The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 23, 1906
Roy Burkholder Accidentally Shot
Discharge of Shot Gun Gives Him a Painful Wound in The Leg
Roy Burkholder, a young lad about fourteen of (sic) fifteen years of age, who resides at 418 1st. Avenue south was the victim of a very painful through not dangerous accident yesterday afternoon.
Young Burkholder in company with another lad started out hunting yesterday afternoon. About four o’clock they stopped at the Central tracks near the Lizzard (sic) creek. A shot gun which they carried was deposited on one of the rails, while the boys sat down on the tracks. The gun became dislodged and fell in such a manner as to discharge the load, which entered the calf of the leg of Burkholder. He was taken to his home where a physician was called. The shot has been extracted and the lad will suffer no serious results from the wound.
Tags: 1906, Burkholder
The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 23, 1906
Midget Passes Away at Otho
Iowas Smallest Baby Dies After Only Couple Days of Life.
The little baby boy born to Mrs. and Mrs. John Ford at Otho pased (sic) away Thursday. This little child was born Monday and only weighed one and a half pounds. The child was heralded as the smallest child born in this state. it was never strong and at no time was there any hope entertained that the child could live.
The funeral occurred the same day as tis death and only a short service was held. The mother’s condition is yet bad and for this reason the services were very brief.
The exact measurements of the midge was not taken, so it will never be known. The child, however, was not very much smaller than the ordinary small baby, but had apparently no flesh. Its weight was below the two pound mark, which in itself is a record.
(Editor’s note: I’m not sure why they termed the baby a midget, since he died shortly after birth and I doubt that condition could be recognized that soon, especially with the state of medical knowledge at the time. I could be wrong. But it’s interesting to see how much knowledge has been gained in just over 100 years – babies of this weight are not routine, but they do live, often with no permanent damage from premature birth.)
Tags: 1906, Ford
The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 23, 1906
Ice Gorge on The Upper River
Big Mass of Ice Gorges Between County and Illinois Central Bridges.
Some apprehension is felt through the city this afternoon regarding a big ice gorge which has formed on the upper Des Moines, a short distance above the Lizzard (sic) creek. The great mass of ice chokes the passage of the channel entirely between the county and Illinois Central bridges, and water is slowly rising.
The river is breaking at the mouth of the Lizzard and it is thought that the breakup will extend to the gorge and loosen its hold in a short time. For this reason conditions are in no way alarming. The only damage that can result would be to the bridges, and both of these are firmly constructed. The water has risen about a foot during the last twelve hours.
Tags: 1906
