Iowa Old Press
LeMars Sentinel, August 13, 1900:
Death of a Pioneer
Henry Darville, one of the oldest residents of Plymouth county,
passed peacefully away at his home in Fredonia township on Wednesday
after an illness of long duration. [date of death Wednesday, August 8, 1900]
The funeral services were held on Friday at the home of the
deceased and were attended by a large concourse of friends and
neighbors. The services at the house were conducted by Rev. R. Empy of
Seney and the services at the cemetery in LeMars were under the auspices
of the members of Mower Post G. A. R. of which organization the decedent
was an honored member. The cortege which followed the remains to the
grave from the home was very large evidencing the respect and esteem in
which the dead man was held by his neighbors and the community at large.
Henry Darville was a native of England and was born at Kingdon on
March 26, 1823. He was married to Miss Ann Carter and in 1856 they
emigrated to the western hemisphere, making their home in Canada for the
space of two years. They then moved to Genoa, Ill., where they lived
for several years. During the civil war Mr. Darville enlisted in
company O, 127th Illinois infantry in August, 1862, and remained in
service until peace was declared.
In 1871 the family came to Plymouth county and have ever since
lived here. The decedent leaves three sons and one daughter. [correction per family member...this should read survived by 4 sons and 2 daughters]
LeMars Sentinel, Monday, August 27, 1900, Page 4, Column 1:
SENEY: (Special Correspondence)
Miles Kennedy, of Seney, was bitten quite severely on Wednesday by
a mastiff dog he owns. Dr. Foster cauterized the wound and no ill
effects are apprehended. He was thrashing the dog for misbehaving.
Leila McArthur, the 5-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.
McArthur, while at the Drummond home on Fifth street, fell from a tree
on Wednesday and fractured her wrist.
LeMars Globe-Post, August 29, 1900
IS NOW A MASS OF RUINS!
Western Union College Laid Lowa by Fierce Fire Caused by Lightning.
LOSS CAUSES GENERAL SORROW.
Comes with Crushing Force to Citizens and the United Evangelical Church
People.
Western Union College was struck by lightning at about 11:30 o'clock on
Thursday night and in an extremely short period of time the usual
light-heartedness of Le Mars was changed to sorrow for the college building
and the grounds which was platted and built by their individual energies and
efforts, at a cost of $40,000, was in ruins.
The loss at this time comes with crushing weight for the college stood as
a monument to the energy and thrift of our citizens, and all took an unusual
pride in it and when it went into the hands of the United Evangelical church
to become their denominational college, with their grand army of members
behind it to place it in the front rank of all of the colleges, the usual
pride which Le Mars had held in the magnificent building was increased, for
the town was beginning to realize, as the day for the opening of the first
school year approached and the successful manner which the vast work leading
up to the day of opening had been managed by President Thoren and his able
assistants, that there was a force behind this college which would make it
grow until the handsome college plat would be completely covered with
buildings devoted to the outgiving of knowledge and standing on the high
eminence it would extend a welcome to all to seek investment and homes in
our midst. The smouldering ruins mock man's effort today for more was
destroyed in an hour than could be rebuilt in months.
A vivid flash of lightning, a deafening crash that startled the people
from their beds and the birds that had sought the shelter of the trees into
cries of terror was soon followed by the dull red glow of destroying flame
from the basement of the college which was soon seen by Mr. Taylor, an
employee of the Plymouth Roller Mill, and his cry of fire aroused F. M.
Roseberry who sent in an alarm which reached the central station at the same
time that other alarms had been sent in from different parts of the city and
the fire companies were aroused, but a long time elapsed before they reached
there owing to the great distance and the heavy condition of the streets.
The Franklin street company was the first to reach the scene but others soon
followed. But for location of the fire in the basement and near the
stairway it soon had burned to the roof of the building and any effort that
could have been exerted at that time would not have saved the structure.
The fire completely gutted the building in about an hour and only
portions of the blackened walls stand as grim sentinels of disaster. The
west wall was the first to fall for it was on this side that the building
was struck and fired. The south wall fell a little later but the north and
east walls were standing on Friday and guards were stationed there to
prevent loss of life or injury to the incautious sightseer that might go too
near.
The loss on the building is about $25, 000 with a loss of $1,000 on
furniture. One of the professors lost a fine library which was moved there,
but a few days ago, but aside from this the individual losses were small.
The building was insured for $10,000 to the corporation of the Normal
School association and not by Western Union College. The term of the
contract between the two associations were to the effect that after ten
years the Western Union College was to receive a deed to the property or
sooner if they make $10,000 in improvements.
There is nothing in the agreement between the two associations making it
encumbent upon the other to build and if the college is to be rebuilt the
funds for that purpose will have to be raised from the citizens to cover the
amount of difference between the value of the building and the insurance and
salvage. An estimate made on Friday fixed the amount necessary to be raised
at $12,000 and this sum must be secured or in all probability the college
will not be rebuilt.
Rev. Jonas, the presiding elder, who has been an incessant worker for the
college said he believed that the church would not feel able to take up this
additional burden for they were straining every effort at this time to
accomplish the ends undertaken to secure the other necessary amounts and he
feared that it was beyond their power to do more at present. Had the school
been in operation for some time it would change the condition of things and
make it not near so difficult to determine what could be done.
President Thoren at once issued the following address to the church
people and made the necessary calls to the officers and directors and other
immediately interested and when he goes to the Aurora camp meeting he will
hold conference with as many of the church people as possible.
Le Mars, Iowa, Aug. 24, 1900
Dear Brother: -Christian Greetings!
It is with heavy heart that I write this letter to convey the sad news
that our college building was totally destroyed by fire last night between
12 and 1:30 a.m. A heavy thunder storm prevailed at the time, and it is
evidently the result of a stroke of lightning as neighbors claim it is.
This necessitates immediate action on the part of our board of trustees and
by the people of Le Mars. The nearness of the time of opening our Western
Union College makes the situation the more serious, tough it may be that
temporary quarters can be secured until a new college building can be
erected, should that be decided upon.
Bro. Jonas and I will confer with the Le Mars Normal School Association
this morning to ascertain their sentiment in the matter. I will inform you
of the results of our deliberations.
The president of our board will call an early meeting to act and no doubt
but that his very serious crisis in our educational work in the west will be
overruled by a kind Providence to that victory will come out of seeming
defeat. Trust in God! Pray much. Hold on to God for direction and let
there be no discouragement in our undertaken work for higher education.
Western Union College did not burn, only a building. We believe that the
people of Le Mars will rally tour support extraordinary.
Your Brother in Christ,
H. H. Thoren
Pending the mass meeting which was held at the opera house on Friday
evening President Thoren and Rev. Wm. Jonas busied themselves on Friday to
secure some fairly good quarters that can be used for the opening of the
school and the question of using the lecture rooms of four churches, all
within a block of each other, the Senate hotel and one or two other places
was looked over so that the college would be in readiness to act at once
provided the result of the mass meeting was satisfactory.
The insurance carried were in the following companies: Royal Union of
Liverpool, $1000; London Assurance Association, $1000; London, Liverpool &
Globe, $1333, all written by A. C. Colledge; Germania of New York $1300;
Farmers of York, $1000; Farmers of Cedar Rapids, $1000; Commercial Union
Association of London, $500, all written by R. J. Kochler; Connecticut of
Hartford, $1000, written by A. A. Alline: New Hampshire of Manchester,
$1000, Northwestern National of Milwaukee, $1334, all written by A. M. Duus.
The directors in the old Le Mars Normal School association are: P. F.
Dalton, George E. Richardson, C. E. Haas, C. H. Kehrberg, E. D. Chassell, G.
C. Maclagan, and M. A. Moore.
THE MASS MEETING
The mass meeting which was called at the opera house on Friday evening
had an unusually good attendance for the limited notice given and there was
much more enthusiasm than is usually seen at such a gathering. All fully
appreciated the circumstances under which it became necessary to ask for aid
and they felt that it should be given.
M. A. Moore was made chairman of the meeting and I. J. McDuffie, Rev. A.
Z. Macgogney, President H. H. Thorne and L. S. Struble made addresses, each
one presenting the new conditions which had so unexpectedly arisen. After
the addresses pledges were called for and in a few minutes about $2500 was
pledged. This was a splendid contribution for so small a meeting and it
raised the enthusiasm of those present and the hopes of the college people
as well for they now feel that with this effort the remainder of the
necessary fund will be raised.
P. A. Boland, W. G. Bolser and Ed. Thomarson was appointed an executive
committee with power to appoint assistants to secure pledges for the
remainder, and every citizen of Le Mars should contribute something toward
the fund for we are all mutually interested in maintaining the college.
LeMars Sentinel, Thursday, August 30, 1900, Page 4, Column 4:
A Row Over Some Plums.
Mrs. D. F. McArthur, of Elgin township, has filed an information
before Justice Steiner charging Mrs. John Dallenbach of Remsen with
assault. Mrs. Dallenbach was arrested on Tuesday by Deputy Sheriff
Becker and on Wednesday arraigned before Justice Steiner. She gave
satisfactory recognizances for her appearance when wanted and the case
is set for hearing at 2 p. m., Friday afternoon before Justice Steiner.
The affair grows out of a rumpus the two ladies had about ten days
ago when Mrs. Dallenbach went to the McArthur place and gathered a large
quantity of plums. Mrs. McArthur ordered her off the place when she
refused to give up a tythe of the choice plums and a violent altercation
ensued between the ladies and complimentary epithets were freely used.
It is alleged that in the squabble the ladies got close enough to pull
hair and that a revolver was forthcoming from a satchel which Mrs.
McArthur carried in her hand and that Mrs. Dallenbach secured possession
of the weapon and used it as a club. Another version is that Mrs.
Dallenbach got the revolver away from Mrs. McArthur and threw it into
the bushes, telling a lad who was with her to go and get it while she
attended to her opponent with a buggy whip. The case will be thoroughly
aired tomorrow probably.
Mrs. Dallenbach has retained F. M. Roseberry as counsel and the
county attorney will prosecute the case.