USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 20
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In June 1890 the I. O. G. T. lodge of Alpena had nearly 100 mem- bers. C. D. Worral and W. W. Huxtable were sent as delegates to the grand lodge, which met at Aberdeen. At this meeting Mr. Huxtable was made treasurer of the grand lodge of the state.
As in all former years, so in 1890, politics became a matter of most absorbing interest. In Jerauld county the politicians were confronted with a condition that had never existed before. It was nothing less than a revolt of the farmers from the domination of the so-called "leaders" in politics. It is undoubtedly true, always, that in the game of politics hard times will find voters associating with strange playfellows.
With the beginning of the year men prominent in the farmers' alliance began to reorganize the societies in all the counties of the state and mak- ing them secret organizations.
A meeting of the state alliance about the middle of June had submitted to the various county alliances the question of joining in independent political action. The Jerauld county alliance at a meeting held June 2Ist decided to join the movement and a convention was called for July 5th to elect three delegates to a state convention to be held July 9th in the city of Huron. At this county convention S. S. Vrooman, I. H. French and C. C. Wright were elected to attend the convention at Huron. It was also voted to put a full county ticket in the field. Every township in the county, except Dale, was represented with full delegations. and every member a farmer. A county committee composed of one commit- teeman from each township, was elected and instructed to call a county
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convention to be held before either of the old parties had nominated a county ticket.
The township committeemen were as follows :
Alpena, W. J. Winters; Anina, J. A. Swan; Blaine, C. W. Parker; Chery, W. Horsley; Crow, Wm. Austin; Crow Lake, David Moulton ; Dale, Andrew Mercer ; Franklin, A. J. Bevins; Harmony, C. W. Mills ; Logan, H. A. Frick; Marlar, J. E. Marshall; Media, W. A. Housel ; Pleasant, H. P. Faust; Viola, Chas. Walters; Wessington Springs, W. N. Hill.
Mr. Hill was the only man on the committee who was not a farmer. He was elected chairman and called the committee together immediately after adjournment of the convention. They called a county nominating convention for Tuesday, July 15th, the caucuses to be held on Monday the 14th.
At the convention on the 15th the Independents put in nomination the following ticket :
Representative-V. I. Converse.
Register of Deeds-F. W. Whitney.
Auditor-O. J. Marshall.
Treasurer-P. H. Shultz.
Sheriff-Pat McDonald.
County Judge-A. I. Churchill.
District Attorney-C. W. McDonald.
Clerk of Courts-S. S. Vrooman.
Supt. of Schools-Jennie Miles.
Assessor-H. A. Frick.
Surveyor-B. R. Shimp.
Coroner-John Chapman.
J. N. Smith, of Viola township was indorsed for the state senate.
On July 19th the Republicans held their county convention and nom- inated the following candidates:
Representative-John Teasdale. Register of Deeds-A. J. Miller.
Auditor-A. Bywater.
Treasurer- H. J. Wallace.
County Judge-A. Converse.
District Attorney-E. C. Nordyke. Sheriff-J. R. Eddy. Clerk of Courts-N. J. Dunham.
Supt. of Schools-Geo. O. Williams.
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Assessor-D. B. Paddock.
Surveyor-T. L. Blank. Coroner-A. M. Mathias.
S. F. Huntley was indorsed for the state senate.
The Democrats held a county convention Sept. 4th and placed the following ticket in nomination :
Representative-Jeff. Sickler.
Register of Deeds-F. W. Whitney.
Auditor-S. B. Shimp. Treasurer-H. J. Wallace.
Sheriff-Pat McDonald.
Judge-M. C. Ayers. Attorney-J. R. Francis.
Clerk of Courts-W. L. Arnold.
Supt. of Schools-Mary A. Williams.
Assessor-Fred Kater.
Surveyor-B. R. Shimp.
Coroner-E. L. Turner.
At the district senatorial conventions, both of which were held at Wa- terbury, the Independents nominated J. N. Smith and the Republicans, S. F. Huntley.
In the 2nd commissioner district the Independents nominated M. A. Schaefer and the Republicans renominated John Grant.
All through the campaign the Independents showed the effects of superior organization. The Republicans could not overcome the results of the factional fighting of previous years. The Democrats made no efforts to carry their ticket.
Equal suffrage was made an issue in the campaign but was not taken seriously by the voters generally.
The election came on Nov. 4th and resulted in the overwhelming de- feat of the Republican ticket except as to treasurer, superintendent and assessor.
The alliance had won in the political battle so far as several of the counties were concerned, but the Republicans had carried the state.
The first term of Circuit court under statehood was held May 5, 1890, Hon. Dick Haney, judge.
In the campaign of 1890 the contestants for the state capital were Pierre and Huron, the former carrying Jerauld county by a large maj- ority. During the summer Pierre had kept two squads of surveyors traversing the western part of the county and surveyed two lines from northwest to southeast, just as Huron the previous year had surveyed pretended railroad lines from northeast to southwest.
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Chapter 4.
The beginning of 1891 found a feeling of depression existing among all classes of people. The numerous expeditions in search of charity, in- dulged in by so many people had a demoralizing effect upon the public generally, and to this was added the effect of a second year of poor crops. The political campaign of 1890 had been fought upon the propo- sition that the people were the victims of great governmental wrongs, and from every school house and public hall they constantly heard how very poor they were. The result was a feeling of unrest. Many sold out and moved away, some moved away without selling. The places of those who left were in many instances, taken by others who came, some from Iowa. some from Illinois, while many of those who left the county in 1891 re- turned in that or succeeding years to rent the former home or other land near by. Among those who came while the old settlers were leaving were_ Wm. Webber, who bought land in Viola township, Lewis Haskins, who purchased the old Nordyke farms in Harmony, and A. McCloud, to buy a home in Chery township.
January 3rd, 1891, the board of county commissioners met in special session to act upon the resignation of H. Herring, of the 3rd district and to appoint his successor. After accepting the resignation the remaining members, Grant and Eastman, called in the register of deeds, F. W. Whit- ney, and the county judge. A. I. Churchill, and organized a board to ap- point a new member in place of Mr. Herring. The appointing board ballotted several times, the result being two for F. S. Coggshall of Pleasant, and two for Jefferson Sickler of Harmony. The county treas- urer, H. J. Wallace, was then called in, who voted for Mr. Coggshall. and he was declared elected.
On the same day the board perfected an arrangement by which the county became the owner of a quarter section of land in Media township, owned by Mrs. Mary Smith, the consideration being that the county should provide Mrs. Smith a home and care for her as long as she should live. A residence was accordingly built on one of the county lots near the court house, and in it the aged widow found a home for several years. This event in the county's history is made the subject of a touch- ing story written by Mrs. Maud Cotton, formerly Maud Campbell, a daughter of Rev. J. G. Campbell. The story appears in the appendix to this volume.
On January 5th M. A. Schaefer took the oath as commissioner to succeed Mr. Grant from the 2nd district.
Jerauld County's first installment of money from the leasing of school
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Willard Hotel 1890.
Woodburn House in 1886.
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lands of the state came on the 14th of January, 1891, and amounted to $273.85.
Following the precedent of the previous year the board decided to furnish seed grain to farmers of the county who desired it. Accordingly, on the 20th of March an arrangement was made with L. N. Loomis to furnish grain, not to exceed $50 in amount, to any one person, at the following prices : Wheat 92c to 94c; millet, $1.00 to $1.10; flax, $1.35; oats, 50c. Some grain was purchased from farmers in the county who had a surplus on hand. The total amount of seed grain provided by the county in the spring of 1891 was $6,936.98. To secure payment for the grain so furnished the county filed liens on the crops sown. On April 9th 122 seed liens were filed.
During the first six months of 1891 the county expended $508.11 in support of the poor.
As usual with the spring rains which are always abundant, hope re- vived and the settlers busied themselves with putting in their crops.
A few had been furnished with a small amount of grain by societies of which they were members. The I. O. O. F. secured $100 to be ex- pended in seed grain for needy members of the order.
The State Farmers' Alliance sent 1435 pounds of seed grain to each of the 14 alliances in the county. In Marlar township the alliance mem- bers got together and sowed the grain thus received on a piece of coril ground that had been abandoned by some discouraged settler. Together they harvested and threshed the crop. The yield was 262 bushels of wheat and 36 bushels of oats, which they divided equally.
The winter of 1890-91 was an open winter and very mild, but little snow falling until the 7th of February, from which time it fell heavily until spring, when it was followed by heavy rains until. about the Ist of May. Then it stopped. Probably the most discouraging period in the history of the county was during the month of May, 1891. The surface of the ground became dry and dusty. The vegetation turned from green to brown and then yellow. By the 25th of the month there were many fields of wheat that did not show even a shade of green-the plants ap- peared to be dead. In the corn fields and late sown fields of small grain, cut worms appeared in countless numbers. They moved across fields like an army devouring every green thing.
Some farmers gave up in dispair and started to go. They knew not where. Then the rains came.
It was a year of wonderful crops. All over Jerauld county the rains came as needed. On some abandoned wheat fields of the year before a crop volunteered with no cultivation and yielded 8 to 10 bushels per acre. The largest yield of the year-or of any year-in Jerauld county,
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was on a field of 12 acres, a part of the farm of D. A. Scott, in Media township at the foot of the hills, on section I, occupied by W. L. Arnold, where forty-seven bushels per acre was harvested. The crop of over 100 acres made an average yield of 33 bushels per acre.
In Blaine township over 700 stacks of wheat could be counted from one point, besides hundreds of acres in shock.
And the prices of farm produce, too, were better. In Sioux City on Sept. 28th, hogs were $4.50; cattle (stockers) $2.00 to $2.50. In Chi- cago wheat was 96c; corn 40c; oats 26c; flax 98; butter (creamery) 20c to 31c, dairy I7c to 19c; eggs 17c to 18c. On April 10th, the local paper thought it worthy of mention that granulated sugar had come down to 17 pounds for a dollar.
The rate of interest on money remained at from three to ten per cent a month.
In 1891 there was much discussion of the subject of sinking artesian wells in various townships for purpose of irrigation. In Media township during the first week in August, County Surveyor Shimp located sites for eight such wells. The matter was submitted to the voters of the town- ship on December 22nd and voted down.
In Viola township artesian wells became a matter of private enter- , prise and were contracted for, in January, by Peter Klink, P. H. Shultz and Chas. Walters. The drillers commenced at once on Klink's farm and pushed the work as rapidly as possible. In some way the driller blundered and the Klink well failed after striking the flow. He then abandoned his contracts.
In Anina township S. S. Moore began work on a well on his farm and kept at it all summer gaining a depth of over 1200 feet, but failed to secure a flowing well.
In this year it was proposed to issue bonds to take up the outstanding county warrants, which were selling at 80 to 90 cents on the dollar. The county was now receiving more from taxes than was required to pay running expenses, and by refunding the debt which amounted to about $16,000, the warrants could have been held at par. The project was de- feated however, mainly through the influence of speculators, who were dealing in county warrants.
The farmers, realizing the benefits to be derived from the operation of the farmers elevator at Alpena, pledged 2000 bushels of wheat as a fund with which to do business. Shares of stock were sold and the debt of the institution paid.
In January plans were suggested for establishing a creamery at Wes- sington Springs. The matter was taken up by the Wessington Springs Board of Trade and in February arrangements were perfected with Mr.
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J. C. Longland to put in a plant. The old agricultural hall was moved up from the fair grounds and given to Mr. Longland as a bonus and with it was given the use of five acres of ground on the section line road run- ning east and west through the north part of town. Work was pushed as fast as possible and in May Mr. Longland started his wagons gather- ing the cream from all parts of the county.
The True Republican annual spelling contest occurred at Wessington Springs on the 14th of March, 1891. The first grade prize for written work was won by Samuel Nelson, Harry Nelson and George Stephens, they forming the class from Anina township. The second grade prize was won by a class from the same township composed of Alex. Vessey, Frank and Clarence Moore. The prize for oral spelling was won by John Riegal, of Logan township.
The county teachers institute began on the 7th of Sept. and continued one week, with. Prof. Parker as conductor.
Monthly Sunday School institutes were continued in the west part of the county during the summer and autumn.
The annual Sunday School convention was held at Wessington Springs on June 24th.
In Franklin township two Sunday Schools were organized in the spring of 1891, one at the Kogle school house, April 5th, with C. M. Clark, Supt., and one at Rock Valley in May.
In December a Christian Endeavor Society was organized at Wes- sington Springs, the officers being, T. L. Blank, Prest .; Mary A. Wil- liams, V. Prest. ; and Anna S. Hannebuth, Sec. and Treas.
At Alpena a Presbyterian church was organized by Rev. Hill, synod- ical missionary, on May 4th, the opening sermon being preached by Rev. Edwin Brown. The original members were Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Clark. by letter from Woonsocket church; Mr. John Houmes and Miss Lena Houmes, from Rose Hill church; Mrs. Mary Houmes, from Woon- socket church; Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Worrall and their sons ; Harry E .. James W., and Charles Worrall, from Rose Hill; Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Strain, by profession. During the first two years of its existence the church was supplied by Rev. Hill, as minister, helped by Rev. Work. The elders of the new church were C. M. Clark and C. D. Worrall. The trustees were John Houmes and O. G. Woodruff. The first representa- tive to presbytery was C. M. Clark; the first delegate to synod was C. D. Worrall.
In this year the congregational church at Templeton disbanded and the membership united with the church of that denomination at Wessing- ton Springs, on the 20th day of September. The Wessington Springs church was then under the pastorate of Rev. C. V. Martin, who assumed
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that position April Ist, 1891, and continued until Oct. 4th, when he was succeeded by Rev. Jeremiah Kimball. This church had been organized on the 20th day of June, 1886, with Rev. S. F. Huntley, pastor. The original members were Mr. and Mrs. T. L. Blank, Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Miles, Mr. and Mrs. George W. Bennet and their daughter Minnie, Mr. and Mrs. James F. Ford, Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Brown, and Mr. C. M. Chery. Mr. Huntley remained pastor until June 3rd, 1887, when services were discontinued. Mr. Kimball had charge of the church until June Ist, 1893, when Mr. Huntley again took the position and held it until Oct. 24, 1899, during which time a church and parsonage were built. Rev. Jesse Buswell was then pastor until June 23rd, 1900. He was succeeded on July 5th by Rev. J. B. Reese, who had charge of the church until Oct. Ist, 1901. He was followed by Rev. James Davies until July Ist, 1905. Then came Rev. John E. Hughes till July Ist, 1906, when Rev. Lauriston Reynolds took the pastorate.
In 1891 several changes were made in the newspaper field. On April 24th O. J. Marshall discontinued the alliance column in the True Re- publican and on May 8th a stock company, known as the Jerauld County Publishing Company issued the first number of "The Dakota Sieve," a paper devoted to the interest of the Independent party, with C. W. Hill, editor and B. W. Moore, printer. In the same month, May, Messrs. L. W. Kreidler and H. H. Gunderson leased the Herald from Blank & Blank for three years, but on Dec. 18th Mr. Blosser announced that he had purchased that paper and merged it with the True Republican. At Al- pena, about the middle of January Mr. Simpson suddenly abandoned jour- nalistic work in Jerauld county, and Mr. Ray Barber took editorial charge of the Journal.
In the postal service of the county the changes made were: The ap- pointment of Mrs. P. R. Barrett to be postmistress at Wessington Springs. She received her commission on May 5th. In Sept. O. G. Woodruff, of Alpena, was appointed post office inspector for Jerauld county.
On July Ist, 1891, a U. S. weather reporting station was located at Wessington Springs with Mr. Harvey Russ, reporter. The station is still maintained.
In the forepart of Sept. the public school house which, according to the law in force at the time it was erected, had been built one mile east of the township line, was moved into the village and placed near where the Oliver Hotel stands.
In business affairs but few changes were made in the county. At Waterbury O. P. Hull tore down the building previously occupied by him and shipped it to a suburb of Chicago, where it was rebuilt. In Wessington Springs in Sept. the Wessington Springs Bank was incor-
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porated with a capital of $5,000. The incorporators were L. L. Lane, of Rochester, Minn., E. J. and C. W. Lane, of Wessington Springs.
In August S. T. Leeds moved to Wessington Springs and began blacksmithing in a shop owned by G. N. Price.
At Alpena J. A. Crawford and Isaac Crawford who had been in partnership as blacksmiths dissolved the firm and Isaac continued the business alone. About the same time, James McDowell and E. G. Kins- man formed a partnership and for two years operated a blacksmith shop together.
In the summer of 1891 George Arne entered the mercantile business in Alpena on the south side of Main street.
About the same time F. B. Phillips bought Grant McLean's interest in the hardware business, and Manwaring Bros. succeeded Roth Bros. in general merchandise in I. O. O. F. building.
On the 29th of August the whole county was shocked by the report that Hon. V. I. Converse in a fit of temporary insanity had committed suicide by hanging himself in his barn at his home in Anina township.
Politics attracted but little attention in Jerauld county in 1891. But one county officer was to be elected and that was a commissioner to suc- ceed Mr. Eastman in the east district. The Republicans nominated Mr. R. Vanderveen, of. Dale township, and the Independents, Mr. David Mc- Dowall, of Franklin. The election resulted in favor of the Independents and McDowall was elected.
Mr. John R. Gamble, member of congress, having died, an election was called by the governor to fill the vacancy. The election was held at the usual time (the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November), and Col. J. L. Jolly, the Republican candidate, carried the county by a plurality of six votes. The election was held under the provisions of the new "Australian ballot" law.
Chapter 5.
If the history of South Dakota journalism is ever written the year 1892 will be pointed to as the time when journalistic billingsgate was most in use. There were but three newspapers in the county. Mr. Bar- ber, who though not a newspaper man by profession or experience, yet conducted a spicy but clean paper, turned the Journal office at Alpena over to Mr. Henry T. Griggs, an ex-preacher, from Brooklyn, N. Y. The character of the paper changed materially. At Wessington Springs
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Mr. Hull left the Sieve on the 28th of July after having made of it one of the most ably edited papers ever published in the county. Logical, fluent and witty, yet he kept his publication free from anything that could be offensive to any person's sense of decency. Blosser continued in charge of the True Republican. He was a printer by trade and a thor- ough journalist with high ideals. Articles with anonymous signatures that made detrimental reference to any person were refused admission to his columns. In all cases he insisted upon such articles being signed by the writers true name. What he termed "gorrilla" journalism he would not tolerate.
Probably some excuse may be found for a change that occurred in the tone of the papers in the fact that the campaign which began in July became one of the most personally bitter ones imaginable. Such expres- sions as dude, liar, suck pump, slush bucket and kindred expressions, were in common use. It is but fair to Mr. Blosser to say that he main- tained for his paper the same standard of excellence during all the years he had control of it.
The year 1892 was presidential election time and the work began early. The Alliance began holding political meetings in February and held them in every township in the county. After the Independents and Republican national conventions both parties held enthusiastic ratification meetings at Wessington Springs. But two county tickets were put in the field. The Republicans made the following nominations :
Register of Deeds-David F. Moulton.
Auditor-W. B. Wilson.
Treasurer-F. S. Coggshall.
Sheriff-Wm. Orr.
County Judge-Alonzo Converse.
District Attorney-C. W. McDonald.
Clerk of Courts-Geo. R. Bateman.
Supt. of Schools-Mrs. N. J. Dunham.
Assessor-J. C. Longland.
Surveyor-Adam West.
Legislative-Senate, J. B. Milliken, of Alpena and Representative, Ezra Cleveland, of Buffalo county.
The Democrats and Independents joined forces and put out the fol- lowing ticket :
Register of Deeds-E. G. Will. I.
Auditor-O. J. Marshall, I.
Treasurer-P. H. Shultz, I.
Sheriff-K. S. Starkey, I.
County Judge-J. R. Francis, D.
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District Attorney-M. C. Ayers, D.
Clerk of Courts-S. S. Vrooman, I.
Supt. of Schools-T. L. White, D. Assessor-Jas. McDonald, I.
Surveyor-B. R. Shimp, D.
Coroner-E. L. Turner.
Legislative-Senate, J. N. Smith, of Jerauld county, and Representa- tive, James Leach, of Buffalo county.
For county commissioner for the 3rd district the Independents nom- inated C. S. Barber, of Pleasant township, and the Republicans D. B. Paddock of Logan.
For the first, (and only) time in the history of the county, the teach- ers as an organized body took a hand in politics. The county teachers' institute met on Sept. 5th and continued in session two weeks, Prof. Jones, of Chamberlain, being the conductor. During this institute a teachers' association was formed. Mr. Williams during his term as county superintendent, had become very popular with the educators of the county, and they now, with but few exceptions signed a request to both the Independent and Republican candidates to decline the nomina- tions that had been tendered them and allow Mr. Williams a clear field as a candidate, independent of party politics. Both the other candidates submitted the matter to their party county committees and the request was denied.
The teachers then urged Mr. Williams to become a third candidate and he consented.
The election was held on Nov. 8th, and the following officers were elected :
Treasurer-F. S. Coggshall.
Register of Deeds-David F. Moulton.
Auditor-O. J. Marshall.
Clerk of Courts-S. S. Vrooman.
States Attorney-M. C. Ayers.
County Judge-J. R. Francis.
Sheriff -- K. S. Starkey.
Supt. of Schools-T. L. White.
Surveyor-Adam West.
Coroner-E. L. Turner.
Assessor-J. C. Longland.
County Commissioners, 3rd district, D. B. Paddock.
Legislative, Senate, J. R. Milliken, Representative, Ezra Cleveland.
In the proceedings of the county commissioners but little occurred outside of ordinary routine. The seed grain notes taken by the county
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Mrs. J. B. Collins.
S. S. Vrooman.
M. A. Schaefer.
WVm. Brodkorb.
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during the three preceeding years had nearly all been paid,-only $388.80 remaining uncollected on April Ist.
The expense of caring for the poor during the year 1892 was but $240.20.
David McDowall took the oath as a member of the board on January 4th and the new board made F. S. Coggshall chairman.
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