Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-05-22
Van Gorder's Automobile.

| er, that Cbal les Van Gorder, OF Audubon,
Iowa, has bought an automobile and
made ride from Audubon to Extra in
thirty-two minutes--the distance being
seven or eight miles.
This is the same Charlie Van Gorder
who served 10 one Of the regiments in
the Union Army and located at Extra
more than thirty years ago. Extra was
on the prairie, near the valley of the
Nishhabotna. Van Gorder was without
means AID clerked in little store on
the west side Of the so-cslled public
squal 9 in Extra. Audubon county con-
tanned all told probably one thousand
people. Extra was the county seat. The
nearest railroad point was Atlantic,
twelve or fifteen miles down the valley.
It you went to livery stable to hire a
rig the man generally claimed that it
was sixteen miles. AS matter Of fact
it is about twelve miles. In the center
Of the public square there war q rude
log house in which the county ofiices
were kept. Van Gorder was county
treasurer; John W. Scott was county
clerk, a man by the name OF Brainard
was recorder. On the north side Of the
square there was little hotel that was
a one story building with the loft util.
lied as slseping apartment. IL Bob
Flynn is alive he could relate how he
and young newspaper man slept 10 the
"loft" OF that tavern one night in the
first week Of March, 1871; and when they
woke in the morning they found half
inch of snow on the covers. The land
lord was red-headed, which in the cold
weather served to keep the house warm,
with little help from other sources.
Charlie Van Gorder was one Of the
earliest county treasurers of that day
who kept his accounts in condition to
settle with the board Of supervisors.
They used to say that when the board
called on one Of his predecessors for set
Element they gave him few hours no.
tice so that he could make hurried
drive qyer to Old Man Pray's to borrow
the monty TO make his accounts square
and make showing to the board. Van
Gorder did not have to do that way 9TH
erwise he would not now own an auto
mobile. Many things have happened
since that day in March, 1871. Van
Gorder was sober, industrious and fru-
gal Besides being county treasurer he
clerked in "Bush's store" Every body
knew about "Bush's store" as it was the
only one in Extra. Bush was down
East Yankee who was popular with the
pioneers. 10 those times there were no
branch railroads in any Of the beautiful
valleys OF Iowa. The choicest lands
could be bought for $500 to $500 an acre
or even less and men like Van Gorder
had sense enough to buy them. Men
who bought Iowa lands at $500 an acre,
now ride in automobiles and others are
kicking themselves becouse they did not
buy at the right time. But think OF rid
ing up and down the old Botna Valley
IN an automobile; down through old DIR.
Billiards. vast estate OF rich bottom lands
and heavy timber, soaring all the horses
and cattle that happen to be near the
public highway We presume that
Charlie Van Gorder lives in brick house
while there was not brick house in all
that country when he wore yarn suspen.
ders and promised struggling young
newspaper man tax-list, there being no
newspaper in Audubon county. II any
one had predicted the automobile or even
the telephone in those days his sanity
would have been doubted. II man
had undertaken to ride from Extra over
to old "Natty" Hamlin's to get some Of
the real essence Of "old Kentucky" he
would have been shot from the way-side
by some squirrel hunter out OF pure
fright. Yet Charlie Van Gorder is rid
ing from his bank 10 Audubon to his
bank 10 Extra in an automobile in thirty
minutesl The twentieth century will
have to put ice on its head.