Jasper County, Missouri - Chapter 48: Webb City and Carterville, 1912

Political History During the Last Decade - The Pubuc School System - The New High School Building - Public Schools' Teaching Staff - Church Edifices and Church Work - Jane Chinn Hospital - Salvation Army Hospital - The Young Men's Christian Assocl^tion - The Odd Fellows - ^Pourth of July Celebration in 1904 - ^Webb City Centenarlln - A Reminiscence

The past decade has wrought a great change in Webb City. It has been a most decided era of progress and advancement, not only in a business way but along social, fraternal, religious and educational lines. Many of the old buildings which were erected in the pioneer period were torn down and replaced by modern brick and stone structures. A sewer system was built and many miles of streets macadamized or paved. The *' go-ahead" spirit was very much in evidence, especially during the administrations of two of its mayors, who introduced many new and up-to-date changes in the policy of local administration.

The city has been fortunate in having for its officers^ almost without exception, men who had the interests of the city at heart, and the wisdom of their acts is attested by the contrast in the appearance of Webb City now and in its earlier day. Below is a list of the city officers who have served the people of Webb City during the past eleven years.

At the spring election in 1901 the following gentlemen were elected to the council: Charles Clark, I. C. Hess, Joe West, E. M. Shafer and T. L. Covert.

In August, 1903, while quelling a disturbance, Mr. Rich, the marshal, was killed by an unknown party and H. E. Marquer filled out the unexpired term.

At the spring election of 1905, the following gentlemen came into the council: John C. Veach, E. E. Spracklin, J. W. Witte, John W. Morse and W. H. Wiggins.

At the spring election in 1907 the following gentlemen came into the council: T. J. Ball, Temple .Chapman, F. H. Nesbitt. Charles Smith, George Sutherland and W. 0. Mills.

At the election of 1909 the following gentlemen were sent to the council : R. L. Martin, W. T. Gill, George Haysler, J. W. Wescott and Richard Jenkens.

At the spring election in 1911 the following gentlemen were returned to the council: Geoi^e R. Mosley, Henry Wonner, J. H. Barrgesser. A. E. Mechie, J. H. Klenfeller and N. S. Slaughter.

On Pebruary 1, 1910, the citizens of Webb City voted on local option and after a hard-fought battle went dry by a majority of 67. A heav>' vote was polled, the count resulting: for the sale of liquor, 1,195: a^inst, 2,262 ; thrown out, 49 ; total vote cast, 3,506.

The appointive oflScers in Webb City for 1911 are as follows: City clerk, L. O. Walker; city engineer and street commissioner, A. J. Mc- Kinzie; fire chief, Chas. Evans. The salaries of the several oflSces are as follows: Mayor, $250 per annum; marshal, $50 per month and fees; police judge and city attorney, the same; assessor, $300 per annum; collector, fees ; treasurer, $200 per annum ; councilmen, $1.00 per session and $2.00 per day for committee work ; city clerk, $90 per month ; engineer, $150 per month, and fire chief, $75 per month.

Superintendent Gray was a strong educator and his administration was marked by two distinguishing features - great interest manifest m the grade teachers' meetings and especial attention given to oratorical and voice culture. In 1903 the Board of Elucation offered two gold medals for proficiency in oratory and declamation - one for the best boy and one for the best young lady student, and this greatly stimulated the cultivation of expression and thought.

In 1904 Superintendent Gray was succeeded by J. W. Storms, principal of the High school, and he added to the high school course of study and was the suggestor of the Inter High School contests which have since been annually participated in by Carthage, Webb City and Joplin.

Supt. R. S. Nichols came to the Webb City schools in 1905. Professor Nichols' strong work has raised the High school standard until today it equals any in the state and the magnificent high school just completed speaks volumes for the educational spirit of Webb City.

In 1911 Webb City completed a magnificent new High school building - one which reflects credit not only upon Webb City, but all Jasper county, and speaks volumes for the refinement and educational character of the place. This new up-to-date and modernly equipped building cost $90,000. It is patterned after Westport High school, of Kansas City, and is thoroughly up-to-date. The building itself consists of three stories and basement, and rises to a height of 55 feet above the grade line.

'*To have obtained a site sufficiently large in the heart of the city to aUow of adequate recreation grounds would have been almost impossible without spending too much money on the site, at the expense of leaving enough from the $90,000 bond issue to meet essential expenditure on the building itself. But the lack of outdoor recreation in the vicinity of the school building is more than compensated in the gymnasium, which occupies a large section of the ground floor, has dimensions of 72 by 45 feet, has ample height from floor to ceiling, and a seating capacity of not far from four hundred. It will furnish at all times a splendid opportunity for every line of healthful exercise such as pupils of high school age will desire to follow.

'* Other rooms on the ground floor - one of them 23 by 26 feet and the other 21 by 28 feet - ^will be occupied by the classes for domestic science ; two other rooms of similar capacity are designed tor the manual training classes ; and besides there are two large class rooms, 26 by 34 feet, available for other lines of study. Toilet rooms are located at both ends of the building, and shower baths are provided for the use of pupils using the gymnasium.

*'The floor above includes office for the superintendent, with vaults for the care of school records, reception room, teachers* rest room and office for high school principal, with private toilet rooms for this suite of rooms. On the same floor also is the study hall, with seating for 150 pupils, and library adjoining, so arranged that the teacher in charge will have the entire room and library in full view. Eight standardsize class rooms, four of them 26 by 23 and four 21 by 23, with toilet rooms at both ends of the hallway, and lockers for wraps, are also provided on this floor.

'*The auditorium, which will provide seating accommodation for one thousand persons, occupies a large space on the upper floor. It will have a stage measuring 32 by 25 feet, with dressing rooms adjoining. The auditorium will be approached by wide stairways, affording ample means of exit.

"The floors throughout are of hard maple, thoroughly deadened, and the interior is of oak finish throughout. Every possible modem appliance for ventilation by air duets has been brought into requisition, and the heating arrangements are guaranteed to keep the rooms within two degrees of the same temperature at aU times in conformity with the needs of each season of the year.

**1911 marked the completion of a decade of remarkable progress in educational matters, the schools of the city having made a splendid advance in all the essentials of an up-to-date public school system.

**That the increase in number of teachers employed has been verjfar in excess of the increase in population, fifty-seven teachers being now employed as compared with thirty in 1900, while the number of inhabitants, as shown by the census returns of 1900 and 1910, was from 9,201 to 11,817.

**That this increase of teachers has been followed by correspondingly increased efficiency, the standing of Webb City high school in its relation to the state university having advanced from 16 points in the early '90s to 22 points at the present time.

**That, with the increase of faculty, there have also been large additions to the school accommodations, by the erection and subsequent enlargement of the Eugene Field building, now consisting of nine rooms, and the adding of four rooms to the Franklin building, four rooms to the West Side building, two rooms to the Webster building, and three rooms in the basement to the Central building.

**That a constant increase, year by year, in the school enrolment has shown the more general appreciation of educational privileges by both parents and children, while an attendance of over three hundred pupils at the high school, twice the number of ten years ago, affords most gratifjang proof that the benefits of the more advanced courses are being enjoyed and appreciated by a much larger proportion of the grade pupils than was the case in former years.

** Recalling these facts affords ample demonstration that the increased popularity, efficiency and usefulness of the public schools have fully justified the constant desire and efforts of both faculty and the successive boards of directors to provide the pupils with the better accommodations that have been so much needed during all the years of the period referred to. For the good work that has been done has all the time been accomplished under a disadvantage of crowded recitation rooms and a compulsory mingling of grades such as might well have precluded the best results but for well-directed supervision and patient individual effort.

' ' It will be under better auspices - ^the best in fact tliat the teachers and pupils have ever enjoyed - ^that the next school year will open in September, when the new high school building will be ready for occupation. With the Central building vacated by the high school for the use of the grades, seven more rooms will be added to the forty already available for pupils ranging from the primary department to the eighth grade. And of the thirty rooms in the new high school building, twenty will be available for teaching purposes, making a total of sixty-seven rooms in daily use by the grades and the high school; and every class will thus have the advantage of ample accommodations and complete facilities for every department of study - conditions such as have never before been enjoyed by either teachers or scholars.

*'It is probable that with the beginning of the next school year there will be an addition of six or seven teachers, bringing the total number above sixty, probably nearer sixty-five.

**The list of school officers, high school faculty and principals and teachers in the graded schools at present employed includes the following :

*' Central School - Maude Latimer, principal, 8 A and B; Minnie Custis, 8 B and 7 A ; Pearl Preeman, 6 B, 5 A and B ; Nellie Lewis, 4 A and B ; Mary Neville, 3 A and B ; Mamie McEntie, 1 and 2.

*' Webster School - Elizabeth Jaccard, principal, 7 B and 6 A; Kate Moran, 6 B and 5 A ; Lois Harlan, 5 B and 4 A ; Ethel Tucker, 4 B and 3 A ; Georgia Richardson, 3 B ; Nettie Bewley, 2 A and B ; Edna Beard, 2 B and 1 A ; Mayme Stinnett^ 1 B and C.

''West Side School - Viola Bistline, 8 A and B; Florence Glenn, 7 A and B ; Abba Morton, 6 A and B ; Eulah Smith, 5 A and B ; Lura Decatur, 4 A and B; Emma McAboy, 3 A and B; Odessa Kessler, 2 B; Isadore Eells, 2 A and 3 B; Stella McCafferty, 1 A and B; Kathryn George, principal, 1 C.

"Eugene Field School - Emma Robinson, principal, 8 A and B; Mary Hille, 7 A and B ; MoUie Allen, 6 A and B ; Ethel Bailey, 5 A and B; Genevieve Moses, 4 A and B; Ethel Ply, 3 A and B; Edna Prankenberger, 3 A and B ; Pearl Hobart, 2 A and B ; Katherine Winter, 1 A, B and C.

"Franklin School - ^Nellie Tibbs, principal, 7 A and B; Nellie Crow, 6 A and B; Ethel Norton, 5 A and B; Mae Buckingham, 4 A and B; Lucy Underwood, 3 A and B ; Cora Martin, 2 A and B ; Bertha Clark, 2 B and 1 A; Alice Carroll, 1 B and C."

The churches of Webb City have all made great progress during the last decade. Within the last two years the First M. E. church of Webb City has increased its membership from a little over two hundred to nearly seven hundred. This church is thoroughly organized. Three young women have gone out of the church and, having finished their training, are now deaconesses; also three young men from this church have been made ministers. The church is made as homelike as is possible and in that way keeps its hold on the younger members. They have at this writing a very fine choir, W. C. Pope being the musical director. The parsonage, which was recently built, cost about $6,000. The beautiful new church was dedicated last September, without one dollar being owed on the structure. The pastor, Rev. Dean C. Dutton, is a very capable leader and has been the pastor now for three years. One of his original plans for bringing the Lord's message before the masses, embraced the Saturday night, street services. With a large number of people to sing he would start his services on the crowded streets. Afterwards a tent was purchased and night services were held in this. Every member in this church has some part of its work to do. One no sooner joins it than he is assigned some definite work. This is no home of drones.

The beautiful home of the M. E. Church South, situated at the southeast comer of Joplin street and Pennsylvania avenue, was built during the summer of 1909 and was dedicated November 29th of the same year. It is considered that this church is complete in its equipment. Eveiy department of the church work is amply provided for in its arrangement. On the ground floor are the primary Sunday school rooms; a large banquet room and kitchen which is fully equipped with all conveniences for the preparing of any meals ; a library and a living room for the custodian of the church ; ladies' parlors and three separate toilet rooms. On the main floor of the church are the auditorium with a large seating capacity, and the adult Sunday school room with fourteen separate class rooms and pastor's study. This church contains in all thirty separate rooms, besides the vestibules. Ben C. Aylor and his sister, Mrs. S. Nilson, presented the church with the handsome pipe organ as a memorial to their mother. The cost of the organ was $3,500. The opera chairs with which it is seated were given by Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Chinn and cost $2,500. Mrs. E. T. Webb provided the fixtures for the lighting of the church. Rev. Thomas J. Norsworthy has been pastor now for fifteen months and at the request of the official board was reappointed by the bishop to serve for another year. The church has just completed one of the most successful years of its long career.

The Presbyterian church in Webb City is not large, but is well furnished, and is certainly carrying on a great work. The Presbjrterian Aid Society has semi-monthly meetings on the first and third Fridays. They carry on a great amount of charity work, besides promoting the general well-being and good fellowship of the congregation. The Broth- erhood, an arganization for the men, is steadily growing. P. E. Fitner is president of this society. The Christian Endeavor of this church is as popular with the young people as the other societies are with the older members. A Home and Poreign Missionary Society has been organized, who have taken in hand besides the regular missionary work, local charity, and it is done so quietly that only those in charge of the work know anything about it. Rev. James H. Spear is the pastor and it may be due to the energetic work of the leader that all of the members and officers are so faithful.

St. Paul's Episcopal church was organized in 1899, under the combined ministrations of the rectors of Christ church, of Carthage, and St. PhiUips church, of Joplin. It is under the supervision of the Southem deanery of the diocese of Kansas City, of which Dean Weed, of Joplin, is the head, and Henry Irving Batcheller is his assistant, not only here in Webb City but all over this part of the deanery. St. Paul's is the especial charge, though, of Rev. Batchellor, and services are held every Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. The Sunday school work is well founded and the teachers are energetic workers. Mrs. J. J. McClellan has the kindergarten class and is especially prepared for this work. There are four other classes. Mrs. Pred Kellogg teaches the women's class; Rev. Batchellor, the men's class; Mr. Waring, the boys', and J. E. Cobb, the girls' class. It was a long time before the present little church was owned, the society being organized in the parlor of one of the members, and then when the parlor was outgrown a hall was rented. But a church can do better work in its own building, although it is small ; so the present church building was bought of another organization which had outgrown its home and was moved on the lot which had also been purchased. So the St. Paul's church, from a small beginning, is steadily growing and the future will tell how far its influence may reach.

The Pirst Baptist church of Webb City is being remodeled and greatly enlarged to meet the requirements of its increasing congregation. It is said that when it is completed none in the county will be better. During the present disturbed condition services are held regularly in the basement. One of the energetic societies is furnishing its own class room. Rev. R. B. Kinell is the pastor and is a very interesting speaker, but is very quiet about his method of carrying on his work. Outside of the church, the public knows very little of his great work. * This church has now been organized eighteen years and is steadily growing.

The Christian church was without a pastor for several months, but the place is now filled by C. E. Wagner, of Hannibal, Missouri, and a new interest has been already awakened in the congregation. Great things are expected of this church in the near future. The Christian Endeavor society has been a strong factor in the church life. The Dorcas Circle and the Missionary Society for Home and Poreign work also have taken a prominent part in its activities. This church has the distinction of having the largest Sunday school in the city.

The Christian Scientists have not built a church home yet, but ihej hold their meetings in the Odd Fellows hall every Wednesday night and on Sundays. These meetings are largely attended.

In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Chas. R. Chinn, of Webb City, realized the need of a hospital in their home city. Jane Chinn Hospital is tiie name by which it is known and it is situated at the comer of Rose and Austin streets. It is not the largest hospital in the southwest, but is considered one of the best equipped. The cost of this hospital (which was the magnificent gift of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. R. Chinn) was $60,000, which included not only the site, but the building and equipment. There were arrangements made for the future support of the ho^ital. The first board of managers selected were Dr. C. E. McBride, president ; Dr. L. C. Chenoweth, first vice president; E. T. Webb, second vice president; Ben C. Aylor, third vice president; C. R. Chinn, Jr., treasurer; T. J. Roney, secretary.

Building commitee: Dr. C. E. McBride, chairman; T. J. Roney, secretary; E. T. Webb, B. C. Aylor, F. C. Wallower. These men were familiar with every step of the hospital work and especially with Mr. and Mrs. Chinn 's plans for the hospital work.

The plans were drawn by Frank W. CauUdns, of Webb City; John R. Thomasy of Joplin, was general contractor; John R. Schwartz, of Webb City, contractor for plumbing and heating; Fred H. Nesbitt, of Webb City, contractor for masonry work. The stone used in this building came from the Carthage Stone Company. The hospital has a front of 200 feet on Austin street and 1421^ on Rose street. Its dimensions are 48 by 80 feet. It contains wards for the accommodation of twentythree patients and ten other rooms for private cases ; chemical laboratory, laundry, dining rooms for nurses, offices for doctors and nurses, sterilizing and anaesthetic rooms, morgue, retiring rooms for doctors, operating rooms, diet kitchens on both the first and second floors and every possible accessory used in a first-class hospital. It has an elevator from basement to third story. It also has a spacious sun parlor from which one can view the whole of Webb City and Carterville and the nearby mines, and on a bright day a glimpse of the tall buildings in Joplin. The hospital is perfect in its ventilation; each partition has its own ventilating ducts, connected with a vacuum fan in the attic, discharging 300,000 cubic feet of air per hour. Until the opening of the Jane Chinn Hospital there was an organization known as the Webb City Hospital Association, the members of which were: Prewdent, T. P.

Coyne; vice president, George H. Fullerton; secretary and treasurer, P. C. Wallower; directors - A. D. Hatten, J. J. McLellan, George H. Pullerton, T. P. Coyne, T. P. Lennan, P. C. Wallower and C. R. Chinn, Sr. This board, or association, had on hand close to $2,000 and it was turned over to the Jane Chinn Hospital as a beginning of the fund for the support of the institution. There is one thing that should be mentioned about the operating room, which is lighted at night from the ceiling by eight Mazda tolophane lights, producing 1,000 candle power light. It is so arranged by cross lighting that is impossible for shadows to be thrown in any direction ; so in an emergency case the room can be used at night as well as by day. Subscriptions of twenty-five cents per month are taken from the miners, and the mine operators pay five dol- lars per month, which is enough for the running expenses of the hospitaL Miss Houser is the present superintendent of the hospital and ift assisted by three nurses. There is one room in the hospital that is not used and that is the morgue, for, instead of keeping the dead at the hospital they are removed to a downtown morgue. The Chinns have made their money from Jaspei* county mines and the hospital is a monument to their generosity.

Webb City enjoys the distinction of being one of the first cities in the west to establish a hospital to be maintained and operated by the Salvation Army. It is a matter of common knowledge - the many acts of kindness that are done by the Salvation Army - their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners to the poor of the city and their work among the sick and distressed standing out prominently. In 1905 one of Webb

City's big hearted men suggested the building of a hospital to be conducted by these good people, and money was quickly raised to build and equip a modem two-story hospital, which has since been conducted by the Salvation Army and much suffering has been relieved by them.

The Young Men's Christian Association of Webb City has been very progressive since its organization in 1900 by a few business men. The present building was put up one year after its organization for the work of the association, but for the past few years it has been found entirely too smalL The scope of work carried on by this organization are three Bible classes at the Sunday afternoon services for men and boys. They use a first class moving picture machine. There are the Boy Scouts who hold their meetings once a week; the Boys' Congress Employment Bureau ; and the gymnasium classes which are under the supervision of J. Gilbert Cox and have a membership of 100. There are, in the building, the bath rooms^ library, public reading, rest and game nxHns. The association has the honor of having sent one man to the training school for the association workers, and he is now in the field in active work. Several others are planning to take some of the work at the Young Men's Christian Association training camp at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, this summer. A debating club is about to be oi^anized. A series of lectures and talks are given at regular intervals on vital subjects.

Af stated, the Young Men's Christian Association has been a great power in Webb City since its organization and, in addition to having maintainefl its elegant gymnasium and reading room, has provided, through its Sunday meetings and occasional receptions, very excellent religious and moral training for the young men. To give an idea of the character of the literary spirit we note the following which was one of many meetings which helped to mould the characters of the members. In 1903 Secretary Knox arranged a series of meetings for tiie purpose of creating a sentiment of loyalty, and for ei^t consecutive Sundays the theme discussed was ''Loyalty." The Rev. J. L. Sullivan spoke on ''Loyalty to Your Church;" C. T. Orr on "Loyalty to Your Business;" Rev. W. P. Buckner, of Joplin, on "Loyalty to Manhood;" Rev. C. B. Boving on "Loyalty to the Home;" and Judge H. L. Bright, of Carthage, on "Loyalty to Our Country." Rev. HaU was assigned the topic "Loyalty to the Book and Church," and Secretary Enox concluded this series of talks with a telling address on "Loyalty to the Y. M. C. A. "

The Odd Fellows lodge at Webb City during the past ten years has been one of the strongest lodges of the city and has attained distinction on account of the great proficiency and excellent manner in which the team work in the several degrees has been exemplified. In 1903 the Degree team of the Webb City lodge received the high honor of being invited by the officers of the Grand Lodge of this state to exemplify the work before the grand body at the annual meeting at Pertie Springs. The invitation was accepted and the manner in which the Degree work was performed reflected great credit on the Webb City lodge and did much toward favorably advertising the literary character of the mining district of southwestern Missouri.

America's natal day was duly celebrated in Webb City in 1904, and was thoroughly enjoyed by the thousands of people who came to take part in the festivities. The program was opened at 10 :30 o'clock in the morning by a monster parade which was participated in by nearly aU the fraternal orders of the place, as well as by a number of visiting societies from neighboring towns.

Prominent in the parade was a battalion of the Second Regiment, U. R. K. P., commanded by Colonel Henry Warner and the then celebrated W. 0. W. drill team, under command of Captain, now Colonel. E. E. Spracklin. At sundown there was a dress parade of the several semi-military societies and this feature of the day's exercises was greatly enjoyed. The celebration was concluded at night by a pyrotechnic display.

In the spring of 1904, Prof. W. T. Larrimore, a teacher of note, secured possession of the old Baptist College and started the Great Westem Normal and Business College which flourished for a short time. In June, 1904, the school began its session with an approved summer school for teachers, the course of study having been mapped by the state superintendent and the faculty as at the Joplin Summer School the year before articulating with the state institutions, the students receiving the same credit for their work as if they had been attending one of the State Normals. The Summer School was well attended. On July 6th, the citizens of Webb City tendered to the students of the school a magnificent reception, Prank Parlow acting as master of ceremonies on the occasion of this social gathering. The college has recently been converted into a Children's Home.

In August, 1904, Webb City entertained the Southwestern . Band Tournament. This occasion brought to the city 200 musicians and their three days' stay was a continuous round of pleasure, both to themselves and the citizens of Webb City, who turned out en masse to listen to the band concerts and witness the contests between the several organizations.

old age of one hundred and three years and who until the last few years of his life had been a very active man. He was a veteran of two wars, having served in both the Mexican and Civil wars. Previous to the breaking out of the War between the States he had worked in the old air smelter at Oronogo; went with the Union citizens of Jasper county to Kansas to join the United States volunteers from the Jay Hawker state and was a member of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry.

On his one hundredth birthday, which occurred September 18, 1903, his friends and old comrades of the Sixth Kansas, eight of whom were residents of Jasper county, gave an elaborate luncheon at the Middle West Hotel in his honor. On behalf of his friends, J. C. Harrison presented to the old veteran an enlarged picture of himself, together with a silver loving cup. In addition to this little testimonial, his friends compiled an interesting biography of the distingushed guest, and after having it bound, presented it to him to hand down to posterity. Mr. Sauls had the proud distinction of having personally met and shaken hands with every president of the United States excepting Washington and Roosevelt. He had been identified with the mining interests of southwest Missouri since 1853, during which year he constructed for the Granby Company at Granby the first lead smelter that was ever built in southwest Missouri and personally smeltered the first pail of lead that was turned out from this once famous furnace.

One of the most delightful, as well as novel, events of the decade was a reminiscence party which occurred at the home of Mrs. J. C. Stewart. Mesdames J. C. Stewart and W. C. Stewart conceived the idea of entertaining the early residents of Webb City and spending an afternoon living over the early days of the city. The party was unique in this - tiiat the guests invited were the original settlers of Webb City; those who had lived there for twenty years or more ; those who came in the first hard days when Webb City was but a mining camp. The afternoon was devoted to reminiscences, each lady adding to what others told until five o'clock, when the guests were invited into the spacious dining room where a delicious luncheon was served. On returning to the parlors, old songs were sung, a Virginia reel w^as indulged in, and the readings and conundrums which had been in popular favor in the seventies and early eighties, were retold.

In the reminiscences the special subjects touched upon by the different ladies were as follows: Mrs. Gaston told how she came to Webb City, driving from Oronogo to that place, then a little camp and not known ten miles away. **It was not a very attractive looking place, but my husband was there and I was determined to be content ; and it was not long before I learned to love Webb City and her splendid people."

Mrs. J. C. Stewart teaching in same. Mrs. Henderson had the only millinery store and her home was the headquarters for all the social life of the town.

Mr. Wheatley had the lumber yard. Among other old citizens mentioned were: Mr. John C. Webb and family, Mr. Ed Hall and family, Judge Robinson, Chas. MetcaJf, Paul Grove, Jas. Campbell, Volney Moon, A. A. Hulett and family, A. W. McCorkle and family, and many others so numerous that space forbids mention.

Mrs. Wright told of the stores she remembered, among which were Mr. Manker's grocery store, HalPs drug store, Lowe's furniture store, Mansfield grocery store, and Chris and Charlie Columbia's grocery store.

Mrs. Thomas, in speaking of the hotels, mentioned the Pacific, the Transit House and the Buffalo Hotel. Mrs. Henderson had an excellent boarding house and also Mrs. Miller.

Mrs. Murray told of the churches. She said the first services were in the Webb Hall which stood where the Webb City bank now stands. Union services these were. The Presbyterians then bought a store building which was the first church in the city.

Rev. D. K. Campbell was the first preacher. The M. E. church South was erected twenty-two years ago, and was given by Mr. John C. Webb, the father of our present townsman.

Mrs. Mock spoke of the newspapers of that day. I^Irs. Chinn, in her inimitable manner, told of the parties. Mrs. Wheatley told of the music and brought in some interesting and amusing incidents of the Stevenson-Wheatley quartette.

Mrs. S. L. Majoker spoke of the babies and children of those early settlers most entertainingly. Mrs. Spurgin gave a well ^vTitten paper on the mines.

Company I was organized in 1908. Its first captain was Charles P. Chenoweth, who had seen service in the Spanish- American war and who during his long residence in Webb City had been a most popular young man. Mr. Chenoweth 's military knowledge and popularity built up a large company composed of the best young men in Webb City and, by careful attention and constant drill, the company soon attained a high sfete of proficiency. In 1910, Captain Chenoweth retired from the company and was succeeded by Charles D. Smith. The following are the present officers of the command: Captain, Charles D. Smith; first lieutenant, Fred Nesbitt; second lieutenant, Chas. R. Chinn. Dr. Lawrence F. Cooke, formerly of Company - , was appointed by Colonel Raup in 1910 to be major-surgeon of the Second Regiment.

Webb City has been very fortunate during the past decade in the matter of newspapers. Both the Record and the Sentinel being thoroughly up-to-date newspapers. They have been ably edited fend, in addition to having chronicled the news of the day, have editorially championed and advocated a larger, a better and a more beautiful Webb City. The many modern business blocks which have been built during the past five years are tributes to the agitation of these two papers for a bigger Webb City.

The Carterville Record, edited by B. Shelton, was founded January 25, 1900, and has had a successful career, both financiaUy and in the matter of popularity. The paper has given a newsy account of the happenings of this important mining town and has advocated a great many public improvements. Largely on account of the editorials in this paper advocating city improvements and out-of-door beautification, the dty of Carterville built ten miles of sidewalks and otherwise made extensive improvements, not only for the comfort of the citizens but to th^ fieauty of the city.