ounces, he charged the man one dollar and a half for the pound of soda which cost five cents. A marriage had been celebrated in March prior, but the license was obtained from another county, so that it was not strictly and wholly a Des Moines marriage. The first pair of shoes made in Des Moines was constructed by Isaac Cooper. Though not a disciple of St. Crispin, he ventured the task. Winter was coming on, his children's feet were bare, shoemakers and leather were scarce. From the discarded saddles of the garrison officers he got the leather from which he made the shoes, and he has often declared to the writer hereof that he has not since purchased a more durable pair of shoes than those. The first barber started the tonsorial art March 15, 1850. His name was John Chalmers, a Scotchman, and an intelligent and very popular man. He was attempting to fill his lamps one evening with camphene, when it exploded, burning him horribly. He was carried into the house of John Hays, who lived where Reed's leather store is, on Walnut, where he died. The pioneer settlers were much annoyed by wolves. The dense hazel brush furnished them a good cover to approach the settlement. To rid themselves of the pests a hunt was organized, at which there was a big turn-. out with every sort and kind of weapon. A large circle was formed, which gradually became smaller as they advanced. When they arrived at the designated central point where the wolves were to be slaughtered, the circle was conspicuous for its crookedness and numerous gaps. In the excitement of the chase several hunters had got "shot in the neck" and took a rest under some convenient tree. The terrified wolves all escaped through the gaps. Farmers frequently pursued them on horseback and killed them with clubs. John Hays says he killed two one Christmas day, when he was going to Saylorville on horseback. He had no gun or club. He loosed one stirrup from the saddle and with it killed the wolves as he went. The first shoemaker was Nat. Campbell, brother of Dr. James Campbell. His shop was made of logs and stood where Chandler & Ewing's lumber yard now is. He opened his shop in 1845 and the old settlers say he was a good cobbler. The early settlers were frequently troubled to get flour and meal. They were obliged to go to Fairfield, and Mahaska county to mill, a trip which often required weeks, owing to the condition of the road and to high water. Mr. Cooper says he once went to Oskaloosa to get corn, took it to Parmelee's mill, on Middle river. The river was high, there were no bridges, and he floated his corn across the river on logs, and waited over night, sleeping in his wagon, for his corn to be ground. Arriving at Des Moines, he sold his corn-meal at two dollars a bushel. It was not an uncommon occurrence to be obliged to wait several weeks at the mills for grain to be ground. The settlers would get out of flour and meal at home, and were obliged to pound corn into meal in a log hollowed out for that purpose. "Uncle" David Norris says he, in the fall of 1848, went to Bonaparte, in Van Buren county, with a yoke of oxen for a load of flour. He returned with a full load. Everybody was out of flour and had no money. He loaned the whole, the Hoxie House, which stood where Harbach's furniture store is, taking a good supply, and most of the entire load has never been repaid. That winter was the "big snow," which was succeeded in the spring by a big freshet. Des Moines was nearly all under water. That spring a man came to Des Moines from Iowa City and set up a butcher shop on the West Side. Mr. Holcomb was the owner of a dozen sheep which ran at large on the commons. One morning they were missing, and could not be found. The next day Mr. Holcomb went to the new butcher shop to get meat, and, seeing a good supply of mutton, was pleased and invested liberally. While waiting to be served he discovered his sheep bell hanging in the shop, which solved the problem of his missing sheep; but the bell was all he could swear to, and that was all he saved from his twelve sheep. At a large picnic, held in 1849, there was but one loaf of wheat bread, all other bread being made from corn. It is generally admitted among the early settlers that the first persons who came to Des Moines were William Lamb and Benjamin Bryant. They came in advance to make preparation for the removal of the Indians from Wapello Agency to the agency here. Bryant subsequently became a trader, and, having extensive acquaintance with the Indians, did an extensive trade with them. He was accustomed to give them credit and take their notes, which were written in a book and made payable in skins after a certain number of moons. They would make their mark for a signature, and Ben. frequently said they never failed to pay when the moons were up. He never lost a dollar on their notes. The old book in which is recorded the names of all the Indians who lived about here is still in existence. Mr. Bryant died December 28, 1866. As to the first settlers, William Cooper says: "About the tenth or twentieth of May, 1843, the two Scotts (J. B. and A. J.), the Lamb boys, Alex. Turner and family crossed. Camp Creek about four miles above Tom. Mitchell's old place, then crossed Four Mile Creek between Cooper's Grove (now so called) and Thornton's and struck what is known as Agency Prairie, high up. Turner's family was the first family to come into the county. John Scott and Turner left their wagons at Camp Creek to find Raccoon Forks and then came to the wagons on Agency Prairie and piloted them in to the Forks. Phelps had an Indian guide. He stopped at Camp Creek, below the other crowd, and got to the Forks the next night. The other crowd got in the next morning. There were then six soldiers at the garrison, with tents and provisions brought up by a steamboat. All pitched in putting up cabins, and it is hard to tell who got their cabins up first. It was either Scott or Lamb who broke the first furrow. The corn was planted as they plowed. Lamb sowed the first wheat and oats and the crop was good. Outside of the attaches of the garrison, Peter Newcomer built the first cabin, in 1844." Mr. Newcomer in putting up his cabin, for lack of a stove-pipe, constructed one of bark, which took fire one day and came very near causing the destruction of his home. The first post-office at Des Moines was designated by the department at Washington as "Raccoon River." Prior to that letters were sent from Keokuk and the river towns by persons who happened to be coming to the "Forks." The post-office was established in April, 1846, and Josiah Smart was appointed postmaster. He declined, and Dr. T. K. Brooks was appointed. A. D. Jones writes to the Old Settlers' Association: "Having acted formerly in the capacity of postmaster, I was solicited to assist in opening the first regular mail, April 1, 1846. Dr. Brooks took the key and opened October 1st to December 31st, 1850. "January 1st to March 31st, 1851. the mail to obtain his bond and commission. Jeremiah Church and Peter Newcomer signed his bond and I swore him into office. The mail was wet. I wrote the first two letters that started out in the mail. The mail arrived every Wednesday and departed Thursday at six o'clock." The mail was brought on horseback. January, 1847, P. M. Casady succeeded Dr. Brooks as postmaster and the name of the post-office was changed to Fort Des Moines. Judge Casady says he carried the mail in his hat and when he met a person who had a letter in the post-office, delivered it to them. January 1, 1849, R. L. Tidrick succeeded Mr. Casady, and the following spring Hoyt Sherman was appointed by President Taylor. Mr. Sherman evidenced his thoroughly methodical manner in all his business transactions, by a set of well-kept accounts. Below is the balance sheet of his account for his entire term: Hoyt Sherman, Postmaster Fort Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, in account with the United States. To balance due of his quarterly returns as postmaster from July 20 to September 30th, 1849..... From October 1st, to December 31, 1849.. "July 1st to September 30th, 1850. Draft on Geo. B. Warden.... $ 70.93 99.04 149.14 150.44 143.25 127.75 175.59 5.01 To balance due on his quarterly returns as postmaster from April 1st to June 30th, 1851.... 161.39 From July 1st to September 30th, 1851. 66 October 1st to December 31st, 1851. To draft on E. Berger To draft on J. Huff. To draft on J. Houser .... To draft on C. B. Jones... To error in return for quarter ending September 30th, 1851...... To balance of draft No. 6383 on Jesse Hull.... To balance due on his quarterly returns as postmaster from January 1st to March 10th, 1853... 148.76 100.86 2.52 3.06 2.76 4.18 2.14 110.15 117.40 120.50 103.35 6.20 128.90 $1,945.14 October 18, by amount paid R. M. Hutchinson, contractor....$ 74.29 1850. January 4, by amount paid R. M. Hutchinson, contractor.... 66 66 August 15, 1851 January 12, By extra commissions for quarter ending September 30th, 1851 December 31st, 200.00 209.59 148.15 127.75 180.60 175.73 156.62 98.30 24.49 33.45 55.41 44.51 57.41 26.32 94.18 July 16, by amount paid John Frink, contractor... 30, 1852..... October 14, by amount paid on order of John Frink.. 1853. January 1, by extra commissions for quarter ending December 31st, 1852... January 12, by amount paid on order of John Frink to O. M. Bliss. March 19, by extra commissions for quarter ending March 19th, 1853... April 18, by amount paid on order of John Frink, due $95.32..... 43.07 60.28 39.67 95.32 $1,945.14 The post-office was kept in the rear of a log building on Second street, a cut of which is herein published, as the first post-office in Des Moines. Quite as much in contrast is it with the elegant stone structure of the present time, as is the business of the post-office then and now. From Postmaster John Beckwith the following statistics were obtained: The total number of pieces of mail matter originating at Des Moines post-office during the first seven days of November, 1879, was: First-class-Letters... Postal cards. Second-class-Publications to regular subscribers... ..22,014 9,117 ..27,435 Third-class-Transient printed matter and merchandise packages.... 6,413 The receipts, expenditures and net revenues of the office for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1880, were: There are employed seven carriers and two auxiliaries to deliver mail. There are employed in the office nine clerks, and there is one branch office on the East Side. No city in the State can show a larger and more rapid increase in the postal business, which is one of the surest indications of the refinement and intelligence of a people. There is a rich fund of reminiscences stored away in the memories of the early settlers relating to the courts. The dispensers of justice were usually uncouth, often illiterate and primitive in their notions. One of the most eccentric characters was Judge McFarland, notice of whom has already been made. His circuit embraced nearly the whole northwest part of the State. He was holding court in the Presbyterian church in Guthrie in 1858. The Grand Jury was brought before him to receive the charges of the court. The Judge was "full," as usual. Straightening himself up, he said: "Gentlemen of the jury. You will (hic) find the law of Iowa, in the lawsof Iowa. It is your (hic) duty, gentlemen, to see that the said (hic) law is obeyed, and that it is not violated. You are made (hic), gentleman, a body to inquire into every breach (hic) of the law, and to do this you're duty sworn (hic), sworn-sworn. Mr. Roberts, you will (hic) indict every man in the (hic) world. And, Mr. Clerk (hic), you will (hic) let Mr. Roberts have all the (hic) books in the world. You will retire, gentlemen, to your (hic)— Adjourn the Court, Mr. (hic) (hic) Sheriff, to one (hic) o'clock.' At another time he charged a Grand Jury in Boone county, in like manner, down as far as inquiring into breaches of the laws. His attention had previously been called to unlawful sales of whisky in that county. The Judge, therefore, determined the majesty of the law must be maintained, and he charged the jury that they must inquire into the unlawful sale of liquors, and if they had probable cause to believe that liquor had been unlawfully sold by the dram they must make a presentment to the court, and, said he, "for your instruction (hic) I will say that a dram (hic) of whisky is a (hic) mule's ear full." At another time, in the old court-house in Des Moines, Dan. Finch was defending a prisoner, whom we will call Jones. He was convicted, whereupon the Judge sentenced him to jail for a term and to pay a fine. Dan. arose, and suggested to the court that she had made a mistake. The penalty fixed by the statute was a fine or imprisonment. The Judge looked Dan. square in the face, and pointing through a window to the jail, yelled out: "Daniel, do you see that building over there. Well, take your seat." Dan. squatted, and smiled as he nursed his professional wrath. The next morning when court opened the Judge said: "Mr. Sheriff, bring up Mr. Jones." Mr. Jones was brought in, to the surprise of Dan., who could not imagine what was to come next with his client. "Mr. Jones," said the Judge, "I have concluded to change your sentence to imprisonment, and remit the fine; for if I fine you and let you go I'll be d―d if I should know where to find you when I wanted you." From "Uncle" David Norris, who was for several years the bailiff of his court in Des Moines, and who could fill a score of pages, several amusing incidents have been gathered. At one time a man named Rain was arrested for stealing six hundred dollars from Taylor Pierce. He was brought into court, Dan. Finch and M. M. Crocker appearing as counsel for defendants. The Judge turned them over to the grand jury, after trial, and told them to retire to their |