Buchanan County, Missouri - Chapter 29: Reminiscences. - Negro Slavery in Buchanan County. - Recollections of Rev. Moses Lard, 1900

And Medical Societies Of The Past And

REMINISCENCES. - NEGRO SLAVERY IN BUCHANAN COUNTY. - RECOLLECTIONS OF REV. MOSES LARD. - THE TOWN OF ELWOOD. - A REMINISCENCE OF EARLY ST. J( )SEPH. - THE GRASS1K )PPER SCOURGE. - A FEAT IN PEDESTRIANISM. - THE FIRST FREE DELIVERY WAG( )N. - A N EFFORT TO SECURE WATER FROM BED-ROCK. - ST. JOSEPH MEN WHO BECAME FA M( )US. - DISTINGUISHED PEOPLE WHO HAVE VISITED ST. JOSEPH. - OLD-TIME DOCTORS AND MEDICAL SOCIETIES OF THE PAST AND PRESENT. - HARTWIG'S INDEPENDENT ARTILLERY COMPANY. - THE FISH HATCHERY.

As was stated in a previous chapter, there were over 2.000 negro slaves in Buchanan County when the war broke out. These were owned principally in the country. The condition of the slave here, as elsewhere, depended upon the master. It was to the slave-holder's interest, of course, to keep this class of property in good condition that it might yield the best possible returns. The slaves, in the main, were well cared for, and their lot was not so bad. They were expected to work ten hours per day for the master and were allowed half holidays on Saturday, where the conditions permitted, and also on Sundays. They were given no education, as a rule, though there were instances where the master taught his slaves to read and write. This practice was frowned upon, however, by the majority of owners. The negroes had many social privileges, but were restricted to some extent by a pass system, which was enforced by a patrol. No negro could leave his master's place after night without a pass. This he had to show to the patrol, who were mounted and who guarded certain prescribed districts. The negroes called them "patterolers," and it was the delight of the more venturesome youngsters to elude the vigilance of these much-hated officers. The patrolmen were paid by private subscription. There were licensed preachers of various Protestant denominations, and these held religious services in different places about the country, at stated times, and there was gen- erally a white man present to see that seditious utterances did not creep into the sermons. Marriages were solemnized, and where the man and woman belonged to different estates the husband was generally permitted to visit his wife on Saturdays and Sundays. The children always belonged to the owner of the mother.

Slaves were paid for the work they did over time, or as in hemp breaking, for such work as was done over and above a stated task. They were also given patches of ground to cultivate and could sell the products. Men were given two suits of clothing and two pairs of shoes per year, and women two dresses, besides other necessary wearing apparei.

Where a slaveholder had more slaves than he could use he let them out for hire. The general price for a man was $150 per year, his maintenance, medical attendance and clothing. It was prescribed how many hours he should work and that he should be paid individually for the work he did beyond the contract day. Women brought about $100 per year hire. In some instances negroes saved enough money to purchase their freedom. One case is recalled, however, where the slave fruitlessly paid over one thousand dollars. The master kept no account ; neither did the slave. The master died, and when the estate was sold the slave was sold also. He had nothing to show for his payments. The slave was Alf Foutz, who was pressman on the Gazette before the war, and who, after the war, held a similar place on the Atchison Champion for many years.

Slaves were hired out during Christmas week for the ensuing year, and this was generally done on Market Square. The masters brought them into town and sold their services to the highest bidders.

Slaves were sold at public auction also, but this practice was almost confined to cases where an estate was sold ; though several slave buyers, who shipped their wares South, were located in St. Joseph, and constantly bought up such negroes as were offered. When slavery was abolished, there were few males in bondage, most of them having been either shipped to Texas before the war or been surrendered by masters who took advantage of a bounty of $350 for every slave that was enlisted by them into the Federal army. A great many, too, had escaped to Kansas by the aid of the Jayhawkers.

Section i. That any negro, or mulatto, bond or free, who shall be found without a pass, between the hours of io o'clock p. m. and 4 o'clock a. m., in a grog shop, tippling-house, tavern or beer house, not his place of abode, or abroad in the city from his usual place of abode, unless he be going to or coming from some lawful place of business or lawful assemblage, shall forfeit and pay, for the first offense, not less than one nor more than five dollars ; and for every subsequent offense, not less than five nor more than twenty dollars.

Sec. 2. The mayor may give a general pass, in writing, to any free negro or mulatto, whose business requires him to be out between the hours above mentioned, and may annul the same at pleasure ; and the owner, master or person having custody of any slave may give such slave a written permit to pass and repass to any place in the permit designated.

Sec. 3. Negroes or mulattoes shall not hold, at night, any assemblage without the written permission of the mayor ; nor shall they remain at a ball, religious meeting or other assemblage after the hour of 1 1 o'clock p. m.

Sec. 4. Any negro or mulatto who shall be found at night at any assemblage not permitted by the mayor, or at any permitted assemblage after the hour of 1 1 o'clock p. m., or shall at such assemblage be guilty of any disorderly conduct, shall forfeit any pay not exceeding five dollars.

Sec. 5. Any white person over the age of ten years who shall be found at any ball or social party of negroes or mulattoes, or who shall annoy or disturb any permitted assemblage of negroes or mulattoes, shall forfeit and pay not less than five dollars.

Sec. 6. Upon the arrest of any slave for the breach of any ordinance, his master, owner or employer shall be notified in writing of the charge made against the slave, and the time and place of trial thereof ; and if such master, owner or employer pay the penalty adjudged against the slave, and costs, the slave shall be delivered to him ; otherwise he shall be sent to the workhouse as in other cases.

Sec. 7. Whoever, not being the master, mistress or employer of a slave, shall furnish such slave with a pass shall forfeit and pay not less than twenty dollars, nor more than one hundred dollars.

Sec. 8. The owner, master or employer of any slave may, in his discretion, after such slave shall have been convicted, may pay the fine and costs, or permit the slave to be sent to the workhouse, there to work out said fine and costs ; or he mav suffer such slave to be whipped by the city marshal with any number of lashes in the discretion of the mayor, not exceeding thirty-nine, but the cost of the proceeding shall, in all cases, be paid by the owner, master or employer of such slave.

The Wholesale District Of St. Joseph In 1898

obtained from the city register upon proof that the negro was entitled to such license, which was guarded by a bond in the sum of $500, conditioned that the recipient be of good behavior. The license contained a discription of the holder, his name, age, size, personal appearance and occupation, and authorized him to reside in the city as long as his behavior was good, the power of revocation having been vested in the mayor and applicable upon the conviction of the holder of the violation of any city ordinance.

A description of the society of the early days in Missouri, written by the Rev. Moses E. Lard, appeared in Lard's Quarterly in December, 1863, that is not only the most graphic sketch of the times that has ever been written, but a gem of English literature. It appeared in an article entitled "My First Meeting. " This meeting was held at Haynesville, Clinton County, Missouri, and the description may be accepted as a true picture of the social and religions life and thought of this part of the state at an early time.

Rev. Moses E. Lard was himself a remarkable character. He was a journeyman tailor in Liberty, Mo., when General Doniphan became interested in him, and noting his burning thirst for knowledge, sent him to college, where he was educated for the ministry. He became a great religious leader in Missouri and was for some years a preacher in St. Joseph. His father was a forest dweller, ; pioneer and a hunter. A daughter of Moses E. Lard married Governor Silas Woodson, and some of his posterity are still among us T11 this article, "My First Meeting," occur the following descriptive passages :

"Most men in the neighborhood could read Chronicles by spelling half the words, while all had either read Bunvan and eighth of Romans, or heard them read. Bunyan supplied them with experiences, Romans with texts to prove predestination ; the former enjoyed the favor and affection, the latter, the authority. On Sundays most of the country flocked to meeting, the wags to swap horses and whittle, and to bet on the coming races ; the Christians, as was fitting, to hear the sermon, and relate their experiences. The ser moil was sure to be on foreknowledge or free-will, and to contain a definition of eternity ; the experiences embraced reminiscences of headless apparitions, or voices of pulseless corpses wrapped in coffin sheets. * * * hair, and fine girth - a man who cracked of definite articles, copulative conjunctions, Hoogley's bay, and ciphering; could tell the day of the month by the almanac, and brogue your moccasins ; pulled teeth, bled and puked the neighbors ; took grog with you when dry ; wrote your will, and prayed for you when dying. He was deacon in the church, justice of the peace, auctioneer and general counselor at law, prescribed for gout and cancer, and was a robust believer in witchcraft ; he was always elected captain on muster days, gave advice in bad cases of rupture and hair-lip ; was president of the debating club, judge at shooting-matches, held children when christened, and gave lectures as to the best time in the moon to salt meat and plant snaps. In the schoolroom he was a philosoher and a tyrant, made but few impressions on the mind, left many on the back, taught the boys to make manners, and the girls to curtesy; at noon played bull-pen, knucks and hull-gull; and at all other times was a gentleman and an astrologer.

"The corn-shucking of these days "lang syne' must not be forgotten in this brief sketch. This was an occasion which always brought the whole neighborhood together. The women met to brag on their babies, drink stew, knit, and discuss the best method of setting blue-dye; the men to shuck corn, take rye, recount battles with bruin, and tell of long shots at deer; the boys to spark and blush ; the girls to ogle and fall in love.

"Next to the corn-shucking, the winter quilting and hoe-downs were the pride of this long past. These were my delight. In the quilting you sat close beside your bonnie lassie ; in the hoe-down you touched her hand, and saw her ankle. This over, you made love to her in the corner, while she slapped your jaws, and pouted. But to me the chief attraction at the quilting was the huge stacks of pumpkin pies which graced it, of which I am not conscious at this sitting that I ever had enough. * * *

"At the time of my meeting great advances had been made on these times. The men had ceased to wear bucksin, the women dressed in calico, and drank green tea; ghosts were more rare, and Drew had migrated. Tents covered with elm bark were now quite out of fashion, boots were occasionally seen, the men used handkerchiefs, and the women side-combs. Soap was no longer a myth to children, though starched bosoms still attracted much attention. The boys had now begun to carry riding whips, to chew, and the girls to flirt. The more able families could afford tables and biscuit on Sunday morning, while almost all had learned what sausage and

"A shingled roof and a brick stack were not now absolutely unknown, and men used chains instead of withes in plowing. The use of pins was altogether abandoned, and fish were caught with hooks as in other countries. Balls had taken the place of the hoe-down, the fiddle that of juber; horns were all the fashion, and grog was never named. The Christians discussed the mode of baptism, the operation of the spirit, and infant church membership, as in other decent countries ; they only denied the existence of Styx, and the revolution of the earth ; the old preachers kept on their coats while preaching, and took a little only when feeling bad. A young man no longer consulted a witch when he wanted a wife, but went directly to his sweetheart ; invalids took henbane, boneset, and composition for diseases of the spine and fits, and Weekly Dale cured warts by hocus-pocus." * * *

A word of El wood will not be amiss in these reminiscenses. Fotheringhanvs directory for i860 shows 166 male residents of the place. At the present estimate of population, based upon city directories - five to the name - this would show that Elwood had a population of 830 at that time. The business directory shows that there were three attorneys : one of them, D. W. Wilder, later prominently identified with the political history of Kansas and with the press of St. Joseph ; another, Thomas A. Osborn, later governor of Kansas ; the third, A. L. Lee, who was secretary of the town company and also interested in a bank in St. Joseph, and who subsequently gained distinction as a brigadier-general in the Union army. 1 here were two bakeries, two blacksmiths, ^ brewery, a brickmaker, two butchers, six carpenters, a coffee house, a dentist, a druggist, seven general merchants, two hotels, a livery stable, two painters, three physicians, a plasterer, a restaurant, several real estate agents, five saloons, a saw mill, a tailor, three wagon-makers, a jeweler and one dealer i nstoves and tinware. There was also a newspaper, the Elwood Free Press, published by H. D. Hunt.

There was an Episcopal church, and the Congregationalists held services occasionally in a hall. There was a board of publis schools; also a library association and a building association.

The New York Daily Times of December 18, 1858, says of Elwood, that it "is one of the most promising places in Kansas, and, from the eligibility of its position and great local advantages, bids fair to become the chief commercial metropolis of the future state. Situated directly opposite St. Joseph, it is placed by the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad in direct communication with the most populou and wealthy cities of the East, and by the first of April will be withir fifty hours travel of New York. It is the starting point of the railroad chartered to Palmetto, on the South Pass route to Salt Lake and California, and of the St. Joseph & Topeka railroad, which will command a great portion of the trade of New Mexico. It lies on the west bank of the Missouri River, on the verge of an extensive and thickly wooded bottom, which requires no gradings ; its streets are broad and rectangular, and its levee can be approached with safety by the largest boats, and is sufficiently spacious for an immense commerce."

The war stagnated business, scattered the population and killed the prospects of this ambitious and thriving point. In rapid settlement and development of Kansas, when peace was restored, Elwood was overlooked and forgotten and went into rapid decline. The ravages of the river finished the work, and there is but little left of the ground upon which the ambitious young town stood.

Allen PI. Yories, 1870, at a banquet, in speaking of what St. Joseph was twenty years previous to that time, said there were about fifteen hundred inhabitants here. The principal business centered down about Main and Felix, Francis and Jule. About Sixth street the locality was grown up with hazel, and at Eighth and ) ile, where the speaker lived, there were dense woods, where no one dreamed of ever seeing residences and churches built up as is now the case.

In those days the population of St. Joseph was about three times as large in the spring as at any other season of the year. The California emigrants camped all over the unoccupied grounds in and around the city. They ate the provisions and came near starving out the citizens, for they bought up everything before it reached the

Law business in those days was conducted in a scattering sort of way, which might be better described by the term hotch-potch. The doctors, as far as he knew and believed, were on a par with the lawyers, and acted on the principle of the old physician who, when a case was brought to him which he did not understand, gave the patient something to throw him into fits, because he was "death on fits."

As in all ages and countries, a good many of the citizens of the town wanted office. One old gentleman wanted to be a justice of the peace, and prepared to be elected by having 500 tickets printed for ballots, all of which he distributed among the voters. When the election was held and the votes counted this old gentleman was found to have received one vote. When told of the result, he exclaimed : "One vote! Yes, and I know who gave that!" He contested the election, and the treasurer, in a spirit of ridicule, gave the old man a commission. Not long afterwards some young men created a mock disturbance to give the old man a case. They erected a judge's stand by placing a barrel on a large dry goods box and putting a chair on the barrel, and when the case had progressed nearly to a termination, one of the wags knocked the barrel from under the judge's chair and down came the seat of justice, with the justice and all. The old fellow complained of his treatment to William Fowler, a county official, who advised him to throw away his commission, but he refused to do so, fondly believing that he wras vested with official dignity.

There was once a vacancy in the office of justice of the peace, and six persons, seeking the position, got up six petitions to be presented to the county court. Strangely enough every voter in the township signed every petition, and when it came before the county court it was in the shape of one petition for one man, for some mischievous person had cut off the headings of all the other petitions and pasted the names under that of his favorite, so there were six thousand names for him and none for anyone else.

This was in the good old days when all men, citizens of St. Joseph, were honest, but a number followed the California emigrants who were not of that class. On one occasion, however, a fellow was arraigned before Mayor Mills for transgressing an ordinance of the city against the practice of games of chance. He had been swindling someone with the thimble-rig dodge. When arraigned he contended that his game was not one of chance, but a sure thing. "Then," said

An amusing incident of the bar was given. A case was being tried in the circuit court in which one of the parties subpoenaed the judge as a witness, and a change of venue was asked. The judge refused to grant the change, saying he knew nothing to prevent a judge from giving testimony in a case being tried before him. The judge came down from the bench and took the witness stand. The first question asked was objected to, the objector addressing himself to the vacant chair of the judge, who, assuming the chair, decided that the question should be put. Then taking the witness stand, he answered the question. The second question was put with a like result. But the spirit of Blackstone, or somebody else, now began to fill the mind of the judge, he appreciated the difficulty of being at the^ same time judge and witness, and granted the change of venue asked for.

The years 1866, 1867, 1874 and 1875, are known as "grasshopper" years, owing to the existence of a plague of Rocky Mountain locusts. Kansas was stricken first each time and the locusts crossed the river, in September of 1866, in July of 1867, and in September of 1874. The first two visits were not so costly to the farmer as the last one. The city was deluged with the insects, however, and they were a great annoyance. The wells were polluted with their carcasses, they ate the lace curtains in the dwellings, and devoured the vegetation.

In 1874 and 1875 the country west and north of Missouri was plagued with the locusts. The people usually reterred to them as grasshoppers. Indeed, the insects greatly resembled the ordinary grasshopper. They came down from the Rocky Mountains, quickly overran Colorado, then came on through Kansas, devouring every green thing, taking every live blade of grass, every leaf on tree and bush, every flower and vegetable. In September of 1874 they struck Buchanan County. The crops having matured, they did little material damage that year. But they deposited their eggs in the ground and the warm spring weather hatched them out in great numbers. As they developed the verdure disappeared. First the young clover, then the tender blue grass of the pastures, next the vegetables in the gardens, and finally the shrubbery and small trees ; in fact, almost everything that grew fell before the greed of the insect. As they grew so did their voracity, and their depredations increased. Farm- ers were powerless. Some tried digging pits and driving the locusts thereinto, where they were 'either scalded or covered up. Others drove them into piles, where they were cremated. In fact, numerous plans for ridding the country of the pest were tried, and while untold millions of locusts were undoubtedly destroyed, others seemed to take their places immediately. It mattered not what was done, no diminution in the number of the hopping, creeping things was discernible. Live stock suffered greatly from the lack of food, and the farmers lost heavily by the death of cattle and hogs. When half-grown and able to fly the locusts began to disappear, and by July they were nearly all gone. The farmers at once set to work with energy. The seasons were favorable and the frost late. There was a grand harvest. In fact, all over the state there was a prodigious yield, and this fact served largely to alleviate the business depression of the two previous years.

In 1869 pedestrianism was the popular athletic fad. The newspaper files contain accounts of a rather grotesque performance of this kind in St. Joseph. One R. F. Leonard, a laundryman, agreed, on a wager, to walk 100 miles in twenty-four hours. His route was on Second street, from Faraon to Isabel, a distance of half a mile. At midnight, February 17, Leonard began his task. The route was illuminated with torches and the pedestrian carried in one hand a lighted lamp and in the other a bugle, upon which he executed military signals as he marched. An immense crowd witnessed the performance. Leonard made the first mile in thirteen minutes. The ninety-ninth mile was made in twenty-two minutes and the one-hundredth mile in thirteen minutes and twenty-two seconds. Leonard covered the one hundred miles in twenty-three hours and thirty-nine seconds, resting but forty-one seconds during the time.

In 1874 the question of waterworks was not only earnestly discussed, but a considerable sum was expended in an experiment to obtain a supply from the bed-rock of the river. This venture was directed by a number of influential citizens known as waterworks commissioners. The members of this commission were Mayor I. T. Hosea, Wm. M. Wyeth, Victor B. Buck, Bernard Patton, George H. Hall, Milton Tootle, Winslow Judson, Louis Hax, Charles B. France, R. P. Richardson, George Buell, Louis Fuelling and Charles A. Pfeiffer. These gentlemen served gratuitously and created a fund with which to conduct the experiment. The bridge having been recently completed, aparatus for pneumatic pressure was easily available. A caisson was sunk and the workmen went a considerable distance below the bed of the river. However, the cherished hope of finding a sufficient supply of pure water was not realized.

In July, 1870, the first mixed jury was impaneled in Buchanan County. The case was before a justice, and the constable had provided a jury composed of three negroes and three white men. The late Judge Henry S. Tutt, who had been engaged by the defendant, refused to serve.

Buchanan County has furnished the state three governors - Robert INI. Stewart, Willard P. Hall and Silas Woodson. The office of Secretary of State was filled for two terms by Francis Rodman of St. Joseph. Mordecai Oliver, who was appointed Secretary of State by the convention of 1861, was then a resident of Greene County and did not come to St. Joseph until after the war. The office of State Treasurer has had one incumbent from St. Joseph - Col. Elijah Gates. Francis Carroll Hughes of this county was appointed warden of the penitentiary by Governor Polk, in 1856, and served until the exit of Governor Claiborne F. Jackson. Henry A. Vories and Philomen Bliss of Buchanan County were judges of the supreme court and W illard P. Hall, Jr., was judge of the Kansas City court of appeals. James B. Gardenhire of St. Joseph was attorney-general. The following residents of St. Joseph have been members of Congress : James X. Burnes, Daniel D. Burnes, George C. Crowther and Willard P. Hall, Sr., James Craig, Benj. F. Loan, Isaac C. Parker, Charles F. Cochran. Gen. Robert Wilson, who was appointed United States senator by Governor Hall, resided on a farm at Jimtown. in Andrew County, a short distance beyond the Buchanan County line, but was much interested here, and may be accredited to St. Joseph. Joseph K. Toole, the first governor of Montana, was a former resident of St. Joseph. Alexander W. Terrell, the first city attorney of St. Joseph, was afterwards United States minister to Turkey, and Ethan Allen Hitchcock, until recently minister to Russia, and now Secretary of the Interior, was a merchant in St. Joseph before the war. Jacob T. Child, minister to Siam under President Cleveland, was in the newspaper business here before and during the war, as was also E. C. Davis, the first state superintendent of public schools. James W. Porch was a resident of St. Joseph when appointed consul-general at the City of Mexico. John L. Bittinger, the present consul-general at Montreal, still holds his residence here. Jerome B. Chaffe, at one time senator from Colorado, was a banker in St. Joseph before the war.

Many distinguished men have visited the Blacksnake Hills and St. Joseph. Audubon, the famous naturalist, was the guest of Joseph Robidoux in May of 1843, while on his way to the Yellowstone. He makes the folowing reference to this spot : "After grounding on sandbars and contending against hard winds and currents, we reached the Blacksnake Hills settlement, which is a delightful site for a populous city. The hills are two hundred feet above the level of the river and slope gently down on the opposite side to the beautiful prairies that extend over thousands of acres of the richest land imaginable." Audubon would find many changes could he come to St. Joseph now.

Commodore Stockton, the hero of the Pacific, traveled overland from California in 1847, and passed through St. Joseph. On October 27, 1847, he was given a popular ovation by the people of the town and entertained at a banquet at the Mansion House, which was a prominent hotel in those days.

May 13, 1859, Horace Greely was a visitor for a short time, being on his way to the convention at Osawatomie, Kansas ; Abraham Lincoln passed through the city December 1, 1859, on his way to Kansas. On December 22, i860, William H. Seward, Secretary of State under President Lincoln, addressed the people of St. Joseph from the balcony of the Patee House.

General Grant, General W. T. Sherman and General Phil Sheridan were here July 29, 1868, and were given a reception at the Pacific House. General Sherman was introduced from the balcony, and attempted to make a speech, but there was a disorderly element in the crowd that prevented his being heard. On September 27, 1871, General Grant, who was then President, passed through St. Joseph on his way to Council Bluffs. A large crowd greeted him, and he made a short address from the platform of his car.

On September 29, 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes, Mrs. Hayes and General Sherman were present at the opening of the first fair held at Fowler's Grove.

Prsident Harrison also stopped for a short time during a Western trip. William McKinley, now President, spoke on the tariff question at the Union Depot during the national campaign of 1892.

St. Joseph has been well supplied with physicians since the earliest days, and the professional standard has always been high. As early as 1845 eleven of the local physicians agreed upon a card of rates, which will be of interest now, not only because it shows the cost of medical attendance in those days, but also because it shows the range of practice. The charges were as follows :

It was also agreed that no families would be engaged by the year, and that settlement in all cases was to be required either by note or cash as soon as the service was rendered. This agreement was signed by Josiah H. Crane, D. G. Keedy, J. L. Page, Thomas J. Todd, William B. Wood, J. N. Hays, B. Y. Teel, Robert Martin, R. A. H. Gray, William P. Flint and Delford Benton.

Medical societies for the discussion of matters looking to the advancement of the profession have existed at various times, more particularly since the close of the rebellion. The most prominent of these were the District Medical Society of Northwest Missouri, which existed in the latter sixties and early seventies, and the St. Joseph Medical Society, which was founded in 1877, reorganized in 1890, and which is in a flourishing condition at this time, with the following officers: Dr. P. I. Leonard, president; Dr. J. M. Richmond, vice-president ; Dr. J. M. Bell, secretary, and Dr. J. H. Flynn, treasurer. Its membership is made up of the leading physicians of the city.

A military organization which existed in St. Joseph during the war, and mention of which was unintentionally omitted from Chapter XIX., was Hartwig's Independent Company of Artillery, formed by Captain H. R. W. Hartwig in October of 1864. Captain Hartwig was commissioned by Governor Hall to form this company, the strength of which consisted of eighty-four men and four four-pound pieces. Joseph Andriano was first lieutenant, John Riplinger, second lieutenant, and Charles Barrington orderly. The company was on duty in this section and in Platte County, and was mustered out at the close of the war.

The state fish hatchery, south of the city, was established in June of 1880. The citizens of St. Joseph subscribed $1,000, with which money ten acres of ground were purchased from Thomas A. Brown, the premises embracing what was called Brown's spring, a famous watering point with the farmers. The property was deeded to the State of Missouri, and the state fish commissioners caused the necessary buildings to be erected and' a hatchery to be established, which is still in existence. Among the St. Joseph men who have been prominently connected with the fish commission were the late H. M. Garlich, also Dr. E. A. Donelan and Frank Yenawine.

The practice of delivering groceries was established by Major H. R. W. Hartwig in 1865. At that time he was conducting a retail grocery store on Fourth street, south of Edmond street. He sent to New York for a modern delivery wagon, which he placed in active service, in charge of Chris. Hubacher, now a prominent citizen of St. Joseph.

"Voting on string" is a term that will be remembered by those who were active in politics during the reconstruction period and particularly when the odious registration law was first put into operation. Only those who were registered could vote. And only those who took the iron-clad oath were registered. There were those who were rejected by the registering officers, either for valid or political reasons, who announced that they would vote in spite of the proscription, and there were many indications of trouble. The election judges, like the registering officers, were all Republicans in those days. A council of the party leaders was called to decide upon the easiest and best way out of the impending difficulty. It was finally decided to receive all votes that were offered and to place the ballots of those who were registered in the regular box and to file the ballots of those not registered upon a string. The election was held without trouble. When an unregistered voter appeared he was greeted with courtesy, voted his ticket and departed well satisfied. But his ballot went on the string and was not counted. This trick was practiced and kept secret until the political condition had changed and the presence of Democratic judges made it unsafe for the Republicans to continue the practice.

Errata

The object of publishing these chapters in The Daily News was to obtain corrections of any errors that might have been made in the compilation. There was a liberal response to this request, and where the corrections were sent in before matter went to the book press, the errors were rectified. Some, however, came too late for this, and the corrections will be found below :

On page 60 it is stated that Edwin Toole, the first clerk of the circuit court of Buchanan County, was still alive. Since that chapter was written Mr. Toole died.

On page 118 it is stated that Mayor Shepherd appointed' the first board of park commissioners. Captain Posegate writes from St. Louis that this is an error; that he appointed a board of park commissioners when mayor, 1882-84.

On page 136 it is stated that prior to 1877 there was no regularly employed attorney to give advice to the city officers and to defend suits against the city. It was the duty of the city attorney to do this. It is also stated, on page 137, that M. A. Reed served three years as counselor, and that James Limbird served two. This is an error. Mr. Reed served two years and Mr. Limbird three years - two years under Mayor Hartwig, and one year under Mayor Doyle.

Several errors occurred in Chapter XYI., concerning the public schools, which are corrected in a communication from Secretary Smith of the St. Joseph school board, of which the following is the important part : of the original issue of $115,000, the amount having been reduced to that figure. This latter issue has been further reduced $3,500, leaving the bonded indebtedness at the present time as above stated. In the issue of December 16 you give the time as six years that Professor Neely had been conducting a classical school; he informs me this should read nine years. In the issue of December 21 the date of the erection of the Crosby School is given as 1889; this should be 1880. In the issue of the 226. you have omitted the names of Louis Hax and E. R. Colhoun, each of whom served as president of the board.

On pages 166 and 167 it is stated that the Ensworth hospital was in charge of the Order of Deaconnesses and the Fifth Street Methodist church. In fact the institution is in charge of the Deaconess Home and Hospital Association.

On page 117 it is stated that Krug park was donated to the city upon certain conditions. These conditions were withdrawn by the Messrs. Krug in 1891, and the property was deeded to the city unconditionally.