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 31
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In 1874 the question of waterworks was not only earnestly dis- cussed, but a considerable sum was expended in an experiment to obtain a supply from the bed-rock of the river. This venture was directed by a number of influential citizens known as waterworks commissioners. The members of this commission were Mayor I. T. Hosea, Wm. M. Wyeth, Victor B. Buck, Bernard Patton, George H. Hall, Milton Tootle, Winslow Judson, Louis Hax, Charles B. France, R. P. Richardson, George Buell, Louis Fuelling and Charles A. Pfeiffer. These gentlemen served gratuitously and created a fund
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with which to conduct the experiment. The bridge having been recently completed, aparatus for pneumatic pressure was easily avail- able. A caisson was sunk and the workmen went a considerable dis- tance below the bed of the river. However, the cherished hope of finding a sufficient supply of pure water was not realized.
In July, 1870, the first mixed jury was impaneled in Buchanan County. The case was before a justice, and the constable had pro- vided a jury composed of three negroes and three white men. The late Judge Henry S. Tutt, who had been engaged by the defendant, refused to serve.
Buchanan County has furnished the state three governors-Rob- ert M. Stewart, Willard P. Hall and Silas Woodson. The office of Secretary of State was filled for two terms by Francis Rodman of St. Joseph. Mordecai Oliver, who was appointed Secretary of State by the convention of 1861, was then a resident of Greene County and did not come to St. Joseph until after the war. The office of State Treas- urer has had one incumbent from St. Joseph-Col. Elijah Gates. Francis Carroll Hughes of this county was appointed warden of the penitentiary by Governor Polk, in 1856, and served until the exit of Governor Claiborne F. Jackson. Henry A. Vories and Philomen Bliss of Buchanan County were judges of the supreme court and Willard P. Hall, Jr., was judge of the Kansas City court of appeals. James B. Gardenhire of St. Joseph was attorney-general. The fol- lowing residents of St. Joseph have been members of Congress : James N. Burnes, Daniel D. Burnes, George C. Crowther and Willard P. Hall, Sr., James Craig, Benj. F. Loan, Isaac C. Parker, Charles F. Cochran. Gen. Robert Wilson, who was appointed United States senator by Governor Hall, resided on a farm at Jim- town. in Andrew County, a short distance beyond the Buchanan
County line, but was much interested here, and may be accredited to St. Joseph. Joseph K. Toole, the first governor of Montana, was a former resident of St. Joseph. Alexander W. Terrell, the first city attorney of St. Joseph, was afterwards United States minister to Turkey, and Ethan Allen Hitchcock, until recently minister to Russia, and now Secretary of the Interior, was a merchant in St. Joseph before the war. Jacob T. Child, minister to Siam under President Cleveland, was in the newspaper business here before and during the war, as was also E. C. Davis, the first state superintendent
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of public schools. James W. Porch was a resident of St. Joseph when appointed consul-general at the City of Mexico. John L. Bit- tinger, the present consul-general at Montreal, still holds his resi- dence here. Jerome B. Chaffe, at one time senator from Colorado, was a banker in St. Joseph before the war.
Many distinguished men have visited the Blacksnake Hills and St. Joseph. Audubon, the famous naturalist, was the guest of Joseph Robidoux in May of 1843, while on his way to the Yellowstone. He makes the folowing reference to this spot: "After grounding on sandbars and contending against hard winds and currents, we reached the Blacksnake Hills settlement, which is a delightful site for a populous city. The hills are two hundred feet above the level of the river and slope gently down on the opposite side to the beautiful prairies that extend over thousands of acres of the richest land im- aginable." Audubon would find many changes could he come to St. Joseph now.
Commodore Stockton, the hero of the Pacific, traveled overland from California in 1847, and passed through St. Joseph. On October 27, 1847, he was given a popular ovation by the people of the town and entertained at a banquet at the Mansion House, which was a prominent hotel in those days.
May 13, 1859, Horace Greely was a visitor for a short time, being on his way to the convention at Osawatomie, Kansas ; Abraham Lin- coln passed through the city December 1, 1859, on his way to Kan- sas. On December 22, 1860, William H. Seward, Secretary of State under President Lincoln, addressed the people of St. Joseph from the balcony of the Patee House.
General Grant, General W. T. Sherman and General Phil Sheri- dan were here July 29, 1868, and were given a reception at the Pacific House. General Sherman was introduced from the balcony. and attempted to make a speech, but there was a disorderly element in the crowd that prevented his being heard. On September 27, 1871, General Grant, who was then President, passed through St. Joseph on his way to Council Bluffs. A large crowd greeted him, and he made a short address from the platform of his car.
On September 29, 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes, Mrs. Hayes and General Sherman were present at the opening of the first fair held at Fowler's Grove.
President Cleveland, accompanied by Mrs. Cleveland, visited the city in October, 1887. There was a general holiday in honor of this
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event, and the streets were crowded with people to see the distin- guished guests.
Prsident Harrison also stopped for a short time during a Western trip. William McKinley, now President, spoke on the tariff question at the Union Depot during the national campaign of 1892.
St. Joseph has been well supplied with physicians since the earliest days, and the professional standard has always been high. As early as 1845 eleven of the local physicians agreed upon a card of rates, which will be of interest now, not only because it shows the cost of medical attendance in those days, but also because it shows the range of practice. The charges were as follows :
For a visit within one mile and prescription (day) $ 1.00
For each succeeding mile . .50
For same services at night, double price.
For visit in town and prescription.
1.00
For visit at night 2.00
For medicine in all cases charge extra.
For attendance whole night
5.00
For a simple case of widwifery
5.00
For a case of twins.
10.00
For difficult cases, fee in proportion to difficulty.
For necessary attention, after four hours, per hour
.25
For bleeding
.50
For extracting teeth .50
For cupping $1.00 to $2.00
For blisters, large size. .75
For blisters, medium size. .50
For advice and prescription at office. 1.00
For administering enema 1.00
For setting fracture of upper extremities $5.00 to $10.00
For setting fracture of lower extremities $10.00 to $20.00
For dislocation of upper extremities $5.00 to $10.00
For dislocation of lower extremities. $10.00 to $20.00 For amputating fingers and toes, each 5.00
For amputating forearm
15.00
For amputating arm 10.00 For amputating leg 20.00
For amputating thigh 25.00
For extirpating tumors $2.50 too $10.00 For opening abscess .50
For vaccination .50
For consultation.
5.00
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It was also agreed that no families would be engaged by the year, and that settlement in all cases was to be required either by note or cash as soon as the service was rendered. This agreement was signed by Josiah H. Crane, D. G. Keedy, J. L. Page, Thomas J. Todd, William B. Wood, J. N. Hays, B. V. Teel, Robert Martin, R. A. H. Gray, William P. Flint and Delford Benton.
Medical societies for the discussion of matters looking to the advancement of the profession have existed at various times, more particularly since the close of the rebellion. The most prominent of these were the District Medical Society of Northwest Missouri, which existed in the latter sixties and early seventies, and the St. Joseph Medical Society, which was founded in 1877, reorganized in 1890, and which is in a flourishing condition at this time, with the following officers: Dr. P. I. Leonard, president; Dr. J. M. Richmond, vice-president; Dr. J. M. Bell, secretary, and Dr. J. H. Flynn, treasurer. Its membership is made up of the leading physi- cians of the city.
A military organization which existed in St. Joseph during the war, and mention of which was unintentionally omitted from Chapter XIX., was Hartwig's Independent Company of Artillery, formed by Captain H. R. W. Hartwig in October of 1864. Captain Hartwig was commissioned by Governor Hall to form this company, the strength of which consisted of eighty-four men and four four-pound pieces. Joseph Andriano was first lieutenant, John Riplinger, sec- ond lieutenant, and Charles Barrington orderly. The company was on duty in this section and in Platte County, and was mustered out at the close of the war.
The state fish hatchery, south of the city, was established in June of 1880. The citizens of St. Joseph subscribed $1.000, with which money ten acres of ground were purchased from Thomas A. Brown, the premises embracing what was called Brown's spring, a famous watering point with the farmers. The property was deeded to the State of Missouri, and the state fish commissioners caused the necessary buildings to be erected and a hatchery to be established, which is still in existence. Among the St. Joseph men who have been prominently connected with the fish commission were the late H. M. Garlich, also Dr. E. A. Donelan and Frank Yenawine.
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The practice of delivering groceries was established by Major H. R. W. Hartwig in 1865. At that time he was conducting a retail grocery store on Fourth street, south of Edmond street. He sent to New York for a modern delivery wagon, which he placed in active service, in charge of Chris. Hubacher, now a prominent citizen of St. Joseph.
"Voting on string" is a term that will be remembered by those who were active in politics during the reconstruction period and par- ticularly when the odious registration law was first put into opera- tion. Only those who were registered could vote. And only those who took the iron-clad oath were registered. There were those who were rejected by the registering officers, either for valid or political reasons, who announced that they would vote in spite of the pro- scription, and there were many indications of trouble. The election judges, like the registering officers, were all Republicans in those days. A council of the party leaders was called to decide upon the easiest and best way out of the impending difficulty. It was finally decided to receive all votes that were offered and to place the ballots of those who were registered in the regular box and to file the ballots of those not registered upon a string. The election was held without trouble. When an unregistered voter appeared he was greeted with courtesy, voted his ticket and departed well satisfied. But his ballot went on the string and was not counted. This trick was practiced and kept secret until the political condition had changed and the presence of Democratic judges made it unsafe for the Republicans to continue the practice.
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333
ERRATA.
The object of publishing these chapters in The Daily News was to obtain corrections of any errors that might have been made in the compilation. There was a liberal response to this request, and where the corrections were sent in before matter went to the book press, the errors were rectified. Some, however, came too late for this, and the corrections will be found below :
On page 59, the name of William M. Sherwood appears in the list of prosecuting attorneys. This should be William E. Sherwood.
On page 60 it is stated that Edwin Toole, the first clerk of the circuit court of Buchanan County, was still alive. Since that chapter was written Mr. Toole died.
On page 82 Aquilla Jones is mentioned as an early smith and plowmaker. This name should be Aquilla Morrow.
On page 117 it is stated that Mitchell Park was the gift of James Mitchell. This should read A. M. Mitchell.
On page 118 it is stated that Mayor Shepherd appointed the first board of park commissioners. Captain Posegate writes from St. Louis that this is an error ; that he appointed a board of park com- missioners when mayor, 1882-84.
On page 136 it is stated that prior to 1877 there was no regularly employed attorney to give advice to the city officers and to defend suits against the city. It was the duty of the city attorney to do this. It is also stated, on page 137, that M. A. Reed served three years as counselor, and that James Limbird served two. This is an error. Mr. Reed served two years and Mr. Limbird three years-two years under Mayor Hartwig, and one year under Mayor Doyle.
Several errors occurred in Chapter XVI., concerning the public schools, which are corrected in a communication from Secretary Smith of the St. Joseph school board, of which the following is the important part :
"The total outstanding bonded debt at this date is not $415,000, but $359,500, as follows: Five per cent bonds, issue of August I, 1888, $76,000 ; 4 per cent bonds, issue of April 2, 1894, $187,000; 4 per cent refunding bonds, issue of Feb. 15, 1898, $96,500. The issue of 1888 for the erection of school houses was originally $100,000, but has been reduced $24,000. The issue of 1894 for the same purpose was originally $200,000, but has been reduced $13,000. The issue of 1898 for $100,000 was for the purpose of refunding 5 per cent bonds
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of the original issue of $115,000, the amount having been reduced to that figure. This latter issue has been further reduced $3.500, leaving the bonded indebtedness at the present time as above stated. In the issue of December 16 you give the time as six years that Professor Neely had been conducting a classical school; he informs me this should read nine years. In the issue of December 21 the date of the erection of the Crosby School is given as 1889; this should be 1880. In the issue of the 22d you have omitted the names of Louis Hax and E. R. Colhoun, each of whom served as president of the board.
On pages 166 and 167 it is stated that the Ensworth hospital was in charge of the Order of Deaconnesses and the Fifth Street Metho- dist church. In fact the institution is in charge of the Deaconess Home and Hospital Association.
On page 117 it is stated that Krug park was donated to the city upon certain conditions. These conditions were withdrawn by the Messrs. Krug in 1891, and the property was deeded to the city un- conditionally.
On page 59, the name of Jonathan M. Bassett of St. Joseph is omitted from the list of county attorneys.
On page 245 the date of the attempted train robbery at Roy's branch is given as September 25. It should be September 24, 1893.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOSEPH ROBIDOUX - It is points along the lower Mississippi, and proper that the following biographical then went north, locating upon the sketches of the living should be pre- present site of Chicago, as an Indian ceded by those of some of the pio- trader. He was robbed by the In- neers who have gone before, and. dians in a short time and returned to whose names are prominently con- St. Louis. Soon thereafter he made nected with the early history and de- a trip up the Missouri River with one velopment of Buchanan County. Jo- of the Chouteaus in. the interest of seph Robidoux. the first of these, was the American Fur Company, going born in St. Louis August 10, 1783. as far north as Council Bluffs. Robi- He was the eldest sor. of Joseph and doux returned to St. Louis, purchas- Catherine Robidoux. He had five ed a stock of goods and returned to brothers-Antoine, Isadore, Francis, the "Bluffs," in the fall of 1809. He Michel and Louis and one sister. traded with the Indians there for thir- Of these, Antoine, Isadore and Fran- teen years, shipping his furs and pel- cis died and were buried at St. Joseph. tries to St. Louis in keel boats.
The father of this family was a £ While dwelling at the "Bluffs" in Canadian Frenchman, who went from 1813, Robidoux married his second Montreal to St. Louis, where he locat- wife, who was Miss Angelique Vau- ed-shortly after the settlement of that. dry, also of St. Louis. By this union place by the French. He accumulat- there were six sons-Faraon, Jules C., ed a fortune, became influential and Francis B., Felix. Edmond and occupied a large mansion. The first general assembly of the state of Mis-
Charles. There was also one daugh- ter, who became Mrs. S. P. Beauvis, souri did him the honor of holding and who is said to be yet living at its first session at his house, in De- St. Louis. Edmond Robidoux went cember of 1812. He educated his chil- from here to Omaha some years ago dren as liberally as was possible in and it is not known whether or not he those days.
is still alive. Mrs. Angelique Robi-
Joseph, the eldest of the boys, mar- doux died in this city January 17, 1857. ried Engenie Delslille, at St. Louis, Robidoux was so potent a rival to when he was eighteer. years of age. the American Fur Company, also es- There was one child by this union- tablished at the Bluffs, that this con- cern brought him out with the stipula- Joseph .E. Robidoux, who spent his life among the Indians, and who died tion that he should remain away for some years ago near White Cloud, three years. During this period Rob- Kan. Four years after this marriage idoux lived at St. Louis, where he the wife died. After her death the operated a bakery. After three years widowed husband became a wanderer. he announced his intention of again He visited New Orleans and different establishing a trading post. The fur
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BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
JOSEPH ROBIDOUX.
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BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
company's representatives offered to served until he was elected governor place him in this neighborhood at in 1848. In 1860 he was a delegate a salary of $1,800 per year, provided to Charleston where he supported he would not interfere with the trade Stephen A. Douglas. He subsequent- at the Bluffs. Accepting the proposi- ly took the ground that the war was tion he landed at the mouth of a creek unnecessary. In. 1862 he was again made circuit judge, but resigned to go to Congress, where he served 1863-65. He then devoted himself to farming now known as Roy's Branch, north of the city, in the fall of 1826. Short- ly afterwards he moved to the mouth of Blacksnake creek, where he erected and the practice of his profession. He a small log house. In 1830 he became died .April 22, 1870. the sole proprietor of the trading post. Then he erected a large house, locat- ed about where the Occidental Hotel stands, northeast of Main and Jule streets.
Robidoux's family lived at St. Louis during his early struggles here. He owned a negro named Poulite. who knew French and who attended to the household duties. Robidoux spoke the various Indian dialects fluently. His English was broken and strongly flavored with the French accent. He was a heavily built man, about five feet ten inches in height, of swarthy complexion and with piercing eyes. He was a natural trader and highly successful in his line. His manners were mild and persuasive and he was polite and hospitable. He died in this city on May 27, 1868, nearly eighty- five years of age and was buried at Calvary cemetery, having been a Cath- olic. There was a public funeral. Business was suspended and the peo- ple generally participated in the last tribute to the founder of their city. Robidoux was, comparatively, a poor man at his death, having lost much of his property by unfortunate spec- ulations.
PETER H. BURNETT, the first circuit attorney who prosecuted in Buchanan County, was born in Nash- ville, Tenn. He was appointed circuit attorney of the 5th judicial circuit in 1837, and after serving, resigned to go to Oregon. In 1848 he went from Oregon to California, of which state he was the first gover- nor, and afterwards one of the judges of the supreme court. He published "The Path Which Led a Protestant Lawyer to the Catholic Church," ( 1860); "The American. Theory of Government Considered With Refer- ence to the Present Crisis," (1861); "Recollections of an Old Pioneer," (1878):, and " Reasons Why We Should Believe in God, Love God and Obey God," (1884). He. died May 17, 1895.
ROBERT MI. STEWART, Mis- souri's eccentric governor, was born in Truxton, N. Y., on March 12. 1815. He taught school when he was seven- teen and until he was twenty years of age. He then went to Kentucky, studied law and was admitted to the bar at Louisville. In 1839 he came to Buchanan County and located in
AUSTIN A. KING, the first judge Bloomington township, practicing law to hold court in Buchanan County, at Sparta and at Blacksnake Hills, was born in Sullivan County, Tenn., wherever the court happened to sit. In 1845 he was elected to the state Sept. 20, 1801: came to Missouri in 1830; in 1834 was chosen to the legis- constitutional convention and soon lature; in 1837 was appointed judge gained well deserved reputation as a of the 5th circuit, to which Buchanan debator. From 1846 to 1857 he was County was attached when organized; a member of the state senate. In 1857,
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when Governor Polk resigned, he was ont a pardon for William Langston, elected as a Democrat. He was a a prisoner from St. Joseph, charged delegate from Buchanan County to with aiding in the whipping of a man the convention of 1861. He was not of worthless character to death. As in favor of abolition, but he was soon as he could get away from the against secession, and ardently sup- Capitol he went to the penitentiary ported the Union. In fact his decided and called for Langston. The old man stand against secession, when so much wasemployed in digging a well. Stew- seemed to deper.d upon the action of art went to the brink and called him Missouri, helped to save the state to up. As he stepped out of the bucket, the Union, and made his action one the Governor slapped him on the of national consideration. He was back, exclaiming, 'Billy, old man, let me greet you as a free man for all time,' and handed him his pardon. Langston. had befriended Stewart
one of the projectors of the Hannibal & St. Joseph R. R. and helped to sur- vey the line and by his eloquence and fogic. to secure the right of way. He when he was an invalid and had no was a bachelor and a man of many friends.
eccentricities. He died September 21, 1871 and there was general suspension of business in St. Joseph upon the day of his funeral. His remains were buried at Mount Mora. The follow- ing, which recently appeared in the Jefferson City Tribune, as a contribut- tion from Col. Jacob T. Child, illus- trates the character of Governor Stewart:
"When Missouri was in the turmoil of the gigantic struggle between the two great sections of the Republic, Bob Stewart of St. Joseph defeated Gen. James S. Rollins of Boone, one of the greatest men of the then West, for governor. Then Jefferson City gubernatorial mansion,a frail old frame building, occupying the same site where the present mansion stands. It thing was in an embryotic state. Stewart was a 'Bourbon' in the full sense of the word. A New Yorker, he took the Union side of the cause, but the tide of secession was so strong that he could not stem the current, and he passed down and out with but regrets. His administration was novel in the extreme for many of his actions. As soon as he was inaugurated he had his private secretary, Dr. Peabody, fill
"Another time the Governor had been 'social' with a number of friends and in the 'we sma'' hours called for his horse, rode rapidly up the stairs into the reception room, ordered his servant to open the piano and pour in on the key board a peck of oats, re- marking, with an oath, that his horse had just as much right to food and re- freshments as the balance of mankind. The hoof marks of the horse could be seen on the stairway until the old mansion had been demolished. Feel- ing the influence of stimulations to excess, he imagined that he had snakes in his boots, and, sending for a pint of camphor, he poured it into was comparatively a small village, the his shoes; he pulled them on, and by night the snakes were gone, as well as all of the skin off of his feet. His pardoning of the female convicts is was a time of vast changes. Every- known to all, and the employment of them in the mansion, where they stole things ad libitum. Notwithstanding these eccentricities he made a good governor. While he was drinking he would never sign a state paper. He was an urgent advocate of internal im- provements, and ,as president of the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad, never ceased his labors in favor of that great highway till the gleaming steel con- nected the Mississippi and the Mis-
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