[Since the 1881 portion of this newspaper has not been microfilmed, Bonnie Ekse has made it her mission to
transcribe important items about the people and happenings of 1881 in Odebolt. ]

ODEBOLT OBSERVER 
VOL. 2. NO. 9. AUGUST 31, 1881.

Democratic Meeting.

A meeting of the Democracy of the 34th senatorial district, and the 71st representative district, will be held in the court house in Denison, Iowa, Friday, September 9th 1881, for the purpose of effecting a thorough organization, and if practicable, to put in nomination a candidate for senator and a candidate for representative. The basis of representation will be the same as that adopted by the state committee. The senatorial meeting will be held at one o'clock P. M., and the representative immediately thereafter. - MANY DEMOCRATS.

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--The county supervisors meet this week.
--Frank Corey left Monday to buy goods.
--Mr. H. C. Wheeler went to Sac City yesterday.
--City council meeting to-morrow evening, Sept. 1st.
--Ed. Colvin is building a good house in Wheeler addition.
--F. L. Dennis is eating hash at the Asborn house in Des Moines.
--The Northwestern Iowa M. E. Conference meets the 29th of September.
--"The Personal Coming of Christ" will be the subject [of] Rev. Fysh's sermon next Sabbath morning.
--M. B. Lynch, of the Red Front store, returned from his trip to Davenport yesterday morning.
--Mr. Dubbs last week traded his residence on Main street to Mr. Flanders for a quarter section of land.
--The many friends of Rev. R. S. Fysh are in hope of his return to this field for the next Conference year.
--Mr. Dingman has nearly finished shelving the Zane store room in preparation for the new stock of H. B. Preston.
--The district schools opened last Monday morning, with the old teachers in place and a good attendance of scholars.
--Jacob Keck and wife started to Pennsylvania yesterday in answer to a telegram announcing the illness of Mrs. K's mother.
--There seems to be considerable sickness at present in town and country and Drs. Hull and Groman are both kept quite busy.
--There are two new bulletin boards over at Boardman's news depot. They will be handy to announce Democratic majorities upon this fall. Eh?
--John Heuston returned Saturday from his Canadian visit, with health fully restored. It is a mistake about his wanting to rent a dwelling house.
--Hon. L. G. Kinne and Hon. J. M. Walker, Democratic candidates for Governor and Lieut. Governor, speak at Carroll at 2 P. M. to-day. Several went down from this place to hear them.
--The many friends of Mr. Dell Coy will regret to learn of his serious illness from an attack of typhoid fever. Dr. Hull, who attends, him, reports him somewhat better to-day.

--There will be an all-day meeting at the Fox school house in D. M. Fox's [M. D. Fox's] grove on Sunday, Sept. 11th. A number of speakers will be present. There will be a basket dinner in the grove.
R. S. FYSH,
Pastor.

--The condition of Mr. Brown, the jeweler, is improving. He suffers little pain but his limbs are too stiff from rheumatic pains to permit his getting out yet. Hope to see him about again soon.
--Brick-laying has commenced on the Wright block on Second street, and Mr. Schmitz's building on Main street, and the work is now going bravely forward. With good weather, the brick work on the latter will be completed by September 20th.
--Read Winchell & Webster's new ad. over carefully. They talk of matters that should rivet the attention of all goods buyers in Odebolt and vicinity. Next week they promise to tell you more in their columns. Read every word they say and then go and see if they do not perform all they promise.
--The name of the young man is known that was lost while going to Cook Center to attend a pleasure party one night last week. Just what he was doing fooling around Early and bumping up against Mt. Hope will probably never be known. We predict however that if WILL gets as far out of his way while traveling toward Jordan he will land in the hot place that isn't mentioned in the new version. But it won't matter so much for the rest of the company wont [won't] be with him.

The President Recovering

The whole country is rejoiced at the tenor of the dispatches received for several days past from Washington, giving the cheering intelligence that the President is recovering. Unless some new complication arises, his physicians predict his recovery. A universal cheer of thankfulness will greet the intelligence that he is out of danger.
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--We hear a rumor on the street that Messrs. Voight & Fairbanks have in consideration an offer from other parties to buy their implement and machinery business.
--A bright little daughter, of standard weight arrived to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Miller. The young lady is just in time to compete in the baby show at the county fair.
--Mr. Lucius Bennett, of Clinton county, is here on a visit to his brother Melvin, and is so pleased with this country that he will probably become one of the happy and prosperous community of Sac county farmers.
--J. H. Hoebing, of Viola township, authorizes the announcement of himself as a Democratic candidate for the office of county surveyor. Mr. H. is well qualified for the duties of the office, and we would like to see him elected.
--Messrs. Hanson & Mattes start east to-day to purchase new goods. They are a whole team and their dander is up. When they get back look out for piles of goods and rare bargains. But they will tell you all about it in the OBSERVER when they return.
--The new 50 barrel cistern of Burleigh & Summerwill, under their side walk, is completed, is full, and is a capital thing for convenience and protection in case of fire. We commend an examination of it by others and hope they will be and do likewise.
--The "beautiful rain" commenced falling Tuesday evening and continued through the night and at intervals yesterday. It was a good, old-fashioned down pour, unaccompanied by elemental bombardment or any such nonsense, and will do a power of good.
--Mr. Thomas Thompson is now the grain buyer of Messrs. Winchell & Webster, and brings to the discharge of his duties in that position the same energy and adaptability that characterize him in whatever he undertakes. He will be a popular and successful grain buyer if he follows that vocation.
--Services at the Presbyterian church last Sabbath evening were brought to a premature close by the sudden indisposition of the pastor, Rev. Vail. We learn that his illness was but temporary and he is now quite well again. He had just come in from his appointment in the country and was exhausted.
--The ceremony of laying the corner stone of the Wright block took place this A. M. and was very impressive. John dropped a C greenback into the cavity, George a law book and we contributed a copy of the OBSERVER, and various other contributions were made that will astonish and delight the future antiquary.
--Will Mattes returned from his rather protracted visit to Clinton county last week, bringing with him Master Geo. Ketterer, son of J. H. Ketterer, Esq. And now all the marriageable young ladies and interesting widows are wondering how it is possible so youthful a looking man as J. H. can be the father of so big a boy as Georgie. We can assure the aforesaid ladies that it is all right. J. H. wears his years good naturedly, and the boy is a little bit "large for his age."
--Last Saturday was quite a sporting day in Ida Grove. The Cook Center base ball club scored a victory over the Ida Grove club of 18 to 8. The game was called to a close at the end of the seventh inning......
--Ike Daffer beat the Ida man jumping, but Ida's champion wrestler, Benedict, threw Daffer three out of five times.
--A prominent citizen met us on the street Tuesday, and told us he had been "praying for rain," and said he, "I want you to help me." We assented, of course, and asked him when we should begin. "I will tell you," said he "we will set right in now and we will meet Saturday night next and compare notes and note results." Well, before nine o'clock that evening the prayed for rain began to fall and continued all night. We note this as an evidence of the efficacy of prayer, or it not, a remarkable coincidence.

Mr. Wheeler and the Senatorship.

As near as we can find out, the Senatorial Convention, which met at Denison last Saturday, treated Mr. Wheeler of this county very shabbily. The delegations from Harrison and Monona counties were instructed for him, which, with the solid delegation from this county and part of that of Ida, Mr. Wheeler should have had 27 votes, which would have elected him by a handsome majority. But instead of observing their instructions and pledges the delegates form Harrison and Monona sold him out and the result was the nomination of Logan, of Harrison county, by one majority. As a case of barefaced and unprincipled betrayal, the conduct of the Harrison and Monona delegates is almost without a parallel in political annals, and discount the perfidy of Republican legislatures and convention. It may be realized that Mr. Wheeler and his friends in this county have no very kind regards for the perpetrators and abettors of this shameful transaction.

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--We are in receipt of a ticket to the tenth annual exibition [sic] of the Woodbury county Agricultural Society, to be held at Sioux City on the 13th-15th of September. Its premium list is liberal and open to free competition and the readers of the OBSERVER are invited to participate. Any information desired will be freely furnished by application to John Cleland, secretary of the society.
--DIED--On the 26th of August at 6:35 P. M., Elizabeth A. Mill, wife of William E. Mill, of Odebolt, aged 39 years, 6 months and 28 days, typho malarial fever being the cause of death. The services were held in the Presbyterian church conducted by Rev. R. S. Fysh assisted by Rev. S. N. Vail. The interment took place at the cemetery. Mrs. M. was a devoted Christian woman and a member of the M. E. church. She left a family of three children to mourn her loss, yet they mourn not without hope.
--Mr. P. L. Davenport, of Clinton county, gave us a pleasant call Saturday. He came out to this locality some six years ago--before the railroad was built or Odebolt was thought of--and bought a section of land within a few miles of this place, on which his son-in-law, Mr. David Correll, another Clinton county man, has opened a farm. Mr. Davenport says the development of the country since he first visited it is most marvelous, and so well pleased is he with it that he will make other investments here before he returns east. Mr. Correll's crops this season, especially those of corn and flax are excellent, and he as well as Mr. D. are well satisfied with Sac county.
--Mr. T. J. Marks, secretary of the Sac county fair, informs us that the proprietors of the Iowa Homestead offer that paper one year for the best two pounds of butter, and the same premium for the heaviest 6 ears of corn. The premium for the best looking baby, will be a copy of the Farm, Garden and Household, the baby to be judged on the last day of the fair at Sac City. Here is a splendid chance for a good premium on dairy and family products for which we hope farmers and others in all part of the county will compete. We don't know about the butter and are not certain about the corn, but we are quite sure Odebolt or vicinity will show the best baby.

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That Harvest Home Picnic.

We last week published what purported to be the proceedings of a meeting of the "directors of the Sac County Farmers' Home" and a call for a Harvest Home Picnic at some point away up in some of the northern townships. We did not notice much about the matter at the time, but there are several things about it that look a little queer upon a closer inspection. It strikes us there is a mistake in the name, for there seems to be more candidates than farmers prominent in it. "Candidates picnic" would have been better. And then the title "Harvest Home" don't seem to hit exactly, for as far as we can see, there isn't a man on any of the Committees that ever harvested anything more than his salary in his life. There's Lane, Peck, Darling, Miller, Schaller and others--all capital good fellows--but bless us they are not "harvesters," and we doubt if they know a harvester from a hen coop. And there seems to be something wrong about the "call." Farmers--that is, real farmers--are generally liberal, whole-souled fellows and invite the whole county to pic nic [sic] with them, while this institution seems to be a close communion affair. It is called the "County Farmer's Home," and yet only half the townships in the county are represented in its board of directors, and nobody outside of those townships are invited to participate. If Miller had not retired from the editorial chair of the Sun we would ask him to explain these apparent errors in nomenclature, and even now if he can find time between meals to explain the objects and aims of the society, we would take it as a favor. It may be all right and we hope it is, but it is too near an election and candidates are getting so confounded plenty, that these "farmers picnics" and "Harvest Homes" with never a farmer or harvester in sight, are getting too thin.

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HORSE NOTES.--One would not think it, perhaps, but Odebolt possesses a number of stylish horses that can make time, and not a few that have pedigrees. It is quite interesting to see the turnouts go by of pleasant evenings: There is Ben. F. P. [Ben F. Parker?], who has a favorite span of sorrels at Tincher's which he brings out every evening and banters the crows. Ben is a bluffer, it is said but he generally has it his own way, for nobody knows just how fast the ponies can go, and it costs money to find out.

Sutton has a new horse which is a fine goer, and Tom McKeever has just bought one that is a fine setter; and both are valuable additions to the Odebolt stud.

Van D. [Van Deusen?] has put his white horse in training since he recovered him, and he promises a rapid development of speed. Van is looking up a pedigree for him. It is said the horse drives much steadier now that he has lost one eye. Before he had the good luck to meet with that misfortune he would shie on both sides of the road. He now shies on but one. The Deputy--who is considerable of a horse man, also, thinks if by some chance the other eye should wink out, old Whitey could be depended on for a square, straight-ahead goer.

Deacon F. sports a mettlesome span of bays, of whole speed and pedigree he probably is alike uninformed. If they ever catch the Deacon napping they will give him a specimen of their speed, and he will be lucky if he lives to write their pedigree. It is a melancholy apprehension that we shall be called upon soon to write the Deacon's obituary unless he exchanges the bays for a more trusty team.

Z. W. S. [Z.W. Sparks?] has a fine span of good steppers. They have the spirit of eagles, and seem to distain [sic] the earth which nature compels them to tread. They appear docile enough when under control, but if they ever get the advantage, there will be a carriage to repair and perhaps more serious disaster.

Mr. Bowman holds the ribbons over a very superior horse, endowed with sense in his head as well as style and speed of limbs. He is pronounced by judged to be hard to beat in this section.

Dr. H. [Hull] also generally has one or more "goers" on hand, but his propensity for horse-trading spoils his reputation as a trainer. It is impossible for us to tell at any given time whether the specialties of the horse he owns lie in speed or spavin, breed or beauty. They must be all "goers" for they go into other hands before the horse-public has an opportunity to recognize in them half the good qualities so apparent to the Doctor. We have for some time hoped Doc would retain one of those horses of extraordinary excellence, to be used exclusively for editorial excursions to rural picnics, but his propensity for trading horses leaves us little to expect in that direction.

Many others keep good turnouts, and still more keep rigs more for service than for show, and it is with these latter, generally, that the editor prefers to ride on those rare occasions when he does not take his airing on foot. But it is a pleasant sign any evening to witness on our streets the equipages of the pleasure-seekers. It is plain enough to see that the riders, stimulated as their imaginations are by the "poetry of motion," easily conceive that their horses are "doing it" within a very inconsiderable fraction of the time of Maud S. And who would detract from their pleasure, and perhaps risk being run over by undertaking to convince them of their mistake?

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MUSIC.

Miss Annie Beekman, a music teacher of extended experience will be in Odebolt about the middle of October for the purpose of organizing classes for instruction in both vocal and instrumental music. Miss B. will make vocal training a specialty and will give both private lessons and class drills. Those desiring information should inquire of Mrs. J. M. Zane.

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Onions are worth $1.15 to $1.29 in the Davenport market.

The Pioneer Press says that Mr. Alex. Peddie, the agent of the Scottish American Colonization company, was in Milwaukee Wednesday making the final payment and issuing the deeds for the 20,000 acres of land recently purchased by him from the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company. The land, as stated before, is located in northwestern Iowa. In an interview with Mr. Peddie, the gentleman stated that 400 Scotch families had already settled in these new lands, and immigration from Scotland to this point next year will be enormous.--Algona Republican.

[Copied from the original volume by B. Ekse.]

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