D.R. "Casey" Jones

JONES, OGLE

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 7/19/2008 at 09:42:07

(Janette Eloise Ogle, daughter of J. "Don" Ogle and Velma Louise (Blakely) Ogle, was born in Stuart, IA, in 1934. She resided in Casey, IA, all through her school years and graduated from Casey High School in 1952. The following story is about her great-grandfather, David R. Jones, or "Casey" Jones as he was known to local residents. The story has appeared in local newspapers and was a featured article in the Magazine Section of the Des Moines Sunday Register, February 22, 1942, at a time when once again the Red Cross was in need of funds for the war effort.)

During World War I, the American people were asked to donate funds to support the work of the Red Cross. In 1917 the residents of Fontanelle, IA, responded by holding a "donation auction". Mark Dunkerson, a naturalized German, donated a rooster to be sold. The black rooster was sold for 50 cents to a man who said, "Sell him again. I don't want him." So the rooster, dubbed "Jack Pershing", was sold again and again. It became a game. No bid greater than $10 was accepted and no one was permitted to keep the rooster longer than five minutes. When the auction was over "Jack" had been sold 108 times and had brought $217 for the Red Cross.

The last man to buy "Jack" left him on the street and D. R. "Casey" Jones, a naturalized Welshman, who was a farmer and auctioneer from Casey, IA, took the rooster home and built a cage. In a few days "Jack" became so tame that he would sit on Casey's shoulder.

D. R. Jones took the rooster to Conley, IA, where he conducted another "donation auction" and raised $70.50 for the Red Cross.

Auctioneer Jones now gave up his regular work and devoted all his time (without pay) to campaign for the Red Cross. In the next several weeks in Iowa and South Dakota "Jack Pershing" was auctioned again and again, eventually raising $40,000, a huge sum of money in 1917!

The sight of "Jack" perched on Casey's shoulder became a common one as the two traveled the area raising money. In each town Jones would start the auction with an impassioned plea for money to support the Red Cross. He reminded people that "over there", 4000 miles from home, their boys and their neighbor's boys were bravely sacrificing and suffering, fighting for their very homes. The auction would then proceed and the cash and checks would roll in as "Jack" was bought and sold over and over again.

In Berea, "Jack" raised $368. A trip to Adair netted $520. The day "Jack" and Casey visited Audubon it was 20 below zero. The outdoor auction raised $3,255 for the Red Cross.

"Jack" was becoming well known and his services were in demand all over Iowa and adjoining states. In a friendly rivalry, the people of Exira invited the pair to town in hopes of breaking the Audubon record. When the hubbub and excitement of the auction was over, a high mark of $7,075 was reached! It was in Exira that D. R. Jones posed for a photograph with "Jack" perched on his shoulder. Hundreds of copies were eventually made, originating the practice of giving each "buyer" a picture of the two.

"Jack" and D.R. traveled to Plankington, SD, Waukee, IA, White Lake SD, Cumberland, IA, and Cass County, IA. Thousands of dollars were raised. In Puckawana, SD, a town of 168 inhabitants, people came from miles around to see the now famous pair. The usual limit of a $10 bid was removed and "Jack" sold for $250. Then William Morton, whose son was in France "fighting for his very life," said he would give every cent he had to defend America. Mr. Morton successfully bid $1,000 for "Jack". The little town of Puckawana raised $5,040 for the Red Cross that day.

Eventually the auctions came to an end. "Jack" retired to Exira where his career ended in death. The citizens of Casey, IA, paid to have him mounted and presented him to the Historical Society of Iowa. For many years "Jack Pershing" held a place of honor in the world war room on the second floor of the old Iowa Historical Building in Des Moines.

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The above story submitted by Terry and Janette (Ogle) Hildreth, Florissant, MO. - TreeShaker36@aol.com

A personal note from Terry Hildreth

The story is one I have composed for insertion in a family history book. Information was compiled from newspaper articles and family lore. The Des Moines Register article, which is referenced, had some minor errors. It mistakenly identified D. A. (sic) Jones as a resident of Fontanelle. The article also made no mention of the nickname "Casey". As a local farmer and auctioneer from Casey, IA, the nickname was a natural - alluding to "Casey Jones" of railroad folklore.

My wife, "Jan," has one of the original pictures mentioned in the story as well as the original of the Des Moines Register full page article. I hope to be able to scan these items in the future to preserve them for inclusion in a family history book.

One side-light to this story. As a young boy growing up within the shadow of the old Historical Building in Des Moines, I made many, many trips through the building, spending hours looking at the displays. I was always fascinated with the war room and the rooster I saw there. Years later, visiting my Ogle in-laws in Casey, the story was told and I then learned that my wife was related to D. R. Jones. An old picture was shown to me and there was the rooster and the man I had seen pictured years before!

According to other family members, "Jack" is no longer displayed in the new Historical Building. My wife and her cousins would like to locate "Jack" and possibly arrange for him to be given or at least loaned to the Casey Historical Museum. It would only be fitting that "Jack" be returned to the people who first donated him.