Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 39: General County Topics, 1912

Chapter 39: General County Topics

County Politics - The County Schools - State Course of Study - Jasper County Teachers' Institute - State University S. W. Missouri Alumni Association - Purcell - ^La Russell - ^Building a Church in a Day - Semi-Military Societies - ^Railroads - ^Visir op THE Geological Society op America - The Drought op 1901 - The Other Extreme - ^Waters on a Tear.

The election of 1900 was hotly contested, but the excitement which attended the campaign of 1896 was not in evidence to the extent that it was when Bryan and McKinley were before the people the first time. William McKinley was the Republican candidate for president and William Jennings Bryan had again been nominated by the Democrats. Jasper county went Democratic, but by a reduced majority over the vote of four years before. The result was as follows: Bryan, 9,640 ; McKinley, 8,741.

At this election the following candidates were successful: Representative of Eastern district, Thomas Hackney ; representative of Westem district, Obe Whitmere ; sheriflf, Ab Rich ; collector, Robert A. Wilson; associate justice Eastern district, Henry Adkins; associate justice Western district, J. A. Ristine ; treasurer, Wm. Lochrie ; assessor, Sherman Quails; surveyor, T. V. Grebe; public administrator, John Armstrong; coroner. Dr. W. A. Dumbald.

The 1904 campaign was by far the most exciting of the ^ecade, on account of the intense feeling in the Democratic party over the gubemar torial nomination centering between Mayor Reid of Kansas City and Circuit Attorney Jos. W. Folk, of St. Louis. The intense feeling in the Democratic party caused a bitterness that was kept at white heat during

The county officers elected November 3, 1908, were as follows : Prosecuting attorney, Byron Coon; circuit judge No. 1, Henry L. Bright; Circuit judge No. 2, David E. Blair; coroner, Ernest H. Baird; sheriff. Arch McDonald; Assessor, Ed. H. Chitwood; treasurer, J. B. Yaryan; surveyor, W. H. Eohlman; public administrator, Rob. N. Alexander; associate judge, east district, J. A. Wright; associate judge, west district^ Allen Dixon.

On November 8, 1910, the county officers elected were: Prosecuting attorney, William Andrews; circuit judge, Joseph D. Perkins; county judge. Eastern district, J. A. Wright; county judge, Western district, Allen Dixon; probate judge, N. H. Eelso; circuit clerk, Delia Sharp; county clerk, L. H. Thomas; county collector, R. L. Sloan; recorder, Frank B. Logan.

In 1910, and largely on account of the temperance agitation of the Rev. W. A. Sunday, who had conducted a very successful revival at Joplin in November and December, 1909, the county voted on the question of local prohibition. JopUn, Webb City, Carthage and Carterville voted separately on the question. The campaign was short but very exciting, and the result was as follows: Joplin, 6,504 votes cast, majority against local option, 814; Webb City, 2,506 votes cast, majority for local option, 67 ; Carthage, 2,176 votes cast, majority for local option, 176; Carterville, 980 votes cast, majority for local option, 134. The county at large, including the county precincts and all towns excepting the above, cast 4,752 votes and gave a majority for local option of 1,916.

In 1899 State Superintendent Carrington prepared a uniform course of study for the rural schools of the state, covering eight years of work and corresponding with the eight years usually covered by the primary and grammar grades of the city schools. As an incentive for using this course of study it was provided that at the close of the school year the grades of the pupils throughout the county should be cast up, and those having succesafully completed the eight-years' work were to be granted diplomas by the county superintendent certifying to the fact that they had finished the work mapped out for the first eight years of the state course of instruction and, on the presentation of this certificate of graduation, the holder was entitled to admission to the Freshmen class of any of the high schools of the state which he might chose to attend.

This course of study was generally adopted by the rural teachers of the county and Superintendent E. D. Dennison put forth every effort to carry to a successful termination the wishes of the state superintendent. Of course the classification of the pupils the first year was a difScult task and required great pains and labor from not only the superintendent but the teachers as well, but after numerous conferences and much hard labor the classification was satisfactorily arranged.

The first class of rural graduates numbered only five, but in the spring of 1901 thirty-eight pupils completed the course. In 1902 the rural graduating class numbered one hundred, and in 1903 one hundred and twenty were successful in passing the examination. This was probably the most important act of Superintendent Garrington, and more than any other one thing raised the standard of the county schools, and Jasper was one of the first six counties to adopt the state course of study.

To give an idea of thef importance of the rural graduation we quote from County Superintendent W. B. Colley and State Superintendent Evans, the extracts taken from the annual report of the state superintendent for 1910.

Extract from report of County Superintendent W. B. Colley: '' County supervision is not a new thing in Jasper county and in speaking of what has been accomplished by supervision I only wish to share the honor for it with my able and worthy predecessors. There is excellent school sentiment throughout the entire county. The people generally desire to have good schools and desire that their children shall take regular elementary and high school courses. A large number of districts are making extra efforts to have eight month terms. School buildings are usually well kept and provided with a few decorations. Qood school houses have been built and most of them have been equipped with good desks, slate or hyloplate blackboards, globes, dictionaries, maps, libniries, etc. The species of rowdyism and vandalism that used to characterize the district school is entirely a thing of the past. Children commonly take their books home to study at night. Attendance and punctuality are generally good. One rural school reported perfect attendance ana seven tardies in three months.

"The county course of study is used in all rural schools. The rural examinations in the spring together with the eight permanent high school scholarships offered by two of the largest high schools are great incentives to the rural pupils."

In 1907, there were 2,747 pupils completing the common school course in the state; in 1908, 3,991 ; in 1909, 6,075; in 1910, 8,801. This shows an increase of 6,054 or 220 per cent, in four years. The number of connties holding graduating exercises, county, township or rural district, has increased from 6 in 1906, to 112 in 1910, or nearly 1,800 per cent. It is this movement that is so largely responsible for the increase in country attendance at the various hi^ schools, academies and normal schools. It has also brought about a more regular attendance and more interest on the part of rural pupils. As inatters now stand in Missouri we have the articulated system beginning with the rural school where a pupil completes the eight grades and is given a high school entrance certificate or certificate of graduation. This certificate admits him without examination to any high school in the state. On completing a four year high school course and receiving a diploma, he can enter the University of Missouri or any college without examination, or any normal school with credit The one weak spot in the system, is the lack of hi^ school advantages in some counties. Hence the pupils completing the eighth grade in these counties must go away from home to get high school privileges. The remedy for this is the consolidated school."

In 1910 a representative of the state superintendent visited a number of the schools of southwestern Missouri with a view of observing the uniformity of the schools of the county and village districts in the use of the State Course of Instruction. In his report to the state superintendent the following Jasper county schools were especially mentioned: Marion school, District No. 62, R. N. Kirby, teacher. No. months in present position, 9. Salary paid, $60. Vols, in library, 150. Value of library, $50. Assessed valuation, $146,610. Estimated value of school property, $2,500.

Monitor school, District No. 75, R. J. Knight, teacher. No. months in present position, 2. Salary, $50. Vols, in library, 128. Value of library, $40. Assessed valuation, $62,375. Estimated value of school property, $800.

Prairie View school. District No. 88, Etta Spencer, teacher. No. months in present position, 1. Salary paid, $40. Vols, in library, 100. Value of library, $30. Assessed valuation, $79,750. Estimated value of school property, $1,200.

High Hill school. District No. 89, Louis H. Keepers, teacher. No. months in present position, 12. Salary paid, $50. Vols, in library, 180. Value of library, $60. Assessed valuation, $79,080. Estimated value of school property, $1,000.

Zincite school. District No. 96, Jesse L. Pierce and Zella Strater, teachers. No. months in present position, 19. Salary paid, $65-$50. Vols, in library, 34. Value of library, $15. Assessed valuation, $139,- 220. Estimated value of school property, $1,400.

that it had flourished had wielded a great influence and had accomplished for the teachers of the county much good. In 1903, however, the Teachers' Normal came to an end and was succeeded by the Jasper County Teachers Association, which was provided for by the legislative enactments of 1903. The law, briefly stated, provided that all of the teachers of the county should attend a county institute to be held on the last three days of either October, November or December of each year; that the teachers shall receive their regular pay for the time spent in attending the institute and that the county superintendent should arrange for these sessions a program of lectures from persons especially fitted or trained in the art of teaching.

The state superintendent in announcing the law to the teachers of the state said: **It is believed that a three days' meeting right in the midst of the term will help teachers more in a practical way than the ten days' institute. School boards should encourage teachers to attend every day of this association and go themselves. The state superintendent will attend every one of these meetings that he possibly can. Someone representing one of the State Normals or the State University will gladly attend and lecture without cost to the association. It is recommended that someone outside of the county be secured for two or more addresses. The state superintendent, each year, will suggest the program. Every teacher should have an assigned part and feel that it is his meeting. At least one session should be given to directors."

These institutes have been very popular in this county and have accomplished much good. The following gentlemen have filled the office of county superintendent during the last decade: 1900-2, E. B. Dennison; 1902-3, Joel T. Livingston; 1903-6, Luther Hardaway; 1906-11, Walter B. CoUy; 1911 - L. W. Kost.

Of the above, Superintendent Dennison resigned in 1902 to accept a position as teacher of mathematics in the K. C. Manual Training High School, and Joel T. Livingston was appointed by the governor to fill out the unexpired term.

Luther Hardaway resigned in 1906 to accept a position as assistant chief clerk in the office of the state superintendent and Walter B. Colly was appointed by the governor to fill out his unexpired term.

In 1903, the Jasper county alumni of the Missouri State University formed an association and invited the former students of the University from all over southwest Missouri to join them in a banquet and school reunion, to be held at Carthage, January 21, 1904. Dr. R. N. Jesse, president of Missouri State University was the guest of honor. The banquet was given at the Elks club rooms which were profusely decorated with the college colors, old gold and black. The tiger, the emblem of the university football team, was much in evidence. The table, which was loaded with good things to eat, was arranged in the form of a

Major Crayeroft, of Joplin, was the toast master of the evening, and after a few appropriate words introduced Attorney J. M. Dryden, of Carthage, who delivered an address which was partially in the nature of a welcome to Carthage, and partially in the nature of recalling the incidents and events which made the memory of the State University a pleasant recollection. Following Mr. Dryden 's address, Dr. Jesse responded to the toast "The College Bred Man." Leslie Rice, of Neosho, gave a most interesting talk of University life. Dr. John B. Lawsen, of Columbia, of the law faculty, responded both eloquently and interestingly to the toast **The Lawyer." Thomas Hackney, a prince of after dinner speakers, concluded the program with a response to '^ Jasper County and the State University." La this connection it might be added that Jasper county has more students in the State University, than any other of the South West Missouri counties. At this writing the Jasper county students at the University, over fifty in number, have an organization which is vf ry popular and also very useful, known as tiie Jasper County Club.

The town of Purcell was founded in 1903 named after former Sheriff James Purcell of this county. It is situated midway between Alba and Neck City. This town has had a steady growth from its beginning and now numbers among its business establishment a well managed bank.

La Russell is another one of the new towns which has been put on the map of Jasper county during the last decade. It is in the central portion of the county and sprang up after the building of the White River line. At first it drew largely from Bower's Mill, one of tiie oldest towns in the southwest but some three or four miles off from the railroad. Recently, however, the opening up of rich mines near La Russell has made it a very important point.

In 1907 the Rev. W. F. Turner, of Quincy, Illinois, formerly of Joplin, with the assistance of two hundred of his congregation, built the framework and principal parts of a church building and the feat was much commented on by the press of the country. At a meeting of the Christian ministers of Jasper county, early in the year 1911, it was determined to build a church at some point in Jasper county and complete the edifice in a day, as an object lesson of what might be done by united and concerted action.

Alba, Missouri, was selected as the place where the house of worship should be built and Tuesday, May 31st, as the day. More than a hundred members of this great denomination appeared upon the scene early on the day selected, bringing with them hammers, saws, axes, picks, plaaes, stone hammers and tools of all descriptions and kinds. Among the laborers were the following ministers, who had come from other cities to help in the glorious work of building the temple : D. W. Moore, pastor of the Carthage church; G. J. Chapman, First church, Joplin; J. W. Famuliner, Villa Heights; R. C. Blunt, South Joplin; A. K. Williams, Central church, Joplin ; Rev. Mr. Daniels, of Webb City ; Rev. Mr. Morgan, Carterville ; Evangelists Jones and Meador.

There were also present representatives of all the professions. Business men reported with hammers and nails and crash aprons. There were men who work hard in the ground six days a week. The holiday's leisure may have beckoned to them, but they declined to listen to its lure. They were on hand to assist the completion of a church building in the brief space of a day. Not much time was spent in putting the army to work. The plans had all been formulated. With the ease and precision of thorough organization the big force was detailed to its task. The clatter of labor swiftly and efficiently performed smote the memorial silence. Under the magic of enthusiasm and direction the huge shapeless piles of lumber quickly began to assume the form of building material. Merrily plied the hammers and gayly sang the saw while the crunch of the plane buzzed through the obligate.

Slowly, very slowly, the work seemed to progress during the first hour. Much was being accomplished, but the results had not as yet been assembled, and to the onlooker, if an onlooker had been present, it would have seemed that the impossible had been undertaken. But there were no onlookers. The contagion of the eflfort was irresistible. Those who came to watch suddenly found themselves involved in the thick of the onslaught, toiling away like beavers. The pace began to tell upon some of the volunteer carpenters to whom manual labor was a novel experience. Again the capable management that directed the operations again asserted itself. The force was divided into squads that worked in relays. As soon as a workman began to show signs of fatigue he was supplanted by a fresh recruit. This relay policy kept the working force continuously at its maximum of energy and of efficiency.

Meanwhile the women of the Ladies' Aid of Alba, by whose eflPorts the church lot had been bought, were busily engaged in preparing a dinner worthy of the occasion. Many of the workers ate that dinner with an appetite such as they had not known in years. The labor of muscle out under the blue sky, with lungs charged with ozone, brought them to the snowy white tables with fine zest Vast piles of chicken and mashed potatoes and peas and steaming hot biscuits were dispatched and glorious heaps of strawberry shortcake disappeared.

Meanwhile the building of the church never ceased. Still plied the hammers, still the saws sang their songs, a sort of combination of artillery and musketry.

Early in the afternoon the strenuous pace of the day began clearly to manifest itself. Now every hammer-stroke seemed to lend a more definite form to the structure which grew steadily and wonderfully.

It had been planned to hold the dedicatory services at half past 5 in the afternoon. At 10 o^clock in the morning that hope had seemed a vain one, but at 3 in the afternoon everybody was fired with the belief that the program as arranged could be carried out, and in that belief they redoubled their efforts.

Safely walled and roofed, with the seats in place and an organ on the platform, the service, led by Rev. D. W. Moore, of Carthage, was begun. The invocation was offered by Rev. Mr. Famuliner, of Joplin. Rev. A. K Williams, of Joplin, read the scriptural lesson and Rev. Mr. Morgan, of Carterville, had charge of the singing. After a prayer by Rev. G. J. Chapman, of Joplin, there was a short talk by Evangelist Jones, who appealed to the generosity of the congregation - an appeal which brought forth a response in the way of a contribution of $557.50.

In February, 1905, Captain E. E. Spracklin, of Webb City, organized a company of the Uniform Rank of the Woodmen of the World and their splendid drill manoeuvres attracted wide attention. Seven other companies in southwest Missouri, six of them being located in Jasper count}', were soon afterwards formed, and these eight were organized into a regiment of which Captain Spracklin became the colonel. The regiment, as a whole, had participated in many Woodmen events and three of the companies have won prizes either at a state or national encampment The Webb City company in 1908 won first prize in the National contest at Milwaukee.

In 1897, Colonel Carl Gray who commanded the Third Regiment of the Uniform Rank K. of P. was promoted to the position of division superintendent of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad and rose by rapid jumps to be the vice president and general manager of this great system. After his removal from Jasper county, no one seemed willing to assume the leadership of his old regiment, which had gained such distinction during the middle nineties, and for a couple of years the Uniform Rank was dormant and did nothing save to hold the charters in the several companies in the regiment. In 1902, a great Pythian wave swept over southwest Missouri and at a meeting held at Joplin in June of that year, the regiment was reorganized. Major Joel T. Livingston of Joplin, was chosen colonel and captain. Henry Wonner, of Webb City, major commanding the First Battalion, which was made up by Jasper county companies. This regiment in less than a year grew to twelve companies and numbered 450 Sir Knights. Webb City Company No. 11, under command of Captain Fred H. Nesbit, won the greatest distinction, having received from the grand chancellor the distinguished honor of being invited to escort the Grand Lodge to its meeting place at its session in 1903. The invitation was accepted and the manoeuvres of old No. 11 on the streets of Jefferson City, in front of the governor's mansion, sent the Pythians wild with enthusiasm. This company also won first prize at the regimental contest at Monett, in July, 1894, and second prize at tht« state encampment on the following October. In October, 1903, Colonel Livingston was elected brigadier general of Missouri brigade, U. R. K. P., and Major Henry Wonner was elected colonel of the Third regiment and still holds the position.

Railro.Vds

During the past ten years Jasper county has enjoyed excellent railroad advantages. In addition to the lines, mentioned in our previous chapter, three new roads entered the county, and the Missouri Pacific road made extensive improvements.

The White River line, an extension of the Missouri Pacific, via Carthage, to the cotton belt and pineries of Arkansas, was built in 1904, and has opened to the wholesale interests of the county a rich trade to the east and southeast. The Missouri Pacific extension from Carthage to Asbury also opened to the farmers of the northwest part of the county a new field for trade.

The Missouri & North Arkansas Railway and the Missouri, Kansas & Fort Worth have entered the county, making Joplin their terminus and these two lines have been of great benefit to the county - the one opening a new field for trade on the south and the other bringing the mining district nearer to the coal, gas and oil belt of Kansas and Oklahoma.

On January 3, 1904, the Geological Society of America, comprising eminent geologists and scientists from all over the United States and Canada, visited Jasper county and remained a few days studying the geological formation of the mining district. There were forty men in the party, including the director of the United States Geological Survey and the professors from the leading universities of the United States and Canada. Dr. Robert Bell, of Ontario, Canada, in discussing the visit to the Jasper county district, said that he had not until then realized the immense value of the mineral deposits of southwestern Missouri. Said he: ''You will find as time goes on, that your best deposits lie deeper in the ground and that the shallow mining that you are doing now is only play.-

July of that year eclipsed any heated term that southwestern Missouri had witnessed since 1860. From July 1st to the 26th the thermometer hovered around the 100-mark, but one time in the twenty-six days g(ung as low as ninety degrees. The last ten days of this hot spell the heat was very oppressing, the temperature rising a degree each day until on the 25th of the month the thermometer stood at 111.

During this hot spell there was much suffering and likewise great damages to the crops. The exceeding hot weather caused the creeks and rivers of the county to become almost dry. Spring river looked like a little brook. Wells and springs dried up and there was much suffering for the want of water. On the 24th of July there came a rain, however, which brought relief and, though much of the crops were ruined, still enough was saved to make a respectable showing at harvest time.

The day before the rain, the thermometer had stood at 111° and when the night came on there was but little rest to the tired people. At 4:30 on the 26th a little shower came up and, as the day came on, turned first into a drizzle and then into a mighty rain. All during the afternoon the rain descended in torrents, materially cooling the atmosphere and refreshing the thirsty world. That night the people got their first good night's rest in ten days and woke upon the morning of the 27th to find the temperature had dropped to seventy-seven degrees.

On the 11th of January, 1905, there came on a severe snow slorm, which was followed by a drizzling rain which froze as soon as it touched the ground. The entire surface of the earth was one great skating pond - ^not figuratively but literally - and the trees and underbrush presented a sight of beauty long to be remembered. Following this coat of ice, which did not melt for two weeks, there came another storm more severe than the first in this - ^that the temperature went far below the zero mark and hovered around it for most of the month.

February 12th was the coldest day of the year, and was said to have been the coldest since January, 1885. The thermometer on this date (February 12, 1905) ranged in various parts of the county, from twentyone to twenty-seven degrees below zero.

April, 1902, was a very rainy month, so much so that nearly every river and creek in the county was out of its banks. Toward tiie close of the month a storm came on which almost deluged the county. The rain descended in torrents for almost forty hours, and Spring river and Center creek, which are fed by numerous little streams, both resembled for a time the great Father of Waters. Spring river was higher than it had been for years and it spread out all over the valley on either side, in some places being half a mile wide. Hundreds of people viewed the raging

When the waters receded and the river returned to its banks^ it was found that much damage had been done to the crops, and the scene of grandeur of a few days before was turned into one of disappointment at the fortunes that had been swept down the river by the flood.