Iowa Old Press
The Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa
Thursday, August 27, 1896
A sad story is told in the petition for divorce in which Mary
Thompson is plaintiff and Peter Thompson, of Corning, defendant.
The couple was married September 17, 1878, and resided on a farm
in Pleasant Township. When they were married they began
housekeeping on a 40 acre farm, which was encumbered by a
mortgage. By hard work and perseverance they managed to become
owners of 160 acres and stocked it with fine stock. The couple
had both been married before and both had children. Thompson’s
children grew up away from home, but they returned the other day.
They did not take kindly to their stepmother and finally drove
her away, barefooted, poorly clothed and penniless. She went to
the poor house, where she has since been. She asks for $2,000
alimony and $300 attorney’s fees.
August Jansen of Marshalltown, a night employee at the glucose
works, was injured at his home Friday, while engaged in cutting
kindling wood with an ax. A clothe line stretched across the yard
back, of where he was standing was the cause of the accident, the
ax being caught in the rope while Jansen was holding it in the
act of striking and causing it to fall. The instrument struck him
squarely on the forehead over the right eye and cutting a severe
gash about three inches long and clear to the bone.
Hawkeye Happenings
Britt is to have electric lights.
Grundy Center has a new electric light plant.
Ex-Congressman, Kerr publicly announces himself for free sliver.
Mt. Pleasant is arresting bicyclists for riding upon the
siedwalks.
The old settlers’ gathering at Mt. Pleasant was interfered
with by rain.
J. F. Bivin of Des Moines is preparing to start a free sliver
daily in that city.
The Henry County normal has just closed a highly successful
meeting at Mt. Pleasant.
Senator Gear was the prominent speaker at the Ft. Madison
settlers’ meeting yesterday.
The Sunday schools of Osceola County will assemble in a general
rally at Sibley on September 10.
The city council at Rock Rapids has let the contract and work has
commenced on a new jail building.
B. F. Paisley, a farmer living near Estherville, killed himself
with dynamite. He is supposed to have been insane.
Lightening struck the barn of Isaac Grant, a well-to-do farmer
near Fairfield, completely destroying it and its contents.
Z. T. Pointer has begun suit for $5,000 against the city of Des
Moines for injuries sustained by falling on a defective sidewalk.
The office of the Green Bay Lumber Co. at Maquokota was entered
by burglars recently and several hundred dollars worth of notes
taken.
Thos. Collins and John Carron of Des Moines while intoxicated
fell through a glass front. They were arrested charged with
malicious mischief.
Robert White of Hillsboro was so badly stung while working with
bees that he became unconscious and medical assistance had to be
summoned.
Brigadier General J. E. Taylor, formerly of Burlington, is dead
at Knoxville, Iowa. He entered the service in 1861 with the
commission of lieutenant.
The taxing authorities at Des Moines are making strenuous efforts
to cut down the levies for the coming year and relieve citizens
of burdens that are severely felt.
James Taylor of Rome while drawing a bucket of water from an open
well, fell heal first into the water. Luckily he was uninjured
and was unable to extricate himself.
Charles Kendall, 11 years old, of Ottumwa, was drowned while
bathing in the Des Moines River. He sank before his companions
could reach him. The body has not yet been recovered.
Charles Smith and his wife of Marshalltown while driving recently
were struck by a rapidly moving electric car and both were quite
seriously hurt and the buggy completely demolished.
The hardware and grocery store of J. Stoodt at Wiota was
burglarized and small wares and cutlery taken to the value of
some $35 or $40. The thieves entered by cutting the glass from a
rear window.
In the case of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul road vs. O’Brian
County, an action involving swamp land title, tried before
Register Evans of the land office, a decision was rendered for
the railroad company.
Capt. Fuller Smith, an old and well known pilot on the upper
Mississippi, was stricken with apoplexy while at the wheel of the
Verne Swain while crossing from Davenport to Rock Island. He will
recover.
Contractors recently began to erect a sanctuary at Dubuque for
the Independent German Presbyterian church. It will be a neat
frame structure and will be completed in six weeks. The church
starts with about fifty members.
Ernst Wuench, who lives northeast of Elkport, while returning
home from Guttenberg with a load of lumber recently, was thrown
forward on the whiffletrees and his neck was cut in such a manner
that his recovery is doubtful.
While thrashing on a farm near Wellman Godfrey Gigler met with a
curious accident. A large drive belt jumped off the machine,
catching a rusty pitchfork and driving it clear through his leg,
requiring the efforts of two men to remove it.
Two girls at Iowa City narrowly escaped an accident recently.
They were coasting on their wheels toward the Burlington, Cedar
Rapids and Northern tracks when a train passed by. One girl
passed directly in front of the engine, while the other struck it
and was thrown back from the track.
The racing between rival packets between Davenport and Clinton
has aroused the watchfulness of the government steamboat
inspectors and as a result the safety valves of all four of the
boats have been sealed. It being suspected that they were
carrying more steam than allowed by their papers.
Miss Lena Shaw and Jay Lloyd of Marshalltown were married in Adel
last February with the understanding that the marriage was to be
left a secret until September. It was recently discovered and the
parents and friends were very much surprised though they had no
reasons to object to the match.
[transcribed by J.M.P., August 2008]