Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-03-25

before the Indians had moved out, tina
took the prize here in Topeka man.
moons ago. Andy's wife is daughte
of Mr.. Wiley, who lived on a fine farm
in the vicinity of Eddyville. Say, tina
circus was Jo.. 1t travelled overland
was one-ring affair that delighted tn
aboriginees Chat was all Of us) in OF
tumwa. recall that squad Of III
boys always Cy Armstrong, Rasl
Gates 90, myself) Dallas Barlow.
brother Of Mrs. Heath, who served al
devil" in the Courier, and others no
now remembered, got up-no, we die
not 20 to bed-but about 3 o'clock il
the morning of the momentous day
! we started and tramped to Agency
! City, before meeting the grand aggre
CATION; tramping back, occasionally
/ helping with rails to pry some one Of
the even dozen wagons out of chuck
hole. That was the first circus I ever
saw. 1t showed on the vacant lots next
east of the one on which Masonic hall
and Main. Nearly opposite was the res
idence of Dick Warden, with whose
family was boarding. Dicks wife was
Miss Jennie Adams. She must have
been not more than Is years Of age
when they we're married. She, like your
"reminiscences, had an abundance OF
red hair; she was O jolly, fine woman
"A kind-hearted lady. I am glad to
learn from her son George that she is
still living. would like to ask her II
she remembers Yes Swope who was a
jour on the Courier and boarded with
them-how Yes would eat but one
thing at time. Don't believe 1t? Ask
Mrs. Warden. Buckwheat cakes were
eaten separately, maple sugar, ditto;
and everything that he ate was actual.
ly segregated. Talking about eating
calls to mind the pork packing opera
lions of Mr.. Hawley Gather Of Jim
and Fred and Mrs. Carter.) Right on
the bank of the river, close to the spot
where Neville built, at the foot of
Court. he had built range of board
shanties in which was conducted the
packing of pork and lard rendering:
Many, many days we boys never left
off skating on the river to 60 home for
dinner, but would go into the shanty
and eat the good lean racklings" left
after the lard had been squeezed out.
This was free Underworld have to
pay nowadays about IS cents a pound
for the same sort of meat knocked.
Liver, then. was used only for fish bait
eaten; costing nothing.
Down here just day or two ago my
wife paid Is cents a pouid for liver!
When speak Of "the foot Of Court
street." let your reader look at the plat
of your. city. They will find that the
south line of Main streetAwas then
really the south boundary Of Ottumwa.
All that part that appears to be taken
up with railroad tracks. between the
wagon bridge on Market street and
Daggett & Harper's addition. was 4
low, swampy tract-a line Of cotton
woods marking the bank. Out about
the south wall Of the old wharf the B.
6 M. railroad had driven piles upon
which its track was laid. Guess I'd get
lost now in looking for the giant cot
ton-wocd tree about In front Of Law
rence's store. to which we moored and
locked our canoe. near the crater of
the old lime kiln. suspect, too. that
both the Harrow branch and the Blake
branch, as the gulches west and east
of town were known, are now about
obliterated. can give no clear idea If
why the first mentioned was thus
named. My recollection Of it. however.
Is very clear, for two reasons-one Is
when the river and that branch were
on the rampage for several days, my
family living on the triangular piece Of
ground which Is marked o. c. Graves
on the plat. and having business in
town, would "coon 1t" over the trestle-
work of the then unfinished railroad.
and that just of to the right. in board
shanty, lived "big foot" Arlington. Oh,
I've explored that gulch many times
from its mouth at the river to it's head
out near the Carter farm, hunting and
trapping. The Blake branch was so
Blake estate to which Charlie Blake
succeeded. We boys frequently went
wading up and down that creek. filing
our pockets with fools gold" (py-
rites OF iron) and playing we were
Counts Of Monte Christie, every day
overlooking the valuable groupings out
Of coal. am not sure who it was that
opened the first coal mine in Wapello
county; but I am sure that of all that
vast wealth the boys and men of our
day entirely overlooked. the strangers
have gathered rich harvest. I think Mr..
Phillips. who lived west of town.. near
~ opposite A. L. Graves country home. ;
was among the first to profit by the
coal find A. L. Graves had a daughter,
Miss Julia. who married a Mr.. Rob
erts, the first real gardener and nur-
,eryman Of that. country And while
IN roaming about in that region the
7uCate family comes into view. The
ather ands bows engaged in the dairy
business, on the old Stout farm. Joe
Tueate. one Of the boys. married Sadie
7edinbaugh, whose father was a
painter. Joe moved to Kansas and for
several years conducted a democratic
PAPER at Newton. He is quite famous
IS a politician in this state. but, like
Ill bourbons. he is too stubborn The
lnows better) to change his politics. .
His first wife died. He remarked and ,
s now living in Lawrence. engaged II
he real estate business. He was in my
,fflce one day last week and gobbled
lp two copies Of the Courier contain.
ne these "reminiscences. :
Just at this writing (noon. January
1917 the cannon is booming in can