Iowa
Old Press
Daily Iowa State Press
Iowa City, Iowa
November 9, 1903
The marriage of Murray Hoag and Miss Louise Tyson took place last
week in Emmetsburg, the bride's home. They will reside in Thief
River Falls, Minn., where the groom, not long ago a College of
Law man, is practicing. Friends will wish them joy.
[submitted by C.J.L., Nov. 2003]
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Iowa State Press
Iowa City, Johnson co. Iowa
November 13, 1903
Death of Member of Famous War Band
William Henry Harrison Reddick, one of the seven survivors of
what is declared to be the most heroic and tragic of episodes of
the civil war, "Andrews' Railroad Raid," died at his
home in Seventy-six township, Muscatine county, Monday, after
twelve days' illness, during which time he suffered a
complication of diseases.
Mr. Reddick's name goes down in the history of the United States
as one of a party of twenty-four men who undertook what has been
styled by a confederate journal as "the deepest laid scheme
and on the grandest scale, that ever emanated from the brains of
any number of Yankees combined."
He, with twenty-three other brave union soldiers, stole a train
in the heart of the enemy's country and, pursued by a locomotive
in the hands of rebel soldiers, made a magnificent attempt to
raid a railroad from Atlanta to Chattanooga, to tear down
telegraph communication, bridges and in fact to leave a waste of
devastation behind them that would change the entire aspect of
the war in the south and southwest. The expedition was a failure,
but it "showed what a handful of brave men would
undertake" in America in the days when they were fighting
for the preservation of the union.
The undertaking is known in history as "Andrews' Railroad
Raid," and hundreds of pages have been written by historians
and by some of the survivors, all of which, in simple,
unembellished style, is a monument to the bravery of William
Reddick and his companions and leader, that will live forever.
To Mr. Reddick and his companions who survived the raid, congress
awarded medals of honor and one of these prizes tells the
appreciation of a nation for the men who helped to preserve it.
The Big Fire at Albia - Loss of $300,000 Falls Heavily
Upon the Thriving Little City
Albia, Ia. Nov. 13 - Circumstances point almost conclusively to
the operation of a gang of incendiaries in this town and possibly
other places in this section of the state. The fact that the two
fires were started simultaneously in the richest and most
inflammable district of this city is of itself a suspicious
circumstance. Then, too, comes the news that Maryville, eleven
miles from here, had a fire last night which destroyed three
stores and two residences, and that Buxton also had a disastrous
conflagration. The fires occurred when the wind was blowing forty
miles an hour and great embers were borne by the wind for several
hundred yards.
Albia, Ia. Nov. 13 - With two fires raging at once, fanned by a
terrific gale, Albia's best business section was laid waste
yesterday and did not cease until $300,000 damage had been
wrought. From midnight until well toward noon the two fires raged
furiously, and it was not until long after daylight that they
were actually got under control. The two local fire engines were
reinforced by one from Chariton, but they were utterly powerless
to combat the flames, supported by the heavy wind.
The first fire started in the basement of Love's dry goods store.
No one knows how it started and it was blazing rapidly when
discovered. It destroyed everything in its path for a half block
north from the southwest corner of the square. Two dry goods
stores, one grocery store, a bank, a cigar factory and a law
office were wiped out.
Within a short time after the discovery of this fire, another
alarm was received from the big lumber yard two blocks north of
the square. This fire was the fiercer of the two and did not stop
until the lumber yard, livery barn and a number of residences for
one block in either direction were a mass of ruins. The losses so
far as can be estimated, follow:
Strasburg & Van Berbeer, dry goods .. $40,000
Love's dry goods .. $17,500
Harris Bros' grocery .. $6,000
Albia State bank .. $5,000
Johnson's drug store .. $10,000
Tobey & Beckman, cigars .. $2,000
Odd Fellows' hall .. $3,000
Clarkson's law office and part of library .. $1,500
Hawkeye Lumber company .. $40,000
People's Livery barn .. $1,500
Harry Cramer's residence .. $5,000
Residences and smaller buildings .. $140,000
The destruction of the residence properties that were burned was
a foregone conclusion long before the flames reached them and for
that reason the occupants were not only able to get out of danger
themselves, but also, in most cases, able to save their
belongings.
Albia has long felt secure in the ownership of two steam fire
engines, but they proved feeble enough indeed in the face of
fires such as those last night. A frantic appeal was sent to
surrounding towns for aid, but Chariton was the only one able to
get an engine to the scene in time to be of assistance. The fire
caused the greatest excitement ever known here. As it raged for
eight or nine hours, every one had an opportunity to attire
himself and rush to the scene. Even farmers were attracted from
several miles by the flames and swelled the multitude of watchers
and fire-fighters.
Persons owning property in the flame-swept district were in a
frenzy and as some of them saw their last earthly possession go
up in smoke they became objects of extreme pity in their misery.
A relief movement has already been started to relieve the more
pressing needs.
Two Portraits Given Aldrich.
Des Moines, Nov 13 - The state historical department is to be the
recipient of two splendid oil paintings, done by Freeman Thorpe
of Hubert, Minn., late of Washington, D.C. The one is ex-Governor
Larrabee, painted expressly for the Iowa hall of history; the
other is of ex-Speaker David B. Henderson. Mr. Thorpe was in Des
Moines yesterday and showed the portraits to some friends at the
hall of history. The portrait of ex-Speaker Henderson has been
painted for the national house of representatives where it will
be placed in the list of speakers of the house. Mr. Thorpe will
paint another one for the Iowa department of history, which will
be added to the list of distinguished Iowans wich Mr. Aldrich has
gathered together in the art gallery. Both portraits are spirited
pieces of workmanship, the one of ex-Speaker Henderson standing
out in bold relief while the portrait of ex-Governor Larrabee is
rich in life and happy in its color tone.
Left Children and Home
Cedar Falls, Iowa, Nov 13 - "My Dear Children." A scrap
of paper bearing above words is the only message left by Mrs.
Jacob Decker, aged 30, who last night left home and husband after
putting her five children to bed, tucking bed clothes around them
and kissing them good night. She lived on a farm northwest of
Finchford. The husband ws milking when his wife left home. He
searched all last night in vain and fears she has gone to the
river, half a mile away. It is said they quarreled over a sack of
flour yesterday, but the report is denied. It is thought she
started to write a message to her children, but was interrupted
and fled, leaving only the address.
Local News Items
-The Hawthorn Novelty company has nearly completed its fine new
building.
-Charles D. Morgan of Los Angeles, Cal., is in the city, greeting
old friends and visiting at the Culver home. Mrs. Culver is quite
ill.
-Dr. H.C. Dorcas delivered an interesting and instructive address
yesterday afternoon before the students of Miss Irish's business
college.
-The Knights of Pythias last night initiated Ernest H. Ross with
appropriate solemnities and festivities.
-William Horrabin is in the city looking after his big paving
contract.
-Thomas J. Stevenson of Sioux City is visiting relatives and
numerous old friends in Iowa City.
Oxford Incidents
-J.L. Edwards one of our aged and respected citizens narrowly
escaped being seriously injured Wednesday. He was engaged in
tearing down an old shed when the roof of the structure
unexpectedly fell upon him, bruising him up considerabley. Had
the entire weight fell upon him the results would have been
fatal, as it was a very heavy roof.
News Notes from Solon.
-Coon hunting is the rage now and the hunters have not been
shooting in vain for several have been killed in the past week.
-Word came to Solon Wednesday of the sudden death by the rupture
of a blood vessel of Mrs. Slaby. She was working about the house
when the rupture occurred and died within five minutes. The blood
vessel was an artery in the leg. The funeral will take place from
the home today or tomorrow.
-Mr. and Mrs. Fred Haase arrived home from their visit in Europe
since last April on Monday. They report a very pleasant visit
among old friends and neighbors in the Vaderland but are glad to
get back to their adopted home in Iowa. Mr. Haase says he has not
seen any place that pleases him so well to live in as Iowa and he
expects to remain here duing his life.
Goes West to Wed Lover.
Ft. Dodge, Ia. Nov 12 - Miss Mary Sharp of Humboldt, and fomerly
a resident of this city, left on Monday evening for Stanford,
Cal., where a unique romance will be culminated when she is
wedded to Mr. Frank Skelley, paymaster in the United States army
stationed at San Francisco, where Miss Sharpe was visiting
friends and where Mr. Skelley was stationed. The love affair
developed and when Miss Sharpe returned east he was to have
returnedlater and they were to have been married. Official duties
have made a leave of absence impossible even until the present
time, when word came that Mr. Skelley had been ordered to the
Philippines, when the difficulty was overcome by the bride going
to California where the bridegroom was stationed. They will spend
their honeymoon in the Philippines, whither he has been ordered,
leaving on December 1st.
[transcribed by S.F., August 2009]