The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 10, 1903

Schnurr – Jankans Nuptials

An Interesting But Quiet Ceremony Takes Place.

Dr. W.G. Jankans and Miss Belle Schnurr United in Marriage on Wednesday Evening.

On Wednesday evening at 8 o’clock, attended by only a few intimate friends of the bride and groom, occurred the marriage of Dr. Wilber G. Jankans and Miss Belle Schnurr of Otho. The ceremony was performed by Rev. C.H. Remington, in the apartments of Mr. and Mrs. S.C. Johnson, in the Oleson block.

After the wedding a supper was served, following which Mr. and Mrs. Jankans left for the Central depot, where they took the midnight train for the east. They will visit various points of interest before returning to the city in about four weeks, among the places to be visited being the doctor’s old home in Virginia.

Both bride and groom are well known in the city.  The bride’s home is in Otho, but for several years she had made her home with her sister, Mrs. S.C. Johnson in this city. Dr. Jankans has been one of the most prominent professional men of the city, having been located here for over twelve years.

Tags: 1903, Jankans, Johnson, Remington, Schnurr

The Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Sept. 9, 1910

Webster County Corn is Excellent

Crop Along the Interurban Line Best Between This City and the State Capital.

According to the reports which have been brought back to the city by members of the local tribe of Red Men who were in attendance at the initiation ceremonies at Des Moines on Thursday, Webster county has the best prospects of a bumper corn crop of any of the territory traversed by the Fort Dodge, Des Monies & Southern.

The crop in this county is in every way better than in the territory south of hear, while that in Boone county is better than in the country farther south, evidencing the fact that this section was more favored with rains at the proper season. In many places the husks are noticed to be turning color and the corn is rapidly maturing, and even should a frost come there is little danger that serious damage would result.

Tags: 1910

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 8, 1906

Peculiar Tangle in Mayor’s Court

Ed Rank Arrested for Sounding Weird Siren Horn on His Auto.

Fined; But Appeals the Case

Mayor Says Horn Sounds Like Dying Wail And Scares Women and Children – Rank Says it is Necessary to Make People Get Out of Way.

Fort Dodge is noted for its peculiar legal tangles, but what seems to be the strangest yet arose this morning in the mayor’s court when Ed Rank appeared charged with disturbing the peace by sounding a weird siren horn on his auto about the streets.

Mr. Rank bought the horn which has caused all the trouble in Omaha during a trip there a few weeks ago. It was invented about a year ago and has become very popular in the east on account of the effective warning it gives.

It has a strangely weird sound, starting with a wail and ending in a wild shriek, and if given full force, can be heard for blocks. To one who does not know what it is or is of a nervous temperament, it undoubtedly has a terrifying sound.

When Mr. Rank first appeared here with it on his auto, Mr. Bennett, through his police, warned him not to use it. He continued, however, feeling that if care was used not to sound it with full force all would go well. Continual complaints to the mayor caused him to notify Mr. Rank last night to appear before him this morning to stand trial.

At the trial Mr. Rank and H.B. Groves, proprietor of one of the local garages, testified for the defendant, stating that such a horn was a great benefit to the autoist and to pedestrians, because it gave such a good warning of the auto’s approach. They stated that the ordinary horns were paid but little attention and something to carry far was almost necessary.

Mayor Bennett held that the horn was a nuisance. He stated that its sound caused people to run to the windows in dismay, wondering what had happened, or to hide themselves in terror; that it carried a sound which was like the shhriek of a dying man or the wail of a lost soul and that numbers of prominent people of the city (naming them) had earnestly requested that, as chief executive of the ctiy, he should take steps to abate it. In the end the fine named was levied. Maurice O’Connor appeared for Mr. Rank and the case was conducted for the city by City Solicitor M.J. Mitchell. Immediately after the close of the trial an appeal to the district court was taken by the attorney for the defendant. the appeal bond was fixed at $100. It was immediately given.

A peculiar feature of the case is that the city’s right to hold Mr. Rank is based on an ordinance that specifically defines what shall constitute disturbing the peace. Among other things it says that the blowing of horns of an unusual kind shall be disturbing the peace. This ordinance was passed back in 1869, before an automobile was built in the world. What was in view at the time that it was passed seems hard to get at, yet taking the strict construction of the provision, it fits the present case to a nicety.

It was reported that Mr. Rank had sent word to Judge Richard at Webster City asking for an injunction restraining the city from interfering with him in blowing his horn. This is untrue.

Tags: 1906, Bennett, Groves, Mitchell, O'Connor, Rank, Richard

The Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Sept. 7, 1910

Public Schools Show Increase

Enrollment For This Year Shows a Gain of One Hundred and Twenty-Two Over Last Year.

The enrollment in the public schools of the city for this year is one hundred and twenty-two m ore than that of last year. In the High School there are eight more than last year which does not seem a small number when one considers the fact that the Freshman class this year is not a large one as compared with that of previous years and that the increase is due to new arrivals from other schools.

The enrollment at the High School is two hundred and fifty-one at the present date, four pupils entering since the opening of school.  The Lincoln, which has four hundred and fourteen, has much the largest enrollment being more centrally located. The Wahkonsa has three hundred and twenty-five and the Arey three hundred. There are two hundred and eighty-eight enrolled at the Riverside and one hundred and thirty-three at the Butler school. The First Ward school has eighty-one and the Pottery but thirty-one. The total for this year is 1832 while that for last year was 1710, giving the gain of one hundred and twenty-two for this year.

Tags: 1910

The Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Sept. 7, 1910

Garbage Bidders Use the Knife

If City is Unwilling to Pay $1,800 Per Year They Will Do the Work for One-Sixth That Price.

During the meeting of the city council a week ago an effort was made to let the contract for the gathering of garbage in the city, two bids being presented, one for $1,500 per year and the other at $1,800. Both were rejected by the city council and Councilman Smith who had the matter in charge was instructed to readvertise for bids, the bids to be opened at the first meeting in September.

Between the rejection of their bids and the time set for the opening of the new one the garbag (sic) bidder experienced a burst of philanthropy, and decided that if the city was unwilling to pay $1,800 a year for the work they were willing to take the same at one-sixth that amount, one of the bids being made at the rate of $150 per wagon per year. The matter was referred to Councilman Smith and it is probably the contract will be let at a future date.

Tags: 1910, Smith

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 6, 1904

A Wild Gravel Car Causes Commotion

A Broken Flange Allows Trucks to Jump the Track

Ran Three Miles on the Ties

But the Car which was in Middle of Train was not Ditched and Train Came Across Bridge into the city Safely

With death trailing grimly in the rear, and all unconscious of the terrible peril, that was pursuing them, a gravel train crew on the Illinois Central, experienced a thrilling escape last night.

From about half the distance between here and Tara, clear to the depot, a wild car, loaded with gravel, bumped along on the tied, smashing the track, and threatening to ditch the train at every lunge.

There is a down grade nearly all the distance and the train was running at a furious speed. The flanges broke on one side of the car, which was located about the middle of the train, and the dumb peril, lunged about in a wild effort to free tiself from the bonds which held it. Today, the trainmen are wondering how the car could have been pulled so great a distance without wrecking the entire train.

However, trainmen are accustomed to face death and peril in a hundred different and unexpected forms, and today, the engineer of the gravel train is smiling grimly, as he thinks of that ride, with death, as an unannounced companion, as it sat beside him in the engine cab.

Today, a crew of workmen is engaged in repairing the damage which the wild car did to the track. It will require fifteen kegs of bolts, fifteen kegs of spikes and fifteen barrels of braces to repair the damage. On the Des Moines river bridge, where the wild car was hurled across on the ties, nearly all the heads of the bolts are severed, and will have to be replaced. For the entire distance the wild car left its trail of destruction which bears mute testimony to the deadly peril in which the train crew made that perilous ride.

Tags: 1904, Illinois Central

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 5, 1903

The Laboring Man Will Have His Day

Fort Dodge Will have a Big Celebration on Monday, Labor Day.

The Unions are at the Head

To Have Charge of Celebration and Expect to Have a Big Day.

Not only the workingmen, but the city in general, will celebrate on Labor Day, Monday. In the atfernoon (sic) business will be at a standstill, all of the Central avenue business houses having agreed to close from 12 until 5 in the afternoon. The furniture and hardware dealers will not open up after 12, and the lumber yards will remained closed during the entire day. Appointed as a committee by the labor unions of the city, L.E. Hurlbut called on all of the merchants this morning and found them glad and willing to sign the above agreement.

Being a legal holiday the saloons and banks will be closed and short hours will be in effect at the postoffice as follows: The general delivery will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., and from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. The carriers will make a business delivery at 8 a.m. and the usual forenoon residence delivery and deliver mail at their windows from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Business collections will be made at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Nearly all the factories and shops in the city will shut down.

There will be no issue of the Messenger.

Everything indicates that Monday will be a day of great festivities for the labor unions. The elaborate program arranged by the trades and labor assembly will be carried out to the letter. The celebration will begin at 10 o’clock in the morning with a grand labor parade. Several thousand union men will march, and prizes will be offered for the best appearing local union. Hundreds of union men from surrounding towns will also be in the city, the railroads having made special rates to and from Fort Dodge.

All of the exercises will be held at the park and race track. A feature of the morning will be the address by M.F. Healy. The ball game between Fort Dodge and Waterloo in the afternoon will start at 3 o’clock. The diamond willl (sic) be on the race track in front of the grand stand. The judges stand and fence have been removed and the grounds put into first class condition. Music by two bands and the Oleson orchestra and a dance will also be among the attractions. the time in the afternoon will be well taken up with the various athletic contests scheduled. Liberal prizes have been offered to the winners of all the events. The day promises to be one long remembered by the union men of Fort Dodge and vicinity.

Tags: 1903, Healy, Hurlbut, Labor Day

The Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Sept. 4, 1908

Another Pioneer is Called by Death

J.W. Roper is Summoned Home to Reward on Thursday Evening.

Was Pioneer Transfer Man of Fort Dodge

Was Nearing the Eighty-Seventh Milestone of His Life When Summoned – Death Due to Old Age.

Thursday evening with the falling shadows, the spirit of Joseph W. Roper, for many years a resident of this city and the pioneer transfer man of Fort Dodge, joined that of his wife and passed into the great beyond, death being due primarily to advanced age, and occurred at the home of his son, William A. Roper, at 622 North Ninth street, where he had made his home for the past several years.

J.W. Roper was born at Rutland, Vermont, November 25, 1821, and was of sturdy revolutionary ancestry. On the green hills of his native state he grew to manhood and on August 26, 1842, was united in marriage to Miss Mary Esther Latham at Camdor, N.Y., the couple journeying together through life, until a few years after the celebration of their golden anniversary when Mrs. Roper was called to her reward. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Roper removed from New York to the west, settling for a time in Wisconsin and in 1869 again taking their journey westward to Fort Dodge. Following their arrival here, Mr. Roper engaged in the transfer business, being the pioneer transfer man in the then struggling village. Within his lifetime the deceased witnessed a remarkable change, Fort Dodge growing by leaps and bounds from a little village to one of the best and most progressive cities of the state. After disposing of his transfer business the deceased was for many years connected with the United States Express Co., retiring a few years ago, owing to advanced age.

To Mr. and Mrs. Roper were born five children, four of whom are living, the oldest son, Edgar, having passed away at Eagle Grove a few years ago. Those living are William A. and Charles E., who are engaged in the cigar business, F.E., a conductor on the Chicago, Great Western Railroad, and Mrs. Mary Young. Three brothers and one sister of the deceased are also living, besides seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. The brothers and sister are Samuel Roper of Watertown, Wis., August of Spokane, Wash., F.H. of Estherville, and Mrs. Louisa Hunt of Mankato, Minnesota.

Mr. Roper was a man of kindly heart and a generous disposition and his passing will be mourned by many not akin to him, but who felt the kindness of his bounty when sore oppressed by sickness, care and trouble during the long and cold winters of pioneer days. He was a man of most rugged constitution and notwithstanding his advanced age was to be noted early every morning in the summer at work in his garden, while in the winter no sidewalks were cleaner than those near his home, and his daily communion with nature and nature’s forces perhaps tended to prolong his life many years more than the allotted span.

The funeral will be held at the home on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock, Rev. F.E. Drake, pastor of St. Mark’s Episcopal church, officiating. Mr. Roper was a prominent and life long member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and that society will assist at the services. Interment will be made in Oakland cemetery, by the side of his wife who was called from earth a few short years ago.

Tags: 1908, Latham, Roper

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 3, 1903

Woolsey Pursues the Dog Thieves

Deputy Sheriff Does the Nick Carter Act and Returns Canine to Owner.

The Thieves Are Found

Emigrants Steal Prize Puppy from Farm House, But Are Caught.

Deputy Sheriff Woolsey is the hero of a dog story which runs as follows:

Wednesday afternoon a party of emigrants passing thru Iowa stopped in the vicinity of the Ben Eaton farm near Judd, intending to have dinner at that place. Finding no one at home, the family being in the field, the travelers possessed themselves of a small amount of corn, a fine bird dog, valued at $25 and then started peacefully on their way.

The dog belonged to W.J. Pressler, a farm hand who highly prized the animal and was greatly angered when returning from the field he found his canine pet missing. Some women who had been working in a field nearby, saw the abduction and informed the Eatons of the same.

Eaton and the dog’s owner immediately started in pursuit of the emigrants and caught up with them in the evening two miles from the poor farm. The campers, however, declared their innocence and would not produce the dog.

A warrant was then procured, from Justice Martin and Deputy Sheriff Woolsey and Russel McGuire, together with the two men, went out to where the purloiners of the pup had pitched camp. All denied that they had even seen a dog within the last three days, but Deputy Woolsey thought he detected a faint howl in the nearby woods. Finding a fresh path leading to where a dog’s vocal organs were apparently at work he came upon a small boy guarding the stolen animal. The boy admitted stealing the dog.

The men of the party were brought to the city where they plead guilty and were fined $1 and cost, amounting in all to $14.50. In order to raise this it was necessary for them to sell a pony.

It would be hard to tell which was the happiest, the dog or his master, Pressler when the brute was restored to its rightful owner.

(Editor’s note: Nick Carter is a fictional detective who first appeared in a dime novel in 1886.)

Tags: 1903, Eaton, Pressler, Woolsey