Chapter XVI
The Sibley Gazette
in its starting out, although published by Ren Barker, was made
to sparkle with the wit, the genius and all kinds of advice and
suggestions, from Nellie Granger. She wrote many articles of well
constructed sentences, under the name of Nellie F. Granger, and
the hard and pointed hits she distributed around in the community
are remembered by tradition, while the files of the paper have
been laid on the shelf for years, and nearly obliterated by
carelessness and misuse. Barker himself seemed to struggle
against some criticisms, and was foolish enough to notice them,
for we see by his early issues occasional items, like the
following:
"May be some people know our biz better than we do. If so
they are invited to take charge of the machine."
The January 24, 1873, number of the Gazette,
announces that the Rock Rapids Review
has been started by O. A. Cheney, and that the Sheldon
Mail has started out on the sea of
journalism. It also says that the January blizzard has done
somebody good, as the homesteaders have found work shoveling
snow, which will enable them to live through the winter. It also
expresses fears that E. R. Hazen was lost in the storm, in the
following item:
"Nothing has been heard of Elmore R. Hazen, who worked in
Sibley last fall, at carpentering, and who owned a claim in this
county, and who started, as we have learned, on the morning of
the great storm, to go to Ocheyedan river for wood. It is feared
that he has perished."
Hazen, however, is still in the land of the living. In January of
1873, the following mail routes were established:
From Cherokee to Sibley, 48 miles and back, once a week.
From LeMars, by Orange City, Ocheyedan and Sibley, to
Worthington, Minn., 74 miles and back, once a week.
From Spirit Lake, by Melrose, Silver Lake, Sibley and Doon, to
Beloit, 92 miles and back, once a week.
From Sibley to Beloit, 48 miles and back, once a week.
The reader well knows how the progress of the county has long
since abolished these routes for more speedy transportation. The
cold snap of January 28, sent the thermometer down to 32 degrees
below zero, and at Sioux City 23 below. That kept the
homesteaders of Osceola County busy twisting hay. The January 7,
1873, blizzard so blocked the Sioux City and St. Paul road, now
the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha, that the train was
not got through until Feb. 14. In February 12, 1873, the
following announcement through the columns of the local press was
made to the people:
"REPUDIATION.-All the citizens that are in favor of
repudiating the indebtedness of Osceola County, for the year
1872, about $20,000, are requested to meet at the court house on
Saturday, March 1st. McCaffery & Harmon will guarantee a
clear case. Let there be a full attendance."
This movement it seems died a "borning," as the
following minutes of the meeting will show:
REPUDIATION MEETING
Proceedings of mass meeting called to consider the
propriety of repudiating the county indebtedness, above that
allowed by law, held at the court house in Sibley, March 1st,
1873.
At half past one o'clock the meeting was called to order by J.
McCaffery, of the firm of McCaffery & Harmon. On motion W. A.
Spencer was elected chairman and M. J. Campbell secretary.
At the request of J. McCaffery, J. F. Glover made a statement of
the amount of warrants issued in excess of the amount allowed by
law in 1872 and 1873, as follows: In 1872, $14,696.24, and in
1873, up to March 1st, $432.19.
J. McCaffery opened the meeting by a speech in favor of
repudiation, and was replied to by J. T. Barclay, H. Jordan, et
al.
The following resolution was passed:
"Resolved, That a committee of one be appointed to wait upon
the Board of Supervisors at their next session, to request them
not to issue any warrants for attorney's fees, in any case
whatever except in criminal cases or to an attorney employed by
the year."
Notion was made by D. M Shuck that the vote of the house be taken
on the question of repudiation; and the vote was unanimous
against repudiation.
On motion of J. F. Glover, J. McCaffery was allowed ten minutes
more in which to present his case more fully.
The following resolution was then adopted, viz:
"Resolved, That a committee of three be elected by the house
to confer with the attorneys of this place in reference to making
a contract with one or more of them to become the people's
attorney for the year, and that we authorize them to make such
contract, in case it can be done upon satisfactory terms. O.
Dunton, D. M. Shuck and D. F. Curtis were then elected as said
committee.
On motion of J. F. Glover, J. McCaffery received a vote of thanks
for calling this meeting. W. A. Spencer, Chairman.
M. J. Campbell, Secretary.
In July, 1873, the post office was established at the house of
L. G. Ireland, with Mr. Ireland as postmaster. This was long
before Ocheyedan was thought of. At the same time a post office
was established at Silver Lake, Dickinson County, at the house of
C. B. Knox, with Mr. Knox as postmaster. These were on the Sibley
and Spirit Lake route, with Orren Jones as mail carrier.