Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-29

plant and after rounding out South OF
tumwa pretty thoroughly. they came
back to the north side over the Vine
street bridge and went up to Second
street, and thence on by the Adams
school grounds, known in the old days
as college square," where an inspea-
ton was made Of the site. Coming
over Fourth to jefferson street, the
party then wound around to Fifth
street and west to Wapello.
Afternoon Trip.
About p. m. Mr.. Caldwell was tn .
guest OF w. R Daum, president Of the
Old Settlers association, and as Mr..
Daum termed it. 4 kid when Billy Cald-
well was one of the Ottumwa boys. Az
ter visit In the office Of Mr.. Dau n,
the pair with B. J. Boulton. began again
the rounds Of Ottumwa, the city, to
show what changes had taken place IN
Ottumwa, the village. which had not
been seen during the morning trip. The
party visited old friends along the
street until the carriage was ready,
when the start was made going up
Washington street past the Mccoy and
Washburn properties. perhaps not rec
ognized by those titles today except by
a few, and thence along Fourth to the
former nome of Mr.. Caldwell. On the
starting a few reminiscent remarks
simply had to break from the former
Ottumwan and the party was immed-
lately carried back to period Of thir-
ty-five to fifty years.
Recalls Old Places.
AS he cat In front Of Daggett's livery
in conversation with his boyhooi
friend. Ed Daggett, the mind Of the
pioneer returned to the days when old
Hank Nunamaker lived in the prop
erty that adjoins the Reeves garage
across the street. Previous to Nuna-
makers residence this was the home
Of John Browne, superintendent of the
'Des Moines River Improvement Co.,
well known in the times half century
ago as an engineer who hoped to do
great things with the Des Moines riv-
er. The talk was general among the
pioneers and the social affairs of the
old days were gone into with a smile
and tear intermingled as the stories
wove into chronicles Of events that be-
longed to the long ago.
New Legal Tender.
CHANGING over at the Y. M. c A.
building, the guest recalled that ia
nous character in the olden days, old
Tom Coffin. had once resided on that
site. He recalled that in the old days
Tom Coffin was the author Of system
of flat boating that meant much In the
commerce carried on along the Des
Moines. He told Of the days of his con-
was a common occurrence to have the
subscriptions paid In Seneca Snake
Weed. This, said ne, was bundled IN
large consignments and given over to
the care of old Tom Coffin to ship back
east to Ayers, who makes the sarsapar-
lila, etc. and went by Coffin's flat
boats down the Des Moines to the Mis-
sssissippi and thence east.
The Old Jail.
Following the same direction with his
sharp eye, the alert Mr.. Caldwell re-
called the old log jail that stood for
years where later the Baptist church
stood and what Is now occupied by the
Y. w. C. A. "Why I have often carried
grub to the prisoners when my father
was in charge Of the JAIL" said he, "The
court house was at the end Of the street
two blocks off, (Edgerly drug house
now on the site). That is why Third
street is only two block long,"
Pomeroy Home.
The old Jacob Millisack homestead
now used by George Pierce as shoe
few feet from the street, alongside the
Ottumwa Telephone building. was
pointed. out as land mark Of the vii
lage days. This place was erected BIZ
John Pomeroy, long deceased, and al
though changed considerable. yet re-
mains to great extent what 1t was IN
former years. 1t was easily picked out
by the visiting pioneer.
Pioneers Work.
A stop for short time was made
when the old Caldwell home on the
corner Of Fourth and Marion streets
was being passed by the party AMI
again the village days Of Ottumwa
were revived by the men. Mr.. Cald-
we'll stated that with his brother, Bob,
he cut every stick of wood that went
into the old home, with cross cut saw,
and he rived the shingles.
p interrupted Serenads.
Going west on Fourth street slowly.
the various homes of old timers were
pointed out and the changes made in
the years were noted When Mclean
street was reached it was then recalled
that the party was skirting the eastern
edge Of what was known In the OH
days as Joppa. Numerous familiar
places were called to mind and fam
lilies long since forgotten about here
were recalled. as were divers incidents
humorous and, othrwise in which the
places and people were connected.
Out over the hills as the party drove.
toned and called forth story Of a
prank remembered ny Mr.. Caldwell
when Mart Gephart with bunch of the
boys conspired against local violin
list who for time was visiting in the
village. There was a slight ri1alry be-
tween Mart Gephart and the fiddler
for the hand of a fair lady and the per-
former on the Stradivarius was urged
to call and serenade before the lady's
house one evening. Mart Gephart was
said by Mr. Caldwell to be the head ct
the conspiracy and dressed in female
attire, greeted the violinist on the
porch. But about that time, the bal
ance Of the gang turned on the mu
stefan and the serenade finished in Il
grand wind-up.
Familiar Places.
The drive continued over West Wood
land avenue to Court street and out
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