USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. : from the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1915 biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 9
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Real estate values were remarkably low in St. Joseph up to 1886. A wave of speculation swept the country at about that time, and, though St. Joseph did not escape the craze, she suffered less than her neighbors from the reaction. On the contrary, the city was, generally speaking, benefited. From a complaisant lethargy there sprang energy, progressiveness and confidence. Values went up, outside capital was attracted, and to the conservatives there was unfolded a future of which there had been many early prophecies.
The first five months of 1886 saw real estate speculation at its height. Addition upon addition was platted and people scrambled to obtain lots at the first sale-to "get in on the ground floor," as the saying was. Real estate agents were without number, and on Francis street there was a Real Estate Exchange, where property
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was listed on the blackened walls of a store room. Among the first new additions upon the market early in the boom was St. Joseph Eastern Extension, then came Saxton Heights, Wyatt Park, Mc- Cool's, Walker's and others.
Suburban property had the call of the speculators. As an evi- dence of the permanent benefits of the real estate flurry one need but to compare the city of 1886 with the city of the present. At that time there were not more than fifty houses east of Twenty- second street, and few between that and Eighteenth street. All was in grass and of no value except to the dairymen, who pastured their cows thereon. McCool's and Walker's additions, on the north, were in small farms or vacant. Now Wyatt Park is a populous suburb of modern dwellings; there is a street railway, there are paved streets, city water, churches, schools, fire protection, etc. The other additions likewise show up well. As a result of the boom the Wyatt Park, the Jule street and the Messanie street lines of electric cars are running today. As a result of the boom Krug Park and the city parks were opened and beautified. As a result of the boom St. Joseph has now many miles of streets paved with asphaltum, brick and macadam. And there is much more that might be added.
From 1885 to 1893 was the most momentous period in the city's history. To what has been mentioned above may be added the Rock Island railway, east and west; the Chicago Great Western north and south; the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, and the St. Joseph Terminal Company. The Y. M. C. A. building, the Com- mercial block, Center block, Carbry block, Zimmerman buildings, Irish-American building, Ballinger building, C. D. Smith building, Van Natta-Lynds building, Wyeth building, Crawford theatre, the Podvant and Donovan buildings, Coulter Manufacturing Company's building, France building, Central police station, Turner Hall, the Moss building, Samuels block, the Saxton & Hendricks building; also those massive piles of architecture occupied by the Richard- son, Roberts & Byrne Dry Goods Company; Tootle, Wheeler & Motter; the Wood Manufacturing Company; the Michau block, the Hughes building, and the block on the north side of Felix, west of Sixth street-all are to the credit. of that prosperous era.
Blacksnake and Mitchell avenue sewers were built and the drainage system of the city perfected, the city electric lighting plant erected and the entire street railway system placed upon an electrical basis. Numerous manufacturing ventures were launched, some of which did not survive, however; notably the steel car works, the stove works and the nail mills.
A bureau of statistics and information did much during 1889-90 to attract the attention of eastern capital, and the Board of Trade was then, as now, a prominent factor for the commercial advance- ment of the city. The foundation of the present pretentious live stock market and meat packing industry was laid in 1887, and dur- ing the following five years three packing plants were established.
The financial depression of 1893 checked the progress of St.
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Joseph somewhat, and but little of magnitude was done until 1897, when a fresh impetus was given the city by a revival on a gigantic scale of the meat-packing industry. The stock yards passed into the control of Swift & Co. of Chicago, and two of the largest plants in the world-one by Swift & Co. and one by Nelson Morris & Co .-. were erected in 1897 and placed in operation in April of 1898.
A couple of years later a large and modern plant was built by the Hammond Packing Company. It has since passed to the con- trol of the Armours. The livestock market has developed wonder- fully, and St. Joseph is one of the principal packing centers of the United States.
Real estate values, which fell during the period of depression, are looking up; many tenements are building, and the season of 1897-98 is marked as one of the most active in the history of the city for mechanics and laborers. There is, indeed, much in the prospect which the future historian may tell.
CHAPTER IX.
THE MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF ST. JOSEPH-THE OLD CITY CHARTER AND THE EVILS THAT WERE WROUGHT UNDER ITS PROVISIONS-BONDS ISSUED WITH ASTONISHING RECKLESSNESS -THE CITY SCRIP AND OTHER METHODS OF RELIEF-THE NEW CHARTER, ITS PROVISIONS AND VALUE-HOW THE CITY IS GOVERNED.
As the community progressed and developed, the scope of the town charter became too narrow, and the people sought relief at the hands of the legislature. Accordingly, a new charter was obtained, early in 1851. The following, from the minutes of the town trustees, shows how the way was paved for the new municipal government :
"March 24, 1851.
"Board met at the call of the chairman for the purpose of lay- ing the city into convenient wards and for the ordering of election of city officers. Present: James A. Anthony, R. W. Donnell, Lewis Tracy, A. Dillon, W. M. Carter, James A. Cochran.
"On motion, ordered that the town be laid off for the purpose of elections into the following wards: First Ward is all that por- tion of the town lying south of Edmond street; Second Ward, all that portion of the town lying north of Edmond and south of Jule street; Third Ward is all that portion of the town lying north of Jule street, extending from the river to the eastern boundary of the city.
"On motion, ordered that an election be held on the first Mon- day in April, 1851, for the election of a mayor of the city, six coun- cilmen, two from each ward, and a city marshal. And that John A. Devorss, William Langston and Conrad Crawley be appointed judges of election for the First Ward, and that said election be held for the First Ward at the Missouri Hotel; that John Cargill, Joseph B. Smith and William Dillon be appointed judges of said election for the Second Ward, to be held at the office of Lewis Tracy, Esq. ; that John H. Whitehead, David Frank and Neely Fitz- gerald be appointed judges of said election for the Third Ward, te be held at the steam mill of John Whitehead."
The following is a copy of the minutes of the first meeting of the mayor and council of the City of St. Joseph :
"Monday, April 14, 1851.
"City council met and took the oath of office and was duly organized. Present: His Honor the mayor, Israel Landis, William M. Carter, John Angel, James B. Pendleton, James A. Anthony and John H. Whitehead.
"On motion, the council proceedled to choose from their num-
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ber a president pro tem, whereupon William M. Carter was declared duly elected.
"On motion, the council adjourned until 2 o'clock p. m."
The mayor, councilmen and marshal were the only officers elected at first. The mayor and council appointed the following other officers at the ensuing meetings: Milton H. Wash, city regis- ter; Alexander W. Terrell, city attorney; John Curd, treasurer; Isadore Poulin, assessor; Charles Schreiber, city engineer; John- son Copeland, street commissioner ; Dr. J. H. Crane, health officer ; V. Tullar, market master; R. L. McGhee, wharf master.
There were no municipal buildings of any kind in those days, and the council paid one-half of Lawyer Terrell's office rent for quarters for the mayor and a meeting place for the council. F. M. Wright, who was the first marshal, had to look out for himself, as did also several of his successors.
The mayor had jurisdiction as a justice and the marshal was the sole guardian of the peace at first. Offenders were brought before the mayor and tried. A room in the old county jail, that stood on the court house hill, was used as a workhouse, and the street commissioner had charge of the city prisoners, who were generally employed on the streets.
In 1852-53 a market house was built on the site of the present city hall. In August of 1855 the workhouse was established in a two-story stone building that gave way, in 1884, to the present structure. The market house was supplanted by the present city hall in 1873.
In January of 1858 the office of city recorder was established and the mayor relieved of the judicial power. A police department was also created at the same time and the marshal was given six policemen. As the marshal was also the tax collector, the police duty fell largely to his deputy and assistants, who were styled the "city guard." This order continued until 1866, when a collector was provided by an amendment to the charter. In 1885 the offices of collector and treasurer were combined. The recorder was ex- officio justice of the peace until 1889, and the name of the office was changed to "police judge" in 1893. The marshal's office con- tinued until St. Joseph became a city of the second class.
The city had three wards until 1864. The First Ward was all of the corporate territory south of Edmond street, the Second Ward was bounded by Edmond and Jule streets, and the Third Ward was north of Jule street. When, by an increase of population and an extension of the boundaries, five wards became necessary, the ter- ritory was divided as follows: First Ward, north of a line extend- ing through Poulin, Corby and Colhoun streets; Second Ward, between Faraon street and the southern boundary of the First Ward; Third Ward, between Faraon and Edmond street; Fourth . Ward, between Edmond and Olive streets; Fifth Ward, south of Olive. When the limits were again extended in 1889 the territory was divided into eight wards.
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The municipal history of St. Joseph is unique in more ways than one, and offers a rare field, especially for the students of pioneer city financiering.
The provisions of the charter were good-too good to suit the people, because it restrained the council from creating an indebted- ness exceeding $1,000. In 1853 and 1855 other descents were made upon the legislature, and amendments secured authorizing the city to "subscribe for the capital stock of railroads, and for erecting wharves and protecting the banks of the Missouri" against the encroachments of that changeful stream. This was well enough for a year or two, and thousands of dollars were voted by the people for the above purposes. But as the Western country settled up new schemes for investing city funds were devised, and a fourth call on the legislature, in 1857, secured the passage of another bill. authorizing the mayor and councilmen "to subscribe for the capital stock of any railroad terminating at or near said city, or for the stock of any other improvement tending to promote the genera interest and prosperity of the city."
The people apparently voted yes on almost every proposition submitted to them, for the records of the defeat of measures of thi kind are few and far between. The people evidently reasoned tha the only great city in the West must give a certificate to that effec in the shape of an indebtedness of a million or so. They also prob ably argued that future generations would pay these debts so con tracted.
With laws such as the above, and in the swift times in which they prevailed, it is no wonder that the question of voting a few thousands of bonds was regarded so lightly. Bonds were voted for almost any purpose, and the interest was almost invariably fixed at from 8 to 10 per cent. Some of these bonds went for railroad which were never built; others for a road which was built anc afterwards abandoned; others still for the bridge, for river in provements, for building macadamized roads, and other scheme supposed to benefit the city-all given with a free hand for th asking.
Of course there were halts called now and then by thinki- men-but usually they were of short duration-and the jolly givi of gold went merrily on, until the state constitution of 1870 put limit to city indebtedness, prohibiting its exceeding 5 per cent ( the city's assessed valuation.
In those days the council proceedings, instead of being dull an prosy accounts of resolutions ordering sidewalks repaired or ord nances ordering district sewers, as in these days, were in the natur of a meeting of railroad builders, resolutions directing superintenc ent this or manager that to buy flat cars, hire engines, or buy rai road ties, being of frequent occurrence.
Further amendments to the charter later on prohibited t. expenditure of money beyond the receipts of the city. It wl thought for a time that this provision would at least prevent th incurring of further indebtedness, but this was a false hope, ar
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soon a scheme was devised that circumvented the law. The council estimated the receipts at the beginning of the year, and went on appropriating from this estimate, totally regardless of whether it was collected or not. As a consequence, city warrants were soon below par, although bearing interest at 6 per cent.
Something else must be done, and in 1878 Mayor Joseph A. Pinger brought relief with a city scrip. One and two-dollar war- rants, resembling government bills, non-interest bearing, were is- sued to the extent of $100,000 for home circulation, which con- tained upon their face the city's promise of redemption. The "ones and twos," as they were called, served a good purpose. Though there was some question as to the legality of the city's action in the premises, the people took them and they passed at par, and were finally redeemed. The redemption, however, was not brought about until the business men of the city, harassed beyond forbearance by the necessity of continuous handling of this city "money," its de- lapidated condition, and the urgency for exchanging it for money for use in all outside business transactions, insisted that the council should provide ways for retiring the scrip. In 1885-6, the first year of the city under its new charter, $35,000 worth of scrip was redeemed by the city and destroyed; the following year $25,- 000 was called in and burned, and in two years more it was prac- tically all in. A city "bill" or scrip is now regarded as a curiosity. The first city pills paid out in each denomination were secured by William B. McNutt, then chief of the first department.
Use of this "money" being confined to the city, little else was seen in ordinary transactions. This constant circulation soon re- duced it to a dilapidated condition, necessitating the renewal of a large portion of it, under Mayor Posegate, in 1882. An attempt to replace it again in 1885 was frustrated by Gen. James Craig, then comptroller, who refused to certify to the ordinance carrying an ppropriation of $800 for that purpose, on the ground that the entire transaction was illegal. The appearance of government offi- cials on the ground to investigate the matter about this time, to- gether with the demand of the merchants, settled the fate of city scrip. In the matter of interest the scrip saved the taxpayers between $65,000 and $75,000.
n But times grew harder and harder for the city. People began to fuse to pay taxes, and in the latter part of the 70's and early 80's the council tried to evade part of the city's debt, declaring it in- valid, but better judgment finally prevailed, the means were found to pay the interest falling due, and steps were taken in 1882 to refund all that was left of the high interest bearing bonds. This only partly succeeded at the time, but it was the entering wedge to the settlement of the debt.
In 1884 the indebtedness of the city was, in round numbers, about $2,250,000, of which $210,000 was a floating debt in the shape of warrants, one-half of which was interest bearing, the ther half being sham money; $40,000 in judgments, interest and claims against the city. Then there was a bonded debt of about
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$2,000,000. The city had issued bonds for the following purposes : River and improvement, $200,000; gas plant, $25,000; macadam road from Elwood to Wathena, $25,000 ; St. Joseph & Denver Rail- road, $500,000 ; bridge, $500,000 ; Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad, $210,000; Missouri Valley Railroad, $150,000; St. Joseph & Topeka Railroad, $50,000. The other figures necessary to round out the two millions are furnished by bonds issued to pro- vide money to grade streets and cover deficiencies in the treasury. At the same time there was due the city in back taxes about $150,000.
It was at this time that the howl, loud and long, went up for a change of some sort. Taxation was doubly onerous, the city's credit was nil, interest-bearing warrants were at a discount of from 10 to 20 per cent, and the "ones and twos" were in such a wretchedly dilapidated and worn condition that merchants were refusing to receive them.
The agitation thus commenced resulted in deserting the patched-up old charter and starting anew in April, 1885, as a city organized under the laws of the state governing cities of the second class.
When the legislature met in January of 1885 a committee went to Jefferson City with such amendments to the existing state laws governing cities of the second class as would permit the adjustment. of St. Joseph's affairs so that the city could be brought under the provisions of the desired charter. The amendments were not mate- rial so far as the organic law was concerned, and the delegation from Buchanan County in the house and senate had no difficulty in securing their adoption. At the April election of 1885, the people voted upon the proposition and it was carried, the vote standing: 2,925 for the adoption of the charter, and 192 against it.
On Monday, April 21, 1885, the transition took place, and St. Joseph became a city of the second class, under H. R. W. Hartwig as mayor. Mr. Hartig had been elected in the previous year.
The disposition of the "ones and twos" gave great concern, for they were a problem of proportions. The best business men of the city met with the council and a solution of the problem was found in accepting the "ones and twos" in payment for back taxes. This was done, and as the scrip came in it was cancelled and burned.
St. Joseph was dressed up in a new charter again in 1909. The legislature that year passed an act that considerably enlarged the organic law of the city. It contains practically all of the fea- tures of the charter of 1885, with the addition of some important features. These are :
More power to compel the construction of viaducts and sub- ways.
A public utilities commission, which has since been super- ceded by the state public service commission.
Enlarged powers of the park department, and provision for the building of a park and boulevard system.
A city council of five members.
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The initiative and referendum.
Under the charter no debts can be made, no contract can be entered into for a period longer than one year, no public work can be ordered, and no purchase made for which the money is not in - the treasury.
The component parts of the city's machinery are the mayor and council, the comptroller, auditor, collector and treasurer, city clerk, engineer, assessor, building inspector, license inspector, health department, keeper of the workhouse, superintendent of streets, the park commissioners, board of public works, market master, chimney sweep, boiler inspector, superintendent of electric light, a library board, weighmaster, fire department, police depart- ment, police judge and city counselor.
The assessor lays the foundation for the municipal works. In January of each year he begins to make his assessment. The real estate values are taken from the county assessment, to which they must conform. Personal property, merchandise, banks, etc., are within his jurisdiction. When the tax books are completed the mayor, assessor, comptroller, clerk and president of the council sit as a board of equalization. Some assessments are raised and others lowered by this board, according to circumstances.
The tax books are ready by the third Monday in April, the beginning of the fiscal year. On that day the council meets and the city clerk announces the total valuation of property. Under the charter not more than 1 per cent on each one hundred dollars' val- uation can be assessed for general administration purposes, and as much as is necessary may be assessed for the purpose of paying interest on outstanding bonds, and the creation of a sinking fund for the payment of these bonds. Under the charter of today no new bonded indebtedness can be created until the present bonded indebtedness of the city has been reduced to within 5 per cent of the assessed valuation of property.
Upon the first assessment under the charter of 1885 the tax levy was two dollars, one dollar for administration purposes and one dollar for the interest and sinking fund. The levy has since been reduced to $1.35 on the one hundred dollars.
Aside from the one dollar tax, there are other sources of rev- enue to the city-licenses upon various occupations, and the police court. Of the saloon license, however, the city retains but 47 per cent, the county receiving 53 per cent.
The comptroller makes an estimate of receipts from all sources at the beginning of each fiscal year, and this is apportioned in advance by the finance committee of the council. For instance, at the beginning of the present fiscal year (1915-16) the funds were apportioned as follows: City officers' salaries, $33,500; city offi- cers' assistants' salaries, $18,000; common council salary, $15; fire department salaries, $91,563.33; police department salaries, $124,760 ; fire department expense, $11,300 ; police department ex- pense, $3,000; board of public works assistants, $18,000; health department, $16,000; workhouse expense, $800; city hall expense,
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$2,500; street lighting department, $25,000; water service, $50,- 000; street, sewer and bridge department, $7,000; park improve- ment department, $17,000; Krug Park improvements, $4,000; con- tingent and incidental department, $24,600; Washington Park library, $3,250; public library, Carnegie branch, $3,250; public library, main, $19,000 ; police and fire alarm system, $2,200; street maintenance and repairs, $60,000; board of public welfare, $10,- 000; band concerts, $3,800; asphalt plant, $7,000; rest rooms, $2,500.
City taxes are not properly due until August, but the tax books are ready on May 1, and on all taxes paid during that month a rebate of 6 per cent is allowed ; on all paid in June, a rebate of 4 per cent; in July, 2 per cent. After August a penalty of 2 per cent per month is charged. Under this wise law an average of 65 per cent of the entire taxes levied for the given year is paid in May, this year the collections being 66 per cent of the entire levy. Prac- tically speaking, all the taxes levied by the city are collected. De- inquent property is sold to the highest bidder in November, and is redeemable within four years.
As the money is received it is credited by the comptroller to the various funds as prescribed by the apportionment ordinance. Each department is required to live within its means. Bills are audited, and, if allowed, the money for their payment is appropriated by ordinance, as are also salaries. The auditor draws a warrant upon the treasurer, which must be countersigned by the comptroller, who has previously certified that the money is in the treasury to the credit of the fund upon which the warrant is drawn. The police department, however, which is under the metropolitan system, draws one-twelfth of its apportionment each month and the funds are expended at the discretion of the commissioners.
The mayor, aldermen, collector, auditor and police judge are elected, and hold office for two years. The engineer, counselor, comptroller, clerk, superintendent of street lighting, keeper of the workhouse, superintendent of streets, assessor, market-master, weighmaster, and license inspector are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council for two-year term. The chief of the fire department is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council; firemen are appointed by the chief, and are removed for cause only. Three police commissioners are appointed by the gov- ernor for three years each, one term expiring each year. They appoint the chief and all other attaches to the police department. The public library and the city parks are managed by boards ap- pointed by the mayor, and these boards appoint the various em- ployes of their departments. The building inspector is appointed by the mayor, and holds his office during good behavior.
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