davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16
Wood Personalities.

Owing to a falling off since August
] of nearly 80 per cent in shipments
of creosote from England and Ger.
many whence comes all but small
part of the imported oil used by wood
preserving plants in this country,
American manufacturers have taken
steps which, says a report complied by
the forest Service. II is estimated will
increase production of the domestic
article by about 25 per cent. The i'm
ported oil ordinarily forms about 65
per cent of the total used in United
States, where creosote is the most
important wood preservative.
The statistics gathered show that
wood preserving is one of the most
rapidly advancing industries in the
country In 1895 there we're fifteen
plants in the United States; in 1914
thera were 1872 plants of all kinds. 100
being of the pressure cylinder type.
Ninety-four of these plants last year
used more than 70 million gallons of
creosote oil, more than q million
pounds Of drv zinc Chloride, and near
ly '2R million gallons of Other pre-
servatives, such as coal tar and crude
oil. treating a total of nearly 100 mil
lion cubic feet of timber an increase
Of about 7 million cubic feet over 1913
and Of 80 million cubic feet over 1912
With the randi advance Of this in
dustry as a WHOLE" saws the reDOrt
the choice of conservatives has been
fairly well established, but the kinds
and classes of materials to be treat
ed neel development along certain
lines. In Germany and other European
countries practically all crOss.tie8 laid
by the railroads are treated with chem
icals or preserving oils. In this country
but 30 per cent of the ties purchased
by the railroads are subjected to
such treatment
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16
find A dE::::1:FE'0fl6F::::VEIN
Richards and Scott Find a Splendid
Field of Coal.

Messrs. John Richardson AMI Hugh
Scott who have been prospecting for
coal on Mrs. Anna Anderson's firm
apott Two and one hair miles south cf
Town, on the old Muchakinock road,
nave struck six foot vein of coal II
IS OF the finest quality. They Will now
drive several entries and turn rooms
from these as soon as possible, and
everything In FIST elias
order handling the trasle OF the cor,
Ing season The Triple and screens
are ALREADY Uppe end ready for nsc. 4.
Ihey VIM hoist the coal by. he
ateafIl 'ensiite : witch they pufchaseo
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The st. Louis Globe Democrat
the next democratic convention
should adopt a resolution thanking the
republicans for having saved the coun-
try from William Jennings Bryan
three times,44.t-p .,qE
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

4 20
ways glad to have these gentlemen
come to towp8for two reasons. One
was to see the circus and The other
was because we would get vacation
from driving cows to pasture and
then home again. But 1t has often
been a debatabie question in our mind
which was the harder job, driving old
bossy, or carrying water for the eie,
plant. Ts.el az, .-
. a@q e..as -i--:-.-:-
Then came the Rock Island railway
and the row of new houses built by
the late William Burnside and we had
to go away out behind Pixies" to
get enough room to play ball. Mr..
Pike lived over on Sixth avenue and
there was fine place south Of his
home. There's where we first re
member seeing Charley Pike,--or &
&C.. like, the family druggist,-and we
have never been sorry that we formed
his acquaintance. lack of the ball
grounds was a cemetery and when the
bali went that far we never could g"j
any of the 'colored BOYS to go and
help hunt 1t. Tradition had it that
there were ghosts there, and that the
spirits OF the departed came back and
held consultations under the old wild
crabapple trees. We never saw any
of the apparitions but we remember
getting an awful shaking up for gOins
over there and filing our pockets with
the measly fruit, after Mr.. Seerley
had forbidden us. And that is not
the only thing we got either, for the
fruit was green; and oh, what an in
ternal disturbance!
Industry and enterprise followed
the railway, and Wiley Wray, the
father of Charley and VIM. Wray es
tablished a feeding station for hogs
along the tracks on South b street
l. Two. big posts were set up to carry
the great gate, and we can recall
mounting the pillars and basking In
the sunshine while watching Mr.
Wray feed his hogs. One day after
a heavy rain the hogs stampeded and
upset Mr.! Wray, one of them stepping
in his mouth. He actually rightet
things and spat, the. mud out without
swearing a single swear.
- - -
The Rock Island also established {
round house and turn table in Oska
loosa, but later on removed them tC
Evans. We presume the move was
made to save the income tax as NJ
uLner plausible excuse was ever offer
ed. But anyway while the turn table
was still here there was a big circus
in town. one day, and for some reason
nearly all the. circus cars had to bt
turned about to. get them out of town
Boylike, the late Frank Hoffman was
helping, and was locking the table
at the proper time so the cars could
be run off on the main line. Sudden
ly he got his finger in the way, and
the lock pinched it off. Grasping the
wound In the other hand he started
up to DR.. Hoffman's office, followed BY
about fifty or sixty boys. When we
were all lined up in front of the of
flee to. see what, might happen next
along came Charley Palmer breath
less and excited When he finally
came to enough to speak, he ejaculat
ed, Here is Franks finger" He
had picked up the amputated meWbe'
and hurried along with it, thinking il
might be grown on again, but his eff
forts were in vain.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The Fairfield Ledger thinks it is
fortunate for George lesson that the
contest for the Republican nOmina-
tion for governor is not beauty con.
test. for II it was, he might as well
unit ...-. $751;.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The Burlington Gazette notes
that II. c. Evans, a member of the
Ford Peace Party. has been refused a
passport into the belligerant areas by
the state department at Washington,
and suggests: "If Mr.. Evans has any
business to attend to he had better
return to Des Moines and resume
work"
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16
Chap. IX.-BaSe Ball.

Have you noticed those dolls, dress
ed like clowns, that have been on dis,
play in the shop windows from time
to time? Well, if you have not, it is
conclusive evidence that there are no
children in the family. Otherwise
you would have had them pointed out
to you, and long since you would have
separated yourself from $500 for one
of them,-or at least $3.50 after they
mad been marked down to cost plus
fifty per cent.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The man on the corner says that
Just about the time a fellow gets so
he can remember the date OF his wife's
birthday, she begins trying to make
him forget it.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

Can you grasp this? The war debt
OF Germany Is 100000 0O,O 900, and a
half billion is added every month. And
only 1907 .212.000 minutes have elaps-
ed since the death of Christ.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16
ed by him in his conversions to explain
the church's doctrine of the Trinity.
THE RousTAeovT's
History Of Eiahuska County.
Chap. vII.-Good Roads


History records that Paul Revere
made quite a drive one time, throug gu
the Middlesex country. back of bos-
tCn, and routed lot Of patriots out
of their beds to help give the British
soldiers the marble heart. Phil Sher'
idan also drove his black charger to
good effect during the civil war. And,
according to the newspaper dispatches
from the front during the present I'M
pleasantness in Europe, both the Ger,
mans and the Allies have made nu-
merOus drives. But OF all the drives
that were ever made, including san
cho PanZa's plunge into the wind
mill, none stand out in the minds or
our people like the drive that Don
Mcclure made on the 2Sth day OF
december, Ammo Domo IXMXll, or
words to that effect. The agree
ment with p. c. Peterson was that
the race would be pulled off during
the week between Christmas and New
Years and between sun up and sun
down. Think of driving from Dav'
export to Council Bluffs-across Iowa
in the deau of winter. But Don did
It. And beat Peterson to a stand
still. Although it is copyrighted
and registered, we shall always think
that the color of the Great White
Way should be changed in honor OF
the Green Dragon that carried Don
to Fame and several times almost to
eternity
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The roads never get so bad the
crop cannot be taken to market if the
crop has been fed into herd of cattle
says the Brighton Enterprise.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

Salt Lake City's telephone COM
pany picked up a bunch of prosperity
last year. The company cleaned up
S2316 600
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The Ottumwa Review insists that
the man to guard your public rights
1hould be one whom you would trust
with your private affairs.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The average length of haul on rail
roads of the United States was PIP
miles for livestock and 1856. miles for
dressed meats in the fiscal year 1913
IA
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The What Cheer Patriot thinks if
Iowa would get President we would
all hold big Offices. Glory Be!
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

1t takes about 10000 pounds of
sugar beet seed each year to supply
the United States.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16
Chap. X.-Ranks.

given credit with being the first
| bankers in Mahaska county, with
John White a close second in the
business. But this was in 1853 ;....-
while there may have been no bank
prior to that time, money was Dor
rowed and loaned and interest paid
and collected, away back yonder
when the Indian got his with the
! sCalping knife, and the gold standard
| prevailed without any sixteen to one
business and without the aid or con.
sent OF any other nation on earth.
/ Money was not hard to carry in those
days as there was not much to carry.
| But those who had a surplus and did
not care for the earnings, carried
| their, money in specially constructed
! belts. These belts were made of
chamois skin and were worn next to
the skin. In addition to serving as
a safety deposit box, they were also
said to be good for certain ailments
and. even, .obviated the necessity of q
bath on the, part of the owner a.
bath tubs then were scarce and It
was not safe to lay the belt down on
the bank while the owner went in
swimming.
->,.H1 81 , ill., ,f!.....
The forerunner OF the tin can and
tNeT frnit jar or the more modern
sitting room stove, as a banking
house, was the haystack At least
that seems to be true of Mahaska
county. . Manoah Hedge relates in
his. interesting, history that Wesley
Mettler was one of the Industrious
citizens of Oskaloosa in the earlier
years. He was somewhat eccentric
but not wanting in persistent econo-
my. At one time when his frugality
had rewarded him with several hun
dred dollars in silver coin, he depos.
tied it for safe keeping in an old
iron teakettle, Gin the back shed
kitchen. One morning he was cha.
grinned to find. that some thief with a
vein of generosity in his nature had
lieVed him of Just one.half his treas.
ure. Some years afterward he found
himself custodian of more than two
thousand dollars iii gold coin. HI
owned good-siZed farm at that time,
just northwest OF where the First
ward school buflding1is now located
With his usual caution he sought a
secure hiding place for his hard
earnings. This time he secreted the
yellow metal under a nearby hay.
stack where he was sure no one but
himself would think of looking for
money. Occasionally he slipped
cautiously over the place to ex-
nerience the peculiar satisfaction
there is in handling a much priced
treasure All unconscious to him.
self, his movements had attracted at.
tention and one night his money was
stolen. This seemed more than he
could bear, and hea mentioned his
loss to few OF ,his friends, among
them ex.Sheriff Dan Swearingen. To
him he gave every clue OF which he
had any knowledge. and offered him
one-haH, rof the beaItifuL gold pieces
u he would by any meaps SECURE the
money; lie did, not care for the I
thief Mr.. SWeaTipgen Vas not,
'oifg snnfayefing the Fl ystefy ana The !
money! axAs 1'tst6ted sffaiM an III
vas to part with the coin, the divis
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

History also records that in the ear
ly days means of locomotion, other
than "Shank's Ponies" were limited
in Mahaska county VIM. Edmund
son. one of the commissioners who
la.G out the county and served as
first sheriff. owned the only horse
and buggy that could be found in the
community for many years. Later,
as related by Mauoah Hedge, Major
Medley started the first livery stable
Uskaloosa In 1S4S Henry Stafford
purchased It's belongings, and one day
when party passed through town.
or where the town was to be,--with
rwo large elk,-the John the Baptists
Of B. p. o. E. No. 340,--Mr. Stafford
conceived the idea of having a team
If reindeer and traded for the stays
He tried every way to break them,
but as Hardy Miller was not as YET
In the land of the living, the job had
to be abandoned. Horses then hello
their own until Frank Novels import
ed a team of oxen for HoOver's Dis
tillery. and Little McNeill' brought
the first buzz wagon to Oskaloosa, on
high wheels and low speed.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

And speaking about handsome turn
outs and good roads, recalls that the
first appropriation for a public high
way in Mahaska county was made
about 1854 when Judge J. A. L. Crook
ham ordered an expenditure, of $500
to stretch a rope across Des Moines
river at Bellefodn,aine for the use OF
the ferry boat J \ he request was
made by a delegation of farmers l.,
the presence OF John White, and when
Judge Crookham hesitated, Mr.. White
said: Go ahead. and | will stand by
you IL the appropriation is ever Qu2s
toned" Hence, to these two good
old pioneers belongs the credit Of be
ing the original good roads boosters
in the couAty, DIR. Roberts and Bill
Lacey to the contrary nOtwthstand
ing.
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16
Chap. vIFI.-IndustrIes.

"
Charley fialston told us not long
ago that ne had been behind the
counter 3S years. Charley has us
skinned about three years. We do
not mean that we have been behind
a counter that long, but 1t has been
80 years since we accepted regular
work at fixed wages Our first rec
objections of Charley,--or "Banty." as
we used to call him.-was working in
Johnson's Foundry, which was then
located in the building now occupied
by Clarence vermiilion and his dray
and storage business. Charley was
breaking up old scrap iron to fill the
cupola OF the foundry preparatory TO
casting. You will have to ina zine
what Charley said one day when a
piece OF iron few mp and hit him on
he breed basket Charley has ar
l9utspnken war on eypressing himself
you know but Ghafiey's business
record. trimming from ioundry hoy te
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

BUILD RoAps WITH BONDS,
Governor ciarke's conimission met
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16


But that is not what we started out
to say. Somehow every time we see
one Of those clowns we think oil
"Eoiler" Wray as he first came into
our recOllections. Boiler" is none
other than Charley Wray, the jovial
janitOr of the Jefferson school, But
as we first knew him, he wore a suit
OF ticking and played second base in
the Second ward school nine. Sec.
ond ward also included the High
school, and in those days it was a
real high school, being located on the
fourth floor of the old building that
was recently wrecked to make room
for the present structure.
- - - 80. .... &c.
There have been other ball players
on the local horizon, including Pipes
and Hutchinson, and Tally and Pat
tersOn, and Scott,-not forgetting
Coats and Bill Tiley--but none o.
them ever played better game or
made more fun for the bleachers than
did Charley Wray in his ticking suit
And speaking about Boiler" makes
us think of one time when he and Joe
Stumps and Charley Hadley and Tim
Parnes and lot of others OF the "old
er crowd were playing whip-cracker
and induced us TO be the cracker,
when the line got under full way, we
could not touch bottom and finally
landed in Lundy's cinder pile. We
also recall that we were pretty badly
'cratched and bruised. but in looking
back row we are glad that cinder pile
was there. Otherwise we might be
going yet.
- - -
Along about this same time we also
remember there was nothing south OF
Fifth avenue except the. school and
corn fields, The common was used
or COW pasture except when Yankee
Robinson or p II. Rarnum drove
cross from re9con and pitched their
ircpg tgzta there, Then the cow
nd 70 staTat lone We were al
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

The history of local avenues Of
traffic and means of lOcCmOtiOn would
ut be complete without word about
"Metz's PATH as related at one time
BY Charles Glover. Metz was q ma
chinist and worked in the old foun-
dry that stood for years, south OF
town." but now the corner Of First
street ard Fifth avenue. He lived
away over in the other part of the
original quarter. section, near where
the old brewery used to stand. We
are not charging that his place OF
residence had anything to do with the
matter, but Metz used to be of bib
ulous temperament. He was not
hampered >by narrow streets, and
WEIGHING sidewalks. as there were
none. Well anyhow, it showed aw
fully hard one night,-not like 1t does
in this day and age, but as it used
to do, when the rail fences were bur
led and tunnel had to be dug from
the kitchen door to the family pump.
On this particular morning everybody
else stayed in bed, hoping that some
one else might come along and break
path. Well, Metz was the goat.
He started out away early, as he hau
a long way 10 go and a pretty heavy
load to carry. He zig-zagged and
counter. marched, and went about
three times the necessary distance to
get to his work. He made 1t all
right and blew the whistle at the
proper time. Those who came after
followed the Vaccinations of the
early machinist, and the crooked
path became beaten thoroughfare.
The snow stayed on the ground for
months, as used to be its habit, and
the highway" which was established
without tripod or level,--or this as
sistance oil the state highway Com
Remained an Institution o.
Oskaloosa for long time.-its fame
after its footprints had all
been obliterated, For years it was
a byword in town, that anything that
was out of plumb, was as crooked as
Nets path /"
The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-16

ion was made. A thousand dollars
was dear lesson, but Mr.. Mettler
was exceedingly pleased to have re-
co, cred so generous portion OF ms
earnings with which to begin his Old
business again.
Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1916-06-30
CHAPTER ".

The hand-clapplng ceased as the
dancer reappeared, smiling and bow
ing.
Il will dance again If you wish"
she announced, In perfect English, I'm
PRODUCING my new partner, Mr." she
glanced into the wings inqEilingly-
"Senor Roberto. 1t is his first public
appearance in this country, and we
will endeavor to execute a variation
of the Argentine tango"
Mr.. Wharton was still talking.
That's my way Of raising a son. l
taught Bob to drink when | drank, to
smoke when smoked, and all that.
My father raised me that way"
The opening strain Of Spanish
dnnce ioated out from the hidden mu-
slcians, Mile. Demorest whirled into
view in the arms Of young man In eve
ming dress She was still laughing, but
her partner wore grave face, and his
eyes were lowered; he followed the In
tricate movements of the dance with
some difficulty To Lorelei he appeared
dsappointingly amateurish. Then a
ripple of merrlment growing into a
guffaw, advised her that something out
Of the ordinary was occurring
"The-scoundrelr' Hannibal Whar-
ton cried.
Merkle observed dryly: Hes won
your thousand. withdraw what |
said about him; 1t requires gigantic
intelligence to outwlt you" To Lorelei
he added: This will be considered
great joke on Broadway"
THAT Is Mr.. Wharton's son 2"
at Island the most dIssipated lump
of arrogance in New York.
Bob" the father shouted, "quit that
foolishness and come down here" But
the junior Wharton, his eyes fixed
upon the stage, merely danced the
harder. A few moments later he sank
into a chair near his father, saying:
well, dad, what d'you think Of my
educated legs? learned that at night
school,"
Wharton grumbled unintelligibly,
but It was plain that he was not en-
tirely dlspleased at his sons prank.
"You were superb" said Merkle
warmly. ITS the best thing | ever
saw you do, Bob. You could almost
make a living for yourself at it,
The young man gdnned, SHOWING