The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 8, 1907

Put Dynamite in Oven of Cook Stove

It Exploded and Three Men are Injured – One Will Probably Die.

Occurred at a Grading Camp

Camp Was Located Four Miles South of City – The Injured Men, Albert L. Hook, Merton Hook and Floyd Wicher Are in City Hospital.

(Editor’s note: There is somewhat graphic description of one person’s injury in the section with the subheading Injured by Flying Pieces.)

As the result of putting three sticks of forty per cent dynamite into the oven of a cook stove to thaw out, this morning, and then forgetting them, two men and a boy, all three employed on the Newton & Northwestern right of way southeast of the city, lie badly injured at the city hospital.  They are Albert L. Hook and son Merton and son-in-law, Floyd Wicher.

The accident occurred this morning about 8:00 o’clock. The cook had been up some time and had breakfast prepared when a member of the party placed the three sticks of dynamite in the oven to thaw out. Shortly after, when seated about the breakfast table, the dynamite exploded, all knowledge of hit having passed from the minds of the occupants of the tent.

Great Destruction.

As the explosion occurred the stove was blown to atoms. Small pieces flew in all directions. The tent had practically vanished for nothing but a few small pieces of it remain near the spot where it once stood. The table, dishes, beds and other furniture of the abode were demolished by the concussion, fire starting in several places from small pieces of bedding scattered about.

Injured by Flying Pieces.

There were seven people in the tent when the explosion occurred. The cook had been standing over the stove, but, just prior to it, had walked out of doors on some errand. As the concussion came a small piece of the iron of the stove struck Merton Hook on the back of the head, laying it open until some of the brains oozed out. Other pieces struck his father, causing several fractures about the lower limbs and Wicher, whose right leg was broken in two places, one below and one above the ankle.

For a time the other members of the party were thrown into a stupor from the noise and shock. As they regained control of their minds, they began to care for the injured. A farmer, attracted by the explosion, which was heard several miles away, telephoned to Kalo, summoning Dr. C.J. Musser.

Doctors on Scene.

Dr. Musser arrived on the spot about half an hour after the accident, and later Dr. Bowen, of this city, who also had been called for. Together they performed an operation upon the head of the boy, removing a piece of metal larger than a silver dollar from the gash it had torn in the skull of the youth.

Following this the remaining victims were attended, and everything to make and keep them easy and as free from suffering as possible, was done.

Brought Here in Ambulance.

An ambulance was then sent for, and it left the city shortly before noone (sic), returning from the scene of the accident, with the victims, at about 2:30 o’clock.

Further operations were performed on the arrival at the city hospital, and up to a late hour this afternoon the young boy was still alive though in a very precarious condition.

The party was at work changing the channel of a small creek from the right of way of the Newton & Northwestern. Considerable dynamite was used int he work, and keeping it as they had to in a tent, it became damp and froze during the night.

A.L. Hook, who of the three is the least injured, hails from Cedar Rapids and was sub-contracting under Murray Brothers of Cedar Rapids who have the contract for the right of way. In the party there were the two sons a son-in-law and a daughter.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 4, 1907

Seen and Heard

The way in which ticket agents are pestered by questions is an old tale, yet it does not get exaggerated greatly in being told. The other evening a Messenger reporter sat behind the grating with ticket agent Bert Markin of the Great Western and  heard him carry on the following conversation over the telephone:

“Hello! Why, it’s forty minutes late.”

“Yes forty minutes.”

“No it won’t be here until 8:35.”

“Yes, I’m sure it’s forty minutes late.”

“No! not until 8:35, you see it is due at 7:55. 7:55 plus forty minutes would make 8:35.”

“Well! there’s a possibility of it making up some of that time before it gets here.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“No! its (sic) usually right on time.”

“I don’t know what’s the matter.”

“Yes forty minutes.”

“No! I don’t think there has been a wreck.”

“You’ll have to excuse me a minute, there are a number of people waiting to buy tickets.”

“I think the buses will wait.”

“Yes ma’am, forty minutes.”

“Please excuse me.”

The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 3, 1903

Street Car Route Has Been Outlined

Fort Dodge Light & Power Co. Announces Line to be Followed by Extension

Present Petition to Council

Ask That Streets be Brought to Grade at Points Along the New Line

The management of the Fort Dodge Light and Power company has determined the route to be followed by the extension of the car line which is planned to be constructed this spring. The route is as follows:

From Twelfth street and Central avenue:

South on Twelfth street to Fourth avenue south,

East on Fourth avenue south to Eighteenth street,

South on Eighteenth street to a point two blocks within the Oleson Land company’s tract,

East to the grand stand of the Mineral City Park association.

The entire extension contemplated is two and one-quarter miles in length. The company has already sufficient material on hand to complete the construction of one mile.

A petition was presented to the city council on Monday evening asking that at certain specified points the streets be brought to grade along the proposed route of the extension. The council referred the matter to the street and alley committee. None of the changes asked are of any special importance. One is for a two foot cut for a short distance on Fourth avenue south between Twelfth and Thirteenth street, just in front of the German Lutheran church. A short fill is also requested on Eighteenth street between Fourth and Fifth avenues south.

Manager Will Healy, of the Fort Dodge Light and Power company stated this morning that the company expected to begin work on their extension as soon as possible after a grade had been adjusted, if the council should take favorable action on their petition.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 29, 1904

Webster City Young Men Sad

One Result of a Recent Trip to the Neighboring Gypsum City.

They Were Given Good Time

And When They Went Back Home They Slept Too Soundly.

Two young men whose homes are in Webster City came to Fort Dodge the other day and had an awful time getting home. The Webster City freeman-Tribune says they were shown a good time in Fort Dodge and from past experience of Webster City’s good times in Fort Dodge it is more than likely that while here they contributed generously to the mulct tax.

Their sad story is told by the Freeman-Tribune in the following:

“A three mile walk and a livery bill of $3.50, all extra was what it cost two certain Webster City young men to make a little afternoon’s trip to Fort Dodge the other day. It wasn’t because the Webster City boys got lost looking at the skyscrapers, or bought the new Crawford hotel of a sharper or anything of that kind. Oh no.

“The boys, whom we will call Jack and George, for the reason that these names will fit as well as any, spent the afternoon in the Gypsum City, were shown a first-class time by the natives, saw the gypsum mills, the ruins of the mill which burned the other night, the site where the Great Western shops were to have been built – if they hadn’t been erected in Clarion – went thru the automobile factory and numerous other sites famed on the pages of history. In the evening, tired of their sight-seeing and weary to the bone, they boarded the midnight train for home. It being so late, they felt sleepy and therefore didn’t see the lights of Webster City until the train was pulling out of Blairsburg. The boys wanted the “con” to run the train back, but he wouldn’t . Then they wanted him to carry them on to Waterloo and promise to send them back on a special car – but he wouldn’t . He just wouldn’t do anything that a good, respectable, polite conductor ought to do. The boys then wanted to fight – and he wouldn’t even do that. He just grasped them by the nape of the neck and ejected them from the train three miles out of Blairsburg.

“The men found their way to the ‘burg and by putting up $3.50 induced the livery man there to bring them back to dear old Webster City.”

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 5, 1903

Short Change Man on Central

Gentleman With Deft and Oily Fingers Works Smooth Graft

A Nebraska Man His Victim.

Son of the Soil, Out to See the Sights, Exchanges $50 for Meagre (sic) Roll of $15.

Waterloo, Io., February 5. – Marshal Simmering this morning received a letter from Cyrus Alton of Elmwood, Nebraska, stating that he had been victimized to the extent of $35 on the Illinois Central passenger train between Waterloo and Manchester Saturday night. He gave a description of the grafter and told how the game was worked.

Shortly after the train pulled out of Waterloo a well dressed stranger sat down in the seat beside Alton and began conversing with him. Alton readily fell into the snare. Judging by his letter he is a farmer. He had become weary of the long ride and was glad of the opportunity to break the monotony. Soon after the stranger worked himself into the good graces of Alton he told him how badly he wanted to exchange some small bills for a large one to give to a relative who would leave the train at Dubuque. Alton liked to be obliging and inquired how large a bill was wanted. The stranger thought a $50 would do and Alton pulled out his roll and selected a fifty. The stranger had a number of small bills and counted them out. They appeared to be $5 bills. There was just $50 the first time he counted them out, but in order to escape a mistake he counted them again. Sure enough there was just $50. Alton took them and placed them in his pocket, not suspecting the fraud. However, when he arrived in Chicago he took an inventory and found that the roll contained just $15 a number of $1 bills having been substituted for the $5 ones.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 3, 1903

Big Bridge Now 2-3 Done

1,720 Feet are Now Standing of 2,582 to be Built

Preparing to Cross River

First Piling Was Sunk on Monday – S.C. Stickney Pleased With the Bridge.

Just two-thirds of the new Great Western bridge across the Des Moines river has been completed. The length of the bridge when finished will be 2,582 feet, of which 1,720 feet are now up. All that now remains is to carry the bridge across the river and u p the comparatively short approach to the summit of the bluff standing opposite, and all will be done.

Work was commenced on Monday  at driving the piling, which will bear the false work of the span while the bridge is being carried across the river.

General Manager S.C. Stickney visited the bridge during his recent visit here, and expressed himself as highly pleased with the progress which had been made.

The other bride work, which is being done on the old Mason City & Fort Dodge line north of this city, is progressing satisfactorily. The bridge at Lime creek, north of Mason City, has been completed with the exception of a little riveting. The work has been transferred to the Boone river bridge, which is being moved. Engineer Harvey stated this morning that the iron will be put in on this bridge on Wednesday.

Preparations are being made to begin work on the lower yards in this city.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Feb. 1, 1906

Automobile Garage in Fort Dodge

Cadillac Machines Will Be Sold – Autos Rented and Repaired.

H.B. Grove Has The Agency

Leases Garmoe Building on North 6th Street, Formerly Rented by M.Q. Daley – Will Open The New Concern March 1st.

H.B. Groves has leased the Garmoe building on North Sixth street, formerly rented by M.Q. Daley, and will open an automobile garage about March first. He has the exclusive agency for the Cadillac Motorcar company, of Detroit, Michigan, whose machines he will sell. This agency extends over eleven counties of Iowa, through which he will probably station sub agents.

Mr. Groves has resided in Fort Dodge for less than a year, having lived in Sioux City previous to his removal here. During that time he has won a great many friends who will be pleased to learn of his location here. He is the owner of a $1,000 Cadillac which he had drive across country on several trips. Besides handling the machines for sale, he will rent and repair machines and expects to carry a fine line of accessories. A thoroughly experienced machinist will arrive about the middle of February.

The sport of automobiling has not progressed very rapidly in Fort Dodge. Machines have not found much favor with the residents who seem to prefer their horses. The advent of an automobile enthusiast with a good line of machines means the formation of a club which will eventually join the ranks of the other sporting clubs in the city.

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 14, 1907

Fort Dodger Invents

Ernest Green Has Automatic Equipment to Close Switches

Ernest Green, a former Fort Dodge young man, is the inventor of a railroad device that promises to come into general use on all traffic lines. It is believed that no little fame is in store for its inventor. Regarding a test of the appliance recently made the Buffalo Express has the following:

“Ernest Green’s device for automatically closing an open switch before an oncoming train was recently tested with great success on the Lake Shore at Silver Creek where Mr. Green lives.

“Freight locomotive No. 5830 was used in the tests and was run over the portion of the track equipped at speeds that varied from 25 to 55 miles an hour. Roadmaster Connors and other officials who witness the test say the device worked perfectly and promptly.

“It appears to be a very simple and inexpensive equipment. It makes it possible for a train to take an open switch. A switch left open carelessly or by design closes automatically in front of the train.”

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 12, 1903

Manson Secures Supply of Coal

Ilinois Central Railroad Sets Aside Six Cars Expressly for Town’s Use

In Answer to Petition

Cars are Being Loaded in Central Yards Here. Unique Move on Part of Manson

A somewhat unusual concession has been made by the Illinois Central railroad company to the town of Manson. Six cars are now in the Illinois Central yards, to be loaded with coal to be devoted exclusively to supplying the wants of the people in and around Manson. Two of the cars are already loaded and it is expected that more will soon be in readiness.

This action was taken by the Central, in response to a petition from the town of Manson, asking that they be granted this favor. It is not known that any special coal stringency exists at Manson, but this action was taken by the citizens to ensure a good-sized supply being kept on hand.

“Six cars won’t be much in Manson tho,” said a Fort Dodge coal dealer, in speaking of the situation th is morning. “Manson supplies a territory of many miles in extent and those cars will just evaporate as soon as they get on the Manson side track. The action taken in petitioning the railroad company was certainly rather unusual but it had produced good results, and the contents of those cars will fill a good many empty coal bins. Those cars to be shipped to Manson; and no where else. Those are the instructions of the railroad company.”