Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Part II, Chapter VIII

Red Rock Township and Village, continued - Drunken Squaws - Pray or Treat - Schoolmaster in a Fix -
A Justice’s Bet - An Indian Voter - A Female Justice -“Old Blank,” and How He Lost his Nose -
Stealing Honey - Nearly a Fight - Shooting - A Narrow Escape from Hanging - A Black Joke

It is due to ourself to say that what has just been said, as well at what shall be said hereafter, relating to the history of Red Rock village, is not intended to be prejudicial to the interests of that place. For our own part we entertain the kindest feelings and best wishes for the people. We simply intend to be true to history, so far as we have been able to obtain it; and if the “o’er true tale” reflects no glory upon its subject, the fault is mo more ours than was the calamity we endeavored to give an account of in the preceding chapter. To quote a phrase frequently used, we cannot afford to “spoil a good story for relation’s sake.”

From first to last Red Rock possessed a notoriety not enjoyed by any other village in the county. Situated on a much frequented Indian trail, and at the border of the United States territory, it early became a place of resort for the savages for the purpose of trading and obtaining whisky at the trading houses. It is said that even the squaws would some times come, obtain a supply of the bainful beverage, and then lay about in a state of beastly intoxication, their infants (those that had them) crying with starvation. In pity for these suffering innocents, the sober squaws would feed them with the soft pulp scraped from the inside of elm or linwood bark, which they would devour with evident relish Some of these squaws appeared to be desperate under the influence of liquor, and were tied to the fences to prevent them from running over the river bank.

The place also became the frequent rendezvous of the rougher portion of the settlers, and others whose character classed them with adventurers and desperadoes; and as a natural result of such a fusion of spirits, inspired more or less by the ardent, fights were of frequent occurrence. It is a fact worthy of note that Red Rock, though a comparative small place, has been the scene of several assassinations, shooting and stabbing affrays, and lawless carousals, the details of which are not pertinent to this history. But for the sake of more fully illustrating the moral status of her society at an early date, we may relate a few anecdotes.

It is not to be supposed that the place was wholly destitute of moral influences. A few professors of religion lived there and in the neighborhood, but their examples in righteous living were either in a measure wanting on their part or wholly disregarded by others.

On the occasion of religious services held in the village, by an itinerant Methodist preacher, on his first round, it was a question among the few brethren of the place who of them he would be likely to call upon to pray in closing the meeting. As the preacher was not personally acquainted with any of them, there was no certainty to whom the request might be directed; and, as praying was an exercise so little practised by them, no one really desired to call to such a performance publicly. Here, then, was a hazzard - something to bet on. So, just before meeting, some of the brethren and others took counsel together, and agreed that whoever should be called upon to pray, in case of failure to do so, should pay a gallon of whisky. But fortunately for all, the preacher did his own praying, thereby relieving some trembling brother from the conflicting emotions resulting from the danger of being compelled to make an awkward, spiritless prayer, or pay the liquor.

Daniel Hiskey, now a citizen of Monroe, Jasper county, taught the first school in Red Rock village, being in the winter of 1845-6. The school house was a small log cabin near the river, and the number of scholars that attended was about twenty from the village and surrounding country.

As it happened, Mr. D. was a temperance man - a teetoteler - and about the only one in the community; and in such a community it was not likely that he could enjoy his peculiar notions undisturbed. It was determined, on the first favorable occasion, to punish him for the heresy, or force him to recant. So on the day before New Year he was invited to furnish two gallons of whisky, and sugar to sweeten it, as a New Year’s treat to the school. This he pointedly refused to do. But early next day he saw that it was the purpose of others than his “big scholars” to force him to a compliance, should he still refuse. Two or three young men came in in the morning who had not been there before, and took their places as scholars. But no demonstrations were made till noon, when they repeated the demand already made, which he as pointedly refused to obey. Whereupon they attempted to seize him, intending as they said, to “duck” him if he did not give up. But Mr. Hiskey defiantly told them he would die first, and fled. But there were others waiting to assist in the performance, and some of these joined in the chase. There was a solid bridge of ice on the river, and to this the pursued made his way with all his speed, followed, at various distances, by quite a number of noisy young men and boys. After an amusing chase up the river, the game was overtaken and conveyed to a hole that had been cut in the ice for that or some other purpose, and again informed with apparent sincerity that if he did not treat he should go under. But, though the prospect of a dip in the cold current at that particular season, attended with some risk of being swept beneath the ice and eaten up by mud-turtles and fish, was calculated to shake the resolution of any than a truly brave heart, the heart of Mr. Hiskey failed not. Finding it impossible to frighten him into a compliance by threats alone, they concluded to reduce the quantity of whisky and sugar one-half, and try again. But in vain. The obstinate teetoteler said “not a drop.” At last, after some time spent in fruitless efforts to bring him to something like a compromise, if not a full concession, his persecutors became full convinced that his obstinacy was sustained by an unconquerable principle. He was released and continued his school unmolested thereafter.

As may be readily supposed, whether party spirit ran high or low in local politics, an election could hardly be conducted without more or less flowing of that other spirit called ardent. It was calculated to create an interest among those who were not much otherwise concerned about the civil government of the township, and induced them to attend the election and perform their duty as citizens endowed with the privilege of voting.

An amusing instance of this came off at the first election held at Red Rock in the spring of ‘44. The polls was at Robert D. Russell’s, and he was the candidate for justice. Many people were present from all parts of the precinct, and the voting was pretty lively, not a few of the voters receiving a drink of whiskey apparently in exchange for their tickets, which they handed through the open window of the cabin. An Indian that happened to be present noticed this proceeding, and thought it would be a nice plan for him to get a drink. So he presented himself before one of the persons who distributed the tickets, with the request delivered in his best English: “Me paper, me vote, get drink whis.” His request was readily granted, and forthwith he proceeded to vote. Amused at his boldness in attempting to do so, and aware of his motive, those who had charge of the ballots took his ticket and handed him a small drink. Pleased with his success thus far, he thought the plan worth repeating, applied for another paper. It was given him, either a ticket or some other paper that answered the same purpose with him, and again he voted at intervals all day, till he got as much of the election as he could carry. Of course the tickets he handed in counted nothing for anybody but himself.

In those days petty lawsuits were of common occurrence, mostly connected with disputes about claims. Arbitration was the only means of settling these disputes previous to the election of any justice, and was sometimes resorted to afterwards; but eventually judgment was put in the hands of men duly authorized by law to render it. We have upon record no instances of claim suits worth mentioning, in addition to what has already been related. ‘Squire Russell’s court was frequently resorted to for a just settlement of these disputes, - though his administrations were not always the result of a clear head and an intelligent, unbiased mind. It is said that he was sometimes quite at a loss how to decide some cases of a complicated character, and admitted the better judgment of his wife by applying to her for an opinion, which frequently settled the case. On one occasion Mrs. Russell displayed her ability to administer justice in a summary manner. A claim case was on hand, and one of the parties entered the court room drunk, and manifested some disposition to quarrel with the mistress of the house, when she settled his case by knocking him down with a chair. The justice now looked up form his docket, and seeing the prostrate disturber of the peace, uttered, in his peculiar, low, growling tone, this sage advice, “By , Dick, let the old woman alone.”

Among the rougher class of settlers who frequented Red Rock during its early history, the most notorious were William Blankenship, (more familiarly called “Old Blank,”) and the Williamses. Old Blank was a brother-in-law to the Williamses. Of his history, previous to coming to Marion county, we know but little, except that he emigrated from Illinois to the present site of Burlington at a very early day and made a claim there. After getting into some difficulty with the settlers there, and fighting his way through, as was his custom, he came as fare west as Fairfield and settled again. Here, in a claim quarrel, he met with rather more than his match. Having offered to fight his opponent a regular fisticuff pitched battle for the claim, stipulating that whichever should be the victor in the fight, should be the winner of the property, the challenge was accepted. Old Blank had been successful in so many contests that he scarcely expected to fail in this one. But there are few men of such superior calibre, mentally or physically, that do not, at one time or another, meet with some one a little better than themselves. In this case our bully got to be the under dog in the fight, but would not surrender till he had reason to consider himself thoroughly whipped, when he cried enough. And enough it was, for when Blank got up, bleeding profusely, it was discovered that a considerable slice had been taken from the side of his sharp thin nose. Instead of resenting the indignity he thus suffered in the disfiguration of his face, he merely said to his opponent, “the claim is yours, sir,” and went his way.

Mr. B. then came to Marion county and settled a short distance below Red Rock, where he lived till about ‘49 or ‘50, when he went to California.

As he was a somewhat noted person in his semi-desperado character, a few sketches of his transactions in the neighborhood of Red Rock, may be proper here.

Shortly after his settlement on the Des Moines, and during the period of hard times experienced by most of the early settlers, Old Blank’s family were reduced to the extreme pinchings of poverty, being for some time without anything in the character of breadstuffs, or, indeed, of any other kind of food except slippery elm bark cut fine and fried with a little grease of some kind.

After he had secured his claim, and had acquired some property in the way of live stock, his hogs would stray away and get across the river during a low stage of water. When winter approached, and the owner needed to look after the wandering swine and get them home, if the river happened to be swollen he did not trouble himself to wait till it went down to a fordable depth, or even to get a boat to cross in, but deliberately stripped himself, tied his clothes on his head to keep them dry, and swam over. When over and dressed he would run barefooted through the woods till he had found and collected all the hogs he claimed ownership of, and then, with much effort, would force them to swim.

Between Blank and a family named Johnson a feud existed, originating from the latter suing the former on an account of about sixteen dollars. Blank refused to pay this sum, and his horse was levied upon, after which he “ponied” up and threatened revenge. So one morning Johnson found his bee hives robbed, his grindstone spoiled, and other property damaged. Naturally suspecting Blank to be the perpetrator of this mischief, he decided to have him arrested on suspicion. Accordingly John W. Mikesell, who was then a constable, was sent for him. Mr. M., in order to make sure of his intended prisoner, made his visitation before daylight next morning, and found, besides Blank himself, his brother-in-law, James M. Williams, (more frequently known as “Mat”) in bed. The constable took an offered seat and entered into conversation upon topics foreign to that of his visit, in order to elude suspicion of its object. At length he asked Blank what made the chair bottom so sticky, and remarked that it felt and tasted like honey. Blank, evidently thinking that the chair might have got smeared with some of the stolen sweetness, answered that he and Mat had cut a splendid bee tree only night before last. This was bringing matters to a crisis, and Mr. Miksell replied that it tasted very much like Johnson’s honey; and also, inasmuch as he (Blank) was accused of having stolen it, he had come, duly armed by authority of law, to conduct him before a justice, to answer to the charge. The culprit agreed to this, and promised to appear, as specified; but gave due notice that should Johnson appear against him he would kill him; and such was the fear inspired by his threats that Johnson let the matter go by default, and Blank was acquitted.

On the occasion of a claim quarrel between Blank and this same Mat they mutually agreed to fight it out in the same manner in which our hero had lost a part of his nose, Mat first giving the challenge. Like professed duelists, they appointed the time and place for the combat, and invited two disinterested persons to be present and see fair play. We have not the date at which this interesting event was to transpire, but the place designated was across the river, opposite Red Rock, and the persons invited to witness it were Tom and Sol Morgan, a couple of gentlemen belonging to the same class of roughs.

The day on which the fight was to come off happened to be very cold, and a fire was made in a log heap on the intended battle ground. The river was frozen over hard enough for the parties to cross on the ice. At the appointed time they met equipped for the fight, that is, stripped nearly naked, their hair shaved, their sides greased, and their long finger nails peppered. In this ridiculous plight they stood around the burning log heap that was scarcely sufficient to shield their bare bodies from the frosty breeze. Apparently one was afraid to begin, and the other dare not, and no amount of “sicking” on the part of their friends could elicit more than sundry growls from the naked bull dogs. At length the temperature of their blood went so far blow fighting heat that the whole affair was merged into a compromise in which Blank promised to pay a stipulated sum for the disputed property. Then, like the fools they were they put on their clothes and went home, having played a most amusing farce at their own expense for the entertainment of their friends.

By some who had the best of reasons for it, Blank was believed to be a dangerous man. One or two performances of his were sufficient to prove such an opinion well founded, and we will relate them: A claim dispute arose between him and Elihu Alley, when the latter owned the saw mill on the river above Red Rock. One day Alley was alone at the mill making some repairs on the dam, when some noise on the bank attracted his attention, at which he looked up and saw Blank taking deliberate aim at him with his rifle. At that moment a third person came in sight when the assassin postponed the shooting and walked away without speaking. On being spoken to about this affair soon afterwards he boldly stated that if Mr. Alley had not looked up when he did, an instant later would have been his last.

At another time, when Mr. Alley with his son Cyrus, and a man named Evelyne, with whom he was in partnership, were at work in the mill at night, they were several times fired upon from the opposite side of the river, some of the bullets striking so near them as to render it unsafe to remain.

It was well known that Blank was the perpetrator of this deed, yet such was the fear of him by those most interested in securing his arrest that he was not molested. And when he took his departure for California the county deemed itself happily rid of a troublesome fellow.

But whilst on the way across the plains Blank’s propensity for shooting was exercised to an extent that came very near ridding the world of him altogether. Getting into a quarrel with a man about some cattle, Blank used his revolver with deadly effect, killing the man instantly. He was immediately arrested, tried, and sentenced to be hung, and even a wagon tongue was elevated on which to execute the sentence. Here, however, it was unfortunately thought proper to put him into the hands of the Utah authorities for trial. This was accordingly done, and he escaped justice altogether, aided, it is supposed, by the power of money. He is now reported to be the wealthy owner of real estate in California.

An amusing anecdote is still occasionally related of an individual named Charley Hamlin, who, though not a settler, was a frequent lounger about Red Rock, drawn there as many others were, by the social intercourse inspired by the love of liquor. Charley had formerly been a candidate for the territorial legislature, and had come very nearly being elected. This to him was a matter worth boasting of, and when under the influence of whisky he was disposed to make a show of his vanity by bragging over his narrow defeat. But one day he was made the subject of a joke, by which his vanity was considerably mortified for the time being. Having imbibed pretty freely, he laid down to sleep, when some one smeared the palms of his hands and his fingers with blacking - then tickled his face with a straw. This would bring the blackened palms in contact with the face with a slap and a rub that imparted to it a portion of the coloring. The operation was continued till the whole physiognomy of the sleeper was changed from the ruddiness imparted by strong drink to a beautiful glossy black. On waking his attention was called to the change, and he repaired to a looking-glass to see for himself. Here, utterly ignorant of the cause, the surprised old toper thus addressed himself: “Why, Charley Hamlin, you came within two votes of going to the legislature, and now here you are in Red Rock, a [Negro].”

Transcribed by Mary E. Boyer, 12/06, reformatted by Al Hibbard 13 Oct 2013