RUTH PAYNE GRANTED CIVILIAN AIR PILOT'S LICENSE
Miss Ruth Payne, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. A.
Payne, Oskaloosa, was a few days ago granted a civilian air pilot's license, after completing a 35 hour course
at the flying school in Lawrence and successfully passing the required examination. She thus became Oskaloosa's
first licensed girl flyer.
Miss Payne had several hours of flying beyond the
minimum requirement of her 35; her thirteen hours of solo flying included a trip over Oskaloosa; also flights to
Topeka and to Kansas city with a landing in each city. Her final examination included C A requirements, naviagation,
meterology, general service of aircraft. In each of these subjects she made good scores with an enviable average
of 92%.
Miss Payne is completing her sophomore year in
college of liberal arts at University of Kansas. She is a member of Delta Gamma. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Thursday,
June 1, 1945, transcribed by Jim Larid)
A DEMOCRAT 1OO YEARS
OLD
Still Well Preserved. Has Sister 102. Brothers
98 and 99
Dr. J. P. Wood of Coffeyville is 100 years old
and well preserved in physique and all the senses. His father lived to be 97 and his mother 100. One brother is
99, one 87 and one 94. Two sisters still living are aged 102 and 85 years. Major General Wood, of the Union army,
and Brigadier General Wood of the Confederate army were his brothers. He has been married three times. The first
time in 1824, the second in 1832 and the third in 1852. this last wife is still living. He is the father of eight
children, six of whom are living Dr. Wood has always affiliated with the Democrat party and daring the last presidential
campaign attended all the caucuses and rallies of his party. He cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson in 1824
and from that time to the present day has never missed an election, either state or national. He has seen all the
presidents except one from Jackson to Roosevelt He was never a member of any secret order and never belonged to
any church. He is a Universalist in belief, but often attends one of the city churches. (The Valley Falls, Jefferson
County, Friday, January 10, 1902, submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer)
SUIT FILED
AGAINST COWLEY COUNTY, KANSAS FOR WILTBERGER REWARD
ARKANSAS CITY—(Special) There is a good sized muddle
in Cowley county over the payment of the reward for the arrest and conviction of the murderer of C. L Wlltherger.
The county commissioners have paid the county's part, amounting to $200, over to Cal Ferguson. a citizen of Winfield.
Constable J. J. Breene, of Arkansas City, who made the arrest, claims one-half of the money. He actually arrested
both Clyde Moore, who was convicted, and Charlie Betts, who was acquitted. L. C. Brown Breene's attorney went before
the probate court and made application for a restraining order to prevent the commissioners from paying the money
over to Ferguson. The record of the county clerk was Introduced and it showed that when the reward was offered,
there was a peculiar clause in the proceedings, stating that the county commissioners should be the exclusive judges
of who Is to receive the reward. The probate judge after hearing this refused to interfere In the matter. Mr. Brown
immediately filed a suit in the district court against Cowley county for $100. which Breene claims is rightfully
his. There was altogether $900 offered for the arrest and conviction of the party or parties who killed Wiltberger.
It was divided as follows: Wiltberger heirs. $500; state of Knnsas. $200; county. $200. The Clyde Moore case will
be appealed to the supreme court and the state and heirs are not trying to pay the reward, but will wait until
the recults of the appeal Is known. (The Valley Falls, January 17, 1902, submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer)
ROBBERS
OF POOLROOM ARE STILL AT LARGE
THE EXACT LOSS IS NOT YET KNOWN
Detectives Have Made A Few Arrest, but Could Not
Find a Trace of the Guilty Men
Different Stories as to the Amount of Money
KANSAS CITY.—(Special.) The detective department
is at sea regarding the bold holdup of Harry Chick's pool room at 907 Baltimore avenue. Practically the entire
detective force are at work on the case, but members of the force say they have no clue whatever on which to work,
and that they are at a loss which way to turn. The robbers, after they entered the alley back of Dixon's saloon,
disappeared completely.
The detectives made some arrests. One member of
the department sent in a poor patent medicine vender who carried a valise big enough to hold the wealth of Monte
Carlo. This made him appear suspicious In the detective's eyes. Detectives O'Hare and Winstead arrested Ambrose
Baird, but he was released. Baird has been arrested charged with picking the pockets of street car conductors,
and, as be hangs about Chick's place and answers In a general way the description given of one of the robbers,
he was taken In. "Jimmie" Driscoll, who was one of the five men in the place at the time, and was slugged
by one of the rollers, went to the station to see Baird, but could not identify him. Among the local sporting fraternity,
the robbery is almost the sole topic of conversation. Gamblers as a class have more internecine troubles than a
woman's club, and the Kansas City members of the profession are no exception to the rule. There are two factions
among them, and the adherents of the faction friendly to Cal Morton were busy discussing the probability of the
robbery having been the work of the opposing faction. Cal Morton, although he is said to have, no actual interest
In Chick's pool room, or Baltimore Telegraph Company, as it is called, has lent Chick money and is a friend of
the latter.
Just how much the money the robbers succeeded In
getting the public will probably never know. Chick was such that he would he unable to tell exactly, but that he
knew it was somewhere between $1,500 and $2,500. Members of the detective department said, however, that they did
not believe Chick lost more than $600, but those who are acquainted with the business say it would he a risky thing
for a pool room to run with a margin of only $600. (The Valley Falls Jefferson County Kansas January 17, 1902 Page
2, submitted by Barbara Ziegenmeyer)
First Woman Mayor Dead
Burns Fatal to Mrs. Mary. D. Lowman of Oskaloosa, Kansas
As Executive of the Kansas Town with a Suffragist Council, She Attracted Wide Attention by Her Reforms for Social
Betterment
Oskaloosa, Kansas, June 4. - Mrs. Mary D. Lowman, who died her Sunday from burns which she sustained when her clothing
caught fire, while preparing a meal Saturday, was the first woman mayor of Kansas.
Mrs. Lowman was the first woman mayor to be elected in Kansas with a full woman council. Her ticket was elected
in 1888, and at the time of the close of the first term of her administration it was so satisfactory that the same
ticket was re-elected with only a few exceptions.
The administration of Mrs. Lowman attracted wide notice and for several months after taking office special correspondents
from all parts of the country came to Oskaloosa to write the story of the "woman mayor." The entry of
women into office marked the dividing line between the old and new Oskaloosa. Before Mrs. Lowman took office, pigs
were allowed to roam the streets, stray dogs ran loose and the sidewalks were in such bad condition that walking
over them was impossible. She passed a dog tax ordinance, prohibited the pigs from leaving their pens, and began
building walks.
Mrs. Lowman's maiden name was Mary D. McGauby. She was born in Crete, Pennsylvania, January 29, 1842, and was married
to George W. Lowman April 6, 1866.
They came to Oskaloosa soon afterwards. Mr. Lowman is a veteran of the Civil War. He was three times elected register
of deeds of Jefferson County. At present he is deputy register of deeds and city clerk.
Besides her husband, Mr. Lowman is survived b y her daughter, Mrs. Charles Decker, of Oskaloosa, and a son, Dr.
Richard Lowman of Kansas City.
Funeral services were held today. (Kansas City Star - June 4, 1912 Transcribed and contributed by: Frances Cooley)
HORRIBLE MASSACRE
On the 25th of last month, on the Big Horn river
in Montana, General Custer, with a few hundred troops, attacked an overwhelming force of Sioux Indians, under the
command of Sitting Bull. The result was the most fearful massacre of the present century. The Indians stood their
ground and being well armed, poured ina murderous fire upon the soldiers. Gen. Custer, his brother, his nephew,
and fifteen other commissioned officers, together, with about 300 privates were slaughtered, the whole force being
cut to pieces. Reno's command, which had attacked the village from the other side, came near sharing the same fate,
but were saved by the arrival of reinforcements, when the Indians retired. It's a dreadful affiar, and has startled
the nation. It is to be hoped that it will result in some good by calling attention to the fact that 20,000 brave,
well-equipped and armed indians are not to be trifled with when it their mountain fastnesses. (The Oskaloosa Independent,
Saturday, July 8, 1876, transcribed by Jim Laird)
FIRE!
A huge fire swept over the prairies east of town
last Thursday night and Friday and destroyed between one and two hundred tons of hay for different persons. Dr.
Hosford, six miles out of Leavenworth road, is the heaviest loser we learn, about three quaters of a mile of rail
fence and seventy-five tons of hay belonging to him being consumed. Two men were seen acting in a suspicious manner
just about the time and in the place that the first started, and is it supposed they set fire to the grass and
then rode off. If so, they ought to be in the penitentiary. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, March 4, 1876,
transcribed by Jim Laird)
CONSIDERABLE
SICKNESS IN TOWN AND THE COUNTRY ROUND
From the Valley Falls Reporter: December 23(25),
1875:
Considerable sickness in town and the country round.
Miss Mollie Gephart has returned to her father's
house for a merry vacation.
Mr. Carson, of Winchester, passed through here,
on his way to Tippinville, on Tuesday.
Mr. Jas Batchelor is spending a week with his friends.
The young ladies are particularily glad.
Wonder if the sickness round town is not largely
attributable to the stagnant waters. This place has the reputation away from home as being very sickly. The city
fathers ought to see to it that the marshes are drained and the health of the community preserved. (The Oskaloosa
Independent, Saturday, January 1, 1876, transcribed by Jim Laird)
From the
Valley Falls Reporter of October 28, 1875:
Mr. D.C. Beach, editor of the "State Sentinel," published at Lawrence, lectured Sabbath evening in our
city.
A son of John Coffey, of Rock Creek, graduated at Scranton, Pa., with the honors of priesthood, and he awaits the
command of the Bishop of Rome as to his field of labor.
It's an honor to womanhood that not a dollar has been missing from the department of the Comptroller of Currency
where women are exclusively employed as clerks. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, October 30, 1875, transcribed
by Jim Laird)
STABLE BURNED
Stable Burned.--The stable of James M. Bell was
burned last Friday evening, while Mr. B. was away from the home. The children, one of them a boy of about fifteen
years of age, were burning some loose hay near the stable to destroy grasshoppers, and the wind carried the fire
to the building, which was entirely consumed. Grimes, the mail carrier, was passing, and succeeded in saving the
wagon and mowing machine which were in the stable, although the wooden parts of the machine were burned. Mr. B.
has gone to work to rebuild the stable, which is quite a loss to him. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, May
15, 1875, transcribed by Jim Laird)
J. W. BRADSHAW BADLY
FROZEN
We learn from Eli Evans, Esq., that one J. W. Bradshaw,
living south of town, was badly frozen Tuesday before last while coming from Lawrence, where he had been with a
load of wood. His feet and legs, hands and faces were all severely frozen, his feet being raw. Some of the people
along the road took him in and cared for im. Added to this misfortune, his horses both died the next day, which
is rather mysterious as they were in good order. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, January 23, 1875, transcribed
by Jim Laird)
LITTLE GIRL SEES ALL
A little girl at the north end of attended church,
the other night, when the contribution boxes were passed, and "saw something she never saw before in her life!.
Why ma, two men took corn-poppers and passed 'em 'round to the men for 'em to put their chaws of tobacco in, so's
they wouldn't spit on the floor." Fact. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, December 19, 1874, transcribed
by Jim Laird)
NEWS AROUND TOWN -
DECEMBER 5, 1874
There's some stock wandering about town that should
be sent to the poor farm. If the owners cannot feet these animals let them be shot and not allowed to starve to
death.
Our old Dutch fathers used to say that the first three days of December govern the winter, as the weather is then
so will it be. All right!! we'll plant our garden seeds in February next year.
Pretty cool even for this time of year! One night this week some "cheeky" fellow visited J.C.W. Davis,
northwest of town, and helped himself to a wagon load of oats and apples, about 25 bushels of the former, John
thinks, and six bushels of the latter. The oats were taken from the bin and the apples from the cellar. John was
in town the next day buying locks. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, December 5, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
MAN SHOT! FIRST BLOOD
FOR EVANS!
On Monday night last, Mr. Lem Evans, four miles
south of town, discovered a man helping himself to some corn from his crib, and as he had had some stolen every
night for a week, thought he would put a stop to it. It was quail shot that struck the fellow, and Lem thinks it
was about two hundred yards as near as could guess, that the blood marked the path of his hasty retreat. (The Oskaloosa
Independent, Saturday, December 5, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
COLORED GENTLEMAN
WHO VISITED J. F. CONWELL'S FODDER
The colored gentleman who visited J. F. Conwell's
fodder on Thursday night is notified that if he comes again he will be welcomed by a volley of small messengers
which will be very friendly to their attachment to his person. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, November 28,
1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
FIRE AT MR. FINCH'S
James Coy, while driving from Perry, Monday evening,
discovered a fire in the roof of Wm. Finch's residence. He climbed to the roof and with water carried him by Mrs.
F. extinguished the flames just in time to save the building. The pipe from the stove ran up the roof but not beyond
it, and the sparks ignited the shingles. Mrs. As Mrs. F. was alone with the children, the probabilities are that
the house would have been burned down but for the opportuen arrival of Mr. Coy. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday,
November 28, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
JAMES M. BELL ALMOST
FROZEN TO DEATH
James M. Bell came near freezing to death last
Friday, while coming from Leavenworth. he fell once on the prairie, but managed to get old of the harness of one
of his mules that he was driving, and by clinging to that, get as far as Mr. Garrett's house, where he fell against
the door, and was taken in and cared for. His face, ears, and feet are badly frozen, we understand. (The Oskaloosa
Independent, Saturday, January 16, 1875, transcribed by Jim Laird)
NEWS - NOVEMBER
21, 1874
The young ladies of this town are warned against
a painter who is working here and passing himself off, we understand, as unmarried, when his wife is living in
Grasshopper.--Sickle.
City Marshal Morrow perambulates the streets with a good-natured grin continually on his face. 'Coz why, there's
a new baby at his house. Reason enough.
The first snow of the season fell here Wednesday and Thursday of this week to the depth of about four inches. Enough,
perhaps, to last until Thanksgiving.
Now is a first rate time for fires.--For the sake of your neighbors look well to your flues, and don't pile hot
ashes against the side of the house.
Eight mechanics have left this place for California and Nevada, withing the past few weeks, besides a number of
other citizens. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, November 21, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
NEWS - AUGUST
8, 1874
Prairie chickens are found to be very scarce, much
to the disgust of our sportsmen, who had anticipated a lively campaign. The ground, too, is so hot and dry that
the dogs cannot do much service in finding what birds there are.
The traveling army of voracious, eat-up-all-they-can-find grasshoppers is reported to be coming from the northwest.
It is said the advance guard is between Grasshopper and Holton. They can't get much to eat in this region.
That Tub.--Charlie Nickum would say to the person who took the tub of tallow from his market-room, the other night,
that if they will return the tub they can retain the tallow and nothing will be said about the matter.
We propose, as the only way to get even with the grasshoppers, to use them as an article of diet, a la, Indian.
The person who furnishes the best recipe for serving and preserving the "bugs" can lay claims to being
a public benefactor. Let's have it? (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, August 8, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
NEWS - JULY 11,
1874
Two belligerant individuals got into a row on the
Fourth and were arrested and fined. One of them, being unable to appease the justice with the cash, now spends
his time in our tasteful little calaboose. "The longer a man lives the more he finds out."
Some of the merchants here are selling cheese made near this place for 15 and 20cts per pound, and it is good cheese,
too. This is quite a reductions and we hope our market will soon be supplied with it.
A lady in the country, in this vicinity, came very near choking to death on a cherrystone one day last week, but
the doctor relieved her. Be careful of cherrystones and chicken bones.
Many of our farmers are busy slaughtering chinch-bugs and some of them say they have saved fields of corn by scalding
and otherwide killing off the swarming multitudes.
We learn that a cow, some miles below town, on Mud creek, we believe, went mad the other day and kille her calf,
when she was shot and killed herself.
When parties go in for cutting throats on bids for printing they will have to use a long knife if they cut deeper
than the Independent blade. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, July 11, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
TROTTING AND
RUNNING RACES
Trotting and Running Races at the Oskaloosa Fair
Grounds on Saturday, June 6, 1874, at 2 o'clock p.m., $50 premiums.
Trotting Race:--Purse $35 to first, $10 to second
and $5 to thrid horse.
Running Race: Private purse $15, $10 to first and
$5 to second horse.
Half-mile, two in three.Grand Exhibition, driving
the trotting stallions Perry Dexter and Frank Hill to the pole.
Entrance fee ten per cent. of purse, and must accompnay
nomination.
Admission 25 cents.
Gardiner & Bloomer
(The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, May 23, 1874,
transcribed by Jim Laird)
THE MORTALITY AMONG
THE DOGS
The mortality among the dogs in this city has been
fearful of late. Dogs have died this Spring that never died before. There is a Lucretia Borgia in our midst--perhaps
two or three Lucretias! Dogs are poisoned without regard to age, color or previous condition. They die and make
no sign. Everybody thinks it is a good thing--if his dog isn't poisoned. But there's no partiality shown--it's
a tidal wave. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, May 15, 1875, transcribed by Jim Laird)
DEATHS DURING 1874
We are indebted to George Davis, Esq., for the
following statement of the number of deaths that occurred in this vicinity last year, the disease that caused such
deaths, &c. The region embraced is the report is all of this and portion of adjoining townships and is a remarkably
showing, indicating the healthfullness of this region of country:
Total numbe for 1874, 33; the oldest being 71 years
of age; number over 21, 10 and over 10, 5; under 10 and over 1, 7; 1 year and under, 11; number of females, 19;
males, 14. Died of consumption, 1; pneumonia, 3; typhoid fever, 2; diptheria, 2; spotted fever, 2; lung fever,
2; old age, 1; asthma, 1; erysipelas,1; apoplexy, 1; disease of the brain, 2; whooping cough, 3. Th erest were
caused by diseased incident to childhood. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, January 16, 1875, transcribed by
Jim Laird)
COURT ITEMS MAY 16,
1874
Court Items.--The Riddle case has been put off
until next Tuesday.--Ben Johns, Baldwin and Wicks were brought down from Topeka, Monday, by deputy sheriff Wiley.--Lawrence,
Topeka, and Leavenworth have a full force of legal representatives here.--The case of Mitchell vs Saunders, jury
trial, is occupying attention today(Wednesday). The trial of Wicks and Baldwin, for stealing hides, ropes, &c,
and of Ben Johns, for running off a stolen horse, comes off this Friday; we believe, however, that the last named
culprit has plead guily.--We hear that Wicks, the half-breed Indian now under arrest, has a well-worn scrap in
his pocket, clipped from the Independence, which he frequently reads, and then indulges in "cuss words"
at our expense, because we said the Baldwin-Wicks outfit was a bad lot,&c. As besides the three in limbo here,
two Baldwin brothers are under arrest at Topeka for stealing mules, we guess we were about right. (The Oskaloosa
Independent, Saturday, May 16, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
CHEESE COMPANY FORMED
Messrs. Patterson, Snyder, Corn and others have
formed a company for the manufacture of cheese and will begin operations about the 20th inst., on the farm of the
last named gentleman, we believe. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, May 16, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
FARM TEAM DROWNS
John A. Ham, of Fairview township lost his team
by drowning in big Slough creek last Tuesday at Gaskell's Ford. He ws going to mill to Osawkee, the creek was high
and he missed his way with the above sad result. We are indebted to J. A. Sayler for this item. (The Oskaloosa
Independent, Saturday, January 31, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
NEWS - OCTOBER
11, 1873
There was a notable abscence of disorderly drunkeness
and lawlessness at the Fair. We heard of no arrests.
Grady's balloon man accomplished his feat successfully the other night, landing about three-quarters of a mile
north of town, near the timber.
The gross receipts at the Fair were $766.73, which will pay all expenses except those occured by repairing the
groudns, which will be met by the stockholders. The result is satisfactory, and encourages hope that the Jefferson
county Fairs will soon become what they should be.
Like the 'Grasshopper', we would rather candidates would not say, "We will make it all right!", when
handing in their announcements. The cash would be more acceptable. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, October
11, 1874, transcribed by Jim Laird)
NEWS - NOVEMBER
8, 1873
District Court will begin next Tuesday morning.
There are eight criminal and one hundred and thirty-five civil cases on the docket. A pretty heavy list.
No fights on election day. There was enough whiskey
drank to have caused a dozen rows, but the police didn't a man a show, hence no exciting items.
Some rash grangers remarked yesterday that the
farmers had the finances of the county all in their own hands now, and if there was any fraud or defalcation at
the end of the term, they would hang the officers! O, pshaw! (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, November 8,
1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
HORSES SHOT
Mr. Dodd informs us that several horses have been
shot in his neighborhood lately. He found half a dozen on the prairie one morning this week, badly wounded with
fine shot. It is not known positively who done it, but suspicion rests upon one of the farmers in that neighborhood,
whose crops have been damaged by the horses. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, April 16, 1873, transcribed
by Jim Laird)
JOHN IRWIN SWALLOWS
SUBLIMATE
A boy came in after a doctor this morning for Mr.
John Irwin, living near Fairfield, who swallowed a spoonful of corrosive sublimate, mistaking it for some medicine
that had been prepared for him. Blood was running from his mouth when the boy left, and he will probably die before
a physician reaches him. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, April 16, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
GRASSHOPPER FALLS
TOWN POPULATION
In the Assessor's report of the population of G.
Falls township, published last week, the population of the town-758 was omitted. The mistake occurred at the clerk's
office, the Assessor having placed part of his report in one place and part in another. The population of the township
is, then, 2026. (the Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, April 16, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
ACCIDENTS
Accidents.--Mr. John Metzgar, of Osawkee township,
had the lower part of one of his legs, from the knee down crushed in a threshing machine, the first part of the
week.
A.B. Bowers, living on the Smith farm, near Springdale, in attempting to remove the grass which had choked his
mowing machine, had one of his heels cut off and the other badly mangled. It will seriously cripple him for life.
We hear that a mower cut a colt's leg off, the other day, just south of town but have learned no particulars.
Gross carelessness is frequently practiced in the use of these machines which seems strange with so many accidents
to serve as warnings. They cannot be handled too carefully. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, August 9, 1873,
transcribed by Jim Laird)
MUSIC AND DRAWING
Mr., Mrs. and Miss Stout desire to state that they
intend to locate in Oskaloosa in August, after which they will be prepared to give lessons in music, singing and
drawing. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, July 26, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
ROBBERY OF JOHN DORSEY
$150 Dollars Stolen.
Last Sunday evening some party or parties entered
the house of John Dorsey, an old colored man who lives in the west part of town, and took there from one hundred
and fifty dollars which the old man had earned in small amounts by hard labor, and laid by "for a rainy day."
The family was at church, and the money was left locked up in an old-fashioned chest which fastened with a clamp
and padlock, and to which the thieves gained entrance by drawing a staple. Zeke Kennedy was arrested on suspicion
but discharged, there being no evidence against him, and today there is no clew to the rascals who stole an old
man's hardearned money. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, July 26, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
POPULATION OF TOWNSHIPS
Population of Townships.
We are indebted to W.F. Gilluly, County Clerk, for the following table of figures, giving the population in the
several townships of the county as returned by the assessors:
Oskaloosa, 1,613.
Union, 574.
Jefferson, 1,334.
G. Falls, 1,268.
Kentucky, 1,494.
Osawkee, 889.
Fairview, 600.
Kaw, 675.
Rural, 1,092.
Sarcoxie, 816.
This gives a total population for the county of only 10, 900, or about 2,500 less than in 1870. Of course there
is a large mistake somewhere. There are at least 4,000 more population than these figures indicate in the county;
say about 15,000. Oskaloosa township leads all, and is 345 ahead of G. Falls, which is fourth in the list, whereas,
being a very large township in territory, that doubtless has the largest population of any. In other respects the
proportion is probably correct. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, August 3, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
NEWS - July 12,
1873
We are told that a band of wolves is committing
deprediations near the Poor Farm--killing sheep, pigs, &c.
The County Commissioners have been is session during the week and will probably adjourn this Thursday evening.
This region is a distressingly healthy one. George Davis is grumbling because he has had but one coffin to make
in six months.
We learn that a young gil about 12 or 14 years of age, named Elliott was burned to death near Springdale, the other
day, in attempting to kindle a fire with coal oil. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, July 12, 1873, transcribed
by Jim Laird)
CHARLIE NICKUM'S
LITTLE GIRL ALMOST DROWN
Charlie Nickum's little girl came near being drowned
on Tuesday by falling into a tub of water which stood near the pump. She was almost strangled when discovered and
taken out by her father. Don't let tubs of water and little children associate. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday,
July 7, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
HORSE STEALING,
FISHING AND MUSIC
There has lately been some horse stealing going
on in this county. Several horses were stolen about Perry last week and Esquire WILHELM's pony, saddle and bridle
were taken from his stable at Winchester last Saturday night, but subsequently found near Leavenworth, having been
abandoned by the thief.
A party of our boys went to the Grasshopper this week with a seine, and caught 200 pounds of dressed fish. We don't
mean that the fish were dressed when caught, but that they weighed that much after being dressed.
This, we think, is the most 'musical' town in the State. There is a brass and a string band, all the churches have
organs, and, to hear the 'music in the air' on pleasant evenings, one would think every other house had a piano
or organ. (The Oskaloosa Independent, Saturday, June 21, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
THOMAS MEYER ATTEMPTED
SUICIDE
A man named Thomas Meyer, a widower with a half-a-dozen
children, attempted suicide at Grasshopper yesterday, because a young woman there wouldn't consent to mary him.
He swallowed some strychine and went to die at the feet of his lady-love. When physicians arrived he refused to
be doctored at first, but finally, for the sake of his children, consented, and was saved. (The Oskaloosa Independent,
Saturday, June 21, 1873, transcribed by Jim Laird)
A KANSAN KILLS HIMSELF IN
IOWA
Creston, Ia., May 24---George Chain, of Nortonville,
Kas., committed suicide at Highland Inn, in this city this morning, shooting himself in the head. He came to the
hotel yesterday from Atchison. He left a short note giving the address of his father, N. F. Chain, Marlboro, O.
His father has been notified.
(Kansas City Star ~ May 24, 1897)
