The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 14, 1903

Move House Against Live Wires

The Result Being That The House Catches Fire.

When Cause of Trouble is Discovered Superintendent Gives Movers 20 Minutes to Move.

Webster City, August 14 – “Shut Down! shut down! You’ll set my house afire,” frantically yelled a man as he rushed in the door of the power house. He spied Superintendent Cummings and waving his arms above to attract attention.

“Stop the plant, somebody’ll be killed.” The superintendent did not need any further entreating for just then the fuses all went out showing that there was something wrong somewhere.

“What have you been doing?” asked Cummings. “Somebody has short circuited us and caused a lot of trouble.”

“There’s a wire down,” said the man.

“I guess there’s one down anyway,” remarked the superintendent as the telephone signalled angry patrons who wanted to know what the matter was with the day current. “How did the wires get down?”

“Why, we ran into them,” replied the excited man.

Investigation showed that men, in moving a house north on Prospect had carelessly run into and broken a number of electric light wires at Bank street. The broken wires were spitting fire all around that vicinity to the danger of both the house and men. The superintendent took in the situation at a glance and then gave the men just twenty minutes.

“If you’re not out of there by then,” said Cummings,”I’ll burn you up.”

The men lost no time in dragging the house out of danger and the plant was started again with slight delay. There is a  penalty for running into and breaking electric light wires and it will be exacted if there is another shut down of the plant from this cause.

Tags: 1903, Cummings

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 13, 1906

Arrested For Speeding Auto

T.F. Taff Files Information Against H.B. Groves, Fine Assessed.

On information sworn by T.F. Taff, the Central avenue grocer, H.B. Groves was arrested this morning for auto speeding. It was claimed that Groves drove his auto up north 10th street Sunday afternoon at a furious pace narrowly missing an accident or two.

In a trial held before Justice of the Peace James Martin immediately after the arrest Groves was fined five dollars ($120 today) and costs. Notice of appeal has been filed by him.

Tags: 1906, Groves, Martin, Taff

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 12, 1905

City May Get Another Park

Property Owners Along the Upper River May Donate the Land

Would be a Large Tract

No Strings on the Proposition if it is Made – City Would (be) Expected to Give It a Proportionate Share of Attention With Other Parks.

Negotiations are pending which may result in another generous donation to Fort Dodge’s public parks. While it cannot be said that the matter has been definitely settled still it is known that the Morgan estate and Messrs. A.R. Loomis and E.G. Larson are considering the gift to the city of the land up the river from the brow of the hill to the water from the Fort Dodge brick company plant – known as Thiede & Heileman’s yard – to the F.M. Grant land, which lies alongside the hill leading from Round Prairie down to the famous “river road.”

If Mr. Grant should see fit to join with these other property owners in donating the land on the hillside to the people of his home city it is likely that Doctor Kime who owns the next strip of shore land would give a similar portion.

The information negotiations do not contemplate putting strings on the gift otherwise than that it shall be improved as a park out of the regular fund for which a tax was voted for ten years at the last municipal election.

While a dam would greatly enhance the value of this idyllic spot as a pleasure ground that would not be stipulated as a necessity by the donors.

There would be at least sixty acres in the proposed park site, perhaps much more for the land is irregular and would need to be surveyed.

There is no question but the city council would accept such a gift with alacity (sic) and give the land its proper proportion of improvements with the other city parks. It will be hoped the intention may grow into action this year.

There is no more beautiful spot for a park than this land lying in the forest above the site of the old Arnold Mill dam.

Tags: 1905, Grant, Heileman, Kime, Larson, Loomis, Morgan, Thiede

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 11, 1903

Youthful Trio is Bound Over

Three Boys, Youngest 7 and Oldest 12, Must Answer to Grand Jury

Enter Stores Sunday Evening

Earl Tennant, Harry Porsch and Arthur Hutchison, Ages 12, 9 and 7, Arrested for Entering Craft Hardware and Ertl Meat Market.

A record was set in the Webster county criminal court this morning when a 7-year-old boy was bound over to the grand jury. The youthful offender is Arthur Hutchison, who with Harry Porsch, aged 9, and Earl Tennant, aged 12, was arraigned before Justice Martin, charged with entering the Charles Craft hardware store and the Martin Ertl meat market. The defendants were bound over to the grand jury under $300 bonds, which was furnished by their parents.

The identity of the burglars was learned by tracing the possession of a pocket knife which was among the number stolen from the hardware store. A.H. Werner, employed at the Oakdale dairy, showed Marshal Welch a knife bearing the mark of the Craft Hardware company. The knife he said he had bought from a boy named Joe Rossing. Young Rossing when taken into custody by the police, said that he had been given the two knives by the three boys who were later arrested. One of the knives he had sold to Werner.

The arrest of Harry Porsch, Arthur Hutchison and Earl Tennant followed. After a number of questions had been asked they admitted that they had entered the stores and taken the money and the property. The police had some difficulty in locating the plunder as the stories told by the boys differed materially. Finally by the light of a lantern and under the guidance of the  youthful burglars, the police located two revolvers and twelve boxes of cartridges under a pile of lathes in the rear of the high school building, two buggy whips under a crossing on Tenth street and a number of knives  hidden in a barn at young Tennant’s home.

The substance of the story told by Arthur Hutchison, the most youthful of the trio, is as follows:

He met Harry Porsch and Earl Tennant at the base ball park Sunday afternoon. They were driving a horse which they said they had hired in the east part of town. They told him they had entered the meat market from the rear and taken $2.45 ($59 today) from the cash drawer, $1 ($24) of which they had paid for the hire of the horse. He accompanied them up town, and at 6 o’clock they again entered the building, he going with them. This time they went into the hardware store, and together with a third entrance carried away the revolvers, cartridges, knives, whips and about $6 ($144) from the cash drawer. The aggregate value of the goods stolen is about $24 ($575).

They entered by removing the boards from a cellar window on the east side of the building.

Young Porsch was employed by Ertl as delivery boy.

Tags: 1903, Craft, Ertl, Hutchison, Martin, Porsch, Rossing, Tennant, Welch, Werner

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 10, 1905

A Banana Famine Seems Imminent

If Yellow Fever Continues There May Be a Shortage of the Product.

Unless the yellow fever quarantine is raised within three weeks, said a well-known Fort Dodge fruit dealer today there is an excellent chance of this city as well as many others thru the Mississippi valley having the novel experience of a banana famine.

New Orleans is the port at which the entire supply of bananas is landed for the Mississipp (sic) valley. The fruit is shipped in on board ships and unloaded by the thousands of bunches on the big wharves at New Orleans. From there the Illinois Central railway ships the products of the Honduras and Nicaraguan groves to the northern cities and distributes where ordered.

At the present time it is said the market is beginning to be affected and in a few weeks a shortage of the worst kind may result. Bananas have gone up a few cents on the Chicago market within the last week and higher raises may be looked for at any time. For the present Fort Dodge is not affected and unless the quarantine hangs on for at least three weeks the city will still have its supply of bananas.

Tags: 1905

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 9, 1906

The Cigar Band Craze.

Bids Fair to Equal the Post Card Collection.

The craze for collecting cigar bands is at its heighth (sic). Where many people used to collect postage stamps, and later picture postals now they are after new kinds of cigar bands. They use them to paste on glass ash trays and other unique means of decorating as well as to paste them in a book in the effort to make a large collection of strange and unique designs. A Fort Dodge cigar clerk says crowds of boys haunt the cigar stores and every band that is dropped on the floor is eagerly picked up. The craze is equal to that of collecting tobacco rags or other things on which premiums were formerly paid.

■ ■ ■

Street Cars Not ‘Till Jan. 1.

New Cars Will not be Put on Streets Here Until Then.

There has been much comment and speculation in the city regarding the time at which the Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern would put new cars on the city street railway system. H.S. Holm the representative of the interurban road in Fort Dodge stated yesterday that new cars would not be put on the street system until the entire line was similarly equipped and in working order, which will be Jan. 1, 1907. This will be a long wait but there is consolation in the knowledge that the system will be well equipped when the change is finally made.

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Gilmore City Carnival.

Band Carnival and Street Fair There On August 15.

Gilmore City, Ia., Aug. 9 – (Special to the Messenger- Gilmore City will hold a special band carnival and street fair August 15th. The committee in charge of the affair have made extensive preparations and large crowds are expected. The amusements of the day will consist of two ball games, horse races, athletic contests, music, a bowery dance and other entertainments. A low excursion rate will be given on the M. & St. L. from all points between Fort Dodge and Ruthven.

■ ■ ■

Is Seriously Ill.

L.D. Senf Dangerously Sick at His Home in the City.

L.D. Senf the well known harness maker and proprietor of a shop on the north side of the public square is dangerously ill at his home at 1408 4th Avenue South. It is reported that there are but slight hopes for his recovery. The nature of his ailment has not been reported.

Tags: 1906

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 9, 1906

Boy Injured by a Dynamite Cap

Clarence Gilbert of West Fort Dodge Almost Killed by Explosion

Was Rendered Unconscious

Was Taken to Hospital Where an Operation was Performed – is Still in a Precarious Condition – Piece of Cap Blown Into Body.

Clarence Gilbert, the 10-year-old son of Nels P. Gilbert, a miner, residing at 235 South Thirteenth street, West Fort Dodge, received what may prove to be a fatal injury by the explosion of a dynamite cap late yesterday afternoon.

The little lad, together with another boy, was playing with the cap. they had found it and did not know what it was, and with boyish curiosity young Gilbert resolved to split it open. He laid it on a stone and struck it with another, with the natural disastrous result. A piece of the cap was blown into his side directly below the heart and the lad was knocked unconscious by the force of the explosion.

He was hastily taken to the hospital, where an operation was performed and the piece of shall (sic) removed. He is resting as easily as possible under the circumstances today, but it (sic) still in a precarious condition.

Tags: 1906, Gilbert

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 8, 1904

Meat Has Reached Its Highest Mark

Fort Dodge Butchers Say Advance in Prices Will Now Cease

First Beef Received Today

Armour Packing Co. Send in Monday Morning Car as Usual – Chickens and Turkeys Have Gone Up in Sympathy With Other Meats.

Meat, which has been steadily advancing ever since the strike began, is now, according to the local butchers, at the highest point it is expected to reach. For this the public will be truly thankful, as the choice cuts are now higher than they have been in the city for several years. The usual Monday morning’s car arrived in the city this morning on time for the first time since the strike was called and it is thought the packing houses are getting in shape to handle the trade once more.

Have Sold All Home Dressed Beef.

For the past two weeks nearly all of the butchers in the city have been compelled to supply the trade altogether with home dressed beef, doing all their own killing. They have had the greatest difficulty in supplying their customers, as there are so very few cattle in the country that are fit to kill.

“Yes,” said Charles Wolverton of Wolverton Bros. meat market, th is morning to a Messenger representative, “I think meat has gone as high as it will. I believe we will be better able to cope with the situation from now on. This morning the regular Monday morning car arrived in the city from the Armour Packing company, bring practically the first beef from that firm that has arrived in Fort Dodge since the strike began. From this we infer that the packers are getting in shape to handle their regular business again. We have been supplying the trade for the past few weeks almost entirely from local stock, and we have found it very difficult to find cattle that were fit to kill. There is never a day passes that we are not offered cattle, but on driving out to look at them we generally find they are far from what they should be to make good meat. The farmers are anxious to sell and there are plenty of cattle, but there has been no grain to feed them, and the grass, their only food, has not been fattening this year, so really good cattle are very scarce.

Chickens and Turkeys Up.

Chickens and turkeys have gone up rapidly in sympathy with the advance of beef and pork and are now selling at about the price they brought earlier in the season when they were considered more of a luxury. Neither turkeys or chickens are of very good size or quality as a general thing and acceptable birds are rather hard to secure.

Tags: 1904, Wolverton

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 8, 1904

Enters Houses in Broad Day Light

Stranger By The Name of James Wilson Was Caught in the Act.

Puts Up Queer Appearance

After Making Failure of Attempt to Enter Blanden Residence in Daylight he Sneaked into Benj. Jones’ Home – Held to Grand Jury.

Nerve beyond record had James Wilson who was arrested Sunday evening for entering two Fort Dodge homes in broad day light at 6:30 in the evening. after failing in his efforts to enter the Blanden home from the basement, he walked over to Benjamin Jones’ residence on First avenue north, and while Mr. Jones was sitting on the front porch entered the house through the back way. He went up stairs and began rifling the rooms of several small articles. Descending he was heard by Mr. Jones, who rushed into the house and grabbed the thief. With a clever himself of his coat and flew out of the house leaving Mr. Jones with nothing but an old ragged coat.

Caught by Chief Welch.

Running up the alley he began to attract the attention of all passers-by, Chief Welch happened along and immediately gave chase. The pursued, though fleet of foot, soon became rattled in the maze of streets and back yards and was captured near the home of Doctor Ristine.

Actions Decidedly Queer.

After his arrest Wilson was questioned by the police and his conduct and answers seem to point to his being somewhat off, though some think that this is put on. He is about five feet eight inches in height and wears a very dark beard. He occasionally puts a look on his face which reminds one of an insane asylum. When captured he put up a fight and uttered a volley of oaths at the officer who caught him, so that he had to be handled roughly. He will give no explanation as to his conduct, claiming that he remembers nothing.

Seen by Ed Cullen.

Coming out of the cellar window of the Blanden residence, Wilson was seen by Ed Cullen who notified the police at once. After his arrest an investigation of the home was made. It was found that had had entered it through the cellar window in the hopes of reaching the main part of the house through the basement. The doors connecting the two floors being locked, his trouble was in vain.

Waived Examination.

Under ordinary procedure Wilson would have been taken before a justice for a preliminary hearing, but he waived this opportunity and will appear before the grand jury the last of this month.

Tags: 1904, Blanden, Cullen, Jones, Ristine, Welch, Wilson