Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 5, Number 218, Decatur, Adams County, 9 September 1907 — Page 1

DECATUR DAI EV DEMOCRAT.

'Volume V. Number 218

ARE CLOSING OUT Gay 4 Zwick to Quit Furniture Business TO CONTINUE AS UNDERTAKERS Unable to R«n«w Lease on Their Building and Will Conduct Big Closing Out Sale. Owing to the fact that Gay and Zwlck, the proprietors of the mammoth furniture store, are unable to agree with Charles Sether, the owner of the business rooms they now occupy for a continuance of the lease, the former are forced to go out of the furniture business and expect to conduct a closing out sale the same to commence Wednesday, September the 11th. This announcement will no doubt cause considerable surprise, as this firm has been ranked among the leading business firms and have enjoyed a magnificent trade. The matter of re-leasing the rooms has been hanging fire for several weeks, and on Saturday came to a head when it was seen that no agreement could be reached, and Mr. Sether accordingly served notice on the firm to give possession of the rooms, permitting them however, the privilege of holding their sale and disposing of their goods before they gave up possession. The firm want the public to understand that they will continue In the undertaking business and expect to handle nothing in connection therewith and have already secured a business room which will be fitted up for their express purpose and use. The employees of this firm started in this morning to mark the goods and everything will be in readiness for the opening of the sale Wednesday morning. It would be well for our readers to watch the advertising columns for the next several weeks to come, as some special announcements will be made by this firm. The coroner's jury at Melcalfe, has exonerated the Clover Leaf company for blame in the killing of Harry Riggs, of Kokomo. He was killed in attempting to board a fast eastbound freight on the Clover Leaf while the train was in motion. Riggs arms and one leg were crushed and his head was badly hurt. He lived only fifteen minutes after the accident occurred. Riggs and a companion were enroute to Kokomo, when they were compelled to get off a freight train at midnight.—Frankfort Crescent. o IS SERIOUSLY SICK Albine Smith 111 at Mt. Clemens WENT THERE LAST FRIDAY Message from J. S. Falk Sunday Summoned Relatives to His Bedside.

Albine Smith is very seriously sick at Mt. Clemens, and his brother, Ben Smith and sister Miss Annetta Smith left Sunday evening for that place.. ‘ Beanie,” accompanied by John. S. Falk and Charles Elzey went to the Michigan resort for a few days rest. Mr. Smith was feeling rather badly, but his condition was not considered serious by any means. Sunday after noon a telegram was received from Mr. Falk felling of “Beanie's" illness. The news came as a big surprise and the many friends have been anxiously awaiting further informa tion. The message failed to say what the ailment was,but details are expect ed by the relatives either this even ing or tomorrow. Mr. Smith is a well known young man here, having been in the plumbing business for »ev. eral years. While the Rev. C. E. Line, pastor of the Portland M. E. church, and his family were attending the Jay county fair Friijav afternoon their home was broken into by thieves and about 1100 worth of valuables were taken. The Rev. Line is known to the Methodist congregation here.

Mr. James Gay took a party, consisting of Dr. C. B. Wilcox and wife, Mrs. Ella Bell and Mrs. J. W. Vail to the county farm in his automobile Sunday afternoon. Dr. Wilcox preached and the ladies furnished the music for the afternoon'service. After the service the party was shown about the buildings by Mr. and Mrs. Graber. Dr. Wilcox declares the buildings to be in the best condition he has ever seen such buildings in and thinks that Mr. and Mrs. Graber are certainly the right people in the right place. o .... — D. W. Jones, an old time printer and newspaper man from Fort Wayne, was In our city today looking our city over. This was Mr. Jones first visit to our city, and he spoke in most glowing terms of the same. Mr. Jones was the man who installed the “Gazette” one of the leading newspapers of Fort Wayne, and the same is still running, but under another name. Mr. Jones is not engaged in the newspaper business any more, his age forcing him to retire. However, when visiting any city, his first stopping place is a newspaper office. COURTHOUSENEWS Rosa Counts Asks for a Divorce MARRIED TWENTY-SIX YEARS Suit on Note Filed—Marriage License Issued —Furnace Company Changes its Name. Lewis C. DeVoss filed a divorce case entitled Rosa Counts vs. John Counts. They were married at Allen county. Ohio, June 26, 1881, and seven children have been born to them, four of whom are under twenty-one years of age. They separated July 1, 1905, when the defendant left his home and has since failed to provide for them. When married Mr. Counts was quite wealthy, had money in plenty and real estate, but his appetite for drink proved his downfall and his family were reduced to dire straits. For a number of years Mrs. Counts has supported herself and children by doing hard work. She asks for a plain divorce. Attorneys Peterson and Moran filed a new suit, the plaintiff being Jessie L. Smitley and the defendants Morris M. Boyd et al, to collect a note, the sum of SBS being demanded. In the case of Cora M. Kanneberg vs. William Witwer and Joel Liddy, suit on account, separate answer and cross-complaint filed by Witwer. Acting on the petition of the Angola Furnace Company to change their name to the Decatur Furnace Company, Judge Erwin granted said petition. proof of publication of notice being published. Daniel B. Ford vs. Smith Shoemaker et al. damages $4,000. motion filed to require plaintiff to make complaint more specific. Charles A. Dugan vs. Perry J. Ogg et al, partition, suggestion that Ogg is now of legal age.

A bench warrant has been issued for Gotthard Brown, returnable forthwith, on a charge of burglary. Brown is in jail. State of Indiana vs. David Burk, petit larceny, suggestion of death of defendant, case stricken from docket. State vs. Isaac Zimmerman, perjury, cause continued by agreement. State vs. Nelson Bricker, assault and battery, before J. T. Merryman, special judge, cause set for trial Thursday, r October 3. A marriage license was issued to Ross b. Lano. aged twenty-nine, a farmer from Princess, Ind., and Mary M Niblick, aged twenty-seven, daugh. ter of Samuel Niblick, of near this city. The groom has been married once, his wife having died two years ago. A junk dealer’s license was Issued rr a and Dan Comer, whose place of business is -t Pleasant Mills.

Decatur, Indiana, Monday! Evening, September 9, 1907.

MORE POLITICS Many Eyes Cast at Governor Johnson HE COULD UNITE ELEMENTS Bryan Will Not Permit the Eastern or Southern Democrats to Eliminate Him. Washington, September 9. —The presidential stock of John A. Johnson, governor of Minnesota, is looking up. Students of the Demcoratic situation take this view: If William J. Bryan wants the nomination he can have it. If he shall make up his mind eventually not to run again, Governor Johnson Is the man upon whom the party can, probably, unite. Among some of Bry. an’s close friends here the Impression is growing that he may decide not to take the nomination. They say Be does not desire to lead his party to another disastrous defeat, and he is not at this time at all certain that he can be elected. His friends here say he may not give his final decision until next spring. He wants to wait and see what comes of the session of congress. He may keep his party in suspense until a few weeks before the convention meets. One thing he has determined on, and that is that the coterie of Eastern and Southern Democrats who have been busy for several months trying to break his hold on the party shall not eliminate him. He proposes to do the eliminating himself, if any is done, and he wants to be in a position to have an influential part in naming the candidate. The latest move on the part of the eastern and southern representatives of the party, that in favor of Lieutenant Governor Lewis S. Chandler, of New York, is regarded by most persons who know- what Is going on as another effort on the part of the NewYork conservatives who have been working with a few southern Democrats to bring out a candidate against Bryan. o Latest reports from Stewart, the Van Wert shortstop, who was so seriously injured in the Labor Day game at Fort Wayne, are to the effect that he is mending as well as could be expected considering the character of his injuries. He will not be able to play any more games this season but it is hoped that he will fully recover. His condition is such that he will soon be able to go |b his home in Jndianapolis.—Van Wert Times.

A SALOON FIGHT Resulted in Three Arrests Being Made OCCURRED AT NICKEL PLATE Timely Arrival of the Police Stopped a Five Cornered Row Which Looked Serious. A fierce free-for-all fight in which there were five participants, was engaged in at the Nickle Plate saloon Saturday evening at 10:30. Marion Whitright and Jacob R. Miller, the bartender first got into trouble over a dispute as to the correct amount of change. Blows were exchanged and Ed Whitright started in to. help his brother. Joe Tonnelier, owner of the place, and Green Burkhead then made efforts to stop the battle and as a result, 'a five cornered scrap was in progress, with blood flowing freely when the police appeared and took charge of affairs. Marshal Green filed affidavits against Miller and the Whitright brothers, and they will have a hearing before Squire James H. Stone at seven o’clock this evening. During the rumpus, Tonnellier and Green both received severe bruises on the head and in fact every one who took part bore evidence of the fact. Parties who witnessed the affair say that the timely arrival of the officers prevented some one from being seriously and perhaps fatally hurt, for the men were apparently very much in earnest.

Isaac Shook, an Erie fireman, appeared on the streets today with his head swathed in bandages and his face covered with scars and bruises as a result of an eighteen foot tumble from the top of one of the big Erie freight engine cabs, while standing at the coal dock at Spencerville, Thursday night. He had completed filling the coal bunkers and in raising the chutes, he lost his balance and fell headforemost to the ground. Alighting on the forepart of his head on the right side, severe abrasions and bruises were inflicted. He was stunned and had to be assisted to his feet. —Huntington Herald. o ■Winona, one of the greatest religious centers in the country, with a population of from 1,000 to 10,000, changing with the coming of spring and fall, has never had a fire. The assembly was established in 1887, and since that time the park city, with its 350 houses and numerous larger buildings, has never had the semblance of a bad blaze. The place, however, is prepared for any emergency, having a volunteer fire department and a fire engine. Neither has been called into service in twelve years. IS MIGHTY COSTLY Grant County Has White Elephant

THEIR ROADS NEED REPAIRING Asks Maintenance Fund of Over $55,000 foir the Roads—Causes Them to T a ke Notice. How to repair the free gravel roads of Grant county is one of the questions that is perplexing the county commissioners and county council and will puzzle officers administrative of county affairs for some time to come. There are now in Grant, county--552 miles of free gravel roads accepted by the county and maintained at the county’s expense. The commissioners asked this year for their maintenance SIOO a mile, or $55,200. There are 880 miles of road in the entire county and when all are graveled it will cost, at this rate, SBB,OOO • I to maintain them, this not including the cost of supervision of repairs, which probably would increase the cost to SIOO,OOO a year, which would mean a levy of 18 cents on the SIOO. One trouble with the maintenance of* roads is that a good many of them were poorly constructed. They were built by the townships, and in some cases but two or three yards of gravel to the rod were placed on the road, instead of six. the standard. The gravel in many instances was of poor quality .fend deteriorates rapidly. Even the best of gravel gradually dis. appears. It is ground into dust and then is carried away by the wind and is at no time substantial.—Marlon Chronicle.

o national corn exposition. Chicago Will Entertain Admirers of Corn. At the National Corn Exposition, Chicago, October 5 to 19, the most elaborate decorative scheme ever seen in Chicago will be presented at the Coliseum building and annex, where the show will be held. This decorative work will cost in the neighborhood of 330,000, and corn will be the dominant (in fact, the almost exclusive) decorative material. In addition to a miniature corn farm, in the center of the building, one end will contain an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess of corn, where at certain times of the day the virgins of the sun will offer sacrifices of corn. At the opposite end will be a realistic farm scene, made up of an actual farm house, windmill, growing corn, etc. On either side will be shields of the different states, done in corn, each showing the amount of corn grown last year. A large and splendid picture of Minnehaha will adorn one wall. Immense festoons of com ears will be suspended from the ceiling, and two gigantic pumpkins will demonstrate that corn and pumpkins grow together. The color scheme Is exceedingly harmonious, and everything in the building will conform to the general decorative Idea.

PLANS FOR TRIP Navy Department Cannot Agree PACIFIC PROGRAM CRITICISED Atlantic Fleet Not Efficient for Battle —lndiana Lakes for Mussel Growing. Washington, September 9. —The navy department is quarreling over the proposed plans for the trip of the sixteen battleship fleet to the Pacific. The general board, or at least some members of It, are. it is alleged, quietly throw-ing obstacles in the way of the trip. Some definite intimation of the real situation came today with the appearance of the Navy, a paper said to be backed by certain members of the general board, with an article crit. icising severely the Pacific trip program. In the course of a long article this paper says that “Our boasted Atlantic battle fleet has neither coal, ammunition, fire control appliances, nor, in fact, much of any of -he many things that are indispensable to the efficiency of a fleet in battle.” In summing up the publication declares the fleet is as unprepared for a long trip as was Ropestvensky’s.

Washington. September 9. —The bu. reau of fisheries has ordered that an investigation be conducted for the purpose of ascertaining whether the waters in Lake Maxinkuckee are adapted to mussel growing. The rapid decrease in the mussel supply in the rivers of the central west is seriously affecting the pearl button industry and capitalists interested in the manufacture of buttons from mussel shells have asked the government to asceretain whether the small interior lakes are adpated to the production of mussels. —ro Many people seem to "’deem the “girl of today” of no account compared with the girl in grandmother’s time. This is a mistake. The girl of today is a hustler. She does the clerking, the typewriting, the bookkeeping and the school teaching of the country. She is crowding the boy off the earth, because he is too busy drinking beer, playing pool and fishing to keep step with her. In America, women are not only doing housekeeping better than it was ever done, but half of the other w-ork as well.

DEPOSITORY LAW Will Go Into Effect December Ist STATE OFFICIALS TO MEET Organize Finance Board Who Will Find Depositors—Other Boards Meet at Same Time. The depository law will become effective December 1. On that day the governor, auditor and treasurer of state will meet in the auditor’s office to organize state board of finance which will have charge of finding depositories for the state’s money. The city, county and township boards of finance will be formed at same time, as the new system is to supplant the old in every office. Gov. Hanly will be chairman of the state board, and Auditor Billheimer secretary. The opponents of the new law predicted during the recent session of the legislature that, bankers would refuse to handle the public money, but the indications are that there'll be strong competition for it. There is no means now of estimating how much revenue the various forms of government will reap, but on long-time deposits 3 per cent interest will be received; on other deposits 2 per cent. The amount is sure to be sufficient so far as the state's funds are concerned, to pay the expenses of many departments.

Men and women who keep pace with fashion will wear only tan footwear next spring. There will be a great variance of shades to select from, however, anything from cream verging on white to a russet that is near-black being permissible. Such was the decision of the experts who concluded the business of the third annual fair of the shoe and also decreed that none of the freak lasts would be in favor. Only the “foot shape” or “old comfort” lasts will be in favor, say the shoe men. o Will it be six weeks before the first killing frost in Adams county? That is the question Adams county farmers are asking and that is the vital matter which Decatur grain dealers are considering. The corn crop in this vicinity needs six weeks yet of good ripening and filling weather before rhe weather becomes cool enough to freeze. Slight touches of frost may come and likely will, but if the first real frost stays off another six weks, local grain men and farmers say they will have a full crop of corn. The season is late, however, and the leniency of the weather man must be severely tested to hold off the freeze sufficiently long.

A FAMILY DINNER Given at the Raineer Home Sunday CHURCH AND SOCIETY EVENTS Various Meetings Announced for this Week Among the Various Church Organizations. By Pearl Burdg. Ladies’ Aid Society of the German Reformed church will meet with Mrs. William Wetter this week to hold their regular business and social meeting on Wednesday afternoon. ♦ Lew Scheiman was at St. Johns yesterday to take dinner and also he took a pleasure trip to Fort Wayne. The Ladies’ Mite Society of the Methodist church will be entertained by Mrs. Fred Mills on Friday afternoon. The Knights and the Esquires of the Holy Grail will hold a conclave meeting ‘at church parlors on Tuesday evening. The Ladies’ Aid Society of the Evangelical church will meet to work at Mrs. Smith on Thursday afternoon at her home on north Third street. Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Hunter and daughter Stella, and son Freeman, of Fort Wayne, were pleasantly entertained at dinner Sunday noon by Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Bryson, of Fifth street.

A very delightful time was held at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Rainear, on south Tenth street at a Sunday dinner, given in honor of Mrs. Sarah Williams, of Indianapolis, and Mrs. C. W. Hocker, of Elkhart, Ind. The affair was well planned by the friends and relatives of Aunt Sarah, it being the last Sunday she will remain in Decatur before returning to her home. The friends and relatives came with well filled baskets and at the noon hour the guests, to the number of thirty, were ushered into the dining room to sit down to a table laden with the choicest viands of the season and to say the least Aunt Sarah was equal to the occasion, as she could sit at the head of the table and look back over eighty years of her life, the most of that time spent in Adams county. The affair was a great success and enjoyed by all. Those present were: Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Dibble and family; Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Porter and family; Mr. and Mrs. Forester Andrews and family; Mrs. Ed Mercy and family; Mrs. Agnes Andrews and family; Mrs. Sarah Williams, of Indianapolis; and Mrs. C. W. Hocker, of Elkhart, Ind.

The Clover Leaf received six new engines from the Brooks Locomotive Works. One of them will be used as a switch engine at Delphos, one will be used in Frankfort, and the other four will go to St. Louis, Mo. The new engines are of the same type as the large freight engines being used by the Clover Leaf. —Frankfort Crescent.

Price Two Cents

THE GRIM REAPER Claims Life of Widely Beloved Woman MRS. SAMUEL STEELE DEAD Had Resided in This County for Three Quarters of a Century—Funeral Tu e sday Afternoon. Mrs. Samuel Steele, aged seventyeight years, one of the oldest and best known women of St. Marys township, died Sunday morning at two o’clock at her home at Pleasant Mills, after an illness of several weeks’ duration, death resulting from old age and a complication of diseases. She was . born in the year 1829, and during that . time saw the early growth of this i county and saw its rapid change from ■ a perfect wilderness into the beautiful country it now presents. She made her home in this county practically all ) her life and her friends are innumerb able, and many will be grieved to learn of her demise. She took sick several weeks ago and from that time on her decline was rapid, as her age was against her. She made a brave struggle for life, but was physically unable to withstand the ravages of disease and Sunday morning death re. lieved her. The funeral will be held > Tuesday afternoon at two o’clock at the United Brethren church at Pleasant Mills, Rev. Noah Stalter officiat- . ing, and interment will be made in the Pleasant Mills cemetery. She leaves three sons, namely Decatur S. Steele, of Kansas, G. F. Steele, of South Dakota and Ira Steele of this city to mourn their loss.

Not as many canning pickles will be pickled in Huntington this year as usual for several reasons. The demand far exceeds the supply and the supply is less this year than in several years. Weather conditions have not been inducive to pickle culture, and fewer truck growers are raising pickle crops. Like all other truck matter and fruits, the crop is late on account of climatic conditions shortly after planting time. With pickles, the growers had a hard time in getting the plants up. as many of the seel rotted in the ground. Since developed, large numbers of the plants have died, some in bloom and others with small pickle growths. 0 Curley Radamacher left Sunday morning for West Baden, where he will take a course of baths for his health. He expects to be absent for two weeks.

MANY ROAD BONDS Wells County Sells Twen-ty-Three Roads V A TEST CASE FROM THERE A Bond Buyer Made Several Road Enthusiasts Nervous —Think Bonds Will Sell.

Despite the fact that several bonding companies have written the county auditor that there would be no trouble in selling the bonds to secure funds for the construction of the gravel roads let under the new three-mile law, a bond buyer from Indianapolis who was present at the session of the county commissioners yesterday, created some little uneasiness when he stated that his company would not touch a bond for roads to be built under that law and that he was reasonably certain that other companies would not. However, in other counties bonds have been sold, and the commissioners, after letting the present batch of twenty-three that have been held over until Monday, will put the bonds up for sale and think that they will be able to dispose of them. The test cases brought by a number of Bluffton capitalists in the name of Robert F. Cummins, will be decidedat this term of court and if they are decided against the township the seven roads cannot be built, but what effect such a decision would have on I the remainder of the roads is not I known.—Bluffton Banner.