The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 31, 1905

The Servant Girl Saves Bad Fire

Sevant (sic) Girl Had Lit Gasoline to Hurry Breakfast When Tank Caught the Fire – Called for Help and Then Threw Blazing Thing Out.

Fire broke out at the A.C. Heath residence between Eighth and Ninth streets on Second avenue south at 6:30 this morning and only for the prompt and heroic action of Wendella Johnson, the serving maid, the blaze would have been a very serious one. As it was the damage will amount to $200 or $300. It is fully covered by insurance, however. It was the same old story of gasoline stove explosion.

The family had risen at about six o’clock and at the time the fire started Mr. heath was at the barn at the back of the lot. The girl, Wendella Johnson, already had a fire in the kitchen range, but in order to hurry the breakfast, concluded to light the gasoline stove.

She had no more than started it going when the tank caught fire. She rushed to the door and called on Mr. Heath, but did not wait for him. With her clothing on fire, she grasped the blazing tank and carried it to the door, where she attempted to throw it off the porch. Owing to the fact that it was enclosed with lattice work however, she was unable to do this and dropped it on the floor.

In spite of the fact that her clothing was on fire while she carried the burning tank, she escaped injury almost entirely, receiving but a few slight burns on her hands.

It was not more than five minutes after the alarm had been turned in to the department till the whole rear of the building was a blaze, and the porch was badly burned. Owing, however, to the fact that the fire was all on the outside, the department had little difficulty in checking it and aside form the porch which is a wreck, and the siding, little damage was done (to) the house itself.

The furnishings of the residence escaped the usual soaking that results from the ordinary fire and aside from the fact that they were pretty badly smoked, there was very little damage done inside the house. The repairs will be made at once.

Tags: 1905, Heath, Johnson

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 30, 1905

People Beautify Cemetery Grounds

Everything is Well Kept

Despite The Fact That Memorial Day Exercises were Held at the Armory Many People Went To The Cemetery.

Early this morning in honor of the soldier dead, the town was all a-glitter with the red and the white and the blue of the stars and stripes. Nearly all of the residence districts as well as the business portion of the town scintillated with the bright colors that represent the nation’s glory.

The dawn broke clear and bright – it seemed in honor of the day – and the cool breeze made conditions ideal for the memorial services. Nature herself was in sympathy and furnished flowers in lavish quantities for decorative purposes.

For the past week or ten days there has been a steady procession of people to and from the cemeteries, where they have been engaged in beautifying resting places of their loved ones. Oakland is today a bower of bright beauty. There is scarce a grave in the whole cemetery that is not heaped with flowers.

In spite of the fact that the exercises were held in the Armory instead of at the cemetery, the city of the dead was filled with crowds of people from early in the forenoon till late evening. The departed ones were not forgotten. Flowering shrubs and beautiful foliage trees were planted on the mounds and decorative pieces of all sorts were erected.

The work of the care takers at the cemetery this spring has been unusually well done and everything in perfect shape. There are no dead branches or fallen leaves on the turf, and the grass is as thick and firm as a carpet. The improvements that have been made in this line are noticeable and there is not much left to desire in the way of beautifying the place.

A large number of new monuments have been installed this spring and these too, add much to the general beauty of the place. The two cities of the dead – the Catholic and Oakland, were never in better condition than they are this spring, the wet weather of the past two or three years has put the trees and sod in the most excellent condition.

Tags: 1905, Memorial Day, Oakland Cemetery

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 30, 1905

The Wolves Kill Great Many Sheep

Seems to be a Great Many at Large and They are Working Havoc Generally.

Sport for the Hunters

Farmers Appeal to Fort Dodge Sportsmen to Shoulder Their Guns and Kill Off or Scare off all The Wolves In The Vicinity.

Farmers all around the city are complaining that the wolves are doing great damage at their farms and think that some of the enthusiastic sportsmen shoudl shoulder their muskets and proceed to down the foe.

The farms where sheep are raised, seem to be the most pestered and at the Rutledge farm and Tower farms, especially, they have noticed losses because of the wolves. The little animals are bcoming (sic) a regular nuisance and seem to be about in unusually large numbers.

In speaking of it Monday, a farmer from west of town said:

“Yes, indeed, the wolves are running wild and there seems to be a great many of them. We have had several losses of sheep and probably will have more. I wish that some of these great hunters around town would come out our way and kill a lot of hte wolves off, or scare them away, or something.”

Tags: 1905, Rutledge, Tower, wolves

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 29, 1906

Observance of Memorial Day

Day Will Be Observed Here Tomorrow With Fitting Ceremonies

Stores Close in Afternoon

Parade Through the Street – Music by Band – Speech, Reading and Music At the Cemetery – Program in Full Given.

Memorial day, May 30, which comes tomorrow, will be observed in Fort Dodge in the usual fitting manner. The G.A.R., W.R.C. and similar societies have taken great pains in preparing a program worthy of the hearing of all.

Nearly all of the stores of the city will close in the afternoon. The morning will be attended with the usual business transaction. At the post office the genera; deliver will be open from 7 to 10 a.m. and 5 to 6 p.m. The carriers will make a business delivery at 8 a.m. and at 11 a.m. and theusual forenoon residence delivery. Carrier windows open from 5 to 6 p.m. Business collections will be made at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Most of the offices and similar places of business will be closed. The Messenger will issue its daily publication as usual. The Chronicle will suspend. Following is the official program of the day in full:

Program for Memorial Day.

Marshal, Asa Wrenn.
President, M. Mitchell.
Speaker, H.W. Stowe.
Fort Donelson post will meet at G.A.R. hall at 9 a.m. and procession will move at 10 o’clock to the following order.
Martial band.
Carriages with president, speaker, Rev. Carroll, and Miss Minnie Oard.
C0. G. I.N.G.
Fort Donelson post G.A.R.
Sons of Veterans
W.R.C. in carriages.

Program at Cemetery

Call to order by M. Mitchell.
Music by band.
Prayer by Rev. Carroll.
Reading roll of honor by adjutant. Assemblage will rise and uncover during the reading.
Reading of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address by Miss Minnie Oard.
Memorial address by H.W. Stowe.
Music by the band.
Benediction by Rev. Carroll.
The G.A.R. post will reassemble at the First M.E. church and will march back to the post room.

The railway freight offices of the city will be closed during memorial day.

(Editor’s note: G.A.R. is Grand Army of the Republic, an organization for Union soldiers. I do not know what I.N.G. and W.R.C. mean.)

Tags: 1906, Carroll, Memorial Day, Mitchell, Oard, Stowe, Wrenn

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 29, 1906

Big Police Court Grist

Five Offenders Feel the Law – Will Work on Streets as Soon as Weather Clears.

Five offenders against the law and order of the city were brought up before Mayor Bennett this morning in police court. Four were plain drunks and the fifth was charged with fighting. John Dorcey, Thomas Kennedy, George Wells, and Peter Ewing admitted having been drunk and were fined a dollar and costs each. Mack Christianson the fifth of the party filled up on fire water yesterday afternoon and attacked Mr. J.J. Scanlon in his blacksmith shop. A rousing fight resulted and Christianson had to be taken from the place by the police. He was treated the same as the others and the police were ordered by the mayor to place all on the city streets as soon as the weather cleared.

Tags: 1906, Bennett, Christianson, Dorcey, Ewing, Kennedy, Scanlon, Wells

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 29, 1906

Are Heavily Fined

Erring Couple Taken From 4th Street Rooming House get Heavy Fines in the Mayor’s Court.

On the complaint of the keeper of a South 4th street boarding house, who stated that a man and woman who were registered at the place as man and wife were evidently not married, Chief Tullar raided the place last night and arresting the two placed them in jail.

Before the mayor this morning they gave their names as Frank Richmond and Nell Earley, frankly admitting the charge against them. Richmond was fined $25 and costs and the woman $10 and costs. Both were sent to jail in default of payment. Richmond works in a lunch counter on 1st avenue south. A watch and chain stolen from the rooming house were found on him. The Earley girl is employed at the Logan house.

Tags: 1906, Earley, Richmond, Tullar

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 28, 1903

Fear Scarlet Fever Epidemic

Physicians of City Say That There is Considerable Danger

Many Have Been Exposed.

Two Cases of the Disease Are Found in the City and Are Under Quarantine.

The physicians of this city greatly fear that an epidemic of scarlet fever is about to break out among the children of the city.

Two cases of this dreaded child malady are already reported. They are the little daughter of Mrs. Minnie Slinkerd and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Silver.

Scarlet fever is one of the most contagious diseases known and it is stated that several hundred children have been exposed. The case of Miss Slinkerd was so mild that a physician was not called and it was not known until Wednesday afternoon that she was just recovering from scarlet fever, this being the stage at which the disease is most contagious, as the scars are dropping off and the disease germ is most easily distributed.

While the case of Miss Slinkerd is very mild, medical men say that the most serious cases may be contracted from persons who are mildly affected. Prominent physicians when interviewed this morning said that they considered an epidemic almost inevitable as scarlet fever is the most contagious disease known.

Scarlet fever is one of the severe diseases of childhood and has the  highest mortality in the early spring and late fall when houses are usually inadequately heated, and the children’s vitality is low. Physicians says (sic) that if an epidemic is to occur is it fortunate that is should happen in the summer when children are well and able to be in the sunshine and are not confined to school. It is urged that the parents see that their children have plenty of exercise and take special care in regard to cleanliness and proper food. There is absolutely no way of warding off the malady by confining them. The only preventative is to keep children in the best of health when there is less danger of contagion.

Tags: 1903, scarlet fever, Silver, Slinkerd

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 27, 1903

B.J. Foster is an Object Lesson

And the Moral is; Do Not Yield, Unlawfully, to the Pangs of Hunger

Foster Stole Roll of Bologna

Was Interrupted by Police Officers in Midst of Epicurean Banquet. Police News

B.J. Foster yielded to the calls of hunger on Tuesday and as a result, entered a plea of guilty to disorderly conduct in police court this morning. He was fined $1 and costs, and went to jail where he will play a waiting game.

Foster entered the purlieus of the Rock Island yards on Tuesday afternoon, and as he wandered about the yards trying to still the pangs of hunger which were rending his interior, he happened upon an open box car, wherein reposed a sack of succulent, appetizing bologna. The sight was too much for human eyes, at least for Foster’s eyes. Out came his trusty jack knife with one fell swoop the sack was cut open, and  Foster wandered up the platform, with his mouth full of sausage and his heart full of peace.

Station employees noticed Foster wrapped in gastronomic bliss, investigated, discovered the robbery, and called the police. This morning when charged with his crime, Foster admitted taking some apricots, but said not a word about the bologna, thus riveting the chains of guilt more clostly about him.

Henry Clark, plain drunk paid over the regular allowance into the exchequer of the city, and John Bergen, up on a similar charge, went to jail.

Tags: 1903, Bergen, Clark, Foster, Rock Island Railroad

The Fort Dodge Messenger: May 26, 1905

Biff! Bang! For a Masher

In This Case Masher was Mashed.

Young Woman Insulted by Sidewalk Loafer Found a Stalwart Champion at Hand.

A black eye and a badly swollen mouth was the price paid last evening by a Fort dodge young fellow for making insulting remarks about a young lady who had just passed him as he stood with a companion on a street corner.

The young lady was unaccompanied and unprotected as this fellow thought and as she passed he followed her with his eyes and made a remark concerning the beauty of her form, when Biff! a brawny fist collided with his eye and a second poke in the mouth laid him flat on his back on the pavement.

In the mean time the companion of the fellow who had been attacked made his getaway. The man with the forceful fists stepped out and helped the fallen one up.

“Look here,” he said. I am not a preacher, and that girl is neither my wife, my sweetheart or my sister. She is a woman however and alone on the street, and any man who will not take the part of a woman under those circumstances is no man at all, and must have forgotten that his mother is a member of the sex. A fellow who makes it a business to stand on the corners with others whose minds are as depraved as his own, and make remarks such as you did after that young woman passed is a very poor sort of a cur, and I wonder that the dog marshal has not roped you in before this.

“But remember this young fellow, there are a few men in this world who have respect enough for their mothers and sisters to respect the mothers and sisters of other men, and you are likely to run up against one of these almost any time just as you did tonight.

“You are a coward, a cur, a moral leper, a disgrace to humanity, and you and your like are responsible for three fourths of the depravity of modern civilization. Remember these few remarks of mine, and with this I will bid you a pleasant good night.”

Tags: 1905