Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 9, Number 267, Decatur, Adams County, 14 November 1911 — Page 1

Volume IX. Number 267.

BOOSTS DECATUR I ..1 II ■■ p IWI 3, Chicago Inter-Ocean of Sunday Gives This City Two Column Write-up. ON SUGAR BEETS An Interesting Story of the Possibilities Resulting From Industry. The folowing dispatch appeared in the Chicago Inter-Ocean of which paper Mr. Harry Daniel is city editor: “Decatur, Ind., Nov. 11—They are having all kinds of excitement down here The thing that has kicked up all the fuss is the discovery that this grand old commonwealth of purseproud agriculturists is about the greatest place in the world for the cultivation of the sugar beet. They began excavating for an SBOO,OOO refinery here this week and the farmers of this county are preparing to put out 19,000 acres in sugar beets next year. "According to the way folks look at it here, this is going to bring the farmers so much money that they won't know what to do with it. As if is 'now, about every farmer in the state Is the proud possessor of an automobile and a canceled mortgage. Now, with the inception of the beet sugar industry in these parts, folks are worrying about what they are going to do with all their wealth. Gas Was Great Help. “About wentv years ago somebody over around Kokomo or in that section somebody Jabbed a hole in the ground and got a flow of natural gas that created a furore in Indiana. Cross-road hamlets became thriving towns, and cities sprung up over night. The state by leaps and bounds became one of the leaders in manufactures. Many persons who didn’t have much before got into the idle rich class, several counties turned nolitical flipflops. and Indiana was about the liveliest place in the world. “Something of the same kind of excitement prevails now throughout the northeastern part of the state, because people here think the advent of the sugar beet is going to turn things upside down, something like the discovery of natural gas did a generation ago. "The big sugar refining plant which was put under construction here this week will be first one in Indiana, and what folks in this part of the state think it and its successors are going to mean to them is a story interesting enough for anybody to read.' Briefly speaking they say it is going to revolutionize the farm industry of Indiana, and the changed conditions may even spill over the line into the great Illinois corn belt Are Eeasily Grown. “For they say that almost any land that will grow corn will raise sugar beets. This'change will come because the new industry as it grows out across the state will pour millions of dollars of new money annually into the wallets and bank accounts of the ’armers, and it will mean the establishment of thriving manufacturing, Plants at various points over this part of Hoosier land. In this county alone •hey figure that the farmers next fall W| H get close to $1,000,000 for their rrop of beets. Meanwhile there will be distributed in the way of wages In this eapj- little county seat town about IjOO.OOO during the same period Now to a rural community this is going to w ork a change that could scarcely be duplicated unless you used a magicians wand Extend the same conditloa across the northern part of a state like Indiana and the accummulat!ve results would be quite wonderful la addition to the vast amount of new money that will be brought into each neighborhood, the Hoosier folks “ re nu re that the price of farm land is Soing 0 double, and this is a con 'iition not to be sneezed at Hence a" ’be excitement down here. Test Crop Was Good. About four years ago the agriculdepartment of Purdue university fJ ' er a t Lafayette, made experiments " n d tests throughout the state on beet culture. They raised a test crop in Practically every county It Indiana ~ he beets were submitted to analysis

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

and found to contain an unusual percentage of saccharine matter. In a nut shell these tests showed that the sugar beet can be raised successfully 1 any point, in the Indiana corn belt. I Land which has a clay sub-soil iu the ,o st Th e only that j " 111 not grow beets profitably is what i>s known as muck land. The sugar 'eet sticks it roots down into the ground a foot or more and muck soil is nut deep enough to make the vegetI üble thrive. After Purdue university i llad completed its test it told the farmers of Indiana that they were over- ! a big bet, 1-.UI nobody paid any i attention to this advice. About a year ago, though, some sugar beet manui facturers in Michigan became inter,ested in the possibilities of Indiana as ; a producing state. They sent some chemists down here and mhde extensive examinations and tests of the soil, i 1 hat settled it. According to their i t eports Indiana soil is better adapted 'o sugar beet culture than that of .' Michigan, which is the leading beet sugar state of the union, outside of i Colorado, and is practically tied with California. Donate Land. “The people of Decatur donated a lorty-acre site, secured contracts for over 5,000 acres of beet land for two years, and got the plant. But at Bluffton, Auburn, Fort. Wayne and several other towns in this part of Indiana they say they are going to build re fineries right away. “California was the first state to discover the possibilities of sugar beet raising. As far back as 1879, they built a refinery at Alvarado, Cal., which was rebuilt in 1889. Since that time sugar beet refineries have spread until they are now located in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, lowa, Kansas, Michigan. Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, Utah and- Wisconsin. There is also one small refinery in Illinois. In many of the states mentioned there are only one or two refineries. In fact California, Colorado and Michigan are the only states in which the industry has reached noteworthy dimensions. Rut the way it looks down here, Indiana is going to become one of the real leaders in this business. They can raise all the way ■ from ten to twenty tons on an acre of ground, and they say that after the farmers get more used to it they can bring this yield up to thirty-five tons to the acre, as is the case in Germany and Holland. Products Sell High. “The beet brings :» minimum of $5 per tun, and ranges all the way up to $7 per ton according to the saccharine test, so the farmers county on something like S9O an acre. This beats corn three to one and is away ahead of anything else the fanners of Indiana have ever been able to get out

of any crop. “The farmer can cultivate the beet along' with his other crops without much extra expense, but if he has al! the work done by hired help the crop will cost him about $35, leaving still a fabulous yield from his land. The refining plant which will open for operatiou here when the 1912 crop : comes on the market will consume a thousand tons of beets a day and turn out 200,000 pounds of granulated sugar every day during the season which | lasts from one hundred days to five i months. During this period the refinery will work day and night, employing about 300 laborers. During the rest of the year this plant will employ about sevent-five skilled mechanics. “About sixty per cent of the granulated sugar used in the United States is made from the sugar beet.' It would seem that with the growth of the sugar beet, industry the supply of sugar would soon overtake the demand, but this is not true. It is said that it would require ten new factories a vear the size of the plant being erecti cd here to take care of the increased I consumption of granulated Sugar in ' the United States alone. “Have Been Shipping. “They have been raising beets in some parts of northern Indiana for a couple of years and shipping the vegetables to refineries in Michigan, but this has not amounted to much. With the coming oi refluerico into the local communities, however, the amount of acreage devoted to beets will grow to vast proportions. Even now companies are being formed to lease, or buy land for the purpose of raising beets. As fast as new refineries are erected in other parts of the state this condition will ex's' elsewhere, and it looks like within the next few years the sugar beet will be the greatest source of income that the farmers of Indiana will have. At any rate they are all worked up over the possibilities and think that they are on the verge of an agricultural revolution. Os the 10,000 CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO.

ENGINEERS HERE Measuring and Staking the Ground Preparatory to Building New Plant. REAL WORK BEGINS The Big Lot North of the City Will Soon be a Busy Place—Good Sight Work on the sugar plant really began this morning, when E. H. Owen and Mr. Weller, engineers for the Larrowe Construction company began the survey of the grounds here for the purpose of planning the new buildings., The grounds were staked off, the elevations taken and within a week the various buildings will be staked. The railroad will get busy within a week or two, their first necessary work being the laying of the main track into the grounds so that material may be shipped in. The engineers were delighted with the site, and believed it can be laid off in perfect manner for the best and modern beet factory in the world. The Larrowe company will lose no time, as the factory must be ready for operation by September 1, next, and the excavating and foundation building will go on immediately. Jacob Buhler aided the engineers in their work this morning. LAsfIAPS SOUND For Ezekiel Elzey, Civil War Veteran, a Pioneer of Adams County. II ■ — , BRIGHT’S DISEASE Was Cause of Death—Had Resided Near Bluffton of Late Years. Mrs. Emanuel Woods was apprised this morning of the death of her brother, Ezekiel Elzey, aged eighty-two years, a veteran of the civil war, who for more than sixty years was a resi dent of Adams county. His death occurred Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock at his home, a mile and a half west of Bluffton, on the Murray road, and was not unexpected, as he had been ailing for a long time with Bright’s disease, the last three weeks of his illness confining him to his bed. Mr. Elzey was born in Clinton county, Ohio, the son of James and Mary Elzey, and was but a little fellow when they moved to this county. He resided here in Monroe township and also in Washington township, and grew to be one of the most prominent farmers of the county. For the past fifteen years, however, he has lived near Bluffton. Mr. Elzey was first married to Miss Christena Blosser, and upon her death he was married to a Miss Sudduth, and he was later married to a Miss Elsie Macy, who survives. To him were born ten children, seven sons of whom are living: They are Daniel,| Joe and Islam, of near Ossian; Emanuel of Frledheim, Jesse, John and ' Calvin, at home. Mr. Elzey was one of a family of thirteen children, of whom only two brothers, Eiisha and Frank Elzey, of Ossian, and ono Bister, Mr?.. Emanuel Woods, of this city, ’ are still living. Mr. Elzey was very' highly esteemed and has a very worthy career. The following relating to his war record was contributed to this paper by a comrade, Robert Blackburn: Military Record. “Ezekiel Elzey, a rfllsident of Adams county over sixty years, died thifl morning at 3:30, near Bluffton, Ind., ( where he had recently moved. Mr.' Elzey served his country well three years in Company I, 89th Ind ( infantry. He enlisted August 14, 1862, and was mustered out July 19, 1865, ( and final discharge was dateed August 8, 1865. Comrade Elzey was with his regiment during its entire service, and

Decatur, Ind. Tuesday Evening, November 14. 1911

participated in all the marches and i battles from Munfordsville, Ky., Sep- , tember 14, 1862, to Fort Blakely, Ala., , April 9, 1865: The Red River campaign, Tupelo, Miss., the Missouri expedition, the two days’ fight at Nash- 1 ville, Tenn., and the)pursuit of General Hood's fleeing army. During his regiment’s service it traveled 11,000 miles, and 2,363 miles on foot. The funeral services will be held Wednesday morning at 9:30 o'clock , from the house, after which the remains will be brought to this county and interment made at the Beery cemetery. SEAT SALES RAPID. O. P. Schug, traveling passenger and freight agent for the Fort Wayne & Springfield railway company, announced today that he had already sold ■ thirty-two tickets for “Polly oi the ( Circus,” to be played at the Majestic ' theater, Fort Wayne, Thursday evening, November 16th, the tickets being , reserved here at the interurban office, being the choicest ones in the theater. i The tickets, including round trip fare on the special interurban car leaving here at 7 o’ clock, are $1.25. ,1 ACCOUNT OF FIRE ■ ) , Taken From Peoria Tran-, script as to Burning of National Hotel. i ; 1 ‘worst in year ■ ■ V Loss Will Exceed SIIO,OOO, , But Will be Rebuilt— I No Lives Lost. 11 A fire, which proved to be the most destructive, and one in which many' I lives were endangered, was that of the ■ National hotel, owned by Richard ' Townsend, and related as such by the •Peoria Herald-Transcript. The follow-’ ing is taken from the Peoria newspaper of Monday: “At 10:30 o'clock the bell boys and! chambermaids of the fourth floor dis- • covered the presence or smoke and at i once began an Investigation, as to j where it was coming from. At first! | they were at a loss to ascertain its whereabouts, but shortly afterwards ! i large volumes of smoke were rolling | from between the walls and it was ! j supposed to be from defective wiring , ' which had set fire to nearby timbers. I The flames, at first small, steadilyl | crept their way up the walls until the I roof was reached, when, like a sudden ■ opening of a fan, they spread in all di-' 1 rections. It had been extinguished by 1 ' employes on several occasions, but to ■ again ignite before the arrival of the •' fire department. The cry of fire by : the employees and the sounding of , gongs, which were put into use, cans- i 1 ed the lobbies to soon fiL with fleeing i guests, many having narrow escapes from the fast developing flames. Aft-, er all was thought to have reached 1 safety, a cry of ‘Man at the window’ was sounded by a spectator, and mid- ( way up the building, on the third floor, a man raised a window, gazed about 1 and then closed it again. At this a ■ ladder was put in use, and ascended by a fireman, who shouted, ‘Here's a ladder!' The man then opened his winI dpw and descended, clad only in his nightshirt and overcoat. He appeared dazed when told that the building hod been on fire for the past hour and a half. The entire list of fire-fighters were on the scene, and lent their utmost efforts combating the flames, and who on several occasions were driven I back by the stifling smoke, which wended its way in black clouds sky- ( ’ ward. Every piece of fire equipment in Peoria's possession was in use and the scene of eleven steady streams of, water playing on the raging flames,' with the slight mishaps in leaks, and i otherwise, presented a spectacular, I scene. Tho loss will exceed more i than $110,900, the losers being Mr. i Townsend, the manager, and Mr. Fa- < her, the owner of the building proper. ( s Twenty-three years ago the buildipg<‘ ! was destroyed in the same wa ' this is the greatest catastroph has occurred since that date, t . there were a number of minor There were other losers outsiue ol hotel, including a plumbing estab nient, $6,000: pool room, $2,000; cig.v. - stand, $3,000, and Miss Agnes Ken- v nedy, a stenographer, S2OO. The t building will be rebuilt, but whether f It v> ill again he inhabited as a hostelry i by Mr. Townsend is unknown at the <1 present time.”

DEAD IN HER BED Mrs. Catherine Conner, Aged Geneva Lady, Retires in Good Health. WAS FOUND DEAD In Bed This Morning, Death Having Come Unexpectedly During Night. Geneva, I»d , Nov. 14 —(Special to i Daily Dem- i at) -Conversing until 10 o'clock Monday night, with her son-in- | law, Nathan Shepherd, and family, I with whom she made her home during I tho winter —and apparently in the best I of health, Mrs. Catherine Connor, aged eighty years, retired to peaceful slumlier, but during the night death came unexpectedly and her passing away was not known until this morning when her daughter, Mrs. Nathan Shepherd, went to her “oom to call her, finding her in bed, cold in death. Mrs. | Connor was born in Jay county eighty ' years ago, her maiden name being Catherine Farber, but she had lived in Geneva for the past thirty-nine years, 1 and was one of its pioneer residents, • being very highly esteemed and be- ! loved. Her husband, William Connor, died twenty-nine years ago. She is I survived by. three children —Mrs. Nathan Shepherd, Daniel and Marion ' Connor. The funeral • arrangements had not been made at the time of going to press, but it was thought that . the funeral would be held Thursday. Coroner Grandstaff was called and ' stated that death was due to leakage ( of the heart and exhaustion. ANTI TRUST LAW I ■ — Will Consume Much of President Taft’s Time in Message to Congress. — 'hear from senate I - I , Thursday is the Time Set j for it to Report on Big Business. (United Press Service.) I Washington, D. C., Nov. 14—(Spec- ! ial to Daily Democrat)—-That President Taft and the republican party hope to makd the chief battle ground for the 1912 presidential election the j enforcement of the anti-trust laws be- • ' came apparent here today when it was I ascertained that the president will de- • j vote considerable space to the anti- ■ ' trust law in his coming message to ! congress, while the tariff will be dismissed upon the recommendation of the tariff board. Los Angeles, Cal.. Nov. 14 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —It appeared probable today that at least four of the nine men now holding seats in the jury box in the case of James B. McNamara dynamiting trial will be retained as permanent jurors. Preparatory questions of the attitude of lawyers for the defense and prosecution indicated this. It was hoped to fill the three vacant seats in the jury box and beginning the exercise of challenging talismen late this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Six of the veniremen appeared in court this morning for examination. Washington, D. C., Nov. 14—(Special to Daily Democrat) —An investigation of "Big Business” will begin tomorrow with tho hearing by the senate committee on interstate and foreign commission. “Whether there shall'3vr. coflyp*titjpn or combination, Senator Cum w*. of the com‘’i‘ i;')s,ito-be competiU •'•'/cp .perplex. If ■ ■'• to effort wiir%e mau<:v-«l;aElSv'Vi f :» W postpone Hie trial of RcSSw’flTte'-E. Richeson for the murder of* Alice'Llneal, accord ing to Attorney W. A. Morse here today. Losing out in the first skirmish, CONTINUED PAGE TWO.

KEEFER’S THEATER PARTY. Is the name of the special car to be run over the interurban Thursday, November 16th, and to afford those wishing to witness a first-class play ' and considered one of the best to have ' an engagement with the managers of ! this popular theater The entire cost i for the round trip, including a ticket I for the play is only $1.25, a rare opportunity afforded those attending ; plays at Fort Wayne, and one which I you will do well to take advantage of. I The special car will leave here at 7 p. m., getting into Fort Wayne shortily before 8, or nearly so, and thus a’j lowing ample time lo get the choice j seats which have been reserved on the j ground flooi- especially for the Keefer theater party. A number are planning j to attend and now is your time to get jin before it. is too late. For further : information inquire at the interurban ] station. A chance of a life time. IS NEARIN? CLOSE Camnaign for Depauw University Endowment Fund Will Close January 1. I " THE LARGE SUM Os $60,000 Must be Subset ibed Between Now and Then—Active Workers. The closing days of the endowment fund campaign for Depauw university are being watched with interest by educationally interested people of the state, and especially by those of this city, since the Rev. G. H. Myers of I this city and the Rev. Sherman Powell, former pastor of the bematur Methodist church, are two of the field 'workers assisting in raising the endowment fund. Tlie following article in the Fort Wayne Journal-Gpzette will be of interest to all: ‘‘At this time the friends of Depauw university are engaged in an effort to secure a fund of $409,000, which, with SIOO,OOO conditionally given by the general educational board, will furnish a half-million endowment to be used exclusively for the support of the uni' ersity’s teaching force, in order that the offer of SIOO,OOO may not lapse, it will be necessary to comI plete this $400,000 fund by January 1, and there is still lo be raised $60,000. It will require the most active effort by friends of the institution, and the most generous response by the people to prevent the failure of a movement important not only to Depauw university, but to the educational interests of the state generally. “Os the $340,000 raised up to this i time nearly half has been contributed I by members of the boards of trustees | and visitors of the institution, and by I Indiana Methodist preachers. Members of the boards have contributed SBO,OOO, and the Methodist ministers $70,000 —a total of $150,000. From the great body of the Methodist laity, or from the friends of education generally has come the remaining $190,000. It is realized that there will have to be some tall hustling in Indiana if the fund is completed. The failure to realize upon this opportunity for the enlargement of the opportunity of Depauw, it is realized, would be one of the exclamltous experiences in the history of higher education in this state. It will be necessary, however, to enlist every friend of Depauw university and of Christian education in this state if the goal is reached in the short, time remaining, as the larger donors have nearly all responded already. Friends ol Depauw are watching the closing days of the endowment movement, with much interest and it is believed that before the close of the campaign they will do their full part toward bringing about its complete success, thus assuring the future of Depauw university.” CAL ROBINSON PROMOTED. ...I. H,— Cal Robinson, who since last January has served as driver for the WellsFargo Express company’s local agency, today received an offer of promotion to t’ e position as depot agent at Huntington. Mr. Robinson left today for Huntington where he will learn more about the position before determining whether he will accept. The position Is an excellent one and the offer is a good recognition of his service and ability.

Price, Two Cents

TAKE NUPTIAL VOW Pretty Ceremony Uniting Lives of Myrtle Watts and Fred J. Bouse. AT HIGH NOON Day Was Also Wedding Anniversary of Her Parents, T. W. Watts and Wife. Today, the thirty seventh wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Watts, is also the wedding day of their daughter, Miss Myrtle M. Watts, whose marriage to Mr. Fred J. Bouse of Toledo, Ohio, .was solemnized at | high noon. One corner of the parlor | of the Watts home was banked with ■ living ferns and greenery and it was before this improvised altar that the bride and groom took their places at the appointed hour, the ceremony being impressively pronounced by the bride's pastor, the Rev. C. E. Eble, of the Fort Wayne Baptist church, who until a few weeks ago, was pastor of the local Baptist church. The wedding was a very quiet one, being witnessed by only the nearest relatives of both famil’ea. After felicitations were extended to the newly married couple, a wedding dinner was served in the dining room. The ta- [ ble was unusually pretty and truly bridal in appearance as befitted the oci casion. Tiny white satin ribbons were twined among the chandelier globes ’ over the center, and were drawn > down to the four corners of the table. ; A delicate tracery of gmilax was (wined with the ribbons, and the centeri piece of the table was a bowl of white j bride’s roses, around which, in con--1 j trast were laid sprays jpf bitter-sweet -1 with their pretty coral-like berries. ‘ Smilax tracery also outlined the table, ■ | and favors were white ■carnations. ! This afternoon the newly mauled esu- ■ pie left for a wedding trip, which will - include Detroit and other lake cities, . and after January Ist, they will be at - j hame in Grand Rapids, Michigan, , j where the groom, who is a business man of ability, has been appointed •, manager of a branch store conducted. ■, by the Rendall & Ransom dental sup- ' ply firm, of which ho has heretofore ■ ! been traveling representative. The -. bride's wedding gown was a brown I silk poplin, The border of the skirt - j was outlined with a floral design in a -1 darker shade of brown, shading delii j cately into the tints of the back- * i ground, and tho waist was made in > j surplice style, with a yoke of gold lace. • | Her going away costume was a hand- ■ j some tailored suit of tan, with brown s i hat and gloves to match. Among the 1 out of town guests at the wedding i were the groom's parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Bouse, and their daughter, - Mrs. M E. Lewis, and family of To--1 ledo, Ohio, and the bride's sister, Mrs. s Will Walters, of Adrian, Mich. The 1 very best wishes of all are showered ■ upon Mr. and Mrs. Bouse, both of ■ whom are highly estimable and poput lar with their large number of friends ! here, as well as elsewhere. ■ The bride is the eldest daughter of ■ Mr. and Mrs. Watts, is a graduate of ■ the Decatur high school, and is active and popular both in church and social circles. The groom is a business man ■ lof ability, and a man greatly esteemI ed by all. o MORE REAL ESTATE CHANGES. More changes in farm property are reported by the D. N. Erwin real estate agency. D. B. Erwin has purchased the eighty acres in Union township from Freinan Walters, and Mrs. Walters has purchased the eighty acres in this township from the i Susannah Archer heirs. Mr. Walters I will build a new house on his new ac- ; qulsltion and otherwise improve it for his own occupancy. The five acres on South Thirteenth street, owned by Mrs Amelia Hoagland, have been sold to James Woods, a plasterer, who - came here from Ohio some time ago. - Mr. Woods exepcts to move to his 1 newly acquired property. t BUSINESS MEETING TONIGHT. 1 The Christian Endeavor society of s the United Brethren church will meet . at. the church this evening at 7 o'clock 1 where they will hold their regular s monthly business meeting. Every member is requested to attend.