Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-03
DEATH OF JOHN 3. HOBBS.
First County Judge Eulogized by His
Two Associates Of Early DAYS,

| Two Associates OF Early Days.
| The recent death Of Hon. John b.
Hobbs, OF Albion, the first county Judge
of the county. brought about reunion
| that was unique when, at the funeral,
| there were present, one to preach the
| funeral sermon and one to read the
obituary, the other two county judges,
who succeeded in turn Judge Hobbs in
the early day When judges were elect
ed in the county, instead Of in judicial
districts. Judge Hobbs associates on
the bench were Rev. w. C. Smith, Of
Albion, and William Battin, of this
city. Mr.. Battin, in reminiscing upon
the early days. has prepared the fol-
lowing concerning the life of Mr..
Hobbs:
when Iowa territory was great
buffalo pasture, where also the elk
and the deer and the wolf roamed at
will, and the Indians were the chief
inhabitants: when the streams were
without bridges, and the prairies with
out roads; when the paths Of wild AMI
mails led to the rifles In the streams
where safe fording place might be
found and to the ridges, avoiding
swamps and sloughs, 1t was then that
our deceased friend came with his
family to Iowa.
Ills early days were spent in the
state Of Virginia. Their chief products
at that time, which they could sell for
money were ginseng, tobacco and
whisky, but our friend Hobbs did not
chew nor smoke tobacco, nor drink
whisky.
about seven years previous to his
II o.
mer at $40 month, and in winter
worked for his board and attended
school. During this time he saved
enough out of his earnings to buy a
team and outfit, his wedding clothes
and 5000. With the latter he bought
his first quarter section of Iowa land,
in Washington county. Ten years later
he sold out and came to Marshall
county, with $4,000 in money, and set
tied near Albion. Soon after this "a
neighbor living six miles away was
taken violently ILL., Mr.. Hobbs and
Phillip Ballard We're sent for and went
and stayed with the neighbor till he
died. There was, no undertaken in
reach, no loose boards to be found and
no mechanic to make a coffin. What
should they do? They cut up Mr..
Hobbs wagon box and made a coffin
of the lumber, and thus provided for
what was probably the first White fun
eral in Marshall county.
"Mr. Hobbs soon made the acquain-
lance of Mr.. William Proctor, CAPT.
talist from the east, who had just be-
come owner of 10000 acres of land In
this county. This land Judge Hobbs
bought on easy terms and verbal con-
tract, paying down the $4,000 and ar
ranging time ami terms on the bal
ance. Mr.. Proctor was to visit the
west once a year and take such pay
ments as could be made from sales of
land. There were no banks nor rail-
roads here then. At one time Mr..
Hobbs kept $4,000 in gold in an iron
Dutch oven, buried under a heavy
stone doorstep, where it staid safely
till Mr.. Proctor came from the east
on his next annual visit.
"These incidents, which occurred
during the life of our friend, who has
lust left us, are interesting as links
in our chain of history. They show
that success follows persistent effort
and saving by the young man, and the
wonderful progress and growth of our
country in fifty years, which seems
more wonderful to the young than to
the few remaining who have witnessed
it,"
The funeral OF Hon. John B. Hobbs
was held Sunday at the family home
in Albion. The exercises were con-
Quoted by Rev. William G. Smith, of
Albion, ex-county judge of Marshall
county. BY his side was ex-County
Judge William Battin of MARSHALL
town, who read the obituary as fol-
lows:
John Beuham Hobbs was born In
Lee County Virginia, Aug 4th, 1912.
He emigrated to Indiana in 1881, where
he was married to Emily Hasty March
18th 1899. Eight children were born
to them. One died in infancy, Albert
died in the army. in 1863, and Mrs.
John Fraley died in November, 1904.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hobbs came to Iowa.
which was then a territory, in 1S40,
and settled in Washington county near
the town Of Kalona In 1850 they NOV
ed to Marshall county and settled west
of the town of Albion, where they lived
five years. Then then improved
farw two miles southeast of Albion.
Twenty years ago they moved to AL