1875-1880.

SEVERE BLIZZARDS AND COLD PUT STOP TO RAILROAD TRAFFIC—GROSS BUSINESS OF THE NORTH WESTERN FOR 1874—ORGANIZATION OF FIRE COMPANY—ODD FELLOWS CELEBRATE IN CARROLL—THE HAZING OF ANAMOSA —DEDICATION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH—FLOURING MILL AT CARROLL—SURVEY OF THE MAPLE RIVER BRANCH—HILLSDALE SHOOTING AFFRAY ENDS IN DEATH—THE GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE AND THE EFFORTS TO CIRCUMVENT IT—LITTLE REESE EVANS LOST AND DIES ON THE PRAIRIE —GLIDDEN EXPERIENCES FIRST BIG FIRE—A REMARKABLE DECEMBER—NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH WRECKED BY WINDS—BREDA SWEPT BY A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE—REV. PALMER TAKES AN OVERDOSE OF CHLOROFORM—FISH IN NORTH COON DIE FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT—DEATH OF LAMBERT KNIEST—NEW CATHOLIC CHURCH DEDICATED—GREENBACKERS PUT UP A TICKET—DISASTROUS OCTOBER TORNADO TRAVERSES WEST SIDE OF COUNTY—EVICTION OF SETTLERS FROM "HOMESTEAD" LANDS IN AUDUBON COUNTY—PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEDICATION AT ARCADIA—ROBBERY OF C. L. CHRISTIAN—THE SOUTHWESTERN BRANCH—DEDICATION PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT CARROLL—ARCADIA VISITED BY A $25,000 FIRE—NEW SCHOOL HOUSE AT CARROLL.

1875.

January 6—The council of Carroll has ordered a limited fire apparatus, but one as large as they could get without the levy of a special tax. The order is for one thirty-foot ladder, one twenty-foot ladder, one fifteen-foot ladder, one fifteen-foot roof ladder, two pickaxes, two grappling hooks with poles attached, and four wooden buckets. No truck can be purchased at present. The apparatus is as much as the resources of the city will permit at the present time. The entire cost will not exceed $80.00.

January 9—The weather changed from very mild to eighteen degrees below zero. A heavy wind and snow prevailed all day, and at 6 o'clock the next morning the mercury had dropped to twenty-four below and the lowest point touched during the night was thirty below.

January 13—County Superintendent W. F. Steigerwalt reports that during the past year one hundred and twenty-two applicants have been examined for certificates to teach and that certificates have been issued as follows: first class, 13; second class, 42; third class, 48; fourth class, 6; nothing, 13.

January 20—The Carroll county Democrat, which has been the organ of the Democratic party up to this time, has issued its last number and will appear no more.

Guthrie & Bowman have placed the lots in the new addition recently added to Carroll on the market, and will commence selling tomorrow morning. The addition consists of ten blocks of ten lots each, and is north of the old plat. It will be known as the Guthrie & Bowman addition.

February 6—This Tuesday evening the second blizzard within a few days commenced. Although the thermometer did not fall quite as low as during the first storm it was really more severe on account of the large quantity of snow. The snow filled the cuts and wherever it drifted it packed so solid that it would easily support a man's weight. Nothing but a force of shovelers could remove it. The trains were scattered along the roads at various points wherever the storm happened to catch them. The passenger train bound West Tuesday got fast in a drift near Ogden and the passengers were forced to remain two days before they could get away. Provisions were taken to them from Ogden. The engines died all along the lines. The railroad authorities put a big force of men to work, but it was not until Friday that trains commenced running with regularity.

February 7—The gross earnings of the North Western Railroad in Carroll county for the year 1874 are as follows: Carroll, $83,510.36; Glidden, $42,171.00; Arcadia, $31,056.56; total, $156,737.92. The grain shipments were as follows: Carroll, 413 cars; Glidden, 278 cars; Arcadia, 210 cars; total, 901 cars. Of stock: Glidden, 70 cars; Carroll, 54 cars; Arcadia, 8 cars; total, 132 cars.

February 10—J. W. Hatton has bought the stock of drugs formerly owned by William Lynch.

E. M. Betzer has begun business as a general merchant, succeeding L. Kniest.

For the second time this winter Carroll has been cut off from the outside world for several days by heavy snow. No mails were received from Wednesday morning until Saturday about noon. The snow bird, a giant snow plow, passed through Friday, bound for the West. There has hardly been a train on time for three weeks.

A fire company has been reorganized in Carroll and christened the Rescue Fire company. It now numbers twenty members. The following are the officers: Foreman, Chas. L. Casper; assistant, H. A. Happe; secretary, E. P. Griffith; treasurer, L. Bechler.

The residence of P. M. Guthrie was entirely destroyed by fire. The newly organized fire company put in an appearance with promptness, but could not save the house on account of the lack of water. It is evident that the apparatus recently purchased by the town is entirely inadequate. With the proper appliances the kitchen might have been torn away from the house and the latter saved. The loss is between $1,500 and $2,000.

February 24—A severe snow storm set in Tuesday morning with strong wind from the northeast. The mail train got through but since then all outside communication has been again cut off. It will be several days before trains can hope to get through. This is the third storm which has interfered seriously with railroad operations, to say nothing of the numerous detentions by blockades.

The Grangers in Jasper and Sheridan townships have forwarded a carload of corn to the relief of the grasshopper sufferers in Kansas and Nebraska. Glidden and Richland townships are preparing to send another. The people of those states are starving, and so far the contributions have fallen far short of relieving their actual needs.

March 1—The city election resulted in the election of E. H. Brooks, mayor; A. E. Smith, recorder; John Collamors, treasurer; John W. King, assessor; W. J. Lundy, marshal; L. Bechler, street commissioner; John McAllister, J. H. Lowery, Geo. P. Wetherill, I. N. Griffith, William Arts, councilmen. The vote between Hatton and Arts was a tie, and was decided by lot in favor of Mr. Arts. Number of votes cast, 166.

March 17—J. W. King, assessor, reports the following as the population of Carroll: White males, 450; white females, 420; colored females, 2; total, 872. The census of 1873 shows a population of 563, making an increase in two years of 309.

March 24—F. J. Beers has purchased the Northwestern Hotel. The first thing to be done under his management will be the erection of a large two-story addition running back towards Fifth street. He will then renovate the old part and fit it up better than it has ever been before.

The first number of the Glidden Express has been issued by Mr. Tabor. He comes to that town from Lake City.

April 26—The Odd Fellows of Carroll county celebrated the fifty-sixth anniversary of their order at Glidden. Col. Keatley, of Council Bluffs, was the orator of the day. The following lodges participated: Newton Lodge—By Delegates J. W. Taylor, Charles Cole, Oliver Horton. Carroll Lodge—J. W. Hatton, O. R. Gray, W. A. Moore. Philo Lodge, Glidden—W. H. Plattner, A. J. Monell and C. B. Dockstader. Col. J. B. Cooke was marshal of the day. Seventy members of the order were present. The exercises were held in the Presbyterian church.

May 22—A transaction in real estate is concluded by which the Carroll House property is sold to Wm. Gilley for the sum of $4,250. It is the intention of Mr. Gilley to rent the hotel for the present.

June 30—J. H. Colclo has laid the foundation of a fine two-story building on the corner of Sixth and Adams streets. When completed it will be used as a hotel.

Last night Bill Preston, after imbibing his customary amount of booze and becoming comfortably drunk, as usual went to the Iowa house and got into a difficulty with the proprietor, during which the porter drew a revolver and shot him, the bullet taking effect in the right arm near the shoulder. The wound was not serious.

August 21—A posse of night riders called George Anamosa, of Union township, out of his house, put a rope around his neck, and draged [sic] him out on the prairie, where they left him, and where he remained till daylight. The reason assigned was inhuman treatment towards his wife. Anamosa, the victim of the visitation, is an old man and of so bad a character that no community would consider him a desirable acquisition. He formerly lived in Carroll and was under arrest many times for various offences. He is quarrelsome and when angry liable to be ugly. Once he beat a horse nearly to death. Saturday, the 21st, Anamosa reappeared in Carroll and told a sorrowful story. He said the night before several men came to his house and called him out to show them the road to Coon Rapids, when a rope was thrown around his neck and he was dragged out on the prairie. He says he called some of them by name, and he was threatened with death if he revealed their identity. Anamosa swore out warrants against Graves, Kennedy, Smith and Morris, but his identification was doubtful, the evidence against the accused consisting entirely of the story told by Anamosa himself. They all claim an alibi. There is no doubt that Anamosa was roughly dealt with. His neck plainly bore the marks of a rope, and it is probable those who committed the attack were not very particular whether they killed him or not. The cause of the mobbing were the pitiful stories of Mrs. Anamosa concerning her husband's abuse.

September 3—The Republican senatorial convention for the Forty-ninth district met at Carroll, Friday, September 3d. Col. S. D. Nichols, of Guthrie county; J. A. Henderson, of Greene county, and H. C. Laub, of Crawford county, were placed in nomination. Ten ballots were taken without result, when the convention adjourned until the following day. On the evening of that day the convention cast its ninety-eighth ballot, when Crawford county withdrew Mr. Laub and cast her four votes for Col. S. D. Nichols, giving him a majority. The district consists of Greene, Guthrie, Carroll, Audubon, and Shelby counties.

October 10—The canvass of the vote of Carroll county at the late election shows a republican majority of thirty-six in the state ticket. O. H. Manning was elected representative. The result in the county was as follows: P. M. Guthrie, treasurer; E. M. Betzer, auditor; F. M. Bechler, sheriff; C. I. Hinman, superintendent of schools; D. Wayne, coroner; D. Cooper and P. Berger, supervisors. The vote on surveyor between L. McCurdy (Dem.) and L. C. Bailey (Rep.) was a tie. In Kniest township E. M. Betzer (Rep.) received seventy-one votes, against forty-four votes for E. S. Holliday.

Note.—This is the first and last time in the history of the county that Kniest township returned a majority for a republican candidate.

November 17—The first Presbyterian church was dedicated the 14th inst. The church was organized in the year 1868 and incorporated July 4, 1873. At the time J. E. Griffith, M. A. Hoyt, Wm. Gilley, J. L. Green and E. R. Hastings were chosen a board of trustees. The same has continued, with the exception of Wm. Gilley, who resigned, and he is succeeded by E. H. Brooks. The church now has a membership of thirty. The lot was purchased April 1st, and on the 28th of the same month a contract for the building was let. The building is the largest of its class in town. It is 30 x 52 in size, with a recess back of the pulpit of five feet for the choir. The building cost as completed $2,695. It is brick with stone foundation. The dedication services were conducted by Rev. Throop of Marshalltown, who preached the sermon. Assisting him were Revs. Mr. Parker, J. M. Phillips, J. C. Eckels and J. C. Dunning. After the sermon a debt of $600 was subscribed before the final services of dedication were conferred. The Marshalltown church made the new organization a gift of two chandeliers and a number of side lamps of the value of $100.

1876.

January 1—There are now three Masonic lodges in the county—Signet lodge, No. 264, Carroll; Wm. Lynch, W. M.; Haggai lodge, Glidden, P. H. Hankins, W. M.; Cope Stone chapter, No. 78, Glidden, P. H. Hankins, H. P. There are three Odd Fellow societies—Carroll lodge, No. 279, Carroll, W. A. Moore, N. G.; Filo lodge, No. 291, Glidden, Geo. Ferguson, N. G.; Ellsworth Canton, No. 72, Carroll, S. P. Moore, C. P. There are two Good Templar lodges in the county—Carroll lodge, No. 618, and Arcadia lodge, No. 3.

February 16—As a result of a $1,000 bonus subscribed by citizens of Carroll a year ago, a new steam mill is now ready for operation. The subscription was first made in favor of Des Moines parties, but when they failed to appear it was turned over to Breed & Baumhover, who agreed to put tip a brick mill and have it running by February of this year. The building is of brick, the main part two stories with basement. It is sixty feet long by forty feet wide. On the south is a one-story addition, containing the boiler and engine. Henry Baumhover, one of the proprietors, is in immediate charge of the business of the mill, and J. C. Hartman, formerly of Dyersville, is head miller and general manager. I. B. Ebberly is engineer. The mill was erected at an expense of $26,000. It is now running on merchant work, with selected wheat raised on Mr. Baumhover's land year before last, and is turning out an excellent grade of flour. The wheat last year was not fit for milling.

March 6—After a most exciting city election at which 221 votes were cast, E. H. Brooks was elected mayor by a majority of one over Wm. Gilley. Two ballots were rejected. The candidates were tied at 109 and the last ballot counted decided the contest. Mr. Brooks was elected by the Granger-labor vote. The other offices were filled as follows: A. E. Smith, recorder; J. W. King, assessor; John Silbaugh, street commissioner; B. W. Crabbs, marshal. R. J. Hamilton, J. R. Lowry, W. L. Culbertson, W. A. Moore, Joseph Wieland, and W. J. Scott were elected to the council. Total vote cast was an increase of fifty-four over one year ago.

April 2—Five inches of snow fell on Sunday, April 2d.

April 26—The Presbyterian church has extended a call to Rev. Ellfield of Freeport, Ill. Rev. J. Manning is pastor of the Methodist church and Rev. Palmer of the Congregational.

May 27—Francis Murphy, the great temperance advocate, was in Carroll for three days this week. His labors met with abundant regard. A temperance reform club, with Mayor E. H. Brooks as president, was organized and will hold meetings in the future, with a membership of forty. Fifteen or twenty persons signed the pledge as the result of the Murphy meetings.

June 4—A fast train from New York to San Francisco passed through this morning at eight o'clock, ten minutes ahead of time. It left New York yesterday morning and its trip was by many hours the fastest ever made. The passengers numbered about twenty, among whom was Lawrence Barrett, the tragedian, who is to commence an engagement in Shakespeare's "Henry the VIII" Monday evening at San Francisco. The transcontinental trip was made in twenty-six minutes less than eighty-four hours.

June 7—At the republican judicial convention at Council Bluffs on the 7th inst. the delegations from Carroll, Crawford and Greene counties walked out after the nomination of Judge Loofborough, of Cass, for circuit judge, and A. R. Anderson, of Fremont county, for district attorney. Judge J. R. Reed was renominated for the district court. The majority of the convention adopted a rule by which only delegates present in person were allowed to vote. Only part of the delegation from the three counties previously mentioned was present and in this way Loofborough and Anderson were forced through. The seceding delegations recommended a bolt.

July 18—Wheat is generally light, especially on new ground where the dry weather injured it. Corn is backward, but promises a fair crop. Barley will be the best crop of the year. From present appearances the crop may be called fair.

July 19—Mr. John Nockels, of Ft. Atkinson, Iowa, has rented the building occupied by the Hatton drug store and will shortly place in it a stock of men's goods.

Note.—Mr. Nockels has remained continuously in business up to the present time, being associated in later years with his sons, Frank L. and John Nockels, Jr. He is the only merchant of this early period who has continued uninterruptedly in the business which he established.

July 24—This morning a party of ten men under the supervision of J. E. Ainsworth, a practical engineer, left Carroll to commence the survey for a branch railroad joining the main line of the Northwestern five miles west of Carroll. They will run two lines from that point to Ida Grove. One of these will run on the section line between Kniest and Wheatland townships to Wall Lake and thence to Ida Grove. The other will cross Wheatland township to the northwest corner and thence on to Ida Grove. The Iowa Railroad Land company is back of the project.

August 30—Friday the 29th, about noon, grasshoppers made their appearance in the county, but did not remain long before taking flight for the north. A week later they came down thicker than ever, but many of them were blown away in the winds. Corn has suffered to some extent, but not seriously. Small tracts have been damaged most. On large pieces they have principally confined their ravages to the outside rows, leaving the rest uninjured to any great extent. The damage to the crop will probably amount to about ten per cent.

September 27—That Maple Valley railroad will be built is a settled fact. The capital stock of the corporation is $1,000,000. John I. Blair is at the head of the board of directors. The general office of the company will be at Cedar Rapids and the engineer's office at Carroll. The surveyors have reached Wm. Arts' farm in Wheatland township and the grading has been contracted for that distance. In the matter of the contracts, the company has decided to give the grading to local contractors and farmers along the route.

October 25—The republican county convention nominated the following ticket: Recorder, John Messersmith; supervisor (long term), W. L. Culbertson; (short term), Thos. N. Young. Candidates of the democratic convention: Clerk, Wm. Lynch, Jr.; recorder, W. T. Krause; supervisor (long term), P. Floyd; (short term), Joseph Bucheit.

November 8—The republican county ticket was elected and Wm. Lynch, Jr. (dem., no opposition), for clerk of court; E. A. Aylesworth in opposition to C. F. Loofborough, for judge, carried the county by three hundred; and R. G. Phelps, for district attorney, in opposition to A. R. Anderson, carried the county by 692 votes. On the presidential ticket the county returns a republican majority of 28 votes, in a total vote of 1,570, of which the electoral ticket of R. B. Hayes received 799; Samuel J. Tilden, 779.

November 11—The Methodist conference at Red Oak assigned J. C. Eckels to Carroll, O. Scott to Carrollton, and C. W. Posten to Glidden.

December 6—On the night of the 1st inst., a shooting affray occurred in Hillsdale, seven miles southwest of Carroll. The Germans were having a dance in the saloon run by John Hannasch when a man named Vic Schwaller got into trouble by insisting upon dancing without paying for the privilege. On being ordered out Schwaller drew a revolver and commenced shooting. The first shot did not take effect, but the second carried off a portion of the thumb of a bystander, whose name is Leubs. Frank Hoelker then grappled with Schwaller and undertook to take the revolver from him when Schwaller fired and the ball entered his body and passed through within an inch or two of the heart. Hoelker captured the revolver and ran into the house before it was known he was shot. The sheriff went to the scene and arrested Schwaller. The parties to the shooting are both young men, hardly more than boys. Holker is twenty-one and Schwaller eighteen.

[Note.—Hoelker survived several months but died at length from the effect of his wound. Schwaller was indicted for murder in the second degree but was acquitted by the jury on the grounds of self defense.]

December 20—The Bank of Carroll, with W. L. Culbertson as president, has organized to begin business the first of the year.

Cyrus Mark, successor in business to J. J. Wieland, has rented the Sutton building and will open a stock of general merchandise.

1877.

March 5—The city election resulted: Mayor, J. F. Tuttle; recorder, A. E. Smith; assessor, John W. King; council, Wm. Arts, W. J. Bohnenkamp, W. O. Sturgeon, R. J. Hamilton, John AcAllister and John Ringer.

March 28—Many citizens of Carroll county met at the courthouse to consider the grasshopper question. Wm. Gilley was elected president and S. C. Quint, secretary. The general purpose was to formulate a plan for systematic working all over the county in fighting the pest. Machines have been constructed for the destruction of the hoppers, but no one present could vouch for their efficiency. Resolutions were passed recommending the people of the county to form school district and township organizations for the purpose of exterminating the pest. Pleasant Valley township has already been thoroughly organized in accordance with this plan. They have resolved to prevent the burning of the prairies until such time when it will kill the most grasshoppers. Washington Allen of Sac county, has invented a machine for catching the hoppers. It consists of a long box on low runners or a sled to be drawn by two horses. In front sloping down to the ground is an apron upon which the hoppers will alight when they are scared up from the ground and from that they are carried to the back part of the machine where they fall through sloping holes into a box. They are then stupefied by throwing cold water on them and are shoveled out and burned. Mr. Allen has applied for a patent on this machine.

April 1—On the first of April the postoffice at Carroll was changed from a fourth to a third class postoffice. E. R. Hastings has been commissioned by President Hayes to the postmastership, and the office has been placed on a salary basis.

April 4—E. F. Dennett, the pioneer hardware man in this county, has sold his stores at Carroll and Arcadia to R. E. Coburn, who will operate them in the future.

April 20—Dr. A. L. Wright has been chosen by the State Medical association, one of the three delegates to represent the Ninth Congressional district of Iowa, at the coming annual medical convention at Chicago.

June 13—The war for the extermination of the grasshoppers continues with energy. The stocks of both sheet iron and oil have now ran out and more has been ordered by telegraph. All who have used machines for catching the pests report great success. During the past week thousands of bushels of grasshoppers have been destroyed and farmers are sanguine that the fight will save their crops.

July 12—From the 2d to the 12th of this month seven deaths from diphtheria have occurred in the home of Wm. Wall. The number includes all of the children of the family.

July 25—For the past few days the hoppers have been flying over in immense numbers and occasionally lighting. Spots are to be found in which they have ruined the crops wholly or in part, but by far the greater area has suffered very little harm.

September 1—Vic Shirk has threshed one hundred and thirty-five bushels of wheat from four and a quarter acres, and W. A. Kitzberger, a short distance east of Carroll, has threshed two and a half acres that had been stacked separately and the stack yielded one hundred and three bushels of as fine number one wheat as was ever made into flour. The wheat raised on the Kitzberger farm took the first premium at the Iowa state fair at Cedar Rapids.

September 19—The Carroll County Normal institute has adjourned after a session of two weeks. Eighty-seven teachers were in attendance. The institute was in charge of Superintendent Hinman.

September 20—The Maple Valley branch is now through to Ida Grove and trains run regularly between the latter point and Maple River Junction. Good towns are springing up along the line and at each one a comfortable station house has been erected. At Breda, two large buildings intended for mercantile purposes are up. At Wall Lake there are ten buildings, including the Wayne warehouse, which is receiving and shipping grain. There is a great rivalry between Wall Lake and Odebolt, as to which will take the lead. The former is now ahead. At Ida Grove seven or eight buildings are up or in process of erection in the new town and it is probable that in due time all of the old town will be moved over.

September 26—The Independent Greenback convention met last Saturday and nominated the following ticket: Auditor, C. E. Morris; sheriff. W. A. Welker, superintendent, W. F. Steigerwalt; surveyor, J. I. Ferron; coroner, E. M. Betzer; supervisors, C. V. B. Smith, and Richard Wolfe. The conference of the Methodist church has appointed Rev. J. C. Eckles to the Carroll charge and C. W. Stewart to Carrollton. The Glidden congregation is to be supplied.

October 3—The dedication of the Mt. Carmel cemetery has been solemnized. Services were conducted by Rev. John F. Brazill of Des Moines, assisted by Rev. Father Schulte of Dubuque, and Rev. Fathers Pape and Fendrick of Carroll county. After the dedication a celebration was held in Kniest's grove. A prize was voted to Father Fendrick of Mt. Carmel, as the most popular priest.

November 8—At the recent election O. H. Manning was elected representative; H. E. Russell, auditor; P. M. Guthrie, treasurer; L. Bechler, sheriff; Peter Smith, coroner; H. W. Bean, county superintendent; L. McCurdy, surveyor; Oliver Horton and P. J. Koenig, supervisors.

November 21—Arrangements have been perfected for a temporary union between the Congregational and Presbyterian societies of Carroll looking to a permanent union in the future. The two congregations will continue under the pastorate charge of Rev. G. W. Palmer, and the services will be held in the Presbyterian church.

December 5—Ebenezer Evans, of Newton township, reports the mysterious disappearance of his child, a boy of nine years. The little fellow had been sent out by his father to watch some cattle feeding not far from the house. Not returning, he began to fear that he was lost and commenced searching for him. For several days the citizens of that locality scoured the country surrounding and examined every foot, but found not the slightest trace of the missing child. Some think he was eaten by wolves and others that the body will yet be found.

December 11—The mystery concerning the disappearance of little Reese Evans has been cleared up by the finding of his body by John H. Conners, a neighbor. In driving along the road Conners saw a boy's cap, and a short search discovered the body lying in a furrow face down, with the face frozen in the ice. The day after the lad disappeared two inches of snow fell and the weather was cold, thus hiding the body, which was found not over forty rods from the father's house.

December 12—Glidden was awakened by a fire in the wagon shop of Henry Messersmith, north from the depot two blocks. The shop and wagon shop and residence of Messersmith burned first, with a loss of $2,000. Eaton's furniture store was also burned, with a loss of $2,000. Following this, the hardware store of Anselme & Co., was destroyed, with a loss of $1,200. It is believed the fire was the work of an incendiary.

December 31—The record of the month of December deserves to be preserved as remarkable in many respects. The thermometer has ranged well up to sixty degrees during a greater part of nearly every day. Showers were both heavy and frequent, and the weather would have done very comfortably for the latter part of April. Buds started, flowers sprung up anew from the roots and a general spring-like appearance of things was the result. The frost was all out of the ground before the middle of the month and farmers succeeded in doing considerable plowing. The roads are simply impassable.

1878.

January 17—Geo. E. Russell, near Arcadia, has much ground for the opinion that farming pays. Six years ago he bought two hundred and forty acres of land for less than $10 per acre, which to-day is worth $25. Last year he farmed 200 acres with the assistance of one hired hand, and raised 1,500 bushels of No. 1 wheat, 4,000 bushels of corn, 170 bushels of barley, besides oats, vegetables, etc. He has marketed twenty-one head of fat hogs, with seventy-five shoats to keep over and start out the year, with twenty-five head of hogs. His year's work figures up $2,171 in produce sold from his farm. He figures that his expenses for the year has been $420.

January 23—Joe M. Drees has disposed of his store at Mt. Carmel to Mr. Keffeler, who will take possession at once. Mr. Drees will remove to Carroll and engage in business.

February 17—The new German Presbyterian church in Wheatland township, six miles north of Arcadia, was dedicated to-day, the services being conducted by Rev. Mr. Elfeld, of Fremont, Illinois.

March 3—At the city election, William Gilley was elected mayor; A. E. Smith, recorder, and J. W. King, assessor. The following councilmen were chosen: R. Hamilton, J. E. Thompson, N. Beiter, John McAllister, D. A. Cudworth. Four of the five members of the council came from the south side. A very light vote was polled.

March 6—On the 6th inst. a prairie fire destroyed considerable property for Henry Thomas, of Newton township. The fire came from the west so suddenly it was impossible to do anything to stop it. His two horses were in the stable, which caught fire, and while one made its escape, the other was burned to death. A wagon and harness and other agricultural property and a quantity of hay and corn were also destroyed. Mr. Thomas was badly burned.

With eggs at eight cents per dozen and ham selling from ten to twelve cents per pound, the favorite American dish of ham and eggs should be popular just now.

March 7—Susan B. Anthony lectured at the Presbyterian church on "Woman Wants Bread, Not the Ballot." Miss Anthony scolded Francis Murphy, the temperance lecturer, and all of her remarks were caustic. She shows the ravages of time in appearance.

March 13—The financial condition of the community has improved during the last year, and on the whole business at Carroll is encouraging. There is every indication that immigration which has already commenced will steadily increase. Thousands of acres of prairie will be broken this summer, and the amount of land tilled will exceed that of any previous year.

March 27—Eight years ago John K. Deal owned a small quantity of maple seed which he planted in his lots in Carroll. This spring he thinned out the trees from this seed to clear up his ground and realized several cords of wood. The trees are from four to six inches in diameter, and from twenty to thirty feet high.

April 21—Sunday morning Carroll was aroused by a gale of wind which inflicted serious consequences. Chimneys were blown down, sidewalks torn up, and light buildings were overturned. The most serious damage was done to the Catholic church building, in process of construction. The frame was up and partially enclosed and the framework of the large tower was completed to a height of thirty or forty feet. The wind played havoc with the whole structure. The end and two sides were forced out and fell to the ground, and the tower fell directly backward into the building, crushing all the small timbers before it. It will be necessary to take it all to pieces and a large quantity of the lumber will of necessity be rejected, and the work will have to commence over again from the beginning. The loss is from $600 to $800, which will fall upon the congregation, as the fault was not that of the contractors.

On the evening of the same day many heard a roaring distinctly resembling the noise of a distant train, and shortly after 9 o'clock the report reached Carroll that a tornado had visited Wall Lake, destroying a number of houses, and killing and wounding a great many people. A special train was sent down from that town to Maple River Junction, and a loud call was made for surgeons. Dr. Dunkle of Glidden and Drs. Lane and Wright of Carroll answered the call and upon their arrival found that the reports were greatly exaggerated, the town having escaped with little if any injury. A small house near the town occupied by a German family had been entirely destroyed. All of the family of man, wife, and three children ware more or less injured, but none seriously except the oldest child, who had been struck in the head with a flying missile and the flesh laid open to the bone. When found his eyes, ears, and mouth were full of mud and his hair so clogged that it was necessary to cut it close to his head. His eyes were wide open and filled with mud. He had been carried by the wind several rods.

The storm in Carroll and Roselle townships was very severe. The house of L. N. French was badly wrecked, the roof carried away. The Rogers school in Carroll township was shaken up so that all the plastering came off. Wagons belonging to Booth Zarnsdorf were carried about forty rods and smashed to pieces.

April 24—Burke's Hotel has just been refitted from top to bottom. The rooms are all refurnished comfortably and neatly. The efforts put forth by Mr. and Mrs. Burke to secure the furtherance of their cause have been rewarded and the hotel has proven a success financially as it has in other respects.

May 4—Breda was beset by a destructive fire which originated in the building owned by Herm Knowbe and occupied by a saloon and agricultural warehouse. When it was discovered the upper part of the building was in flames. The fire extended to other buildings in the vicinity, all of which were constructed of dry pine. The post office was in an adjoining building, and was burned, but not before the mail had been taken out and saved. The next building was sixty-six feet distant, but with a heavy wind the fire was blown in that direction, and it was found impossible to save it. This was occupied by a saloon and the upstairs used as a residence by its owner, Neudel Eichelberger. Six or eight feet farther west was the new building erected by Ricke & Olerich but not complete. They had also bought an old building and moved it to the site. Both were burned. The loss was in the neighborhood of $4,000.

May 15—Rev. T. S. Bailey has accepted a call to the pulpit of the Carroll Presbyterian church, and will enter upon his duties the 9th of next month. His congregation in Ohio was very unwilling to release him, otherwise he probably would have been here long ago.

May 27—Before the freeze of a week ago there never was a better prospect for all kinds of fruit. It now appears that everything has been killed. The loss can hardly be measured in dollars and cents.

June 5—Geo. W. Palmer, a former pastor of the Presbyterian church at Carroll, died from an overdose of morphine at Polk City. He had been ill and the drug had been prescribed by his physician. The dispatch to Carroll announcing his death followed his wife thirty miles into the country. Many friends of the deceased from Ames and Carroll were present at the funeral. He leaves a wife and daughter. The probability is that the amount of morphine taken by Mr. Palmer was no more than he was accustomed to take, and that his death was directly due to an affection of the stomach and his inability to take sufficient nourishment.

June 12—A new general store has just been opened in Carroll by H. C. Stevens and Chas. Ludwig on the south side of Fifth street in the most central part of the business portion of the town.

June 17—Des Moines Register says: G. W. Wattles of Carroll county in graduating at the Iowa Agricultural college, appeared in the exercises with a paper entitled "Science." Speaking of the appearance of Mr. Wattles, the paper says that he possessed a magnificent voice, an excellent manner, and thoroughout the oration he had perfect command of himself.

June 17—The past two weeks have been extremely hot. Last Friday the mercury reached 105 in the shade at 3 o'clock. Every day since then the mercury has stood above 100, while in the sun it has run from 115 to 121. The nights have been so sultry that refreshing sleep has been impossible. From the North Coon comes reliable report that the fish have died by the hundreds from the heat. Last week the dead fish collected on the dam at Grant City in such quantities that the stench was unendurable, and men went out and shoveled them over to float down stream. An experienced fisherman says that the fish run around a great deal in hot times and when they get in shoal water they are liable to meet with sun stroke. Pickerel weighing eighteen to twenty pounds were found among the dead fish in the Grant City dam. From Wall Lake the report is that dead fish are being found on the bank and that the people living near commenced burying them last week. It is almost impossible to pass by on one side of the lake, the stench is so great.

August 4—Saturday afternoon Wm. Hunter, living four miles southwest, met with an accident which resulted in his death Sunday morning. He started home from Carroll with a hay rack on which was piled some loose lumber. About half a mile this side of Mr. Haviland's there is a steep hill and as he drove down this decline the lumber slid forward on his horses and he was thrown under their heels. His head was almost literally scalped, and he received a terrible kick in the right temple. He was sixty-two years of age.

August 14—W. A. McLagan has leased the elevator in the east end of the yards at Carroll, and will make that place his future home.

Geo. W. Bowen is a new Carroll attorney. He is a young man of ability and comes highly recommended. In addition to law business, Mr. Bowen will pay taxes for non-residents and loan money on improved real estate.

Lambert Kniest died at his residence in Carroll, Wednesday morning, the 14th inst. He had been in had health for six months. One of his lungs was seriously affected. A few weeks before his death his condition seemed to be improving, and his symptoms were all more favorable, but a short time since he had a slight attack of hemorrhage which was not considered serious at the time. Shortly after midnight Tuesday morning, the hemorrhage reappeared and before it could be arrested he had lost a large amount of blood. Great danger was apprehended from a second hemorrhage, should it occur, and shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, this situation arose and death came almost instantly. The funeral was the largest ever held in Carroll. At the church the services were conducted by Rev. Father Weggman of Hillsdale, and Rev. Father Pape of Carroll.The latter delivered the funeral address. Lambert Kniest was born in Holland, March 19, 1819, and was in his fifty-ninth year. When reaching this country he first settled at Buffalo, N. Y., then moved to St. Louis and later to Dubuque. In 1868 he established the colony of Germans at Mt. Carmel, in the township which bears his name. Mr. Kniest leaves a wife and eleven children, nine of the latter residing at home when his death occurred. He met with business reverses in the closing years of his life, but no one could impute any but the most honorable motives to him in any of his transactions.

September 4—March 25, the cornerstone of the new Catholic church was laid and last Sunday it was dedicated with the impressive ceremonies of the church. Every inch of the inside space was occupied and many went away not able to crowd through the door. The services were conducted by Revs. Father Pape and Fendrick, the former preaching in English. Father Fendrick addressed the congregation in German, dwelling briefly on the difficulties met and overcome, and congratulating the people on the successful termination of the work of building their new temple. The choir under the direction of Prof. F. A. Rohner rendered the music and the band played good selections. The church is located in the southeast corner of town on a high location overlooking the whole place. The total cost of the building is $2,500.

September 18—Two hundred pupils are already enrolled in the public schools and fully seventy little ones are crowded into the primary room. The board has leased the Congregational building on Sixth street and will place new furniture in it, and another department will be opened next Monday with Miss Kniest in charge.

September 19—Tuesday night guests at Colclo's hotel saw from the window that the schoolhouse was on fire. C. C. Colclo and Messrs. Rohner and Adams ran to the scene at once and put it out without difficulty. They believe the fire was set from the outside at the southeast corner of the building. It had burned a space about five feet square in the corner. That kerosene was used it is certain.

September 28—The Greenbackers at their convention at the courthouse Thursday nominated the following ticket: Clerk, W. F. Steigerwalt; recorder, L. A. Jennings; surveyor, C. L. Bailey; supervisors, C. V. B. Smith and A. McArthur.

October 9—Mr. Brede has retired from the firm of Brede & Baumhover and is succeeded by H. E. Brooks in the Carroll mills. Mr. Baumhover will retain his interest, but will not attend personally to the management of the mill, which will hereafter be wholly in charge of Mr. Brooks.

October 17—The weather was unusually warm for October and a strong south wind blew all day. In the morning there were showers and rain threatened more or less. At night the sky grew angry and threatening black clouds formed in the southwest and scattered themselves over the sky and then massed in the north, leaving a clear sky for a few moments, when new clouds would sweep in sight. About six o'clock a well developed cyclone made its appearance in the southwest, and heavy black clouds from which hung the well known swaying column advanced towards the town of Carroll. At times the clouds would almost touch the earth, and again were some distance above it. Fortunately it went to pieces before reaching town and did little damage. The same tornado passed through sections of Washington and Arcadia townships, carrying death and wide spread destruction along its path. In Washington township it made its appearance in Sec. 17, traveling in a north easterly direction to Arcadia township, being broken up and dispersed when within less than a mile of Carroll. Mr. Crawford, near the Crawford county line, had his house blown to pieces while his family was within it. His wife and children were seriously injured and one child has since died. Mr. Hoffiman is not expected to recover. The residence of Mr. Koepke, with all his out buildings, was blown to pieces. Wm. Brown had one of the best houses in the township, costing him $1,000. It was entirely ruined and all of his household goods carried away and scattered over the prairie. The family escaped injury by hiding in the cellar. Mr. Dutton, in Arcadia township, saw the storm coming, and took refuge with his wife in the cellar. The house was torn to pieces. One floor of the house was carried so far that it could not be found, and the goods were scattered far and near. After the storm they found a large flag which had blown from some locality. One school house in Washington township was destroyed and another turned around. Mr. Mason had a barn badly wrecked. His house escaped but he lost between 40 and 50 acres of corn, and considerable machinery. Thos. Guegel had a new threshing machine totally ruined. There were hundreds of minor works of destruction in this section of the country.

October 30—The contracts have been drawn for the construction of a railroad from Wall Lake to Sac City. Grading will commence immediately and the road is expected to be ready for operation by November 1st of next year.

November 13—Louis Berger and Delbert King were husking corn on the farm of the father of the latter John W. King. Berger climbed into the wagon and took the reins and was followed by young King. The team made a sudden turn to one side and both were thrown violently to the ground, the wagon box falling upon them. Berger was not hurt but young King was instantly killed. He was 16 years old, the oldest boy of the family.

December 4—The city council of Carroll at their December meeting voted to increase the saloon licenses to $300 per year. Carroll has six saloons and should this rate continue a revenue of $1,800 will be derived from this source. It is intimated that one or two of the saloons will close rather than pay the increased license.

1879.

January 2—Rev. L. Huendling is spending a few days with his congregation in Wheatland township before going away to resume his studies.

January 8—The trustees of Eden township came before the Board of Supervisors and gave the particulars of one of the most terrible cases of suffering and destitution ever reported. Mr. Hutton, near the Newton township line, is the father of the suffering family, which consists of husband, wife and several children, the oldest 12 years, and the youngest 4 months. They live in a shanty hardly befit to shelter cattle. In it is an old stove smoking so badly that one not accustomed to it could not remain in the house. The woman had only a single thin garment, and, of the children, four were almost entirely naked. The other three had a few rags only for clothing. A pile of straw in the corner and three old blankets comprised the bedding. The babe being placed close to the fire to keep it warm had been burned, and there was a large sore upon it resulting from this cause. The necessary steps were taken to provide for this family.

January 15—According to the auditor's report it is shown that the county debt has been reduced by $10,000 during the past year, and that the whole amount remaining unpaid is not quite $40,000.

January 15—The new bell of the Presbyterian church has been placed in the steeple at a cost of $150. Since Rev. Bailey assumed the duties of the pastorate the church owed a debt of $500. Since then every dollar of the debt has been paid, and a bell purchased.

January 22—The total receipts of the Northwestern railroad at Carrol for the year just closed are $128,214.23. Cars of stock shipped, 171—an increase of 58 cars over the former year; number of cars of grain shipped as 803—an increase of 505 cars over the previous year.

January 24—Geo. R. Wendling delivered his lecture in answer to Ingersoll to one of the largest audiences ever assembled in Carroll.

March 3—A full vote attended the Carroll city election, and two tickets were in the field. Wm. Gilley was elected mayor over H. W. Macomber by a vote of 170 for Gilley to 89 for Macomber. A. E. Smith was elected recorder, and J. W. King assessor. Councilmen were elected as follows: J. E. Thompson, John McAllister, N. Beiter, D. A. Cudworth, W. L. Culbertson, W. J. Bohnenkamp.

At the city election at Glidden W. R. Ruggles was elected mayor and Wm. Buchanan, street commissioner. Trustees, Browning, Ferguson, Dickey, Harrison and Smith.

March 26—The pedestrian mania hit Carroll and a ten hour tramp was pulled off in which the contestants were Will C. Peru, Charles Holmes, Worthy Talbott, and Ed. Wayne. The match commenced at one o'clock in the afternoon, continuing until eleven o'clock at night. During the three hours Holmes and Talbott kept pretty steadily to the track, being off but five minutes each. Wayne and Peru took longer rests, which put them over a mile in the rear. At the close of ten hours Holmes was eight laps ahead of Talbott, and was the winner of the match. Peru and Wayne dropped out at the end of the eighth hour. The distance traveled by Holmes was 43 miles and eight laps. Talbott 42 miles and 37 laps.

April 2—Der Democrat Publishing association is the name of the new organization taking charge of the paper of that name. The stock holders are P. M. Guthrie, P. Berger, William Lynch, L. Keckevoet, J. Rettenmaier, J. P. Hess, Frank Florencourt, Jos. Buchheit, and several others. C. Bruning was elected president, and P. M. Guthrie vice president.

April 20—Henry Scharnweber, living four miles east of Carroll, set out a fire intending to burn off a slough. His little daughter, age six years, followed him, and ventured too near the fire when her clothes caught and the child was almost instantly wrapped in flames. Her father tried to extinguish them but without success and her death occurred shortly after the accident.

April 16—A statement of the figures shows that even if the price of produce has run lower than in previous seasons the amount of grain marketed since the first acre of the new wheat crop went forward last August exceeds the shipment of the year 1877 nearly 100 per cent. The corn crop last year was good in quality, and the amount in cribs at the stations in this county April 1st is as follows:

Arcadia ........................................................... 50,000 Bushels

Maple River ...................................................... 5,539 Bushels

Breda .............................................................. 20,000 Bushels

Glidden ......................................................... 100,000 Bushels

Carroll ........................................................... 102,000 Bushels

The figures of Odebolt give an idea of the way the country along Maple River Railroad is improving. In the past eight months that place shipped 530 cars of grain, and 69 of stock. Over 50,000 bushels of corn are cribbed there.

March 2—A special train passed over the Northwestern on board of which was a party consisting of Wm. H. Vanderbilt, his sons W. K. and Cornelius, August Schell, W. F. Scott, John Newell, general manager of the Lake Shore, Albert Keep, president of the Northwestern, and Marvin Hewitt, general manager. The special left the Wells street depot at Chicago at 7:07 Thursday morning and arrived in Council Bluffs in 11 hours and 15 minutes, thus beating the best former record by fourteen minutes.

May 21—During the past week C. R. & P. Railway Company has been engaged in the business of forcibly ejecting settlers from its lands in Audubon county. These lands were a part of the original grant to the company. After the grant was made the line of road was changed and it was claimed by many that the land was forfeited and therefore open to entry. Accordingly numerous persons in Audubon and Shelby county entered upon tracts of the land and laid claim to it under the pre-emption laws. The courts have recently decided that the land is still the property of the company, but in spite of this these settlers have refused to purchase or remove, hoping by some means to hold on. In 1877 the company built a branch road to Audubon to develop the country and add value to its lands. Finding that the claim set up by the homesteaders was obstructing their sales suits were commenced to establish title, and in every instance the courts decided in favor of the company. Writs of ejectment were issued on these decisions, and the sheriff, with a posse of fifty men, was sent out to serve them. In some instances they met with resistance. In such cases force was used and the claimants' families and household goods were removed, and the houses destroyed in order that the dispossession should be complete.

June 8—A cyclone swept over Charter Oak township in Crawford county, destroying the residence of John Edwards and severely injuring his wife. Mrs. Edwards saw the storm approaching and seizing her children attempted to run to a ravine near the house which proved to be directly in the path of the cyclone. The house was broken up by the wind, and a piece of timber struck her in the back, breaking three ribs close to the spine. The children were not injured. One chair alone was left to mark the place where the house and its contents had stood. H. C. Weed's little boy was herding cattle. His pony came home riderless in the evening. When search was made for. the boy he was found on the prairie insensible, and it was several hours before he was restored to consciousness. The boy was in a critical condition, and could give no account of himself.

June 11—The M. E. district conference is in session at Carroll.

June 18—Frank Alumbaugh, the well known temperance reformer, is conducting a series of meetings at the Presbyterian church. Alumbaugh is the most effective temperance speaker who has visited Carroll since Murphy.

July 5—Governor John H. Gear and Fred H. Lehmann of Des Moines arrived in Carroll from Sac City about daylight. Many called at the hotel to pay their respects to the distinguished visitors.

August 6—Through the enterprise of D. Joyce Carroll now has a good public hall, the upper story of the new building near the depot being devoted to that purpose. A stage extending the width of the building has been put in, with dressing rooms, etc. The hall is seated to accommodate comfortably 275 people.

August 20—The Republican representative convention for the seventy-third district, composed of Carroll, Calhoun and Greene counties, met at Glidden. On the informal ballot for representative Calhoun cast four votes for S. T. Hutchinson, Carroll five for H. W. Macomber, and Greene seven for Harvey Potter. On the sixth ballot Mr. Hutchinson received eleven votes and was nominated.

August 31—The Presbyterian church of Arcadia was dedicated in a sermon by Rev. Dennohey of Boone. Rev. T. S. Bailey presented the financial statement, showing that the cost of the building was $1,600 and of the two lots $125; that there was a deficit of from $200 to $225 which needed to be raised to put the congregation out of debt. This amount was asked for and $250 subscribed on the spot. Rev. J. H. Sammis will preach to the Arcadia and Glidden congregations. The house will seat 150 persons. Two hundred were present at the dedication.

September 20—The election to decide whether a bond issue of $12,000 should be made for the building of two school houses failed to awaken any general excitement, there being 126 votes cast, of which 106 were in favor and 20 opposed to the bonds. The new school house may be regarded as certain. The main school building on the north side of the track will not cost to exceed $11,000. On the south side a building to cost not less than $2,500 will be erected, to contain two or three rooms, and to be used for the smaller children who are now compelled to cross the track.

September 24—James Brooks, a widower of Warren township, having no family, has made his home with C. L. Christian. Tuesday of last week Christian drove to Carroll, eighteen miles, home, and on his return did not reach home that night. About 11 o'clock Brooks was aroused by a knocking at the door and supposing Christian had returned he at once opened it. As he did so a man at the side of the door shoved a dark lantern into his face and at the same instant a man on the other side jumped on him and bore him to the floor. Two other men then came in and joined in the assault. They threw Brooks upon the bed and proceeded to make a spread eagle of him by extending his hands and feet and tieing them to the four corners of the bed. They then gagged him with a handkerchief. They robbed his clothing of $54, and made a search of cupboards, trunks and everything else in the house. They found nothing that attracted their attention but a bottle of whiskey, which two of them drank. The robbers then went outside when one said, "Go and see if he is tied fast," and one came in and tried the rope. These were the only words spoken. Brooks lay on the bed until daylight, when he succeeded in releasing himself. The tracks of the robbers were found outside, and traced for about four rods in a northwesterly direction. The pocket book was found ten rods southwest, rifled of its contents, which indicated that they had doubled on their tracks. Four men resembling tramps were seen that afternoon inquiring where Christian lived, and it is inferred that these were the robbers. Brooks had recently shipped a car of wheat but had not received pay for it. If he had been paid he would have had about $500 about the house, and it is believed the robbers knew of this.

October 22—The October election as canvassed by the board of supervisors shows the election of the following officials: J. S. Hutchinson, representative; L. Bechler, sheriff; Wm. Arts, treasurer; H. E. Russell, auditor; G. W. Wattles, superintendent; M. C. Sneed, coroner; supervisors, L. C. Bailey, J. J. Overmeier, C. A. Grant.

December 25—Father W. F. Pape says mass for the last time here and will go to Langsing, in Almakee county. Father Pape came to Carroll four years ago, and leaves his people with a good church and a very comfortable priest's residence. He leaves also a large congregation, and a church building, through his management, at Arcadia, while he has also preached to the congregations at Wall Lake, Odebolt, and Ida Grove. His successor is Rev. Urbany of Langsing. Rev. John B. Fendrick of Mt. Carmel took leave of his people last Sunday and is starting on a trip to Germany.

November 27—Theodore Tilton discussed the "Problem of Life" before a large audience. Mr. Tilton was not in good voice. Wednesday, in order to reach Ida Grove in time to lecture in the evening, he traveled across the country from Onawa to Mapleton. The thermometer was twenty below and high winds swept over the prairie. Consequently he was far from his best. His lecture was scholarly, well delivered and very much appreciated.

1880.

January 7—The Methodist church in Jasper township will be dedicated Thursday, Jan. 22.

January 10—Two hundred and fifty-eight pupils are now crowded into the three rooms of the public school. The rooms are shabby, and neither large nor decently ventilated. Miss Kniest has seventy-seven in her room, Mrs. Lane sixty, and Messrs. Paul and Colclo have 121, an average of sixty-five per room.

January 24—The Dewey House at Maple River Junction, recently opened by A. Dewey was the scene of a dinner to a number of guests. The house is enjoying a prosperous business.

January 29—Elizabeth Cady Stanton lectured in Carroll to a good audience. Mrs. Stanton remained in Carroll until Wednesday afternoon, the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne. She made an earnest plea for the rights of woman to engage in any employment and to receive adequate wages.

March 3—The city election resulted: mayor, Wm. Gilley; assessor, John W. King; recorder, A. E. Smith; councilmen, L. T. Anderson, J. E. Thompson.

March 17—John W. Nye of Cedar Rapids has made arrangements to open a dry goods store in Carroll and occupy a room in Mrs. Beaty's building for the time.

N. F. Sturges has bought the drug store formerly owned by Thos. B. Reece, and will keep those quarters until a larger room can be secured.

March 20—At the election to decide whether the new school house should be on lots at the corner of Main and Sixth streets or on the hill north of town there was a lively contest, 251 votes being polled and a majority of twenty-three resulting in favor of the hill location. The Sixth street location was objected to as too close to the business portion of town.

April 16—During all of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday a terrible dust storm prevailed. The wind was extremely hot and dry and it lasted three days and nights without once letting up. Old settlers in Iowa do not remember having experienced such a period of weather.

May 3—The ceremony of laying the corner stone of the new Presbyterian church was observed Monday. The band furnished some excellent music at the opening and the choir rendered selections during the exercises. The following ministers were present: Rev. H. E. Avery, Sioux City; D. W. James, LeMars; W. S. Peterson, Dakota; G. F. LeClare, Dakota; Joshua Cook, Storm Lake; Geo. R. Carroll, Sac; D. A. Donahey, Boone; W. A. Chambers, Carroll; T. S. Bailey, Carroll. The following articles were deposited in the stone: A copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith; form book Presbyterian church; a bible, 25 cent edition; new testament, 5 cent edition; copy of the Carroll Herald, and copy of Der Democrat, a brief history of the church since its organization and a list of the members and officers.

May 12—The town authorities have issued a blacklist containing the names of several men who are not to be furnished liquor under penalty.

May 19—N. Beiter now occupies his new building where he has opened up one of the finest meat markets in western Iowa. The building is a two story brick with basement.

July 7—Whether the railroad from the Northwestern road running south will be built from Carroll or some other point is not yet decided. It is settled that the company proposes to build if granted the right of way. In Calhoun county where an extension was made the right of way was given and five per cent tax voted in addition. Marvin Hewitt, manager of the Northwestern railroad, has telegraphed Mr. Manning that unless this much can be done for the road it will not be built this year. If the right of way is given the work of building the southern line will begin about the first of August.

July 14—The census enumeration of 1880 gives Carroll a population of 1386; Maple River, 128, and Carroll township, outside of Carroll, 568. It may be safely said that the population of Carroll county will reach 12,500; in 1870 the population was 2,451, and ten years ago the population of Carroll was 384. Pleasant Valley township and Grant are not enumerated in the figures now at hand.

August 11—Crop reports from various sections of the county indicate that the wheat average will reach 20 bushels per acre in the county. The quality is excellent, and weighs out from one to two bushel more per acre than the machine measure. Andrew Gifford of Carroll township reports 24 bushels to the acre. Wm. Knight, on the Winnett farm, reports 30 bushel to the acre. Wm. Gilley's farm produced 21 bushels. Mr. Bangs of Glidden writes that W. R. Ruggles is threshing wheat from the shock which will go from 27 to 30 bushels to the acre. The first carload of the season was shipped from the Ruggles' lot.

September 5—The new Presbyterian church at Carroll was dedicated Sunday, the 5th inst. The church is one of the oldest Protestant organizations in Carroll. In 1874 the building of a house of worship first took definite shape. A subscription was raised, and a year later the building which stood until last year was completed and finished. Unfortunately there was an indebtedness left unprovided for which increased during the next two years. When Rev. Bailey became pastor in 1878 he found the church carrying an indebtedness of $700. This he discharged during his first year. Upon the destruction of the church after the fire few members expected that the house of worship would ever be re-built. The new church is due to the activity of the pastor. Among contributors to the building are Field, Leiter & Co., $50; J. V. Farwell & Co., 50; Hibbard Spencer & Co., $25; Wm. Blair & Co., $25; Keith Bros., $25; C. M. Henderson & Co., $25; Fuller & Fuller, $25; McCormick Machine Co., $25; Pitkin & Brooks, $25, and many others, making up a Chicago subscription amounting to $535. The building was designed by Wm. Foster, the Des Moines architect. The auditorium will seat 150, class room 40, and gallery 50, making a total of 290 seats. The sermon was preached by Rev. H. E. Avery from the text, 7th verse, 12th chapter of Genesis, "And there builded he an altar unto the Lord." The financial statement shows the cost of the church to have been $4,199.00. It was dedicated out of debt.

Sept. 11—Saturday morning at one o'clock the hardware store of Peterson Bros. at Arcadia was found in flames, and the fire so far advanced that there was no possibility of saving the building. It stood on the north side of the principal business street, and in a row of closely built wooden buildings, practically one structure as far as fire was concerned. A strong wind from the south fanned the flames and threatened many buildings lying north of the fated wooden row. One thing was favorable—the buildings were somewhat damp on account of recent heavy rains. The flames spread from the Patterson store to the east and west. To the west there was one building, while to the east there were nine or ten before a street intervened. The wooden row was entirely destroyed, but the buildings north were not harmed. They were saved by hard work, together with a number of dwellings and the Presbyterian and Lutheran churches. The cause of the fire is not known, but there is strong suspicion of incendiarism, with no definite evidence. A man who had been discharged from the employ of the hardware store is said to have made threats. The following is a summary of the insurance companies having losses with the aggregate so far as ascertained:

Total damage by fire is about $25,000.

The list of losses is as follows: Peterson's hardware store, Fey restaurant, Neiman & Gamrer, L. S. Stow's drug store and the postoffice. In the postoffice the mails and furniture were saved. McDuval's agricultural implement house; T. Lopman, Mr. Miness, C. H. Westbrook, drug store; J. N. Voris, general store; F. A. Charles, attorney; the Cooke building, dwelling house and a small stable on the premises of B. C. Agnew.

September 15—G. W. Wattles, county superintendent, in a letter concerning the schools says that the compensation of teachers in the county is less than that of almost any other class of workers. The average price per month paid the teachers of Carroll county for the year 1878 was $27.

October 13—A meeting of the Sunday school association was held at the M. E. church, Glidden, the 13th, with delegates present from six townships, representing 12 schools. Officers were chosen: President Rev. T. S. Bailey; Vice President J. J. Coder, Glidden; W. A. Welker, Jasper; Mrs. J. W. Kay Carrollton; secretary and treasurer H. S. Fisher.

October 16—The fire machine purchased by the city council arrived. It is called the Champion, and is a large sized Babcock extinguisher on wheels. A bon fire of kerosene boxes was built and it put the flames out in a very short time. The price paid was $900. The machine is easily handled.

Nov. 3—One of the notable improvements of the year is the new school building now so far completed as to be ready for use. The basement is large enough to accommodate an extensive heating plant, and is so arranged that perfect ventilation is secured and all poisonous gas discharged. It is not possible to put steam heat in the building this fall. Five teachers are now employed in the pubilc schools: Mrs. Lane, Miss Kniest and Miss Brainard on the first floor, Mr. Paul and Mr. Colclo on the second floor.

Nov. 3—A fair given by the ladies of the Catholic church was financially the most successful ever held in Carroll. The gross proceeds arc $1,500 and a profit of $1,380 was made on the entertainment.

BurkE's Hotel, CARROLL

German Bank, Carroll

mAIN STREET, COON RAPIDS

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