USA > Wisconsin > Jefferson County > The history of Jefferson county, Wisconsin, containing biographical sketches > Part 67
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450
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
McRan, J. S. Kube, J. H. Koch and John Falkenbridge. Clerk, A Francl (re-appointed) ; Marshal, E. Off (re-appointed).
In 1871, Theodore Prentiss was again called to guide the municipal destinies of Watertown. F. Meyer was elected Treasurer; Charles Beckmann and M. Norton, re-elected Assessors. Alder- men-J. T. Moak, Ch. Meyer, D. Kehr, H. Bertram, George Ryan, R. Jones, H. Bassinger and M. Sullivan. Supervisors-William H. Rohr, William Bieber, Thomas Baxter. Jacob Weber, William M. Dennis, F. Hermann and A. Boomer. School Commissioners-H. Sleeper, Amos Baum, A. Gradewohl and F. Breckenridge. Commissioners of the Public Debt-G. Werlich, W. Pease, F. Hartwig and P. Quentmeyer. Justice of the Peace, William P. Brown. Con- stables-John Reichardt, Thomas Dougherty and John L. Kube. Francl and Off remained in office.
The result of the election in 1872 was as follows: Mayor, Fred Kusel. Treasurer, Fred Meyer. Assessors, Charles Beckmann and M. Gallagher. Aldermen-C. Maver, William Bie- ber, Thomas Moore, George Ryan, Richard Jones. T. Becker, L. Reisdorf, F. Hartwig, J. Pren- tice, William Weber, James McCully and John MeGolrick. Supervisors-D. W. Ballou, E Grossman, Daniel Jones, E. Sweeney, W. M. Dennis, F. Hermann and F. H. Breckenridge. Justices of the Peace-C. M. Dueasse, C. F. Krebs. J. C. Halliger and Charles Beckmann. School Commissioners-J. Benkendorf, J. Weber and F. Voss. Commissioners of the Public Debt-C. Schroeder, M. G. Gallagher and U. Habbegger. Constables-E. Off, George Heuse, John Reichardt, James McRan, J. L. Kube and Ph. Manz. Appointed by Board-City Clerk, A. Francl ; City Marshal, E. Off; City Surveyor, Judson Prentice.
In 1873, Christian Meyer was elected Mayor; William Schulte, Treasurer; Charles Beck- mann and August Volkmann, Assessors. Aldermen-Eugene Wiggenhorn, H. Bertram, Will- iam Bieber, Joseph Lindon, F. Kusel, Henry Winkenwerder, John Alwart and Luther May. Supervisors-D. W. Ballou, William Volekmann, T. Baxter, Edward Sweeney. Ferdinand Hart- wig, Fred Hermann and H. F. Breckenridge. Justice of the Peace, John L. Kube. School Commissioners-F. Specht, Amos Baum, H. Wilber and A. P. Wood. Commissioners of the Public Debt-G. Werlich, F. Fischer, W. Pease, William Spence and P. Quentmeyer. Con- stables-Sylvester Burns, John Reichardt, James McRan, Casper Schilling and P. Dougherty. Clerk (appointed), A. Tanek. Marshal (appointed), John Reichardt.
Municipal honors were accorded as follows, in 1874: Mayor, Hezekiah Flinn (the first Milesian who succeeded to this office in Watertown); Treasurer, William Schulte; Assessors. August Volekmann and M. J. Gallagher. Aldermen-C. Mayer, C. Schroeder, Thomas Moore. Il. Meyer. James Mcllugh, F. Misegades. H. Wilbur, H. Winkenwerder. F. Mertzke, J. Alwart. F. Block and William Olin. Supervisors-D. W. Ballou. William Volckmann, Thomas Baxter, Edmund Sweeney, F. Hartwig, Fred Hermann and F. II. Breckenridge. School Commissioners -William Bieber. Jacob Weber and U. Habbegger. Commissioners of the Public Debt-John Muth, M. J. Gallagher and L. Vogel. Justices of the Peace-C. M. Ducasse, Charles F. Krebs, John L. Kube and Charles Beckmann. Constables-S. Burns, William Wilson, James MeRan, J. Rissmeyer, P. Dougherty and John O'Brien. P. Devy was appointed Clerk, and P. Dougherty, Marshall.
In 1875, Watertown had the following officers : Mayor, Jacob Weber ; Treasurer, William Schulte ; Assessors, Charles Beckmann, and Michael J. Gallagher. Aldermen-Seniors. J. T. Moak. H. Pritzlaff. Philip Quentmeyer, Stephen S. Woodard, Marshall J. Woodard. F. Maerzke and D. S. Chadwick : Juniors, Eugene Wiggenhorn. J. Benkendorf, G. B. Lewis, John Weber, L. Kellermann, J. Alwart and William Olin. Supervisors (three from each ward. in accordance with the act of an Legislature, approved March 5, 1875-J. B. Bennett, C. W. Schulz, John Ford. A. F. Mueller, C. Ahrenberg, Joseph Bursinger, Edward Johnson, Henry Rice, John O'Neill, Edmund Sweeney. F. Kusel, Patrick Rogan, Frank Koenig, J. Pritzlaff, Caspar Shilling, Charles Ruebhausen, William Henze, Louis Vogel. F. 11. Breckenridge, H. Frederick, Amos P. Wood. Commissioners of the Public Debt-Gustavus Werlich, Walter Pease, John Baumann, A. Volckmann and Simon Ford. School Commissioners-Fred Specht,
las Cody MR WATERTOWN
453
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
J. Mowder, William Herbst and M. Sullivan. Constables-Sylvester Burns, Joachim Cordes, Thomas Heil, James McRan, Henry Bogel, Philip Dougherty and Jacob Reinhard. A. Tanck, and J. F. Barber were appointed to the positions of City Clerk and City Marshal respect- ively.
Jacob Weber was re-elected Mayor in 1876; Treasurer, August Block, ; Assessors, M. J. Gallagher and August Block. Aldermen-Seniors, William Rohr, Henry Pritzlaff, P. C. Quentmeyer, S. S. Woodard, H. Wilber, Fred Maerzke and Fred Block ; Juniors, J. B. Bennett, John Muth, G. B. Lewis, Timothy Driscoll, H. Winkenwerder, J. Alwart and William Olin. Supervisors-D. W. Ballou, Charles Schultz, Philip Hackett, A. Miller, J. Bursinger, C. Ahren- berg, E. Johnson, C. J. O'Neill, John Weber, F. Kusel, Peter Malloy, John McGraw, F. Hart- wig, F. Ott, L. Reisdorf, Ch. Ruebhausen, L. Vogel, H. Peters, H. Breckenridge, A. P. Wood and A. Dunnigan. School Commissioners-Emil Gaebler, James McHugh, and August Volck- mann. Commissioners of the Public Debt-J. Benkendorf, B. O'Byrne, Philip Dougherty and A. Boomer. Justices of the Peace-H. Bieber, Henry Rice, Theodore Schroeder, John McGolrick, C. M. Ducasse, Charles F. Krebs and Charles Beckmann. Constables-Sylvester Burns, J. Reichert, J. M. Bartlett, J. Riesmeier, Jacob Schaller and P. Dougherty. Appoint- ments-A. Tanck, City Clerk ; H. Cunningham, City Marshal.
The municipal officers for 1877 were: Mayor, Charles Ruebhausen ; Treasurer, August Block ; Assessors, August Volckman and M. J. Gallagher. Aldermen-Seniors, Charles Goethe, A. Zickert, H. Flinn, F. Kusel, H. Wilber, F. Maerzke and William Olin : Juniors, D. B. Nute, F. Stylow, M. McIIugh, H. Winkenwerder, J. Alwart and G. Rinehardt. Supervisors-(one from each ward), S. E. Randall, A. Wegemann, H. Mulberger, F. P. Brook, F. Koenig, C. Ruebhausen and F. H. Breckenridge. Roadmasters- L. Prochazka, HI. Muselmann, J. Klever, M. Murphy, John Baumann, F. Hermann and Charles McDermott. Justices of the Peace-Samuel Baird, Simon Melzer, M. Ambrose. Patrick Rogan, J. L. Kube and Charles Beckmann. School Commissioners-Frederick Specht, Patrick McCabe, H. Wilber and D. S. Chadwick. Commissioners of the Public Debt-Charles Goeldner, A. W. Carlin, F. Hartwig and Michael Moran. Constables-S. Burns, John Reichart, John Blair, W. F. March, Henry Bode, P. Dougherty and George Forkenbridge. Appointments-City Clerk, Charles Beck- mann; City Marshal, D. Kehr.
In 1878, the city government was as follows: Mayor, Charles Ruebhausen ; Treasurer, Anton Schumacher; Assessors, M. J. Gallagher and Charles Noack. Aldermen-Seniors, J. B. Bennett, A. F. Miller, H. Flinn, F. Kusel, Albert Baumann, F. Maerzke and D. Crowley ; Juniors, Dwight Nute, Julius Wiesmann, Joseph Lindon, Richard Jones, Franz Lathhammer, Joachim Alwart and H. Doberstein. Supervisors-John Davis, William Bieber, Henry Muel- berger, W. D. Stacy, John Bird, F. Hermann and A. P. Wood. Justices of the Peace- Charles Arnold, M. Ambrose, J. L. Kube and Z. C. Cole. School Commissioners-Emil C. Gaebler, Edmund Sweeney and Charles Ruebhausen. Commissioners of the Public Debt- Thomas McCabe and Ulrich Habhegger. Constables-William Krebs, John Reichart. S. Ford. William Martsch, Sebastian Monrian, Henry Rassenger and George Forkenbridge. Appoint- nents-City Clerk, Charles Beckmann ; City Marshal, D. Kehr.
At the charter election of April last, the following individuals were chosen to guide the municipal destinies of Watertown for 1879: Mayor, F. Kusel: Treasurer, A. Schumacher ; Assessors, M. J. Gallagher and Charles Noack. Aldermen-Seniors, John Habbegger, H. F. Miller, Thomas Baxter, Richard Jones, F. Hartwig. William Voss and Daniel Crowley ; Jun- ors, William Krause, Julius Weisemann, Adolphus Blair, Thomas McCabe, Henry Jaeger, John Muth and F. Henoch. Supervisors-H. S. Howell, William Bieber, Henry Muchberger, F. P. Brook, Frank Koenig, Ulrich Habhegger and A. P. Wood. School Commissioners- Eugene Wiggenhorn, A. Salliday, HI. Wilber and John McGolrick. Commissioners of the Public Debt-A. K. M. Pickert and A. W. Carlin. Justices of the Peace-John C. Halliger. M. Ambrose and Charles Beckmann. Constables-William Krebs, John Reichart, Peter Blair, C. Horn, Peter Euper, P. Dougherty and Luke Dunnigan.
I
454
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
At the last meeting of the Council of 1878, it appears from the report of the City Mar- shal, that, during the month of March, 1879, four persons were arrested for vagrancy by that officer and brought before Justice of the Peace Arnold, who discharged them with the injune- tion to sin no more ; also, one person for violating a city ordinance, who was fined $5. The report of William Wilson, Deputy Marshal, shows that seventeen persons were arrested as vagrants by that officer, sixteen of whom were discharged and one committed to jail at hard labor ; also, three persons were arrested on charges of violating a city ordinance, one being dismissed and the other two fined $3 each.
At the first meeting of the new Council, Alderman Voss offered the following :
Resolved, That the salaries of the different city officers hereinafter named be, and they are hereby, fixed for the ensuing year as follows : Treasurer, $500; Marshal, $400; City Clerk, $400; Superintendent of Public Schools, $300.
The salaries of night-watchmen were also fixed at $30 per month during the summer, and $35 during winter.
A communication from the School Board, estimating the amount necessary for the support of the schools during the coming year, to be raised by taxation, at $8,500, was laid over.
The following resolution, offered by Alderman Voss, was adopted :
Resolved, That there be, and is hereby, levied upon all the taxable property in the city of Watertown, in addi- tion to the taxes now levied in said city by Section 3, Chapter 264, of the private and local laws of Wisconsin, passed March 3, 1871, the following taxes for city, school, ward and poor purposes for the year 1879. to wit : For the cur- rent expenses of the city general government, 5 mills on the dollar ; for school purposes, none ; upon the First and Third Wards, for ward purposes, } mill on the dollar ; upon the Sixth and Seventh Wards, for ward purposes, I mill on the dollar.
And be it further resolved, That there be, and is hereby, levied upon the Fourth Ward, for ward purposes, I mill less than levied by law; and that there is bereby levied upon the Fifth Ward, for poor purposes, 1 mill less tban levied by law.
The Council then elected the following officers ; City Clerk, Henry Bieber ; City Marshal, George Henze; Night Watchmen-East Side, Charles Henke ; West Side, Joseph Monreau ; Weighers of Hay and Measurers of Wood-East Side, William Jaedeke; West Side, George McMillen ; City Surveyor, A. Seiffert; City Attorney, Charles H. Gardner ; City Auctioneer, John Reichart; Health Officer, Dr. Wigginton, the latter at a salary af $40 a year.
Thus we have an interesting epitome of the records of Watertown-town, village and city- for the past thirty-seven years. Generally speaking, the books of the city have been kept in a readable manner ; but there is evidence, in the shape of unintelligible chirography in some parts of the records, that political influence has outdone itself by placing certain individuals in the important position of City Clerk. Mr. Bieber, the present gentlemanly incumbent of that office, is in every way qualified for the position.
LOCATION.
The corporate limits of the city of Watertown embrace nine sections of land of 640 acres each. About one-third of this area lies in Dodge County, but the principal business and resi- dence portions of the city are in Jefferson County. The streets are laid out at right angles, and are broad and pleasant. The city is on the line of the La Crosse Division of the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul Railroad, 44 miles from Milwaukee, and 152 from La Crosse. A branch of this line extends to the capital of the State, 37 miles. The Chicago & North-Western Railway also passes through the western limits of the city.
THIE CITY'S INDEBTEDNESS.
For the past twelve or fifteen years, the city of Watertown has been without perpetual municipal government. While this may appear not to be a very desirable condition of affairs, still the people of Watertown manage to exist, and strangers visiting the place, were they not
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
therwise informed, would not know that it was a Mayorless city, or that it was unencumbered y that most important of all distinguished bodies-a Board of Aldermen. Nevertheless, Vatertown has its charter elections every April, at which a full complement of city officials is hosen. Under the provisions of the city charter, they may qualify at any time within ten lays from the date of election. As an old resident of Watertown forcibly expressed it, it is "a roman's secret " that the City Clerk, appointed by the previous Council, has already prepared, prior to the date agreed upon for the qualification of the new officials, the resignation of each ncumbent, ready for their individual signatures. If he be a competent man, with the interests f his constituents at heart, he will also have prepared, in advance of " qualification day "- which, by the way, is not "a woman's secret," for none but the officials themselves know of t-other documents necessary to the legal management of the municipality for the next twelve months, to which the signatures of the proper officials may be attached during the intervening pace of time between their qualification and their resignation.
The explanation of this mysterious method of conducting the public affairs of a city is ound in the fact that Watertown has had, among other overdoses of "progress," too much ailroad. Twenty-five years ago, the people thought all they needed to make them permanently appy was an extensive system of railway lines. All other schemes of improvement were made ubservient to the prevailing craze. Aid was extended with a lavish hand. The voting of $100,000 in city bonds to any number of individuals calling themselves a railway corporation vas a common occurrence, attended by almost unanimous results; and the great number, ven at that early day, of enterprising gentlemen anxious to build railroads with other people's honey was simply surprising.
We first find Watertown enacting the role of an eleemosynary institution for the benefit of his class of geniuses in 1853, when the qualified electors of the city, by what may be termed a andsome majority, voted aid to the extent of $80,000, in bonds, to the Milwaukee & Water- own Railroad Company, the bonds to run ten years at 8 per cent interest. Watertown, before he advent of the iron horse, was a prosperous city, and its paper found advantageous and eady negotiation everywhere. The city was "secured" in this bond issue by the promise of a econd mortgage on the railway property when constructed-a rather illusory security. At the xpiration of the ten years, when the bonds foll due, the railroad corporation had undergone any changes in the management, and was beyond the reach of any legal process for the satis- action of this mortgage, had it been given by the Company. The bonds, however, having fallen nto the hands of speculators, were held against the city, together with accrued interest on their ull value. Litigation followed, ending in numerous judgments against the city, but, for easons which will appear hereafter, these judgments have not been satisfied.
In December, 1854, another special election was held in Watertown for the purpose of oting the credit of the city in the interest of a railroad company-the Rock River Valley Jnion Railroad. There were 224 votes cast, the majority " for the railroad " being 176. The amount of bonds authorized to be issued at this election was $120,000, at about the same erms of the previous issue to the Milwaukee & Watertown Company.
Encouraged by their success in obtaining $80,000 from the people of Watertown by the nere promise of a second mortgage on what was then virtually an imaginary property, the cor- orators of the Milwaukee & Watertown road made an effort to get a second issue of bonds rom the same source. The City Council authorized the people to vote on the question at the harter election held April 10, 1855, and the scheme was defeated by a majority of 167. This efeat, however, turned out to be a most profitable one for the railroad people. The electors of Vatertown were severely criticised by the press for having gone " directly against their own nterests." They were made so heartily ashamed of themselves that when, on the 7th of Jan- ary following, a proposition came up to subsidize the Milwaukee, Watertown & Madison Com- any to the extent of $200,000, they voted solidly for it. On the same day, the same electors ast their ballots in favor of giving the Chicago & Fond du Lac Railroad Company (formerly he R. R. V. U. R. R. Co.), $200,000 of the city's bonds. The vote on both questions
456
HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
stood : " For the railroads, 326 : against the railroads. none : majority for the railroads. 326 This election was well managed. A small army of men was at that time engaged in building th Milwaukee, Watertown & Madison road. Many of them became temporary residents of tl city in time to entitle them to a voice in the bond question. The history of many similar exe cises of " the rights of freemen " at the polls, teaches us that these laborers did not vote again their bread and butter.
The Chicago & Fond du Lac Company (now the Chicago & North-Western) subsequent converted their Watertown bonds into stock of the road, at the rate of 60 per cent on the do lar : that is to sav, stock of the company was issued to the city as security for its bonds. Th stock has been disposed of and the bonds redeemed at various times and prices, until the remains at the present time about $20.000 to be taken up.
No security was ever given the city for the bonds issued to the Milwaukee, Watertown Madison Company, but numerous suits have been brought against the city by the bondholder in a few of which judgments were obtained. Interest upon these judgments has compound until, added to the principal, the total reaches the enormous sum of $750.000, or thereabou Various futile attempts have been made to compromise with the bondholders, but they ha exhibited a disposition to exact the last pound of flesh. The Legislature of 1878 passed a act permitting the city of Watertown to levy a tax of 21 per cent for two years toward the liqu dation of this indebtedness. It was stipulated in the act that the bondholders should file bon in the City Clerk's office agreeing to accept the sum thus raised (probably $70,000, had th levy been made) in full payment of their claim. This they failed to do. The means employe to obtain these bonds, and the failure of the original railway company to secure the people Watertown, as it agreed to do, have served to incense a majority of them to the point of utt repudiation. Especially is this the case among the poorer classes. who fear taxation and despis the tax-gatherer. The question has entered largely into municipal polities for the past twent years. The office-seeker who announces himself as a repudiationist. is almost certain of election The most popular political platform is the one with the longest repudiation plank in it. N. long since a candidate for the mayoralty paid his respects to a large assemblage of citizens, som thing after this style. Appearing on the speakers' platform with a huge hickory club in h hand, he said :
"FELLOW-CITIZENS AND FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN : I do not claim to be a man of æsthetic taste and perhaps I don't know enough about the fine arts of office to make a mayor with a great de of style about him. but there is one thing I do know-and I believe the expression reflects th views of the respectable and representative classes I see before me to-night-and that is, that don't care a - for all the railroads and bondholders in the country."
The argument was conelusive; the speaker was elected.
The history of a portion of the litigation in connection with the bonds of the Milwaukee Watertown & Madison road is found in the report of the " cases argued and adjudged in th Supreme Court of the United States, October term. 1873." The case is that of Rees vs. Th City of Watertown, on appeal from the Circuit Court for the Western District of Wisconsin The statement of the case and the opinion is by Associate Justice Ward Hunt. of New York In it will be found an explanation of the cause which, for the past twelve or fifteen years, ha prompted the municipal officers of Watertown to resign immediately upon their qualification. ] is in substance as follows :
" Rees, a citizen of Illinois. being owner of certain bonds issued under authority of an ac of the Legislature of the State of Wisconsin, by the city of Watertown, to the Watertown Madison Railroad Company, and by the company sold for its benefit, brought suit in the Circui Court of the United States for the District of Wisconsin, against the city. and, in 1867, recor ered two judgments for about $10,000. In the summer of 1868. he issued executions upon th two judgments thus obtained. which were returned wholly unsatisfied. In November of th same year, he procured from the United States Circuit Court a peremptory writ of mandamus directing the city of Watertown to levy and collect a tax upon the taxable property of the cit
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
o pay the said judgments ; but before the writ could be served, a majority of the members of he City Council resigned their offices. This fact was returned by the Marshal, and proceed- ngs upon the mandamus thereupon ceased.
"In May, 1869, another Board of Aldermen having been elected, Rees procured another vrit of mandamus to be issued, which writ was served on all of the Aldermen except J. C. Hal- iger, who was siek at the time of the service upon the others. No steps were taken to comply with the requisition of the writ. An order to show cause why the Aldermen should not be punished for contempt, in not complying with its requirements, was obtained, and before its eturn-day six of the Aldermen resigned their offices, leaving in office but one more than a quorum, of whom the said Halliger, upon whom the writ had not been served, was one. Vari- us proceedings were had and various excuses made, the whole resulting in an order that the Aldermen should at once levy and collect the tax; but before the order could be served on falliger he resigned his office, and again the Board was left without a quorum. Nothing ras accomplished by their effort in aid of the plaintiff, but fines were imposed upon the ecusant Aldermen, which were ordered to be applied in discharge of the costs of the proceed- ngs.
" In October, 1870, the plaintiff obtained a third writ of mandamus, which resulted as the ormer ones had done, and by the same means on the part of the officers of the city. A special lection was ordered to be held to fill the vacancies of the Aldermen so resigning, but no votes rere cast except three in one ward, and the person for whom they were cast refused to qualify. The general truth of these facts was not denied. No part of the debt was ever paid.
"In this state of things, the District of Wisconsin having been divided into an Eastern nd Western Distriet, and the city of Watertown being in the latter, Rees brought suit in the atter district on his judgments obtained in the general district before the decision, and got a ew judgment upon them for $11,066. He now filed a bill in the Western District, setting orth the above facts-the general truth of which was not denied-that the debt due to him had ever been paid, and that, with an accumulation of fourteen years' interest, the same remained npaid, and that all his efforts to obtain satisfaction of his judgments had failed. All this was- qually undenied. The bill set forth, also, certain acts of the Legislature of Wisconsin, which. , was alleged, were intended to aid the defendant in evading the payment of its debts, and hich, it seemed sufficiently plain, had had that effect, whatever might have been the intent of the legislature passing them. The bill alleging that the corporate authorities were trustees for the benefit f the creditors of the city, and that the property of the citizens was a trust fund for the payment of s debts, and that it was the duty of the Court to lay hold of such property and cause it to be istly applied, now prayed that the Court would subject the taxable property of the city to the pay- ent of the judgments, * * and that the Marshal of the District might be empowered to eize and sell so much of it as might be necessary, and to pay over to him the proceeds of such ile.
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