Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 7, Number 172, Decatur, Adams County, 21 July 1909 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

Volume VII. Number 172.

BUNCH OF BUSINESS Was Disposed of by the City Council—Refund S2O,000 Issue of Bonds WILL PAY THEM OFF J. D. Stults Resigns—-Quite a Shakeup Among the City Job Holders The city council held a regular session last evening They were all present and all up on their toes, ready for business, and as a consequence they tore off about a yard of it. A sort of shakeup among the employes and appointees of the city seems to be on, and now and then a head falls. For some time the mayor and council have been complaining about the condition of the streets, and the way the men do the work, and this resulted in the resignation of Street Commissioner Jim Stults, the deducting of a part of John Spragues salary and a motion that the services of Water Works Superintendent C. Vogt be dispensed with. The first thing on the program last night was the application of John Stults for a slice of the boiler insurance and this was referred to the water works committee. A motion carried three to two, permitting Dr. S. D. Beavers to build a cement sidewalk along his property on east Monroe street, to build same six feet wide and along the curb, this rule to be followed to the river. The matters petitioned for by J. S. Bowers were then taken up. He was authorized to build a brick walk along his . north Second street lot, where he has , not filled in as he desires; the drain ( from Second street which empties on his property was referred to the prop-1 er committee with power to act and the same action was taken regarding the extension of the water lines and , the placing of a fire plug for the De- | catur Packing company. Dan Vail and Tom Ehinger, representing the Decatur Filler company asked to be | allowed to erect water standpipes at their new plant, to seal them and to do so for fire protection without hav-1 ing to put on meter. This was referred to the water committee who were authorized to act as they see best. The street commissioner w'as ordered to inspect Winchester street and report i the condition regarding teams being able to safely pass between the inter-| urban car tracks and the sidewalks. The council then took up the discus-1 sion of west Monroe street, which is in a very bad condition, and on which some repairs must be made, since it looks as though there was no early | chance for paving it. It was finally decided to order three cars of stone, and more as needed, and that under . the direction of the street commis-1 sioner, the street be put in good shape the holes filled up and the curb and gutters straightened. The street j committee to whom had been referred the complaints that John Sprague who has the contract for keeping the brick streets clean has not been fulfilling i his agreement. They reported that he complained that his pay was too ( small, but as he has a contract which does not expire until next April, and , as he "was awarded the work on his , own proposition, he will probably have i to fulfill it. He admitted having ne-, glected his work part of the time, owing to sickness, and his bill of $82.50 was reduced SIO.OO by a resolution adopted. The committee to whonl ; had been referred the petition for the . Brown sewer, reported favorably and ; the same w*as ordered constructed | and will be duly advertised. It seems ( that since tendering his resignation | C. Vogt has been sadly neglecting. his duties and upon motion his ser-, vices as water works superintendent. were discontinued. The mayor then declared the office of city engineer vacated and Cris was out of a job without waiting until August Ist. His job as water works superintendent was transferred to the shoulders of M. J. Mylott, who will serve as electrician also and his pay was advanced to SIOO per month. The mayor will appoint a city engineer within the next few days. The question of refunding ( the $20,000 city bonds held by eastern parties was then taken up and a | resolution was adopted providing that

same be refunded in such away that they will be eventually paid off. A bond ?k;sue of twenty-one thousand dollar bonds will be made, the first due July Ist next and thereafter one bond each six months, thus disposing of this debt in ten years. An ordinance was also read providing for the sale of four and one-half per cent, bonds to cover this matter, adopted, placed on second and third readings on suspension of the rules and finallyadopted. The bonds are made payable at the First National bank and will be duly advertised. There will be no trouble in selling these bonds as they simply take the place of others and are perfectly legal as they do not increase the present city debt. Harve Sprague asked that a water line be extended to his property on Decatur street and same was ordered. A resolution was adopted accepting the assessment roll on Fourteenth street and August 17th was fixed as the date on which objections will be heard. A resolution was passed remitting the sum of $20.83 to L. B. Brokaw on his unused liquor license. J. D. Stults then tendered his resignation as street commissioner which the mayor accepted. He will an- ( Con tinned on Page Two) o ■— - RED RIBBON RACES Closes With a Day Devoted to Automobile Races ELEVEN EVENTS Including * Exhibition Races by the Famous Drivers Smith and Brown The Red Ribbon race meeting at j Fort Wayne July 28 to 31, will close With a day devoted to automobile races in which the ?amous drivers, Smith and Brown, will participate. I Smith will endeavor to lower the track record of fifty-six seconds made by Barney Oldfield. The program for I the auto races is as follows: [ First Event —Touring cars, cost $2,000 or less, from two to ten miles, Silver cup to be the award. Second Event —Tourrng cars, cost $3,000 or less. Third Event —Novelty race, drivers I picking up and discharging passengers on alternate miles. Race to be five miles. Fourth Event—Motorcycles, two miles. Fifth Event—Motor buggy race, two cylinder machines. i Sixth Event —Runabouts, cost $1,500 or less. i Seventh Event—Runabouts, cost sl,000 or less. Eighth Event —Sweepstakes, between Smith and Brown. Ninth Event —Twenty-five mile endurance derby race, for fully equipped touring cars. I Tenth Event —Free-for-all handicap. Eleventh Event—Vanderbilt scratch race in which Smith and Brown give all other contestants a handicap. ' Twelfth Event —Exhibition mile bySmith, who will endeavor to lower the track record of fifty-six seconds, made by Oldfield. , — o ASKS DEPARTMENT TO PROCEED i I Congressman Adair Wants Eiwood to Have Postoffice Building. Washington, July 21. —At Representative Adair’s request, the treasury department will proceed to acquire a site and erect a postoffice building at Elwood, Ind. A few years ago con--1 gress appropriated $50,000 for a site and building. The treasury depart- ! ment estimated that this was not enough money and that the building alone, exclusive of site, would cost $52,000. Since then the price of building materials has fallen and the de- ' partment has been offered a site for $8,500. It is now estimated that the building that will be entirely adequate for the needs of the service can be constructed for $41,500. “I have asked the department not to wait any longer,” said Mr. Adair. "I hope to see a new postoffice building in Elwood before all the people that live there are dead.” o Dick Burdg who has been suffering from typhoid fever for Some time, is still quite ill, the fever having settled in his foot, which is causing him considerable suffering.

MORE REDUCTIONS President Now Asking for Reductions on Manufactured Goods TO HOLD CONFERENCE The President Entertains the Conferees at the White House Washington, July 21.—President Taft has boadened hts program. He is now demanding reductions on manufactured goods. It seems that his request for free raw materials was made with the view of following it lup with a demand for a good manyother things. Even the conferees are not informed as to just what the president’s program embraces. Possibly they will not get full information until tonight, when all the conferees will attend a white house conference by invitation of the president. The progressive senators who voted against the bill held a meeting yesterday and decided to continue to Insist that reductions shall be made on manufactured products. They are a unit in opposing a compromise which would place a few raw materials on the free list and would not disturb the extortionate rates on manufactured goods. If the conference committee and the president are able to reach an agreement on all the items in the tariff bill in dispute at tonight’s white house dinner and conference, the conferees may report to the two houses Thursday or Friday. Senator Aldrich is telling his ultra-protectionist friends that they ought to jump at the opportunity to accept a compromise which proposes to put oil, iron ore, and possibly hides on the free list, and make substantial reductions from the DingJey rates on lumber, coal and a few J other items. While the country is commending his stand for free raw materials, there is an insistent demand coming up for reductions on manufactured articles. The advice from the country is along this line: “You have demonstrated that you can force the conference committee to do what you wish it to do. The raw material program is a good one, but it does not go far enough. It ought to be accomplished by reductions on many manufactured articles.”

THE HARVEST DAYS Farmers of This Section Are Busy Taking in the Grain and Hay THRESHING BEGUN The Industrious Farmer Will Soon Be Prepared for Winter Storms The threshing season is at hand. In various parts of this section can be heard the buzz of the harvest machinery. To a community like this the principal industry is that of farming, this announcement means much. It means that the farmer who has worked for months past will soon reap that which he has sown, will soon convert his crops into cash or into such form that he can convert the grain or hay or whatever it may be into cash when he may need it. The crops in this section never looked better than they do this year. The wheat came out wonderfully well, after a hard winter for it and the crop was at least a half. The oats and corn and all the others are healthy, giving evidence of a record breaking yield, while the hay was of good quality and plentiful. This means a prosperous condition in this section, no difference how much they may quarrel and fuss about their stocks on Wall street To add to the joy of the farmer prices are right, that is, they are above the average and there is no reason why the ordinary man on the farm should not be well provided for in a few weeks.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday Evening, July 21, 1909.

FILES A SUIT FOR DIVORCE Mrs. Carrie Kahn Alleges Cruel and Inhuman Treatment. Suit for divorce was filed in circuit court today by Mrs. Carrie Kahn, in which she alleges cruel treatment, failure to provide and abandonment as grounds why she should be granted legal separation from Lea Kahn. The couple were married on January 23, 1900, and separated, according to her complaint on July 18, 1909, last Sunday. She recites that he was cruel in that he treatened frequently to strike her, and that he was out late at night without cause, and that when she was sick he did not come to inquire about her and refused to provide a doctor. That he bought no food or clothing for herself and baby and that she was compelled to do washings to provide her own living. On July 4th, she recites, he was guilty of adultery, and that he was once convicted in the city court of petit larceny. She asks the custody of their one child, Leo Leroy, and $2 per week for the child's support. Kahn and his little son are reported to be at the home of his father, Meyer Kahn at Decatur. —Bluffton News.

SIGNEDTHEBONDS The Commissioners Held a Short Session this Morning ACCEPTED COAL BIDS To Collect Change of Venue Costs — Adams-Allen County Line Bridge The commissioners were In session this forenoon, the first business receiving their official recognition being the bonds for the John Lobsiger, the French township county line macadam road, and also the bonds for the August Walters and Sherman Glendenning roads. They signed the bonds. The bid of the Decatur Lumber coml ber company for supplying coal for' the county during next year, was ac-! cepted. The bid is practically the ! same as that of hst year. The county used about eight cars of coal during the year. Clerk Haefling was instructed to collect change of venue fees and costs from the surrounding counties owing the same and an order to this effect was made. He will likely do the work next week, going to Allen, Wells and Jay counties, all of whom owe us court costs of this nature. The board will make no further concessions to the commissioners of Allen county, relative to the bridge on the Adams-Allen county line. At the July session the Adams county board agreed to build the bridge according to law, but the Allen county board tried to best our board by agreeing to pay three-fifths of such cost. The law contemplates that such improvements shall be based upon the valuations, and of course this will mean that Allen county Is stung for three-fourths of such cost. The bridge is a needed improvement and the benefits are about equal between the two counties. Guy Shoemaker, a son of Mr. and Mrs. George Shoemaker, living just west of Geneva, was given an Adams county scholarship in Purdue university. True W. Dougherty, son of Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Rougherty, was also given a scholarship to this same educational institution. Peterson & Moran appeared at the treasurer’s office today with the money which they left there in exchange for the bonds for the Sherman Glendenning macadam road. They represented the Leslie bond buyers of Van Wert, and through this firm of lawyers have purchased several of the bond issues made by the commissioners. — o Prof. Drake, of Goshen, who furnished the music and did the singing at the Star theatre during the past few months, is here today gathering up his traps, having accepted a place with a firm at Fort Wayne, which operates several picture shows. Hei will begin there tomorrow. |

WONDERFUL TRAIN The Pennsylvania Eighteen Hour Train Has Completed Fourth Year WITH GREAT RECORD Its Speed and Schedule Excells Anything in History of Railroads The Pennsylvania railroad’s eigh-teen-hour train between New York and Chicago has just completed a continuous record of four year’s service. From June 12, 1905, when the train was started, to June 12, 1909, a ! total of 2,922 trips were made —1,461 in each direction —and upon 2,483 or 85 per cent, of these trains was on (time or within five minutes of its schedule at destination. The actual 'running time of the "Pennsylvania j Special” from Jersey City to Chicago is 17 hours and 41 minutes. The scheduled time is 57.2 miles per hour, or 1,061 minutes to cover 912 miles. During this period of four years, therefore the train has traveled 2,655,744 miles, and 2,145,740 miles were covered in scheduled time. Upon only--160 trips, or an average of 80 in each direction, for the entire four years—or 20 for each year—was the train more than 30 minutes late. From New York to Chicago the train was on time to the minute 1,159 times out of 1,461 trips, while from Chicago to New York, the train arrived exactly on schedule 1,202 days. These records take account of operations during the while of the winter period when snow, ice, fog and storm have to be encountered frequently. The best record of the four years was last June 12, 1908, to June 12, 1909, when the train was on time or within five minutes of its schedule at New York on 326 days out of 365, and at Chicago on 315 days. The train thus made its schedule during the past year approximately 88 per cent, of the time. For the month ending July Ist, 1909, the train was absolutely on time at both Chicago and New York upon every one of the 30 days. This j train has thus now been operated continuously for a longer period, and has made its schedule with greater j regularity, than any other train of like speed and distance in the history of transportation.

ALEY WILL BE HERE I 1 Superintendent of Public In- 1 struction to Visit at County Institute i A GOOD INSTITUTE Program and List of In- 1 structors Soon to Be Announced Hon. Robert J. Aley, state superintendent of public instruction, has announced the dates and places in which he will attend the different county institutes of the state, and in the list is Adams county on August 20, the last day of the institute in this county. Mr. Aley is one of the most popular officials that ever occupied the office of superintedent of public instruction, and that means that he will be given a reception royal when he comes here on the 20th. The county institute will begin on August 16, and at this time Superintendent Opliger has everything in hand for this week, although he is not ready to announce the program and list of instructors. A few things yet remain to be done before this announcement will be made,, but in a short time all arrangements will be complete. The institute this year will be one of the best ever held in the county and the teachers are already looking forward to a j pleasant and profitable week in which I everything of interest to instructors j and teachers will be discussed In its | I many phases.

THE C. B. & C. MAY BE SOLD Fred Bimel Trying to Sell this Railroad Property. As a result of the trip of Fred Bimel, of Portland, to Chicago last week it is probable that here will be a petition made to the courts by the receiver of the C. B. & C. to sell the road at whatever it will bring, after which the money which is received will be divided among the creditors and then the receivership matter will be closed. It has been presumed for some time that the railroad had about gone as far as it could under the receivership. The pay of the men is back several months, section men have quit, they being unable to work I when their money was in doubt, and I many claims against the company have been put off until the creditors have become insistent. While it is not definitely known what Bimel did on tils trip, it is rumored that arrangements have been made for the organization of a company to purchase the road. It is claimed that $500,000 will be available when this is done. —Bluffton Banner. WILL BUILDCHURCH Reformed Church Members To Build as Soon as Possible SPLENDID MEETING Ninety Visiting Ladies in City—Spendid Program at Vogt Home The German Reformed Ladies’ Aid Society of this city entertained one hundred and fifty ladies, members of the St. John and Salem Reformed churches of Fort Wayne and the Decatur society. The societies of these three churches have a plendid membership, and ninety of their number came to this city yesterday. The meeting was an experience social, each member telling how she earned the dollar she gave to the treasurer. |Tho collection was not an ordinary one, or for usual use, but which went to the building fund. Some time ago such a fund w-as started and it has been steadily increasing, for a new church is greatly in need, and will be built as soon as possible. The members of the home society hospitably greeted the visiting members at the home of Mrs. C. Vogt on north Fourth street, where the yard was soon filled with ladies. Opening the program Rev. L. C. Hessert led the devotional exercises. An excellent program in order followed: Recitation, music, talk by Rev. Hessert, address by Mrs. Vogt, “God Loveth a Cheerful Giver.” Among the visitors were two ministers, Rev. Kielsmier and Rev. Ruff, adding greatly to the interest of the gathering by their remarks. The collection, the free-will offering amounted to $71.00. A two-course luncheon was served by the Misses Esther Sellemeyer, Dora Schlickman, Ella Mutchler, Lydia Miller, Emma Mutchler, Miss Huffman, Mathilde Sellemeyer, Lucy Fruchte, Lucy Krutzman, Lizzie Knapp, Alice Knapp, Hulda Bauer and Rosa Schlickman.

WAS MILLIONAIRE AT NINETEEN The arch prospector of all times was Cecil Rhodes. For him it was not merely going out and putting down holes in likely places. At seventeen he had been touched with tuberculosis and ordered south. Arriving at his brother Herbert's cotton plantation in Africa in the midst of the second diamond excitement, he, with Herbert, was drawn into the “new rush.” They took a claim at Colesburg—at thirty shillings a month rental. In ■ a few weeks each leased a full claim, 1 all the law allowed. Cecil Rhodes set himself to get the law to allow one man to own two claims, then ten, and then as many as he could lay hold ! of. So well did Rhodes keep pace with changing regulations that he returned to England at nineteen a millionaire.’ -Franklin Clarkfn, in August Everybody’s. I ■——-o—— I The Evangelical people are enjoyling a good crowd of people at Maple Grove park today and the interurban people are also doing a good business.

Price Two Cents

A SMOOTH LOBBY Nothing Like It Was Ever Seen in Washington Before COXEY IS THERE He is Now a Plutocrat and Wants Protection for His Arsenic Mine

Washington, July 21.—Washington is literally overrun with lobbyists. The old-timers say that nothing so strenuous in the way of a lobby has ever before been seen here. Indiana is well represented in the “third house,” which includes men from every section and corner of the country. Ine hotels swarm with them, and it is safe to say that in mese hot days there are six times as many lobbyists in Washington as there are congressmen. The lobbyists who are now invading the national capital are the pick of their profession. No tyros are sent here. They are men of keen perception who usually have had long experience in shaping the work of legislative bodies. Many of them have served in congress, and as a class they are droit, cunning and pus-sy-footed. There is a difference as wide as the poles between the sort of lobby work that is done here and the lobbying around the state legislature. Lobbying in Washington is an exact science, compared with which lobbying around the state legislatures is the work of the merest amateurs. In the average state legislature the members of the “third house” have an amazing freedom of range. They have access to the floors and visit the solons at their desks, at times choking and clogging the progress of legislation by their numbers. Occasionally the speaker of the house or presiding officer of the senate gets mad and threatens to throw his gavel at them or in sonorous tones orders the sergeant at arms to chase them off the floor; but, like a flock of blackbirds returning to a choice foraging ground, they are soon back and at work as if nothing had happened. In Washington lobbying is so very different that the average person coming to the capital to watch the legislative wheels go round would hardly know, unless somebody told him, that there is a tremendously large and active lobby here. Speaker Cannon never has to chase a lobbyist, away from the house. Vice President Sherman never feels constrained to direct the sergeant at arms of the senate to throw a “third house’ - man off the floor. Lobbying in Washington is conducted quietly and smoothly, without any hitches and jars. There is nothing clumsy about it. As a matter of fact, most of the effective lobbying is not done at the capitol building, but at the hotels. The invasion of the “third house” has brought a vertaible harvest to the Washington hotel keepers. The lobbyists have all the best apartments in the swell hotels and they entertain without regard to expense. It is at nocturnal feasts, where statesmen are guests, that lobbyists get in a good deal of their fine Italian handiwork Perhaps the most interesting lobbyist who has pitched his tent in Washington is Jacob S. Coxey the “Gen. Coxey” of Coxey’s army fame. Gen. Coxey occupies a palatial suite or rooms at the Willard 1 Hotel. From the head of a band of 1 hoboes he has developed into a plu- ’ tocrat, with large business holdings ’ and with an arsenic mine in Virgina, 1 which prompts him to hold up his * plate, to congress for some tariff on ' arsenic. During the debates on the tariff he has been a constant listener t in one of the galleries.

, AS EXPENSES OF OPERATION I ’ Washington, July 21.—At the re- ■ quest of the trust companies and banks of Indianapolis. Senator Beveridge has asked the conference committee to provide in the corporation tax that all interest paid on deposits by trust companies and banks shall be treated as expenses of operation. The trust company people point out that In Indiana the trust companies take the place of savings banks.