The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 28, 1905

Five Story Office Building Proposed

Thomas Snell, Millionaire, Would Do That for the Town.

Has Had the Plans Prepared

Fire Proof Structure at Corner of 8th Street and Central Avenue Wold Be built as an Office Building – Wants Half Room Rented.

Plans are out for a large five story office building that will be erected on the southeast corner of the intersection of Eighth street and Central avenue, opposite the Oleson Drug Company.

The building, if the proper arrangements can be made, will be put up by Thomas Snell.

Mr. Snell has always had large interests in Fort Dodge, and has taken this manner of expressing his regard for the town.

The plans call for a structure fireproof in every particular. The dimensions are 65 by 140 feet, and the estimated cost will be from $150,000 to $175,000. The plans are arranged with a court which may be used as a light shaft if at any time later it is decided to extend the building on east the full 120 of the Snell lot that faces on Central avenue.

The building will of course front on Central avenue and will extend clear back to the alley next to the Crescent restaurant. It will be the most modern in every way, and will be by far the finest building in the city. The first story will be furnished for store rooms, and the four upper floors will be fitted for office use exclusively. There will be 100 rooms on these floors. The building will be supplied with double passenger elevators, and there will not be one of the details of the up-to-date office building left out of the structure.

The plans are now in the hands of Frank Farrell who has been for many years the local agent of Mr. Snell, and he will at once make an attempt to comply with the conditions that must be met before the work of erection is started.

The only thing that is needed for the assurance of the building to Fort Dodge is the renting of two of the four upper floors, and Mr. Farrell hopes to be able to do this without any great amount of trouble.

(Editor’s note: In 2010 dollars, the building would cost between $3,592,422 and $4,191,159.)

Tags: 1905, Farrell, Snell

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 28, 1905

Drink Habit Was Too Strong

Luke O’Brien Has Gotten in The Toils Again.

He is One of the Regular Customers At the Mayor’s Court – Can’t Break Off.

In spite of his terrible oath to get out of the city, Luke O’Brien, alias Happy Hooligan, has again fallen into the toils, and was put to work this morning cleaning up around the fire house. He was out of sight all day Thursday, and it was supposed that he had really departed, but this morning this bug juice receptacle was found in his usual state of coma and given his time honored place in the jail. He will have another ten days on the streets.

There is the same quality about this Happy Hooligan that is so very noticeable in the caricature character originated by F. Opper. His personality will draw a row of brass buttons to him by irresistible force for more than six blocks and he has become so used to the “come with me,” that he runs to meet the officer when he sees him approaching.

Luke O’Brien is certainly one of the strongest living temperance lectures that ever existed. Once a strong man with at least a fair amount of intellect, he is now a tottering wreck both physically and mentally and there is positively no show for him but a lonely death – possibly in a cell at night – and a grave in the potters field.

When he left the city hall Thursday morning he had every intention of getting out of Fort Dodge for good and all. He went down the steps and out onto the street full of this determination, but he was so shattered that he positively had to have just one drink to straigten (sic) him up so he could get started. The one drink was not enough, and he soon had forgotten everything in his burning thirst. He kept drinking all day and this morning woke to find his resolution unfulfilled and himself in the same old place behind the bars of the city jail.

The case of Luke O’Brien is certainly a most pitiable one.

Tags: 1905, O'Brien

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 21, 1905

Prisoners Clean City’s Streets

Police Guard Them While They Beautify Fort Dodge

They are Better When Busy

Idleness has a Tendency to Get Them Into Mischief – The New Method of Cleaning This City Will be continued by the Present Administration.

This was the sort of a hand out Major S.J. Bennett gave to three tramps this morning in police court, and there was consternation in their faces when they realized the horrible truth that they were up against a proposition where they would either have to work or they could not eat.

To take care of them a special police officer was sworn in and he has instructions to see that they fulfill the conditions in the way of a decent amount of labor, or they will be held to the slender fare prescribed for them by his honor.

This morning they were taken out by the officer and put at work picking up the papers and trash off the streets. In this role they attracted much attention and there was a great amount of favorable comment as the people passing along the street caught at the idea.

When the papers are all picked up, they will be put at work with a shovel, and it is the intention of his honor to add to the force. The police are instructed to take precautions to capture every tramp that steps inside the city limits and there is a prospect that the special offer will have a considerable gang under his care in a short time.

One of the vags who is on the streets is the same fellow captured Thursday. He was turned loose on account of the fact that it was too rainy for him to work and ordered out of town. He was given a good meal just befoer he startd at ten o’clock, but he had the “habit” and before noon, he wa begging a “hand out” over in West Fort Dodge, ont he grounds that he had been “starving for three days.”

A telephone message to police headquarters brought out the patrol, and he was hustled into the reflectatory, where he was kept till this morning when he went to work with two other vags. The men are Luke O’Brien, Frank Jones and Martin Scott.

Frank Jones is a resident of Fort Dodge and has been a sort of outcast from society for some time. He was arrested a day or two ago and was at that time given a chance to get out of town, which opportunity he failed to avail himself of. Thursday he spent the day begging funds and drinking and was picked up by police. In court this morning when he was told it was either work or bread and water, he was highly incensed that he should be asked to work and stated he would take the bread and water.

He, however, went out on the street with the rest of the gentlemen of leisure, but at the first opportunity, made a run for it and made goo his escape. The police hope that he has made a good job of his getaway, so that he will not be seen back in Fort Dodge again. The last seen of him he was making the most undignified haste in the direction of the Illinois Central depot, where he hoped to catch a freight train out of town.

There were also two drunks up this morning, Frank Kopaski and Fern (?) Willard. Both of these men liquidated and went their ways rejoicing.

Tags: 1905, Kopaski, O'Brien, Scott, Willard

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 21, 1905

Boy is Hurt by a Slingshot

Result of a Dispute Between Youngsters.

Reckless Younster (sic) Shoots Another in The Head Causing Painful Wound.

A telephone message from 1436 Fifth avenue north this afternoon announced that a boy named Burdick had shot a six-year-old youngster in the head with a sling shot. The message asked that the police take some action in the case.

The youngster, who was hit, while not seriously injured by the shot, was painfully hurt. The missile cut the scalp badly and the bleeding was profuse. The smaller boy was riding home from school in a wagon when an altercation arose and the other youngster shot at him with the sling shot, hitting him as described.

The police have not as yet taken any action in the matter, but it is sure that they will do something to suppress such outbreaks on the part of reckless urchins and it is probable that they will put a stop to the use of the slingshot inside the city limits altogether.

Tags: 1905, slingshot

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 20, 1905

Promiscuous Bunch in Police Court

Youth and Old Age, Drinks and Tramps Come Up to Get Justice.

The Mayor as a Minister

Mayor Bennett Does Not Belong to the Preacher’s Union But Can Deliver a Sermon – Talks on Reform are Interesting.

There was certainly something doing in police court this morning when the gong rang for the pentitents to appear before his honor, and it was a mixed procession that filed in and took the bench of mourning before him.

There were two tramps, a drunk and one juvenile offender to be disposed of. All of their cases were adjusted in a very short time, however, and in a most satisfactory manner.

While Mayor Bennett is not ordained and does not hold a card in the ministerial union, he can on occasion preach with the best of them and this morning he delivered several sermons that affected his sinful audience probably as much as any they will ever hear.

The tramps, especially, were warned of the wrath to come if they continue to hang about Fort Dodge. They were likened by his honor to a parasite on the laboring classes of the universe, and a wart on the fair face of mother nature.

It was the intention of the Mayor to put them out on the streets with a ball and chain attached to their preambulators and with the instruction that unless they were diligent in their labors, they would find no dinner when the noon hour happened along. They were put in jail however, till after the rain was over, and it is probable that they will be chased out of the city.

The case of the juvenile offender was the hardest nut to crack, Mayor Bennett had originally intended to send the youngster to reform school, but later decided to give him another chance.

The boy in question is a resident of Bobtown, and attends the Wahkonsah school. Wednesday afternoon, he became involved in a fight with another youngster and drawing an ugly pair of iron “knucks” from his pocket delivered a blow on the head of his opponent that made an ugly cut.

Both the boys were picked up by the police, and lodged in the city bastile. The injured scraper, however was let out a little later and only the boy from Bobtown held over night. It seems that he has a record as a hunter of trouble and in the examination of his case this went against him. But after considering the thing over night it was decided to give the boy a chance to redeem himself. He will be kept under the eye of his honor, however, from this time on, and the first time he is caught in crooked paths, he will be turned over to the county attorney.

The drunk was Frank Easley. He, also, was made the subject of a sermon, and at the end was warned that unless he braced up and keeps himself off the streets, he will be sent out of town to the inebriate asylum. with this warning he was turned loose.

Tags: 1905, Easley

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 19, 1905

Mayor Conducts Matrimonial Bureau

Works It in Conjunction With Police Court and May Make It a Success.

Johnson Was a Little Shy

One of the Candidates Having Been Married Did Not Take Kindly to the Mayor’s Proposition – The Other Thought It a Good Thing.

Major S.J. Bennett is conducting a matrimonial bureau as a side issue along with his police court. He opened up business this morning in the new department for the first time with two candidates. One of these was a little shy when the question of matrimony was broached, and a few questions developed the fact that he had been there and had had experience.

The other candidate, when asked if he was enjoying the bliss of a home and wife made the statement that he had never married, but that he really thought it would be a good thing for him if he were joined up with some good woman. He intimated that a wife might act as ballast for his wandering craft, and hold him truer to his course. Both of the men were strongly advised to tie up as soon as possible by his honor.

Both of them were up as plain drunks and were given the usual $1 and costs, but as it was the first time for them under the present administration, they were let off. Albert Johnson, who a few months ago was one of the faithful ones, and made his appearance regularly from once to three times a week, was one of the offenders, and Frank Carter, a farmer, was the other. Carter is the man who looked with favor on the mayor’s matrimonial proposition, and it is probable that he will become a benedict in the very near future.

(Editor’s note: I can’t help but wonder how the women of the town would feel upon reading this. “Oh, joy. A couple of drunks are going to be looking for wives. And one of them has already failed at marriage.” Who wouldn’t jump at that chance?)

Tags: 1905, Carter

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 17, 1905

Fort Dodge Sports Anxious

Are Getting Uneasy for the Opening of the Fishing Season.

Fish Stories Going Already

Big Fish Are Caught in Vicinity of McQuire’s (sic) Bend – One Eighteen Pound Cat Pulled out by a Native of That Part of the Country.

With the many reports that the fishing is excellent, the hands of the Fort Dodge sports are itching to take out the rod and reel and pull in a few fine specimens. It is a month yet however till they can toss the line without an eye as to the whereabouts of the fish commissioner, so they will have to content themselves for another thirty days, unless they care to go down and get a few suckers on worm bait.

Before the catfish was put into the catalogue with the gamers, along with the trout, the pickerel, the pike the bass, the carp and many others, there was some sport to be had even before the expiration of the time limit set by the game law. Then the Isaac Walton who got particularly hungry for fish shortly after the ice went out, could go down and sit on the bank with a crawdad on his hook and pretty generally come home with a nice mess of cat fish on his string.

While the catfish is not a fighter when hooked, there is a considerable amount of fun in pulling out a big fellow, and the fishermen miss him very much from the ranks of the tribe the law fails to protect.

There is nothing now outside the protecting pale of the game law except these two bundles of bones, the sucker and the redhorse, or salmon. These are free plunder at all times, and there are many who fish for suckers and make a mistake of catching other brands. A number of people are even unable to tell the difference after they are pulled out of the water, and take them home with them. But in fear they have made some horrible mistake generally use a grain sack to carry them in.

There are reports that the fishing for catfish is excellent this season, and a large number of them have been taken from the river in the south part of the county, where some very large ones have been caught. It is reported that one monster landed in the vicinity of McGuire’s Bend weighed in the neighborhood of eighteen pounds.

There are always a few of these big fellows who make their way up from the Mississippi river and get hooked by some Webster county fabricator. There is something strange in the fact that liars are always the most successful fishers. They are generally able to land a fish considerably bigger than the one that got away from the ordinary sport.

In spite of the fact that it is early yet, the local fishermen are getting out their tackle and will be in readiness to do business on the first day of the open season, which falls on May 15.

Tags: 1905, fishing season

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 17, 1905

Refrigerators are Rifled Saturday

William Matt and Ryan Residences Were Visited in Early Morning.

Somebody Had a Good Dinner

Thieves Helped Themselves to Chickens, Pies, Radishes, Onions and Numerous Other Tempting Dishes That They Found Under Cover.

If your refrigerators are outside, bring them in. If the back door is unlocked proceed to lock it at nights, because it is no longer the bitter winter time, when you are not supposed to have anything in them, nor it is likely that the Hungry Henry’s (sic) can have their brains clouded with delicious visions of spring chicken, fresh vegetables such as radishes and onions, and pass by untempted. See to your refrigerators.

Saturday night several homes in the the (sic) vicinity of third avenue north, and Eighth street were visited by thieves, and as a result several families awoke to greet a provisionless Sunday.

The William Matt residence seemed to have suffered the most daring burgulary (sic), as the thieves entered the back hall, where the refrigerator stood and having hauled it to the light which was beginning to dawn, rifled it of everything it contained. There was chicken, two of them and many other delectable dishes for use the next day.

The occurrence was not discovered until the next morning when Mrs. Matt opened the ice box to get some meat for breakfast and soon afterwards when they inquired about the neighborhood it was found that a less successful attempt was made at the Ryan home on Eighth street.

Mrs. Ryan stated that about three o’clock in the morning she had heard the noise on the porch and began moving about in the house so that they would hear her. They did and she saw them run in the direction of the Matt home. They had only been at her home a short time, as they carried away only radishes and onions and there were many other things which might have tempted them had they had time to find them.

Another refrigerator in the neighborhood was opened but nothing taken, the burgulars (sic) evidently lacking one bad trait, that of exceeding hoggishness, but whatever they did not take did not prevent them from having a feast worthy of a bountifully spread board, all day Sunday.

No doubt a carnival of the Knights of Tie Passes was held in the woods near town Sunday and was void of the formalities of civilization, while it revelled (sic) in its conveniences, and the toast proposed by the manly knights was probably a unanimous echo of “the jug of wine, a loaf of bread and wilderness” theory.

(Editor’s note: “Knights of Tie Passes” must be a colloquialism for hoboes, although my Google search turned up nothing. A refrigerator in 1905 would have been a true “ice box” – a cabinet in which ice kept food cool. There would be no need to keep it in the kitchen, necessarily, and if kept on a porch it would be easy prey for outsiders.)

From the 1908 and 1909 Fort Dodge city directories:

William and Lydia Matt lived at 14 N. 15th St. in 1908 and 525 1/2 Central Ave. in 1909. He was an engineer for Fort Dodge Auto Co. While his employment didn’t change during those two years, they moved, which leads me to think they had moved between this incident in 1905 and 1908. The Webster County Genealogical Society has the 1889-1890, 1898, 1908 and 1909 directories, but nothing between 1898 and 1908.

Mrs. Stella M Ryan and two men, probably her grown sons, lived at 135 N. Eighth St. In 1908, Frank P. Ryan was a clerk and in 1909 he was a checker for the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1908, George J. Ryan was a clerk for the ICRR and in 1909, he was a student at Tobin College.

More ice box thefts occurred in different neighborhoods in this time period. You can search for refrigerator in the search box at upper right.

Tags: 1905, Matt, Ryan

The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 12, 1905

Think Water Problem Solved

Water Committee are Ready to Proceed and This Afternoon Began Measuring.

Will Sink a Big Shaft

It is Their Intention To Pierce The Duck Island Vein With a Large Shaft and Then Put Out Tunnels Into Water Stratum in all Directions

The action taken by the City council Monday evening in the matter of securing a supply of pure water is developing rapidly. The water committee this afternoon went to the water station for the purpose of staking out the ground where the big main shaft is to be sunk that will furnish the future water supply of the city.

The plan that is to be pursued is a novel one, and gives every promise of being a success.

From the bottom of the big main shaft, which will go down a little below the water bearing stratum of sandstone, then from this level, tunnels will be sent out in all directions, piercing this stratum in every diction (sic) till an adequate amount of water is struck.

It has been determined that the water that has been found on Duck Island extends over practically the whole flat, and this is the same vein that is to be relied upon in the present venture.

While it would not be practicable to dig enough wells to supply the city with the required volume of water, it is practicable and feasible to sink this one big shaft and then send the tunnels out as described.

The water question has hung fire till the entire council is out of patience with it, and they are going at it to solve the problem and that without the slightest further hesitation.

The water committee has full pwoer to go ahead,a nd as soon as the plans are a little further along so that they are sure just what machinery it will require to put the well and tunnels in, it will be ordered at once, and the contract for the work let.

The water that will thus be supplied will be beyond suspicion and the question of pure water will never form an issue in another city election. All of the members of the committee, as well as Water Superintendent W.L. Pray, the Mayor, and the remainder of the city council are absolutely confident that the present plan will be a successful one, and they are going at the work of carrying it out with utmost enthusiasm.

While the time that it will take to carry out the newly formulated plan cannot be estimated at present, it is certain that it will be finished by fall or at least by next spring, and that there will be no more of the exceedingly bad water that was furnished the patrons of the city water supply after the breakup this year.

Tags: 1905, City Council, Pray