Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-09-23

JACOB MI. FUNK, hendallF 4OunS, y.
D. Hunter, l.. L. Estes, S. B. Rosen-
krans, w. j. Covil, David Eyer, R.
E. Fairchild. The original stock
holders were Jacob M. Funk, w. G.
Wilson, K Young, S. Wilson, L. L.
Estes, S. B. Rosenkrans, B. F. Miller,
w. J. Covil, D. Eyer, J. D. Hunter,
w. S. Worthington, R. E. Fairchild,
A. A. Wells, representing cup town"
"down town" and the pivotal corner.
Some of the original stockholders
have sold out and new men have be-
come members of the association
representing the Identical interests
of the originators of the enterprise,
and almost doubling the original
amount of the stock subscribed. The
articles of Incorporation declare that
"for the purpose of organizing a
company under the general incorpor-
alton laws of Iowa, for the purpose
of building a brick block on the
southwest corner of Seneca and Sec
ond streets, in Webster City, Iowa,
to be occupied as postoffce,
we, the undersigned subscribers
y do hereby adopt and certify
the following articles of incorpora-
tion,'' etc. The express object OF
building this block as set forth in
the articles of incorporation was,
that under the terms Of an agree !
ment entered into by the men repre-
scented in the association, it should
be used and occupied as postoffice.
Had not the compact entered into
for the location of both the court
house and postoffice been ratified at
the polls by the people of the coun-
ty, the courthouse (if built at alb |
would never have occupied its pres
emit location. And it is doubtful
whether the appropriation, would
have been carried, for without this
compromise the vote of Webster
City would have been divided, in
which case the courthouse appropri-
alton would have been defeated. Not
only this, but the men who had put
their money in the postofice block
under the mutual plan agreed upon
in good faith carried out their part
of the contract.
While protests from downtown
were being made with great vigor,
the uptown men were straining ev-
cry nerve to bring about the remov-
al and while the controversy was at
its height, Postmaster Edwards re-
ceived authority from Washington to
make the change. Then flood OF
telegrams to Washington resulted in
another order directing him not to
move. w. G. Wilson was accused
of being the instigator Of the at
tempt to have the postofice moved.
He stood well with the democratic
and had influential
friends to help him, and the down
town men were consequently very
bitter in their accusations of selfish
ness and bad faith on his part. Will
son was not a man to be intimldat-
ed by opposition. 1t only made him
work harder, and on March 1st, the
order came to move the Office, and
the location was accordingly chang
ed to the Clark building. The down
town people declared the move was
only temporary. They sent dele
CATION to Washington and secured
promises of an Investigation. After
the democratic administration step
ped out and the republicans We're
again in control CT the postoffice de-
partment, the order came to move
the Office back to the pivotal COR
ner." In conjunction with the at
tempt to move the postoffice was an
attempt to change the name of
Wilson avenue to Central av-
enue." The proposition was inspired
by over-zealous downtown partisans
to vent their spite on w. c. Wilson.
The wiser heads, however, did not
approve of the change and it was
not made.
THE MARKET SQUARE.
The attempt to move the postof-
flee convinced the downtown" peo-
pie that their only safety lay in ag-
gressive action. So in June the
courcil purchased a block of ground
just east of the pivotal corner" and
the Market square and
city scales. The up town men OPP
posed the movement most bitterly
and they were aided by B. f. Miller,
who owned fine residence property
just north of the square and was
very much opposed to having "hog
yard in front of his fine home. OPP
position had little effect, however,
Tor the program was carried out to
L ok,I ys.h 1.