The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-04-27
THIRTY-NINE YEARS AGO.

eeoSA = - ouAN INV
Happenings of This County Years
Ago and Taken from the Leon
Patriot, Dated Jan. 10, 1866.
Mrs. Sylvester Millsap, of west Of
town, on last Saturday brought to the
REPORTER Office copy of a very old
Leon paper, being an issue of the Leon
Patriot, of Jan. Is, 1856, which was pub
lished by Sales & Udell, the senior
uncle of Mrs. Millsap, and among other
news items is the account of the drown
ing of Mrs. Millsap's uncle, John S.
Wartenbee and Clark Stanley, while
crossing Grand River at the Wartenbee
mill which will be we'll remembered by
the older residents of the county. The
advertisers at that time were hardly as
numerous or extensive as those who
patronize The REPORTER at this time,
the only advertiser at that time who is
still doing business in this city is j. r.
Bashaw, who had small advertisement
announcing he had located in Leon as a
silversmith. The largest advertisers
were s. W. Hurst, N. Perdew, L. H. Sales
and G. S. Stout & Co., who each occu-
pied a single column for their general
stores. A. S. Updegraff had harness
shop, S. Jenree a new grocery, NJ. II.
Wood, a boot and shoe shop, W. M. Por-
ter and g. v. HALEY groceries, the
latter advertising oysters, fruits,
candies, nuts, raisins, beer and every
thing usually kept in first-class
grocery, which at that time seems to
have included beer. John d. Mills was
the blacksmith of the town. James W.
Woods, c. E. Millard and j. W. Penny
we're the attorneys. There seems to
have been plenty of hotels, L. H. Sales
running the Sales House, Vim. H. Smith
the Fellowship House on the south side
of the square and W. Hawkins the Haw-
kins House on the east side of the
square. Hogs were quoted at $3.50 to
$3.50. The obituary notice of Capt.
James W. Finley appears in the paper.
In addition to the account of the drown
ing of Messrs. Wartenbee and Stanley
there is also an account of the drowning
OF stranger while trying to ford We'll
don about mile and az half southwest
of Garden Grove. Believing that the
accounts of the drownings will prove
Interesting reading we reprint them in
full as follows:
DRowNED-On Friday morning, last,
Jno. S. Wartenbee, brother-in-law of the
senior editor of the Patriot, and Clark
Stanley, were drowned while attempt
ing to cross Grand River upon the ferry
near Wartenbee's MILL. The circum-
stances are as follows: 1t seems that
the guy ropes were frozen in the tackles
and that they were unable to govern
the boat or get it in a position that the
current would force it across the river
sd The current being very swift and
the boat standing straight across the
river the water rushed over the upper
gunnel and filled the boat. There were
upon the boat, five men, three Of whom
were rescued by means of skif. Clark
Stanley attempted to swim out and
drowned within ten feet Of the shore.
Mr.. Wartenbee stood up on the boat in
the water up to his waist for two hours
before the boat went down. His suffer-
lngs and anxiety of mind must have
been terrible. There were about 30 or
40 persons upon the bank of the river
during the time, they had a skiff, any
amount of rope and lumber in abundance
at the mill close by and the sufferer was
but 70 feet fro n the shore. While we
do not wish to be understood to at
tach blame to any of the parties it does
seem to us that some plan might have
been devised, with all the means at
their hands, to have saved the lives of
the sufferers. Mr.. Wartenbee was
thorough energetic man and a good
citizen. He leaves wife and six child
rem. Mr.. Stanley, was young man, a
school teacher in the neighborhood, and
we understand respectable promising
young man. Their bodies have not yet
been found.
A traveller was drowned while at
tempting to ford Weldon, stream
about Il miles southwest of Garden
Grove, on Wednesday evening last
about dark. There were two men trav-
cling together. They had upon the
wagon sugar mill, moving machine,
and diyerous other articles which they
were taking to Missouri, where it seems
the young man who was drowned and
possessed the team and load, recently
purchased farm. He had recently re-
turned from trip across the plains
where he had been quite successful.
His wife we understand, was staying in
Kansas during his absence, and he was
soon to 60 after and bring her to her
new home in Missouri. The horses were
drowned. His body and the hind wheels
and box OF the wagon and the horses
and small portion of the load was re-
covered on Saturday, last. He had up
on his person $1,000. The young man
who was in company with him suspect
ing that the stream was not fordable,
advised him not to attempt to cross and
did not accompany him. We understand
that the young man swan the stream
two or three times and made several
very hazardous attempts to rescue him.
They were directed to go to the bridge
which was only about mile from where
they attempted to cross, but took the
wrong road and attempted to ford in
stead of hunting the bridge, as they
should have done.
New Court Cases.
W. B. Gilreath VS.. W. r. Williams et