3
Jan

Webster City Coal Situation

   Posted by: admin   in Webster City

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 3, 1903

Webster City Coal Situation

Was Extremely Critical at That Place Wednesday

They have a Two Days’ Supply

Unless Situation is Relieved They Fear a Coal Famine Will Confront Them

Webster City, Jan. 2 — The coal situation in this city has become extremely serious. But one dealer in the city Wednesday had a supply and at this place no orders were booked for Wednesday’s deliver, as the present supply was sold ahead. Unless the situation becomes relieved within a few days Webster City will find herself in the throes of a coal famine.

All the dealers have coal ordered ahead and are expecting it every day but it is slow in arriving. The city electric light, steam heat and pumping plants have not more than two days’ supply ahead. Superintendent Cummings was seen and stated that he had a car of coal on the tracks and an order for 10 or 15 tons with the Crooked Creek Coal Company. The electric light plant uses between 10 and 12 tons of coal per day of 24 hours. The pumping station and heating plant will use as much or more than this, so that the situation which confronts our municipal utilities is far from assuring. The prospect of a dark and waterless city is before us. City officials, however, are hopeful and believe that they will be able to keep a supply ahead.

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30
Oct

A Rocky Game

   Posted by: admin   in Baseball, People, Sports

Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Oct. 30, 1889

A Rocky Game

The Gilmore Citys and Clares vs. For (sic) Dodge at the Ball Park Results in a Victory for the Sluggers.

It was a very small crowd that witnessed an attempt made by eighteen men to play a game of ball at the ball park yesterday. The game was totally devoid of anything brilliant and poor playing was the feature unless it was that the aggregation from the northwest made five of their ten runs off of Orelup in the last half of the sixth, this being the only inning that he pitched. A home run was also made off his delivery.

Only six innings were played, the visitors who kicked all through the game finally succeeding at the close of the sixth inning to kick themselves out of the game. A gentleman from Manson umpired the game. Following is the score by innings:

1 1 2 3 4 5 Total
Fort Dodge 2 0 6 5 1 1 15
Gilmore and Clare 1 2 1 1 0 5 10
Struck out by Hood 10, Crowe 2, Orelup 2

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: Oct. 29, 1912

“Women Can Do More Than Commercial Clubs,” H.J. Finn

Packing House Man Tells How to Boost Trade

Proposes “Ft. D. Stamp”

“Patronize Home Industries,” He Declares

Packing Plant Helps City

Brings Stock Shippers Here and Increases Trading — Employs Fifty Men and Will Double Number Soon – Increases Clearing House Receipts.

H.J. Finn, provision manager for the Suizburger & Sons company at Kansas City who has been assisting in opening the local plant, declares that large donations to the Commercial club of Fort Dodge will not assist in advertising the city and its products as much as would the co-operation of the women in a league of some kind. In an interview today, Mr. Finn advocated patronizing home industries.

“It is the general impression,” said Mr. Finn as he sat in the Wahkonsa hotel, that Commercial clubs must be inactive owing to an indisposition on the part of certain parties to put in money, but in this I do not agree. Let me offer some suggestions.

“Let the Commercial club get up a ‘Made in Fort Dodge’ stamp. I am sure all manufacturers here would use it, every dealer might attach it to his correspondence and the revenue from this would go far toward advertising the city.

“Form a Women’s league and let them get out small advertising cards calling attention to goods effecting the home and every woman writing to a friend with(in) 100 miles from here enclose a copy to her friend inviting a visit here to shop. A little such enthusiasm by your people for six months or a year systematically followed up would mean more than Mr. Merchant, Tom Jones or William Smith would hand over $1,000 each. The idea is to get ‘everybody doing it’ and keep at it — newspapers, merchants and people.”

Patronize Home Industries

In commenting upon the patronizing of home industries as a means of aiding their growth, Mr. Finn spoke of the business the packing company are now engaged in.

“The advantage of such a business as ours is manifold,” he said. “At present we employ about fifty men and in the very near future this would nearly double. We are bringing many hogs to Fort Dodge that would go to Chicago and other places. Shippers accompanying them will do considerable shopping here instead of Chicago.

We are shipping large quantities of finished meat to country points, the pay for which is collected by your banks. Altogether in normal times we should increase the bank clearings from $50,000 to $75,000 weekly. Is such business not worth the moral support of your people. Notice as you visit the shopping if our meats for example are as much in evidence as they should be.

“But we are not the only ones. Do your citizens ask for Fort Dodge made shoes and other products? If people want Fort Dodge made shoes they can get them by demanding them.

“You certainly have a beautiful city and I should imagine it would be delightful to live here. Your hotel cannot be excelled outside of Chicago. Your churches are beautiful and your amusements are cheap. You have a nice scenic river, but have little water so that it has but little boating value.

“Suppose you put in a low dam across the river at about the tile factory or better still at Shady Oaks – a dam high enough to raise the water say four or five feet. This would not cost much and the county might (undecipherable word) it to reduce the cost of bridge foundations. With three or five feet of water in your river who would not (undecipherable word) a canoe, skiff or motorboat? The opportunities for pleasure in your city would be increased one hundred per cent.”

Mr. Finn has traveled all over the country and is familiar with conditions in may cities. He believes that Fort Dodge has a great future. As his work of putting the local plant is about completed after more than six weeks’ stay here, he will go back to Kansas City.

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The Fort Dodge Messenger: Oct. 28, 1912

Just Purchased Auto; Runs Into Valuable Horse

Running his newly purchased auto for the first time, B.F. Kortz of the Prusia Hardware company ran into a valuable horse belonging to E. Gannon this morning on First avenue north. The shoulder of the animal was broken and it was necessary to have him shot. The horse was in the street in front of the new Wahkonsa school house where he is used in hoisting the material to the top of the building. It is asserted that the animal at one time was a very valuable one and that he had captured a number of prizes at different fairs.

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27
Oct

Lightning Strikes House

   Posted by: admin   in weather

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Oct. 27, 1906

Lightning Strikes House.

Residence of Mrs. Lizzie Shields Suffers From Storm.

Without a warning of any kind, last night about 9 o’clock, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, during the severe rain storm, and wrecked a rear chimney on the residence of Mrs. Lizzie Shields on south 5th avenue. The family was in the house at the time, and all escaped without injury or damage to the house, other than hurling the bricks of the chimney connected with the furnace, to the ground in the rear yard almost to the roof line.

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26
Oct

Two Pretty Weddings

   Posted by: admin   in Coalville, Lehigh, Marriage, Society news

The Lehigh Valley Argus: Oct. 26, 1906

Two Pretty Weddings

Mr. Hay and Miss Russell; Mr. McAnally and Miss Daniels

Both Weddings Held Wednesday.

The marriage of Miss Letitia Maud Russell, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Russell of this place, and Mr. Archie Hay, of Coalville, occurred at the home of the bride’s sister, Mrs. Sam Reynolds, at high noon, on Wednesday, October 24th, 1906, Rev. H.C. Nissen of the M.E. church officiating. Only the relatives of the contracting parties attended the wedding. The bride was attired in a becoming gown of cream henrietta, trimmed in lace and silk applique and looked very handsome. The wedding march was played by the bride’s sister, Miss Ethel, while the happy couple took their places where solemn vows which made them man and wife were spoken. They were attended by the bride’s sister Miss Maggie Russell and Mr. Wm. Jordison. After the ceremony the company sat down to a bountiful wedding dinner.

The bride is well and favorably known in Lehigh and vicinity. Until recently she was one of the efficient “hello” girls of the Lehigh Telephone company in which capacity she has been employed during the past three years. She is a popular young lady holding the highest esteem of all acquaintances and friends, and is endowed with those womanly traits of character which make her loved and respected by all.
The groom is an industrious young man and is held in high esteem by those who know him well. This popular young couple will go to keeping house at Coalville, where the groom has prepared a home. The best wishes of a host of friends for a happy married life is given the happy couple.

■ ■ ■

The marriage of Miss Mollie Agusta Daniels, daughter of Mrs. W.H. Daniels, to Mr. Earl Baker McAnally, both of this place, occurred at the home of the bride’s mother on Wednesday evening, October 24th, 1906, Rev. H. C. Nissen of the M.E. church officiating. About sixty invited guests were present and the wedding was a very pretty affair. The house was prettily decorated with autumn foliage. The bride was attired in a beautiful gown of white silk. The happy couple was attended by Miss Maria Elsberry and Mr. James McAnally. Lohengrin’s wedding march was played by Mr. N.H. Tyson as the young couple took their place before the assembled guests. After the ceremony had been performed and congratulations had been given the happy couple, all sat down to an elaborate wedding supper of eight courses.

The bride is a member of one of Webster county’s prosperous and highly respected families and has a large circle of close friends. The groom is an industrious and thrifty young man who also has a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Both are popular Lehigh young people who are beginning their journey together in the brightest of life’s mornings. They have gone to keeping house at the home of the bride’s mother where they will remain this winter.

The Argus joins with the many friends of both couples in wishing them a happy and contented married life.

(Editor’s note: I find the differences in the descriptions of the two weddings to be interesting. You can tell the different social and economic statuses of the two couples even before being told that the second bride’s family is prosperous, just by the descriptions of the wedding dresses and wedding suppers, the number of guests at each wedding, and the fact that Leticia Russell worked before she was married.)

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25
Oct

Judge Kenyon Removes to Chicago

   Posted by: admin   in People

The Dayton Review: Oct. 25, 1906

Judge Kenyon Removes to Chicago

It is with mingled pleasure and regret that the people of this vicinity learn of the removal of Judge W.S. Kenyon of Fort Dodge from this county. He has been appointed general attorney

William Squire Kenyon

William Squire Kenyon of Fort Dodge. Photograph from the Library of Congress. Source: Harris & Ewing, photographer

of the Illinois Central railroad, for which he has been district attorney for a number of years, and takes up his new duties at once with headquarters at Chicago. His promotion is indeed a deserved one, and earned by his fidelity to the duties of his profession. In that his friends indeed rejoice.
The regret that is universal is the fact of his removal from this county. For sixteen years he has been located at the county seat in the practice of his profession. During that time he has built up, not only an immense practice by his industry and his energy, but has endeared himself to everyone by the greatness of his integrity and his manhood. Loved and respected by everyone, he carries with

him the sincere good wishes of all to his new field of labor.

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24
Oct

Hand Caught in Wringer

   Posted by: admin   in Accident

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Oct. 24, 1906

Hand Caught in Wringer

Little Dessinger Bady (sic) Injured This Afternoon at Home.

While playing with a wringer that was fastened to a tub, late this afternoon, the little child of Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Dessinger, residing at 701 1/2 south First avenue, was painfully injured. A physician was called to the home at once and succeeded in easing the pain of the little one and in dressing the wounded hand.

(Editor’s note: I suffered a similar incident at the age of four. In my case, the wringer was operated by electricity and my arm was stuck at the elbow. I still have the scar from the friction burn.)

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23
Oct

Louis Fiene to Oklahoma

   Posted by: admin   in Baseball, People, Sports

Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Oct. 23, 1906

Louis Fiene to Oklahoma

Picture of Louis Fiene from the Library of Congress. Source: Baseball cards from the Benjamin K. Edwards Collection. Issued by the American Tobacco Company.

Picture of Louis Fiene from the Library of Congress. Source: Baseball cards from the Benjamin K. Edwards Collection. Issued by the American Tobacco Company.

It is proverbial that those belonging to sporting circles are good spenders that they make their money easily and get rid of it easily. However, this does not seem to to be true of Fort Dodge men. Frank Gotch, the world’s champion wrestler, salted his money in real estate and has become independently wealthy and now it seems that Louis Fiene, one of the crack pitchers of the Chicago White Sox and a former Fort Dodge boy will follow his good example. Fiene has returned home with over $2,000 (about $53,208 today), his share of the winnings of the team and a salary saved for this year’s work and with this and previous earning will buy a farm in Oklahoma and move his mother and sister to that place. Fiene’s rise in the baseball world has been phenomenal. Starting three years ago with the independent Fort Dodge team the work of this boy wonder, for he was then only nineteen years of age, won him a place for 1904 with Cedar Rapids of the Three I League and the following year he did great work with Detroit. Although laid up most of the past season with a game arm, what work he did was great. His pitching in the last series with Cleveland when he allowed only four hits has become historic.

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22
Oct

Sows at Sixteen and Harvests at Eighty-eight

   Posted by: admin   in People

Fort Dodge Daily Chronicle: Oct. 22, 1906

Sows at Sixteen and Harvests at Eighty-eight

Webster City Oct. 22 — Mrs. Prudence Bishop of this city has received a box of beautiful Bellflower apples from her brother, of Streator, Ill., who picked them from a tree which she planted seventy-two years ago. Mrs. Bishop is now eighty-eight years old and probably not another woman or man in Iowa enjoys the unique distinction of eating the fruit from her own vine and fig tree almost three-quarters of a century after planting.

Yellow Belleflower apples

Yellow Belleflower apples. Photo by Sven Teschke. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Germany license.

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