Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 47: City of Carthage, 1912

Local Politics and Municipal Appaibs - Municipal Water Works System - ^Boabd op Pubuc Works - Central Park - Carthage Schools During the Last Decade - Superintendent J. M. White Returns - Teachers' Reception by President Logan - School Children Help Beautipy Carthage - ^Arbor Day, 1903 - Carthage High School Alumni - The Free Public Library - Eastern Star AND Its Silver Anniversary - The M. W. A. Log Rolling - ^Knights OP Pythias - The Chautauqua - The Missouri State Bankers' Association - Company A, Second Regiment, N. 6. M. - The Knell Fair.

The record of Carthage during the opening decade of the century is well worthy of emulation by other municipalities and communities. Naturally, we first speak of those matters which most intimately concern her as a civic corporation, as a city, including especially within that province her municipal elections and the improvements in her various departments devoted to .^education, parks, water supply, etc.

Councilmen: First ward, W. V. Black, with P. G. Laubach holding over; second ward, James Spence with D. M. Stafford; third ward, Greorge Brown, with W. W. Brinkley; fourth ward, J. C. Griscomb, with J. B. Chaffee; fifth ward, T. L. Wiggins, with J. A. McLean.

Councilmen elected in 1903 : First ward, Ray S. Beam ; second ward, D. W. Keltner; third ward, Wesley Ralston; fourth ward, W. H. Stout; fifth ward, Curtis Wright.

General election, 1906 : Mayor, J. P. Leggett ; mar^al, Owen Doty ; police judge, J. B. Loyd ; city attorney, Jas. D. Harris ; collector. Homer D. Smith; treasurer, Hale M. Boggs; assessor, G. W. Woodford.

Councilmen: First ward, Michael Torphy and R. L. Mars; second ward, R. A. Moneyham ; third ward, A. M. Wallingford and E. A. Cunningham ; fifth ward, P. N. Wiggins. In the fourth ward C. M. Ketchum and Eugene O'Keefe each received 192 votes and the election, being a tie, was decided by the council which chose Mr. Ketchum on a strict party vote.

Councilmen: M. F. Thomas and J. H. Wilber, first ward; Tom Pennington and G. L. Abrams, second ward ; J. D. Carter and J. C. Hildreth, third ward; Geo. W. Miller and D. S. Emerson, fourth ward; John W. Griggs and Charles Tobias, fifth ward.

to be owned and operated by the city. When the franchise of the old Carthage Water Company should expire. At a special election March 12, 1907, the city authorities were authorized, by a vote of 1,420 to 1,146, to issue bonds in the sum of $220,000 to build a waterworks system. The contract for the construction was let May 25, 1908, and the plant completed in 1910 and so for has proved highly satisfactory.

After the voting of the waterworks bonds the City Council, by an ordinance duly passed, created an executive department for the management of the waterworks system and the electric light plant. The mayor named as the first Board of Public Works the following : W. A. Turner, James S. Ross, C. B. Piatt and C. C. Catron. This board devoted much time to the supervision of the waterworks system knd the city very greatly profited by their wise business judgment and self-sacrifice. Each member of the Board of Public Works receives as compensation for his services $100 per year.

Early in 1900 the club woman of Carthage began to agitate the question of beautifying the City Park and took the initiative by erecting a beautiful fountain which was put in place during the spring and formally presented to the city. May 3, 1900.

The presentation speech was made by Mrs. T. B. Hobbs> president of the Federation of Women's Clubs> who in an eloquent little talk made a plea for a more beautiful Carthage. This^ fountain adds very greatly to the general appearance of the park and stands as a monument to the club women who began a new era in civic improvement at the county seat.

The building of this fountain had more than a passing interest because it set the example for out-of-door beautification and, as a result, the laws of the city were a little better kept. The club women offered prizes to the school children for the best kept lawns, the most beautiful flower beds, the most graceful vines, etc., and the competition was brisk.

On the occasion of the presentation of the fountain to the city the name of the park was christened Central Park, and has since been known by that name.

1900 found the schools of Carthage in a most flourishing condition. W. J. Stevens, the superintendent, was a most excellent organizer and possessed the three most essential requisites for a school superintendent. He was a scholarly man and commanded the respect of both the pupils and the public ; he was a diplomat and put forth his idea and plans in such a maimer that there was practically no friction in the movement of the school machinery, and, lastly, he was an advertiser, in that he kept the school system before the public and thus had not only the pupils, but the patrons interested. And, with the keen interest of the parents maintained and the universal cooperation of the public, the schools attained a high standard.

In 1902, Professor Stevens accepted a position in St. Louis, which carried with it much prestige and a much larger salary, and was succeeded by G. M. Holiday, of Independence, who remained in charge of the schools for two years.

At the annual election of teachers in 1903 the superintendency was tendered to J. M. White, then high school examiner of the State University, and after an absence of six years he returned to Carthage and has remained at the head of the school since that time. Superintendent White was very greatly beloved in Carthage, and his return was hailed with great delight by his many friends.

We present here a few of the school happenings which will give an idea of the character of the work, the methods pursued and the results accomplished. A list of the High School graduates from the first class in 1880 to that of 1911 will appear at the conclusion of this article.

For many years it has been the custom for some members of the Board of Education during the school year to entertain the teachers of the city. These receptions have been given from time to time, primarily for the purpose of bringing the teachers and directors closer together in a social way, and, as the bonds of friendships have been strengthened, the teacher aiid board have worked more harmoniously together. We present here an account of the reception tendered by W. R. Logan, president of the Board of Education in 1900.

One of the most delightful of the annual receptions in honor of the teachers occurred May 10, 1900, at the beautiful home of President W. R. Logan. The two parlors and the reception halls were tastefully decorated in green and white, and this color scheme lent an additional charm to the otherwise brilliant affair. The Carthage Light Guard orchestra was present and rendered a number of selections.

President and Mrs. Logan were assisted by the members of the Board of Education and their wives, Superintendent and Mrs. W. J. Stevens. Mrs. Geo. Webster and Miss Lyda Weil. As the guests entered the reception hall they were met by Miss Weil who pinned on each a boutonnier of carnations and Mrs. Webster presided at the sideboard and served, most charmingly, frappe and other dainty refreshment. Although it was a stormy night, one of the worst rains of the season corn- ing on, only five of the invited guests stayed away. The evening was most delightfully spent and every one was amply repaid for having braved the storm.

The following teachers and members of the board participated in the affair: Messrs. and Mesdames Robert Moore, W. J. McClurg, E. B. Jacobs^ T. B. Luscomb and C. C. Catroon of the Board of Education, assisting President and Mrs. Logan; Superintendtat and Mrs. W. J. Stevens; "W. J. Whybark, supervisor of music; Misses Lulu Van Neman, Helen Cunningham, Winifred Bryan, Pauline Kirk, Lida B. Perry, May C. Biffer, Nellie S. Cate, Grace McCarty, Myrtle Thomas, Gertrude Post, Lizzie Pieffer, Gertrude Pugitt, Lena Confer, Lulu Freed, Bessie Lundy, Ethel Cragin, Ora M. Cupp, Francis Hall, Florence Fabyan, Ethel Newgent, Janet Schurman, Hattie Perry, Lizzie Ruasum, Mattie Bardow, V. May Smith, Francis Chapman, Pearl Blake, Lillian Baker, Myrtle Collier, Edna Baird, Nellie McCarty, Grace Hutchinson and Edna Gladden ; principals - S. W. Howland, G. J. Hout and H. C. Kilbum.

In the spring of 1900 the Women's Federated Clubs of Carthage began agitating the question of out-of-door beautification and offered to the pupils of the Carthage schools prizes aggregating seventy dollars for the most beautiful flower bed, the neatest and best-kept lawn, the prettiest running vine, etc. This prize offering excited great interest, and as a result Carthage was made even more beautiful than before.

Superintendent Stevens invited every pupil, large or small, who felt an interest in the art of civic beautification to write an essay to be read in school, and in these writings tell what might be done to beautify the homes of Carthage. One thousand essays were written and their reading awakened a most intense interest, and so excellent were some of the thoughts that Superintendent Stevens, on invitation of the directors of the Chicago Art convention, took fifty of the best of these essays on out-of-door beautification to Chicago and they were read by hundreds of people who took great delight in their perusal.

These contests for the beautification of Carthage became very popular. The following prizes were offered in 1902 and were competed for by the school children of the city.

(1) Asters raised with access to hydrant water: First prize, Carthage Water Company, $5.00; second prize, the Wells & Wiggins Company premium, $2.50 ; third prize, the B. S. Briles premium, a five-pound box of candy, $2.00. Judges: Mesdames R. E. McCarthy, J. M. Whitsett, C. F. McElroy, of the N. N. C. Club.

(2) Asters, raised without hydrant water: First prize, the Archias Seed Company premium, $5.00; second prize, the B. B. Allen Shoe Company premium, a pair of fine shoes, value $3.00; third prize, the

Christman Brothers premium, framed picture, $2.00. Judges: Mesdames J. W. Miller, I. C. Hodson, Prank Harrison, of the lanthe Vincent Chautauqua Circle.

(3) Petunias, raised with access to hydnfnt water: First prize, the Carthage National Bank premium, $5,00 ; second prize, the Holbrook & Son premium, books to the value of $3.00; third prize, the Jacob Schlect premium, $2.00. Judges: Mesdames Geo. Porter, C. R. Sirkosky and R. F. Glenn, of the U. C. D. Club.

(4) Petunias, raised without hydrant water: First prize, the A. A. Ramsay premium, $5.00 ; second prize, T. B. Tuttle premium, $2.50 ; third prize, the Frank Edel premium, a bottle of perfume, value, $2.00. Judges : Mesdames Sarah Turner, J. B. Toomay , George Brown, of the Stratford Shakespeare Society.

Foliage Plants - The beds were the same size as the flower beds and the plants consisted of a center of castor beans, surrounded by cannas and bordered with coleus.

(1) Foliage Bed, raised with access to hydrant water: First prize, the H. H. Harding premium, $5.00; second prize, the C. A. Stewart premium, one dozen photographs, $4.50; third prize, the Walter Harrington premium, a nice book, $1.50. Judges: Mesdames Robt. Moore, E. O'Keefe, Byron Morgan, of the Monday Reading Club.

(2) Foliage Bed, raised without hydrant water: First prize, the Central National Bank premium, $5.00 ; second prize, the Tom and Ed. Hall premium, shoes to the amount of $3.50; third prize, the Howenstein & Calhoon premium, framed picture, $2.00. Judges: Mesdames H. H. Harding, D. R. Ctoucher, A. M. Drake of the Shakespeare Club.

Vine Culture - The features that were considered by the judges of vines were, luxuriance of growth, artistic arrangement of planting and training upon verandas, outbuildings, fence posts, etc., or the successful screening of back yards and other unsightly objects.

(1) Vines, raised with access to hydrant water: First prize, the First National Bank premium, $5.00; second prize, the VanHoose premium, one-half dozen photographs, $2.50; third prize, the S. B. Griswold premium, $2.00. Judges: Mesdames P. J. McNemey, C. B. Stickney, Rosine Crocker, of the Tourist Club.

(2) Vines, raised without hydrant water: First prize, the Bank of Carthage premium, $5.00 ; second prize, the F. D. Porter premium, $2.50 ; third prize, the H. P. Hall premium, a gold ring, $2.00. Judges: Mesdames Frank Folger, H. L. Mosley and J. W. Gray, of the Up-to-Date Club.

Boy's Vegetable Garden - The garden occupied an area of two square rods and the judges will consider not only the care of the ground, practical and faithful attention to duty, but also the quantity and value and quality of the product.

(1) Vegetable Garden, raised with access to hydrant water: First prize, the Cartilage Evening Press one year's subscription, $5.00; also the W. C. Thomas premium, $2.00.

Lawn Contest - (1) Yards having frontage of two hundred feet or more : $10.00 in money or pieces of stataary or other ornaments of equal value; the Rocking Chair Club. Judges: T. B. Tuttle, J. D. Clarkson and James Spence.

(2) Yards having one hundred feet frontage and less than two hundred feet: $8.00 in money or statuary as above; the Alpha Club. Judges: Miss Anna Taylor and Mrs. T. R. Payne.

(3) Yards having frontage of less than one hundred feet: $6.00 in money or statuary as above; the Century Club. Judges: A. H. Langhead, Hoyt Gierhart and David King.

In addition to the above, $100.00 was contributed by the citizens to be used for special prize contests, which could not be included in the above general classification, and some five hundred school children competed for some of the prizes.

On account of the great interest taken in the prize contest for 1902 and the offerings for 1903, there was a great desire to beautify the school yards and in 1903 Hon. M. £. Benton, then the congressional representative of this district, sent to the Carthage schools from the United States botanical gardens at Washington, forty-five trees of various kinds, and these were planted by the pupils after the rendering of an appropriate program.

We present here a list of the graduates of the Carthage High School beginning with the first class in 1878. Carthage has every reason to be proud of her High School graduates, as we find among them the names of many men and women who have achieved success in the world, among them statesmen, who have filled prominent places in this and other states, and financiers who today are helping to mold the commercial destinies of the county. Many of them have attained great prominence in the teaching profession. Kansas City has many times, in the past twenty years, shown her confidence in the Carthage schools by drawing from her excellent corps of instructors to fill responsible places in the schools of that city. Twenty graduates of the Carthage schools have been thus honored by the Kansas City Board of Education.

In the annual literary contest at Yale College in 1900, a Carthage young man won first prize in the competition for the writing of the best original poem, Charles A. Kellogg, a former student of the Carthage schools, carrying off the high honor. Mr. Kellogg's style was easy and graceful, his diction pure and his thoughts were charmingly expressed.

Class of 1884: Cella Wilber, Bird Betts, Minnie Gates, Rosalie Squire, Ella Yancey, Ella Speer, Hattie McLees, Lena Harrison, Lida Clark and James Bridges.

Maud G. Cupp, Laura Dunn, Florence Fabyan (a short time), Pearl Oalentine, Minnie B. Gladden, Bertha Harker, Mareia C. Johnstone, Ldzzie MeCormick, Jessie Miller, Georgia Radcliff, Georgia A. Rader and Anna Rathbuu.

As mentioned in a previous article, a library was organized in Carthage during the seventies and was greatly used by tlie early citizens of the county seat. The splendid school system, the many literary societies, and the general air of culture which has always pervaded Carthage, were the natural outgrowth of the literary tastes of the men and women who in its early day gave it the well deserved name of **the Queen City/'

Early in the last decade the club women of Carthage - and their influence, like that of Caesar's, equalled a legion's, - ^began to agitate the matter of building and maintaining a free public library. The matter was put in form by a largely signed petition to the City Council, asking that the proposition of voting a tax for library purposes be submitted to the people. The matter was submitted to the voters in the spring of 1902 and the vote on the proposition was an overwhelming majority for the public library ; 837 votes were cast in favor of the library tax and only 94 against it.

Andrew Carnegie, the great steel king, who has done so much for the libraries of the county, donated $25,000 toward the construction of the building. The following gentlemen were appointed by the mayor as the first Library Board, and they supervised the building of the library', which is most complete in its equipment, and selected the list of books and periodicals which were placed in it: President, W. K. Caffee: vice president, W. L. Calhoun; secretary, A. F. Lewis; and W. S>. Crane.

In order that the reader may form an idea of the popularity of this great institution and the extent that it is used by the people of Carthage, we cite the following extracts from the report of the librarian for 1910 :

The Carthage library works in harmony with the public school system and, in addition to the above, furnished to the public schools a wellselected list of reference books, especially suited to child study, which have been in the hands of the teachers for use of the pupils of the 6chool.

On December 12, 1900, Eminence Chapter, No. 93, Order of the Eastern Star, celebrated the twenty-fifth year of its existence with an appropriate celebration. December 12th was not the exact twenty-fifth anniversary of the organization of this lodge, but was chosen as a more appropriate time for the celebration because it was at the close of the year, and terminated a most successful year of lodge work and influence.

on taking the feat a» toa^t master, at the head of the table, made a moat pleasing addreaa and bid all around the festal board a hearty welcome.

The following toasts were ree^nded to: '"Our Helpmates," Justice Woodward; ''The Eastern Star Goat," Mrs. Craig j *'The Relation of the Eastern Star to Masonry," Rev. Daniel King; ''The Ladies in General," W. B. Saylor; "Men in General," Mrs. Mary Flower; '*Our Guests," Mrs. Elreed.

Mrs. Flower's address was both witty and spicy, and was punctuated with shouts of laughter, and round after round of applause. Concluding Mrs. Flower said: ''Here's to men, they fill our hearts, they pay our dues and come to our banquets!" The ree^nses of both Mrs. Craig on the "Liodge Goat" and Mrs. Elreed on "Our Guests" were also well received, each handling her subject in a manner whicfa showed the speaker well chosen for the subject.

The Inter State Log Rolling Association held its annual log rolling m Carthage, September 9, 1902, and was well attended, although the opening of the state Democratic campaign at Joplin drew some frcHn the attendance. Hon. John Sullivan, of Kansas City, was the orator of the day and delivered a masterful address covering the various phases of fraternal insurance.

In the competitive drills, four camp teams entered for competition for the state prize (Class A), and the foresters of Kansas City Camp, No. 2002, carried oflf the money, $150. In Class B, open to drill teams not having previously won a state prize, Springfield carried off tha prize, $100.

At the session of the Grand Lodge, Ejii^ts of Pythias, in October, 1900, for the purpose of bringing the lodges closer in touch with each other and thereby creating a warmer feeling among the members of this great fraternity the state was devided into sixteen Pythian districts, and the members of the order were asked to organize Pythian district associations. Jasper county was placed in the twelfth district and, on account of its having so large a Pythian population, it was looked upon as the center of activity. Fraternal Lodge, No. 14, of Carthage, the mother lodge in southwest Missouri, took the initiative in the matter and invited the several lodges to send representatives to Carthage on February 22, 1901, and assist in the formation of a district assembly. Two hundred Knights from all over southwest Missouri accepted the invitation and met with the Carthage Pjrthians on the natal day and were most royally entertained.

After the regular session of Fraternal Lodge No. 14, the Twelfth Pythian District Association was organized, with M. Mehan, of Carthage, as president. After the formal organization, the members of

Fraternal Lodge, with the delegates, marched to the Harrington Hotel where a banquet was served, Grand Chancellor £. I. Morse, of Excelsior Springs, being the guest of honor.

After the spread the following toasts were responded to: *' Friendship,'* Hon. E. I. Morse, grand chancellor; **My Ideas of Pythianism, ' ' John H. Holmes, grand keeper*of record and seals; ** Sociability, * ' J. H. Cook; ''What We Get out of Lodge Attendance/' John H. Flannigan.

At the meeting of the District Asociation of Joplin, 1904, Fraternal Lodge No. 14 won the loving cup for having given the best rendition of the amplified third rank, winning from five competitors. The members of the team in this contest were J. H. Bailey, H. Miller, Dr. J. M. Mantenlee, Silas Jackson, Gus Hout, Otto Rotsch, John Blakeney, G. W. Asendorf, H. L. Shannon and P. M. Stewart. At the date of this writing Fraternal Lodge is in a most flourishing condition, having a membership of over 200.

In 1902 R. F. Stickney became president of the Interstate Chautauqua Assembly and Harry G. Fitzer, a man of great energy, was appointed secretary. These two men lent their energy to the making of a successful Chautauqua and succeeded far beyond their expectations.

A new and more convenient location was secured just south of the Missouri Pacific Railway depot and a more commodious building was constructed containing an auditorium capable of holding 4,000 people.

The auditorium was dedicated by a monster rally of the young people's Christian societies of the county, including the Y. P. S. C. E., the Epworth League, Young People's Baptists Union, Y. W. C. T. U. and Y. M. C. A.

The 1902 Chautauqua was a success, both financially and in a literary way, some of the best talent on the lecture platform appearing before the great audiences which greeted them. The average attendance at the day lectures and concerts was 1,600, and the average night attendance, 2,000.

The Chautauqua Assembly hall became a popular ralying place for great gatherings and was the meeting place of both of the county nominating conventions. The Carthage Chautauquan wielded a great influence in the county all during the decade.

Major H. H. Harding, one of the pioneer citizens who, during a long and active business and professional life, had maintained a most enviable reputation for business integrity, was appointed by the citizens' committee as its spokesman to bid the guardians of the people's wealth a welcome, and in a few well chosen words put every one in good humor and made the financiers feel perfectly at home. After the morning business session the people of Carthage chartered six special cars on the Interurban Electric Railway and took the distinguished visitCHS on a sight-seeing tour over the country, and in the evening served to them a sumptuous banquet at Armory Hall, after which many entertaining after-dinner speeches were made/

This convention was of great benefit to the county, as it gave to the financiers of the state a correct idea of Jasper county's wealth and importance, and as a direct result of this meeting a considerable outside capital sought investment in the various industries of the county.

In 1901 Captain John Bailey resigned the command as captain of the Carthage Light Guard and Ldeutenant Ed Hiatt was promoted to the captaincy. Captain Hiatt proved a very efScient commander and excepting during two years, when he was out of the state service, has been in command of the company ever since. Company A, as in the past, has been composed of the best young men of Carthage, and its decorum, camp discipline and military manoeuvering have reflected great credit on the county.

In 1910 Wesley Hallibarton, who had served through several official grades in the Light Guard, was elected major in the Second Regiment, and he filled the position with credit to himself and honor to his old company.

In 1901 £. Knell established at his private driving park a fair and exposition which during the last ten years has been a very great factor in advertising Jasper county and her resources, as well as furnishing the occasion for the bringing together at a racing meet the best horses for miles around. In 1902 the association was incorporated. To give an idea of the popularity of Ejiell's big fair, we point to the fact that in 1903 28,500 people passed through the gates of the big horse show and the attendance has been larger each succeeding year. A more extended mention of the Knell Pair is made in the biography of its founder which appears elsewhere.