USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > The Daily news' history of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. From the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1898. Preceded by a short history of Missouri. Supplemented by biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 13
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Gen. James Craig was the first comptroller, the office having been created under the new charter. He was appointed in April of 1885 and served two years. In 1887 he was succeeded by William B. Johnson, who served until 1895, when he was succeeded by John P. Strong, who served two years, and was succeeded in 1897 by M. M. Riggs, the present incumbent.
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THE CITY ENGINEER .- In the early days there was a town. surveyor. The first man to hold this position was Capt. F. W. Smith, whose plat of the town Robidoux had accepted. He was succeeded in 1846 by Simeon Kemper, who had also made a plat, that was re- jected, which is to be deplored, more at this late day than ever, as Mr. Kemper's plat is said to have been provided with wider streets than Captain Smith's plat. Mr. Kemper served until St. Joseph be- caine a city. Charles Schreiber was the first city engineer, serving 1851-54, when he was succeeded by M. Jeff Thompson, who served 1854-56. Simeon Kemper served in 1856-57, and was succeeded by Charles Hausding, who served 1857-59. P. K. O'Donnell was en- gineer in 1859-62, and was in turn succeeded by Mr. Hausding, who served 1862-66. John Severance served 1866-70, when he was
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elected mayor. John Quigly succeeded Colonel Severance, serving 1870-76, and was succeeded by Thomas Long, who served 1876-77. M. J. McCabe was engineer 1877-82, and was succeeded by Frank Fanning, who served 1882-85, when he was in turn succeeded by M. J. McCabe, who served until 1891, when Charles W. Campbell, Jr., took the office. Mr. Campbell served until May of 1898, when he was succeeded by J. R. Rackliffe, the present incumbent.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT .- During the California emigration days, when St. Joseph was filled with a miscellaneous population that lived principally out-of-doors, waiting for the grass to come, it became necessary to have a health officer to enforce sani- tation. Dr. Daniel G. Keedy was appointed by the board of town trustees in 1849, and served one year. He was succeeded by Dr. Josiah H. Crane, who held the office for two years, being the first appointee of the mayor and council when St. Joseph became a city. The place has been held by the following physicians since then : Dr. James Sykes, 1852-55; Dr. John A. Chambers, 1855-56; Dr. Crane, 1856-57; Dr. C. F. Knight, 1857-58; Dr. J. G. Meacher, 1858-60; Dr. Knight, 1860-61; Dr. Hugh Trevor, 1861-62; Dr. W. I. Hed- dens, 1862-64; Dr. James F. Bruner, 1864-66; Dr. F. T. Davis, 1866- 67; Dr. A. V. Banes, 1867-69 ; Dr. J. D. Smith, 1870-71 ; Dr. Knight, 1871-72; Dr. J. A. Gore, 1872-73; Dr. Knight, 1873-74; Dr. J. M. D. France, 1874-75; Dr. D. I. Christopher, 1875-77; Dr. Thos. H. Doyle, 1877-79; Dr. Gore, 1879-80; Dr. P. J. Kirschner, 1880-82 ; Dr. F. C. Hoyt, 1882-84; Dr. J. A. French, 1884-86; Dr. Charles O'Ferrall, 1886-88; Dr. Wm. H. Geiger, 1888-90; Dr. J. T. Berg- hoff, 1890-92; Dr. Thos. K. Sawyer, 1892-94; Dr. Wm. H. Geiger, 1894-96; Dr. W. B. Davis, 1896-98. Dr. J. K. Graham is the present incumbent.
In 1890-92, Dr. W. T. Elam was assistant health officer to Dr. Berghoff. In 1894-96, Dr. J. R. A. Crossland (colored) was assist- ant to Dr. Geiger. In 1896-97, Dr. Levi Long was assistant to Dr. Davis, and in 1897-98, Dr. Graham was Dr. Davis' assistant.
In 1890, a city dispensary was established and the office of city chemist created. The dispensary was located at the city hall. The duties of the chemist were to analyze milk and food, to compound charity prescriptions, to act as clerk of the board of health, issue burial permits and to keep vital statistics. Logan D. Currin was the first city chemist. He was succeeded by Ed E. Hunter, who
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held the place continuously until the office was abolished in the first part of the present fiscal year, 1898-99. The office of assistant health officer was also abolished at the same time. Under the present plan the steward of the hospital, who is also required to be a physician, fills all of these places.
THE ASSESSOR .- There has always been an assessor, for where taxes are to be levied there must be a valuation of property. Charles White was the first assessor of the town of St. Joseph, serv- ing in 1845. The office was held in 1846 by George W. Waller, in 1847 by Milton H. Wash, in 1848 by Simeon Kemper, who was also surveyor at the same time; in 1849 by H. S. Smith, and in 1850 by James O'Donoghue. The first assessor under the city charter was Isador Poulin, who served 1851-52. This office has since been held as follows : F. M. Wright, 1852-53; James A. Owen, 1853-54; Felix Robidoux, 1854-55; Wm. C. Toole, 1855-56; John A. Dolman, 1856- 57; James A. Owen, 1857-59; Charles M. Thompson, 1859-60; Preston T. Moss, 1860-61 : Joseph McAleer, 1861-62; Cyrus E. Kemp, 1862-63; E. H. Saville, 1863-64; John Angel, 1864-65; John B. Harder, 1865-66; James A. Matney, 1866-67; John E. McGinty, 1867-68; John O'Donoghue, 1868-69; James A. Matney, 1869-70; E. H. Saville, 1870-71; J. B. Hawley, 1871-72; Wm. Drumhiller, 1872-73; James H. Ringo, 1873-75 ; James A. Millan, 1875-77; John T. Baldwin, 1877-78; Robert C. Bradshaw, 1879-82; Joseph Thomp- son, 1882-84; Thomas Kelly, 1884-85; Ishmael Davis, 1885-86; D. M. McDonald, 1886-87; Joseph E. Cook, 1887-89; John P. Strong, 1889-95; Caleb B. Lucas, 1895-97; George B. Allee, 1897-98. This is an appointive office, filled in odd years, and its term, though formerly one year, is two years now.
COUNSELOR .- Prior to 1877 there was no regularly employed attorney to give advice to the mayor and council and to defend suits against the city. At least none is mentioned in the chronicles. The first regular counselor, as near as can be ascertained, was Benjamin R. Vineyard, who was appointed by Mayor Beattie in 1877. Mr. Vineyard served until the spring of 1879 and was succeeded by An- drew Royal, who served 1879-80. Mordecai Oliver was counselor to Mayor Piner in the first year of his administration, 1880-81, and Samuel B. Green in the second year, 1881-82. Vinton Pike held the
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THE PRESENT CITY HALL.
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position under Mayor Posegate, 1882-84, and was succeeded by James Limbird, under Mayor Hartwig, 1884-86. Under Mayor Doyle, 1886-88, Thomas F. Ryan was counselor, and he was suc- ceeded by Morris A. Reed, who served 1888-91, two years under Mayor Englehart and one year under Mayor Shepherd. Samuel P. Huston served 1891-95 and was succeeded by William K. Amick, who served 1895-97 and was succeeded by Benjamin J. Casteel, the present incumbent. The office is filled by appointment in the odd- numbered years.
STREET COMMISSIONER .- In 1846, the board of trustees of the town of St. Joseph found it necessary to have the streets looked after and repaired, so they appointed William King street commis- sioner. It was a one-year office in those days and was held in 1847 by David J. Heaton, in 1848 by William King, in 1849 by V. Tullar, and in 1850 by William Langston. Johnson Copeland was the first street commissioner under the city charter, serving 1851-52. Then came the following incumbents: James Connell, 1852-54; Jesse B. Lowe, 1854-55; A. L. Creal, 1855-56; Robert Dixon, 1856-57; A. L. Creal, 1857-59; Thomas Byrne, 1859-60; Charles Lehman, 1860- 61 ; John Sheehan, 1861-62 ; John B. Harder, 1862-65; Wm. B. Gil- more, 1865-66; J. L. Bowen, 1866-67; John Sheehan, 1867-68; John Bloomer, 1868-69; G. B. Skinner, 1869-70; Wm. Frick, 1870-72; Nat Hammond, 1872-74; John Clark, 1874-77; Florence Kiley, 1877-80; Isaac N. Brooks, 1880-81 ; Henry W. Dunn, 1881-82; H. N. Turner, 1882-84; Patrick McIntyre, 1884-86; Thomas A. Carson, 1886-88; W. G. W. Ritchie, 1888-90; Henry Luchsinger, 1890-91 ; J. B. Vance, 1891-92; Peter Bowen, 1892-93; Samuel J. Jeffries, 1893-94; Francis M. Posegate, 1894-96; Henry Gibson, 1896-98; Abraham Furst, 1898. The street commissioner formerly superin- tended the workhouse and fed the prisoners, but such has not been the case since 1885.
LICENSE INSPECTOR .- This office was created in 1885, and James W. Fowler was the first incumbent. He was succeeded in 1889 by Joseph E. Cook, who served until 1893. Edward Burns served 1893-95. John D. Clark served 1895-97, and was succeeded by Louis Herwig, the present incumbent. This office is charged with the enforcement of the license ordinances and the incumbent is also the inspector of weights and measures.
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SUPERINTENDENT OF BUILDINGS .- This office was created in 1886 and Seymour Jenkins was the first inspector, serving two years. He was followed by Myron Lytle, 1888-90; Joseph Mas- sard, 1890-92; Thomas Winn, 1892-94; George W. Bulger, 1894- 96. Lyman W. Forgrave is the present incumbent. This officer issues permits for the erection of buildings. He is charged with the enforcement of the ordinances relating to construction, and has the power to condemn unsafe or unsanitary buildings. He is appointed, holds his office during good behavior, and receives $900 per annum salary.
MINOR OFFICERS .- The city weighmaster is stationed at Patee market. At one time there were public scales at the work- house, at the cast end of Frederick avenue, at Tenth and Francis streets, and at Seventh and Messanie streets. These have all been abandoned.
The market-master and the city chimney sweep are appointed by the mayor, as is also the public impounder.
The sidewalk inspector was formerly part of the engineer's corps, but is now appointed by the mayor. The sewer inspector is an em- ploye of the engineer's office.
The boiler inspector, appointed by the mayor, is charged with the inspection of steam aparatus. Phillip Hart, the first inspector, was appointed in 1886 and served until 1892, when he was succeeded by George Zipf, who served two years and was in turn succeeded by Phillip Hart, who served until 1887, when he was succeeded by Gus- tav Geis, the present incumbent. In connection with this office there is a board of two examiners, appointed by the mayor, who pass upon the qualifications of steam engineers.
During the days of steamboat traffic there was a wharfmaster, whose duty it was to regulate affairs at the landing. During the latter 60's and 70's there was also a wood inspector, whose duty it was to certify to the quantity of wood in a load.
TERMS AND SALARIES .- There is a city election on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April of each year. The mayor, collector, auditor, police judge, city attorney and eight alder- men-at-large are elected in the even-numbered years. A local alder- man from each ward is elected in the odd-numbered years. The other city officers are appointed by the mayor and council. The
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terms of all officials except the building inspector and attaches of the fire and police department, are two years. The salaries are fixed by ordinance before the term of office begins. At this time the mayor receives a salary of $2,400 per annum. The treasurer receives a sal- ary of $2,000 and five per cent on all delinquent taxes he collects ; he is authorized to employ one deputy. The auditor receives $1,800 per annum and is provided with a clerk. The police judge receives $1,200 per annum and the prosecuting attorney $1,000. The alder- men are paid at the rate of $4 for each meeting they attend, but can- not draw to exceed $300 per annum.
The following are the officers appointed in the even years, to- gether with their compensation: Superintendent of streets, $1,000; superintendent of workhouse, $600 and 15 cents per meal; health officer, $1,000; steward of hospital, $900 and 15 cents per meal; im- pounder, fees; market-master, $600; weighmaster, $600; sidewalk inspector, $900.
The following are appointed in the odd years : Counselor, $2,000; engineer, $2,300; comptroller, $1,800 and deputy ; city clerk, $1,500 and deputy; assessor, $1,000; license inspector, $900; boiler in- spector, $1,000; two examining engineers, $75 each ; chimney-sweep, fees.
The park commissioner, one member of the charity board and three members of the library board are appointed each year, the terms being three years. No salaries or emoluments are attached to these places.
The engineer appoints his deputies, who are paid out of an ex- pense fund provided for his department. The assessor is also au- thorized to employ deputies during January, February and March of each year.
The chief of the fire department is appointed by the mayor and holds his office during good behavior, as do also the employes of the fire department. He receives a salary of $1,800 per annum, and his assistant receives $1,200. Foremen receive $75 per month, and fire- men receive $60 per month for the first year of service and $70 per month for subsequent years.
The superintendent of electric light is appointed by the mayor and holds his office during good behavior. His salary is $1,800 per annum. The attaches to his department are appointed by the coun- cil committee on street lighting.
Workhouse guards are selected by the superintendent of that institution and the council committee on workhouse. They receive
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$50 per month and hold appointments at the pleasure of the commit- tee.
The superintendent of streets and the council committee on streets and alleys employ the men engaged in cleaning streets. The repair of streets, however, is with the engineer's department.
The park board employs those engaged in the public parks, and the library board those engaged at the free public library.
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CHAPTER XIII.
MUNICIPAL EQUIPMENT .- THE WATERWORKS .- ELEC- TRIC LIGHTING .- GAS COMPANIES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT. - TELEPHONE COMPANIES. -
STREET RAILWAYS .- OMNIBUS AND HERDIC COACH LINES .- HISTORICAL FACTS CONCERNING THE ABOVE MENTIONED INSTITUTIONS.
In 1875 an unsuccessful effort was made to secure a public water system for St. Joseph. The matter was not permitted to slumber, however, and the close of 1879 saw the project well under way to success. On December 1, 1879, the council passed an ordinance agreeing to contract with W. S. Fitz, John W. Rutherford and their associates for waterworks, when these men had formed a corpora- tion to build such works. The sum of $5,000 was deposited with the city treasurer as a guarantee that this company would be formed and incorporated within ten days.
On December 10, 1879, the council passed an ordinance granting the St. Joseph Water Company the right to construct works on the reservoir gravitation plan, to lay mains, etc. The city reserved the right, at its option, at the expiration of ten years from the date of the approval of the ordinance, to purchase the waterworks, including all pipes, attachments, cxtensions, franchises, etc., upon giving six months' previous notice in writing ; the city and water company each to appoint a person and the two to select a third to appraise the prop- erty. The city contracted for one hundred and sixty hydrants for a period of twenty years, the company agreeing to place ten additional hydrants for every mile of pipe to be laid in the future extension of the service. This contract was, as provided for in the ordinance, ratified by the people at a special election, held on December 23, 1879, and only four votes were cast in the negative.
The water company was organized as follows: W. Scott Fitz, president; T. J. Chew, Jr., secretary ; J. W. Rutherford, chief en- gineer. The company agreed to have sixteen miles of pipe laid and the system in operation in one year. One hundred acres of land, some miles north of the city, were purchased and work was begun on
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January 4, 1880. There was but one reservoir at first, located on a hill 320 feet above the river at low water mark, and 112 feet higher than any point in St. Joseph. The pumping station was located at the river. The original cost of the works was estimated at $300,000, but before they were offered for acceptance the company had ex- pended $700,000.
On January 12, 1881, the works were accepted by the mayor and council, and placed into active service. Theodore W. Davis was the first superintendent and was succeeded by Louis C. Burnes, who served until the spring of 1897, when he was succeeded by Charles H. Taylor, the present superintendent. In October of 1889 the stock and franchise of the company were sold to the American Waterworks and Guarantee Company of Pittsburg, Pa., a combination of capital- ists owning and controlling the water systems of thirty-one other cities. The stockholders at the time of the sale were Col. James N. Burnes, Calvin F. Burnes, T. J. Chew, Jr., and William M. Wyeth.
The system has grown and expanded materially since the be- ginning. The water is pumped from the river, through filters, to the reservoir on the hill, and thence it flows to the city through pipes. The pumping plant consists of two Worthington pumps, each of three million gallon capacity in twenty-four hours; one Gaskill high duty. pumping engine, of six million gallons capacity in twenty-four hours; one Cope & Maxwell engine of one million gallons capacity in twen- ty-four hours. A slow-service engine, of eight million gallons ca- pacity, lifts the water to the filter plant, which is located at the pump- ing station, and which consists of fifteen O. A. H. Jewell filtering tanks, each fifteen feet in height and twelve feet in diameter. The Norberg Manufacturing Company, of Milwaukee, is under contract to build a high-duty pump of eight million gallons' capacity, to be delivered February 15, 1899. The steam plant consists of four Heine water-tube boilers, of a combined force of eight hundred-horse power. There are two suction pipes to the river, one thirty-six inches in di- ameter and the other twenty-four inches in diameter; there are two force mains from the pumping station to the reservoirs and two twenty-inch supply mains from the reservoirs to the city. There are now three reservoirs, with a combined capacity of about seventeen million gallons. There are now more than eighty-one miles of pipe, the service to the stockyards having just been completed, and there are 501 double-nozzle hydrants on the streets for fire protection.
The period of the city's contract with the water company will expire in December of 1899, and negotiations are now in progress
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for a renewal thereof. The fact that no agreement has been reached after nearly two years of negotiating, and the fact also that the city has solicited bids from other parties to build water works, leaves it to the compiler of the next history to chronicle the final solution of a problem in which the public is greatly interested.
ELECTRIC LIGHT .- In 1883 The St. Joseph Electric Light Company, composed of J. F. Barnard, L. D. Tuttle, Joseph A. Corby, A. N. Schsuter and R. E. Turner, secured a franchise for stringing wires through the streets, and erected a plant at Fourth street and Mitchell avenue for the production of electric light. Walter C. Stew- art, the present city electrician, was the superintendent. Only arc lights were furnished, and no attempt was made at street lighting. This plant was absorbed by the People's Street Railway, Electric Light and Power Company, in 1887, which company had a contract to furnish a small number of arc lights to the city. This company introduced the incandescent light. It is now known as the St. Joseph Railway, Light, Heat and Power Company (see street rail- ways), and its plant is located near the river, between Francis and Felix streets.
GAS COMPANIES .- In 1856 the city went into partnership with J. B. Ranney and others for the purpose of manufacturing illuminating gas. The capital stock of the concern was $50,000, one-half of which was owned by the city. A plant was erected at Fifth and Angelique streets, in a building now used as a stable. Gas came high in those days, at least to private consumers, who were charged $5 per thousand cubic feet.
The people were soon sick of the city's bargain. The treasury being empty, the city's stock in the company was sold to James M. Wilson for 20 per cent of its face value. In 1861 the interest of Ranney & Co. was sold under execution to Thomas B. Weakly, who, with James M. Wilson, operated the works until 1864, when Weakly purchased the interest of Wilson, paying therefor $8,000. Previous to this the works were burned to the ground, but had been rebuilt. At this time Weakly advanced the price of gas to $6 per thousand feet to private consumers, at which price it was held until the pur- chase of the works in 1871 by James Clements and associates of De- troit, Mich., under the name of Citizens' Gas Light Company, at the sum of $50,000. This company at once enlarged and improved
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the works and secured the contract for lighting the street lamps, which had remained unlighted for several years. They supplied private consumers at $4.50 per thousand feet, and afterwards reduced :the price to $4. For street lamps the city paid $30 per year for each light.
In 1878 the Mutual Gas Light Company came before the city authorities and, through their president, Charles H. Nash, offered to supply private consumers at $2.50 per thousand feet and the street lamps at $25 per annum. They were awarded the contract and granted franchises in the streets equal to the other company. The beginning of work was but the commencement of hostilities between the rival companies, which finally resulted in the sale of the entire works and franchises of the Citizens' to the Mutual Gas Light Company. This company was reorganized some years ago and called the St. Joseph Gas and Manufacturing Company up to the summer of 1897.
In 1890 a franchise to lay gas mains in the streets was granted to the late Charles McGuire of St. Joseph, his heirs and assigns. Upon this was founded the St. Joseph Light and Fuel Company, with Samuel Allerton of Chicago as president and L. C. Burnes of St. Joseph as vice-president and general manager. This company manufactured what was called "water gas." It was used for illu- minating purposes also, but required a magnesium burner, shaped like a comb, to produce the desired result. The gas burned against the teeth of the burner, heating them to au incandescent point and producing a brilliant light. The process was afterward changed, and the gas was used for illumination as the ordinary coal product. The works of this company were located at Fourth and Cedar streets. There was lively competition, rates went down, and previously un- heard-of concessions were made to consumers.
In the summer of 1897 both of the existing companies were absorbed by the St. Joseph Gas Company, of which Emerson Mc- Millan of New York is president ; W. A. P. McDonald of St. Joseph, vice-president ; Kerr M. Mitchell, general manager, and Ferdinand Labrunerie, secretary and treasurer.
The price of gas in St. Joseph at this time for ordinary con- sumers is $1.25 per thousand cubic feet, with a discount of 25 cents per thousand if the bill is paid before the tenth day of the month.
TELEPHONES .- Within a year after the first general public exhibition of the telephone at the Centennial Exposition in Philadel-
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phia, in 1876, this invention was practically applied in this city. John Kenmuir, a jeweler, who is generally remembered, first used the telephone in St. Joseph. His place of business was at No. 509 Felix street, where the Tootle-Lemon bank building now stands, and he connected this with his residence at 1211 Frederick avenue. In the same year a line was strung that connected the two fire de- partment houses-one at the foot of Edmond street, and the other east of the Tootle theatre-with the residence of W. B. McNutt, who was then chief of the department. In February of 1878 another fire alarm line was built from the engine house to the International Hotel, at Eighth and Olive streets.
The St. Joseph Telephone Company, a partnership consisting of John Kenmuir, P. LeB. Coombes and Joseph A. Corby, was formed in April of 1879. Work was begun soon thereafter, and on August 12, of the same year an exchange, with 150 subscribers, was opened, the central office being in the rear of Kenmuir's jewelry establish- ment. At about the same time the Western Union Telegraph Com- pany opened an exchange with about the same number of subscrib- ers, the central office of which was located in the third floor of what was then known as the Board of Trade building, and which is now part of the Hotel Truckenmiller, on Third street. A lively fight ensued, and rates ranged from nothing up to $2 per month. This continued until 1879, when both rivals were absorbed by the National Bell Telephone Company under the name of St. Joseph Telephone Company. The exchange was moved to the third floor of the Fairleigh building, at the southeast corner of Third and Felix streets. In 1882 the Missouri & Kansas Telephone Company purchased the system and maintained its exchange in the Fairleigh building until December 12, 1896, when it was moved into a fireproof building erected by the company on Seventh street, between Felix and Ed- mond streets.
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