. C. J. Lewis, the superintendent of the works, remained with the company until 1887, when he accepted a similar position with the Hannibal Water Company, of Hannibal, Mis- souri.
THE FRANCIS MURPHY MOVEMENT
The early months of 1878 saw in Joplin a great temperance revival in the Murphy Red Ribbon Movement which swept over the country that year. The meetings were held in the Tabernacle and for three months were nightly attended by thousands of people, the house not being able to hold the vast audiences that nightly crowded the old church build- ing. This movement resulted in a closing of the Sunday saloon for a time and was the beginning of a movement to close the stores on Sun- day. Twelve thousand men in Joplin signed the pledge and joined the Red Ribbon Club during this temperance crusade.
THE OLD SKATING RINK
Early in the fall of 1877 the roller skate made its first appearance in Joplin and a rink was opened in the old Tabernacle, the chairs being carried out during the week and brought back for the Sunday services. One half of the proceeds of the skating rink went to the church. The amusement became very popular and was enjoyed both by old and young.
On December 31, 1877, a skating contest was held, the following per- sons being entered : E. D. Porter, Mayor F. C. Williams, Wm. Pyle, George Good, Frank Bingham, Rev. J. C. Plumb, Marshal Cass Hamil- ton, Dorie Davis and C. W. Glover.
Mesdames J. C. Shepherd, G. B. Revis, G. A. Case, J. C. Mason, A. C. Pyle and C. J. Lewis.
Misses Sue Leonard, now Mrs. A. H. Warte, Fannie Davis and Miss Blackwill.
E. D. Porter was voted the most graceful skater and was the social lion of the evening.
FIRE DEPARTMENT REORGANIZED
On October 5, 1877, a fire broke out on the east side of West Main street between Third and Fourth and destroyed the entire block, the loss being estimated at $50,000.00. The fire department responded, but the only good that was accomplished was the saving of other buildings on the opposite side of the street. This fire impressed the city with the necessity for an improvement in the fire service and the department was increased and reorganized; that is, more men were enlisted in the volun-
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teer companies, so that it would be easier to run with the apparatus to the fire.
The following were the members of the new company : Foreman, F. M. Chinnourth ; first assistant foreman, E. Tschappler; second assistant foreman, W. J. Rusch.
Truckmen : G. B. Carney, John Houk, Sol Wallace and Wm. Chappen.
Pumpmen : J. Anderson, F. A. Taylor, S. Shellenbarger, F. Hiatt, T. Turtling, J. Grant, D. A. Fox, and C. Adams.
Nozzlemen : D. Chennawith. A. L. Willia. J. N. Dunnigan and J. W. Johnson.
Linemen : J. Shellenbarger, D. Hood, G. W. Mitchell and L. A. Hin- ton.
Officers : President, Walter Miller ; secretary, A. O. Tennis; treasurer, L. A. Fillmore. The last named man, L. A. Fillmore, was a fire fighter of experience having been a member of the Elsworth famous Fire Zou- aves in Chicago, and was from the organization of the volunteer depart- ment in 1872 to the day the paid department was established in 1893 a member of the volunteer fire department.
THE JOPLIN EXPOSITION
In July, 1879, the Joplin Exposition Company was organized by the leading business men of Joplin and with the following officers : President, S. C. Henderson; vice president, John C. Guinn; secretary, T. A. Mc- Cleland; treasurer, P. Murphy ; general superintendent, Isaac N. Lamb. A forty acre tract of land in the southwestern part of the city was pur- chased and a race track, agricultural hall, grandstand and stables were built. The first fair was held from October 14th to 18th inclusive and was a marked success.
HARMON'S FOUNDRY AND LECKIE'S MACHINE WORKS
1877 also saw the building of another important industry, the Har- mon foundry. This institution was greatly welcomed in Joplin, because it brought to the mining district a plant where the mining machinery and heavy castings used in the mines could be made at home. The next year, William Leckie established the Joplin Machine Works and, in addition to a foundry, put in a complete machine shop and boiler works. These two plants gave Joplin excellent facilities for the making and quick re- pair of heavy machinery.
The following little sketch of the old Harmon Foundry was written for us by the proprietor; the proprietor of the Joplin foundry was Mr. W. S. Harmon, who came to Joplin in June, 1877, from Vandalia, Illi- nois, where he had operated a foundry for eleven years. "In coming to Joplin I experienced trouble in getting a location to build a foundry. No land owners wanted to sell what I wanted, one acre, and told me that Joplin was not a manufacturing but a mining town. There was not a manufactory here outside of the lead smelters. I was about to abandon the idea of building a foundry and go to Wichita, Kansas, when I met
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Mr. E. R. Moffet, president of the Lone Elm Mining & Smelting Com- pany, on June 3, 1877. He wanted to know what I was doing about building the foundry. My reply was 'I have the building contracted, but no place to put it.' Mr. Moffet's reply was: 'If that's all you want, select your location and I will give you a lease free for twenty-five years.' I asked him, 'When will you do it ?' He said 'Tonight. Meet me at the company's office, Fourth and Main streets, and I will have our attorney, Mr. L. P. Cunningham, draw up the lease.' The lease being made, the first foundry building was commenced July 4, 1877, and the first iron. was melted August 15, 1877. The first molders employed were John Fra- zer; John Rogers, now of the Rogers foundry ; Lewis Lilley, apprentice; Robert Whittle, engineer. These men came with me from Vandalia, Illi- nois. The first patternmaker to work in Joplin was John McGuire.
"The foundry continued in successful operation until April 3, 1880. The White Lead Works were burned April 3, 1880, and this fire de- stroyed my foundry after I had successfully demonstrated that a foundry could be run here and made to pay. Just as quick as I could count my dollars, I contracted with Mr. Joseph Wooten to build me a store and brick building, one hundred by sixty feet, which was finished and put in operation August 20, 1880. I continued to operate this foundry and machine shop until September 1, 1886, when I leased it to Mr. John Schellenbeck for three years. During the time I operated the foundry I thought I made so much money that I would have to go to California to invest it. I went and returned in time to take my foundry and machine shop back from Mr. John Schellenbeck, and then continued to operate it until September 1, 1893. I then sold it to Messrs. James McKinney and Ross King, and, under their management the property was again de- stroyed by fire and never rebuilt."
THE SCHOOLS
East Joplin-At the spring election of 1877 Prof. S. A. Underwood, of the East Joplin school, was elected county school commissioner and was succeeded by James A. Race, who was a scholar of high attainments and whose administration was highly satisfactory. G. W. Mckinney was principal of the school in 1878 and Theodore H. Riffey in 1879.
West Joplin-Prof. J. C. Mason of the Carthage schools was employed as superintendent of the West Joplin schools in the spring of 1877 and at once organized a high school in the Ferguson hall.
For the fall term the Christian church was rented and a canvas partition strung across the center of the church, thus dividing the main audience room into two parts. Professor Mason taught the high school in one end of the church and L. Z. Barr, the Christian minister, taught the seventh and eighth grades in the other end of the room. The Old Brick, the Fourth street frame and the Smelter Hill schools were also used, making a total of eight teachers in the West side school.
In the spring of 1878 the first public school exhibition took place in Vol. 1-14
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the Tabernacle. One thousand people were in attendance. Miss Alma Sergeant, later Mrs. C. Craycroft, read the salutatory address and Jack Dolan, C. B. Revis and others who later became prominent in Joplin life, took part. Before the arranging of a regular high school course of study it was customary for the pupils to go, before the county school commis- sioner and take the regular teacher's examination, the certificate, if granted, taking the place of a diploma. The first pupils in the Joplin school to take the examination and successfully pass were James R. Thomas and Fannie Paddock.
In 1878 Mrs. Milner established a Young Ladies Seminary and this was largely attended. In 1878 the original two rooms of the old Central building were constructed and Joplin closed out the first decade with five school buildings (in its three districts) and employed fourteen teachers.
CITY POLITICS
The following city officers served Joplin from October, 1877, to Oc- tober, 1878: Mayor, F. E. Williams; councilmen-C. F. Taylor, C. J. G. Workizer, I. W. Gilbert, W. H. Kilgore, M. Clark, George Parks, W. L. Cole, E. Rayner (removed), L. M. Abbott (to fill vacancy) and A. W. Pyle (to fill vacancy caused by resignation of Ira W. Gilbert). Marshal, L. C. Hamilton; police judge, W. B. McAntire; city attorney, John C. Trigg; treasurer, G. W. Alway ; clerk, J. P. Newell; collector. T. A. Mc- Clelland; assessor, P. L. Swartz; street commissioner, T. M. Fall.
The election of October, 1877, was a hot one. Sixteen hundred yards of muslin were used for banners and every candidate had from five to a dozen hacks with which to carry the voters to the polls.
Officers from October, 1878, to October, 1879 : Mayor, R. M. Roberts; councilmen, W. H. Kilgore, C. T. Taylor, D. C. McConey, Geo. Parker, Julius Hewitt, J. E. Guthrey, William Allen and W. E. Manard; mar- shal, L. C. Hamilton, police judge, W. B. McAntire; city attorney, J. C. Trigg; treasurer, A. C. Pyle; city clerk, J. C. Chatterman; collector, F. E. Williams; assessor, J. W. Davis, and street commissioner, F. M. Fall.
A. C. Pyle, the treasurer, was a miner who had met with the mis- fortune of losing his eyesight by going back on a premature shot, and the boys in sympathy, although blind, elected him treasurer. The Miners' Bank kept the books for him and he drew the salary in the nature of a pension from the boys on the ground.
Officers from October, 1879, to October, 1880 : Mayor, W. E. Maynard; councilmen, C. F. Taylor (removed), Thomas Connor (elected to fill the vacancy), W. L. Harris, Hugh Dyer, L. Horr, P. J. Cyphert, J. A. Hewitt, L. A. Fillmore and J. E. Guthrey ; marshal, L. C. Hamilton; police judge, W. B. McAntire; city attorney, F. M. Redburn; treasurer, A. C. Pyle; city clerk, J. P. Newell; collector, F. E. Williams, and street commissioner, T. W. Fall.
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