The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 16, 1905

The Graft Didn’t Work This Time

Fort Dodge Citizen Receives Letter From an Alleged Real Estate Agent.

A Fort Dodge citizen who isn’t very sleepy received recently an alluring offer of a real estate firm from an Iowa city to sell his farm for him. A contract was sent for him to sign. It was so arranged that a casual reading would lead one to think that the contract was to pay the firm 50 cents per acre for selling the land. The blank is really a request from the farmer to the real estate man to try and sell his farm, to advertise it, etc., for which they are to receive a commission of 50 cents per acre when the land is sold. Not sold by the firm, but when sold. The citizen wrote the firm that he didn’t care to give them $160 ($3,832 today) for trying to sell his land and he thought he could advertise it cheaper himself. He offered to pay them the commission when the land was sold by them or through their efforts. He has heard nothing more from this firm. We notice form newspaper reports that this firm is catching many suckers. These generally rush to an attorney for help but without avail as the contract says that they will pay the fifty cents per acre to the firm for trying to sell the land and there is no escape from the contract.

Tags: 1905

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 16, 1905

Was Not a Relative of the Mayor

Frank Bennett, Up For Drunkeness (sic) Says He Must Be a New Member of the Family.

Three Caught in the Net

Wm. Wells Worked at Fairs and Carnivals; Mayor Thinks he Worked the People at These Places so Gives Him Ten Days in Jail.

The drag net thr0ugh the lower districts of the city last night succeeded in pulling in three transgressors of law and order. Lined up on the prisoner’s bench at nine o’clock this morning, with bloodshot eyes, and disheaveled (sic) hair, as the result of a few hours career of dissipation, and still a few more spent in the city jail, each faced the mayor to answer to his special offense.

Name Was Frank Bennett.

The first man called upon proved to be arraigned on the charge of drunkeness, and disorderly conduct. He gave his name as Frank Bennett. “I hope you don’t claim to be any relation to me,” said the Mayor, starting excitedly from his chair. “I don’t know,” answered the other, “If we are related you’re a new member of the family to me.” This interesting discussions as to relationship was cut short by the Mayor, informing his possible relatives that he could accept a position measuring the distance to the city limits.

Charles McCloud plead guilty to drunkeness and was fined five dollars and costs. William Wels (sic), stating that he was Springfield, Ohio, and that he had been working around at Carnivals and fairs, denied the charge of vagrancy and begging. “I guess you have been working the people at these fairs and carnivals,” said the mayor, “that’s the kind of work I would attribute to you, so I’ll give you ten days in jail, varied with a little work on the streets.”

Tags: 1905, Bennett, McCloud, Wells

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 15, 1905

Local Couple to be Married Soon

C.W. Iddings and Miss Tersa (sic) Cosgrove to be Married at Dubuque.

C.W. Iddings, the well known pharmacist who has been employed at the Sackett & Haire Drug Store for the past year, leaves tomorrow morning for a day’s visit with  his sister in Odeboldt, going on to Dubuque Saturday evening. Tuesday morning at the home of the bride’s parents, Miss Teresa Cosgrove will be u nited in marriage to Mr. Iddings, by Father Carey and the same afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Iddings will leave for Salem, Oregon, where they will make their new home. Mr. Iddings’ people live at Salem, and the young couple will make their home there. They will stop at Colorado Springs, Denver, Salt Lake City and Porland (sic) on their way west. The many friends of both young people in this city will be pleased to hear of their marriage although all will regret to lose both of them from Fort Dodge.

Tags: 1905, Cosgrove, Haire, Iddings, Sackett

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Sept. 15, 1905

A Good Chance to Make Money

Fort Dodge Needs More Down Town Apartment Houses Local Man Talks.

Traveling Men Would Rent

Would Make This City Their Headquarters if They Could Get Apartments down Town – Like Flats Better than Renting Houses.

There is a good opening in Fort Dodge for a wide-awake business man said a citizen of the city to a Messenger reporter this morning. The opening is in building apartment houses. Fort Dodge is the only city of its size in the state that has not a large number of these buildings.

I have had any number of traveling men tell me that they would make Fort Dodge their permanent place of residence if they could secure a flat in an apartment building near the main part of the city, where they, with their families could live. Of course we have a few of these houses, but I think that there is room for about twice as many. There are plenty of forty dollar houses that these men can rent, but a travelling (sic) man and his wife do not care to go into a large house, where the family is small, and the husband is away a great deal of the time.

Other Towns Have Them.

Other business men are alive to this situation and you can’t drive through the towns of the state without being struck by the large number of apartment houses and all occupied. They have provided a good business proposition. Here is a chance in Fort Dodge for some keen business man to build several of these buildings and make money. The traveling men like Fort Dodge and would make their headquarters h ere if they could get just the kind of places to live in that they want. This is one thing that beyond all doubt, Fort Dodge business men should wake up to.

Tags: 1905

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 15, 1905

Disastrous Fire at Eagle Grove

Wells Block Opera House is Wiped Out – Fire Started From Gasoline Stove

Webster City, Aug. 15 – (Special to the Messenger) – Fire ot (sic) Eagle Grove last night totally destroyed the opera house block and Wells restaurant and the rear part of the I.O.O.F. hall. Loss about twenty-five thousand dollars ($598,737 today), mostly covered by insurance.

The fire started in the restaurant from the explosion of a gasoline stove. There were a number of men in the place at the time eating, besides the cook and night waiter of the cafe. The explosion occurred about midnight and burst forth so suddenly that all within the room were forced to beat a hasty retreat before the flames.

They were hardly able to enter the place again for the fire spread in a few minutes over nearly every part of the building. The fire company was called out and though they worked heroicly (sic) against the flames it was soon evident that they were of no avail and then confined themselves to trying to save the adjoining buildings. The opera house soon took fire but the other buildings were saved. Not until five o’clock this morning did the watchers feel safe to return from the scene of the ruins.

Tags: 1905

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 15, 1904

Business Block for First Avenue South

Big Three Story Double Store to be Build (sic) at 8th Street and First Ave. South.

Be Finished in Four Months

Upper Stories Furnished for Office Rooms and Flats – Will Be One of the Best Business Buildings of the City – Work Began at Once.

The contract has just been let for the erection of a fine business block on First ave south at the corner of Eighth Street. J.T. Gleason is the man who is backing the enterprise.

Double Store Room

The building is to be three stories with a basement the full length. The lower part of the structure will be finished and fitted for two store rooms, both of which will be large and roomy designed to accommodate two large business enterprises. The second story of the structure will be finished up for offices and flats. It as (sic) not yet been decided what will be done with the third story. The office rooms and flats will be finished in the latest and most up-to-date manner, and the building, when completed, will be one of the finest in the city.

Will Be Finished in Four Months.

The contract has been let to W.J. Zitterell of this city, who is to turn over the completed building for acceptance inside of the next four months. Work will be begun at once. The excavators will begin this week, and the project pushed to completion with all possible haste.

Purpose Not Known.

What the purpose of Mr. Gleason is in the erection of the building is not known. When asked this morning what business would occupy the structure, he stated he had nothing to say with regard to this part of the matter, but inferred it might be for rent. Architect J.H. Albrigh3t (sic) designed the building.

Tags: 1905, Albright, Gleason, Zitterell

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 14, 1905

Asks M’Cash to Sign Petition

Brewery Petition Solicitor Breaks Into Anti-saloon Offices

Manages to Escape Crowd

Laugh Went Up From League Officers – No Doubt in Mind of Brewery Representative Who Fell Into Wrong Crowd.

An unsuspecting brewery petition solicitor was steered into the office of I.N. McCash yesterday without realizing what he was up against until the head of the anti-saloon league started in on him with a temperance lecture. He then managed to escape amid the uproarous (sic) laughter of some of the office men of the Iowa Loan and Trust building, who were in the hallway and the adjoining room watching the course of their joke. The solicitor would not even stop to buy the beer for the crowd he was in such a hurry to get away.

Just who the man was with the petition no one seems to know. He was circulating on the fourth floor or the Iowa Loan and Trust building next door to the office of the anti-saloon league without knowing he was so near to the camp of the enemy.

“No, I don’t want to sign,” said the man next door, “but there’s a fellow in the next office whose (sic) a hard drinker, better see him,” pointing to the room where Dr. McCash forms plots against the brewery.

The solicitor was as eager as a book agent to secure names and without reading the black faced type on the office door he bolted in, petition in hand. He inquired of hte young woman in the front room if the man in the other office was in and he was ushered through. The saloon fighter was dictating to his stenographer when the brewery agent came in and he did not look up immediately. As he turned in his chair he saw the man with the petition in his hand and took in the situation before the solicitor did.

Face is Familiar

The man with the petition had not been attending temperance lectures and is not a member of the University Place Church of Christ.

He did not know McCash from a bartender.

“I was told you wished to sign the brewery petition,” began the man.

“What?” said McCash. But he didn’t wait for the solicitor to answer.

“No sir!” he exclaimed with such force that a gleam of enlightenment is said to have shot across the brewery man’s face.

“I’ve been fighting that thing night and day and do not think” but by the time he had delivered himself of these words he was talking to the side of the wall for the solicitor had made his getaway.

Up and down the corridors of the hall sounded uproarous (sic) laughter that must have rung in the brewery man’s ears even after he had reached the exit of the passenger elevator on the lower floor and taken a bracer at a neighboring bar.

Tags: 1905, McCash

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 12, 1905

City May Get Another Park

Property Owners Along the Upper River May Donate the Land

Would be a Large Tract

No Strings on the Proposition if it is Made – City Would (be) Expected to Give It a Proportionate Share of Attention With Other Parks.

Negotiations are pending which may result in another generous donation to Fort Dodge’s public parks. While it cannot be said that the matter has been definitely settled still it is known that the Morgan estate and Messrs. A.R. Loomis and E.G. Larson are considering the gift to the city of the land up the river from the brow of the hill to the water from the Fort Dodge brick company plant – known as Thiede & Heileman’s yard – to the F.M. Grant land, which lies alongside the hill leading from Round Prairie down to the famous “river road.”

If Mr. Grant should see fit to join with these other property owners in donating the land on the hillside to the people of his home city it is likely that Doctor Kime who owns the next strip of shore land would give a similar portion.

The information negotiations do not contemplate putting strings on the gift otherwise than that it shall be improved as a park out of the regular fund for which a tax was voted for ten years at the last municipal election.

While a dam would greatly enhance the value of this idyllic spot as a pleasure ground that would not be stipulated as a necessity by the donors.

There would be at least sixty acres in the proposed park site, perhaps much more for the land is irregular and would need to be surveyed.

There is no question but the city council would accept such a gift with alacity (sic) and give the land its proper proportion of improvements with the other city parks. It will be hoped the intention may grow into action this year.

There is no more beautiful spot for a park than this land lying in the forest above the site of the old Arnold Mill dam.

Tags: 1905, Grant, Heileman, Kime, Larson, Loomis, Morgan, Thiede

The Fort Dodge Messenger: Aug. 10, 1905

A Banana Famine Seems Imminent

If Yellow Fever Continues There May Be a Shortage of the Product.

Unless the yellow fever quarantine is raised within three weeks, said a well-known Fort Dodge fruit dealer today there is an excellent chance of this city as well as many others thru the Mississippi valley having the novel experience of a banana famine.

New Orleans is the port at which the entire supply of bananas is landed for the Mississipp (sic) valley. The fruit is shipped in on board ships and unloaded by the thousands of bunches on the big wharves at New Orleans. From there the Illinois Central railway ships the products of the Honduras and Nicaraguan groves to the northern cities and distributes where ordered.

At the present time it is said the market is beginning to be affected and in a few weeks a shortage of the worst kind may result. Bananas have gone up a few cents on the Chicago market within the last week and higher raises may be looked for at any time. For the present Fort Dodge is not affected and unless the quarantine hangs on for at least three weeks the city will still have its supply of bananas.

Tags: 1905