Iowa Old Press
THE FREMONT COUNTY SUN
July 6, 1905
Thurman
Price Thacker died last week at is home in Pleasant Valley. He
was nearly 79 years old.
[submitted by W.F. April 2004]
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THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
July 4, 1905
CLIMBS TO TOP OF PIKE'S PEAK
Colorado Springs, Colo. June 26, 1905-
Editor Herald:
Agreeable to promise I send you a few lines. Last week we decided
to climb Pike's Peak, so on Saturday afternoon after donning
proper apparel we started. We took a car to Manitou and arrived
there at 2:30. At 2:45 we started for the Peak via the cog line
tracks.
Although it was pretty hard walking we made good time and reached
the half-way house, which in reality is only about one-third of
the way up, at 4:10. We had coffee and milk to wash down our
lunch here, and I spilled ten cents of coffee on myself.
After resting about three-quarters of an hour we resumed our
climb and in a short time met the train coming down. I took a
picture of it but I haven't had it finished yet so I do not know
how it will be. We plodded on and soon met a party coming down;
there was woman and two men and they were about "all
in". A little further on we met two fellows, one had eaten a
sardine sandwich at the summit and that with the exertion and the
high altitude had made him deathly sick.
Here some fellows passed us going down, they had gloves and
balanced themselves on a flat rock which they had placed on the
rail; it certainly beat walking. On a little further we caught up
with a young fellow whose partner had gotten disgusted, turned
around and went back. He went on with us and at 6:40 we passed
timber line, we had reached snow quite a while before and had had
our first June snow fight.
A terrific wind was blowing and it was cold as winter, which in
fact it was where we were, the snow being six and eight feet high
on both sides of the track, but we kept a "goin' ".
About this time my hat blew off and I had a hard chase across the
mountain after it. There was stone house close by and some girls
clapped their hands when they saw me returning with the rescured
hat. They gave us the cheeeful information that the Peak was only
two miles further on.
We plodded on and 7:30 we reached a house filled with sacks of
cement. The door was open and we went in, out of the wind. After
a ten minute rest, we started on and by frequent rests and hard
climbing we reached the summitt house at 8:40. We rested about
half an hour and then started back right in the teeth of an ice
gale. Coming down we met five different parties and one man all
going up for the sunrise. There was one party, Englishmen, one
had on a straw hat and among other questions wanted to know if it
was jolly cold on the Peak, and said the climb was "jolly
'ard hon me."
At 1:30 we reached Manitou, too late for a car to the Springs, so
there was nothing for it but walk a distance of about eight
miles. We reached home at 5 a.m., tired? (Oh, no?) and footsore.
I only vomited once during the trip but with that exception, I
stood the trip fine and beyond a few sore places am feeling fine
today.--MEARL HATTEN.
[submitted by W.F. April 2004]
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THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
July 7, 1905
A Family Picnic
A family picnic was held at the pleasant home of J. F. Stephens
in the south part of town Wednesday. The gathering was held in
honor of Mrs. Stephens' sister, Mrs. Brown and three sons, of
Kansas City. Those present were C. S. Palm and family, Mrs. C. A.
Piper and two children, all of Farragut; Thomas and George
Larimore of Webb City, Mo; and J. W. Stephens and family living
southeast of town. Grandma Keller, the oldest member present is
now past eighty-six, but still young in heart and enjoyed seeing
her children, grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
In Her New Office
Dr. Alice E. Burton is now cosily located in her pleasant office
rooms over the Hodges, Goy & Co. store, north side of the
square. Dr. Burton is a competent physician, a graduate of the
medical department of Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill. She
has been engaged in the practice of medicine for nearly two years
in Sidney, and before that practiced for over three years in
Mason City, Iowa. In addition to this she has had much experience
in the hospitals and sanitariums of Chicago and other places, and
last winter took a post graduate course in Chicago. The extent of
her practice thus far is very encourgaging.
Shenandoah World Has A Spasm
We would like to see that Dr. S. C. Hatton, of Riverton, who
writes a lot of the news of that section which we steal from
George Waterman's Sidney paper. He is a dandy. He called Saturday
and Sunday bicycle riders--"scorchers"; said that the
Great Western employees Sundayed in Riverton--this included
President Stickney and all the section men, we presume; he says
he's not going to keep on praying until rain comes--which shows
that he is not a very good democrat, because a good democrat
won't stop praying even when it pours; they must violate the
fourth commandment in their drinking down there, for he says many
deep inspirations took place in Riverton and adjacent country
Sunday evening--maybe he saw somebody kissing an old maid; he
says that none of their corn grew for it is simply " out of
sight;" that Chas. Randall is using his hired men for
brooms, for he "made a clean sweep of his hands
Saturday;" he said it was "funny" that some fellow
broke into Uncle James Cross's house and stole a gold watch, but
we bet that Uncle Jim doesn't see the joke; he doesn't like Darby
of the Herald very well because he invites him to come
again "when the frost is on the pumpkin," but this is
such a long ways off that it makes it a chily invatation--it
would seem that Darby would have plenty of time in the meantime
to get married; and then he winds up by calling himself
"Uncle Fuller"--if we had an uncle that would get much
fuller than this genial M. D. correspondent seems we would ship
him over to the repubs. Doc says he weighs 192 pounds and that he
doesn't expect to come back from heaven. Keep on Doc--we hope you
have a lot more inspirations.--Shenandoah World.
[submitted by W.F. Aug. 2003]
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THE FREMONT COUNTY HERALD
July 14, 1905
MYSTERIOUS MISTER PHIPPS. Many Marks of
Resemblance Lead Some To Believe Him to Be the Father of
Illustrious "Coal Oil John."
Some excitement was caused in our sister town of Farragut last
week by the appearance of a number of newspaper correspondents,
representing some of the leading dailies of the country. They
came seeking the father of John D. Rockefeller. An article by Ida
M. Tarbell, of McClure's Magazine for July contains the statement
that the father of the oil magnate, now near ninety years of age,
is living in Iowa. A month ago an eastern Iowa man visited this
section and carried home the report that John D. Rockefeller's
father lived in Shenandoah. Then came the reporters with their
notebook and kodaks, and pounced upon John M. Phipps, of Fisher
township, in the eatern part of this county, as the object of
their search. What kind of a portrait did Miss Tarbell furnish of
the senior Rockefeller? She says: "William A. Rockefeller
was a tall and powerful man with keen straightforward eyes, a man
in whom strength, and fearlessness and joy in life, unfettered by
education or love of decency, ran riot. This type is familiar
enought in every farming settlement, the type of the country
sport, who hunts, fishes, gambles, races horses and carouses in
the low and mean ways which the country alone affords. He owned a
costly rifle, and was famous as a shot. He was a dare devil with
horses. He had no trade--spurned the farm. Indeed he had all the
vices save one,--he never drank. He was a famous trickster, too;
when he first reached Richford he is said to called himself a
peddler--a deaf and dumb peddler, and for some time he actually
succeeded in making his acquaintances write out their remarks to
him on a slate. He used to go off on long trips--peddling trips
some said. Later he became known as a quack doctor, and his
absences were supposed to be spent selling a medicine he
concocted himself." She says he was suspected of being
connected with a gang of horse thieves and three of his close
pals were sent to the state prison for that crime. Continuing,
Miss Tarbell says: "There is an indictment against William
A. Rockefeller for a more serious crime than horse stealing, and
it is quite probable that he left Moravia, (N.Y.) under
compulsion." Thus it will be seen that the old reprobate
would have good and abundant reasons to conceal his identity
under an assumed name in new pastures. Does John M. Phipps answer
to the description given in this portrait? He is ninety four
years old. It is said that he bears a striking resemblance to the
published pictures of John D. Rockefeller. He came here over
thirty years ago, and there is a closed chapter to his life which
is shrouded in the deepest mystery. Those who know him say that
there are many points of resemblance in his history and that of
William A. Rockefeller. He is uneducated and can barely read, yet
it is said that he is the sharpest, shrewdest man in southwestern
Iowa. He is wealthy, but so close mouthed that no one knows the
extent of his possessions. He owns land in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas
and Oklahoma, but you can't get anything out of him about
it." He is a Congregationalist and is always at church on a
front seat. He is a constant, but not a liberal giver--giving
perhaps ten dollars where others give a hundred. He is queer and
old fashioned in his ways, but not unsociable. He is inclined to
be slow about paying his debts, but will pay when he has to.
While people often "cuss" him, they say he has really
no enemies around his home town, Farragut. He has a twin brother
in Oklahoma, and this brother who has visited here claims to be
104 years old. When talking to Neal Jones, the Des Moines
News reporter, the old man became very inquisitive and asked
a dozen questions, eyeing the reporter closely. Those who know
Phipps say that they will warrant he found out more about the
reporter's business than the latter found out about him or his
business. There is a mystery surrounding both men, but the
question, Is Phipps Old Bill Rockfeller? is still unanswered. The
concensus of opinion seems to be that he is not. He has a wife
and two sons.
[submitted by W.F. Aug. 2003]
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THE FREMONT COUNTY SUN
July 27, 1905
Local News
- Mr. and Mrs. John Hawkes of Creston are visiting this week with
the latter's father, W. W. Morgan. Mr. Hawkes is now engineer on
the main line, but fvormerly had charge of an engine on the
branch.
- Rev. E. Dickinson closes his ninth year, Sunday, as pastor of
the Presbyterian church.
- Miss Ethel Williams came over from Tabor this morning to visit
at the home of her brother, Roscoe. She will leave Saturday for
Oktaha, I. T. where she has accepted a position as bookkeeper for
a large wholesale and retail firm.
- R. L. Estes and F. E. Morgan returned Monday from a week's
outing at Eureka kSprings, Arkansas...They had a pleasant time
and believe that the sixty springs located at that point are very
beneficial to health.
F.J. Dunn Surprised
Last Monday evening a very pleasant surpise was given to Mr. F.
J. Dunn and family of Prairie township, when a number of vehicles
drove up to his place just as the lights were extinguished and
the family were retiring. A jolly crown soon took possession of
the house and if Mr. and Mrs. Dunn had any misgivings of the
invasion, they were surely very successful in hiding it. The
evening (which reached well into the night) was made to pass very
quickly by listening to good violin and piano music and a number
of recitations, also in a social good time and last but by no
means least by being seated at a long and nicely decorated table
well filled with ice cream and cake which the good housewives
present had brought. There were about forty-five guests present,
and all will long remember Mr. Dunn's as an ideal place to spend
a pleasant evening. Those present were A. A. Bopp, Will Coffey,
F. E. Dunn, Charles Hampton, Stanley Hopkins, Henry Spittler and
Robert Taylor, all with their families. Also Robert Thomas, Mrs.
Lottie Durfey, Miss Sarah Means, Miss Zella Means, Irvin Means;
also H. C. Taylor of Hamburg, who is an old time wielder of the
fiddler bow.
[submitted by W.F. Oct. 2003]