The Seymour Press – 13 February 1896
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JEROME, IOWA
The enterprising and rapidly developing
little city of Jerome is on the Milwaukee rail road, in Appanoose county and is
rapidly springing into public notice and now has a population of 300. It has several large and well stocked general
stores and other branches of industry. There has been a great many buildings
erected during the past year and several more are under course of construction.
It is rapidly becoming one of the most prominent trading points in this section
and with its excellent railway facilities it is destined to become one of the
leading towns of this section of the Hawkeye state. Surrounded by a country that will surely become
a great agricultural and stock country, Jerome will certainly become a great
business point.
WANTS
Jerome wants 1000 settlers to locate within her limits or immediate vicinity, to enjoy the ozone and health-giving atmosphere of this salubrious climate and to engage in the various business enterprises. She also wants an attorney, bank, harness shop and a grist mill and parties who have capital to invest should correspond with the postmaster of Jerome.
EDUCATIONAL
Jerome has a fine school building erected at a cost of $5000, 80 x 60. The school the present year is in charge of Miss May White as principal and Miss Susa Heffner assistant, and their services are giving perfect satisfaction. There are 100 pupils attending now and the official staff is J. H. Martin, president; B. Sedevie, secretary and James Brick, treasurer; all respected citizens.
CIVIC SOCIETIES
We find well represented the I.O.O.F. with M.
Allen, N.G.; Jas. Rou, G.G.; W.S. Fox, secretary; Don Forsythe, treasurer.
CHURCHES
We find here the M. E. church and it is the
only one. It is in good condition
financially and has a very large membership. The leading and most popular hotel
is the
JEROME HOTEL
And is the only eating house in the town. It is a two-story frame building cost $2500 and is a metropolital hotel in every particular. It is owned and conducted by H. L. Hazelwood who is assisted by his accomplished wife. This hotel has about fifteen good rooms, a good dining room and sample room and a good place for traveling men to stop and their table is unsurpassed. Mr. Hazelwood has been in this city three years and was a native of Missouri and was raised on a farm in this county. Jerome can feel proud of her hotel and we enjoyed our stay very much here and should we ever visit this little city again we will surely take our meals at the Jerome.
Among the business men of the town who are
enjoying a lucrative patronage we find
M. ALLEN
Who is proprietor of the Farmers and Miners store and was born and raised in Centerville, the home of Gov. Drake and is personally acquainted with the governor and all his family. He came to this city two years ago and begun the merchantile business to-day owns the largest store in the city. He owns a two-story building which is 20 x 80 with Odd Fellows’ hall above. The clothing room is on the upper floor and on the right side of the store is dry goods and dress goods of all the different styles and prices and on the left had side is boots and shoes and gents’ furnishing goods. In the rear is queensware, groceries of every description and the butcher shop and kills none but the best meats and has all kinds of game in season. Mr. Howry is practically a new man but is well liked by all in acquaintance. They also have a store at Gladstone mine No. 1 and it contains a complete stock of groceries and furnishing goods. They deliver goods to any part of the city and country. Mr. Allen is one of the old and esteemed citizens, and has all those necessary qualifications that go to make a successful business man and we are pleased to note that he is enjoying a constantly increasing patronage.
J. FORSYTH & CO.
The leading and only exclusive drug company in the city of which D. W. Forsyth is the manager. It was established two years and a half ago and is well equipped with all the necessary fixtures for running a metropolitan drug store including prescription case and prescriptions are compounded with the best of care both day and night. They carry a complete line of all the most reliable patent medicines, school supplies, stationery, all kinds of drug sundries, wall paper, paints, oils and varnishes and everything usually kept in a first-class drug store. This firm has a store at What Cheer and at Mystic.
DR. J. H. DILLON
Graduate
at Iowa City and is enjoying a very extensive practice. He was raised in
Unionville, Mo., and came to this place a few years ago. His office is over the
drug store and is well equipped, having all the necessary fixtures, a good
library and he takes some of the leading medical journals and has a good set of
surgical instruments. He is a careful student and when not out on professional
duties he is studying medicine.
C.A. GAINS
Was born and raised in this county on a farm. He came to this city two years ago and started a store and is the youngest business man in the city, being only 24. His store room is large and filled with a complete line of merchandise and groceries and he has the largest line of boots and shoes in the city. Country produce is taken in exchange for goods at highest prices, employs a clerk and runs a free delivery.
JAMES HAGAN
Is the popular and accommodating postmaster of Jerome and makes a splendid official. He has been in the county since ’54, and is a carpenter by occupation and was one of the first men to go into business here, was appointed postmaster in April, 1888 and has held the position all the time since, excepting six weeks. The office contains about 200 boxes and other necessary fixtures. He carries a stock of groceries, stationery and confectioneries and takes in country produce. Mr. Hagan was township assessor four or five years and justice of the peace eight or nine years and is a notary public.
GLADSTONE COAL CO.
A feature that Jerome fully enjoys is her coal mines and we find located here the Gladstone Coal Co. which was established in ’89 and is one of the oldest and most extensive coal companies in the county and has a capital stock of $40,000. The present officials are James Goss, President; Robert Marsden, superintendent; Peter Marsden, secretary and treasurer, and they are all old and highly respected citizens. Their shaft No. 1 is located one and three quarters of a mile east of Jerome and shaft No. 2 is at Jerome. It is well equipped with the best of machinery and has a hoisting capacity of 40 Cars of coal per day or 800 tons, and they work from one to three hundred men all the time, owing to its great demand, and it always finds a ready market and they get the highest price for it. The quality is superior to any other and is known as the Walnut Block and all is thoroughly screened and weighed on the Fairbank railroad scales after screening before leaving the city. They ship coal as far north as Edgerly, N.D. and as far west as the western portion of Kansas and all over Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota and find a ready market all along the line of the Milwaukee and wherever it is handled it has given the best satisfaction and they ship from 75000 to 100000 tons of coal per annum. All their men are paid semi-monthly and everything runs smoothly to both miners and patrons by reason of its careful and conservative management. Peter Marsden, the secretary and treasurer, is a fine young business man and lives with his father, Robert Marsden, who resides at mine No. 1, and he is a great favorite among the miners and citizens of this city.
W. S. FOX
Is the local agent on the C.M. & St. P. and has been in the city six months and with the company six years. He is also agent for the Western Union telegraph company and U.S. express company. He is a very fine young man and is very popular and prominent.
BIG FOUR COAL COMPANY
Is the oldest coal company of the city and was established here a number of years ago. They work about forty men, they have a hoisting capacity of twenty cars per day. It has a capital stock of $20,000 and is one of the most prosperous mines along the line. Wm. Oughton the superintendent, while he is yet a young man in years he is old in business and has many years of experience in the coal business. W. L. Myers is the president and is a very prominent man. The company ships coal to South Dakota, Missouri and other states and it is giving perfet satisfaction. Mr. Oughton owns a grocery store in this city which is 20x60 and also a fine residence, he informed the writer that the company was enjoying a very hearty patronage all over the state.
E. B. FULLER
Is the proprietor of the only barber shop in the city and has been in this city one year. His shop is located first door west of the Jerome hotel and is well equipped with all modern fixtures. He also takes orders for fine tailor made suits. He is an experienced barber and when in need of a nice clean shave call on him and receive satisfaction. He is one of our most industrious and enterprising citizens and we were very much pleased to make his acquaintance.
G. W. PASS
[GEORGE W. ROSS]
Is the leading blacksmith and
has been here two years and was a blacksmith before the war. He was in the late
war, enlisting in Co. B, Sixth Kansas Cav. and worked at his trade while
serving. His shop has all the necessary
fixtures for doing all kinds of blacksmithing and makes a specialty of horse shoeing
and repairing. He owns a good residence and is a very worthy citizen.
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