USA > Missouri > Henry County > History of Henry County, Missouri > Part 15
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James A. Reed of Kansas City announced his candidacy for Gov- ernor in a formal meeting held in Sedalia in September, 1903, and was followed by Joseph W. Folk, in his announcement in October, whose open- ing speech was made at St. Joseph.
Harry B. Hawes of St. Louis and Judge James B. Gantt of Henry County were also candidates.
The Democratic county committee at a meeting held in March, 1903, decided to have a county primary, at which time the voters might ex-
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
press their preference between the several candidates for Governor, and adopted resolutions to the effect that the names of all candidates for the nomination for Governor who might desire to contest Henry County be printed on the primary ballot to be voted at the primary election to be held in the various precincts of the county on the ninth day of April, 1904. The candidate for the nomination for Governor receiving the high- est number of votes at such election should be the choice of the county for such nomination and such vote be taken and considered positive in- struction of the democracy of the county for such candidate; that the delegates to the State convention should be men who were known to be unqualifiedly for the candidate for the nomination for Governor who should have received the highest number of votes at the primary; such delegates shall pledge themselves to use all honorable means to secure the nomi- nation of such candidate, and finally, that each candidate for Governor who may desire his name printed on the primary ballot may have it done by notifying the chairman of the county committee in writing at least six days before the primary election. On motion it was ordered that no assessment be made for State candidates at the coming primary, and in explanation it was stated that many candidates were making heavy charges upon State candidates, which example, if generally followed, would prove burdensome and unjust to the candidates. The committee voted that the county convention should be held on Saturday, May 28, and the delegates thereto be selected on the basis of one for every fifty votes cast for Bryan or fraction of twenty-five votes or over.
The city election in Clinton resulted in the selection of E. A. Barn- hart, Republican, for mayor by a majority of sixty-nine over Henry Stark, who was the Democratic nominee. The balance of the Democratic ticket, except two aldermen, was elected. The total vote cast for mayor was: Stark, Democrat, 528; Barnhart, Republican, 597; Simison, Prohi- bition, forty-four. The Prohibitionists cast fifty-four votes for Norcross for marshal, which was the highest number received by them. When the day came for the county primray no candidate for governor except Joseph W. Folk filed. Out of a total of 3,100 votes cast in the county pri- mary, Folk received all but about 100 and probably half of these simply scratched his name without writing in that of any of his rivals. The vote in Clinton township for Governor was an example of what was going on throughout the county. In this township Folk received 862, Reed seven, Gantt nine, Hawes one. It was a fact that at the time of the holding of the
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
Democratic primary in Henry County, the selection of Folk as a Demo- cratic candidate for Governor was assured and the other candidates had practically withdrawn from the race. The Democratic ticket as nomi- nated in the primary and which was elected in the fall consisted of John I. Hinkle, candidate for prosecuting attorney; E. M. Goodwin for collec- tor, J. D. Hall for sheriff, A. T. Loyd for assessor, A. M. Highnote for surveyor, Clay Adair for treasurer, Alfred Slack and T. W. Ogg for county judges, John Drach, Jr., for public administrator and B. B. Barr for coroner.
On May 11 James A. Reed formally withdrew from the contest for Governor. In his statement he announced that it was now manifest that he was defeated and under the circumstances to prolong the contest would be without results. He thanked his friends for their support and pledged his loyalty to the ticket. Folk was elected Governor and the rest of the Democratic ticket defeated.
The new opera house was opened in Clinton on December 16, 1903, with a gala production of "Peggy from Paris." The house was crowded with people from Clinton and delegations from Windsor, Calhoun, Mont- rose and Deepwater. The building was erected by John M. Bixman and had a capacity of about 1,100 people. It covered an area of sixty-nine by ninety-nine feet. The stage was thirty-five feet deep by sixty-two wide, the proscenium opening being twenty-eight feet. It was forty feet from the ground to the top of the "shoe." The playhouse was one of the most complete in the interior of the State and afforded a splendid place for county and State gatherings.
Joseph Pollock, who was for many years a resident of Clinton and for nearly thirty years in the clothing business, died in late September and James M. Avery, who had been born in Henry County in 1838 and lived there continuously ever since, died in November. The death of these two well known citizens was a distinct and enduring loss to the county, both of them being progressive citizens and always standing for the upbuilding of the town and county.
Organization of the "Four County Fair" was effected at Windsor in February, 1904. J. G. Callison was made chairman of the organiza- tion and W. M. Amick secretary. It had already been demonstrated that Windsor could maintain as good a fair as any town in the State and it was proposed to make the association permanent and hold a fair an- nually at Windsor, Missouri.
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
The Henry County cattlemen were very much elated at the victory of the celebrated Casey herd of Shorthorns at the Minnesota State Fair. These Henry County products headed by choice goods were shown by the best herds from several neighboring States as well as Canada and received first premiums. From Minnesota the Casey herd were shipped to the World's Fair at St. Louis, where the finest herds of cattle in the United States and Canada were on exhibition. Expert cattle judges were aware of the fact that this herd would come in contact at St. Louis with the best and most expensive herds of Shorthorns in the world and Henry County people were very much delighted when Choice Goods took the first prize in the World's Fair Shorthorn contest and was judged to be the best male in the world.
At the time of the World's Fair a meeting of the Missouri Division of the United Veterans of the Confederacy was held on October 6 at the Missouri building at which time Major H. W. Salmon of Clinton was elected major general of the division. The compliment was appreciated by the old veterans of Henry County and by the people among whom Major Salmon had lived so long and where he had so many friends.
George M. Casey was in some ways the most prominent citizen of Henry County. Born in Kentucky in 1837 he settled in Henry County in 1842. He served throughout the war in the 16th Missouri Confederate Infantry and at the conclusion of the war between the States he resumed farming beginning to systematically breed Shorthorns. At the time of his death in April, 1904, he was recognized throughout the Union as one of the greatest breeders of fine Shorthorns that there was in the country.
The seventeenth of June Judge James Parks died in Clinton. He was born in Kentucky in 1827, but had lived in Henry County since 1834. He was assessor by appointment and assessed Henry County in 1860. He was circuit clerk from 1863 to 1867 and probate judge of Henry County from 1879 to 1899, retiring on account of advancing years. For a time he was a member of the law firm of Parks, Thornton and Gantt. William T. Thornton, one of the partners. being an ex-Governor of New Mexico and J. B. Gantt, the other, was later chief justice of the State of Missouri.
Mrs. H. T. Baird, who was founder and president of Baird College, for fifteen years a noted school, died in October, 1904. Her leaving the college sealed its doom as an educational institution, as her personality made it the school that it was.
In June, 1904, the agitation for oil had come to the point where a
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
company of fifty representative citizens had agreed to pay $100 each, and with the $5,000 thus raised to bore for oil. The company which was organized as a result of this agreement was called The Clinton Oil and Development Company, and after some delay selected as a point to begin drilling a location about a mile from the corporation and on the dividing line between the farms of Dr. G. Y. Salmon and R. E. Harman. In the fall of that year the derrick which was built for the purpose of drilling was destroyed by a wind storm and after work had been suspended for several months L. C. Davis, a new contractor, took hold of the enterprise, rebuilt the derrick and commenced drilling in December, 1905. After about two weeks' work the derrick and all its machinery was destroyed by fire. It was believed that the fire was the work of an incendiary, as Mr. Davis stated that he was certain there was no fire left. The well had only been drilled fifteen feet after cleaning out the hole, but it was claimed that they were working in sand that gave promise of results. The local company had put $500 worth of pipe in the hole, but after so many dis- couragements, there was little hope of pursuing the drilling any further. The matter was abandoned for three years when again the idea of drill- ing for oil was discussed and in September, 1908, President Stark of the Clinton Oil and Development Company called a meeting and reported that the hole which had been drilled afforded strong evidence of oil. A wind mill and pump had been installed and had been operated for a week and as the hole was piped the water drawn up came from the bottom of the well. The character of the water changed as the standing water was drawn out, first becoming very salty and then holding in suspension large quantities of heavy brown oil. All who visited the well at that time be- lieved that the project had been abandoned just as results were at hand. The meeting was presided over by Henry Stark and James L. Elliston was secretary. It was found that about half the original company had died or moved away and the secretary was ordered to correspond with the pioneer members or their heirs to see how many were willing to re- tain their membership and the stock of those who refused was to be allotted to new members who would be received on the same basis as the old ones. A committee to solicit new members was appointed, which consisted of R. E. Harman, J. M. Blakemore and F. P. Kitchen and a committee to secure a new lease, the old one having been forfeited, was appointed, which consisted of Henry Stark, William Ming, A. C. Landon and E. A. Barnhart. About this time the Windsor people were organizing
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
a company to bore 2,000 feet for oil near that town. In spite of the hopes entertained, no results were obtained from the search and Clinton has never been successful in locating oil in paying quantities.
The extremes of weather in Henry County were exemplified in Feb- ruary, 1903, when, on the twelfth the thermometer showed what it really was capable of accomplishing when it wanted to perform. On the morn- ing of February 12 it was eight degrees below zero. By 2 o'clock in the afternoon it had moderated until it was six degrees above zero and then the mercury decided to hunt the bottom of the tube and by 8 P. M., that same day, Government thermometer showed thirty-three degrees below zero, ordinary thermometers showing thirty-four and one registering thirty-eight below. This was the coldest day ever known in Henry County.
An attempt to organize a company for the manufacture of an auto- mobile delivery wagon was made early in 1905. Charles McKiearnan, a well known citizen of Clinton, had long been studying and working on a new automobile with the idea that it should be of simple construction, of substantial character, but built in an economical way so it could sell for about $350, which was several hundred dollars less than any similar ma- chine. Mr. McKiearnan arranged to incorporate and manufacture the ma- chine and was backed by sufficient money to insure the success of his project, but owing to various obstacles the plan did not materialize. Had it done so the county would have been greatly benefited. The proposal to establish an automobile factory at Clinton failed, however, and in 1910 Mr. McKiearnan went to Wichita Falls, Texas, where he was offered a large amount of money by way of a bonus, together with a site for the establishment of his factory.
CHAPTER XXII.
FINANCIAL DISASTER AND DEPRESSION
CLINTON NATIONAL BANK ORGANIZED. THE SALMON & SALMON FAILURE-THE LOCAL OPTION ELECTION-RESIGNATION OF WINDSOR OFFICIALS-MURDER OF CAPT. ALLISON-MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP IN CLINTON.
Clinton National Bank was organized and chartered by the Govern- ment and an election held by the stockholders on Saturday the thirtieth of April, 1905, and the following directors were chosen: Dr. W. H. Gib- bons, C. H. Avery, E. C. Kent, W. L. Gurner, all of Clinton; W. C. Henrici and Thomas B. Lee, of Kansas City; C. W. Snider of Whiting, Kansas, and W. E. Docking of Clay Center, Kansas. The directors elected as the first officers of the bank, president, W. E. Docking; vice-president, Dr. W. H. Gibbins ; cashier, C. W. Snider; bookkeeper, Harry R. Gilbert.
On June 21, 1905, the Salmon & Salmon Bank in Clinton failed to open its doors for business, although the bank had been widely considered as stable as it was possible for a bank to be, yet it had been involved in financial difficulties for some time. In a large measure the embarrass- ment being due to its indorsement of the paper of the Tebo Cattle Com- pany. The failure was precipitated when a draft for $15,000 went to protest in St. Louis. The protest of this draft was not known in Clinton until after banking hours. The secretary of State, John E. Swanger, and R. M. Cook, State bank examiner, posted a notice on the door of the bank early on Wednesday morning, stating that the bank was in the hands of the secretary of State. Before this was done the news of the failure had spread through the town. Excited people gathered on the streets and the two telephone exchanges were overworked spreading the news throughout the county.
The bank of Salmon & Salmon was intimately related to most of the business interests of Clinton and this whole section of the country.
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
It was the city and county depository, the city having $2,100 on deposit at the time of its failure and the county $63,000, besides the current collections of city and county collectors. The secretary of State took temporary charge of the affairs of the bank and an exhaustive examina- tion was immediately made of its condition. Both Dr. G. Y. Salmon and Major H. W. Salmon immediately made over all their personal estates to the bank for the benefit of depositors. The bank was the oldest finan- cial institution in Clinton, having been organized under the name of Sal- mon & Stone on December 1, 1866. It was since a partnership bank and when D. C. Stone retired in 1873 he left the Salmon brothers as sole owners. The last published statement of the bank prior to its failure was of date May 29, 1905, and was as follows:
Resources, loans and discounts, personal or col-
lateral
$614,638.31
Loans, real estate
35,885.35
Overdrafts
9,042.77
Bonds and stocks
000.00
Real estate, banking house
17,500.00
Other real estate
7,500.00
Furniture and fixtures
2,000.00
Due from other banks and bankers
0,000.00
Subject to check
52,099.27
Cash items
8,373.15
Currency
15,855.00
Specie
3,290.46
Other resources as follows
31,198.43
Total
$797,382.74
Liabilities, capital stock paid in
$ 50,000.00
Surplus fund
6,000.00
Undivided profits, net
7,660.38
Due to banks and bankers subject to check
6,123.29
Individual deposits, subject to check
366,627.44
Time certificates of deposit. 358,408.85
Demand certificates of deposit
2,567.78
Cashier's checks
000.00
Bills payable and rediscounts
000.00
Other liabilities as follows
000.00
Total
$797,382.74
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
One always to be feared effect of a closing of a bank is a run on other institutions in the same community. This was happily missing at the time of the closing of the Salmon & Salmon Bank. The officers of the Citizens Bank were notified on the evening before of the trouble in the Salmon bank and took immediate steps to fortify themselves. Ample funds were rushed from Kansas City, St. Louis and Sedalia to carry the Citizens Bank through any emergency. The good sense of the community would not be stampeded by a causeless scare as to the stability of other institutions. As a result, there were few withdrawals of funds, and ab- solute and justifiable confidence was felt in the Citizens Bank. The liqui- dation growing out of the suspension of this bank covered a period of .years. It developed that there was a great deal of forged paper and that the bank's condition was very much worse than it had been thought at the time of its failure. The failure was a most deplorable affair and worked untold hardships on the people of the city and whole county.
A local option election was held in Clinton and Henry Counties on Saturday the fourth of November, 1905, and resulted in the county going dry by a vote of 1,876 dry to 1,096 wet. As an effect of this the saloons then operating in Windsor, Montrose and Deepwater were compelled to close. The election in Clinton, which voted separately from the county, was carried by the wets by 199. The vote cast in the city was over 1,000, being larger than was expected. If the day had been a pleasant one it would probably have reached 1,200. The vote in Clinton on this ques- tion by wards was as follows:
Ward
Wet
Dry
First
179
125
Second
96
54
Third
196
83
Fourth
129
139
Totals
600
401
As an echo of the local option election at this time the city of Wind- sor had an unusual experience of having Mayor Davis and four of the six councilmen resign. The action was the culmination of the local option fight in the county. The mayor and councilmen of Windsor favoring sa- loons of a source of revenue to pay for street lights and other expenses of the municipality. At the first meeting of the city council after the
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
county went dry and thereby put the lid on Windsor, the mayor had a financial statement printed, showing where the city money was spent. By such statement the city owed accounts amounting to $747.58 with only $100 in the treasury. Following the reading of the financial statement the following proceedings transpired, according to the Windsor "Review:" "At this point all business being transacted, it was thought that a motion to adjourn would be the next order. Not so, however, and considerable consternation and surprise were expressed when Clerk Fields rose and read the resignation of H. F. Davis as mayor of Windsor, effective Janu- ary 1, 1906. A motion to accept the resignation of Mayor Davis was ac- cepted without debate. Then in succession came the resignation of H. B. McClaverty, of the Third ward; John Bowen, of the Third ward, and C. E. Griffith, of the First ward. Each accepted in order without question and without debate. J. W. McIntire, of the Second ward, also resigned. Aldermen Kabrich and Bridges refused to resign. Alderman Bowen said there was nothing secret about his reason for resigning, that he, for one, did not care to longer try to run the town without money. Mayor Davis then made a brief statement to the members of the council that he had never asked for the office, that he only took it at the urgent solicitation of the people; that he consented only when assured of being given sufficient funds to administer the city affairs as they should be; that he had given practically his entire time in his efforts to build up the town; that he had paid for car loads of rock out of his own pocket in order to have the neces- sary work done before bad weather; that the council had done the very best it could; that he could see no way of Windsor maintaining her posi- tion as a live, up-to-date city with practically half her revenue cut off ; that he did not care to longer assume his part of the responsibility; that in making his resignation effective January 1, he did so in order to give the people plenty of time to study the matter well and to select the best man possible to fill the office."
In a desperate attempt to escape from the State penitentiary on Fri- day, the twenty-fourth day of November, 1905, Capt. Ephriam Allison, long a prominent citizen of Clinton, laid down his life in performance of his duty. Four desperate convicts attempted to escape, engaging in a terrific battle with weapons and nitroglycerine at the prison gates, fol- lowed by a running fight through the streets of Jefferson City, with the final capture of all four of the convicts, two of whom were shot and wounded. There was not the slightest premonition of any trouble within the prison walls. Suddenly Convicts Harry Vaughn, Charles Raymond,
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
Hiram Blake, George Ryan and Eli Zeigler, who were working in close proximity to the prison gate inside the enclosure, as if by a given signal, made a rush for the gate. From their pockets they drew pistols and it is presumed that at least one of them carried a bottle of nitroglycerine. Where the weapons and the explosives were obtained was unknown. Rush- ing past the gates they entered Deputy Warden See's office and shot him as he sat in his chair. He sank back and was unable to resist them. In- stantly they returned to the gate and met Gateman John Clay, who had been alarmed by the shots. Before he could raise his weapon he was shot dead. Captain Allison, who was in charge of the commissary department, as the outbreak occurred at the gate, ran out to the assistance of the guard, Crane. As he stepped out of the door Captain Allison received a bullet in his breast and fell unconscious. He passed away without regain- ing consciousness.
Captain Allison was born in Saline County in 1835 and with his father moved to Henry County in 1852. At the beginning of the war he enlisted in Captain Owen's company of the Missouri State Guards. This company, however, soon disbanded and he re-enlisted in Company I, 16th Missouri Confederate Infantry. The close of the war found him in Madison County, Texas, where he remained until 1867, when he came to Clinton and engaged in merchandising, first in grocery and later in dry goods. He was very successful and built up the largest store in Clinton, making a fortune. He, however, made large real estate investments in Kansas City and suffered financial reverses when the inflated values of that place collapsed. He was prominent locally in Democratic politics, had served as county treasurer, as member of the County Court and later as presiding judge thereof. In his later life he was employed in the peni- tentiary in various posts of responsibility and importance. Nearly two years later Convicts Raymond, Vaughn and Ryan, who had killed Captain Allison, were hanged in the jail yard and suffered the penalty for their crime.
The city council in January, 1906, held a special session at which time the first step toward municipal ownership of the public utilities was taken by rejecting a franchise proposition presented by the water com- pany and ordering the city clerk to prepare a resolution to submit to the vote of the people a bond issue to build a municipal light piant. All of the members of the council were present except Councilman Cheatham. At a subsequent meeting of the council, a week or so later, Attorney Owen for the city brought in a resolution calling for a special election
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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY
to vote $30,000 bonds to build a municipal electric light plant. At that time Mayor Barnhart advocated a municipal water system and declared that to be more important than a light plant.
The council was divided as to whether or not it was advisable to sub- mit both propositions at the same time, but they did not oppose the mayor's wishes and a resolution to submit both propositions to a vote of the people was passed unanimously. Both resolutions provided for a spe- cial election to be held on Thursday, February 15, 1906. The first vote to be submitted was on the proposition to issue $30,000 at four per cent. bonds to build or acquire a municipal light plant. The second proposition to be voted on at the same time was to issue $70,000 in bonds to build or acquire a waterworks system. At the time members of the light and water committee of the council stated that a Kansas City engineering firm had estimated that $70,000 would build a water system, obtain the water either from the surface pond or from deep wells, filtering and soft- ening it before it passed into the pipes. Pursuant to the calls the special election was held and the result was overwhelmingly in favor of the bonds. There was no preliminary work done to get out the vote and no active workers. In spite of that fact more than 800 votes were cast, which showed the interest that the proposition aroused in the minds of the peo- ple and clearly demonstrated where they stood on the matter. The result of the vote was as follows:
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