SLACKS, JOHN R. PROF

The final causes which shape the fortunes of individual men and the destinies of states are often the same. They are usually remote and obscure; their influence wholly unexpected until declared by results. When they inspire men to the exercise of courage, self denial and industry, and call into-play the higher moral elements; lead men to risk all upon conviction, faith- such causes lead to the planting of great states, great people and great movements. That country is the greatest which produces the greatest and most. manly men, and the intrinsic safety depends not so much upon measures and methods as upon that true manhood from whose deep sources all that is. precious and permanent in life must at last proceed. Pursuing" each his personal s'ood bv exalted means, thev work this out as a logical result; thev have wrought on the lines of the greatest good.

The teaching profession is one which calls for a high order of intelligence. He whose duty it is to shape the minds and inclinations of the youth of the land has a solemn and self-sacrificing duty to perform. Those among this noble profession who are gifted with the ability to rise to an executive position and be held responsible for the success of the entire educational system of an important division of the commonwealth are doubly burdened with responsibility and are given greater opportunities for the accomplishment of much good and, mayhap, see the realization of their cherished ideals along educational lines. In this respect, the biographer is more than write of the accomplishments of John R. Slacks, county superintendent of schools, Sac county. Professor Slacks, by reason of his tireless ambition and conscientious and unremitting efforts to improve the schools of his county and to bring them foremost among the systems of the state, is attracting attention which is state wide in its scope. He takes rank among the greatest of the state's educators by reason of his remarkable success in accomplishing his purpose without friction or without undue agitation among the body politic. The schools of Sac county are gradually being placed upon a high plane of efficiency, through the quiet, diplomatic, forceful methods employed by this young educator in the exercise of his prerogatives.

John R. Slacks was born on a farm in Keokuk county, Iowa, January 10, 1873. His parents were John and Catharine (Ross) Slacks, natives of Scotland. Catharine Ross was the daughter of William and Margaret Ross. John Slacks (the father) emigrated from Scotland to America when a young man and first settled in the city of Pittsburgh. After a few years' residence there, he moved westward and settled on a farm in Keokuk county. Here he met and wedded Catharine Ross, whose parents emigrated from Scotland to Keokuk county in 1859. John lived and prospered on his fine farm in Keokuk county until his death in 1878, at the age of fifty-six years. His death left the widow to care for a family of five children, as follows: William, now of Kirksville, Missouri; Anna (Ahlstrom), of Meadowmont, Idaho; Addie (Allman), of Spokane, Washington; John R., and Alice (Abrams). residing on the old family homestead at Hedrick, Iowa. William was sixteen years old at the time of his father's death and on him, as the eldest, naturally devolved the burden of assisting the mother in rearing the family in comfort. The widow later was married to E. J. Jackson, who survives her. She died in 1901 in the old home at Hedrick.

John R. Slacks received his primary education in the rural schools and in a private normal school conducted at Hedrick. He began teaching when very young and continued to advance himself along the line of his chosen profession. While attending the State Teachers' College at Cedar Falls, he continued in his profession. He entered the Teachers' College in 1894, and completed his course in 1901, at which time there was conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Didactics. His teaching career began in 1893 in the rural schools, in which he taught for four years. He then had charge of a room in the Keswick, Iowa, schools from 1896 to 1899, and in the fall of 1901 again entered the State Teachers' College for the purpose of completing his course. After graduation, Mr. Slacks was placed in charge of the Lake View, Iowa, schools for a period of eight years. He was elected county superintendent of schools in November of 1908, and again elected in 1910 and 1912. Under his charge are a total of one hundred and twenty-five rural schools and nine graded schools. Like many successful men, Mr. Slacks entered upon the duties of his important position with well defined ideas of what was necessary to bring the schools of Sac county up to a high standard of efficiency. The esteem in which he is universally held throughout the county b)^ all classes is the best testimonial to his tactfulness and calm and dignified way of introducing innovations which have had a marked tendency to bring about a closer co-operation between the school and patrons, and to raise the Sac county schools upon a higher plane than was ever before known. He has introduced and has carried to a successful culmination the co-operative method of "The School and the Home," and established a system of credits which are given the child for faithful work performed in the home as well as in the school room. Professor Slacks has been the recipient of extended and favorable mention throughout and beyond the borders of the state as the originator and progenitor of this system of furthering the cause of education and usefulness of the pupils. He also established the "play festivals" which are held each season at the close of the school year and in which parents and pupils take an active part with pleasure and recreation accruing to both. Through a definite and well-defined plan he has caused the schools of the county to be grouped in four districts, with four townships in each district. The pupils and patrons of these districts are called together for an all-day play festival and picnic dinner on successive days. On festival days the graduates from the eighth grades are granted their diplomas. These festivals are naturally very popular with the people, and it is known that patrons to the number of six hundred have been gathered for the purpose of taking part in the- festivities. During Professor Slacks' incumbency of the superintendency many modern sanitan' heaters and ventilating systems have been established in the rural schools, an innovation which has eliminated headaches and much sickness and greatly improved the mental efficiency of the pupils. Earthen water jars, with individual drinking cups, are now the rule. In addition to accomplishing such wonderful results in making decided improvements in the school system of the county he has established a course of study which has been widely copied and became the author of "Outlines of Civil Government," which is used in the seventh and eighth grades. The historian of this work is greatly indebted to Mr. Slacks for the greater part of the chapter on education which bears his signature as author.

Politically, Professor Slacks is allied with the Republican party; his o religious affiliations are with the Baptist church, of which institution he holds the position of superintendent of the Sunday school. He was also the leader of the Boys' Band in Sac City, a talented musical organization formed during the summer of 1913.
Mr. Slacks was married in 1894 to Leona E. Ferry, of Sigourney, Iowa, the daughter of C. A. Ferry. Two children have blessed this union: John Wendell, aged seventeen years, and who graduated from the Sac City high school in 1913, and Melvin James Slacks, aged six years. (History of Sac County Iowa, by William H. Hart, 1914, Pages 378-381)

BACK Sac County, IA Genealogy Trails

SCHALLER, PHIL HON.

Human life is like the waves of the sea, which flash for a few brief moments in the sunlight, marvels of power and beauty, and then are dashed upon the remorseless shores of death and disappear forever. As the mighty deep has rolled for ages past and chanted its sublime requiem and will continue to roll during the coming ages until time shall be no more, so will the waves of human life follow each other in countless succession until they mingle at ]ast with eternity's boundless sea. The passing of any human life, however humble and unknown, is sure to give rise to a pang of anguish which will wring some heart, but when the fell destroyer knocks audibly at the door of the useful and great and removes from earthly scenes the man of honor and influence and the benefactor of his kind, it not only means bereavement to kindred and friends, but a public calamity as well. In the largest and best sense of the term, the late Phil Schaller, of Sac City, Sac county, was distinctly one of the notable men of his time and generation in the vicinity of which this history treats and as such is entitled to a conspicuous place in the annals of western Iowa, in fact, he was one of the great men of the state.

Hon. Phil Schaller rose from being a poor emigrant boy to become a man of substance and great influence and power in his adopted land where opportunities are everywhere awaiting the energetic and .deserving. He was born in Worth, Alsace, Germany, January 6, 1838, and there obtained his primary education in the common schools. At the age of sixteen years he came to America, tarrying for a short time in the Eastern states, but finally arrived in Iowa in 1854. He had little more than the clothing on his back when he arrived in America and did not locate in Iowa until sixteen years after his arrival. He established his first residence in Clayton county and enlisted in the Union army upon the outbreak of the Rebellion. On August 8, 1862, he enlisted in. Company E, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry Regiment, and participated in all the engagements of his regiment, including Steele's Arkansas expedition, the Meridian campaign, the Red River campaign (where he won distinction in the capture of Fort De Russy), Smith's expedition to Tupelo and Oxford, the pursuit of General Price through Arkansas and Missouri, the battle of Nashville and campaigns about Mobile and its defenses. He was mustered out with his regiment August 8, 1865, and at once returned to Clayton county, Iowa, where he engaged in the wagon-making trade, in which he was a successful operator for a number of years.

In the spring of 1872 Mr. Schaller had a vision of the broad and fertile prairies of western Iowa and of what the newer lands might have in store for him. He came to Sac county and located in Eden township on a beautiful quarter section of wild land and set about improving the same, intending to follow farming for a livelihood. But it was not long before he was entrusted with the agency of the Iowa Railroad Land Company, which corporation then owned large tracts of land in Sac and adjoining counties. In this position Mr. Schaller obtained a wide and favorable acquaintance among all the hardy pioneers of northwestern Iowa. The wise policy of the company and its big-hearted agent saved to many a settler, in the time of dfstress, the home he would have lost had those he had been dealing with been less kindly disposed. Recounting the days and experiences of that trying period,.many a pioneer shed tears and truly grieved when he heard that bluff, kind-hearted Phil Schaller was no more for this earth. His memory will long be revered and forever and ever in the history of Sac county and western Iowa Phil Schaller will be remembered as the "Friend of the Farmer."

It is not to be supposed that an individual possessing his native ability and rich experience in business and with his fellow men would long stay out of politics in a new and rapidly growing country, in which he settled not long after the close of the civil conflict. The events of that war, the strong administration developed by the party of Lincoln and the policies of the Republican party naturally found the deceased a stalwart supporter of the same, though he was independent enough in his action to scratch a ticket when names of candidates appeared there whom he believed not worthy the office they sought at the hands of the people. His first office was that of member of the board of county supervisors in Sac county, which position he held with great courage and credit to himself and the people whose'interests he had been entrusted with. He held this office until, in 1877, he was elected treasurer of Sac county, and it was at a time when county warrants were nowhere near par and he was elected upon his pledge that he would make all warrants good as gold, which promise he carried out to the letter. This necessitated his removal from his farm to Sac City, where he continued to reside for a third of a century and up to the time of his death. "In 1885 he was elected to a seat in the twenty-first General Assembly of Iowa, where he, by the force of his courage and ability, made Sac county known far and near. Among the measures he espoused was that of trying to secure the location of the Iowa State Soldiers' Home at Sac City, but it finally went to Marshall-town and became an institution in which he was greatly interested, and he was appointed as one of its inspectors for the state, doing good service, both for the commonwealth and for his old comrades-at-arms. He also aided, as a party measure, the introduction of the prohibitory liquor laws as well as other important state legislation. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at St. Louis, in 1896, which nominated President William McKinley the first time. He was twice elected mayor of Sac City and through his ability and fearlessness secured the enactment of wholesome ordinances and rules for the government of his home town. During his administration there were less arrests and better order prevailed than at any other time before that period. He was also state commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and held numerous positions in several banking concerns of Sac county, in which he was also a heavy stockholder. He was a liberal contributor in various public enterprises and for many years a trustee of the Buena Vista College, the Sac City Institute and the local Presbyterian church of Sac City, of which he was a member. He also held membership in the various branches of the Masonic order, all the way from the blue lodge up to the consistory. He was once grand treasurer for the grand lodge of Iowa, and belonged to numerous other fraternal societies at Sac City, but doubtless esteemed most of all his connection with Gen. W. T. Sherman Post No. 284, Grand Army of the Republic. The surviving members of this post will not soon forget comrade Schaller's loyalty and helpfulness in its maintenance and many a soldier has reason to remember with deepest gratitude some one or more acts of kindness coming from him in a time when it was most needed.
It was the late Hon. George D. Perkins, editor of the Sioux City Journal, who said upon hearing of the death of comrade Schaller: "Dear old Phil Schaller! Big-hearted man; courageous man-a type of man who leaves his impress and mark where the chance to live is given."
Another token of love and esteem came through a committee of three from the Soldiers' Home at Marshalltown, sent to Sac City on this special errand., to deliver the following set of resolutions, bespeaking of the sentiment held at Marshalltown among his old-time comrades: "Whereas, the sad and mournful funeral knell has betokened that another spirit has winged its flight to a new state of existence; an alarm has come to our outpost and the messenger is Death, and none will presume to say to the awful presence: 'Who comes there?' In the death of comrade, friend and associate Schaller we feel that we have met an irreparable loss, but our loss is far less than that sustained by those nearer and dearer to him. "Therefore, be it resolved: That in behalf of our post, we give this tribute symbol of our undying love for comrades of the. war and that we mourn for one who was in every way worthy of our respect and regards and, as members of the Iowa Soldiers' Home, we feel that he has always had our best interests at heart; that he has been an undefatigable worker in his endeavors to better the condition of this home, more so than any other person. "Resolved, That we sincerely condole with the family of the deceased on the dispensation which has pleased Divine Providence to afflict them and we commend for consolation to Him who orders all things well and whose chastisements are given with a merciful hand. "Resolved, that this heart-felt testimonial of our sorrow and sympathies be delivered to the family of our departed comrade and friend by the delegates from this post selected to attend his burial.

"J. J. BEEDY, "GEORGE W. WEBB, "W. A. HAMILTON."

For several years previous to his death Mr. Schaller was the senior member of the firm of Schaller & Hart, lands and loans, and composed of Mr. Schaller and William H. Hart, the editor of the historical section of this work. The thriving and beautiful town of Schaller was named in his honor by the land company. He was the first president of the Sac County Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company, which he assisted in organizing. Mr. Schaller became a director in the First National Bank of Sac City, and was originator and first president of the Lake View State Bank.

Mr. Schaller was first married in October of 1865 to Emiline L. Knight, of Clavton countv. Iowa, bv whom he had two daughters born, Louise, the wife of E. P. Hartman, of Lake View, and Eugenie, the wife of F. S. Needham, banker of Sac City. Mrs. Schaller passed from earth on February 13, 1899. In July of 1900, Mr. Schaller married Mrs. Catherine Fishman, who survives him and resides at Sac City.
 

Catharine Rosenhauer (Fishman) Schaller is a native of Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of John and Julia Rosenhauer, who emigrated to America in the year 1845. They first settled in Massachusetts, and in 1848 removed to the wilds of Wisconsin where they became pioneer settlers and where John Rosenhauer is still residing in the ripeness of a long and fruitful life: Catharine Rosenhauer was first married in Wisconsin to William Fishman in 1869. William Fishman was a native of Westphalia, Germany, and came to America when a youth. He learned the trade of blacksmith and followed it as a means of gaining a livelihood throughout his entire life. Not many years after this marriage they settled in Sac City where Mr. Fishman conducted a blacksmith shop and prospered. He died in 1884, leaving a son, George, now deceased. A niece, Agnes Rosenhauer, is residing with Mrs. Schaller. Mrs. Schaller is a member of the Presbyterian church and the Eastern Star chapter.
Phil Schaller was one of the first members of Occidental Lodge No. 178, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, a member of Darius Chapter No. 58, Royal Arch Masons, Rose Croix Commandery No. 38. Knights Templar, and the Eastern Star Chapter No. 18, of Sac City. He was affiliated with the De Molay Consistory No. 1 of Lyons, Iowa, and was a member of the Des Moines Consistory of Scottish Rite Masonry. He held the office of grand treasurer of the grand lodge of Iowa Masons. He valued most highly his comradeship in the Grand Army of the Republic, Gen. W. T. Sherman Post, at Sac City. For a period of three years Comrade Schaller was commander of the Northwestern Iowa Veterans' Association with the title of colonel commanding.

Mr. Schaller's death occurred at Earlville, Iowa, July 21, 1911, and was occasioned by apoplexy. He and his wife had been in attendance at the funeral of his sister in Dubuque and stopped off at Earlville to visit relatives. Without warning, this gallant soldier, pioneer and statesman was gathered to his fathers. His funeral was held from the Presbyterian church in Sac City and was conducted by Rev. R. L. Brackman, pastor. His remains were interred in Oakland cemetery, with a large company of ex-soldiers and hundreds of friends from distant places furnishing the funeral procession. The deceased had surviving him, his wife, two daughters, six brothers and ten grandchildren.

Phil Schaller departed this earthly life at the ripe age of seventy-two years. His life and accomplishments are so closely interwoven with the history and development of Sac county that it is necessary elsewhere in this volume to record data more closely than is herein presented by the biographer. We cannot do justice to his character or fittingly portray the usefulness of a truly great and wonderfully endowed citizen such as he. Phil Schaller will live long in the memory of the people of Sac county. His life story will prove to be an inspiration to every poor boy who looks forward to the time when he, too, may become a leader of his fellow men and win wealth and greatness such as comes to but few men in a community. To have known Phil Schaller was to have esteemed him highly. Peace be to his ashes. (History of Sac County Iowa, by William H. Hart, 1914, Pages 345 - 350)

BACK- Sac County, IA Genealogy Trails