Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 7, Number 180, Decatur, Adams County, 30 July 1909 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

Volume VII. Number 180

NAMED AN ENGINEER L. L. Baumgartner Named as City Engineer for Decatur IMPORTANT MEETING Harry Cooken Will Monday Assume the Office of Street Commissioner

Mayor France handed out another appointment today by naming Mr. L. L. Baumgartner as the city engineer to succeed C. Vogt, resigned. It is arranged that the appointee shall work but one day a week, Monday being agreed on for all city work. With the work of the city arranged so that the engineer had nothing to do but the work of such an official, it is figured out that one day a week will give him sufficient time, and in this way the cost to the city will be slight. Mr. Baumgartner has all the qualifications for the place, having completed last year a four years’ term as surveyor of Adams county. He will well look after the affairs of the city in this capacity, and the mayor and council are to be congratulated on giving the city such service at so little cost. At a meeting of the council of August 1«, they hear objections to the assessment roll on the Weikel sidewalk, the same having been completed, and is ready for final acceptance. The twenty thousand dollars refunding bonds will also be offered for sale at that time. The new street commissioner will assume charge of his office on next Monday, and he is now outlining his work, and will devote his time to making Decatur’s streets better than (Continued on page 2.)

OUT OF TROUBLE Bob Gregory Soon Satisfies the Squire at Fort Wayne of His Innocence AFFIDAVIT DISMISSED At the Request of the Prosecuting Witness —Occurred in Peculiar Way The affidavit filed in the court of Justice Huser at Fort Wayne, charging Robert B. Gregory with obtaining money under false pretenses, has been dismissed at the request of A. M. Youngmaker, the prosecuting witness. It seems that Gregory owned three-fourths of a cottage and lot at Clear Lake. The remaining quarter was owned by a man at Muncie who died some time ago, and before Bob had bought the property. Recently the administrator of the deceased man's estate sold his interest and this man went to Youngmarker, to whom Bob had sold the property and demanded one hundred dollars for his interest. Youngmaiker then filed the affidavit against, .Gregory, but the latter as soon as he heard of the other party having an interest, put up the price demanded and Youngmarker then refused to further prosecute the case. Mr. Gregory did hot know of , the other interest in the property and will have recourse on the persons from whom he bought the lot. Hitmany friends here will be glad to know that he so easily cleared him self, and were confident he would be able to do so. o " QUITE A REGISTRATION Spokane, Wash., July 29.—1 tis esUmated that the total registration foi homesteads in the Spokane Flatbead and Coeur d’Alene Indian reservation will be close to 300,000- Supermendent Jones Wilson' announced today that 9,500 names will bA drawn.

HUNTS HUSBAND 5,000 MILES Wife Searches Five Months and Finds Him at Last. | Kansas City, Mo., July 29.—Mrs. .Edward C. Sterling of Chicago found her husband, for whom she has been searching since Feb. 16, traveling more than 5,000 miles in her quest. While the Sterlings were returning from the theater that night. Sterling stepped from the back platform of a street car and since had been missing. Mrs. Sterling soon after started a personal search for her husband, which extended to Los Angeles, where the first clew to h'.s whereabouts was discovered and through many western cities. Too many relatives was the reason assigned for his disappearance by the missing man when Mrs. Sterling and a policeman walked in upon him this morning. The couple have become reconciled. HIS RESIGNATION Agent McCullough Wired Resignation Last Evening WILL MOVE AWAY Has Received a Flattering Offer from Sante Fe Company T. L. McCullough, for a little more than a year agent at the Clover Leaf station, and who during his stay in Decatur has made a host of friends, last evening telegraphed his resignation to headquarters, the same to become effective as soon as his successor is appointed and reports for duty. The resignation follows a flattering offer received by Mr. McCullough from the Sante Fee company, which he has accepted, and in all probability he will be assigned to a station in New Mexico, where a new branch has been constructed recently by the company. The stations along the new branch are constructed of cement block with four living rooms above, these to be occupied by the agent and the smallest salary paid there is eighty-five dollars per month, including house rent and fuel. The McCulloughs will leave early next week for Chicago, where they will ascertain at what point they will locate. Mr. McCullough has enjoyed merited progress since being engaged in the railroad business. Beginning as bill clerk in Illinois, he proved a valuable man, and improving his every opportunity he soon learned telegraphy and was given a position as operator. He tendered his resignation as agent at Warren, Indiana, some time ago and immediately subsequent thereto he received communications from the different departments of the road in which he was imployed to remain in the Clover Leafs employ and in which he was promised an immediate promotion. True to their word they gave him the agency here, and he has looked after the interests of the company well. The first month he was here Mr. McCullough increased the freight business eleven hundred dollars. and a steady increase has been noted since. Decatur people will regret to hear of the intended departure of Mr. and Mrs. McCullough. Their activity in church and social circles will be sadly missed by their every acquaintance. All will wish for them a happy and prosperous future in their new place of abode. It is not as yet known who will succeed’ Mr. McCullough, but it is thought that some Clover Leaf employee near Decatur will be selected. — o MANY FROM THIS CITY THERE The Funeral of Mrs. Rebecca Ernst Was Held this Afternoon. Quite a number from this city attended the funeral of Mrs. Rebecca A. Ernst, the same taking place from the Dunkard church south of Peterson this afternon, interment being made at the cemetery at this place. Out of respect to T. H. Ernst several of the court house boys were at the funeral of Mr Ernst’s aged mother. The services were conducted by Rev. Edgar Jones and in a short but impressive, discourse he paid a great tribute to j the life and character of the de- ] 1 ceased.

HORSE IS MISSING A $4,000 Trotter in Care of Tom Covault, Disappeared from Stable CANNOT BE LOCATED Believed to Be a Smooth Trick of Some Other Horseman or Owner Tom Covault, the one-legged horseman, who lived about here for several years, and has on different occasions had more or less trouble in explaining things, is busy at that trade just now, excusing himself foi the loss of a $4,000 trotting mare owned by Wes Stout, the famous horseman from Indianapolis. The little brown mare, which by the way is considered a great comer among horsemen, was entered in the 2:18 trot at the races at Fort Wayne today. Wednesday night Covault, who was hired recently by Stout, was assigned to sleep in the stall with the valuable horse, to see that no harm befell the animal and that no dope was administered that would injure the horse’s chances in today’s races, Tom slept peacefully, he claims, until daylight and awoke to find his charge missing. He supposed it had got out in the grounds and would be easily picked up, but a search flailed to reveal the animal, and Tom turned in an alarm. The mare is known as Mattie Allerton and while some believe she Was stolen, the general opinion seems to be that she has been secreted by other horsemen who wanted her out of the road today that ithey might take down a fat purse. Whether or not Tom was in on the scheme cannot be learned, in fact, the owner and the others, including the police and officials are up in the air concerning the mysterious disappearance of the animal. The horse will likely be found after the races today. o —— GENEVA IS LIVELY Work Being Pushed on the Bluffton, Geneva & Celina Traction Line GETTING ANXIOUS Geneva Business Men Are Anxious for the Road to Be Completed W. W. Briggs of Geneva, was in the city today on business. He reports Geneva as exceptionally lively at present, the building of the Bluffton, Geneva & Celina Traction line being the cause of most of the activity. A large force of men ane already engaged and more will be added as the work progresses. Bears & Brown, the contractors, propose to complete the contract within the time specified in the contract, and as they are hustlers in this line of work, there is no one who even thinks that they will fail, unless the weather should interfere and make it. impossible.' The contract for the line from Linn Grove to Bluffton has been awarded to Bluffton parties and it is thought that this part of the grade will also come under the wire finished so that the iron and the rolling stock may be added and the line placed in operation yet this year. Those in charge of the enterprise are a hustling lot and they waste but little time in accomplishing anything they undertake. It is the hope of the Geneva people to have this line completed, and it also is the belief that Geneva will gain much by this addition to the business interests of the town. It will make things lively this year at least, during the time of construction, and it will open up many new business features that will redound to the business good of Geneva.

Decatur, Indiana. Friday Evening, July 30, 1909.

JAY SHERIFF GETS A BOOTH Necessity of Telephone Protection Illustrated in Recent Case. Portland, Ind., July 29. —A new- tele-v phone booth has been placed in the county sheriff's office, being installed Thursday morning. Its necessity was first made apparent whne, several months ago, Alonzo Uptegraft, wanted on a serious charge, happened to stand in the office doorway and overheard the sheriff speak his name as he was receiving an order by telephone for his arrest. He made his escape and was not captured for three months, and then only after a running fight, in which ne was shot m the head and hovered for a month between life and death. WANTS A DIVORCE Two Prominent Berne Parties Get Into the Divorce Courts REFUSED A LICENSE f Byron Hendricks Will Have to Pay up Before He Can Get Married Late this afternoon Peterson & Moran filed with the clerk of the circuit court a complaint for divorce, the parties named in the complaint being Edna V. Huff vs. Frank D. Huff. The prominence of the parties named in the complaint makes the suit take on a somewhat sensational turn, the defendant being the principal of the Berne schools, which place he has held for the last two years, and having been selected for the coming year. The complaint states that they were married in Marshall county January 31, 1903, and that two children have blessed this union, they being Harold M. Huff, aged three years, and Genejvieve M. Huff, aged two years. The defendant is accused of having a violent temper, with abuse of her and ! the children ,and with not permitting her or the children to visit with her parents and other relatives, who i reside in Marshall county. According to the complaint the two were school teachers before their marriage, and that both made money that was later invested in a property at Argos, and which was later sold and the money appropriated by the defendant. There are many 'serious charges made against the defendant, nearly all of them reverting to the violent temper and abuse of the plaintiff by the defendant. A divorce is asked, together with alimony in the sum of one thousand dollars, and ten dollars a week for the maintenance of the plaintiff and her children. She also asks for the care and the custody of the two children. Late this afternoon Esq. Smith, repreenting Byron Hendricks, presented the necessary blanks for a marriage license for Byron Hendricks to Almyra Walls. The license was refused on the ground that Byron was indebted to the county of Adams in a certain sum for court costs in a suit against his former wife. Clerk Haefling plainly stated that the slate would have to be cleaned before he would accede to the request for a marriage license. Real estate transfers: Henry Hite et al to E. B. Lenhart et al, 80 acres in Washington township, $7,000; Orville C. Fink to Bank of Geneva, tract in Wabash township, $1,200; James H Sullivan to Orville F. Fink, tract in Wabash township, S2OO. County Superintendent Opliger has been notified officially that there will be no change in the geography to be used in the schools of this county, the Frye being used the same as in past years. The Frye is used in all the higher grades over the state, and in the lower grades this is optional with the- superintendent and the board and in Adams county they have decided that no change will be made. o J. W. Meibers was among the number from here who went to Fort Wayne today to witness the Red Ribbon races, now in progress there. The crowds are said to be good, the races fast and the book men are gettting the money.

ARE GETTINGREADY Berne Will Entertain the District Mennonite Conference Soon NAME COMMITTEES Plans of Architect Meyers Accepted for the New $50,000 Church It is just ten years since the Mennonite church of Berne entertained the district 'conference at this place. Next month will mark another such event, and the local church is preparing to give the many delegates and visitors who are expected, a royal reception. At the business meeting held for this purpose last Monday the four preachers: Revs. J. W. Kliewer, S. F. Sprunger, Joel Lehman and I. A. Sommer, and the three deacons: Fred Sprunger, C. A. Neuenschwander and C. W. Baumgartner were chosen as delegates to speak for this church at conference during its deliberations. Two committees were also appointed, one to look after the lodging of the guests and the other to provide for meals at the church. The committee on lodging is composed of the following members: Mrs. D. C. Neuenschwander, the Misses Judith Liechty and Rosa Lehman, and D. C. Sprunger, Noah Luginbill and Ell Luginbill. Those who will look after the meals are J. ,F. Lehman, Menno Burkhalter, Robert Sprunger and the Mesdames J. F. Sprunger, A. A. Sprunger and Philip Sprunger. The new church was also a part of the program of Monday’s meeting. A plan has now been accepted, namely that; of Architect Meyer, of Fort Wayne, and a finance committee has been appointed which is to see that the necessary fund is raised and which is also to attend to the disbursement, of the building fund. The committee consists of I. A. Sommer, J. F. Lehman, Samuel Soldner, Burkhead Lehman, C. C. Neuenschwander and Levi Moser. The church will cost in the neighborhood of $50,000. —Berne Witness.

MAY STAY IN WEST James Beery and Guy Dorwin Left Today Noon IS A LONG TRIP They Will Visit Exposition and Several Other Places James Beery and Guy Dorwin left this noon for an extended trip in the west and they will visit many historical places while gone. They left on the noon Erie train and will go direct to Mott, North Dakota, where they will remain for a short time as the guests of Robert Beery, who Is auditor of Hettinger county. After making a pleasant visit there they will proceed to Spokane, Washington, to visit Miss Mayme Dorwin and other former Decatup people. From there they will go to Seattle, Washington, to witness the big exposition, for several days going from there to Portland, Oregon. These gentlemen will in all probability remain in the west for several months at least and perhaps permanently, as they have a , number of good business propositions in view. The trip they will make make will be an extensive one, and ’ one well worth their time and money. o FUNERAL OF HERMAN DIERKES We are requested to announce that friends desiring to view the remains of the late Herman Dierkes, may do so at the home on Saturday after- ' noon from two to five o’clock and on Sunday afternon at the same hours. The funeral services will be held as stated on Monday afternoon from the , ' Zion Lutheran church.

WILL ENJOY WEEK AT LAKE Decatur Crowd Going Next Week— Robert Patterson in Contest. Charles Good, Harry Jeffries and Claude Gay are planning a week at Rome City, leaving here next Sunday. They expect to have a good time and no doubt will, as they know a number of the young people who are spending the summer there. Among the attractions at the lake next week is a swimming endurance contest, in which Robert Peterson of this city will enter with a number of other experts from the resort. They will make an effort to swim from Spring Beach hotel to Pleasant Point and back, a distance of about five miles. Robert Is considered one of the best swimmers at the lake, and last year with another lad swam from Spring Beach to Pleasant Point, but did not attempt the return.

LINING THEM UP Tariff Bill to be Reportel to the House Today CONFERENCE REPORT Slight Reductions Made in Rates on Lumber I and Gloves 1 Washington, July 30.—The Payne- ’ Aldrich tariff bill is completed. An agreement on all disputed points was reached this afternoon and the conjferees’ report was signed by the Re- , publican conferees. It will go to the house today and be voted on by that body Saturday. The senate will begin consideration of the measure as agreed on by the conferees Monday. Halted by the mandate of President Taft, the tariff conferees were compelled to turn back and revise their . rates on lumber and gloves. In a i communication to Senator Aldrich and 1 Representative Payne, the president ' demanded that the high rate on gloves as fixed by the house, and the high rates on lumber, as fixed by the sen- , ate, should not be made a part of the conference report. President Taft has fought hard for reductions, but after all, what he obtains will not • amount to much. Doubtless he feels that he could not have gone farther without defeating the bill, and as has been pointed out in these dispatches repeatedly, he is unwilling to take that responsibility. When he does finally give the conference report his approval it will be done with reluctance But having approved the bill “as the best that can be obtained,” ' he will exert all his influence to get as many votes as possible for it. That he will not be able to bring all the Republican members of congress into line is now certain. In the senate La Follette of Wisconsin, Bristow of Kansas and Clapp of Minnesota are positive in their statements that they t will not vote to adopt the conference t report. The other seven Republican j progressives are disposed to follow the president. They have had many conferences over the situation within the last two or three days, and their i final conclusion is that for "party reasons” It will be well for them to 1 vote for a report which has the "O. K.” of the president written on It. Senator Dolliver of lowa, who made' the great fight against the cotton and j woolen schedules and who does not, like the bill as a whole any better than La Follette likes it, is advising the progressives to follow the president. Senator Nelson, of Minnesota, who sees but little in the bill to commend is giving the same advice. Senator Beveridge does not want to vote for the compromise, but he intends to go with the seven. The prospect is that in the house of representatives will be fifteen or twenty progressive Republican votes against the compromise. Mr. Dwight, the “whip'- of ■ the house, has on his list of “insurgents” the following names: Murdock ; and Madison of Kansas; Cooper, i Morse, Lenroot, Kopp and Carey of , Wisconsin; Norris, Hinshaw and Ken-1 kaid of Nebraska; Haugen, Hubbard I Kendall, Wood. Good and Pickett of lowa, and Steenerson, Miller, Lindberg and Volstead of Minnesota. At 1 least two Democrats will vote for the < report in the house and onb or two 1 'senators will support it. 1

Price Two Cents

MAY DOUBLE TRACK Chicago & Erie Road Looks Prosperous—Earnings Are Coming Fast UNDER MR. HARRIMAN Millions Will Be Spent Next Year is the General Belief in Circles The Huntington Herald says: While definite plans of the directors of the Elie railroad have not been announced regarding the physical improvements of the line and possible developments along certain lines to better the operating end, it is generally understood that extensive work will be done on the road, begining early next spring. Under the master hand of E. H. Harriman, the finances of the Erie have improved wonderfully aii the management is now reported t\ be in position to consider improve-\ ments to equipment and line in gen- 1 eral, to increase still further the earning capacity of the road. Local Erie officials have no information at hand as to the extent of the improvement policies considered, but a line is given on the prospects in an interview from C. A. Allen, veteran superintendent of the N. Y. P. & O. divisions at Marion, Ohio. Mr. Allen said Wednesday: “The Erie is heavily in debt, but there is hope ahead ,and the earnings have been so rapid that it has been decided not to issue the $30,000,000 in bonds as was decided. The company plans to double track the entire system, to reduce grades, and to bring the road to the best possible condition.” Only necessary work is being done on the Chicago & Erie divisions at this season. However, hundreds of loads of ballast are being spread on the roadbed between Marion, Ohio, and Hammond. No improvements to bridges or buildings are now under construction and as yet none have been ordered. Statements by Superintendent Allen revive hopes for a complete double track system.

A BIG CONTRACT Myers and Klopfenstein to Build Part of Traction Grade WORK AT ONCE They Will Build Grade from Linn Grove to Bluffton The contract was awarded today for the balance of the grade for the Bluffton, Geneva & Celina Traction company's line between this city and Geneva, and the successful contractors who landed the job are David Myers and Jacob Klopfenstein, the North Main street harness dealers who do contracting as a side line. They were awarded the contract for the west half of the grade, including a total of between nine nnd ten miles and running : from the corner of Washington and Liberty streets, this city, on east, ineluding all the work in this city excepting that on the paved street. Mr. Myers said this afternon that he and , his partner want to get to work on • the contract next Tuesday, and as • soon as they can get the work under > way will employ thirty teams with ; drivers, besides extra men. Their cont: tract calls for the completion cf the 3' grade by October 15th. The contract » for the east nine miles, running into - Geneva was awarded to Bears & f Brown, and they are now at work on - the grade.—Bluffton News. t o ROOSEVELT ATTENDS RACES (Former President Sees. Son Kermit Ride in Five Turf Contests. Nairobi, British East Africa, July 29.—-Theodore Roosevelt today attended a race Os the East Africa Turf Club here. Kermit Roosevelt had a mount in five of the races.