USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > Pioneer history of Milwaukee > Part 2
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*It was that wing of the Democratic party mainly who were in favor of the first constitution.
+The first constitutional convention assembled at Madison on the 5th day of October, 1846, and adjourned Dec. 16th, 1846, having framed a constitution that
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
TORCH LIGHT PROCESSION.
There was a grand Democratic torch light procession on the 19th of January, for the purpose of giving the new constitution a boom, which was pretty severely commented upon by the Sentinel, in which it was intimated that hke the Dutch before Fort Casimir (or Christiana), the leaders well knowing the fate that awaited their bantling, were only seeking for a safe spot to sit down upon. This brought the following reply from the Courier:
" The Sentinel and Gazette need not be anxious about our not finding a soft spot on which to sit down, for if our nether parts were as callous as is their head we could sit down upon a brick and never know it .- Ed.
I will bet a hat that Noonan wrote that.
WAR IN THE CAMP.
There was in the Sentinel and Gazette of January 29th, a call signed by 120 of the leading Democrats, who were opposed to the new constitution, for a meeting to be held at the Common Council room, then located on Spring Street, on the 30th, for the purpose of taking measures to call a new convention, in case the present con- stitution should be rejected, the reading of which produced a terrible commotion in the locofoco camp, whose leaders saw, or thought they saw, in this call that their protege was in danger of being throt- tled, to prevent which they at once determined to get control of the meeting, and as the proceedings on account of this attempt were more on the " Kilkenny cat" order than of an orderly assemblage, I will give a short sketch of them, taken partly from the Sentinel and Gazette of February 2d, and partly from memory, and which were substantially as follows :
As stated the meeting was to be held in the Council room, in front of which at the hour appointed some 400 had assembled, but as the key was not forthcoming they could not get in without breaking the door, which was quickly done, and the fun commenced. Those friendly to the call placed the late Dr. Thomas J. Noyes in the
kee were Don A. J. Upham (who was president), Francis Huebschmann, Wallace W. Graham, Garrett Vliet, John Crawford, Asa Kinney, Garrett M. Fitzgerald, John Cooper, John H. Tweedy, James Magone, Horace Chase and Charles E. Brown.
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chair, and for a short time there was music by the entire band; it was more like pandemonium let loose, than an orderly assemblage. This state of things lasted for at least fifteen minutes when the friends of the bantling called upon Judge Helfenstein (a Democrat from Pennsylvania) to take the chair, which after a free fight during which several were badly hurt, some knocked down and dragged out, and one-Dick Murphy (see annexed slip*)-cut with a knife, he suc- ceeded in doing, order at length having been in some degree restored, James Holiday,t a Democrat who had signed the call (and a first- class citizen in every respect), offered a resolution which in substance rejected the new constitution, alleging that it was not a genuine Democratic document,¿ and calling upon the Legislature, then in session, to pass an act authorizing a new convention. This move brought the late D. A. J. Upham and Judge A. D. Smith, to their
* " THE CUT WITH A KNIFE."
For the Milwaukee Courier.
MR. EDITOR :- I propose to enlighten your readers a little in regard to Alder - man Murphy's " cut with a knife," about which the valorous " little General " made such a grand flourish last week. The General saw, doubtless, twenty men in buckram and slayed them all, leading his gallant hosts off the field with only a wounded Alderman. And it was but fair that the General should be allowed to make the most of a chivalrous retreat. If he had given us a list of the killed as well as wounded, the public would have had a better idea of the fight, though the doughty Alderman might have figured less conspicuously, and the General's laurels been more equivocal but not less green.
The truth is this. When the people gathered about the door of the Council room, it was locked. They waited some time, till the number increased so rap- idly that the General became alarmed and dispatched a portion of his body guard to reconnoitre. The Alderman was honored with the command of the expedition, and it must be admitted he accomplished a manœuvre which fully entitled him to the honorable mention made of him by his superior officer. He found his way in at the back door. To effect an entrance he broke in a pane of glass with his elbow, then reaching in his hand and seizing the bar that fastened the door, he gave it a violent jerk, in doing which his wrist came in contact with a point of glass adhering in the putty, which penetrated the skin and actually drew blood. One of bis companions caught a pocket handkerchief, and with a presence of mind equal to the emergency, wrapped it around the wound. It is thought the Alder- man will recover.
This is the veritable and circumstantial account of " Alderman Murphy's cut with a knife."
" Let those jest at scars who never felt a wound."
Yours, etc.,
WEST POINT.
¡ Holliday & Brisbin. John Brisbin left shortly after. I think he came from Prairie du Chien.
+ It was claimed by the locofocos that the first constitution was a simon-pure Democratic document, and for this reason alone, every Democrat was in duty bound to vote for it, But they didn't.
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feet in support of the bantling they had both been nursing so care- fully, and in doing which both gentlemen made use of language that would certainly have been declared out of order in any respectable prayer meeting. They were followed by Mr. Kilbourn who spoke against the adoption of the present constitution, in a clear, calm and dignified speech, after which Leonard P. Crary, who had signed the call, arose, and to the utter astonishment of every one present, came out " flat footed " for it, (Leonard always was a little queer,) closing his peroration with the following quotation, " that with all its faults, he loved it still." At this the audience fearing that Mr. Crary's wind would not hold out, called upon him in tones that would have melted the heart of a sign post, to " hold up! hold up! Crary, for God's sake hold up! don't bust yourself; let up a little," followed by cat calls ; " hustle him out," and "sich," Crary finally let up, and was followed by S. Park Coon,* who was continually interrupted with cat calls, groans and yells, but he kept the floor until Uncle Job Haskell, a Tammany Democrat, thinking from the proceedings that he was in the Bowery and a free fight in progress, pulled off his coat and went in, but was instantly knocked out of time, after which the locos, having apparently (in nautical parlance) became " gallied "t at their own work, left and a new organization was effected with Rich- ard Murphy as secretary, when Wallace W. Graham offered a resolu- tion declaring it inexpedient to take any steps looking towards a new constitution until the people had passed upon the present one. To which Mr. Holliday offered an amendment denying in substance that the Democracy of Milwaukee, were in any way interested in the present one, and that a new convention was necessary, which was
* S. Park Coon was for many years one of our most prominent lawyers and politicians; he was the second attorney-general of Wisconsin. He was a leading Democrat. but like too many others who enter the political arena, he fell a victim to dissipation and became a beggar. He was supported by the charity of his brother lawyers for several years before his death, which occurred at the Passavant hospital October 12th, 1883. He was a genial, whole-souled fellow in his palmy days, and but for the fatal cup, would have, no doubt, been a man of influence lo-day. But such is too often the result of a political life. It kills both body and soul. A sketch of S. P. Coon appeared in Peck's Sun of October 201h, 1883, which hits the nail on the head, but lengthly as well as not per- haps entirely appropriate for a full insertion here. But it was right to the point, and should be read by every young man in the country who wants to be a politician.
+ Frightened.
2
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unanimously adopted, after which they adjourned. This ended the farce got up by a few politicians for the sole purpose of forcing an instrument on the people, that the people did not want, and which they were determined, Whigs as well as Democrats (for the two parties were united upon that question), that they would not have. But the meeting was one of the richest, as well as the liveliest for a short time that I ever attended in Milwaukee, and nothing short of New York or Philadelphia could have beaten it. It was, however, the natural outcome of an organization where every third man wants an office and is bound to have it or know the reason why. They behave better now, however, occasionally .*
ORDINANCES.
The following are some of the Ordinances passed in 1846 and 1847 :
AN ORDINANCE to authorize the Marshal to appoint deputies.
Be it ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Milwaukee in Common Council assembled :
SECTION I. That the marshal be, and is hereby authorized to appoint deputy marshals whenever he may deem it expedient so to do, and said deputy marshals shall take an oath of office, and give bond for the faithful performance of the duties of said office, to said marshal, who shall be responsible for all acts of any deputy by him so appointed; provided, however, that not more than one deputy shall hold office in any one Ward at one time.
SEC. 2. That all deputy marshals duly appointed, shall have power to do and perform all acts which by law the marshal may do in person.
Passed July 13th, 1846.
A. HENRY BIELFELD, Clerk.
J. B. SMITH, Acting Mayor.
* Politics have cost the government a mint of money. Neither will the drain upon the pockets of the tax-payer cease its flow until the curse called universal suffrage is driven from the land. Only think of it, giving a man who pays no taxes the same political rights and power as the one who does. Can anything be more absurd-make a man an alderman or a supervisor, (as has been done,) who does not own a dollar of taxable property in the Ward he misrepresents? It is no wonder that John White should claim that Americans were not competent to hold office, and that foreigners alone should hold office, for this universal suffrage is certainly equivalent to our saying, come over and run this government, for we the native born are not competent-besides we have no time. The writer has heard John White make that assertion in presence of several others, and he meant it too.
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
AN ORDINANCE to regulate the sale of wood and hay.
Be it ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Milwaukee in Common Council assembled:
SECTION I. That from and after the 20th day of July, A. D. 1846, the public square between Mason and Oneida Streets, and Market and Water Streets in the First Ward shall be a public stand for the sale of wood and hay, and no person shall be allowed to expose any wood or hay for sale on Water Street between Chicago and Mason Streets in the First and Third Wards, nor shall any team loaded with wood or hay be allowed to stand in said Water Street within said limits more than ten minutes at any one time.
SEC. 2. There shall be erected at the expense of the First Ward a sett of hay scales upon said Market Square, and any person exposing hay for sale in the First Ward, shall, if required by the purchaser, sell such hay by the ton of 2,000 lbs., to be ascertained by weight upon said scales, the fees for weighing and furnishing a certificate shall be twenty-five cents per load to be paid by the seller.
SEC. 3. One or more suitable persons shall be appointed by the Common Council as public weighers, who shall before entering upon the duties of his office, file a bond with the city clerk, for the faithful performance of the duties of his office in the sum of five hundred dollars-he shall have charge of said hay scales, and attend to the weighing of hay and other commodities sold by weight; he shall keep a record of the weight of all articles weighed by him, the name of the seller or person applying to have the same weighed and the gross and net weight, and shall be allowed one-half the fees for weighing as compensation for his services, and the other half he shall at the end of each financial quarter pay to the treasurer of the city of Milwaukee for the use of the First Ward.
SEC. 4. Any person exposing wood for sale, shall sell such wood by the cord if so required by the purchaser, the quantity to be ascertained by one of the city measurers, the fee for measuring to be paid by the seller.
SEC. 5. There shall be appointed by the Common Council, one or more measurers of wood and bark in each Ward, whose duty it shall be to measure wood and bark, when called upon; and shall be allowed to receive six cents per load if measured by the load or six cents per cord if measured in the pile.
SEC. 6. Any person violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall forfeit and pay one dollar for each offense with costs of prosecution, to be recov- ered before the Police Court of the City of Milwaukee.
Passed July 13th. 1846.
A. HENRY BIELFIELD, Clerk.
J. B. SMITH, Acting Mayor.
This is the first ordinance regulating the sale of wood and hay of which there is any record, and applied to the then First Ward, now the First and Seventh. It was amended in 1852 and a weigh master appointed-Wm. H. Perry, (now at Superior City), who also measured wood. [This scale stood near the center of the Square,
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or opposite what is now No. 454 East Water Street.] There was also one against nuisances, gaming and dogs running at large, all of which was naturally a dead letter, however, for years, and are so to much too great an extent, to-day. And one for a night watch. December 3d, 1846.
Sec. 39, of an Ordinance for the prevention and extinguishment of fires and to regulate a storage and vending for gunpowder :
"At any alarm of fire the bell shall be rung in a manner to indicate the ward in which it originates, viz :
If in the Ist ward, by two quick strokes and three quick strokes, with a short pause between alternately.
If in the 2d ward, by two quick strokes and a short pause.
If in the 3d ward, by three quick strokes and a short pause.
If in the 4th ward, by four quick strokes and a short pause.
If in the 5th ward, by five quick strokes and a short pause.
And if the ringer cannot determine in which ward the fire is, he shall ring a continual alarm."
IN COMMON COUNCIL.
MILWAUKEE, Feb. 4th, 1847.
Resolved, That the 39th section of the Fire Ordinance be published in the daily Sentinel and Courier for one week-and that a premium of one dollar be paid to the person ringing the first bell in accordance with the rules; provided there is a fire at the time of the alarm.
A. HENRY BIELFELD, Clerk.
AN ORDINANCE establishing a public stand in the third ward.
Be it ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen of the city of Milwaukee in Common Council assembled:
SEC. I. That a public stand for the sale and disposal of wood, hay and other marketable articles be and the same is hereby established in the third ward, which shall consist of the following portions of Detroit street, namely : those between East Water street and the Milwaukee River, and between said East Water street and Main street.
Passed Feb. 8th, 1847.
A. HENRY BIELFIELD, Clerk. J. B. SMITH, Acting Mayor.
And one for compelling the attendance of members.
AN ORDINANCE to compel the attendance of the members of the Common Council.
Be it ordained by the Mayor and Common Council of the city of Milwaukee in Common Council assembled:
SEC. I. That when any member of the common council shall absent himself from the sitting after he shall have been in attendance on the sitting without the leave of the common council, shall be fined in the sum of ten dollars.
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SEC. 2. That when any member of the common council shall refuse to attend a meeting of the common council after a resolution shall have been passed by a majority of the members present requiring his attendance forthwith, such member shall be fined in the sum of twenty dollars.
Passed July 19th, 1847.
CHAS. C. SAVAGE, Clerk pro tem. JOHN B. SMITH, Acting Mayor.
The business Directory for 1847 was substantially the same as in 1846.
The forwarding houses were Dousman & Co., at their old stand ; Miller & Cushman, at the Point, (checkered warehouse); McClure & Williams,-J. E. McClure & Thos. P. Williams,-at the Reed ware- house on Erie Street, Putnam & Co.,-O. S. & F. R. Putnam,- where the Marine Block now stands, (north-east corner of South Water and Ferry Streets); D. Newhall, at the old red warehouse on South Water Street ; and A. Sweet, at the red warehouse foot of East Water Street.
POOL FORMED.
The storage and commission men formed a pool this year at the South Pier. The pool was composed of Alanson Sweet, Putnam & Co., Dousman & Co., McClure & Williams, and Miller & Cushman ; Julius White, agent. It did not last long, however, as the competi- tion was too strong,
The civil engineers were William Jervis, Geo. S. West, John and Jasper Vliet, Benj. H. Edgerton, Jas. McCall, Wm. S. Trowbridge, I. A. Lapham, and perhaps others.
The wholesale grocers were P. W. Badgely, 189 East Water Street, now 387 *; Hiram W. Beebe, 397 East Water Street; Kimball &
*As stated in Vol. 2, page 84, in the new street numbering, it was the intention of the engineer in charge of the work, F. H. Blodgett, to add just 200 to the old numbering ; i. e., what was 78 then, would be 278 now, &c. This, however, will not always prove to be correct, for this reason : some of the stores under the old system, particularly upon the East Side, were only nine, others eleven to fourteen, and in one instance thirty feet front each, which would some-
times bring five numbers upon a sixty-foot lot. The new system adopted in 1864, gives three numbers of twenty feet each to a sixty-foot lot ; consequently it moved some forward and some backward, and some. (the present bank building on the south-west corner of East Water and Michigan Sts., for instance,) retain their original numbers. The bank was originally 163, now 363. But the old J. S. Rockwell store is by this process set back two numbers. Under the old sys- tem it was 157 & 159 ; now it is 355 & 357. The number upon the south-west corner of East Water and Wisconsin Sts. is set back by the same process. It was originally 201, and is now 399, &c. This explanation is made for the use of those who have never investigated the matter, and would therefore not understand why
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Hall,-Alba Kimball & Wm. H. Hall,-353 East Water Street; Rich- ard Murphy, 310 East Water Street ; the Pittsburg Store of J. R. McCune, 276 East Water Street.
Wholesale dry goods firms were Bradford Bros., 357 East Water Street ; Sexton & Wing,-Lester Sexton and John Wing,-337 East Water Street.
Dealers in general merchandise were Henry Sayers, The People's Store, 192 West Water Street ; Chas. Hall, City Cash Store, 325 East Water Street ; Edward Warner, 371 East Water Street ; F. A. Northrop, Birchard's block, on Spring Street ; Empire Leather Store; Allis & Allen,-Edward P. Allis and William Allen,-334 East Water Street ; Palmer & Lord, 13 Spring Street ; John S. Pardee,* 345 East Water Street ; J. N. Bonesteel, 385 East Water Street; Jacob Rapeljie, 190 West Water corner of Spring Street ; Chas. G. Denny, grocer, 321 East Water Street ; Henry Newhouse, clothier, 398 East Water Street ; Wm. Pierce, dealer in boots and shoes, 336 East Water Street ; H. L. Page, Old Pioneer Store, 393 East Water Street; Boyd & Gridley, 11 Spring Street. This was a very large store for those days. Wm. H. Byron, hardware, 351 East Water Street; Milwaukee Vari- ety Store, Daggett & Richardson, 346 East Water Street; Wm. S. Wells, clothier, 372 East Water Street ; Geisburg & Brosius, clothiers, 390 East Water Street ; James Kneeland, general merchandise, 355 East Water Street ; Joseph Cordes, provisions, 324 East Water Street ; Francis G. Tibbets, hardware, 365 East Water Street ; R. D. Jennings, general stock, northwest corner of Third and Chestnut Streets ; Daniel W. Bayles, clocks, 379 East Water Street, quite a large stock for those times. Willmans & Boisselier, German, dry goods, 350 Third Street, (old number) ; John H. Silkman, hats and caps, 354
some of the old numbers are changed and others are not. With this explanation I shall give from this on, (as a rule), the present numbering; and when the old is given, shall give both.
Main St. will also be given when the present Broadway is meant, and Spring St. for Grand Avenue, as these streets were known by those names; the former up to April 10, 1870, and the latter to Dec. 12, 1876, at which dates they were changed by ordinance.
The present Prospect Avenue, originally the old Port Washington Road, was changed to Michigan Avenue May, 5, 1853, but the change did not obtain. (See City Ordinance Book.)
*In Vol. 2, page 241, this gentleman is down as James S. Pardee. This, I think, is an error, and should be John, although the writer has in his possession a document in which it is James S. Pardee.
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
East Water Street ; Fred. Wardner, dry goods, 333 East Water Street, Roger's Block, large stock ; Henry W. Conant, hats and caps, 382 and 384 East Water Street ; Bradley & Metcalf, boots and shoes, 389 East Water Street ; Ludington & Co., old corner store, now 401 East Water Street ; Lyon Bros., a new firm, W. & A. M. Lyon, 399 East Water Street, Higby's old place; Cicero Comstock, dry goods, large stock, 356 West Water Street ; M. D. Curren, dry goods, 331 East Water Street, large stock ; Shepard & Bonnell, hardware, 391 East Water Street ; Leonard J. Farwell, hardware, 335 East Water Street, Roger's Block ; Henry A. Hayden, dry goods, 363 East Water Street; F. J. Blair, crockery, (sketched in Vol. 2), 398 East Water Street ; Peck & Baker,-Henry P. Peck and Thos. L. Baker,-dry goods, 338 East Water Street. This was a large store, it included carpets among its stock; it was one of the first to do so. Mr. Peck was sketched in Vol. II, page 244; Mr. Baker will be further on. Fowler & Ely, *- Geo. J. Fowler and Ambrose Ely,-boots and shoes, 395 East Water Street ; McCormick & Hayburn,-Andrew McCormick and James C. Hayburn,-327 East Water Street ; Nathaniel S. Don- aldson; general stock and a large one, 377 East Water Street ; Benj. Throop, hats and caps, 386 East Water Street ; Steinhart & Adler, 392 East Water Street; Philetus Yale clothing, 366 East Water Street; Nazro & King,-Henry J. Nazro and Henry U. King,- hardware, 318 East Water Street; David George, (German), hats and caps, 339 East Water Street; John Furlong, grocer, 248 East Water Street ; Greulich & Haertel,-August Greulich and Herman Haertel,-grocers, 360 Third Street ; G. P. Hewett, hard- ware, 374 East Water Street; [This retains the old number with the 200 added.] Holton & Goodall, dry goods, 177 West Water Street ; and no doubt many others, but these were the principal firms engaged in the dry goods, grocery, and hardware business in 1847. And although some of them, like Jennings, Peck & Baker, Boyd & Led- yard, Holton & Goodall, Ludington & Co., Jas. Kneeland, Fred. Wardner, and a few others kept a large stock, yet the whole of them put together would not be equal in value or bulk to T. A. Chapman's. But they filled the bill for that day just as satisfactorily as does his for the present time.
*Dissolved March, 22 Mr. Ely retaining the business.
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MILWAUKEE UNDER THE CHARTER.
Prominent among the druggists of 1847 was Wm. M. Cunningham, 347 (old No. 149) East Water Street, who came here from Waukesha, I think in 1846, and who became quite famous as a druggist. He was a man of great energy of character. In person, he was above the medium height, sleightly built, had a thin face, (beardless), dark brown hair, and dark blue eyes. He was of a nervous temperament, walked quick and erect, and had a soft pleasant voice. Had a great love for books, was fond of music, cultivated a taste for the fine arts, and was of morals unimpeachable. Careful of what he said or did, he built up a large business and died from overwork at Lockport, N. Y., May
DRUGS PAINTS , OILS &C.
WHOLESALE 8 RETAIL.
151 W. M. CUNNINGHAM. 151
18, 1849. He was succeeded by Seth Johnson, Jr. The annexed is a cut of his store as it appeared when built, the late J. B. Martin granite block, (Vol. II, page 241). Mr. Cunningham married Anna Martin, the sister of the late Jas. B. Martin, by whom he had one child,-a daughter born shortly after his death, now the wife of Henry Nie- decken of this city.
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