USA > Missouri > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Missouri : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Clinton County in the late war, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 34
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
" It being deemed expedient by the court to purchase a tract of land for a poor house, the court proposes to pay Abraham M. Creek, sixteen hundred dollars, for the farm upon which he now resides ; five hundred dollars to be paid on the first day of March next and the balance in twelve months from that date, with ten per cent interest thereon ; and the said Abraham M. Creek accepts the proposal so made by the court."
The farm above mentioned, is located about two miles northeast of Plattsburg, and contains 160 acres. This farm was sold in 1873, and another tract of land containing 156 acres, one mile northeast of Platts- burg, was purchased by the County Court from Daniel Thomas, at about $46 per acre.
The superintendents who have had charge of the poor farm from the date of its purchase, were: Thomas Decker, Samuel Hosterman, Jacob Hosterman, Daniel Hisler, Daniel Thomas, Ham. Warren and Green B. Lancaster. Mr. Lancaster now has the farm in charge, (having had it since 1879), at the annual rental of $350. To him is committed the care of the paupers, for which the county pays him $1.75 per week for board- ing each person, the county furnishing clothes, beds and bedding and the necessary heating stoves, the wood for which being taken on the premises.
There are two frame buildings on the farm, excluding out houses and stables. Altogether there are six rooms for the use of the paupers. There are also on the farm two bearing apple orchards, two wells and a spring. The land is good and yields abundantly. The buildings, out houses and fences, however, are badly out of repair, and need looking after by the county.
The number of paupers has been very limited, and at no time the number in charge of the superintendent has ever exceeded ten. The average number has been generally from five to seven. The present number is five, four of whom are men and one woman. This certainly speaks well for the county, and shows that its citizens are energetic and self-supporting.
CHAPTER XIX.
RAILROADS.
CHICAGO ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC-WABASH, ST. LOUIS & PACIFIC-HANNIBAL & ST. JOSEPH RAILROAD-WHEN ROADS WERE COMPLETED TO PLATTSBURG-WHEN COMPETED TO CAMERON.
During the year 1867, the citizens of Plattsburg began to agitate the suject of building railroads. The Kansas City & Cameron Road, as it was then called, traversed the entire length of the county, at a point at least seven miles distant from Plattsburg, the county seat. No special advantages accrued to Plattsburg from this road ; such as did accrue to the county were sectional and confined alone to those persons residing in the immediate vicinity of its depots. The people here knew that towns would spring up along the line of this road, which had already been built ; towns which would successfully compete with Plattsburg, because of their railroad communications ; and they further knew that, as a result, business must necessarily decline in the western portions of the county, and be thrown further east, where railroad advantages had been secured. Hence, the subject of railroads was freely discussed, for months, by a few of the prominent citizens of Clinton County, but the matter took no definite shape until the latter part of 1867 December , when Col. James H. Birch, Jr., and Charles Ingles Esq .. of Plattsburg, were appointed delegates by a mass meeting and went to St. Joseph and Leavenworth, to consult with the proper authorities in reference to the building of the St. Louis & St. Joseph, and the Chicago & Southwestern railroads, through Plattsburg. At that conference it was agreed that if Buchanan County would subscribe stock to the amount of four hundred thousand dollars, to the St. Louis & St. Joseph Railroad, Clinton County one hundred thousand to each of the roads, Ray County, two hundred thousand to the St. Louis & St. Joseph Railroad, and the City of Lex- ington, Missouri, seventy-five thousand to the St. Louis & St. Joseph Railroad, making the amount seven hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, the roads could be built.
The directors upon the part of Buchanan County named for the St. Louis & St. Joseph Railroad, were Richard Turner, T. J. Chew, Jr., L. M. Dunn, Benjamin Frazer, L. M. Lawson, Thomas B. Weakly, James H. Robinson and George Lyon.
The directors for Clinton County, were Colonel James H. Birch, Jr., Charles Ingles, Esq., and Colonel C. W. Porter. For Ray County, George I. Wasson.
330
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
On Monday, January 13, 1868, a mass meeting of the citizens of Clinton County was held at the court house, in the city of Plattsburg, to take into consideration the building of the two railroads above named. The day was disagreeably cold, yet a great number of people were present from all parts of the county. The meeting was called to order by Charles Ingles, Esq., and upon motion of John M. McMichael, Judge Robert Johnson was called to the chair. Colonel James N. Burnes and Judge Aller, of Weston, Colonel Mackay, of Leavenworth, and Colonel James H. Birch, of Plattsburg, addressed the people upon the then all-import- ant subject-the contemplated railroads ; after which Charles Ingles, Esq., offered the following resolution, which was adopted with but one dissenting voice :
Resolved, By the people of Clinton County, at a mass meeting held at Plattsburg, on the 6th day of January, 1868, that we, greatly feeling the necessity of the County of Clinton having more railroad facilities, in order to bring down freights to a just rate, as well as offering induce- ments to further settlement of emigration, do earnestly request the Judges of the County Court, of Clinton County, to order an election throughout said county, whereat the citizens of Clinton may determine whether or not they will vote for the County of Clinton to subscribe $100,000, to aid in the construction of the St. Louis & St. Joseph Rail- road ; also, $100,000 to aid in the construction of the Leavenworth & Des Moines Railroad, and the said election shall be ordered to take place at the usual places of voting, in said county, on the first Tuesday in the month of February next, 1868.
The Leavenworth & Des Moines Railroad, referred to in Mr. Ingles' resolution, is now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. In accordance with the desire of the people, as expressed in the resolution of Mr. Ingles, and which was almost unanimously adopted by them, the county court made an order for an election, to be held in the county, on the 4th of February, 1868. The order of the court required that "two- thirds of the qualified voters, as shown by the registration lists," should vote in favor of the proposition, in order to authorize the court to sub- scribe the stock. From the order we give the following extract :
" If two-thirds of the qualified voters of said county, as shown by the registration lists of said county of Clinton, give their assent at said election to said subscriptions, or either of them, then, and in that case, the presiding justice of the court is authorized and empowered to enter the aforesaid subscription (or the one to which the voters aforesaid, at the election aforesaid, shall have given their assent, if they shall have given assent to but one), upon the proper stock-books of said corpora- tion, or corporations, in the name of, and for said county of Clinton."
A forcible address was then issued to the people of the county by Col. James H. Birch, Jr., through the columns of the Clinton County Register, in behalf of the proposition to subscribe to the two roads, from which we make the following extracts :
331
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
"Your county court at its last session, made the most important order ever made by any court in the county. It involves the subscrip- tion by the county of $200,000, in twenty year six per cent bonds, to aid in securing and building through our county the two most import- ant roads in the west-$100,000 to the St. Louis and St. Joseph Rail- road, which enters the county in the southeast corner, and runs diagon- ally through it, leaving it in the northwest corner ; $100,000 to the Leavenworth and DesMoines Railway, which enters the county in the southwest corner, and running diagonally through it, leaves it at Cam- cron, which makes sixty miles of railway through our county, and places every farm in the county within six miles of a railroad. The very statement of the proposition excites the blood of every man who has his own interest at heart, together with that county pride which should be in every breast. To secure these two roads, is every man's desire ; to have additional facilities of travel and competing lines for freight, and thereby enable us to transport what we have to sell at one- half the present price, is an object which at once arrests and engages the attention of every man who ever expects to have anything to sell or to buy ; and he at once inquires by what process these ends can be accom- plished ? We answer, by building these roads. How can this be done ? is the inquiry. By assisting in the enterprise and subscribing the $200,000, under the order of the court.
By the order of the court the roads cannot get the bonds until they are nearly completed-thus rendering it certain that unless we get the roads, we will not have to give the bonds, and hence are in no danger of losing our subscriptions. This point fully secured, the only point to be investigated is, will the benefits of these roads be sufficient to compen- sate us for taking on the burdens of this additional tax? Our taxes will be increased $12,000, which, added to our present tax of $36,000, will make it $48,000. Every man, therefore, can take his last tax receipt for state and county purposes, and divide it by three, and see exactly what his taxes will be increased by taking stock in these roads. If he paid $15 tax last year, his tax will be $5. Now this is the whole burden, and when men make vague assertions about the enormous tax, it is because they have not investigated it sufficiently to know.
I propose now to inquire into the benefits we are to receive as an offset to this burden. Under the laws of Missouri, these roads are taxable-a fair valuation will be $20,000 per mile-and sixty miles will add $1,200,000 to the taxable property of the county. This $1,200,000 added to $2,700,000, returned for 1867, by the assessor, makes $3,900,000. This year, we raised $36,000 from $2,700,000, making $1.33 to the $100. To raise $48,000 from $3,900,000, makes the ratio only $1.23 . to the $100, thus reducing the taxes ten per cent on the hundred at the very start, and as our bonds are not issued to these roads, until they are com- pleted, the roads commence to pay taxes as soon as our bonds commence to bear interest. When to this, is added the increase in the value of our lands, the population and wealth, that, year after year, will flow in among us on the completion of these roads, it can readily be seen that our taxes will gradually subside to the level of former years. * * *
Some persons fear that these roads will combine, and keep up the prices of freights. This is impossible ; even the two roads that center at
332
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Atchison cannot do so, hence we see the result in low freights. If two cannot, surely three will be less able. Railroads that run parallel never combine ; they only consolidate by continuing their lines from one state to another. The Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad will know that unless it offers some inducements in the way of freights, the people on the line of the North Missouri will not ship on its line, and vice versa, and hence will continually have two lines, already embittered against one another, striving for the trade of our county.
Some fear we will lose the stock we take in this road. This cannot be, for under the laws of the state, the tax payers own the stock, and they cannot be divested by any action except their own, of their stock. For instance, under the laws, when a man's taxes for railroads amount to one hundred dollars, he is entitled to a certificate of stock to that amount in the road, and hence the county court, nor any other power except himself, can deprive him of that stock. This law was made expressly to remedy this evil, and to transfer the stock of the county to the tax payer, so that the county court could not fool a vay the property of the people. *
Many person say they would vote for these roads, if they did not believe they would be built through the county without any assistance. No one should make such an argument, for it is both unwise and dis- honest. Unwise, for these roads will not be built without help. Ten years ago, Howard County could have had the North Missouri Road through her for $100,000, but refused it and lost the road. Howard County now offers $500,000 if the L. & M. road will come through her. La Fayette County could have had the Pacific road for a small amount. Now the L. & M. road asks her $500,000 to run through that county. And just so it will be with us, if we refuse to help these enterprises. They will either not be built, or others who have the sagacity and liber- ality to assist in building up their own interest will get them. *
* *
One of the very best arguments in favor of building these roads, and of the benefits to be derived from them, is the fact that every single man in the county who moved here from a state where railroads are fully developed, will cheerfully and gladly vote for the roads. They have all assisted in building roads by county assistance ; they know just what burdens they bring on the people, and they have realized the full bene- fits, and with one voice they boldly declare that the benefits so over- whelmingly overbalance the burdens that they zealously vote to build the roads. Surely these men would not vote the tax upon themselves again and again, if the burdens and taxes were so enormous as the opposers of the road try to make out. Let every man who hesitates about this thing, go to his neighbor who has moved from a railroad country, talk to him about the burdens and benefits of a county helping to build roads, and if he is not convinced let him vote against the road. *
When we build these roads, year after year, the very best class of emigration will come among us, men of character and wealth, and assist us to pay this and our other taxes. It is safe to say that in five years our population and wealth will be doubled, which will reduce our taxes one half ; and in ten years they will double again, and in twenty years, when these bonds are payable, there will be in Clinton County twenty
333
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
men and twenty times the wealth upon which to assess the taxes to pay the bonds off."
According to the order of the county court, the election was held on Tuesday, the 4th day of February, 1868, and resulted in the following:
OFFICIAL VOTE.
ST. L & S1. J R. R.
L &D MR. R
TOWNSHIPS.
FOR
AGAINST
FOR
| AGAINST
Concord,
214
5
212
6
Jackson,,
9
99
7
99
Plate, .
20
17
Shoal ..
71
123
Hardin, .
52
1
52
La Fayette,.
55
18
55
18
Total,
421
121
466
123
The Clinton County Register of February 8, 1868, speaking of that election says : "The election, on Tusday last resulted even more favor- ably than we anticipated, the subscription to both roads carrying by 220 votes more than the necessary two-thirds. We congratulate the citizens of Clinton County upon this great and glorious result. Never have we witnessed an election in which the people were more unanimous, and never before did an enterprise triumph that gave more universal satis- faction. True, the vote was not so large as we expected ; yet we are satisfied that the entire opposition to the subscriptions was polled. We believe that the owners of four-fifths of the wealth of this county, although a large portion of them are disfranchised, are in favor of the subscriptions, and had every man, who we think is entitled to vote, been allowed the privilege of casting his ballot, for or against the roads, we are confident that the majority would have been even greater.
In the evening, when reports from other precincts were brought in, our citizens exhibited considerable anxiety, and according to the reports, were their hopes raised or lowered. About 7 o'clock the ballots of this township (Concord, were counted, and the result was 214 in favor of the roads to six against them. After the reception of the news from Jackson Township, railroad stock depreciated somewhat, and our people became painfully anxious to hear from Shoal. It was near II o'clock when George Essig arrived from Cameron bringing with him the official vote, which was unanimous for the roads. Such a shout as rose up, when the gratifying news fell upon the ears of the people, we venture to assert, was never before heard in Clinton County. In a few minutes every bell in town was ringing, and the anvils from the blacksmith shops, were belching forth reports equal to cannons-hats and caps were thrown up, and the people were fairly wild with joy, evidencing that the triumph
334
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
was not only complete, but of the utmost importance. The traps set by the opposition did not win, and the greenbacks expended to defect the will of the people are now worse than thrown away."
After the election, the county court refused to sign the bonds, giv- ing as their reasons, that they did not believe it to be to the interest of the county to subscribe so large an amount, and that a large proportion of the voters and tax payers who were disfranchised, had not voted, and consequently the propositions to vote the bonds had not carried by the requisite majority. Soon after, an indignation meeting was held at the court house in Plattsburg, at which a great crowd was present. This meeting was addressed by Col. James N. Burnes, of Weston, and some of the citizens of the town of Plattsburg, all of whom took strong grounds against the conclusions of the court. Petitions were immediately circu- lated in the county, to which those who had been disfranchised attached their names, requesting the county court to subscribe the stock. After some little delay of three or four months, the matter was finally adjusted, the court ratified the action of the voters and petitioners, by taking the stock, and the work of surveying and constructing the two roads was commenced. One of these roads, now the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific, was finished in July, 1870.
The Register of that date, in speaking of that railroad, says : The events of last Saturday, the 23d of July, formed an epoch in the annals of Plattsburg, which will, perhaps, be forgotten only with the loss of memory to its inhabitants. For the first time in the history of the frontier village did the iron horse plow his iron way through the limits of the city. It having been circulated that on that day the last rail was to be laid, and the last spike driven, people from the town and country were all gathered at the bridge, the memorable spot where the last stroke was to be made, to witness the triumph finally awarded to enterprise, foresight and sagacity. The track, which had nearly been finished the day previous, was soon extended to the bridge and joined to the eastern end, thus finishing practically the great work. But as some ceremony, some public demonstration was necessary to mark the successful close of so grand an achievement, the last connecting rail was left by the tracklayers unspiked. The proud people of our city, through their worthy mayor and appreciative council, had provided for a display which should evince the satisfaction of the community at the accom- plishment of all their fondest hopes. Mr. Shivel, Superintendent of construction, under Messrs. Ford & Perry Brothers, the contractors, had furnished a nice and elegant gold spike (so called), to be driven into the last joint. All things ready, the crowd waited for the train which was to bring the president and officers of the road down from St. Joseph. At length the party came, being drawn hither by the fine thirty-two ton locomotive, "A. G. Gower." Soon we observed Colonel A. G. Gower,
335
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
the efficient general superintendent of the road ; Major T. J. Chew, Jr., and Mr. Frazer, directors; Messrs. Saxton & Hastings, the energetic contractors, who had ironed the road; Mr. O. W. Davenport, and others, whose names we cannot remember. After hand shaking, congratula- tions and the like, and a disappointment occasioned by the failure to receive the toast prompter and other exhilarating indispensables, which were delayed in consequence of an earlier completion of the work than was anticipated and announced, Hon. John M. McMichael, surrounded by an immense and joyous throng, proceeded to present Colonel Gower with the last spike, by uttering, substantially, the following just and true sentiments in reference to Mr. C. F. Shivel, to whose untiring energy and indomitable perseverance, all of our citizens are ready to attribute an impulse which materially aided in the early completion of the road :
"Colonel Gower, permit me to present you with the last spike to be driven on the St. Louis and St. Joseph Railroad. This spike is furnished by Mr. Shivel, superintendent of construction, under Messrs. Ford & Perry Brothers. To the unfaltering zeal, energy and industry which Mr. Shivel has manifested under the observation of our citizens, we attribute the speedy progress made in the early and successful completion of this great work. Mr. Shivel, by his gentlemanly demeanor, courteous mien and affability has won hosts of friends in this community. His strict attention to duty and uncommon industry has impressed us with his efficiency in the work assigned him. And now I hand this spike, which shall rivet the iron links which bind by a continuous chain New York and San Francisco, and which I trust may be another band which shall indissolubly unite the many and diversified interests of a common country."
Colonel Gower then took the spike, and responded as follows :
. "SIR :- I accept with pleasure the pleasing task you impose on me. I am sure that this must be an occasion of rejoicing to the good people of Plattsburg. It is really so for the company. However, you must per- mit another to share with me the pleasing task. To his honor, Mayor Ingles, in behalf of the City of Plattsburg, I assign the task of helping me."
Colonel Gower, Mayor Ingles and Rev. Father O'Riley each then gave the spike two home licks, (the Colonel, with a large sledge, missing it the first time), which sent it to the socket and its long resting place. Father O'Riley did his part scientifically, and satisfied the crowd that he was no novice at the business.
After this ceremony was over and the road finished, a number of our citizens joined the party from St. Joseph in a ride to Lathrop. This was accomplished in a short time. The train soon whistled into Plattsburg, and then away it went to St. Joseph, carrying its freight of enterprising
336
HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
and sociable men, whose intercourse we hope hereafter to enjoy oftener, and as we are satisfied most pleasantly.
And so ended the ceremony in connection with the completion of one of our great through lines of railroads.
There have been three presidents of this road The first, James H. Robinson, died ; the second, Colonel James H. Birch, resigned ; and the third was L. M. Lawson, who is now president.
Directors for Buchanan County , R. E. Turner, T. J. Chew, Jr., J. H. Robinson. L. M. Lawson, L. M. Dunn, George Lyon, and Thomas Weakly.
Directors for Clinton County : C. W. Porter, Charles Ingles, and James H. Birch.
Director for Ray County : George I. Wasson.
The other road, now called the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, was finished in 1871. It had no directors in this county. When completed, a grand excursion came over the road, from Chicago and Leavenworth ; the excursionists meeting at Trenton, Missouri. The excursionists were composed of invited guests, from four different states, among whom were Generals Grant, Beauregard, and several members of the United States Senate, and Congress. The train was drawn by the locomotive that had previously taken the premium at the World's Fair at Paris ; the affair closing with a grand reception and ball at Leavenworth.
HANNIBAL & ST. JOSEPH AND THE CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC RAILROADS.
On the completion by John Duff & Co., contractors, of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, from St. Joseph to Cameron, in the fall of 1858, a depot was built at the foot of Walnut street, and A. T. Baubie was appointed freight and ticket agent at the latter point, and was also commissioned agent for the United States Express Company. The road was then being built from both ends. There were then no stock yards at the place, and the appointments and facilities for shipping at that period, as may be inferred, were of rather a primitive character. It is remembered by the early residents of Cameron, that the first shipment of live stock from that station occurred in the month of April, 1859, by David G. Stockwell, now (1881) proprietor of the stock yards at Atchi- son, Kansas. This shipment consisted of twelve car loads of very supe- rior cattle. They were consigned to St. Louis, via Hannibal and the Mississippi River, at the rate of thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents per car load. The manner in which this, the first shipment of the kind was accomplished, in default of proper and necessary facilities, was novel and effective. There happened to be a considerable quantity of whisky at the depot. The barrels containing this whisky were piled up, and so
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