Iowa Old Press
THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
August 1, l905
A VISIT TO THE OLD TOWN. Although "There's
a Change in the Things That I Loved" The Herald Man Finds It
the Same Old Riverton
A week ago we drove across the country to Riverton. Beautiful
Iowa is now at the zenith of her loveliness, which shows no
decline for a period of about three months. When one drives
across the Nishnabotna valley at this season of the year he can
readily understand why it has been compared in point of fertility
to the far famed valley of the Nile.
"Beyond the smoke and
noise of town
.The tasseled cornfields lie.
And harvest fields of golden hue
.Delight the roving eye.
The summer winds with rich perfume
.Through flow'ry meadows roam.
While all the boundless countryside
Prepares for harvest home."
It seems a pity that the trees which once fringed the river
banks, forming and endless panorama of beautiful scenes, must
fall unpitied victims before the woodman's axe. A large drove of
fine cattle grazed peacefully on the bottom east of the river.
The ditch dug by the dredge boat as a new channel for the east
river follows along the railroad track near Riverton, but the
river has not yet learned to travel the new road. Some say the
ditch will fill up and won't work; but we are inclined to believe
that Dave Rankin knew what he was about when he dug that ditch.
It probably will fill up--when the river fills it with water.
The greatest improvement in Riverton are the new cement walks
which have been put down on the Main street and also in many
other quarters. This is a wise and enterprising move. We were in
town on Saturday afternoon, the streets were filled with people
and the merchants were busy waiting on customers. Riverton has
quite a number of good stores. The Kidd Mercantile Co., Meek
& Morgan, Smith & Sherlock, Parkison & Sons, Ol.
Story. L. Yordy, Harry Swanson, Nort Cochran, Alber & Kish
and A. T. Wheeler are some of the leading firms. There are two
excellent hotels. The City Hotel kept by Fred Hayes, and the
Gladstone which is under the mangement of Jim Cowles.Then there
are three restaurants and other eating places, so that no one
need go hungry.
Dr. S. C. Hatton was doing all kinds of business. He made a trip
to Sidney in the forenoon and was on the jump all the afternoon.
Dr. Cowger is taking life easier than he used to. He makes his
partner, young Dr. Kessell do most of the work now, and he is an
A-1 young man, too.
Uncle Billy Roberts, who was mayor and justice of the peace for
about 25 years, has retired--even from whittling. He said his
health is no good, but he can crack his quaint jokes just as well
as he ever could. He says he was back on his subscription, but
never intended to pay it. He said he went to John Thornton once
and told him to stop sending him the Farragut Sentinel because he
wasn't able to pay for it. Old John roared out: "What the
_____ business is it of yours what I do with my paper?" and
kept on sending it.
Wilhelm Mayer (vulgarly known as Billy Myers) still looks after
the political welfare of the country.
"Butch Tom" is still on deck, along with a few others
of the old guard.
Skeet still comes to town occasionally.
The sheriff had just taken a couple of Riverton's citizen's over
to Sidney. Mart Byrd said it was because Sidney was jealous of
Riverton owing to the fact that the latter place had increased in
population while the former had not quite held its own.
Harry Hoon has bought the Williams barber shop, and has come back
to live once more among his old associates. He is a first-class
barber.
Prof. C. V. Frazier is preparing to move to Nodaway, where he has
been elected principal of the school for next year. Clem is one
of the brightest and best boys that Riverton ever turned out, and
any town is fortunate in getting him for a citizen.
C.E.A. Smith of the United States navy is home on a two week's
leave of absence. He has been connected with the navy for two
years, holding a clerkship on the Columbia, a protected cruiser
of 8000 tons, one of the two triple screw vessels of the navy.
The young man is the oldest son of Mayor E. Smith.
Dan Beam, our old friend and political adversary, is making a
game fight against the rider of the pale horse. He thinks he's
getting the upper hand, and his grit ought to pull him through if
anything can. Dan used to be a champion in a rough and tumble
arguement. He was hardly ever knocked out, for " e'en though
vanquished he could argue still' ". But he did get worsted
one day in Wes Cowles' store when he tackled Uncle Johnny
Carroll. Dan, thinking to have a little sport at the expense of
the little old Irishman, asked: "Uncle Johnny, can you tell
me why nearly all the Irish vote the democratic ticket?"
"Because be G_d they're jintlemen and min o' good
judgement," was the ready and pointed answer of Uncle
Johnny, which turned the laugh on his opponent and drove him in
hopeless defeat from the field.
One time honored custom is still in vogue in Riverton. The young
people go down to the depot on Sunday evenings to see the train
come in. Sometimes about all the young folks in town are there.
It is a sort of a weekly picnic.
Many of the older residents who have gone away to other
localities will recall many pleasant scenes around the old depot
when the lads and lasses met there together on the pleasant
summer evenings of long ago.
The same old depot, as old as the town, still stands.
Its sashes are seamed and
its lintels are gashed
With the jackknives of twenty long years.
And the eves where the wings of the swallow once flashed
Seemed touched with a kinship of tears.
The old house looms up like a ghost in the gale,
And gibbers and groans in the blast,
And shrieks with a weird and a weariless wail
Of the dim, irrretreavable past.
On sweet Sabbath eve 'twas a rare trysting place
.For the youth in years long passed away;
Still, still it looks down with its kindly old face
On the boys and the girls of today.
Death of Mrs. James Torpy. Mrs. James Torpy
died Sunday morning at the home of her parents. J. W. Jackson and
wife. The funeral took place at the M. E. church at 10 o'clock
this morning conducted by Rev. E. Hill. Interment was made in the
Sidney cemetery.
Sudden Death at Pendleton A telegram was
received Friday telling of the death at Pendleton, Oregon, of A.
J. Howard, the husband of Arminta Wilson, a daughter of T. J.
Wilson, of this city. Mr. Howard had been at work Thursday and
died very suddenly that night. The interment was at Portland,
Oregon. No further particulars are at hand.
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THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
August 4, l905
SUNDAY SCHOOL CONVENTION
The Sunday school convention and picnic at Knox last Tuesday was
attended by a large crowd and was a success in every way. Four
Sunday schools were represented, each sending good delegations.
The schools were Knox, Grand View, 'Possum Valley, and Walnut
Grove. The program which was an excellent one was given in the
church and the picnic dinner in the adjoining grove. The paper by
Mr. L.D. Cargel, and the address by Rev. Hill and Rev. Keyser,
and J.T. Harris and others were especially good. An interesting
feature of the convention was the talk given by William Rector
who settled here in 1848. He spoke on the origin and early
history of Sunday schools in Fremont county. A township
organization was effected with L.E. Holloway, president; Fremont
Morse, secretary; John Smith, treasurer. Each Sunday school in
the township is expected to furnish one member of the executive
board. Those so far elected are: L.D. Cargel, of Walnut Grove;
Mrs. Ben Worcester, of Grand View; J.T. Harris, of 'Possum
Valley; Will Mitzner, of Knox. It was an enthusiastic meeting.
Good interest was manifested and all the Sunday schools were
reported in a prosperous condition. Rev. M.F. Campbell, the
county missionary, is proving a first-class man for the place. He
is a worker and is accomplishing much good for the cause in which
he labors.
Wife and Mother Called
Mrs. James Torpy died at the home of her parents J. W. Jackson
and wife in this city on Sunday, July 30, at 7 p.m. Bertha
Jackson was born at Lacy Grove northwest of Sidney, September 30,
1901. Since then she has lived with her husband on a farm near
Randolph. Last fall she contracted a very severe cold from which
she never recovered, but which developed into quick consumption.
In spite of all that could be done for her she gradually grew
worse until about five weeks ago when she was brought to the home
of her parents in Sidney where her life closed last Sunday. When
sixteen years of age she was converted and joined the Methodist
church of which she has ever since been a faithful adherent.
Throughout her long sickness she was a model of patience and was
never heard to complain. Besides her husband and aged parents she
leaves a number of brothers and sisters, and two little girls,
the older three, and the younger two years old. It is this latter
circumstance which makes the death of Mrs. Torpy a peculiarly sad
one, and the heartfelt sympathy of our people is extended to the
bereaved ones in their sorrow. The funeral services were held
Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the M. E. church, being conducted by Rev.
E. Hill in the presence of a large number of sorrowing relatives
and friends which filled the church. Interment was made in the
Sidney cemetery.
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THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
August 11, l905
HAS MISSOURI SYMPTOMS.
When Lot Brown was down exploring the remote corners of Missouri
last May, he saw the natives planting corn. They carried the seed
in their breeches pockets, dropped it by hand and covered it with
a hoe. Lot told them how the farmers in Fremont county planted
corn, how much they raised, the number of bushels one man (like
Ora Hopkins) could husk in a day, and the price Henry Ross got
for one ear. Brown was very popular among the Missouri Jamiesons,
but he left there branded as the most monumental liar who ever
struck that region. Now, anyone who knows Lot, knows that he
would be the last man
to exaggerate in a little thing of that kind. If Brother
Jamieson, of the Shenandoah World, is a Missourian, as some
things in his paper would seem to indicate,we would like for him
to come over to a good county and see what we have to show him.
If he should come, the burden of his song will be hereafter,
"The half has never been told."
[submitted by W.F., Aug. & Nov. 2003]