Iowa
Old Press
The Winterset News
Winterset, Madison co. Iowa
Thursday, March 15, 1934
MR. MRS. SHAFFER 66TH ANNIVERSARY
Have Lived In County Nearly Eighty Years - Came In Covered Wagons
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Shaffer residents of the county nearly eighty years, observed the sixty-sixth anniversary of their marriage Saturday when a group of neighbors and friends went to their home in the evening to celebrate the occasion. Both Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer came with their parents to Iowa in the fifties, making the long trek in covered wagons. The Shaffer family, emigrated from Switzerland county, Indiana, when their son Andrew was ten years old. Margaret Cowden (Mrs. Shaffer) was eight years old when the Cowden family came to Madison county from Muskingum county, Ohio, two years later.
The aged couple Saturday told of their wedding, of the beautiful weather, and of how they outwitted their friends by slipping away to the home of H. Vanderpool, justice of the peace, who performed the ceremony. In 1871, Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer moved to the Worthington neighborhood, where they have since lived. Of their four children, Effie B., Bert M., and Clarence M. are deceased. A son Clyde C. and his daughter, Dorothy, make their home with Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer. Mr. Shaffer, who is now 89, is in good health, working each day at his wood pile in which he takes great pride. Mrs. Shaffer, now 87, was stricken with paralysis three years ago; she is in fairly good health.
MRS. RICHMOND DIES AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Word has been received by C. F. Lotz of the death of his niece, Mrs. Violet Richmond at Omaha. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lotz, who lived on south Summit street in Winterset. Mr. Lotz died several years ago. Mrs. Richmond had been ill since Christmas. Her seven children Marie, Murl, Leona, Warren, Nina, Cleo and Frances survive as does her mother who made her home with her daughter. Services were held at Omaha Thursday and burial was made there.
LE ROY FISHER OUT FOR REPRESENTATIVE
LeRoy C. Fisher, of Polk City, was in Winterset Wednesday in the interests of his candidacy for the nomination for representative from the sixth district on the Democratic ticket. Mr. Fisher is a World War veteran and was a member of Iowaıs famous company 168; he was severely wounded in the war. Two other candidates are seeking the nomination, T. F. Crocker of Ames and C. C. Cooter of Des Moines.
ANDERSON ELECTED SCHOOL DIRECTOR
Neil Anderson was elected school director in Winterset Monday by a majority of 82 votes over L. V. Powell, who is employed at the Hartsook Implement store. A total of a 141 votes were cast. Anderson receiving 85, Powell 55 and one ballot spoiled. Andersonıs name was the only one on the ballot. Powellıs name was not urged until late in the afternoon. He got a surprising vote considering the handicap he was under. The new member succeeds V. M. Ritter.
[Transcribed by L.Z., November 2010]
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The Winterset News
Winterset, Madison co. Iowa
Thursday, March 22, 1934
FORTY-SIX YEARS WITH THE WINTERSET NEWS
Bought Of Major Palmer In 1888 - Business Men Of That Day
(By Arthur Goshorn)
One winter day in Nebraska the wind was howling. It had howled for three or four days straight. The wind howls no more in Nebraska than it does in northern Iowa or Kansas or Oklahoma. But it howls, and the sky takes on a metallic, copper hue as the wind picks up the dirt from road or field and sends it east, northeast, or southeast, but always eastward, to mix with the dust that is picked up further west. The constant winds got on my nerves. "If I have to live in this climate any longer, Iıll go to the crazy house," I told Dan Upton who was working with me in the printing office. Dan laughed. "If I thought I could run the paper," said Dan, "I'd buy you out." That night Danıs remark came back to me, and I studied it from all angles.
Pierce was growing. The country was settling. The paper was paying and it was the only paper there. Every county seat I knew of except Pierce,
Nebraska, had two papers. Sooner or later there would be two papers in Pierce and business would be poor. I had a promise from Major Palmer, who owned the Winterset News, if he ever sold the paper he would give me first chance. There was a fine opening at Casper, Wyoming, but the wind blows worse at Casper than in Nebraska. I wrote Major Palmer and he told me to come see him. I sold the PIERCE CALL to Upton January 1, 1888, and got ready to go to Winterset. I was all ready to go when the great blizzard swept down over northern
Nebraska. Many persons froze to death in that blizzard, six or seven in Pierce county. Thousands of cattle perished. It blockaded the railroad and trains did not reach Pierce until the end of the month.
I came to Winterset February 3, and saw Major Palmer. He was sick in bed and I was shocked to see him in such condition. I talked with him only a few moments. Leaving, I told Mrs. Palmer what I came for, told her how much money I had, what I could pay for The News if they decided to sell it, and asked her to give me an answer before noon the following day. I had my grip ready to go to the train February 4, when a note from Mrs. Palmer told me that Vincent Wainwright had the bill of sale for the office for me. In an hour I was owner of The News and on my way back to Nebraska. Major Palmer died the following week. I took possession of The News March 15, 1888.
It was no easy matter to leave Pierce. We had made warm friends there. I personally knew every man who got mail in Pierce and almost every man in the county. There were some old farmers and some old men in the town but most all others were around thirty years of age. There were no cliques, no "sets." It was just one big community, all working together when there was community work to do. But we slipped back into our old niche in Winterset and forgot it as much as one could forget the prairie with its beautiful valleys and wonderful wildlife and flora.
Cleveland was President. The first week The News was published under my ownership, Dr. Robertson, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, attacked the commissioner of Indian Affairs and told his congregation, in orthodox Iowa Republican language of that time, that no good Presbyterian, Methodist, or Baptist would support such an administration. A News editorial charging the minister with misstatement, political preaching and downright untruth, brought out a two column reply from him which was printed the following week. The News repeated its charges and proved them by the Indian commissioner. With such Democrats as Tom Hudson, Tom Gilpin, Sam Gilpin, Ed Hyder, Vincent
Wainwright, William Henry, Dr. Wray and other men in its membership, the Presbyterian Church was threatened with disruption. Robertson again demanded the right to reply and was told to go start a paper of his own or print it in some other paper and the incident was closed as far as The News was concerned. I had to tell the same thing to a lot of Democrats, who wanted to print a column or two telling how Robertson was turning his pulpit into a rostrum for the Republican party.
In the last issue of The News under Major Palmer two or three local items were interesting:
~Lute Hudson has moved into the house formerly owned by John Cluen.
~Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wallace spent Sunday in town.
~Our friend, Mr. Ashby, spent a few days in the city. (Harry Wallace was afterward secretary of agriculture and was the father of the present
secretary of agriculture. Ashby is the present assistant secretary of agriculture under Henry Wallace.)
~Joe Gaston and Charles Eastman have bought the old Hutchings place on Court avenue.
~Tom Garrett and James Funk went to Lincoln, Nebraska, to attend the funeral of Richard Fishback.
For my first issue of The News, Koser Bros. gave a half page advertisement. When Charley Koser handed me the copy, I asked him how much space he wanted. "Half page," he said. I got away from there as soon as I could, fearing he might change his order. When I handed it to the foreman he insisted there was a mistake, that nobody ever had a half page advertisement. Only once before had I had a half page ad and that was given me in Pierce by Mason Bros. for a hardware sale. Koser's half page, as far as I could tell by the files, was the first half page ever printed in a Winterset paper. Between us, the foreman and I, we set it up. It was what you might call a "peach." Each time there is occasion to refer to the file of 1888, I turn to that advertisement, call the office force to see it, and then we all laugh.
Winterset business houses in 1888 stood about the same as they are today. All of them have been more or less made over with new fronts. J. F. Tate's hardware store was on the corner where the Madison County Savings Bank is. Tidrick & Jones general store was in Breeding's, and Tobin's drug store in The News building. S. H. Boyd had a grocery in the Koser store building, W. W. Porter a general store in the Red Ball grocery, W. H. Kiser a grocery where John Bare now is.
Schwaner's harness shop is today Schwaner's harness shop, the oldest firm under one name in one place and one management, in the city. The First National Bank was on the corner where Garrett's millinery is, and the Citizens National Bank where the Farm Bureau office is now located. The News was upstairs over Oscar Williams restaurant, which was then occupied by L. Lowe's furniture store. The Madisonian was upstairs in the rooms occupied by W. S. Inlow's real estate offices. There were no electric lights and no paved streets.
The list of advertisers in that issue of March 17, 1888, is interesting:
~Hadley & Co., clothiers
~T. L. Mullinnix, grocer
~Wray & Nelson, drugs
~Koser Bros., drygoods
~H. Tobin, drugs
~Beadle & DeGraf, grocers
~Mutual Loan & Trust Co.
~Hinshaw & Co., drugs
~William Barton, insurance
~Koehler & Rhyno, implements
~Peters & Mott, implements
~Gaston, Ainsworth & Co., implements
~T. E. Garrett & Co., shoes
~J. A. Darnall, harness
~A. W. Crawford, grocer
~Ballard & Null, drygoods
~L. Lowe, furniture
~Benge Bros., hardware
~B. W. Brockway, grocer
~A. Dunbar & Co., hardware and tin shop
~J. F. Leonard & Co., money to loan
~E. E. McCall, money to loan
~J. F. Tate, hardware
~Terrill & Jones, boots and shoes
~Duer & Beerbower, groceries
~Ratliff & Eastman, groceries and clothing
~C. P. Lee, undertaker
~Ed Hyder, photographer
~Mrs. J. H. Barker, jewelry
~Chas. Gratz, grocer
~McAndrew & Eldridge, grocers
~Payton & Co., hardware
~Welch & Garrett, dry goods
~Howell & Merrill, lumber
~C. C. Schwaner, harness
~Nicholson & Armstrong, implements
~Krabiel Bros., dry goods
~Young & Co., grain
~Strong & Price, lumber
~D. W. Smith & Co., shoes
~A. Gaekle, restaurant
~J. M. Keithley, organs and pianos
~Henry Bruns, meats
~Casper Armbrest, shoemaker
Young & Co., is still Young & Co., carried on by the third generation. John Schwaner owns the harness shop and building his father had. Eli Armbrest carries on the shoe shop his father ran. Of all the men in business then, Tom Garrett, J. F. Tate and Warren Smith are now living. No mention is made here of the trotting horse business. The town and county had the horse craze. Men repeated the pedigrees of horses like a baseball fan does the record of noted baseball players. West Green street was a race track by the city ordinance.
Winterset had no water works then, wells furnished water and the dust was kept down by city sprinklers paid for by business men. A little fire engine that Christ Schwaner named after his youngest boy, Rolla, was the only fire protection, dragged to the fires by men. All the same, it saved the town from destruction a number of times.
The electric plant was installed about 1890. There were no sewers. Hogs were banished from the streets in the seventies and cows banished about 1895. All the sidewalks were wooden until 1895-1900. There were two passenger trains a day each way until the automobile killed the passenger service
[Transcribed by L.Z., November 2010]