The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 12, 1904

Day is Too Short For The Farmer

He is Working From Dawn Until Dark and Still Has Plenty to Do.

Prospects Are All Smiling

Haying Season is Now At Its Height – Cutting of Small Grain to Follow and Then Comes the General Harvest – Corn Doing Well.

The haying season is now at its height and some of the early pieces of oats are most ready to cut. With the past few pleasant days the farmer has raised his hopes several notches and is buckling into the work with renewed zest. From now until after the shock threshing season is over he will be as full of business as an electric belt fakir on a street corner.

Now he is riding the mower and rake from morning until night. Enormous stacks of hay are rising as if by magic in the meadows, and the great barn lofts are being crammed until they groan with their burden of sweet smelling new-mown hay. Following close upon the heels of the haying season will come the cutting of the small grain. Some of the early “Fourth of July” oats will be due to cut the first of the week and about seven days later the real general harvest will commence and from that time on until the last of August every farmer in the country will be on the jump from “sun up” till dark and still be wishing he might have the service of Joshua in order that he command the sun to stand still until he could get “that last load in.”

The cold wet weather of a few days ago was not just the kind required to ripen the grain rapidly, and there was a little tendency toward rust, but generally the grain was little damaged, and with the present warm dry weather it is coming on very rapidly, and there is no fault to be found with the progress it is making.

Corn, too, the past few days is fairly jumping out of the ground. When the nights are warm and the air feels stuffy, then is when the corn crop gets up and humps itself. Nearly all of the corn in the county is now pretty large to plow and most of the fields are ready to lay by.

(Editor’s note: An electric belt fakir seems to be someone selling electric belts – or a substitute – for some medical purpose. But the connotation is that the people selling are charlatans or scammers.)

Tags: 1904

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 12, 1904

Several Are Hurt in Lively Runaways

Two Runaways of a Serious Nature Take Place Monday Afternoon.

Mrs. Isaac Garmoe a Victim

With Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Fibbs She is Thrown Out of Carriage – Mrs. R.M. Wright Hurt in Runaway of Team.

An accident which came nearly terminating seriously occurred Monday afternoon on tenth street and Fifth avenue north. Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Fibbs and Mrs. Isaac Garmoe were riding in the Fibbs’ carriage on Fifth avenue north and they noticed an automobile standing near the curbing. Mr. Fibbs realized that the horse would become frightened if the automobile was started and asked the person in charge not to start it until the horse had passed them. Misunderstanding the request, the operator started it forward. This frightened the horse so that he turned around and overturned the carriage, throwing the occupants onto the paving. The noise of the machine frightened the horse still more and it started off dragging the occupants of the carriage several feet before breaking loose, leaving the buggy upset with the occupants pinned beneath it.

Mrs. Garmoe Painfully Hurt.

People in the vicinity were attracted by the accident and assisted the injured people from beneath the buggy. For some time it was thought that Mrs. Garmoe was badly injured and a report was circulated that she could not live, but this is false. Although she was very painfully hurt she is in no danger. Mr. Fibbs also suffered a very severe cut over his eye and a doctor had to be called for him. One eye and the fact of Mrs. Garmoe was badly scraped, and her right arm cut. The back of her neck was bruised and her right leg was also bruised and the knee of the left leg was quite badly lacerated. Mr. Fibb’s (sic) greatest injury was to his eye. Mrs. Fibbs escaped with several minor bruises.

Accident Made More Serious.

The accident is all the more to be deplored, because of the condition of Mr. Garmoe, who underwent an operation last week. He has not yet been informed as to the seriousness of the accident. Mrs. Garmoe is at present confined to her bed, but it is thought that she will be able to be up in a few days.

Mrs. R.M. Wright injured.

Mrs. R.M. Wright was thrown from her buggy while driving in the sough part of the city Monday afternoon and suffered a severely wrenched hip and badly bruised shoulder.

The horses driven by Mrs. Wright are a lively pair and have run away twice before. This time while coming east on Thirs avenue south, one of the animals kicked over the pole, when the team became unmanageable. Mrs. Wright was thrown from the buggy almost immediately and the team ran only a block before being stopped. The carriage was badly smashed.

Mrs. Wright, although badly bruised, was able to pick herself up and was taken immediately to her home, where she received medical attendance. She will be able to get about in a few days.

Tags: 1904, Fibbs, Garmoe, Wright

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 11, 1904

When The City Has Its Own Newspaper

Webster City Municipal Council Going to Edit a Newspaper.

Run Graphic Herald a Week

Beginning This Week the Council will Publish the Paper – Councilman as Editor-in-chief, With Numerous Assistants.

Webster City, July 11 – There is going to be another daily paper in Webster City, which will make the third daily paper published here. This announcement may come as a surprise to those who think th at with the two dailies already here, the field is well equipped. Nevertheless there is to be a third daily. It is to be issued from the office of the Graphic Herald – the only democratic paper in Hamilton county. It is to be called the “Daily Graphic-Herald.” Its life is to be short, just one little week, and it is to be edited by the city council.

This is something strictly new in the municipal ownership line. Not content with a city electric light plant, a city water works plant and a city heating plant, the council is endeavoring to get a city gas plant and, in furtherenace of this latest project, will run a daily newspaper plant.

Preparations for the issuing of these few copies of the “Daily Graphic-Herald” have been going on for some little time. The expense of publishing the daily will be bourne, it is said, by the city council, or rather, the taxpayers.

It is understood that Alderman J.D. Riste, of the First ward, the “father of the council,” is to be the editor-in-chief, with several members as first, second, third and fourth assistant editors. This week has been selected for the issuing of the daily, because it is the last week before the special election on the gas franchise proposition.

During the next week the Graphic-Herald will be distributed broadcast throughout the city. It will be left at every door. Brother Robie, the editor of the Graphic-Herald, will be related to the background. It is simply a matter of so much coin of the realm for him and he doesn’t care. The contents of the new and short lived daily will relate to nothing but gas. The people are awaiting with much curiosity to see the new sheet. Some of the taxpayers are also shying a little when they think of the cost of printing the paper even for one week.

Tags: 1904, Riste, Robie

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 9, 1904

Otho Township People Celebrate

This is the Day Given Over to Commemoration of Arrival of Pioneers.

Event Takes Up Whole Day

The Old Settlers Will Be Joined by the Younger Generation in Celebration There of the Days of Auld Lang Syne.

Today at the N.H. Hart home southeast of Otho, will occur a birthday party that will also commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the arrival of a band of pioneer settlers in Otho township. The read date of the arrival of the party was in June, but owing to another social event which occurred in the neighborhood on that date, the present gathering was postponed and is to occur on July 9, the birthday of N.H. Hart.

This party of early settlers arrived in Webster county in June, 1854, when the present city of Fort Dodge consisted of only four or five little log houses and this place as the county seat had scarcely received consideration. These settlers came to Webster county at a time when it required nearly every man in the county to be present at a “house raising.”

Beside the old settlers whose names appear below there will be many of the younger generation present, the children, grandchildren and other relatives of those named, who have come into the world at far more recent dates. The gathering will be largely in the form of a family reunion, as all present will be related either by blood ties or marriage.

The event will take up the entire day and will be entirely of a social nature. A big dinner will be one of the important events of the day, and the old timers will spend the remainder of the time in chatting of the early times when “forty miles to mill” was a short journey.

The old setters expected to be present are:

O.P. Fuller, Mrs. D.F. Claflin, F.B. Drake, G.D. Hart, L.W. Hart, Williams, Iowa.

Tags: 1904, Claflin, Drake, Fuller, Hart

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 6, 1904

Jolly Peanutters Enjoy 4th

Celebrated National Holiday at Their Camp

Horse Racing Was One of the Features That Attracted Interest Thrilling Events.

The members of the Jolly Peanut club spent the Fourth at their camping grounds celebrating in their own peculiar and original way. A few friends were invited out, mostly relatives of the club members, and all turned in for a good time. Dinner was served in the most approved manner of campers. However, the sports were the features of the day. The main event was a two mile horse race. Five horses were entered. Each animal, bestrode by a pair of young women, was away at the crack of a pistol, the fair riders hanging for dear life to every available projection. At the end of the first quarter the horses were all in a bunch – eating grass by the side of the road, and the young ladies who had started in the race, were scattered promiscously (sic) along the way from start to finish, dropping off here and there as the horses stopped to nip at the flies or snatch a bite of grass from the roadside. The race, from a spectacular point of view, was grand in the extreme and by far discounted any bounding rope act or ariel (sic) performance ever seen in the city.

One of the young ladies was awarded the race on the grounds of her graceful appearance on the horse and from the fact that she got a good hold of her steed’s mane and succeeded in clinging to the animal for almost half a mile.

After the race the young ladies and their friends spent the afternoon in the usual manner of Fourth of July celebrations. Many crackers, great and small were exploded and in the evening real fire works were brought out and a fine display given.

Tags: 1904, Independence Day, Jolly Peanut

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 5, 1904

The family of Mr. and Mrs. James Kincaid, of this city, was increased on Saturday night by the arrival of a bright baby girl.

Tom Joyce, who has been suffering from an attack of pneumonia, is now regarded as on the road to recovery. His physicians this morning benefited him and it is now thought that he will recover, being so strong and robust no fear is entertained of his not making good progress from now own.

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Pearsons were host and hostes (sic) to a jolly Fourth of July picnic party at their home just north of the city. It was more in the nature of an old-fashioned Fourth of July. The hospitality of the host and hostess made the day one long to be rememberes. The families there were those of D.K. Lincoln, J.P. Dolliver and Geo. R. Pearsons.

Invitations are out for the wedding of Harry Emmett Peterson, of this city to Miss Ella Lorena Hanson, of Lehigh. The event will take place on the 14th of this month at high noon, at the home of the bride’s pahents (sic), in Lehigh. The groom is well known throughout the city, being one of the partners in the newly formed coal firm of Collins & Peterson. The bride is one of Lehigh’s most popular young ladies and is also well known in this city.

Tags: 1904, Collins, Dolliver, Hanson, Joyce, Kincaid, Lincoln, Pearsons, Peterson

The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 5, 1904

Little Doing in Fort Dodge on 4th

A Quiet Day Spent in the City Monday – Many People Going Out of Town.

German Picnic a Big Success

Twenty-five Hundred People Attend the Annual Outing Held at Oleson Park – Many People Go To Eagle Grove and Lehigh.

Fourth of July has come and gone; the instruments of torture to the ear drum have had their sway; the anxious parent is glad the day is past and that little Willie is spared for at least another Fourth; little Willie is sorry but he had a good time while it lasted.

There were a number of features that marked the Fourth this year. One of them was that there was a general exodus to surounding (sic) towns and places of amusement and the other was the comparatively few casualties as the result of the celebration with powder and punk. Fort Dodge passed a quiet, happy Fourth at home and its people abroad, from all reports, succeeded in having a good time.

The celebrations at Eagle Grove and Lehigh baseball games at Boone and the German Lutheran picnic at Oleson park, divided up the army of pleasure seekers. Eagle Grove drew several hundred people and a large delegation went down to Lehigh. The loyal fans went down to Boone and saw the White Sox go down to defeat, while 2,500 members of the German Lutheran church and their friends enjoyed th e day under the sylvan shades of Oleson park.

Quiet in the City.

When it is said that the Fourth was a quiet day in Fort Dodge it is not meant that there ws an absence of noise. On the contrary there was much doing in that line. There was a big contrast between yesterday and the same day a year ago however. On that day there were hundreds of visitors here for the big celebration and the usual excitement attending a large number of people was increased by the accident which befell the young woman, Clara Rasmussen, whose fatal attempt to perform the “slide for life” act from the northwest corner of the court house probably had much to do toward having no celebration this year. Few people came to Fort Dodge for the Fourth this year while many left the city and for this reason the day was uneventful.

In the way of making noise, there was plenty of it. The cannon and firecaracker started early in the morning and boomed until long after dark. The street cars furnished a source of amusement to many people. Placing torpedoes n the tracks, sometimes for a whole block or more, evidently was greatly enjoyed, since it was repeated many time. Taking everything into consideration, there was probably as much spent for fireworks this year as in years past.

Eagle Grove and Lehigh.

The morning train on the Great Western carried a big crowd of Fort Dodgers to Eagle Grove and the train at 12:20 caried (sic) others. It was a tired and sleepy looking party that arrived home at 8 o’clock this morning, five hours late. Many of the visitors had remained in Eagle Grove, expecting to come home on the Minneapolis flyer, which arrives here at 3:11 a.m. A wreck near Clarion, however, delayed the train and the excursionists did not arrive until 8 o’clock.

Aside from numbers Fort Dodge was well represented at the Eagle Grove celebration by the presence of the Fifty-sixth regimental band and the speaker of the day, M.F. Healy. Mr. Healy delivered the Fourth of (sic) address at the opera house at 11:30. His speech was a scholarly effort along a line that touched all who heard it. The speaker was well received and the frequent interruptions by applause was evidence of the appreciation of the audience.

At Lehigh the baseball game between Lehigh and the East Fort Dodge teams was one of the big featuers. There were other features characteristic of the Fourth of July, including a display of fireworks in the evening.

Picnicers (sic) Are Numerous.

Numerous smal (sic) picnic parties were to be found in every direction. The heavy rain of Sunday night spoiled many plans, but nevertheless there were no few who braved the possibility of encountering wet ground. Among the other picnics was the German Evangelical picnic up the river.

Germans Have a Good Time.

The members of the German Lutheran church who attended the annual picinc (sic) enjoyed themselves immensely. The German picnic was the only big event of the day in Fort Dodge and it was a success in every particular. The weather of the day before, which threatened the success of picnics and excursions, promised no better for the big outing at Oleson park, but the day dawned smiling and the sun coming to the aid of the picnicers (sic) did much to make the day the success it proved to be. About twenty-five hundred people attended. The pupils of the German Lutheran school went out tot he park in the morning. Accompanied by the Juvenile band they left the school in a body and proceeded to Central avenue where they boarded street cars for the park.

Besides the athletic features which made up the afternoon’s program, the temporary bowling alley afforded a means of enjoyment.

The Prize Winners.

The following events took place and were won by those persons names below.

100 yard dasy – Won by Ernest Zuerrer; Fred Knigge, second.

Fat ladies race – Won by Mrs. Amanda Craft; Mrs. Fritag, second.

Fat man’s race – Won by E. Peschau; Fred Willie, second.

Sweet sixteen race – Won by Freda Trost. Amanda Schwabbauer, second.

Sack race – Won by W. Sperry, George Adams, second.

Married ladies’ race – Won by Mrs. Paashke; Mrs. Phillip Miller second, Mrs. Henry Hueners, third.

Tug of war – Won by Herman Willie and team; second by Willie Stahlbock and team.

Misses’ race – Won by Miss Olga Pashke; Miss Helen Cramer, second; Miss Emma Dahlin, third.

Wheel barrow race – Won by George Habenicht; Henry Hein, second.

Broad jump – Won by Herman Kolbe; Oscar Gunther, second; William Sternitzke, third.

Ladies’ whelbarrow (sic) – Won by Clara Proeschold; Anna Becker, second.

Lifting fifteen pound weight – Won by C.J. Engels, lifting weight sixty-nine times; Chris Hohn, second, forty-six times.

Ladies throwing at doll rack – Won by Mrs. Harry Robb; Mrs. F.C. Ellis second; Mrs. August Knigge, third.

Bowling contest – First prize won by Henry Koeper, score 217; second, Chris Trost, 205; third Paul Schwaubbaur, 195; four William Kehm 188.

Ladies bowling – First prize won by Mrs. Kelso, 129; second, Mrs. Philips, 98, third, Miss Amelia Kein, 78; fourth, Christina 74.

Tags: 1904, Adams, Becker, Craft, Cramer, Dahlin, Ellis, Engels, Fritag, Gunther, Habenicht, Hein, Hohn, Hueners, Independence Day, Kehm, Kein, Kelso, Knigge, Koeper, Kolbe, Miller, Paashke, Pashke, Peschau, Philips, Proeschold, Robb, Schwabbauer, Schwaubbaur, Sperry, Stahlbock, Sternitzke, Trost, Willie, Zuerrer

The Fort Dodge Messenger: June 30, 1904

Mad Dog Scare in Town of Dana

A Crusade Against Dogs is On

Animal Runs Amuck (sic) Thru The Streets and Throws the Whole Town into a Frenzy of Excitement – Many Other Dogs Are Killed.

The annual cry of “mad dog” has started. Yesterday at Dana, a little town ont he Rock Island road about twelve miles south of Gowrie, a rabid dog sent the populace into a frenzy of terror by running amuck (sic) in the streets. Rumor reports several children were bitten more or less seriously and  numerous dogs were infected by bites of the mad animal.

The dog was finally killed and then began a search of the city for the animals which had received bites during the time he had been at large. At six o’clock in the evening a considerable amount of sausage material was lying loose and harmless around the city in the shape of defunct canines. Today the crusade is being continued with zest by the citizens and by sunset the dog that remains alive in that town will have to be able to show an indisputable alibi proving he was out of the neighborhood at the time of the outbreak and exhibit a health certificate from a veterinary into the bargain.

The town is thoroughly aroused over the matter. It is not known how long the animal had been showing symptoms of the disease, where he had been nor how many animals have been infected by its ravages. The people of the town will keep a close lookout and tremble at the approach of anything that looks like a dog for the next sixty days, or until there is no further possible danger from this source.

The disease, where contracted by infection, usually makes its appearance in the victim in the period of nine days. In some cases, however, the malady has been known to lie dormant in the blod (sic) for months and then at some unexpected time and place break out with as much sudden violence as though it had come at the usual time. The animal or person once bitten is not safe from an attack of the disease even after the lapse of months.

(Editor’s note: I had thought the reference in the last paragraph to an incubation period of months after being infected would prove to be an old wives’ tale. However, the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health states that the incubation period ranges from 10 days to seven years.)

Tags: 1904, rabies

The Fort Dodge Messenger: June 29, 1904

Public Recital of Music

Mrs. Smeltzer’s Pupils are Heard by Many Friends.

Recital Took Place at The Baptist Church and Caused Most Favorable Comments From All.

The pupils studying under the direction of Mrs. Smeltzer gave their final public recital last evening. The Baptist church is a delightful place for such an entertainment and the room was filled at an early hour not only by fond parents but outsiders interested in education, children and music.

The program, somewhat formidable in length moved off with great promptness and perfection, that the hour seemed very short.

One might be tempted to comment on this or that pupil, who by personal charm or skill left a particularly favorable impression. Such notice is however, not the object of such a program. It is rather to show the work of the school as a whole. The pupils are of all grades of natural ability, the proportion of genius and talent being no greater than is usual in such a number. The absolute accracy (sic) og (sic) their knowledge of their pieces, the beautiful quality of their tone and the musical phrasing and interpretations are therefore the highest tribute to the excellence of their training. The least showy pupil may record the greatest progress in mental and musical development.

It is pleasant to think how many homes are richer and brighter for this music and how many pupils are learning, almost unconsciously, the difficult lesson of self-control and self-expression.

(Editor’s note: This article is written in such a way to make me think that the pupils were less accomplished than enthusiastic, perhaps. There is no mention of any names of pupils or the works they performed. It makes me think that perhaps there were  few good performances and the writer was trying to live up to the saying, “if you can’t be kind, at least be vague.”)

Tags: 1904, Smeltzer