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.”

Tags: 1903

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 11, 1906

Wants Pictures of Inebriates

Saloonkeepers to Ask for Changes in State Black List Laws.

They Seek For Protection

Want Several Holidays Cut Out of Closing List – Secretary J.J. Klein Goes to Des Moines to Join Other Members of the Legislative Committee.

Photographs as a means of enabling saloonkeepers to identify parties to whom they have been notified not to sell liquors are to be one of the requirements of the state law governing the conduct of saloons, if the efforts of the Iowa Retail Liquor Dealers’ association during the present session of the legislature is successful. J.J. Klein, secretary of the association, left yesterday for Des Moines to join the other members of a committee now at work there with the object of bringing about this and other changes in the state liquor law. The other members of the committee are: President, C.A. Stephens, Cedar Rapids; Margin Ingwersen, Clinton; and L.C. Stevens of Sioux City. All four of the men are members of the executive committee of the association and were appointed to the task of framing bills for the legislature at a meeting held last December in Davenport.

Changes Wanted.

It is understood that the changes in the present law which are desired are mainly these: The elimination of New Years, Washington’s birthday and Labor day as days on which the saloons must close; a provision that the friends of inebriates shall furnish saloon keepers with photographs and descriptions of those to whom they are forbidden to sell liquor, and the reduction of the number of signers to saloon petitions in small towns from 80 to 65 per cent, besides making it necessary to obtain the consent only of property owners residing upon the street where the saloon is located.

The saloon men also want the law amended so that they will not be held responsible for selling to minors and inebriates unless they do so knowingly.

A suit is now being waged against four Council Bluffs saloon men in which a woman is seeking to get $10,000 of the saloonists’ hard earnings for selling liquor to her husband, after being notified not to do so. Similar cases have occurred elsewhere and it (sic) such cases that have aroused the saloonkeepers to an effort to protect themselves.

Would Give Protection.

“A bartender may see a man on the street and speak to him for years without knowing his name,” said one of the fraternity yesterday. “If the man’s wife or mother notified the bartender not to sell him liquor, how would he know to whom the notification referred? It is utterly impossible as the law now stands, for us to have any safety whatever, and the photograph scheme would give us just the protection we need.”

The Iowa Retail Liquor Dealers’ association comprises probably two-thirds of the dealers in Council Bluffs and throughout Iowa. Back of it stand the big brewing and distilling firms, which own a large proportion of the saloons now in operation. The association is not merely a picnic organization, but is for working purposes. When suits are started against saloonists for apparent blackmail the association takes a hand and fights them to a finish.

That the liquor business is feeling the sort of strength that comes from union is shown by the fact that arrangements are now being made for the building of a large brewery at Le Mars. A few years ago anyone that embarked in a business of that sort in Iowa would have been thought a candidate for the commissioners of insanity, declared one dealer yesterday but the work of the association has put the liquor business on so firm a footing as to make a large expansion seem likely all over the state.

No one seems to doubt, say well informed liquor dealers, that a fight of large proportions is about to be waged in the direction of securing a more lenient liquor law than the one now in force, as plenty of capital, energy and other useful resources are on hand.

Tags: 1906, Ingerwersen, Klein, Stephens, Stevens

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 10, 1903

They Won in the Box Contest

Misses Hannah Hanson and Jennie Pollock Receive Highest Number of Ballots

Voting Was Lively Today

Miss Hanson Received 212 Votes and Miss Pollock 93. Other Teachers in the Race

Miss Hannah Hanson and Miss Jennie Pollock are the winners in the Messenger box contest for the performance of Charles B. Hanford, in “Much Ado About Nothing,” at the Midland on next Monday evening. Having received the highest number of votes in the contest for the post popular school teacher of Fort Dodge they are each entitled to a box for this performance and have the privilege of inviting five friends to occupy it with them.

The voting was fast and furious this morning. Miss Hanson’s friends rallied to her support, and when the time came to count the ballots at noon, she was found to have 212 of the little paper slips to her credit. Miss Jennie Pollock who was the favorite on Friday, did not do so well today, but came next with 93 votes.

Miss Ella Fin had many friends who exerted themselves in her behalf and she received 74 votes.

The full list of teachers for whom coupons were cast is as follows:

Tags: 1903, Anderson, Corey, Fibbs, Fink, Hanford, Hanson, Herrick, Hill, Newton, Pollock

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 19, 1903

The Boston Store Adopts Policy of Expansion

Arrangements Have Been Practically Completed for Opening of Branch Store at Eagle Grove.

The Boston Store has entered upon a policy of expansion. A store building has been leased at Eagle Grove, a stock of goods is now being installed, and it is expected that the store will opened (sic) about the close of next week.

This is an experimental venture on the part of the Boston store. If the store at Eagle Grove is a success, it is planned to establish others at different points in the state. J.H. Walters, who has for several years been connected with the Boston store in this city will have charge of the new store.

The management of the Boston store is going on the policy of enlarging their opportunity  for buying stock feeling that the more stock they buy, the cheaper and better they will be able to buy it. They feel that their store at Eagle Grove should be a success from the ease and facility with which it can be supplied form the main house in this city.

Tags: 1903

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 10, 1903

Duncombe Sun Goes Under

Has Yielded to the Force of Adverse Circumstances

Publication is Suspended.

Editor Stebbins Finds the Burden of Debt Too Great to Be Endured.

Word has reached the city that the Duncombe Sun, which was once one of hte luminaries of Webster County journalism, has ceased to shine, and that the genial talks of Sunrise Bill will hereafter be in vain. After a plucky struggle to keep up, Editor Stebbins has been obliged to yield to the pressure of debt, and his paper has discontinued publication.

All of Mr. Stebbins’ editorial brethren over the county will regret that the pressure of circumstances was too much for him to withstand. He had been giving Duncombe a good local paper, and no one is more sorry to hear of his misfortune that is the Messenger force. Mr. Stebbins still remains in Duncombe.

Tags: 1903, Stebbins

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 9, 1906

The Jail Door Needs No Lock

Two Prisoners There are Old “Standbys” – Like Jail and Won’t Run Away.

For the first time, perhaps in the history of Fort Dodge two persons have been found who like the jail so well that they are allowed to come and go at will. “Nutty Willie” and Martin Hohn, who are confined there now, say that it looks just like home to them, is the best place they ever struck, and that they won’t leave it as long as the police will let them stay.

Officer Ditmer brought the prisoners their breakfast this morning at nine o’clock and kindly invited a Messenger reporter to watch him give out the food. “Nutty Willie” with his usual grin greeted the officer and reporter and taking the breakfast began to divide it with his fellow prisoner. “Willie” is a sort of trusty about the jail and turning to Ditmer with a mouth full of bacon and potatoes, he said, “Say! You know, you want me to clean out that front end today and take out that trash. Well, you’ve got to leave the door open. Just leave it open when you go out, and I’ll carry the stuff out in the street. Oh, he won’t run away,” in answer to an inquiring look from the officer in the direction of Hohn, the other prisoner. “He’s just like me. Says he likes it here and it is just like home.” The officer walked out after this, throwing the jail door wide open behind him, and “Willie” cheerfully began to carry out the rubbish, as he had promised.

(Editor’s note: “Nutty Willie” is most likely Ernest Willey, as he has been identified in other articles.)

Tags: 1906, Ditmer, Hohn, Willey, Willie

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 8, 1903

Hard Work For Railroad Boys

Operating Trains in Heavy Winds is Not Child’s Play

Must Endure Hardships

Storm of Tuesday Night Said by Railroad Men to Be One of the Worst on Record.

The severe weather during the past few days and nights had made the lot of  a railroad man one not to be envied. Trainmen say that Tuesay night’s storm was one or (sic) the severest on record. The wind was terrific and running a train in such a gale is almost as hard as navigating a ship on a storm tossed sea. It costs much more to operate a train in stormy weather, as the tonnage must be greatly reduced. On Tuesday night the tonnage was reduced from 25 to 33 per cent on many trains and even then few trains were able to arrive on time. Telegraph communication is usually bad in such storm weather and this also adds to the railroad man’s woes.

Hurrying along the top of a slippery box car is a dangerous as well as unpleasant job, yet this work must be done by the trainmen, rain or shine. Running an engine when the wind is blowing forty miles and with a blinding snow storm in his face is something that engineers do these days.

The lot of the railroad boys at times such as this is not to be envied, and the men who work uncomplainingly under the most unfavorable conditions to bring their trains in on time, or as nearly so as possible, are entitled to the credit justly due them for their brave ght (sic – should be fight?) against odds.

Tags: 1903

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 8, 1903

Family Trouble Up in Court

Herman Schmidt Blames His Father-in-Law

Mayor Sides With Herman

Curtain Falls upon a Watery scene. Human Baracade (sic) at Wolf’s Barber Shop.

Herman Schmidt, with tears in his eyes, declared to Mayor Bennett this this (sic) morning, that he is a barber by trade and that he had never been in jail before. He laid the blame for his being in jail at all upon his father-in-law, who, he said, had stirred up discord between himself and wife. Schmidt was arrested on Wednesday night for being drunk and disorderly, the more specific charge being that he was abusing his family. His Honor was impressed with the apparent honesty of his story and discharged him, at the same time warning his father-in-law to let Schmidt and his wife alone.

A little tailor whose name did not appear on the police docket, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon, while forming a human barriacde (sic) at the front door of Fred Wolf’s barber shop. He had fallen across the door in such a manner that those inside could not open it, and he himself was quite beyond moving. Marshal Larson picked him up and cared for him till he was able to navigate, and then set him at liberty, retaining, however, a large fat bottle of good old forty-rod whisky (sic), which he found on his person.

Tags: 1903, Bennett, Larson, Schmidt, wolf

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 7, 1907

Small Pox Appears in the City

Two Cases are Under Quarantine – Mayor Issues Warning to People.

Two cases of small pox have appeared in the city. One is at the residence of Grover Harris at 316 South 5th street where Mr. Harris is ill with the malady. The other is on North 7th street where Frank Devore a black smith employed at the Dan Noonan shop is confined.

Both cases were promptly placed under quarantine by city physician Mulroney, who pronounces them both of light form and not likely to become dangerous.

Neither of the afflicted parties have an idea as to where they contracted the disease. Sioux City has one hundred and twenty-five cases and it is thought probably that it came here from that city in some manner.

Mayor Bennett, desiring to warn the people says: “All should take very precaution to prevent the spread of contagious disease. Physicians inform me that soft weather like this makes it much more likely to spread. On the first appearance of sickness that gives indication of turning into scarlet fever, small pox or any other infectious sickness do not hesitate to call the city physician. If quarantine is promptly enforced the danger is small, whereas if the disease is let run three or four days it is likely to be transmitted to others.”

(Editor’s note: There was a related brief on another page of the same edition of the paper, in the “What They Say” section, which follows. It appears he is referring to the home of Frank Devore.)

“The other day I noticed a milk wagon drive up in front of a home on north 7th street where a family is quarantined for small pox. The milkman poured out a quantity of milk into the pitcher brought out to him, looked at it, then evidently thinking he had given too much, poured part of it back from the pitcher into the big can from which he supplies all his customers. He drove on then to peddle milk from that same big can all over town. It looks as if that were a pretty good way to spread disease in case there were any germs on the pitcher, for milk is said to be the worst medium for carrying germs known.”

-Robert M. Wilson

Tags: 1907, Bennett, Devore, Harris, Wilson