Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-28
PEOPLES PULPIT

Editor Courier: In justice to the
present board of directors of the
! Shaul Cemetery association and in or
der that the public may be CONVEX
| SAINT with both sides of the present
| controversy with regard to the Shaul
cemetery we wish to submit the fol
lowing statement of facts concerning
the matter in answer to A, G. Leigh.
tons interview published in the Cou-
rier under date of May % and %.
| The Shaul cemetery, as every one
knows, has been in existence some
| 55 to GO years, the original plot Of
ground having been donated and set
aside for cemetery purposes by Mr..
Shaul, one of the early pioneers Of
| Wapello county back in the SOS, and
| has been known as the Shaul ceme-
terry since that time, having been so
called to perpetuate the name of the
donor of the original tract of land so
generously given end set aside for
burial purposes.
| In the year 1885 in order that this
cemetery might be improved and
properly maintained a few public spir-
| tied men took the matter up, called a
meeting of those interested in the
| Shaul cemetery and organized a stock
company. adopted a constitution and
| bylaws, and filed articles of incorpora-
ton and elected its board of nine di-
rectors who had charge Of the affairs
of the association until some two
years ago, Or until 1906 at which time
owing to the death of some members
of the board of directors, the removal
from the city of others and the lack
of funds the cemetery grounds be-
came some what neglected and run
! down.
In the spring of 1906 at a public
meeting Of those interested and prop
erly called for the purpose of reorgan-
izing the board of directors of the
Shaul cemetery new board of
directors consisting of j. A. Ballard
G. W. Blair Levi Pomeroy, John
Berry, Hervey EIite, Charles Peck, G.
A. Cummings, A. D. Findlay and H.
w. king were elected who immediate.
| ly took hold of the affairs of the as
ISOLATION. They not only found an
empty treasury but found the associa-
ton was in debt.
| They at once went to work taking
money from their own pockets to Sc
cure the necessary tools to set sex
ton to work putting the grounds il.
proper condition. They employed a
sexton for five months of 1906, who
devoted his entire time to the clean
ing and grading of the grounds and
during the summer and fall Of 1907
kept a man on the grounds for six
months, putting in his entire time or
| the grounds, and now have a sexton
employed who deyotes his entire time
and attention to the work at salary
of fifty dollars per month.
The present board of directors have
In addition to the above work
sunk well and pump and wind
mill put in position and are now con
templating piping water over the
grounds They contemplate refencing
the grounds and building a waiting
room and tool house.
They have during the past two
years held regular meetings on the
first Monday evening of each month,
and the books of record are now open
| of directors have ever received or
association, simply giving their time
| dIo ldDOi q uuty LuSy lGlI lUey
owed to the public that the burial
place of our dead may be properly
maintained and kept in proper condi
ton, and at this point will state that
the association is out of debt and
have some three hundreds dollars In
the treasury.
During the winter of 1907-190s the
present board found themselves out
or nearly out, of desirable grounds
for burial lots and at once began
| through properly appointed commit
tee to negotiate with A. c. Leighton
who is owner of the land adjacent to
the present cemetery for the purchase
of more grounds
This committee had several meet
ings with Mr.. Leighton, but without
results, he (Mr. Leighton) refusing tG
consider any cash price short of one
thousand dollars per acre. Mr. Leigh
ton always insisting that the associa
ton should make him a per cent
proposition. Some two or three