The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1900-07-11

on the pole, was one of the ornaments
of the town. 1t stood where the new
NJ. F. church now stands
DR.. Dawson and John Jones' had res
licences on High avenue that were good.
When Fate" Shoemake first came to
Osakloosa from Tennessee, his brother,
John. was keeping store in two-story
frame building where Woodin & Rem
frewS shoe store is now located. Shoe
make lived upstairs. Fate was raised
in Tennessee, in one of the oldfashioned
log cabins where the meals were cooked
in the fireplace and the bread baked
with Goals where a cook-stove was I'M
known, He had never seen cook
stove until he came to Iowa. After be-
ing with his brother a few days he came
to the conclusion it looked lazy for him
to lay around and do nothing so one
morning he concluded to get up early
and make fire in the cook s7ove which
was down stairs. He got his kindling
ready and struck match. 1t would not
draw we'll, and the smoke found its
way upstairs. where the family were
sleeping His brother, John, yelled
down and wanted to know where the
smoke was coming from. Fate" said
he could not make the smoke go up the
chimney The smoke got 50 thick that
| John went down stairs to investigate
matters and found Fate had made the
fire in the oven in place of the fire box.
Fate is still living and will verify this
as true
There was merchant by the name
of Grain who did business on the south
side of the square, and Win. T. Smith ;
| bank was on the north side. The square
| had no trees yet. On a windy day,
Grain wanted to deposit some money
and as usual put his money, "hich was
in bills, in his plug hat, put it on his
head and started for the bank The
/ wind carried his hat, money, and all
away-did not even save his wig, and
scattered them in all directions, By the
assistance of some boys, he managed to
recover the lost articles.
The first Norway rat known 10 be
in Oskaloosa was brought there in
some machinery for RoOps mill-or at
least the first known one 1t worked
its way down to the square and ran
across the street in front of where the
! Mahaska County bank is now located.
!
carrying watch in his hand. He was
so excited at seeing one of the pesky
| things he had heard so much about, that
| he went after it and. seeing Mr.. Rat
was getting The best Of BIN, threw the
watch at it. The rat still lived, but the
watch was tro dead to turn wheel.
Johl W. Jones was the joker of the
town and was always getting joke on
some one Some of his jokes were too
cutting and too pointed to read well in
a Christian sheet like the HERALD.
One OF the amusing incidents that CO
Cured in the early day was at a trial
and the opposing attorneys were Julg2
Crookham and VIM. T. Smith. Tie
trial room was small, so the door be
tween the two rooms was left open and
the attorneys stood in the doorway
while addressing the jury so all could
hear Judge Crookham had made his
plea and VIM. T. Smith was address
ing the jury. He rested his hands OIL
the hack of a chair and was getting the
best of CroOkham. who like all young
LAWYERS. did not wish to get beat. SO
while VIM. T. was laying it off in goO'
style. Crookham made TIP his mind rC
use his foot. as his brains were cN,
hausted. 50 he placed his foot on the
part of the body that Smith sat on ans
showed him over the chair sprawling Or
the floor The case was decided N ia
yor Of Smiths client.
If my memory serves me right, i VA.
/ in the fall OF 1857, that a small crow,
of young men-mcn who were mt asSO
ciates-concluded they would tar nlC
feather one Bill Redman, whose nick
name was Kentucky Bill" He was a
certain house that stood in the stree
. leading west from the southwest corhe'
: of the square. Redman was i'll bed, BIT
the boys pulled him out, stripped lin
= of what few clothes he had on, STOP,
) him UP erect, and as the tar had beef
t previously warmed, poured it on h
e head and then plaStered his body a
over with ii. The next move was t
70 tear open a feather tick and plaster tn
= tar over with feathers. Redman stoo'
e the ordeal without resisting, as he EheH
/ it was useless. After dressing him III
! with a tar and feather suit, they too
S him outdoors, got a rail, and two ine;
{ carried him down to the public SqIlr'
f They then let him go and he walked u
n the middle OF the road back to tn
:, house from whence he came Mex
:. morning, bright and early, he was dow
: town, and a cleaner looking man neve
u walked the streets of Oskaloosa. Moth
IL ing was ever done with the parties VIII
!, committed the deed. The lead-r of tn
It gang was in the war of the rebei'to
e and was killed at Shiloh was wit
: ness the entire proceedings, as / hap
pened along when they were warm!n
IS the tar, and they told me what was III
n 1t is impossible in the space above
me 20 60 too much into details, so wi
/, switch off on something about the HEE
!. AID, and my connections Herewith, Ho
:. know when the HERALD was started
E and who have at different times beel
I. connected with it, but perhaps you al
}. not aware that the HERALD office Was
, part of the Times outfit of Cambridg
: Ohio. The plant was bought in Can
r. brigde, and removed to Iowa NJ
1. father bought it for his son. John r.
! As / remarked, when went to o
n kaloosa, the HERALD was IN the secor
story OF Streets block in small rooI
u Ny first real experience y a prlntil