Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle, Dec. 29, 1919

“January” thaw

It’s Wet Underfoot But a Raw Wind Makes Overcoat a Necessity.

The January thaw got here before January but whether or not it is a January thaw no one will have any doubts about the thawing part. The streets are running water and even the hardest chunks of dirty ice are being resolved into water under the combination of milder temperatures and sunshine.

But even with the thaw working overtime, there is a cold sharp wind which is felt every now and then and makes the day seem “rather raw, don’t you know?”

Everything seemed lined up for a good blizzard Sunday afternoon. The day was cloudy and not very cold. Fine sleet fell about noon and later this turned into a snow. The snow stopped, however, before the big banks of dirty snow which are a hang-over from the storms of several weeks ago, were completely covered over. The result was like that of a small boy who tries to wash himself and calls it a finish when he is white only in spots.

The Weather

Fair tonight and probably Tuesday, slightly colder tonight and northwest portion Tuesday.

Minimum temperature 32 above.

Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle, Jan. 2, 1918

Joseph Lynch is buried Monday

The funeral of Joseph Lynch, who died Saturday after a short illness with pneumonia, took place Monday morning at 9;30 at Corpus Christi church. Monsignor J.T. Saunders officiated. During the requiem mass Bernard O’Leary sang Ave Maria, Miss Ursula Ryan sang Salutaris and a duet by Miss Ryan and Mrs. Len Carter was given.

Burial was in the Corpus Christi cemetery. the bearers were Eugene Conway, Hugo Hetter, Lou Brunenkant, Emmett OConnor, Walter Lynch, and John Hogan, all boyhood friends of the deceased.

Mrs. Edwin Dwyer of Chicago, a sister, and Mrs. P. Gilday of Council Bluffs, an aunt, were here for the funeral.

Fort Dodge Times Dec, 23, 1870

Returned.

Sheriff Walz, has returned from a flying trip to Missouri, whither he went in search of a friend of Dr. Olney. It appears that a certain individual by the name of Freeman (no relation to W.D.J.) came to this city, some time during the past season, and represented himself as an agent of a wholesale house in the east, for the sale of Pianos. The Dr. wanted a Piano, and bought one of this man, giving his note for the amount, to be paid at some future time. The note was sold to Mr. Dwelle, at a discount. The Piano failing to arrive, as per agreement, the Dr. became uneasy, and, upon inquiry, soon lerned that the fellow was “non est.” An indictment was found by the Grand Jury in October last, a warrant for his arrest issued, and Sheriff Walz unearthed him down in Missouri, arriving home on Wednesday, via the D.M.V.R.R. (Des Moines Valley Railroad) Freeman is well, and in jail. No cards.

The Fort Dodge Messenger and Chronicle: Aug. 24, 1917

Poor Location Chosen by Woman

Moves Next Door to Chief of Police Jordan

And Then is Disorderly

Lives There Two Days and is Then Arrested

Failure to investigate her neighbors caused Mrs. Daisy Cole, formerly of Eagle Grove, to clash with the city authorities. Had she looked over her neighbors carefully, she would have chosen another location and might possibly have kept out of police court a few days longer at least. Mrs. Cole and other inmates paid $25 fines.

Mrs. Cole was brought before the court this morning on a charge of disorderly conduct, which consisted of running a house of ill fame. She moved into Fort Dodge from Eagle Grove only two days ago, and moved next door to Chief of Police M.J. Jordan.

When an auto awakened him at 3:00 a.m. Wednesday night, Jordan noticed that it stopped in front of the Cole house. The next morning the car was still there. Friday night about midnight Jordan was again awakened by another car and the shouts of the occupants, who entered the Cole residence.

Jordan called several of his men and raided the place. They found Evelyn Weitzell of Eagle Grove, upstairs and Margaret Taman was also there. Homan Williams and M. Bryon, the latter of Fort Dodge, were among those present.

Tags: 1917

Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 5, 1904

Army Rations Not In It

An Old Soldier Writes of His Christmas Dinner.

Former Fort Dodge Man Tells of Good Things to Eat at Old Soldiers’ Home on Christmas.

Those veterans of the civil war who are gathered together in the home for the old soldiers at Marshalltown fared just as well or better than many who had homes of their own on Christmas day. One soldier from Fort Dodge, who is now at the home, has written to the Messenger telling of the many good things that they were served on that day, and starts his letter with “Did we have dinner Christmas at the Soldier’s home? Read the following and draw your own conclusions.”

“One hundred and twenty-three pounds of turkey; three gallons of oysters for dressing; three gallons of good gravy, forty pounds of potatoes; fifteen pounds of bread, six pounds of good butter; forty pounds of plum pudding; three gallons vanilla sauce; green pears; fourteen quarts cranberries, nine pounds of sugar; one hundred and thirty-eight oranges; one hundred and sixty-two bananas; twenty-four pounds of candy, one-third of a barrel of apples, twelve dozen doughnuts; nine pounds of cheese; one and one-half dozen pickles, fifty pounds of milk, two pounds of Mocha Coffee; one-fourth pound Formosa tea. This was in our dining room in the O.P.B. We have two good cooks in the kitchen and five good girls in the dining room. Everything is cooked and served in good style.”

Tags: 1904

Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 4, 1906

Divorced Couple Remarried in City

J.W. and Mrs. Dora Leighton Divorced in 1903 Remarry Yesterday.

One of the most peculiar marriage incidents on record in this vicinity occurred in this city yesterday when Rev. George C. Fort united in marriage J.W. Leighton and Mrs. Dora Leighton, both of Livermore.

The story of the strange romance is that Mr. and Mrs. Leighton were divorced in 1903, the decree being granted from the Humboldt county district court. Mr. Leighton, who was a prosperous hardware merchant of the town of Livermore, took to drink some years ago and according to evidence given at the hearing of the divorce proceedings, made life miserable for his wife and family for several years prior to the action for separation. The decree was granted, despite the protests of Leighton who did everything within his power to prevent it.

Sobered and saddened by the action that his wife had found necessary, he began rapidly to mend his ways, maintained strict sobriety, and sought to repair the wrong that he had done. In the end a reconciliation was brought about between himself and wife which has ended in their marriage in this city yesterday. Mr. Leighton is a cousin of E.I. and L.L. Leighton, of the firm of Leighton Bros. of this city and is well known to many Fort Dodge residents.

Tags: 1903, Fort, Leighton

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 3, 1903

Webster City Coal Situation

Was Extremely Critical at That Place Wednesday

They have a Two Days’ Supply

Unless Situation is Relieved They Fear a Coal Famine Will Confront Them

Webster City, Jan. 2 — The coal situation in this city has become extremely serious. But one dealer in the city Wednesday had a supply and at this place no orders were booked for Wednesday’s deliver, as the present supply was sold ahead. Unless the situation becomes relieved within a few days Webster City will find herself in the throes of a coal famine.

All the dealers have coal ordered ahead and are expecting it every day but it is slow in arriving. The city electric light, steam heat and pumping plants have not more than two days’ supply ahead. Superintendent Cummings was seen and stated that he had a car of coal on the tracks and an order for 10 or 15 tons with the Crooked Creek Coal Company. The electric light plant uses between 10 and 12 tons of coal per day of 24 hours. The pumping station and heating plant will use as much or more than this, so that the situation which confronts our municipal utilities is far from assuring. The prospect of a dark and waterless city is before us. City officials, however, are hopeful and believe that they will be able to keep a supply ahead.

Tags: 1903

Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Oct. 30, 1889

A Rocky Game

The Gilmore Citys and Clares vs. For (sic) Dodge at the Ball Park Results in a Victory for the Sluggers.

It was a very small crowd that witnessed an attempt made by eighteen men to play a game of ball at the ball park yesterday. The game was totally devoid of anything brilliant and poor playing was the feature unless it was that the aggregation from the northwest made five of their ten runs off of Orelup in the last half of the sixth, this being the only inning that he pitched. A home run was also made off his delivery.

Only six innings were played, the visitors who kicked all through the game finally succeeding at the close of the sixth inning to kick themselves out of the game. A gentleman from Manson umpired the game. Following is the score by innings:

Tags: 1889, Crowe, Hood, Orelup

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Oct. 29, 1912

“Women Can Do More Than Commercial Clubs,” H.J. Finn

Packing House Man Tells How to Boost Trade

Proposes “Ft. D. Stamp”

“Patronize Home Industries,” He Declares

Packing Plant Helps City

Brings Stock Shippers Here and Increases Trading — Employs Fifty Men and Will Double Number Soon – Increases Clearing House Receipts.

H.J. Finn, provision manager for the Suizburger & Sons company at Kansas City who has been assisting in opening the local plant, declares that large donations to the Commercial club of Fort Dodge will not assist in advertising the city and its products as much as would the co-operation of the women in a league of some kind. In an interview today, Mr. Finn advocated patronizing home industries.

“It is the general impression,” said Mr. Finn as he sat in the Wahkonsa hotel, that Commercial clubs must be inactive owing to an indisposition on the part of certain parties to put in money, but in this I do not agree. Let me offer some suggestions.

“Let the Commercial club get up a ‘Made in Fort Dodge’ stamp. I am sure all manufacturers here would use it, every dealer might attach it to his correspondence and the revenue from this would go far toward advertising the city.

“Form a Women’s league and let them get out small advertising cards calling attention to goods effecting the home and every woman writing to a friend with(in) 100 miles from here enclose a copy to her friend inviting a visit here to shop. A little such enthusiasm by your people for six months or a year systematically followed up would mean more than Mr. Merchant, Tom Jones or William Smith would hand over $1,000 each. The idea is to get ‘everybody doing it’ and keep at it — newspapers, merchants and people.”

Patronize Home Industries

In commenting upon the patronizing of home industries as a means of aiding their growth, Mr. Finn spoke of the business the packing company are now engaged in.

“The advantage of such a business as ours is manifold,” he said. “At present we employ about fifty men and in the very near future this would nearly double. We are bringing many hogs to Fort Dodge that would go to Chicago and other places. Shippers accompanying them will do considerable shopping here instead of Chicago.

We are shipping large quantities of finished meat to country points, the pay for which is collected by your banks. Altogether in normal times we should increase the bank clearings from $50,000 to $75,000 weekly. Is such business not worth the moral support of your people. Notice as you visit the shopping if our meats for example are as much in evidence as they should be.

“But we are not the only ones. Do your citizens ask for Fort Dodge made shoes and other products? If people want Fort Dodge made shoes they can get them by demanding them.

“You certainly have a beautiful city and I should imagine it would be delightful to live here. Your hotel cannot be excelled outside of Chicago. Your churches are beautiful and your amusements are cheap. You have a nice scenic river, but have little water so that it has but little boating value.

“Suppose you put in a low dam across the river at about the tile factory or better still at Shady Oaks – a dam high enough to raise the water say four or five feet. This would not cost much and the county might (undecipherable word) it to reduce the cost of bridge foundations. With three or five feet of water in your river who would not (undecipherable word) a canoe, skiff or motorboat? The opportunities for pleasure in your city would be increased one hundred per cent.”

Mr. Finn has traveled all over the country and is familiar with conditions in may cities. He believes that Fort Dodge has a great future. As his work of putting the local plant is about completed after more than six weeks’ stay here, he will go back to Kansas City.

Tags: 1912, Finn