The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-05-25

10 Ane nslBnDOTB ana n ".
undertook the perilous task OF rescu.
Ing tho parents. Mrs. Clayworth was
still alive, and with sublime heroism
was holding her husbands head above
water. Mr.. Baughman was not sum.
GENTLY overcome to prevent him res.
cuing both OF them, but before they
reached tho upper air both were be-
yond recovery.
East Des Moines township has one
hundred and ifty-four farms whose
value is $7s,535, with personal proper.
ty to the value OF $16,527. 10 has a
population Of 900 persons.
oivin.
This village was laid out by Harry
Brewer In 1870 and so named In hon.
or OF John Givin, OF Rsokuk, then SUI
~perintendent of the X. &c d. NJ. rail-
road. The first store vas built by
Mr.. Brewer in that year. There was
a post Office at this point as early as
1862. Hiram Ethridge was the first
postmaster. It was made a railroad
station in 1871. At the time that Civ
In was laid out 1t was on land owned
by Mr.. Brewer. AS stated above Har-
ry Brewer was n Of the very early
corners to this township and entered
n hundred and sixty acres Just east
Of Givin on the hill where himself
and his god wife patiently wrought,
raising their family and maintaining
a generous and orderly home. 1t was
an informal home but always having
an air Of rdstful hospitality. Like
many such western homes It was
founded In the open-hearted pioneer
spirit and so remained until both faith
err and mother were laid TO rest in
Forest cemtery. The old farm is now
owned and occupied by the youngest
son Of the family, Harry A. Brewer.
The early settlers greatly dreaded
the venomous bite Of the r~attlesnake.
While there were comparatively few
deaths resulting from It's poison, when.
there was a victim the whole
community held its breath until the
danger was past. Every family had
near ut hand it's home remedies to
counteract the poison until the SER
vices of a physician could be secured,
which Was always done in the greatest
possible haste. II. ID. Brewer relates
instance which occurred In his
fathers family. His brother George
CHANGED 10 have been bitten by ons
Of these dreaded reptiles. His father
at once saddled a spirited young horse,
favorite of the family, and riding to
John Harper's, his closest neighbor,
(neighbors in those days meant much
more than 1t has come 10 mean In
these later years. he told Mr.. Harper
TO bring a doctor in the fewest posi-.
bic minutes, W II II cost the life OF
his valient charger. Mr.. Harper COW
cred the six miles to Oskaloosa in
just twenty minutes, and fortunately
found DR.. Rhinehart sitting in his bug
Ky ready 10 make a call somewhere
In the country. He gave the doctor
the same message and in another
twenty minutes both were at the
Brewer home. Whether by the skill
of the good doctor or the potency Of
the home remedies which had been APP
piled in the meantime, or both, the
boy was saved. We doubt If our a
yelous telephone could equal this rec.
ord for swiftness.
M~uehakinoek.
The place took It's name from the
creek on which II IL located. The
word means muddy water and Is OF
Indian origin. It Is now a mere vii.
iage, but twenty-five years ago II
was the home Of two thousand peo-
pie, mostly colored, who worked in
the coal mines. In 1873 the large
coal fields in this section came into
the possession OF H. w. and w. A.
McNeill and under their management
reached an unexpected development.
Between four and five thousand acres
Of land lying in East Des Moines
and Harrison townships were mined,
averaging the owners at isaSt n
hundred dollars per acre without en-
tirely destroying the lands for farm
ing purposes. Muchakinock was the
center OF these operations. In 1881
the stock Of the coal company con.
troIisd by the Mcneil brothers was
sold TO the Chicago & Northwestern
Railroad company for 100000. The
company extended a branch OF its
railroad from Belle PLANE into these
coal fields and built a depot and rail-
way yards at Muchakinock. These
mining operations were a great
Of income to the people OF os-
kaloosa and Mahaska county becauge
Of the thousands Of dollars that were
continually changing hands in the
community. With the extension OF
the road to Buxton and other coal
fields across the Dies MONIES river
Muchakinock has almost ceased to
exist.
West Des Moines.
The settlement and history OF this
township are closely connected with
East Dies Moines because II has only
existed as a separate organization