davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
The stes House.

Mention was made above of the Es-
ties house. that great pile OF brick on
Fifth and Main streets, historic as
standing as a monument to the 1867
boom days in Keokuk, as reminder
of the war of the rebellion when it
served humane purpose as a federal
hospital and the fact that though
built in 1857, fifty-three years ago, the
upper stories have never been finish
ed to this day. The company that
engaged In this hotel enterprise was
organized in the spring of 1857, by
Hawkins Taylor, a man by the name
of O'Harra and Rufus Wilsey, the oh.
ject being 70 erect a hotel which they
thought would be In keeping with the
great future that was before the city
but tho collapse came all too soon and
the magnificent structure was left un
finished, This company paid $4,000
for one hundred and fifty feet front
age on Main street, being two hun
dred and sixty-six and twe-thirdi
dollars per foot. There arr
many progressive merchants doinf
business on the first floor OF Tho
building and several Offices 10
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Miller and Harris.

Burlington Hawk-Eye: The long
expected change in the official head
of the Burlington system was announ-
ced yesterday, and created little sur
prise. Darius Miller had for DAYS
been slated as president of the Bur.
lington, vice George B. Harris. re-
signed. The change means honor to
every man concerned in 1t. Miller's
promotion is one of merit and in his
selection as head of the great sys-
tenn, that road gets a man of unex-
celled executive ability. In stepping
from the presidents position. Mr..
Harris takes with him the honorable
record of strong and capable SER
vice, and he goes into the chairman
ship OF the board of directors of the
system. 1t had long been the desire
OF Mr.. Harris to give UP the arduous
duties of the presidency on account OF
advancing age, and his wish is re-
spected, while at the same time he is
honored with post Of the highest
Importance and trust in the manage
ment of the great system.
The railroad careers of both Harris
and Miller are remarkable illustrations
of what earnest, sensible, persevering
application to duty will bring to
young man. The former started as
stenographer in the general Offices Of
the Michigan Central. Harris began
his career as an Office boy. Both ear
~ in life solved the problem OF
carrying messages to Garcia. They
advanced steadily be means OF per-
sonal effort and worth, and both
stand today at the head Of one OF the
greatest railroad systems in the coun'
try. There is a volume of sermons to
young men in the records OF these two
men. 1t need not be written here,
for it is apparent to anyone who has
! in him the stuff to make like sue.
cess OF life.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07

Richard q. 3. Wood II Burlington
Hawk-Eye. Esokuk is not the oniy
point to receive congratulations for
the anal apparent SUCCESS Of he wafer
power enterprise. Burlington. n
Madison, Hamilton Garbage. warsaw,
Quincy HANNIBAL. ana even 81. Louis.
besides other plaaes in Howa. Missorsas
and I3lsnuis, III of whsCh points sad
their contiguous ferra1ory musr re-
cesre their share as 1hey core IN
for great benefits 10 be derived from
the building ana equipment Of tnis
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Real Estate investment.

Real estate is now and will con
tinue to be bought in and around keo-
kuk as investments at high prices and
will be held confidently for months
and for years for ideal prices placed
upon these holdings by their sanguine
owners, to the injury of Keokuk's
building progress. 1t is not very haz-
ardous to predict that some of this
real estate purchased by affluent citi-
zens and held for a high price will be
sold at tax sale, because the owners
instead of selling at the market price
had allowed their real estate belong
ings TO be eaten up by taxes and inter
est on small balance owned on the
real estate. Such lack of judgment
and financial wisdom keeps many a
fine factory. residence or business
house from being built in some cities.
We are glad for Keoknls people that
| the future OF the city appears SO
beautiful 10 them and that they have
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Enormous Income

Requiring millions to build it there
is nothing like such an enterprise any
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07

say-'Tve always been good Repub
lican, but" Isn't it one of the mar.
wells OF the Twentieth century that tie
farmers who make their butter and
have the butter to sell should be
among the buffers? Queer folks
aren't we, really.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
keokuk's Former Boom.

had read and pondered the lesson
of the Keokuk boom Of 1867. Every
thing was ON the boom then. Keokuk
was as prominent on the earth's sur
face then as Halley's comet will be in
the skies in the early spring Of this
year. 1t was on everybody's tongue.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Police of Worlds Cities.

Berlins patrolnlen are one to $40,
are one to 4a9, London's
one to 496. and Philadelphia has one
patrolman for every 511 citizens. On
Manhattan island there is but ono
policeman to every G43 inhabitants.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07

learn this and locate where sites may
be obtained al more reasonable rates
and the luxury ana economy Of the
cheap power may he enjoyed
Keckuk will Thrive.
For the three years employed il
building the dam and completing the
plant Keokuk is bound to thrive and
grow even though the old bogg or
young fogy with q Crouch may growl
with pessimisfic feelings and predict
and continue 10 predict The growl-
sngs and dreams OF dire calanities will
be carried away by the great power
Of the plant which is reckoaed the
greatest in the world Excursionists
viii be pleased 10 stop OF II Keoknk
TO rev this greatest Of all Eater
powers. And In these dsys of power,
in advertising, this fact alone viii
be worth thousands Of dollars 60 keo-
kuk.
When the water power plant is in
issed a few years IN the future, the
~ofgingmen who have built the gigan-
tic enterprise, or at least the great
bllk Of Them, Hill told their tents 10
seek otEer fields of labor. leaving be-
hind only the small force necessary 70
operate the plant and serve the gov
ernmenr. This crisis must be provided
for. This adjustment of new condi-
tions must De taken into account IS it
viii naturally call temporary halt
and necessarily cause = more or less
sIagaation in trade IN real estate.
The old memories Of vaeatt houses
will return to stare property owners
IN The face. The former furnisbers
Of power and light and possibly other
Industries will have their business d >
creased or actually closed and Esany
interests will be affected. all of which
must be placed On the debit side as
against the credit side IN favor OF the
power plant and enter into the gen
era plan of REIMBURSEMENT. This is
another fact and not theory which
must be met and computed three
years hence.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Keokuk,s Former Chance.

Keokuk once had chance to secure
the Santa Fe railroad, one of the great
est railway systems in the United
States. Fort Madison got it and grew
rapidly. The growth commenced long
before the whistle of the Santa re
engines were heard in the town.
There was the ripple of boom IN
Reokuk when she thought she almost
had the Santa Fe, but twist OF the
wrist gave the prize to Fort Madison.
In Fort Madison's growth there has
probably come halt. Probably Fort
Madison grew too fast for its present
prosperity. But the halt will be only
temporary it will catch up in time
and go along in the road OF prosper
ity, growing in size and Importance
The building and completion of the
power plant at Keokuk will present
lesson similar to Fort Madison's ex-
perience Human nature is just the
same whether twelve miles north or
twelve south of Montrose, only lit
tie more so in spots. Keokuk's per-
centage of growth of population will
be similar to the growth Of Fort Madi-
son brought about by the Santa Fe,
which will make Keokuk city of ex-
ccllent proportions, point of inter.
est and of many business advantages.
Keokuk will of necessity oyergrow to
accommodate the large force the 1water
power will employ in its construction,
as will be seen shortly after the
great enterprise is completed and the
workmen are withdrawn to seek other
| fields of labor. But Keokuk will catch
up in short time and go on to steady
growth, keeping well in front of the
progress of the country. The wise
financiers will profit by these flucta-
/ ting conditions and the less wise and
wild enthusiasts will go broke and be.
come envious of their cooler and more
conservative neighbors.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
No success Without Labor.

we used TO be taught and would
decIaim at school. something about
.No success without labor" and that
maxim Is Just as true In water
power city in Iowa as in lumber
village near the gulf coast of Texas,
was even sometimes accuse dof be-
ing a kicker against the water
power, because ! was not doubling
Thomas, because Ibid not clamor with
the crowd and build me a golden
lined castle In the air in which !
might dwell at ease, forever and for
ever after the enterprise was sure
thing. ] knew then exactly what has
been demonstrated in this water
power strenuous campaign. and which
Charles p. Birge, A. 70. tombstone.
John N. Irwin, William Logan and
the others prominent In this enter
prise knew all the time that 1t re-
CURED showing Of practicability, OF
profit on the investment and of dollars
to build and sustain the dam rather
than shouts, to cause victory to perch
upon their banners. | might have rent
the air with my overcharged huzzas
until my voice was cracked shouting
and 1t would not have added one
iota to the progress OF the scheme,
but 1t might have added to the en-
tbugiasm of some over-anxious citi-
zens. encouraging them to reckless
speculation and the dropping of their
"wad" even before the enterprise be
came certainty. Too much blind en-
thusiasm oftentimes gives promoters
of semi-public and private enterprise
chance to fool the people which the
people find out only after their cool
Judgment returns to them
knew full we'll that the enterprise
required vast sums of money. ! knew
these vast sums of money would be
found ready for investment in the
water power when it was demonstrated
that the enterprise would pay fair
dividends on the capital invested.
believed this would eventually be
shown, Minor water powers in other
localities all over the country were
paying; why not a great power plant
at Keokuls? This seemed TO me logi
cal and satisfying reasoning. 1t made
my faith big. Then why should | waste
the valueless product of my lung
power in shouting praises for a mos
valuable water power. with any as
surance that ] was assisting tha
great enterprise?
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07

ways near Keokuk- II will require
large sum each year to maintain 1t,
but the income VIII be enormous and
promises to be large enough 10 insure
handsome dividends. otherwise its
construction never would have been
undertaken
Reverting TO an old debatable ques-
tin OF our early schooIb0y days,
There is more pleasure in pursuit
than IN possession. do hope that
Keokuk viii find much more pleasure
in the possession of the water power
than it found in the pursuit, for some
long drawn out of rather rugged and
tempestuous days IN pursuing the
widest dream of their lives Tlere
are men today in Keokuk who are stiil
hoarse from talking and shouting wa
ter power in the early days when the
boom was threatened. Then again.
there are some pale, haggard indiFidu-
ais. once robust, active men, who are
wonderfully surprised and elated that
they are alive today TO realize that the
water power is actually fixed fact.
1t is remarkable that they still i've
These are the victims OF the hoarse
fellows, and barely escaped being
talked TO death. i know that IN the
Keokuk water power question, posses
sion gives ME more pleasure than the
pursuit ever did. Il was puzzling
question to many and the solving OF
il, after many years of suspense, gives
relief. and hope and promise Of great
things for Keokuk- She deserves this
success.
Well Settled.
Ii is well that the matter has been
settled. Better that il was settled the
right way and the great power plant
is TO be built, but even if il had
proved failure. the water power lost,
and the matter settled ii would have
set keokuk free from that tenseness,
that lethargy born OF waiting for
something TO turn up She suffer
ed from many folded arms and men
standing still not knowing in what
direction 10 move or whether TO move
at all or not 1t is settled and now
business may be adjusted more to the
new and much more favorable condl-
tons Real estate values enhanced
by spurts, as did rents, on water
power expectations when hose VINO
had to pay the advance realized moth
ing from the advance. 1t was an In
fiation on imaginary lines. 1t would
have been worse had not the boom
fiends been checked early in the cam
paign. Real estate and rents are no
doubt now soaring in Keokuk as there
is something tangible now for basis.
That is legitimate, fair business
proposition unless prices go beyond
reasonable bounds, and then 1t IS wild
speculation, like a fight between the
bulls and the bears, bringing acct
dental profit to a few lucky ones and
SHINING the many to the bone, Here
is where the danger line Is approach
ed. These conditions come from lack
of information, thoughtlessness and
too much enthusiasm on the one SIDE,
and greed, get-rich-quick and a disposi-
ton to make people believe that the
water power will bring far greater re-
suits thai. the most sanguine wise and
reasonable man expects, on the other
side.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07
Not a Public Affair.


1t is not a great public affair, as
the noise 1t created would Indicate.
no more than any other factory or
other industry establishing Itself in
a community for private profit What
made it mislead into this thought was
because the government controls nav
igable streams, and the consent OF
congress and the approval of the
President was necessary. Bloody
Run at Keokuk empties into the Miss
issippi river, but 1t is not naviga-
BILE stream. If it had been practicable
to use that stream for power plant
a dicker with the United States gov
eminent would not have been neces-
sary and the wate- power would have
come less heralded than it did as 9TH
er valuable factories would have
come. 1t is private company, just
the same whether manufacturing its
cheaper power on the bosom Of the
great Mississippi river or on the hum
BILE and less slightly Bloody Run.
Being in the hands of private cor
poration this company had to be
SHOWN that it would pay before 4
could secure the cash to build the en-
terprise. It is thoroughly private
financial and commercial affair-an
! undertaking of gigantic proportions,
which will certainly prove Of great
benefit to the growth and prosperity
OF Keokuk and most valuable enter
prise ia the hands of a most deserving
company Keoknk and company de
serve the highest commentator fol
the persistence, the ability and tho
business patience and courage dis
| played in forcing success for the en-
terDrise.
Enormous Income.
Requiring millions to build It ther'
is nothing like such an enterprise an.
The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-07


v
- - N--r -. SAi---''f.1= 2 go an Ans
- ll.-'All1s's
800. - 7-ss-a'1sA- s'l'--s's ~ y
- - $50 ssA1.5''i AiN-As @lo
al go 20 aAAArl
= - = 49, - - : = = a. y
80 - - : = -. : - - - 80
80 - y - la-'sA lasllasA1 F7iai
-. - go . ~ 49, s'-- a1sA-a nsal
s.--''-e r s-l4ssAs ".aai liS
- $500 Na 1el It'll y
-. ! = - 20 ,.'-Nt p su
-. -'As-ls la-n ~
az SsaS-as "
NJ
- So ~ 1o~ 4 As0Aaas A-len e
-, - = sAoN - 8. 80
- 80 e -al-.s lsso' M 1Nln came ~
An lfs ia'is alu saliVu
-. ~ susA - s4anv " see SAe ilAhss "a
- Dosil aA-- ~ ESss lalpugh Ing pei-
.l,as aasAse sAss aolloNea. ear- nsln'
49, 500 o''aee. a'isr pasilaess Mau
rss, Alr g EEL n anat 'snt
elu Nalraso Sp-in
tne olus' sons az naahaeri
=. LIE AafsS eo.aeetn Up 70 tns tiaiie
=. uiH asaAa ana las business = Low
cup m6lad =. "sns d. u VA .ns
,oanf So lhls ssOls u slepnen
a4"4u coming 70 heoAuA was toao !"
nae ~ Hoh- JONI =. itNin -"
YEATS Dslo1F hAs aeala-
hsei estate was booming % sat. az
n-h afflgas ifoln Salas-ago. ne VIEW.
~ LIZ s.Aus laDh' loA VILE YEA "
voo.n enen iSissan' anoush ms eAs Nss
"a lne neal OF WIG speculative DOOM
wnsn he arrived with MS family he
! did not waste his substance on $40 900
corner lots, but busbanded his small
/ belongings and went 10 work Quietly
and earnestly under the ssricf laws of
- - t-s..
-, 80 -, as-a.,s.a.a.esr 49,,
,i1i CIV soees 20 .
many VINO Wildly shoubsa az lnt oooiii
ps9omed, and tnen went broke When
the shouts subsided.
Property Was High.
The estimate n,,t uron Keokuk nrop-
e. thosa d. ma hs i,,dgaa
49,. :. : .o,a ~. To-. go
to.u toe =
olock 81. on fonrtn ana EAcnanse :
streets were valued al from szy,p9a
TO $4,000. Not only this but the valu-
ations were vouched for by some Of
4 fhe most prominent citizens of Keo-
kuk n w KfIhourne and Cen Sam
uel rtr.fs Tho following le4.erx
yst.te, ata,, .ba ,;rna nc rstss
'ii..p4A 49,
mouse "as ~ souisr ~ .SOnS = us'1OA
are lhIereslIne.
kEOhuk, January - 1871
Messrs. George T. Blssen q 10
Gentlemen: ar. y feadiAgIoh nas
requested me 70 give ny opinion ah
70 the yaiue OF ois age 10y anu ~
W, DOCK thifls-ons 1oll' "a LIZ Z etsy
4 Inc lots are on Inc CORNER OF fouTen
r and Exchange streets wen situated
Tor business purposes, IA part q tns
town Wnere extensive Ahpfps elils Ellie
are being made ana propsrty iap,ais
advancing shohio eonslosr ne lols
ample security ior slo'YVV VI slI'gVo.
suppose they "oula sen ga the
usual lllhe, one, tWo dna lhise !saiS,
WIN ~ per cent lneeiest PEI aAhuii'
on Whlcn propefty ~ soia mere LOT
NJ. pedafngton e 2 good CITIZEN and
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-11

1 as will be seen by reference to the 1 section already quoted. They have no | following the SuspenSion of nest, the property owned by 1t, reverts to the l The Home Nest is very soft and downy. It makes comfortable quarters for the Home Owls. Here is de- scription of it and some of its powers. | taken from the constitution. This organization shall be named the Order Of Owls. This society shall consist of an or ganizers' branch and subordinate branches. The organizers branch shall be known as the Home Nest. t"T1he Home Nest shall consist of the organizers thereof, or their SUCCESSORS No member of the Home Nest shall be all other members thereof.
 Amendments to the constitution can only be considered after having beens by a resolution of the subordinate nest, Said Home Nest may determine, by majority vote. whether it is advisable to present said amendment for action to the subordinate nests.
 eff. .two-thirds of the subordinate nests vote for such amendment. and then two-thirds of the Home Nest vote
 i'Bnt no matter who votes for it. if two-thirds of the Home Nest do not,
 Each nest shall pay to the Home Nest ten cents for each member in good standing, quarterly.
 
 vested in the Home Nest and in the supreme president when the Home Nest is not in session, including the right to grant dispensations of any and all kinds.
 s'Tfe ,oficers of the Home Nest shall be Supreme President. Supreme Vice President, Supreme Treasurer, Supreme Secretary, Supreme Invocator, Supreme Sentinel. Supreme Warden and Su-
 .fAl persons shan be trustees who are members of the Home Nest and not holding other official positions therein"
 And then this beautiful provision. ''The salaries of the officers Of the Home Nest shall be nothing. except Nest at its first or January meet
 The East Hartford Nest refused to pay dues to the Home Nest, alleging that it was a case of taxation without representation.
 The Hartford Nest Is suspended be- cause some of it's members are alleE- ed to be disturbers. It will be rein pelled.
 The South Manchester Nest was sus- pended for harboring members alleged to be disturbers.
 There is a Nest in New Haven and several Nests in Massachusetts.
 It is probable that all of these Nests will combine to form the New England Order of Owls under a constitution more democratic than the despotism Instituted by the Home Nest with the Supreme Owl in absolute control of the existence and property of all branches of the order.
 For some time an effort has been in to organize Nest in Bridge port
 It is said that more than 50 persons have consented to give up a fee of 35 to the organizer. This fee in former cases has been divided between the president for New England, who iS Frank Lombard of Hartford.
The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-04-11

The Owl is a wise old bird. But | there are a thousand members of the l Order of Owls in Connecticut who do l not regard themselves as wise at all. On the contrary they feel like a farmer | who has just submitted a. gold brick to the acid test.
 Just now a nest of the order is be- ing organized in this city. A com | nnittee from the Hartford nest came to town yesterday to consult with some of the intending victims. The Hartford committee was headed by c. E. Thorngran, president of the River Engineering Company, Hartford, who nest, which now has some 300 members and about $1,200 in the treasury. Four nests of the order perched in Connecticut during the past 14 months are in deep gloom. Their charters have been revoked. M
 It was the revocation of the charter of the South Manchester nest that caused inquiry to be made.
 This revocation was accomplished under section of the constitution of the parent body, known as the Home Nest, which reads as follows:
 The Supreme President may at
 any time revoke the charter of any
 time the existence of such nest,
 and in case of his doing so all the
 property and funds of the nest
 shall become the property of the
 
 Nor is this clause a dead letter. Just so soon as the Hartford Nest got "nosy''. and began a belated in qufry into it's actual relations to the supreme body, came g, telegram, de- claring the nest suspended. Then fol- lowed suit to get possession of the bank accounts of the officers were at tached, and legal demand for the cus- tody of the property made in due form.
 There are some fighters in the Hartford nest, however, and their re- ply was to send man to South Bend, Ind, to look over the Home Nest, and to take a good. long look at the su- pren1e president. John w. Talbot.
 The information the committee brought back is for the most part not fit to print.
 They found for sale in South Bend a pamphlet of some 50 pages, written Leona Mason, of South Bend. She had taken two shots at the Supreme Owl with a revolver, but had been acquitted by the South Bend circuit court.
 The committee even regretted that the cIergymep of South Bend preached sermons, in which they regretted. not that the jury failed to convict the woman, but that her aim was so poor.
 The booklet issued by Mrs. Mason is sL black record It circulates freely in South Bend. There is no apparent in upon the part of the Supreme Owl to bring an action for criminal libel because of it. according to the Hartford committee.
 A large portion of the charges made against the Supreme Owl are imprint able.~
 But the Connecticut nests are not so much concerned with the reputa- ton of the Supreme Owl as- they are with their relations to the Home Nest as explained in the constitution to which the nests have apparently as- sented.
 The local nests are absolutely with put representa- tior They have no tights to continued existence beyond Fhe mere will of the Supreme Owl