The News From Dysart & North Central Iowa
Last Two Weeks of April 1914

National News

War with Mexico Likely

Whole Navy Headed for Tampico to Force Huerta to Apology

(Traer Star Clipper April 17, 1914)

"War with Mexico seems certain. The patience of the President and his cabinet is exhausted. The other day several American sailors were arrested and imprisoned in Tampico without cause." The commander of the ship demanded (an) apology and the firing of (a) twenty-one gun salute to the American flag. President Wilson backs him up in the demand. Huerta refuses to salute. This insult, added to many others heaped upon this government in the weeks past, has been the last straw. Huerta will salute or war will follow inside of ten days. Tampico and Vera Cruz will be taken. Then in all probability intervention will follow. Huerta has secured sixty million in cash, which would enable him to hold out a year against the rebels. It is time something was done by our government. The country will approve of the drastic movement just begun. Congress is nearly unanimous in its approval."

War With Mexico Begun

"It has come to war. Heurta refused to salute the American flag to atone for the arrest of marines ten days ago and Admiral Fletcher was ordered to seize the custome house at Vera Cruz which he did. The Mexican Army fled into the country but firing from housetops continued until the admiral felt it necessary to take possession of the city. His loss is five killed and thirty wounded. The Mexicans lost 150 killed. The next step depends on Huerta. If the rebels and federals unite, the army and navy may be put into action and march to Mexico City begun. The administration seems now determined that Huerta shall go and will not be satisfied by any salute now. It looks much as if war of considerable dimensions and length is upon us."

Rosenthal Becker Murder Trial Executions

"The four gunmen convicted of the Rosenthal murder which occurred in June 1912, were electrocuted Monday morning at break of day. The first man died at 5:43 and the last one at 6:02. Thus four men answered with their lives for the death of one and the life of another is in the balance."

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On the web: Charles Becker: The "Crookedest " Cop in New York

http://www.annalsofcrime.com/04-01-2col.htm

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State News

A State Hospital

H. LeRoy von Lackum Writes About Institution at Independence

"After learning that LeRoy von Lackum had visited the institution for the insane at Independence with the junior and senior medical classes of the University of Iowa, we asked him for a description of the trip. After considerable deliberation he consented and the past week while spending his vacation here he prepared the following story for us." The Dysart Reporter

"A few weeks ago, in company with several nurses, the Junior and Senior classes of (the) Medical College of the State University visited the hospital for the insane at Independence.

The hospital itself is located about one mile south of the city on several hundred acres of ideally selected ground. Fine drives and a parking of pine trees cover the place. Besides the large main building, there are several out-buildings, the most important of which is one just recently built. It is used for the sick and for the reception and examination of new patients. A fine operating room is herein located as well as the hydro-therapy department, which is very important in the treatment of violent patients.

The patients are kept in nicely lighted and well ventilated wards, made as cheerful as possible by the presence of many plants and flowers. The different types of insane are kept separated, each ward being locked from the others and guarded over by one or more attendants, depending upon the kinds of cases. Violent patients are removed from the others, no restraint in the way of straight-jackets or other similar devises being used. The attendants, with the help of other patients, overcome the violent one(s) in as gentle a way as possible, and then hydrotherapy with the administration of sedative drugs is all that is resorted to if this does not suffice and the attack persists.

Probably one of the most pleasant things connected with the institution, is a theatre in the main building. Here the patients themselves are allowed to hold entertainments, and on several occasions during the year, dramatic companies are brought in and present such plays as do not excite, but rather look toward the cheerful and uplifting in life.

There are about 1200 patients at Independence and about the same number in each of the three other state hospitals."

 

Waterloo to be at the Panama Exposition

"Waterloo is now making plans for what they now call the Iowa building at the Panama exposition for next year at San Francisco. A delegation of Waterloo men have recently returned from a trip there to pick out the site and to make the final arrangements. It is said the building is to cost $125,000 and that Waterloo is doing it for the state. No doubt it will be better known as the Waterloo building than the Iowa building and if Waterloo does it she should have the credit."

Local News

According to a report written in 1919 by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the buildings used for the sanitorium were originally built to serve as a boarding school for the children of the Mesquaki tribe who lived nearby. However, the parents of these children were unwilling to have their children move there and so the school served children from other tribes. In 1913, the school was converted into a sanitorium for the treatment of native people suffering from tuberculosis.

The Toledo Chronicle visited a newly established tuberculosis sanitorium established on the Mesquaki Reservation in Tama and provided the following account. "The institution has seventeen patients at present, 10 girls and 7 boys. These come from five different tribes (represented) from various states. Sleeping porches have been added to the south, west and north parts of the old school building, on the second floor, which we are informed are even superior to those at the state hospital in Oakdale." Separate areas were set up for the boys and girls. "The quarters are arranged so as to have an abundance of fresh air and plenty of sunlight."

"At the time our visit was made, the patients were taking their afternoon rest. Some were sleeping, part reading and others simply resting. Rest and proper food is the secret of tubercular treatment. The patients appear to be in the best of spirits and perfectly satisfied, although each had a period of homesickness upon arrival. The daily program of all the patients must be regular. As they become stronger, light work is given them about the premises. "

On the first floor, Dr. Russell, the superintendent has his consultation and drug room. Adjoining this is the operating room. The apparatus throughout is the most modern and the stock of drugs is more complete than the average drug store. The school room will be the same as used in the old Indian school. New equipment has been supplied and the windows will be placed on hinges so as to swing out, practically making an outdoor school room. The patients will be given school work as their strength permits.

The building formerly used for the Indian school as a laundry has been remodeled and will be used as sleeping rooms for the male employees. The present laundry is newly equipped and practical from every standpoint. A laundry woman is kept constantly at work in this department. the store house is supplied with practically all of the necessities for the patients in the line of clothing, aside from other supplies for the institution and the day schools on the reservation. the dairy department is entirely new and substantially equipped. The herd consists of registered animals of the Jersey breed. The new cottages have been erected. One is occupied by the Indian farmer and the other will be used for an employee's mess quarters. A new implement shed has also been erected recently.

To the present time in the neighborhood of $17,000 has been expended in making the necessary changes and improvements. A much larger sum will be required by the time the work is completed. The institution is now equipped to take care of about sixty patients, but is probably that the capacity will be increased to at least one hundred. There are thirteen persons now employed in the institution all being under civil service rule. More will be added a little later."

 

Disagreements over Geneseo's New School

"There is liable to be trouble over the moving of the Burns School in Geneseo. As stated heretofore, the directors decided to erect the new brick building a considerable distance north of the old site, on the Life corner. This did not suit some of the patrons. John Burns, Mr. Griffin and Mr. McKay went to Toledo and employed an attorney to oppose the action. They will go into court and hope to defeat the action in changing the location. The contract for the building has been let."

 

Crystal Farmer Taken in Front of the Insane Commission

"James Fink, of Crystal who has been at the state hospital in Independence off and on now for years, and of late months has been employed by Henry Reimers, has been restless in the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Reimers, and complaint was made to the authorities at Toledo. He was taken before the insane commission there, who could discover little the matter with him and they declined to send him back to Independence. The sheriff has taken him under his care for the present. Mr. Fink owns a fine farm in Crystal worth around $30,000 but his guardian gives him little of the returns. He has never married."

Professional Money Finder

 

Supervisor Lundak Runs Into Coin at Every Moment

From the Toledo Democrat: "Supervisor Frank Lundak has gained a reputation for being a finder of hidden money. Up to date he hasn't found very much to which he can lay claim, but what others have stowed away in tin cans, tobacco pouches, and hidden pockets he has discovered and turned over to the proper authorities Some years ago, he took a roll of $527 from the deceased John Vavra's pants and 'twas not the fault of the finder that the relatives spent $1,000 or more getting the money properly distributed.

Mrs. Byer dropped dead in Vining's thoroughfare (editor's note: wait, what? a thoroughfare in Vining????) without publishing where she kept her money. In an old tobacco pouch at the foot of her bed, the undertaker (Mr. Lundak) found $1,100 in gold. The finder was sorry that the deceased hadn't seen fit to use a hundred or so upon herself before she died.

Then a (Japanese man Samurai - the honorable K. Takrue), whom everybody thought was penniless died, but the undertaker dug up $72 out of his jeans and planted him without charge to the county.

And just last week Wednesday, Frank Roushar died of old age and poverty in Vining. In digging around among the effects of the deceased, the county supervisor located an old tin can and on inspecting same found $1,165 therein. There are no close relatives and therefore no real reason for hoarding the money. To die in want depending upon the charity of strangers, while $1,165 could be used to furnish some measure of comfort, bespeaks the too economical, to say the least.

The mayor of Vining was made custodian of the gold and will likely be compelled to turn it over to relatives although it was the deceased's desire to use some of the money for the keeping of his grave and that of his wife's, neat and clean."

 

Commercial Club in Organization

At Present 50 Citizens on List - Work Being Pushed

"The list being circulated for the purpose of getting the signatures of the Dysart citizens who are willing and anxious for the organization of a commercial club now boasts of about 50 names, 65 or 70 names are wanted on the list before a meeting is called and then when a meeting is called intense interest will be manifested and the business of the club will be started off right....the main object of a commercial club is for the interests of our town. It has nothing to do with any one man's interests. It is for the interest of everybody in Dysart and to that reason everybody should get back on it and do their share of boosting. "

 

Business

"Will Kessler closed a deal the last of the week for a new soda fountain to be delivered here about May 1st. It is one of the latest and has all the up-to-date conveniences. It will be set against the north wall of the O.K. Restaurant. Will realizes that it will take the profit of a lot of sodas to pay for the fountain - but he wants to have one of which Dysart people will feel proud."

 

Entertainment News

 

Church News

"The committee appointed by the officers of the Methodist church to work on the project of building a new church or rebuilding the present building is Rev. Hepner, S.J. Kerr, Dr. Porter, Dr. Gessner, J.T. Stewart, George Stewart, A.K. Zalesky and Ed Minkel. If these men get together on some proposition and get it started we know something will be done that will be a boost for Dysart. "

 

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