Waseca County, Minnesota - Chapter 62, 1905

Chapter 62

The county commissioners this year opened their session Jan. 3. Henry C. Chase, of Janesville, was elected chairman, the other members being Jonas 0. Simde, of New Richland, Oliver Peterson, of Waseca; Henry F. Lower, of "Woodville, and Plenry AV. Bluhm, of Vivian. The county printing was divided amon<;- the several papers of the county as it had been the previous year.

The records of this county, and presumably of every other county occasionally show some inconsistencies, and this meeting of the board revealed quite an assumption of power on the part of the board of commissioners.

"Ordered that the Citizens State Bank of Waseca be designated as depository of such (county) funds, the sum not to exceed $10,000 at any one time, said bank to allow interest on monthly balances at the rate of 2% per cent, per annum, and to furnish a bond in the sum of $20,000 to be approved by the board of county commissioners of Waseca county.

And it was further ordered: That the Peoples Bank of Waseca be designated as depository of the public funds of Waseca county except such amounts ($10,000) as are to be deposited in the Citizens State Bank, said Peoples Bank to allow interest on monthly balances at the rate of 2% per cent per annum, and to furnish a bond in the sum of

The board of county commissioners accepted and approved the report of the board of audit, and also accepted and approved the bonds of both banks. So far everything seemed to be well understood and fair ; but on the last day of the session, the count.y commissionei-s, after recitinf^- the order of the board of audit,

Resolved, That the county treasurer, Walter Child, be and is hereby instructed to deposit forthwith in said banks, all the funds now in his hands, as such treasurer, and also all moneys which shall from time to time come into his hands for state, county, town, city, village, road, bridge, and all other purposes for a period of two years, in such amounts as designated by the board of audit, and

Resolved, That said county treasurer be and is hereby further instructed that whenever the amount of public funds In his hands shall be less than $20,000, he shall keep the amounts of deposits in, and the amounts of drafts on said Citizens State and Peoples Banks as nearly equal as practicable.

At the meeting of September V2, it was ordered that $30 be appropriated to the town of Blooming Grove, to be expended for grading hill on road between sections 29 and 30: that .$10(1 be appro|)riated to the town of Alton, to be expended on a bridge on section 18, across outlet to Lake El.\-sian; and that to the town of Freedom be appropriated ^2'25 for a bridge between sections 13 and 1-t, of said town.

Citizens State Bank

The Citizens State Bank of "Waseca, since changed to the First National Bank of Waseca, was organized the hi-st week in January, with a paid-up capital stock of ii^2r),00(). The stockholders and the amount of stock of each wei-e as follows:

The following were chosen directors: Willis J. Jennison, James E. Child, William E. Scott, A. Z. Conrad, Reinhart Miller, A. D. Cadwell, P. X. Hunt, W. A. Henderson, and E. A. Everett. Mr. A. D. Cadwell was its first president, and Dr. P. N. Hunt, its first cashier.

Deep Snow

Within the month of Pebruary, 1893, snow fell to quite a depth, and on Feb. 27, there was a heavy fall of snow. The Waseca Herald remarked :

That was a grand display of "the beautiful" that came down in great swirls and gusts and chunks, last Monday. The storm commenced gently on Sunday and got fairly under way during Sunday night. It put in a good day's work on Monday, and that night the storm "did itself proud." Great drifts were piled up in every direction and in every conceivable shape. The streets were in picturesque condition, while some of the walks were four feet undar the hard-packed snow. The scientific (?) appliances of the city for cleaning the sidewalks and opening the streets, so that women and children could pass and repass, were all brought into requisition. The street force must have been buried out of sight, as none of its members were visible. Our city system of dealing with the "beautiful," when it comes in such magnificent chunks, is heroic and self-supporting. The schoolma'ams and other young ladies of this city, who have to travel our highways going to and from their labors, are about to hold a meeting, we hear, to pass a vote of thanks to the male rulers of this part of the universe for their efficient method of opening the highways of the city immediately after such a deluge of snow as visited us last Monday.

We have had and are having weather, this week, that beats the recollection of the oldest settler. Tuesday morning, long before daylight, a rain set in from the southeast and continued until evening, when the wind veered to the northeast and a heavy snow storm set in. Yesterday noon the snow was about fourteen inches deep and melting fast. At this writing, Thursday afternoon, the wind is in the north and snow still falling. The indications are for a clearing up.

Water And Light Plant

"The question of water and water works forces itself upon the people of this city from year to year. It must be admitted by intelligent and thoughtful men that the safety of property, the health of citizens, and the general welfare of the people of Waseca demand water works. The supply of water, in case of a large fire, is wholly inadequate. In connection with a good water supply, or closely allied to it, is the lighting of the city. It is true that we have an electric light plant, but it is owned by a private company. Bach city can and ought to own its water supply, its electric light plant, its street cars, and other public conveniences. In every city where these public works are owned and operated by the city itself, the people are served better and at cheaper rates than in cities where they are the private property of corporations. The reason for this is obvious. Where the city owns and operates these public works there is little chance for bribery and corruption; hut in cities where private corporations own and operate them it becomes necessary for the private corporations to also own, control, and operate a majority of the aldermen, mayor, city attorney, and other officers. Their interest is to fleece the people, and in order to do it, they must control the city government. If they desire to steal the city funds to improve their private property, they must first get control of the city officers - especially of the aldermen, the city attorney, and the mayor. Generally the mayor is placed at the head of the plundering gang. If the city were the owner of these public works, every taxpayer would be interested in making them self-sustaining and efficient. It would seem as though this Is a good time to take the subject into serious consideration. If the city is to engage in a system of improvements, as herein mentioned, then it behooves our citizens to select for the next mayor a man who, by education and disposition, is qualified to handle and direct such enterprises."

This subject was investigated and discussed more or less for a long time, as the following report to the common council of Waseca will show. On May 11, 1893, there was held a meeting of the common council and of citizens, and a committee consisting of flavor Cummings, Hon. P. C. Bailey and Alderman Martin Hanson made report as follows :

"We have visited the cities of Tracy and Albert Lea and carefully examined the water works in operation at both places. These points were selected as being nearly Identical with us as regards absence of natural elevations which can be used as locations for reservoirs in their source of water supply, as well as in other particulars. We desire in this connection to refer to the courtesies extended to us by officers and other citizens of both places. Every opportunity was offered us to inspect their plants, and such information as they have accumulated in the building and operating of the same was freely given us. The result has been the noting of numerous details which will prove useful in the event of our city, putting in such works.

"The plants in operation in both cities are practically identical and consist, briefly, of a deep well with pumping station and ground reservoir in connection, an elevated tank, watermains and hydrants. The well at Tracy is six hundred feet deep; at Albert Lea, seven hundred. The quality of the water furnished by each is first class, practically inexhaustible, and suitable for domestic uses. The well at Albert Lea, being artesian, flows directly into the ground reservoir, thereby saving the deep-well pumping which is required at Tracy. From the ground reservoir the water is pumped into the elevated tank which, at Tracy, is of wood; at Albert Lea, of steel. The bottoms of these tanks are elevated eighty-five feet from the ground level. They have proved to be frost proof and in fact no trouble has been had with either plant from freezing. These tanks furnish a constant pressure of forty pounds at the hydrants; an amount great enough to control all ordinary fires in two- or three- story buildings. To supplement this, the station is fitted with a large steam pump connected with the mains which will furnish any pressure the pipes will sustain.

"We are satisfied that the plan above outlined is practical in every way and economical in operation, and that a similar system, in connection with a plant for electric lighting, could be built and operated in the city so as to be self-supporting.

"It is impossible to estimate exactly the cost of such a system in the absence of plans and specifications, but the following estimate is believed to be approximately correct: Deep well, depending on depth, from sixteen hundred to two thousand dollars; pump station, house, boilers, pump, smoke stack, etc., seven thousand dollars; water plant complete, with about two miles of mains, twenty-eight thousand dollars. From eight to ten thousand dollars would be needed if we Include an electric light plant.

P. C. Bailey Martin Hanson

On May 16, 1893, a petition for a special election to authorize the city council to increase the bonded indebtedness of the city $30,000 for water works and electric lighting was presented to the council, and formal resolutions were adopted that the bonds of the city be issued, bearing six per cent interest, due in twenty years - that a special election be held at the engine room, June 6, 1893, and that the ballots shall contain the words: "In favor of water works and electric light bonds," or, "Against water

Work on the plant was commenced soon after. On June 11, 1893, the contract for putting in the well was let to J. T. Mc- Carthy - the same was to be an artesian well, ten inches at the ground surface and eight inches after striking the lime rock.

The well was completed in 1894, and the water mains were laid the same year. The contractor was ]\Ir. E. T. Sykes, and the contract price $2-1,252.58. The electrical department, as near as can be ascertained, cost $5,605.73; the engineers' work $400.00; cost of well, $5,003.03-a total of $35,261.34.

Severe Electrical Storm

On the 14th of June a very severe storm pa.ssed over this section. The Waseca Herald said of it: "The destruction of property by lightning was very extensive, ilr. J. MeCraeken says James Cunningham, of Freedom, had ten head of cattle killed in the pasture, all in one bunch. Charles Root, of Byron, had two horses killed. H. J. Werdin, of Iosco, has also informed us that August Keiser, of his town, had six horned cattle and one horse killed in pasture, and that Pat Farley, of the same town, lost three head of cattle. AVe also learn that Julius Kakuschke. a tailor of this city, had a cow killed in one of the pastures south of town,"

Called From Earth

The death roll in the county during the year was shorter than usual, although some prominent persons were called hence. The first of note was the demise of Hon. B. A. Lowell, who died in a North Dakota hospital ]May 12, 1893, of general paralysis. At that time his home was at (iardner, N. D. Deceased was one of the early settlers in this county, tirst engaging in mercantile business in Wilton, and afterwards living on a farm in Otisco. He was, at an early day and during the war of the Rebellion, an earnest and active Republican, and was elected state senator in the fall of 1864. He served dviring the sessions of 1865-6. very acceptably to our people. He came to AVaseca at an early clay in its history and for many years held the office of city justice, lie also carried on a small vegetable farm in the western suburb of this city for years, and until his health failed. Some years prior to his death he went to live with relatives in North Dakota.

Mrs. Orrilla (Roice) Child died May 23 at 11:40 o'clock p. m., at the residence of her son, James E. Child, of Waseca, aged eighty-three years, two months and twenty-one days. She was born in Jefferson county, New York, March 2, 1810. Her father, Enoch Roice, was of Scotch blood, and served in the American army during the Revolutionary struggle. Her mother, Sarah Palmenter, was of English descent. Both parents came from the state of Connecticut to the state of New York soon after the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Child's grandfather was also a Revolutionary soldier. She married Zabina Child, Feb. 1-1, 1833, and resided with her husband in the town of De Kalb, St. Lawrence county. They emigrated to Ohio in 1834, making their home in Medina county. They afterwards went back to St. Lawrence county, then returned to Ohio and spent a year, and then came west as far as Wisconsin, where they resided until 1862. Mrs. Child then came to Waseca county where she made her home most of the time. The latter part of July, 1892, she went to Nebraska to visit her daughter. About the time of her journey she contracted a cold, and was quite sick while there. She returned to Waseca about the first of December, and gradually declined from that time until her death. Dropsy set in a short time before her death, and although she suffered much pain at times, her mind remained clear, and the close of life was a dropping to sleep without an apparent struggle. She reared, a family of seven children - five sons and two daughters - five of whom survived her.

Dr. W. W. Satterlee, one of the noted and devoted clergymen of this state, died at Minneapolis, May 27, 1893. The following account appeared in the Waseca Herald at the time :

"The deceased was born on May 11, 1837, at the then small village of La Porte, Ind., where he lived with his parents and secured a common school education. He studied medicine while very young, and practiced some years in Wisconsin, before coming to Minnesota, at the same time preaching the gospel as a local minister of the Wesleyan Methodist church. He came to Minnesota, we think, in 1863 ,or 1864. We first saw him as he was crossing the LeSueur river, at the Wilton ford, with ox teams and covered wagon. He soon after located at Elysian where he practiced medicine and preached the gospel until 1867, when he came to the embryo city of Waseca, as the regular pastor of the M. E. church. He was the first and one of the ablest and best Methodist ministers ever in charge of the church here.

"To know a man thoroughly we must know him in the days of his poverty - at the time when he is struggling for the right against popular clamor. First, he was an uncompromising anti-slavery man when proslavery Democracy was in the ascendant. After the great struggle which destroyed slavery, he became an anti-saloon advocate. While uncompromising in his views, he was a man of unbounded charity for those who differed from him. Every impulse of the man was noble and self-sacrificing.

'Six years ago he accepted the chair of political economy and scientific temperance at Athens College in Tennessee, which position he held at the time of his death. While teaching in the South, he has been accustomed to come to this city, where the larger portion of his children and family live, to spend his summer vacations, and for this reason he was at Minneapolis at the present time. Last Tuesday evening he took a slight cold at the lake, where he was staying, and owing to this he came back to the city to the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Pye.

" 'The next morning he awoke with a severe pain in his left side, indicating pneumonia, and from that time he began sinking very fast until Saturday morning, when he breathed his last at about 10 o'clock. The early settlers of this section of the state join with Minneapolis friends in mourning the unexpected death of a noble and true man - a brother of suffering mankind the world over."

Mr. Satterlee was a great worker. Starting in the world wittout capital or a "pull," he became a power for good in the land. In early days, in Waseca, he found it necessary to resort to_ manual labor to support his family. This he clieerfully did until he finally had a church strong enough to afford him a living. lie early espoused the temperance cause and became its leader in this state. He was also the author of several books - one a reply to "Looking Backward," by Bellamy. His reply was well written and showed marked ability. He was the personification of true moral courage. Whatever his .judgment and conscience said was right he believed in, and no ofl^er of personal gain or desire of promotion could swerve him from it. He was one of those described by Holland :

Seth W. Long was one of the 1856 settlers of this county, having moved that year to Empire in the town of Iosco. He came to this county from Ohio, with his father, William Long, and his brother George, who were accompanied by M. S. Green, Algerine Willsey, James Chadwick, and others. After the decline of Empire he removed to Okaman and kept hotel for a number of years. He afterwards removed to Wilton during the war and carried on the Globe Hotel for a number of years. In 1867 he was elected to the office of sheriff of this county, and was reelected in 1869, 1871, 1873, and 1875, serving in all ten years. During his last term of office his wife died. After the expiration of his term of office as sheriff he resided most of the time in the western portion of the county. For many years he had been in poor health and his death was not unexpected to his intimate friends. Seth W. Long was an honest, upright citizen and highly )-espectod by the people of this county. The immediate cause of his death was paralysis of the throat and tongue. He was stricken on Sunday, ]\Iay 29, and from that time to the time of his death, June 5, he was totally unable to swallow nourishment of any kind. Neither could he speak or converse orally. AVe are told that he died apparently without much pain or suffering. His remains lie buried in the Wilton cemetery beside those of his and some other members of his family.

Died, in Waterville, Tuesday morning, June 27, 1893, Mr. William Marzahn, in his seventy-third year. The deceased was born near Berlin, Ciei-many, Dec. 9, 1820. He was united in marriage to Jliss Caroline Kanne, who survived him. In 1855 Mr. I\Iarzahn, wife and four children started for America, three of the children and a brotlier dying on shipboard of cholera - August Marzahn, of Waterville, being the surviving child. Mr. Marzahn moved to a farm in Iosco in 1856, and by strict attention to business and hard work accunuilated a fine property. His son Robert occupies the old homestead and is a prosperous farmer.

"A horrible death is reported from Blooming Grove. Dr. Leonard, and City Constable George H. Goodspeed, on Tuesday last, were called to the farm of Lars Selland to investigate the death of that gentleman. The facts as we gather them are as follows: Mr. Selland arose last Tuesday morning, Sept. 5, 1893, and went out about seven o'clock. Nothing more was seen of him until about ten o'clock when his lifeless body was found about four feet outside the pasture fence. His hat and a pitchfork were found a few feet inside the fence. His body and limbs were bruised and discolored, in almost every part, and his ribs and breast bone were broken in many places. The body was found by an old gentleman named Ole Egelson, who lives on the farm. There was blood on the ground inside the fence and on the fence, and the conclusion is that he was killed by a two-year-old bull that was in the pasture, and then thrown over the fence by the animal. The bull hung constantly about the place pawing and bellowing. It was a very sad affair."

Hon. I. C. Trowbridge, who laid out the original plat of what is now the city of Waseca, died rather suddenly of heart failure, October 3, 1893. Among other biographical sketches appears a sleet eh of his life.

Mrs. Clarissa (^losher) Baker, widow of W. S. Baker, of Waseca, died on Frida.v, Oct. 20, 1893, of pneumonia. She was born Feb. IS, 1819, in Marion count.v, Ohio, where she resided until 1845. She was married Dec. 30, 1841, and came West as far as Dodge coitnty. Wis., in 1845, with her husband, where they resided until 1856, when they came to AVaseca county and settled in Otisco. They afterwards lived for a time in the west part of this county, and finally moved to Waseca when the town was first platted. She was the mother of seven children: Ozias, Samuel, Charles, Scott, Cassius, Lucinda and Carrie. Ozias, Samuel, and Charles, served in the Union ranks during the Rebellion, Ozias dying soon after his return. Lucinda married Chauncey Gibbs and died before the death of ]^Irs. Baker. Five children survived her.

The Gilmore City Globe, of Iowa, brings the sad news of the death of one of the early and most honorable settlers of this county, Mr. Jesse B. .Jackson. Mr. Jackson came to Wilton, in this county, in 1857, and was county commissioner for a number of years. He was born in Jeffsrson county, N. Y., March 24, 1823. He went to Lorain county. Ohio, in 1847, and in October of the same year was married to Harriet N. Dudley. They were the parents of seven children, four daughters and three sons, five of whom are now living. In 18G8 they removed to Hardin county Iowa, and in 1S71 moved to Pocahontas county where he has since resided.

with the exception of two winters spent in California. The nervous disease from which he suffered for many years was contracted partly from a fall from a barn on which he was at work. His collar hone was broken and he never entirely recovered from the shock. He passed peacefully away on the 29th of November, 1893, and his remains were buried on the 30th, Thanksgiving Day.

Dairymen'S Association

The sixteenth annual convention of the state dairymen's association M-as held at Waseca, Minn., December 12, 13, and 14, 1893. The officers present were Hon. John L. Gibbs, of Geneva, president; Hon. A. P. Foster, of Plainview, vice-president; and Prof. T. L. Haeeker, of St. Anthony Park, secretary. The following notes are condensed from the report published at the time in a local paper :

Tuesday was a bitterly cold day, but Father Benson, of Anoka, Secretary Haeeker, of St. Anthony Park, Treasurer Short of Faribault, and others were here early in the morning. Messrs. Snmue] Leslie, G. H. Wood, Samuel Hawkes, and other local dairymen M'ere on hand to assist, and in the afternoon and evening many came in from abroad, among them President Gibbs, of Geneva, Freeborn county, and Prof. 0. C. Gregg and his corps of institute lecturers. The meeting on Tuesday evening was held under ver,y unfavorable circumstances. The weather was cold enough in the open air, but the temperature inside Ward's opera house was away below the comfort mark, and many were forced to leave on account of the severe cold. But cold as it was the dairymen carried out their program. Rev. E. C. Clemans made a uniciue prayer for good butter, honest butter, sixteen ounces to the pound, and at such prices that God's poor might get a taste now and then.

President John L. Gibbs presided. He introduced Hon. John iloonan who delivered the address of welcome in a very pleasing manner, ilr. G. L. Smith, of Minneapolis, a very fluent and entertaining speaker made response. The secretary and the treasurer then made their written reports. James E. Child, of Waseca, and Plon. O. C. Gregg, president of the Farmers' state institute workers, were called upon and made short addresses the first evening. The association was in session three days and much good work

"The holding of the Dairymen's annual meeting in this city, last week, was a matter of great local Importance as well as of general interest. It is a fact, which can not be too often urged, that dairying aiid the raising of hogs and cattle, together with the growing of grain, are of the utmost importance to all the farmers of Minnesota, north as well as south. All these should go together wherever circumstances make it possible, and the discussions and papers at the Dairymen's meeting threw much light on the subject. Take for instance, the statement that a separator creamery, with 800 cows, a small number for each township, had a clear income of $40,000. That is $50, on the average, for each cow, and each farmer took back with him seventy-five per cent of the whole milk in sweet, skimmed milk, beside his proportion of butter milk with which to feed calves and hogs. This amount was realized from the "average cow," while the farmer had only to milk the cows, strain the milk and cart it to the factory - the churning, salting, packing, and marketing being done by the co-operative factory.

"Under this system, the poor man, with only two or three cows, can realize as much per cow as his wealthiest brother; while, under the home system of making butter, the farmer, with two or three cows, could not compete at all with his richer brother having a large herd of cows and all the necessary appliances for butter-making.

"Our German and Scandinavian Americans, to the east of us, along the Steele county border and in Steele and Freeborn counties, have caught on to the fact that even the 'average cow' will give a return of from $45 to $60 a year under this co-operative plan. Why should not every farmer in Waseca county do as well?

"There is another consideration in this co-operative creamery plan: it does away with the cutthroat practice of speculation which is a necessity where the manufacturer, (creamery man), must take his chances on the market. By co-operation, both the manufacturer of the butter and the producer of the milk get just what their joint product is worth in the market; while, under any other plan, the manufacturer and dealer must keep down the price to the farmer in order to cover possible losses and make money."

Waseca Agricultural Society

The annual meeting of this society Avas held at the court room, on Tuesday, Dec. 23, 1893. Reports of the secretary and the treasurer were read, showing at length the financial condition of the society. The total receipts during the year amounted to $877.02 ; and the expenses, including premiums, to $836.59, leaving a balance on hand of $20.43. There was outstanding an order for $230 borrowed money, which was made necessary to pay premiums.

The following resolution was unanimously adopted: Resolved, That the commissioners of the county of Waseca be, and they are, hereby requested to purchase our present fair grounds for the purpose of holding an annual county fair, under and by virtue of the power vested in such commissioners so to do by an act of the legislature of the state of Minnesota, passed in 1891.