The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 22, 1906

Peter Madison Used Whip on Professor

School Teacher Grimes Attacked for Chastising 12 Year Old Boy.

Parent Was Peter Madison

He Decided to Take His Son’s Part Against Professor Grimes – Southwest Part of County Excited by Irate Parent’s Acts.

Callender, Feb. 22 (Special to the Messenger) – Down in Roland Township School District No. 3, five miles west of the hustling little town of Callender occurred last Tuesday a scene that the participants and spectators will not soon forget. The school in question was in charge of Professor Grimes, lately of Farnhamville.

While performing his professional duties last Tuesday he had occasion to chastise the 12 year old son of Peter Madison.

The fractious boy was turned across the schoolmaster’s knee and an old-fashioned spanking was administered. When he got released from the toils of authority he made a bee line for the paternal roof and in less time than it takes to tell it interested his sire in his behalf.

A Horse Whipping.

The two returned to the school building accompanied by a friend of Madison’s who chanced to be visiting with him at the time. The three unceremoniously entered the schoolhouse and while the professor’s back was turned the parent began at once to show his ire and indignation by using a horse whip on Professor Grimes. Grimes decided not to take the attack with Christian meekness but proceeded at once to land a left hander on the linguistic organs of his antagonist, which sent him sprawling to the floor. One application of this kind was sufficient. Madison was later forced from the room and out of doors while protesting frantically with vile language and threats of great bodily injury. In the meantime the pupils of the school became so affrighted that they made hasty and spectacular escapes through windows and doors. School was dismissed for the time being and both parties to the combat went post-haste to seek legal revenge. Professor Grimes going to Fort Dodge to hold a consultation with county Superintendent Brown and Madison laying his side of the case before Justice Rasmussen.

To Be Settled in Courts.

The matter will undoubtedly be tried in the courts. County Superintendent Brown getting first chance at it.

In Callender, and especially in the vicinity of Justice Rasmussen’s office, it is the excitement of the hour. Eager throngs from surrounding neighborhoods, and particularly from school district Number 3, Roland township are present and are on tip toe of excitement, watching every whisper pertaining to Madison and his wary antagonist.

Gray headed men are likewise on the scene, exchanging and relating stories referring to the customs of school teachers when they were boys – when the old saying “spare the rod and spoil the child” was the idea of almost every parent and teacher alike.

A Messenger representative interviewed Professor Grimes and was informed that the law would be allowed to take its course and he would be satisfied to abide by the consequences.

(Editor’s note: This article is obviously biased in favor of the teacher. No mention was made of the boy’s alleged offense or of how hard he was spanked. The article is written to make the teacher the victor of the fight; whether or not that was true is difficult to say. It’s hard to say whether the spanking was set off by a real offense, how hard the parent attacked the teacher and how hard the teacher really fought back. It is interesting to note, however, that people in 1906 were saying that “spare the rod and spoil the child” was taken seriously when they were kids, when in 2012 we think the same thing of 1906.)

Tags: 1906, Brown, Grimes, Madison, Rasmussen

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 21, 1907

Editorial: Fort Dodge’s Handicap

The chief handicap to progress in Fort Dodge is declared to be the difficulty of getting laborers to work in the factories. To a large extent, this labor shortage is universal in the United States, but the departure of mechanics and their families during a couple of dull years left Fort Dodge in a depleted condition in its supply of competent labor.

A Fort Dodge factory manager stated to the writer recently: “I do not see how we can continue to increase our business until conditions have adjusted themselves on the labor problem. We need apprentices in our business all the time, who, until they have been taught, cannot be paid big wages. As fast as they become useful to us we pay them according to their value. The people actually are not here to supply this kind of help and young men and women cannot afford to come here and work for a novice’s pay. Although they can soon earn their way if they have ability, not many can afford to support themselves during that period. Until there is employment guaranteed for all members of families that want work this embarrassing condition will continue. It is time that something was done to recognize this handicap.”

It is not forestalling the future too much to say that with nearly all residences in town now occupied there will be need first of all to have new modern cottages erected this summer for working men and their families. Small but convenient houses that can rent for a lower revenue than has been the custom here would do much to relieve the labor shortage.

Tags: 1907

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 20, 1906

Fort Dodge’s Chief Need is Hospital

Present Institution for Caring for Sick is Badly Over-crowded

This City Should Be Active

A Large Territory in This Part of the State Would Contribute Cases if a Proper Hospital Were Conducted Here – Many Reasons Urge It.

It may surprise some people of Fort Dodge to know that for the past month the Fort Dodge General Hospital has been overcrowded and that the management has even been compelled ot refuse admittance to at least a dozen patients.

Fort Dodge is fast becoming the medical and surgical center for a territory of fifty miles in all directions, and the time has arrived when the people of this city must cast about for ways and means to provide a suitable hospital to supply the needs of the unfortunate sick of so vast an area.

The present building is fairly good, so far as it goes, and the services rendered are excellent in so far as the management is not hampered by lack of room and other necessary facilities. It will be remembered that nine months ago the proprietors were forced to abandon the old Grant residence for the larger and better fitted Poyer building Since then their patronage has increased to such an extent it seems imperative, not only from the standpoint of humanity, but from a purely commercial point of view, that larger and better equipped quarters be provided for the sick of Fort Dodge and its contributory territory.

It is urged that hospitals do not pay. It is true that most secular and civic hospitals do not. Investigation has shown, however, that the great majority of Sisters’ hospitals do pay, for the reason that the nurses are not paid and very little outside help is hired.

How much money would a hospital of fifty bed, if four-fifths full, put into circulation in Fort Dodge every day? There are very few, if any, single commercial institutions in the city that would circulate more.

From actual experience it is estimated that of forty patients in a hospital thirty are likely to be from out of town and twenty-five of these likely to be surgical cases. The expense, including doctors’ and hospital fees, hotel bills of relatives and friends, shopping expenditures in town, etc., incurred by each patient is figured at $15 a day (about $359 today). Thirty patients at $15 a day would leave $450 a day ($10,777) in Fort Dodge. Aside from the actual financial gain to Fort Dodge, such an institution would do more if properly advertised, to spread the name and fame of this city than any other single enterprise we have.

During the recent meeting of the Fort Dodge District Medical Society in this city, Dr. Margin of Pomeroy said to a Messenger representative: “It is a source of great wonder to me that Fort Dodge is not better equipped as to a hospital. There is no question but that fort Dodge physicians and surgeons are well able to take care of anything that may come to them and in my mind it is only a question of a short time when practically all the surgery in this part of the state will be done right here in Fort Dodge. But that time will never come until a big modern hospital is built. At present, all of my hospital cases go to Sioux City, but they would come here if you had the hospital I speak of.”

Drs. Taylor of Pomeroy, Mullarky of Manson, Belt and McManus of Gilmore City, Arent and Grigsby of Humboldt, and a score of others expressed the same views.

Tags: 1906, Arent, Belt, Grigsby, Martin, McManus, Mullarky, Taylor

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 19, 1906

Thought Judge Kenyon a Boy

Youthful Appearance of Fort Dodge Attorney Deceived.

Sioux City People Find Out When he Wins Cases that He is of age.

The youthful face and general boyish appearance of Judge W.S. Kenyon of Fort Dodge, attorney in Iowa for the Illinois Central railroad, makes him the victim of some amusing incident almost every time he visits the Woodbury county court house, says the Sioux City Journal. The other day he went into the office of the courts and asked for some papers in a case that had been filed there.

“Are you an attorney,” asked a deputy who happened to be new in the office,

“Yes, my name is Kenyon, of Fort Dodge,” answered the railroad attorney, modestly.

The deputy sized up the judge but would not give out the papers to him until another deputy who had had a similar experience with the judge assured him laughingly that it was all right.

When Judge Kenyon appeared in the court room as attorney for the Central in the Tarashonsky case last week one of the jurymen, who sat waiting to be called in the case, was heard to remark:

“Gosh, that boy ain’t going to represent the railroad in this case is he? I am sorryf or him with all them big lawyers against him.”

Incidentally it may be mentioned Judge Kenyon won the case.

(Editor’s note: The Tarashonsky case is referenced here. A 5-year-old child was struck by a train in the railroad yards in Sioux City. There was a path commonly used to cross the tracks, and the railroad workers knew that people used the path. It was argued that the railroad employees saw the child in time to stop.)

Tags: 1906 Kenyon

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 18, 1907

Moving Picture Theater Planned

What is Known  as Family Theatorium Starts in Colby Building.

Arrangements have been made for the establishing here of a “Family Theatorium,” or, in other and plainer language, a moving picture show. The Colby building on First Avenue South, occupied for a short time by the ill-fated Alexas theater, will be engaged for the new enterprise which will be managed by Bryson Hutchinson.

Mr. Hutchinson went to Des Moines last week and made a contact for two changes of pictures a week here. He said concerning his plan:

“We will be opened for business the last of this week and will run a clean, reputable, low priced house. We will give three entertainments a day and if we can average 100 patrons per performance we can make it a permanent attraction. The pictures we get will be of the best quality and just as good as can be seen in large cities. We will have an electric piano for music and later on may have a regular vaudeville program. The admission fee will be ten cents.”

“I think a clean performance like ours will add considerably to the amusement attractions of Fort Dodge. That ought to help the town.”

Tags: 1907, Hutchinson

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 17, 1903

Plans For Work on New Library

Will be Commenced as Soon as Contract is Let for Setting Marble Now on Hand

Little Remains to be Done

With Setting of Marble Building is Practically Finished. Hoped to Open May 15.

Work on the new library building will recommence just as soon as the contract is let for the setting of the car marble which now stands in the Minnneapolis (sic) & St. Louis yards, consigned to the Northern Building company, and awaiting a claimant. One of the members of the library board stated this morning that there would be no difficulty in securing the contents of the car as soon as needed.

The library board has extended a proposition to the Vermont Granite & Marble company, which furnished the marble, to look after its setting also, and is awaiting a reply, which is expected shortly. It is considered highly probable that the contract will go to these parties.

The marble now in the yards comprises all that is needed for the completion of the building. It is for wainscoting, floor and stairs, and when it is in place the new library will be practically finished.

The steel book racks have arrived and are ready to be put in place; the woodwork is finished,a nd the electric fixtures are ordered. As yet however, no furniture has been ordered.

An effort will be made to hurry the work along so that the date of opening Fort Dodge’s fine new library building may be on May 15, the twenty-ninth anniversary of the starting of the library in this city. Whether this can be accomplished or not, is a matter which depends on many things, but the building will be finished by then if possible, and the occasion of the opening will be marked with appropriate exercises.

Tags: 1903

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 16, 1904

Child Shot After Inviting Death

Four-year-old Marshall Hollis Shoots and Kills His brother Leo.

Says “Shoot Me Marshall”

Boy Pulls Trigger Killing His Brother Instantly – Tragedy Occurs in Bed.

“Leo said ‘shoot me Marshall.’ I didn’t do it the first time, but he toldi me to shoot him again and I wasn’t afraid that time. I put the pistol against his face and pulled the trigger and he felled over and blood came out of his mouth,” was the testimony of four-year-old Marshall Hollis as he sat on  Coroner McCreight’s knee this morning and told the coroner’s jury how he had killed his two year old brother, Leo.

The children are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. H.E. Hollis, living at 426 Third avenue south, and it was while playing in their mother’s bed at 8:30 this morning that Marshall, the older, found a 38 caliber revolver between the mattresses and on invitation of his younger brother, pressed the weapon against the child’s face and pulled the trigger, killing him instantly. The bullet entered the head at the junction of the nose and upper lip and tore its way until it lodged against the skull at the base of the brain.

Mother Finds Baby Dead.

The mother, hearing the shot, rushed to the room and found her baby dead lying in the bed in a pool of blood. The face was covered with blood from the wound and blackened by the powder. Marshall, the four-year-old child who had ended his brother’s life was in the same bed suffering from a badly burned hand, caused by the discharge of the weapon, which he had held with his left hand supporting the barrel near the muzzle. Aside from surprise that his brother should lay so quiet and still, the child evinced no sings of having realized what he had done.

H.E. Hollis, the father, had been employed by the Illinois Central in the capacity of brakeman, but on account of light business had been laid off. Monday night he went to Woodbine, where he expected to secure employment with the Northwestern, and Mrs. Hollis being nervous in the absence of her husband had placed the revolver between the mattresses of her bed. This morning she arose and went down stairs to build a fire in the kitchen stove and Marshall had gone from his own bed into the bed in which the younger boy and his mother had been sleeping. After lighting the fire Mrs. Hollis was called out of doors to show the driver of a coal wagon where to unload the coal. As she was returning to the house she heard the report of a revolver and rushing up stairs found the baby dead. She summoned H.H Porter, the teamster who was unloading the coal, who after going up stairs hurried away from medical assistance. The mother meanwhile carried the child downstairs, but death had been instantaneous and the attention of a physician wa of no avail.

Inquest This Morning.

Coroner McCreight held an inquest over the remains at 10:30 this morning and the jury, composed of J.J. Conway, being shot with a revolver in the hands (sic), J.C. Walburger, and C.H. Smith, returned a verdict which in part read:

“That the said Leo M. Hollis came to his death at about 8:30 a.m., February 16, 1904, at No. 426 Third avenue south, First ward, Fort Dodge Iowa, by act of his four-year old brother, Marshall W. Hollis.”

Child Tells the Story.

The boy, in whose hand was the revolver when discharged, not realizing that he had figured in a tragedy two hours before, readily answered all questions and placidly told what had occurred. He said he had “feeled” the revolver between the mattresses and taking it in his hands had pointed it at his brother. The latter said: “shoot me, Marshall.” This the older child declined to do until bidden the second time, when he calmly pressed the muzzle of the revolver just over his brother’s mouth and pulled the trigger. In reply to a question he held up the first finger of his right hand when asked with which finger he had pulled the trigger. He had held the barrel of the revolver with his left hand and in the discharge that hand was badly burned. Although not fully aware of what he had done, the child realized that he had done something wrong, for after shooting his brother, he had shoved the revolver under a pillow.

(Editor’s note: Sometimes complete lines were printed out of place. There are a few words in the list of jury members that are confusing, but I think should fit in this paragraph in this manner: “That the said Leo M. Hollis came to his death at about 8:30 a.m., February 16, 1904, at No. 426 Third avenue south, First ward, Fort Dodge Iowa, by being shot with a revolver in the hands of his four-year old brother, Marshall W. Hollis.” This is not perfect, as the word “act” doesn’t fit, but is one possible explanation.)

Tags: 1904, Conway, Hollis, McCreight, Porter, Smith, Walburger

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 15, 1907

Some People

Sent those funny (?) but vulgar valentines Thursday.

Anticipate a big building boom in Fort Dodge this year.

Believe the Grundhog (sic) a bum weather prophet.

Think two cents a mile rides will be pretty fine.

Take lots of care of themselves but are not as healthy as the careless.

Read every line of the Thaw trial before they eat, then tell how rank they think it all is.

Keep their children at home after 9 p.m. and some do not.

Can’t see how little time the public has for croakers and calamity howlers.

Tags: 1907

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 15, 1907

Town Topics

Said one valentine dealer: “The tendency this year was more marked than ever in favor of artistic valentines. The coarse penny valentine is losing ground, and on the other hand the very elaborate, high priced, satin trimmed valentine is not so popular as it was. The prices of the popular valentines today range from one cent (23 cents today) to 75 cents ($17.32). When a young man feels like spending more than that on the object of his affection he will usually send candy or flowers, not a valentine costing as much as $10 ($231) or $15 ($346), which will be looked at once and then put aside.

Valentine postcards are among the latest innovations in connection with the observance of St. Valentine’s Day. To the man whose sentiments have been mildly stirred by Cupid the valentine postcard is a blessing. Without going to the trouble of placing it in a separate wrapper he may mail it to the object of his affection by simply affixing a one cent cent (sic) stamp. Each card is inscribed with some expression supposed to emanate from the heart and ranging in length from a single word to several lines of verse.

Another new thing is the valentine toast. These valentines constitute a series of well known and popular toasts neatly printed on a large card in colrs and suitably illustrated in colors. Such cards are intended for framing, and each is accompanied by a separate smaller card bearing such an inscription as “Valentine greetings” or “To my valentine,” etc.

The ragtime valentine is one of the new comers which is taking the place of the cheap comic. There is nothing vulgar in its laughable makeup. In this valentine grotesque figures are cut out and pasted on a heavy card. Each of the figures is neatly colored and made up with real cloth ties, cloth coats and cloth dresses. A feature of the ragtime valentine which commends it to purchasers is that it comes in a mailing case.

Other new comics include valentine jumping jacks, which are popular with the children. By pulling a strong these grotesque figures are made to go through all sorts of antics. There is a new series of valentines, styled “tender reflections,” in which a little mirror is fastened into the card. There is a series styled “on love’s highway,” in which love is depicted in every kind of vehicle, from a horsecar up to a 40-horsepower automobile.

Tags: 1907