Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 8, Number 21, Decatur, Adams County, 25 January 1910 — Page 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT.

Volume VIII. Number 21.

GRAVEL ROAD LAW IS GOOD Indiana Supreme Court Reverses Itself and Holds Law Constitutional. OPINION BY HADLEY Two Judges Filed Dissenting Opinions—All Doubt is Now Removed. (United Press Service.) Indianapolis, Ind., Jan. 25 —(Special to Daily Democrat)- —The Indiana supreme court today reversed its early ; decision regarding the validity of the gravel road law and held it constitutional'. The right to use the township I as a taxing division in which to build ' gravel roads is declared valid. The opinion of the court today was written by Judge Hadley and concurred in by Judges Montgomery and Meyers, while Judges Jordan and Monks gave dissenting opinions. The opinion of Judge Hadley declares the law' constitutional throughout, taking up each of the half dozen unconstitutional objections urged against it one after the other and decided that none of them are well founded. The decision removes all doubt as to the validity that grew out of the former decision and upholds the law as against all objections to its validity that were suggested. This decision means the continuance of the building of roads over the state and the comjfletion of those under way. workisdelayed Investigation of the Food Trusts Will Not Begin Until Tomorrow. MEAT IS CHEAPER Jim Hall, Murderer of Anna Schumaker, Taken to Rochester for Trial. (United Press Service.) Chicago, 111., Jan. 25—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The federal grand jury will not begin its investigation of the meat trust until late today or tomorrow, as the result of instructions from Washington. The federal district attorney has decided to dispose of all the calendar cases before taking up the more Important work. A reduction in prices of many of the necessities of life has already been announced and several replies are expected today. (United Press Service.) Portsmouth, N. H., Jan. 25 (Special to Daily Democrat) —James A. Hall, the alleged murder of Anna Schumaker, of Rochester, New York, was today turned over by the federal authorities to the sheriff of Rochester. He will be taken to Rochester at once to stand trial (United Press Service.) Newark, N. J. Jan. 25—(Special to Daily Democrat)—As a result of the falling off of at least 25 per cent in trade on meats here, the price at retail has been reduced from one to three cents per pound and further reductions arc expected.

FLOODS HINDERED MAIL SERVICE The patrons of rural mall service were among those inconvenienced by the flooded condition of the streams last week. Rural Mail Carrier S. S. Magley of Route 7 was able to complete his route Monday for the first time since Thursday of last week. At that time the St. Marys river had flooded the road, making passage over ’ the Lewton bridge in Root township impracticable. The water was so deep in the road that it came up into the wagon box and there was also great danger to the horse and driver from washouts and from floating pieces of ice. Those living on this side of TTie river, at the end ot the route, including Elias Sudduth, Jerry Archbold, George Ruckman, Charles Cook, Nancy Sheets, Henry Kintz and Emerson Elzey were cut otPTrom mail service during that time. THE GENEVA NEWS Those Who Come and Go as Reported by Our Correspondent There. MR. RICHTER LEAVES Accepts Position at Hammond—Mr. Pontius in in Indianapolis Hospital. Genova, Ind., Jan. 25 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Sylvester Pontius, living three miles southwest of Geneva, is in an Indianapolis hospital taking treatment for a complication of diseases, and it is the hope of his friends here that a permanent cure i will be effected. James H. Cullin of Vining, Kansas, is here visiting Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wood. Mr. Cullin left this county in i 1886 and thfs is Ills first visit since leaving, and as a matter of fact he finds much that calls for a congratulatory comment. Mrs. Wood and children will return to Kansas with 1 Mr. Cullin. B. F. Kizer, an old Adams county boy, and at one time proprietor of the Decatur News, but for several years located at Portland, Oregon, was calling on friends here Monday. N. M. Richter, who has been in charge of the Anderson & Knepper drug store for some time, has resigned and accepted a similar position at Hammond. His resignation will go into effect on February Ist. 1 Mr. Richter thoroughly knows the drug business and while residing here has demonstrated that he is a thorough gentleman and,his friends are sorry to see him leave. Rev. Roberts, formerly pastor of the ■ U. B. church here, but now located at Marion, preached an interesting sermon at the church here Sunday, and incidentally saw many of his former friends. Rev. Waldo, the pastor, is out of the city engaged in pastoral work. o ■ ■ FREE COUPONS FOR CRYSTAL. In last evening's and tonight’s issue of the Daily Democrat will be found a : coupon which with five cents admits j two persons to the Crystal theater , this evening. Mr. Biggs is a hustler and his show on these special nights are always good. Be sure to take ad- ' vantage of this opportunity. < FRACTURE OF RIBS. Robert Andrews of the south part of the city, fell this afternoon and sustained a fracture of the ribs. 1 Mr. Andrews had climbed to the hay mow to look for eggs, when he ; slipped and fell. Dr. Clark dressed the injury. , MASONIC MEETING TONIGHT. ' All members of the F. A. M. lodge are requested to be present at the I meeting to be held this evening when , Fred B. Tague will be given the third ( degree work. , STORK PAYS VISIT. , The stork made a visit in the city this morning, calling at the home of Mr. and Mrs. O. P. Mills, and leaving a fine baby girl. Mr. Mills is a city mail carrier. ] —o ——- Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Wallace arrived this afternoon from Newcastle, Pa., 1 and will be the guests of Mr. and 1 'Mrs. John Niblick until Thursday. Il

Decatur, Indiana. Tuesday Evening, January 25, 1910.

OCEAN TO OCEAN John Walsh Was Here Monday on Foot From San Francisco to Boston. ON A $2,000.00 WAGER Must Reach There by Feb. 15th—Has Had Many and Varied Experiences. John Walsh, walking from San Francisco to Boston, on a $2,000 wager with the San Francisco Examiner, one of Hearst’s papers, passed through Decatur Monday, following the C. & E. going from here to Lima. He stopped here only a short time, as he was determined to make the distance from Huntington to Lima in one day. He is fifty-six years old and left the Pacific coast October 23rd and is now eight days ahead of his schedule. He reports to the Examiner each evening. He must reach Boston by February 15th to win his wager. Across the Rockies his tramp was especially fatiguing and the greater part of his way he has straggled through snow drifts. Tn his long hike across the country he has had many interesting' experiences. From the start he has plowed through snow of all depths and says that bad weather seems to follow his footsteps. He has suffered greatly from exposure to the cold and is snow blind from the gTare of the sun on the white covering through which he has traveled most of the way. Across the Utah desert and in many other places he experienced great trouble tn obtaining water and deciares that In some places owners of pumps actually haff Yale locks on them to prevent any one drawing water. Food was also hard to obtain in some places and proffered money was refused because of the fact’ that he was tramping. In Utah he fell off a trestle while walking at night and I fractured Tfis shoulder but delayed only long enough to have the bones ! placed in condition. Ail kinds of people has he met and he says he will ■ never forget the favors received at the hands of many. Yet he says that the offer of a thousand dollars would not induce him to again attempt the trip. BEST OF SERIES Os Many Night Services Was Meeting at Methodist Church Monday Night. PASTOR WAS ASSISTED By Others of City and by Rev. G. H. Meyers of Montpelier. A splendid congregation, the largest Monday night congregation of the series, assembled at the Methodist church Monday evening, and all were amply repaid. The mixed chorus led the music splendidly and the men's chorus sang three excellent selections. The pastor preached from Romans 10:1-3 arid the response was most hearty. Two souls bowed at the altar and found rest in Christ and there were many anxious hearts in the congregation. The church was cheered by the presence and help of the Revs. I. Imler and L. C. Hessert of this city and the Rev. Geo. Hunter Meyers of Montpelier. The meetings will continue afternoons and evenings. Wednesday afternoon will be Sunday school teachers’ day. The men’s chorus will rehearse this evening at 6:30, All come to the parsonage. A BABY GIRL. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Merryman are the proud parents of a big baby girl which made its appearance in their home on January 18th. All are doing well and happiness reigns in the 'household.

WILL HAVE AN OPERATION. Tom Miller of Bluffton is Off Duty for a Time. The traveling auditor of the Clover Leaf is in Bluffton today checking the accounts of Agent Tom Miller preparatory to a vacation of several months on the part of Mr. Miller, who will go to Marton on Wednesday to have an operation performed for the removal of growths on both eyes. Operator Amos Neff will act as agent during Mr. Miller's absence and an operator named Wanamaker will be transferred here from sotne Ohio town to take Mr. Neff's position. Mr. Miller will require at least two weeks in which to recuperate from the operation and may take a longer period as he and his wife are figuring on a short vacation trip to Texas. The growths which will be removed consist of small coats on the outside of the eye. They have been interfering with Mr. Miller’s health for some time and are beginning to interfere with his vision.— Bluffton News. THE COURT \IEWS Meeting of the Township Assessors on Wednesday, February 2. McCARDLE TO BE HERE Member of the State Tax Board to Visit Adams County. Courity Assessor Gentis has received word from John W. McCardle, a member of the state tax board, to the effect that he Would be in Decatur on Monday, February 2nd, and at 2 o'clock of that day he would like to meet every township assessor of Adams county. Mr. Gentis will arrange i the meeting and it is expected that the township assessors will attend ■ and get a line on their work for this year. They will begin an active canvass of their townships on the Ist day of March and will for the sixty days following that be busy assessing the personal property of the townships. The meeting with Mr. McCardle is an important one, and every township assessor should be on hand and get all the pointers that seem to be going. The commissioners’ room at the auditor’s office is beginning to take on the sort of improvement as was intended, and it will prove a great cohverifence for botn the officers and the public having business with the boteft. There is nothing of apparent interest to come up before the board at their February session, unless the supreme court should happen to reverse themselves on the three-mile macadam road law, and then you would see much doing in macadam road building in this county. As it stands there is much dissatisfaction over the ruling, the public generally being inclined toward the betterment ot the public highways. Real estate transfers: F.'A. Peoples to Margaret Mayer, pt. lot 70, Decatur, $870; W. A. Kuebler to H. R. Moltz, pt. lot 548, Decatur, $300; F. M. SchirmeyeT,' trustee, to Eli Meyer, inlots 15 and 52, Decatur, SSBO. Attorney J. W. Teeple filed a new case entitled 'Charles M. Myers vs. Chicago & Erie Railroad company., damages; demand, $55. The suit is the result of fire along the tracks of the railroad and for the killing of a hog. — ■ o WANT TO FURNISH LIGHT. Traction Lines Will Put a Proposition Up to Bluffton Council Friday. Bluffton, Ind., Jan. 25 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —When the council meets here Friday evening of this week a very important question will come up. At that time the B. G. & C. : and M. B. & E. traction lines will present to the council a proposition to take over the city lighting plant and to furnisn lights for the city. They win offer many reasons for doing so and will make a strong effort to land the contract and take over the city lighting plant.

A FINE SHOWING Made by Decatur Library During Past Month —The Month Had Day of BIGGEST CIRCULATION Renewals for Magazine and New One Also Contributed—A Good Report. The report of Miss Annette Moses, librarian at the Decatur library, shows that the past month from December 20th to January 20th, has been one of the best in the history of the library. Among other noteworthy things that month was honored with the highest daily circulation since the opening of the institution, 130 books being issued to patrons on December 31st. The average daily circulation for the month was 80, while the lowest was 48. During the entire month 2,042 books were circulated, the total number of borrowers to date being 1,747. The number of books now belonging to the library is 4,156. The amount collected from rentals, assessments and fines totals sl2. The month also showed an increase in referenda work, and the attendance at the reading tables, both on Sunday and on week days was larger than ever before. The February magazines for the reading tables are beginning to arrive, and readers will find an excellent assortment. Patrons will be pleased to find among the magazines a new one to the library, “Current Literature,” a year’s subscription for which has been donated by Prof. E. E. Rice, superintendent of the city schools. The sum of six dollars has also been received from Miss Hattie Studebaker for renewal to “Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature.” Among the new books bought for the library during the past month were the new dictionary and atlas. Last Saturday was also one of the recordbreakers in the matter of the number of books taken out, the number being 120. This is the third time in the history of the library that the daily circulation as reached that mark. ITS THE MRS. TURN Rev. McCarty Has Summoned His Wife to Appear and Answer Questions IN THE DIVORCE CASE The Ante-Nuptial Contract Seems to be Causing Annoyance to Each. It Is a long lane that has no turning. Some months ago, Rev. W. E. McCarty, after several attempts to secure his presence had been made, appeared before a notary designated by the attorneys of his former wife, Mrs. Isabelle Williams, and submitted to a searching examination touching matters connected with his suit against her for an accounting of their financial affairs and for a settlement according to the terms of their antenuptial contract. Monday morning, on application of attorneys for Rev. Mr. McCarty, an or- ; der was issued by Judge LaFollette ’ directing his former wife to appear at the office of Snyder & Smith on < Monday next, at 10 in the morning. | There she will be required to answer < such questions as may be asked touch- ■ ing the matters out of which the suit | has grown. It is said the examination ; of Mrs. Williams will be in charge of Frank Snyder, while it is thought she will be represented by her attorneys, Emerson E. McGriff and Judge E. C. Vaughn of Bluffton. —Portland Com-mercial-Review. — Joe Berling made a business trip to Bluffton this morning and visited his brother, Will, who is general manager and secretary-treasurer of the Bluffton Produce plant, in which concern H. Berling of this city holds the controling Interest.

ELI WAGNER WRITES FRIENDS. He Thinks Montana is the Greatest State of West—Land Ch'ap. Dally Democrat: A former Adams county resident, now living in Central Montana, near Cascade, in the county which bears the same name, though I would write’ a few lines to the old friends. The winter here has been fine, with but very Ifttle snow; no rain, an but little coTd weather. Cattle, horses and sheep are on pasture now, just as though it were summer. I would like to see some of my old friends in Adams county take advantage of the opportunity to buy cheap land here, for it is sibling fast and cheap, the prices ranging from sls to S3O an acre. I will be glad to answer correctly any questions you may care to ask if you write me at Cascade, Mont. ELI WAGONER. A VIOLENT DEATH Joseph B. Anderson Struck by Wabash Engine at Ft. W ay ne —Death WAS INSTANTANEOUS Born and Reared in Adams County—Brother of New ton Anderson. A telephone message received Monday night from Fort Wayne by Newton'Anderson brought the horrible tidings that his brother, Joseph Byron Anderson, a well known insurance agent of that city, had been struck by eastbound No. 6 Wabash passenger train, at Winter street at 5 o’clock Monday evening and instantly killed. The watchman, August Ladig, the only witness of the accident, stated that he and Mr. Anderson had been engaged in conversation a few minutes before and when Ladig went to the street to flag down the crossing, he warned the unfortunate man to step back. As the train bore down on the crossing he stated he called to Anderson again, but instead of getting out of the way the latter stepped toward the tracks. The train, which was going at a high rate of speed, struck him a blow which fractured the skull and hurled him a distance of twenty feet against the watchman’s house. Death was instantaneous. The body, which was taken to Wellman’s undertaking house and prepared for burial, showed few injuries. The skull was fractured almost in the center of the forehead, an Inch and a half above the nose and slightly to the right, with slight bruises on and above the nose. A deep gash was cut in the lower left leg but the bones were not fractured. The report of the watchman, who was the only witness, shows him to believe that death was suicidal though friends and relatives of the unfortunate man firmly believe that it was accidental. The deceased was born and reared in Adams county and is known and related to many here, being a grandson of the late Pendleton Rice. He was born about thirty-five years ago in Union township, this county, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Anderson. He grew to manhood there and was married to Miss Lena Roth. They later moved to Wren, Ohio, where he worked for his brother, Will Anderson, in his sawmill, and about three years ago went to Ft. Wayne, where he served as local manager for the Hoosier Casualty company. He resigned this the first of the year, and was considering the agency for the Home Health and Accident insurance company. About a month ago he was taken ill with smallpox, but recovered. The unfortunate man leaves a widow, but no children. He was the fourth one of the Anderson boys, next younger than Newton of this city. The following brothers arfl sisten-s survive: Wilf P. of St. Lopis; Sherman of Gideon, Mo.; Franklin of Paulding, Ohio; Ora, of Rockford, Ohio; Newton, of this city; Mrs. Oscar Hunter of Hobart. The father is living at Gideon, Mo., but the mother died about three years ago. The relatives have all been notified of the death and funeral arrangements will not be made until they can be heard from. The brother, Newton, went to Fort Wayne as soon as the message (Continued on page 2.)

Price Two Cents

THE CONTESTANTS t , Should Start Seeing Your i Friends and Solicit Their Support. — i MORE NAMES TODAY The Contest is Warming Up All Over the County— Better Get Busy. Interest in the big contest now being held under the auspices of the Decatur Daily Democrat continues unabated and from this time on the contest promises to get warmer every minute. The prizes as offered to the successful candidates are without question the best that have ever been offered by any newspaper in this territory and no one can blame the contestants for their activity in trying to land the grand prize, which is something that is desired by every citizen in our county. There is no question but that this is the opportunity of a life time and some one, after the sth of March, when the contest closes, will be the proud possessor of one of the best machines manufactured in the United States and one he or she may be proud of. The candidates are working hard, even this early in the game, and from the interest taken by the public the closing scenes of this contest ■will be one that will open the eyes of the oldest politicians of our county. If your name has not been nominated it is now time for you to get busy, yes, very busy, and see that your own territory is worked first by. yourself before your opponent has time to get the business ahead of you. It is still early in the fight, but as in all other instances the old adage holds good in this case, that the early bird catches the worm, so it is up to you, Mr. Contestant. It is a simple matter to see your next door neighbor and solicit his or her subscription, and it is also easy to approach your friends and tell them that you want their support as' you are in the contest to win and a little word dropped by them might in the end mean and bring untold results to you. It only takes a little hustling on any one’s part to J win tTiis capital prize and as stated before, the best hustler is bound to win in the end. and he or she is bound to be made happy by the Democrat ■ when the prizes are awarded. If you are not clear in your mind about any ■ of the points governing this contest 1 our ’phone number is 51 and we will ! be glad to call and see you and make 1 everything as clear as In our power • to do so. After doing this it will then ■ be up to you to get the business which ! in the end may bring the results that '■ you are or have been wishing for. Do ■ not hesitate when a proposition to get i something for nothing is offered you, 1 and wfliich only means a few hours’ work for you each day, for we are • sure that there is not a man, woman or child in Decatur or Adams county that Has not in the past few months wished for a machine of this description for themselves. Remember that there is no one barred in thfs contest and there is still time for you to send In your nominations and last but riot Feast and excellent chance for you to win the automobile. Each day brings In new names for the contest and as we have a man especially employed $o look after thfs list it will prove no trouble on our part to add your name with the others. Think this matter over and study the situation carefully and you cannot come to any other conclusion but that you still have the chance of a life time 1 and in the end be the proud possessor 1 of one of the grandest automobiles ■ ever run over the roads of Adams 1 county. Remember, you have the right to us up and ask all the questions ’ you desire. It costs nothing to talk, ■ so let ns hear from you, either by 1 ’phone or letter. —————— ——<K- ———— FUNERAL HELD TODAY, r The funertfl of the late Mrs. Ida r t Whitright was held this afternoon at -1 o’clock from the Christian church, ' the services being conducted by the I Rev. Imler, pastor of the United I Brethren church. A la.ge attendance > characterized the funeral. The body i was laid to rest in Maplewood ceme--1 tery.