The Holt County sentinel., February 10, 1905, Image 1

About The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Missouri; Columbia, MO

                
40TH YEAR.
OREGON, MISSOURI, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1905.
NUMBER 39
If ; lHI-.
3MTWTF5
12 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 II
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28
7 VST. .A
Arrival and Departure of Kails at the
Postoffice, Oregon, Mo.
MAILS DEPART:
7 :40 a. m. For Omaha ant. intermediate
points, and all points north, east
and west.
12:10 p. m. For all points north, south, east
and west, except Tarklo and
Villisca branches.
8 :45 a. m. For St. Joseph and intermediate
points.
3 :30 p. m. For New Point only.
10:eoa.m. Helwifr supplied by Rural Car
rier, Route No. 2.
:25 p. m. For Villisca, north, mall to all
points north, east, south and
west, except Intermediate be
tween Forest ity and St. Joseph.
12 :45 a. m. For all points north, south, east
and west. Mail made up at 8:00
p. m.
MAILS ARRIVE.
9:10 a.m. OmahaMails from all points,
north, east, south and west.
10:20 a.m. Villisca and Tarklo Valley
branches. Mails from north
east, south and west.
1 1 iSO a. m. From New Point only.
3 :15 p. m. Main line K. C, St. Joe. & C. B.
Malls from all points, north
south, east and west.
6 xOO p. m. From St. Joseph.
o:oo a. m. Rural Route No. 2, leaves. Re
turns at 4:00 p. m.
l:ea.m. Rural Route, No. 1, leaves. Re
turns, 4:00 p. m.
9:45 a. m. Rural Route, No. 3, leaves. Re
turns at 4:00 p. m.
2:30 a.m. Main line, K. 0., St. Joe & 0. B.
Mall from all points.
Mails are made up promptly 15 minutes be
fore departing time.
New Point mail arrives and departs dally
except Sunday.
Mall to Fortescue, Rulo and points on the
B & M. In Nebraska within 100 miles of this
office, should be mailed before 8:45 a. m. in
order to reach its destination the same day.
Malls for main line of K. O., St. Joe. & C. B.
north and south, &,re made up and depart at
the same time, for day train, 12:10 p. m.
OFFICIAL DIRECTORY.
Circuit Court.
Convenes flrst Monday In January; fourth
Mondays In April and August.
William C. Ellison, circuit judpe.
Ivan Blair, prosecuting attorney.
George W. Hogrefe, circuit clerk.
James A. Williams, sheriff.
Harry M. Irwin, stenographer.
Probsite Court.
Convenes second Mondays in February,
May August and November.
Henry T. Alkire, probate Judge.
County Court.
Regular Terms: J First Mondays in Febru
ary May, August and November.
Jacob Wehrll, presiding judge.
George W. Cotten. judge 1st district.
Henry E. Wright, judge of 2d district.
Enoch A. Welty, clerk of county court.
F L. Zeller, deputy county clerk.
County Board of Health.
Jacob Wehrll, president.
George W. Cotten.vice-president.
W. C. Proud, county physician.
Enoch A. Welty, secretary.
County Board of Education.
A. R. Coburn,, Oregon.
W. W. Gallaher, Mound City.
Alberta O. Green, Craig.
Collector of Revenue, Nicholas Stock.
County Treasurer, George W. Cummins.
Recorder of Deeds, Robert Callow.
Commissioner of Schools, A. R. Coburn.
Public Administrator, M.D . Walker.
Superintendent of Poor, SebournOarson.
Surveyor, Wm. M. Morris.
Asssessor, Will Fitzmaurice.
Hear Mrs. Callie Howe at the Pres
byterian church, Thursday and Friday
evenings, Feb. 9th and 10th.
5?l
if
The Seed Corn Special.
The Burb'ngton railroad's decision to
send a special train through Missouri
with lecturers on seed corn and soil
fertility is evidently based on the sue
cesa of its experiments in Iowa last
spring. It will be recalled that the
poor quality of much of the seed corn
submitted to the Iowa Agricultural
College last year alarmed railroad offic
ials and the Rock Island system decided
to send out a "gospel train" through
Northern Iowa to instruct farmers to
test and plant the seed.
The train's schedule was widely ad
vertised and large audiences heard the
lectures. The trip attracted so much
attention that the Burlington system at
once arranged for a train to cover the
southern portion of the state.
Two audience coaches were used
and two thirty minute lectures
were given simultaneously. In
eight days these "seed corn special"
trains covered 1,321 miles and pa36ed
through 37 of the 99 counties of Iowa.
One hundred and fifty talks were given
to 17,600 persons, and the results, ac
cording to the railroad officials, were
apparent in the increase in the corn
yield last autumn.
Tbe lecturers in Iowa emphasized the
low average of 33 bushels of corn to the
acre over the state and accounted for
tbe poor staod as due to poor seed, un
even dropping by the planter and poor
preparation of tbe seed bed. Their in
structions were devoted to the best
methods of remedying these evils.
The success that attended the propa
ganda in Iowa will be duplicated in
Missouri, as we notice the schedule for
the special "seed and soil" train which
the Burlington will run through Mis
souri during the month of February has
been announced. On the morning of
Monday, February 13th, the train will
leave St. Joseph and visit stations on
the main line of the K C. St. Joseph &
C. B. The itinerary of this train in
this section will be as follows:
Arrive. Leave.
Tarcio 9:00 a. m. 9:10 a. m.
Craig 10:30 a. m. 11: 10 a. m.
Maitland 12:05 p. m. 12:45 p. m.
Forest City.. . . 3:30 p. m. 4:10 p. m.
Lectures will be given at these points.
The train will be in charge of W. H.
Manes, Industrial Commissioner of the
Burlington system, and the expert lec
turers will be supplied by the Agricul
tural department of the Missouri State
University. The lectures will be de
voted exclusively to soil improvement
and better seed corn for our state.
At these stops it is the intention of
the Burlington to give out for free dis
tribution, a late article, that has been
carefully prepared by C. P. Hartley, the
corn specialist of the Agricultural De
partment at Washington. The bulletin
will be highly illustrated.
It is to be hoped the corn growers in
the section of the stops announced will
be on hand in goodly numbers. There
is no reason why careful attention to
the methods to be outlined in the lec
tures should not materially increase the
yield of corn.
Mrs. Edmund Boselius, of Corning,
is very sick with sciatic rheumatism.
THE PLATTE PURCHASE.
Some Historical and Statistical Mat
ters Pertaining- to This Garden
Spot of the American
Continent.
With this issue of The Sentinel we
begin a series of articles giving briefly
some historical and statistical matters
pertaining to the Platte Purchase and
Holt county. We feel that the time is
specially opportune, as Holt county as
now constituted, will be 64 years of age
on next Wednesday, February, 15, 1905
The act of the legislature creating the
present boundaries of now Holt county,
and tbe naming of the county, was
passed February 15, 1841.
THE PLATTE PURCHASE.
The idea of adding the "Platte Pur
chase," including Platte, Buchanan,
Andrew, Nodaway, Holt and Atchison
counties, to the state of Missouri, whose
western border was the east line of the
four Bret named counties, originated in
the summer of 1835, at a military
muster held in Clay county, upon what
was then known as tbe Dale farm, but a
few miles from Liberty. After the
muster and parade the citizens were
called into a mass meeting, prior to the
dinner hour; were addressed by General
Andrew S. Hughes, of Clay county, who
proposed the purchase of the ''Platte
Country" from the Sac and Fox tribes
of Indians, and the proposition met with
such approval that the meeting ap
pointed the following committee te take
steps to put into execution the purposes
of the recommendation: Wm.T. Wood,
David R. Atchison, Gen. A. W. Doni
phan, Peter H. Burnett, Edward M.
Samuel, all of them at the time resi
dents of Clay county. An able memor
ial was drafted by Judge Wood, em
bracing facts and considerations in be
half of the measure which all the com
mittee signed, and it was forwarded to
the Missouri delegation in congress.
Pursuant to the prayer of this me
morial in 1836, a bill was introduced in
congress by Senator Benton and ardently
supported by Senator Linn, to extend
the then existing boundary of the state
so as to include the triangle between
tbe existing line and the Missouri river,
theu a part of the Indian Territory, and
comprising the counties above men
tioned, and known as the "Platte Pur
chase."
The difficulties encountered were
threefold. First to make still larger
a state which was already one of the
largest in tbe Union. Second to make
a treaty with the Sac and Fox tribes of
Indians, whereby they were to be re
moved from the lands which had but
recently been assigned to them in per
petuity. Third to alter the Missouri
compromise line in relation to slave ter
ritory and thereby convert free into
slave territory.
Notwithstanding these difficulties, the
first two serious.and the last formidable,
the net was passed and the treaties ne
gotiated, and in 1837, the Indians left
the "Platte Purchase." The national
government "gave" them "as a proof of
continued friendship and liberality,"the
sum of $7,501); ceded them an equal
amount of land, viz: The 6mall strip of
land on the south side of the Missouri
river, lying between the Kickapoo north
ern boundary line (whither, byjthe way,
the said Kickapoos had once upon a
time been likewise kicked by the gov
ernment in exhibition of its uniform
liberality), and the Grand Nemaha river
the lower half to the Sacs
and Foxes, the upper half to the Iowas;"
to erect for the Iowas five, and for the
Sacs and Foxes, three comfortable
houses; and for each of the tvo tribes,
to enclose and break up 200 acres of
ground; furnish them a farmer, black,
smith, schoolmaster and interpreter as
long as the President of the United
States deems proper; rations for one
year; one ferry boat; 100 cows and calves;
five bulls, 100 stock hogs, "when they
may require them;" a mill; and to assist
in removing them to the extent, for the
Iowas 500, and the sacs and Foxes 8400.
Dated September 17, 1836.
It was signed in behalf of the United
States, by William Clark, superintend
ent of the Indian affairs; of the Iowas
by Mohosca (White Cloud), Ne-Wan
Thaw-Chu (Hair Shedder), Nau-Che-Ning
(No Heart), Cha-Tau-The-Ne (Big
Bull), Wa-Che-Mo-Ne (Orator), Con-Gu
(Plumb), Man-O-Mone (Pumpkin), Cha-Ta-Thaw
(Buffalo Bull), Ne-O-Mo-Ne
(Raining Cloud), Man-Hawk-Ka (Bunch
of Arrows), and Wau-Thaw-Ca-Be-Chu
(One that Eats Bats).
On behalf of the Sacs and Foxes, by
an aggregation translated as Red Fox,
Deer, Wolf, Green Lake, Bald-Headed
Eagle, Bald-Headed Eagle, Jr., Swan,
Star and Sturgeon.
The counties now comprising this
purchase derived their names as follows:
Atchison was organized February 14
1S45, and called such in honor of David
R. Atchison, who served as United
States senator from this state, 1843 55;
a resident of Platte County at the time;
serving two terms. He served as presi
dent of the senate. March 4, 1849, came
on Sunday, and General Taylor not hav
ing been inaugurated President of the
United States, he served as President of
the United States for 24 hours, and we
believe this is the only case of the kind
in the history of our country. He was
also the first circuit Judge of Holt's
circuit court, serving the years 1841-43
having been appointed by Governor
Thomas Reynolds, February 1, 1841.
He died January 26, 1886.
Andrew was organized January 29,
1841. Named in honor of Andrew Jack
son Davis, once a promineut citizen of
St. Louis.
Buchanan was organized February 10,
1839, and named in honor of Ex-President
James Buchanan, who died in
June, 1863.
Nodaway was organized February 14,
1845, deriving its name from its princi
pal stream, the Nodaway river, which in
the Pottawattomie tongue, signifies
"Placid."
Platte was organized December 31,
1838, and was named from its principal
stream, the Platte river, as also the
Platte Purchase.
Holt county, February 15, 1811, and
named for David Kice Holt, a represen
tative in the legislature from Platte
county in 1840.
Weston was practically the first settle
ment in the Platte Purchase, and up to
1854 was tho largest town in the state
outside of St. Louis. In 1850 it had
3,775 people; in 1890 it had 1,127, and in
1900 it had 1019. In 1840 Platte coun
ty's population was 8,913, and in 1848, it
was 15,117-2,173 were slaves. The Sen
ate Journal for 1848 gives the census of
the counties comprising the Platte Pur
chase, as follows:
1848 Total
Total Slaves 1900
Andrew 8.282.... 492.... 17,332
Atchison 1,905.... 24.... 16,501
Buchanan .... 14,867 .... 3,572 .... 121,838
Holt 2,803.... 177.... 17,083
Nodaway 5,974.... 282.... 32,938
Platte 15,117 .... 2, 173 ... . 16,193f
The total state revenue charged to
these counties in 1848 was:
1848 1902
Andrew S 994 24 $15,620
Atchison 253 88 23,397
Buchanan 1,494 63 94,244
Holt 327 34 20,605
Nodaway 813 84 32,039
Platte 2,073 30 17,028
Tbe annual election for state officers
in 1848 was Veld in August of that year,
and was the first election held following
the creation of Atchison and Nodaway
counties, the last two counties created,
coir prising the Platte Purchase. Aus
tin A. King, of St.Louis, was the Demo
cratic nominee, and James S. Rollins, of
Boone, the Whig candidate. The vote
polled for these candidates were:
King Rollins
Andrew 926 395
Atchison 195 95
Buchanan 1,199 675
Holt 296 165
Nodaway 298 66
Platte 1,427 874
4,341 2,270
It will be noticed that every one of
these counties were Democratic at that
time, while the returns of the late elec
tion, 1904, show that Andrew, Holt and
Nodaway have left their early political
affiliations, and have become Republi
can. It will also be noticed that the
Whig vote of Platte county in 1848, is
about the Republican vote in that county
at the present time. The total vote in
these six counties in 1848, was 6,905,
while the total vote cast for congress
man in 1904, in these six counties was
Republican, 19,831; Democratic, 18,531;
total, 38,422.
The most complete abstract of the as
sessment of these counties was pub
lished in 1852, and we give the assess
ment as it was then published:
Real
Estate Personal Total
Andrew $ 959.109 $280,379 51,239.488
Atchison 79,293 10.V.H5 I&,-'W
Buchanan 120,418 941,r0() 1,001,918
Holt 12(5,340 110.875 237.215
Nodaway 120,439 (U.256 184.1595
Platte 2,034,085 353.083 2,987,2tJ8
The state auditor's report show the
assessment of these counties for 1902
taxes to be as follows:
Real
Estate Personal Total
Andrew $3,668,870 Sl.890,480 $ 5,499,350
Atchison 5,587.370 2,621,809 8.209,179
Buchanan 21,802,300 7,067,874 28,870,174
Holt 4,218,280 1,968,467 6 186.747
Nodaway 7,398,794 3,105,226 10,504,020
The many friends of Rev. Chilton
in Oregon, will be pained to learn that
the condition of his wife is no better
and she is gradually growing weaker.
For the past two weeks she has failed
rapidly, and it is feared that death may
follow at any moment.
Tbe extreme cold weather of the
past week has undoubtedly proved dis
astrous to peaches and small fruits, and
the damage is incalculable.
Proposed New Drainage Law.
Representative Allen, of this county,
has introduced a bill, materially chang
ing the present law relating to the
drainage of swamp and overflowed
lands. One of the weak points of the
present law is that it provides for the
selection of commissioners by those in
terested in the proposed improvement,
and being but human, cannot fail to act
with more or less prejudice. This is
overcome by Mr. Allen's bill, which
says under section 8280:
"When such petition is filed, and such
bond approved, the county court shall,
if in regular session, or at a called ses
sion, appoint three resident freeholders
of said county, not interested in the
construction of said work and not of
kin to any person interested therein, as
viewers or commissioners, and also a
competent civil engineer, to assist them,
who shall proceed at once under the di
rection of an order of said court therein,
certified by the clerk thereof, to view
the line of the proposed ditch or im
provement and report by actual view of
the premises, along and adjacent there
to, whether the proposed improvement
is necessary practicable and would be of
public utility or conducive to the public
health, convenience or welfare, and if
they find that the proposed Improve
ment is necessary, practicable and would
be of public utility or conducive to the
public health, convenience or welfare,
then they shall also report the best
route for the proposed drain, whether
any portion of the same should be cov
ered and whether the work of construct
ing the same should be by allotment.
They shall report their findings, in
writing, to the county court at a time
fixed by said court, or, if no time be
fixed, at the next regular term thereof,
and the said court shall cause the same
to be entered on its records. All view
ers and engineers, before entering upon
the discharge of their duties as such,
shall take and subscribe an oath t
faithfully and impartially discharge
their duties as such viewers and engi
neer, and to make, to the county court,
a true and correct report of the work
done by them.
LOCATION OF DITCHES, OB LEVEES.
Section 8285. In locating a public
ditch, drain, water-course or levee, the
viewers may, if they deem best, vary
from the line described in the petition:
Provided, they commence at the point
described in the petition and follow
down the line described as nearly as
practicable; and provided further, that
when the ditch described in the peti
tion is insufficient in length to drain the
lands adjacent thereto, they may ex
tend the ditch below the outlet named
in the petition as far as may be neces
sary, not exceediug one mile, to obtain
sufficient fall or outlet. And when it
will not be detrimental to the usefulness
of the whole work they shall, as far as
practicable, locate the ditch on the di
vision lines between lands owned by
different persons; and they shall, so far
as practicable, avoid laying the same
diagonally across the land, but they
must not sacrifice the general utility of
the ditch to avoid diagonal lines. And
all persons, whose lands may be affected
by said ditch, may appear before the
viewers and freely express their opin
ions on all matters pertaining thereto.
LANDS BENEFITED.
Section 8289. All lands benefited by
public ditch, drain, water-course or
levee, shall be assessed, in proportion
to the benefits for the construction
thereof, whether the improvement pass
es through said land or not, and the
viewers, in estimating the benefits to
land not traversed by such ditch, shall
consider what benefits will be received
after some other ditch or ditches shall
be constructed, but only the benefits
that will be received by tbe construc
tion of the public ditch, as it affords an
outlet for the drainage of such land.
No assessment shall be made for bene
fits to any land upon any other princi
pal than that of such benefits derived;
and no lands lying below shall be as
sessed for the benefit of the lands lying
above, but all assessments shall be
made on the basis of benefits accorded
by reason of the construction of the
improvement and of giving an outlet
for drainage. In estimating damages,
the viewere and county court shall take
into consideration land drains appro
priated, and the direction of the drain
across the land. The estimate for lo
cation expenses shall include the
amount of the costs reported by the
viewers, a reasonable provision for
property inspecting and receiving the
work, and all fees for officers, as herein
provided, including making the record
and executing all orders and process of
the court, and fees for all publications.
The county court may employ an at
torney to assist in the work provided
for by this article."
J. R Linville went over to Wathena,
Wednesday of last week. Jake will have
charge of the canning factory there this
season.
Lincoln's Birthday.
The anniversary- of Lincoln's birth
day, which occurs the 12th of thie
month, Sunday next, should be a day to
be observed by every citizen. His life and
his work hold out hope to every man of
hunble life. Lincoln was born in a
cabin with a dirt fl ior. He was born in
ignorance and poverty. How mighty
he towers above the feeble, selfish or
brutal rulers of so-called divine origin,
that are born in palaces and brought up
to power.
His character and :achievements rep
resent in themselves the greatest vindi
cation of our national belief that tbe
people ought to govern,' that they are fit
to govern, and that they can find their
ablest leaders and executives among
themselves. He was truly a great dem
ocrat, a man born! among the people,
who never lost interest )d them, faith in
them or loyality to thena.vdespite acqui
sition of the honor and glory that so
often make smaller men false to their
trust.
A study of his character must reas
sure the most pessimistic. His life
proves, and his birthday should remind
us that in some country school, in some
poor house, the boy is growing up able
to do the work of the : future; able to
deal with the great and ever growing in
dustrial problems as Lincoln dealt with
the mighty problems that confronted
him.
Against the Beef Trust.
There is no risk in saving that mil
lions of persons will rejoice ia the
unanimous decision of the supreme
court of the United States, substantially
affirming the validity of Judge Gross
cup's injunction against Swift & Co.,
which forbids the Beef Trust to con
tinue the practices complained of. In
the resolution with which this case has
been conducted in" behalf of the govern
ment, the people will behold a gratify
ing proof of the President's fidelity to
his declared purpose of enforcing the
Interstate Commerce act without fear
or favor, and they will not fail to recog
nize in the result a confirmation of the
original impression that Attorney Gen
eral Moody had laid a complicated ques
tion before the court with remarkable
skill and lucidity.- ' '
Judicial decisions of great importance
to the-country sometimes excite only a
languid interest fdr the" reason that they
appear to affect the private welfare of
individuals remotely" and'Only to a slight
degree. In this ' determination a vast
number of citizens,' representing prac
tically ail conditions' of life, feel them
selves to be' immediately and deeply
concerned: They have concrete evi
dence that the price' of 'meat, and in
deed many other articles ' of diet, has
largely increased in 'recent years, and
the conviction is well nigh universal
that this serious addition to the cost of
living has been deliberately caused by
the powerful combination which is
known as the "Beef Trust." Naturally
therefore, they will . hail with a senti
ment;of which the word delight is hard
ly too strong, an expression of the judg
ment of the highest court that the prac
tices by means of which the combina
tion is believed to have accomplished a
ruthless purpose are forbidden by law
and must be stopped. The expected
benefit, is not likely to be felt at once.
The injunction is upheld by a unani
mous vote of the supreme court, but
the future action of the packers is some
what problematical, as perhaps also are
the measures to be employed to make
the decision effectual in case they are
rebellious. They have great resources,
and are doubtless able to command the
services of lawyers who would like noth
ing better than to succeed in showing
them how the law might be defied; but
we hope it is not venturesome to as
sume that the government, having pre
vailed thus far, will not be balked in
the end.
The decision is broad, comprehensive
and sweeping. It asserts the power of
the nation to regulate every business
going beyond state lines. It should give
cattle growers a better chance to market
their cattle. It should benefit consum
ers by giving them the advantage of com
petition between sellers of meats. It
should benefit both producers and con
sumers by enabling the producer who
prefers to run his own business to reach
the consumer unhampered by discrimi
nation against him on the part of com
mon carriers. Tbe decision is a libera
ting one to producer and consumer
alike, sweeping away artificial barriers,
and thus bringing all concerned nearer
to the American ideal of equality of op
portunity and equality befor the law.
Rev. Charley Brown, a former resi
dent of this oounty, residing on the Nod
away river, and who will be remembered
by many of our citizens, has returned to
Holt county, from South Missouri,
where he removed with his family in
1898. He is now looking around for a
place, and if he can find what he wants
will purchase and bring his family here