Jerauld County, SD History .....Chap 26, 27; Part 2 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 1, 2005, 12:04 am Chapter 26. On January 2nd, 1888, John Grant took the oath of office as county commissioner, and the new board organized with O. A. Knudtson as chairman. In June another move was made in the county to increase the board of commissioners to five members, but failed. At the July session of the board in 1888 a full report of receipts and expenses for the preceding year was made. From it the statement is made that the total expense of caring for the poor of the county during that year was but $179.07. Total receipts. $31,061.12; total expenditure $26,474.28. The entire debt of the county at that time was $15,842.07. In that statement no account was taken of uncollected taxes. On the 5th day of July. 1888. T. H. Null resigned his office of district attorney, and a few weeks later moved to Huron, where he had formed a law partnership. On the 10th of July the board appointed A. Converse to the position made vacant by the resignation of Mr. Null. The county tax levy made by the county board in 1888 was: County fund. 6 mills; road, 1 mill; bridge, 1 mill; sinking fund, 4 mills. The territorial tax levy was: General revenue, 3 and one-tenth mills; bond interest, four-tenths mills; stock indemnity, seven-tenths; the latter to be levied only on cattle, mules and horses. In calling the election of 1888 the county commissioners bounded the precincts the same as at the February school election in 1884. The legislature of 1884 had provided for the election of county superintendents in June with a view of taking the office out of the usual political scramble. On the 19th of June, 1888, I. S. Binford was re-elected, receiving 365 of the 366 votes cast at that election. During all the time he continued in office Mr. Binford kept alive the interest in township institute work among the teachers. The third annual county institute was held Nov. 12 to 16, 1888, with C. J. Pickhart as conductor and S. F. Huntley, assistant. At that institute the Jerauld County Teachers' Reading Circle was organized with Fred Luke as manager. On February 25th, 1888, the Agricultural Society had a meeting, at which C. W. Hill was elected president; R. Vanderveen. Vicepresident; J. W. Thomas, secretary; and B. J. Cummings, treasurer. The fair that year was held on the grounds north of Wessington Springs, and though not a success financially, yet the exhibits, in quality, were the best that had been made. The crop yield in that year, considering the methods of farming, were good. The following totals compiled by John F. Wicks, from the assessor's reports, while at work, at that time in the county clerk's office, show the amounts of the various farm products. Amount. Leading township. Corn 204,982, Viola. Wheat 215,416 Viola. Barley 25,915 Viola. Potatoes 14,652 Viola. Butter (lbs.) 99,270 Viola. Oats 205,581 Alpena. Rye 10,048 Marlar. Flax 34,569 Pleasant. Cheese (lbs.) 4,585 Wessington Springs. Tame hay (tons) 2,003 Wild hay (tons) 20,180 Poultry $7,694 But for the high rates of interest that many of the settlers were still paying, the county would have been placed in a prosperous condition. During the year 1888 a railroad project from Huron southwest was talked of, and another from Pierre southeast. Both cities were candidates for capital of the coming state. Some changes were made this year in the management of the newspapers in the county. The firm of Blank & Blank leased the Herald to W. N. Coffee, who assumed control of the paper May 4th, but only continued in charge until the last issue in June. On the 1st of April, N. J. Dunham retired from the Journal at Alpena and Lacy F. Shafer took the editorial management, tmder a lease from D. F. Royer, but purchased the paper in the second week in October. The farmers' alliance, feeling the need of a newspaper in its work in the county, leased of B. B. Blosser one column of the True Republican and elected O. J. Marshall its editor. Mr. Marshall began furnishing "copy"' for the printer on the 2Oth of March, and during the next year continued to make it one of the most influential columns published in the county. During the fall campaign Guy McGlashan published a paper called The Independent, at Crow Lake, but suspended the publication about January 15th, 1889. In 1888 the first bounty for growing trees received by any citizen of Jerauld county was paid by the territorial treasurer to Mr. L. G. Wilson, for trees grown by him on his pre-emption claim in Viola township. The Fourth of July celebrations in the county in 1888 were at Alpena and Crow Lake, but as yet I have been unable to get the particulars of either. During the winter of 1888-89 a debating society was organized at the Grieve school house in Harmony township and has been continued ever since, during the winter months. In September of 1888 Mr. G. G. Livermore, of Fairmount, Minn., brought to Jerauld county seven car loads of sheep which he leased to settlers in Chery and Dale townships on shares. This was the beginning of a business that paid the owner of the sheep a nice profit and enabled many of the farmers to tide over the hard times of a few years later. All through the summer and fall of 1887 the farmers of Alpena and the country tributary to that station had been discussing the subject of building a farmers elevator there. Application was made to the railway company for a site for the building, but was met with a flat refusal. By the spring of 1888 the farmers had become determined in the matter and again brought it to the attention of the company. This time a meeting was arranged for between Messrs. May, Worrall and Teasdale on the part of the farmers and a representative of the railroad, about the first of April. The result of this meeting was so encouraging that a call was issued for those interested to come together at the depot in Alpena on April 12th to discuss the matter more fully. Another meeting was held on the 15th of April and officers of a temporary organization were elected as follows: Pres., G. J. Royer; Vice Pres., O. G. Woodruff; Secretary, John Teasdale; Treas., C. D. Worrall. On June 30th the plans had been so far promoted that a meeting was held at the Alpena school house to adopt by-laws of a corporation and elect officers, a charter, dated June 12th, 1888, having been already obtained. The work of selling stock and building the elevator was now pushed as rapidly as possible and by the beginning of the threshing season the company was ready to receive grain, John Teasdale being the buyer. In the autumn of 1888, L. N. Loomis, who was about to retire from the office of register of deeds, established The Bank of Alpena. He continued as sole proprietor of the institution until December 15th, 1891, when he took D. F. Royer and H. J. Wallace into the bank with him and they incorporated it with a capital of $6,000, Mr. Loomis still being the manager. In 1902 the building now occupied by the bank was erected, and in January, 1903, the bank and building were sold to O. L. Branson, D. T. Gilman and J. R. Milliken, the latter being the resident manager. Under this management the bank continued until January 1st, 1907, when it passed into the hands of the present owners, who have increased its capital to $12,000, with $3,000 surplus. After the dedication of the I. O. O. F. Hall on July 4th, 1888, Roth Bros, opened a stock of general merchandise in the lower room, moving from the store room previously occupied by them on the opposite side of the street. They continued the business until 1891, when they sold to D. S. and M. A. Manwaring. The present owner, Mr. A. F. Smith, bought the stock and business from Manwaring Bros, in 1897. Among the pioneers of the county who died in 1888 were J. O. Gray, county assessor, on Nov. 1st, and L. H. Tarbell, proprietor of the Wessington Springs Hotel, on March 22nd. After the death of Mr. Tarbell the hotel was conducted by Miss Lina A. French until the appointment of R. S. Vessey as administrator of the Tarbell estate. The first meat market in Wessington Springs was opened by Ed. Hinchliff, of Woonsocket, on Monday. April 9th, 1888, but the enterprise was not long lived. On May 10th, 1888, John Grant made the first final homestead proof on seven year residence that was made in the county. The land was the SE of 19 in Wessington Springs township. Mrs. Julius Smith opened a millinery stock May 23rd, in a building owned by T. H. Null west of Morse & La Pont's hardware store, but it also was of short duration. The closing exercises of the first year of the Seminary occurred on the afternoon of June 14th, 1888. The students who had a part in these exercises were Dale Wallace, Maude Spears, Cora Sickler, Walter Bateman, Gertie Anderson, Walter Mathias, Matie Mercer, F. E. Gaffin, Chas. Ford, Nellie Vessey, Effie Crow, Kara Snart, A. C. Thompson, Lena Crow, John Bremner, James Osborne and Lulu Smart. The first harness shop in Wessington Springs was started by R. E. Ketchum in June, 1888. Another shop was opened soon after by C. N. Hall and in the following winter Mr. Ketchum moved his work to his home on Sec. 31 in Marlar township. December 5th, 1888. Some one threw a burning cigar stub into the street. A strong northwest wind picked it up and tumbled it into a pile of street refuse that had accumulated under the platform in front of Albert & Vessey's store. By midnight all the town was asleep—all but John R. Francis, who, as was his custom, sat in the office of the Tarbell hotel reading by the light of a kerosene lamp. About 2 o'clock he chanced to glance out of the window and saw a small jet af flame leap up under the store front. A cup of water would have extinguished it. He sprang to the water pail that usually stood on the wash stand in the hotel office. It was empty. He shouted "fire" and ran to the kitchen to get a pail of water from there. That pail was empty. He took it and ran to the east door of the kitchen to get water from the barrels that usually stood just outside in a wagon. The door was locked and the key gone. He ran out through the office and around to the wagon, still shouting "fire! fire!" The barrels were empty. Not a drop of water nearer than the creek. He ran to that, all the time sounding the alarm. As he passed the fire a pail full of water would have put it out. But the wind was fanning it and scattering the sparks. By the time he returned from the stream a crowd was gathering, but the flames were beyond control. In an hour the store was in ashes, the Tarbell hotel was in ruins with its stables and sheds, together with Hackett's real estate office and the oil-shed belonging to the hardware store. There was no snow on the ground and a prairie fire went racing off southeast before the wind. The hotel was never rebuilt. The mercantile firm went into the Stephens' building and was soon doing business again. Chapter 27. But little change was made in the mail service of the county during the year. Sept. 1st the Templeton post office in Media was discontinued and in the same month Ada P. O. was established at the residence of A. Converse in Anina township. This office was named in honor of Miss Ada Needham, youngest daughter of Don C. Needham and a niece of the postmaster. In February, 1888, the P. O. department at Washington, on its own motion changed the name of the Lyndale office to Fauston, because it was so often mistaken for Tyndale in Bon Homme county. The first political county convention in 1888 was held at Wessington Springs by the Democrats on the 25th day of April, with John R. Francis as chairman and J. R. Dalton, of Blaine township, secretary. It was held for the purpose of selecting delegates to the Democratic territorial convention at Watertown to elect delegates to the national convention. The delegates selected were Pat McDonald, J. R. Dalton, J. J. Steiner and J. R. Francis. This was a mass convention. The Republican convention for the same purpose was held at Wessington Springs, May 12th, with C. E. Thayer, chairman and F. B. Phillips, secretary. The delegates chosen at this meeting were L. F. Schaefer, B. B. Blosser, W. T. Coffee and O. P. Hull, all newspaper men, supposed to be provided with railroad passes, according to the custom of those days. This, also, was a mass convention. The "line-up" for the battle in the county began with the meeting of the Republican county central committee at Wessington Springs on June 23rd. 1888. At that meeting a mass convention was called for July 14th to elect delegates to the territorial convention at Watertown, Aug. 22nd, to nominate a delegate to congress. The committee at the same meeting issued a call for the regular county convention to be held Sept. 29th, at Wessington Springs, and recommending a call of the township caucuses for Saturday. Sept. 22. In July the Democrats held their congressional convention at Jamestown, at which J. W. Harden, of Jerauld county, was nominated for congress. At the Republican convention at Watertown George Matthews, of Brookings, was nominated for congress. The call for township caucuses was formally issued Sept. 7th, with the recommendation that all caucuses be held from the hour 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. and be conducted like general elections, the township committeemen to act as judges. This method of holding caucuses was adopted and continued to be the practice in Jerauld county until the adoption of the "honest causes" law in 1906. Those who proposed this method thought its absolute fairness would be a safeguard against the feeling of dissatisfaction that had in former years, followed each Republican county nominating convention. It was found, however, that shrewd politicians will manipulate any convention and that disappointed candidates will not be satisfied with the results. The county convention met on the day appointed in the call, and John Teasdale, of Dale township, was made chairman, with E. S. Waterbury, of Crow township for secretary. The convention nominated D. F. Royer, of Alpena, for councilman, and gave him the privilege of selecting the delegates to the district legislative convention, which had been called to meet at Alpena on October 2nd. The ticket placed in nomination was as follows. Register of Deeds—J. M. Wheeler, of Blaine. Treasurer—H. J. Wallace, of Chery. Sheriff—Joseph O'Brien, of Crow Lake. Dist. Attorney—C. V. Martin, of Crow. Probate Judge—A. Gunderson, of Wessington Springs. Assessor—C. S. Richardson, of Harmony. Surveyor—J. M. Corbin, of Marlar. Croner—A. M. Mathias, of Wessington Springs. Justices and constables were also nominated. A county central committee was named as follows: J. R. Milliken, chairman, H. A. Miller, H. A. Peirce, S. S. Vrooman, R. S. Vessey, S. H. Melcher, Fred Luker. At the conclusion of the other business Royer announced the names of the delegates to the legislative convention, as follows: J. R. Millikin, O. G. Woodruff, R. S. Vessey, S. H. Melcher and H. A. Peirce. At the Alpena convention Oct. 2nd, there were three candidates; for territorial councilman from this district, Lowry, of Beadle county, Price of Sanborn, and Royer of Jerauld. Twenty-six ballots were taken before any candidate received a majority. Then one of the Jerauld county delegates voted for Lowry and he was nominated. The convention then named Royer and Price for assemblymen by acclamation. Two days later, Oct. 4th, the Democratic legislative convention was held at Alpena. Mr. Davis, of Beadle county was named for the territorial council, and Frank Anderson, of Sanborn county, and A. Converse, of Jerauld county, for the assembly. The Democratic county committee met at Wessington Springs on Oct. 2nd and called a delegate convention for that party, to be held on Oct. 13th. The convention met at the time appointed and was called to order by Jefferson Sickler, committee chairman. Twenty-eight delegates were in attendance, John Chapman, of Wessington Springs, was made chairman. A full ticket was nominated, although a part of the Republican ticket was indorsed. It was as follows: Register of Deeds—F. W. Whitney, of Alpena. Treasurer—H. J. Wallace, Republican, indorsed. Sheriff—Pat McDonald, of Alpena. Dist. Attorney—A. Converse, of Anina. Probate Judge—J. R. Francis, of Wessington Springs. Assessor—Isaac Byam, of Pleasant. Surveyor—B. R. Shimp, of Pleasant. Coroner—John Steiner, of Blaine. Justices and constables were also named. For the first time the Democratic party organized and prepared for hard work. They felt sure of the support of that part of the Republicans who had been defeated at previous elections and especially of those who remembered the defeat of Mr. Converse for commissioner the year before. These dissatisfied Republicans now saw an opportunity to "get even" with those who had controlled the party since its organization, and accordingly a mass convention was held on Oct. 24th. A new ticket made up of Republicans and Democrats was put in the field as follows: Register of Deeds—F. W. Whitney. Treasurer—H. J. Wallace. Sheriff—J. M. Spears. Dist. Attorney—A. Converse. Probate Judge—M. C. Ayers, of Wessington Springs. Territorial Council—Mr. Lowry. Territorial Assembly—Anderson and Price. In the first commissioner district the Republicans nominated R. J. Eastman, of Alpena, and the Democrats, Knute S. Starkey, of Franklin. The young voters of this, and future generations, will hardly credit the story of how their fathers carried elections. The method of holding caucuses adopted in Jerauld county in 1888 was a great improvement ever prior methods. In former years a candidate would get enough of his supporters together to hold a caucus, and be prompt at the time and place mentioned in the "call." If an opposing candidate for the party nomination was present with his supporters, it then became a matter of majority, or possibly of parliamentary tactics. If the opposition was a few minutes late in reaching the place of holding the caucus, they were liable to find all the work done, the delegates elected and the caucus adjourned. The writer has known instances where the whole work of "expressing the will of the people." in a populous precinct was done by a half-dozen men in three minutes. So the plan of holding the caucus open for two hours as adopted in 1888 was looked upon with much favor. But in all other respects the campaign was in accordance with "time honored customs." During the last two weeks of the campaign business was almost at a stand- still. Every man was a politician. Day and night the contest raged. The farmer was called from his bed at midnight for a few hurried words and the messenger sped on in the darkness, to be followed by other messengers from the opposition before morning. Tickets were printed with a party name at the head but possibly containing the names of all the opposing candidates. In many instances tickets with "stickers" pasted on were distributed by men stationed at the polls for that purpose. The "sticker" was a narrow strip of gummed paper upon which was printed the name of a candidate. These strips were intended to be put on the tickets of the opposite party over the name of the opposing candidates. During the two weeks, before the election the newspapers of the county advertised "stickers for sale at reasonable prices." Heated political discussions, in which the matter in dispute, was the merits of a party or a candidate were engaged in at the polling places and participated in by the judges of election and as many of the bystanders as cared to take a part. The election occurred on the 6th day of November and the Republicans sustained a defeat from which they did not recover, for several years. The ticket elected was as follows: Register of Deeds—F. W. Whitney. Treasurer—H. J. Wallace. Dist. Attorney—A. Converse. Sheriff—Pat McDonald. Assessor—C. S. Richardson. Probate Judge—J. R. Francis. Surveyor—J. M. Corbin. Coroner—A. M. Mathias. Commissioner—R. J. Eastman. The Republicans elected the Justices of the peace and constables, and the legislative ticket. The last notable event of 1888 was a spirited game of base ball at Wessington Springs on Xmas Day. Meanwhile the little band of temperance workers in the county kept a watchful eye upon political affairs and prepared for the statehood campaign that everybody knew would soon come. The Sunday school convention for the county was held on the 14th and 15th of May. August 3rd a W. C. T. U. society was organized at Alpena with Mrs. J. R. Milliken. Mrs. R. Davenport, Mrs. F. W. Whitney, Mrs. Wm. Arne, Mrs. C. D. Woriall, Mrs. Daniel Kint, Mrs. Underwood and Miss Lizzie Crawford as charter members. Additional Comments: From "A History of Jerauld County; From the Earliest Settlement to January 15, 1909" by N. J. Dunham File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/jerauld/history/other/gms107chap2627.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 22.0 Kb