Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-02-22
A Retrospective View.
IBY D. NJ HARRIS !

A Retrospective View.
IBY d. N HARRIS
1t is we'll at times to take retro
specttve view of the past, and refresh
our minds of the inciden,s and action
of persons Of the past. We
are requested to give few of the
views, as we saw them many years
ago. To begin with we commence
with our entrance into Missouri Val
Icy, Iowa III June 1858 and commence
ed the publication of u paper which we
called 1.-THE Hsrrisonian." We remem
her the first number appeared on July
Bird 1868. r.. w. Bsbbitt, editor Of the
Council Bluffs Bugle, remarked, "We
like the editor and the initial number
OF the paper, but do not like the name
lit smells too much of coon tails and
hard cider" We assured Mr.. Babbitt
that the name had nothing to do with
politics or the exciting political con.
test at 1910 when Gen. VIM. Harrison
was the candidate for president, but
as the county is called Harrison, and
Onr name being Harris, the name of
"Harrtsonian", we thought a good one
for the paper, as beginner, and with
this explanation all further opposition
to the name of the paper stopped.
The first incident of anv importance
war the celebration of Independence
Dav Mo Valley being q new town
and the people feeling verv patriotic
concluded to celebrate the day in old
style Committees were appointed.
and the ground selected, being at the
SNYDER Spring. north of town, and ss
other towns around ns we're celehrat-
ing, 1t WAS concluded hv the committee
that our celebration should he be a
kind of family arrangement, and they
proceeded to arrange for some three or
four hundred guests. but when the
fourth came, the morning clear and
bright, and the people thought as this
was the first celebration for the com
ing city. it should be grand one. so
all decided tn come to the Valley,
and by ten O'clock the roads from
everv direction we're filled with people
IN wagons. bugzles carriages, on horse
back and on foot. and bv the time to
commence the ceremonies of the day
some TWENTY-FIVE hundred people had
assembled. and the dinner had been
prepared on basis of four hundred.
and was insufficient to meet the de-
mand.
TIE young boys, like most Of the
Young, looked over The spread aud con-
olnded the only show for their dinner
was to take time by the fore.Iock, sn
they formed a procession and marched
along by the tables ami secured almost
everything prepared for dinner, that
left y vacuum, aud the committee
proceeded to buy up all the bread,
crackers, cheese bologna and every
thing eatable, but the dinner was,
light, and but few succeeded III seour
Ing u meal
The officers and others selected to
otiiclate were as follows;
Dr. q. II. McGavern, president of
the day,
Rev. Snyder, of the Christian church
offered prayer.
Scott Justice, Reader of the declara-
tion of Independence
ID. NJ. Harris, orator of the day.
By some unlocked for accident the
platform upon which the officers were
standing, gave way, and president,
reader, preacher and orator, all III y
heap. fell to the ground in one com
mon mass, which disarranged matters
for time, but sVon took shape again,
and the celebration went OH.
But few who participated in that
CO etratiOn are here nOW-some have
passed over the dark riYer-some have
moved to ether lands, while the few
left are growing old and look back TO
that first celebration Hs one of real
pleasure and ne'er will forget the live
iy scenes of that day.
The celebration over, all returned to
busincss street of the. Valley, where
some lively SCENES we're enacted. which
consisted in fights, ragafnnt1ip parades
drinking aud dana,ng. Mr. Noah the
railroad agent had arranged for q
dance just south of the track. where he
had erected howery aud floored it,
and placed head lights i'll it and when
the beauty aud gallantry of old Harri
son county had assembled.
But we will reserve any fur
'her REM marks TOR another time, but
can say that this day may be regarded
as the beginning of the growth and
prospects Of the city of Mlsson;i VAL
Icy.
AT the time last spoken OF, Mo Val
ley was divided by an Imaginary line
and II. Alton the east side was CAL
led whisky Row" and al west SIDE
Was known as Dog Town" AL
though the division was only draYn
by circumst ances. Yet II was as Ger
tain as the line between heighborlnK
codhtfes. 1he large part Of the bqsl'
hoss OF tho town was duue on SIXTH st
being q part OF "Whiskey Row." and
the residence part for town was EN-.
brssed III "DoGtown." One of the
most remarkable things about this
division was the lntsliss feeling OK:
| lstlpg in tte'Minds 6f tlis cliiZ-lls Of
The two divisions III tact IL Was SO
stTOng that 1T wss not safe for a Cit
lzen Vt "Doytown" " visit at night III
l'ha "'an'a1 1c.s uf Whisky Row" or one
tro,n Nv nlskey ltvw" to be found III
''Dogtowm." We remember very DIS.
eHsnSlsisS eisss,y sSs Sss Shis fsssi,,y: oos csT
tain F5iirLh Of July the. .peopls con
eluded 10 huld "a celebration, aud to
properly uO 80, u was HoSOSsoy W
raise liberty pole; and collection
was raised 10 purchase one, and Geo.
w Fry was emp;uyed to furnish ~. Up
on its arrival Itwas unl0ade at the foot
of 9Th st. hill, but when tue c!ltz-ns
of f"Dogtown" lssrned this fact, 'ev-
ehal men went up aud requested Fry
to load up ths poie and carry " aaWH
to Second street III "Dngtown,' but
the men of "Whskey R"w'' rallied
and forbid the removal Hot words