Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 10, Number 213, Decatur, Adams County, 5 September 1912 — Page 1

ie X. Numbei 213.

WITH ALL i OUR FAULTS They Love Us Still—lnteresting Letters from Old Friends and Neighbors. LEW WAGNER WRITES Tells Many Incidents of Forme: Days—Jeff Bryson Sure is Coming Home. I Portland, Ind., Sept. 4. 19J2. Mr. Fr e:.ch Quinn, Decatur, Ind.: ■nr French:—Your kind invitation MMjtand the Old Home Week festivities! in October came fluttering in sad Banded face up, on my table. When I saw that beautifully crooked scrawl at the bottom and realized thatwou made it, I could almost hear yottirm, and it made me “home-sick.” Witfwe be there? Sure, Mike, well he the: with lard in our hair and our eatwtinned back. You couldn’t ke >p ws away from the dear old town, where the streets and alleys shout the'fi welcome and the trees bow in greeßng ai the wanderer returns. Comine back? Well, I guess yes! Baek where the sunshine in the faces of the peoflte keep you from noticing the doajSy days. Back where the people's hands are open, ready to push, never closed. for a knock. “Back home” •where the children on the street know vouiffld shout their welcome, and the sights and sounds are “homey” every■'here Back home! Yes, every one who has lived there calls it home, for the people who live there are living cut the idea of, who was it? Walt Whitman, where he says, "I want to Uva: in a house by the side of the road, and be a friend to man.” Back, for a few days, loafin' with the fellers on the streets and’ shakin’ han’s an’ sowjn' to all the folks we meet. Respectfully, JEFF BRYSON.

Detroit, Mich., Sept. 3, 191-'. Mr. French Quinn, Decatur, Ind.: My Dear French: —Permit me to thaitk you for your kind remem- 1 branee to me in the nature of an in-' ‘iftjtion to attend the Old Home Week | durin. the week of October 14th ‘o 19ui, inclusive. I shall be very happy. iofVail myself of this opportunity to retutr to my old home and renew acquaintance with yourself and other old ifriends there. Again thanking you [for your kind remembrance and j with sincere personal best wishes, 1 am Very truly yours, E. L. AYERS. Sawtelle. Cal.. .* :g. 191-'. Mr. French Quinn, Decatur, Ind.: Kear Sir:—Your kind invitation to attend Old Home Week is received,; and I would very much like to spend week with you in renewing old nc-i qtiaintanees and viewing the many j taprovements that have been made. InTthe seven years since I left Decatur, but old age, feeble health and • dtotanee prevent. T enclose herewith one dollar, so you will know that my heart Is von anyway. M keep pretty well posted on events there, for I read the Democrat every week. It usually reaches here Monday, and that evening my wife reads it aloud from first page to last, even the advertisements, and I suppose I would hardly recognize the place, especially out about the sugar factory. But if you could see the town as it w r as when I first saw it. and compare it with today, you would Teal.ze more than ever that it gfowing some gfl struck the town about forty years ago in December, just about the time th< G R. & I. R. H. got there. I cah-.e in from Fort Wayne on the local. which did not even have a cabhose, and I rode in the firemens stßtt. When we reached Decatur a group of men were waiting to s< the train pull in. I afterward leat n cd they were Pete Forbing, Tit' i«3®rnst, .Take Martin, D. D. Heller and Gabe Kintz. Tfte pulled out his watch, saying, “Now, boys, we can Kt railroau time,” and they proceeded to set their watches by the steam gauge on the boiler. K.-C. A. Barry was the first agent and Aerator of the G. R. & I- doing all Ci' the work himself. Perhaps you

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

would be interested to know some- 1 thing of the town as it was then. The city had no waterworks, but every-I body had a well or cistern, or car- ! ried water from a neighbor's. The citizens furnished “street lights,” for every fellow who went down town at night carried a lantern, or run the | nsk of “not going home till morning.” • The first municipal lights were lamps ' set out on posts and the boys called i them “red headed girls,” so you may know they were brilliant. The streets were mud, hub deep, and in front of where Everett & Hite's store is now, it was so deep that they hauled stones as big as ! bushel baskets from the river and 1 dumped them in so wagons could get through. No automobiles then: There were a few board sidewalks in the business part of town I only. There are very few business I houses left that were there when I first came. The east side of Second street, between Monroe and Madison , streets, having every bidding burned some years later. The court house was a two-story frame building where Alex Bell’s resi-1 dence now stands, and quarters for the county officers were small onestory biddings, with shed roofs on the court house square, facing on Second street. A. J. Hill published the only newspaper. It was called “The Eagle,” and was the predcssor of The Democrat. Jacob King and his son, John, run a blacksmith shop on First street, and as a side line, Jake, himself was city marshal. His son, David, was sheriff of Adams county. John E. Smith was coroner and took care of the prisinefs in jail. Yager S- Barthel run a furniture store where the Yager store is now, making the most of their own goods, with an old blind horse for power, and Joe Cratner to handle the chisels. Harlo Mann conducted a grocery store on Second street during the week and on Sunday preached out near the Washington church to a congregation that was said to have neither politics nor religion in it. Pete Forking, Mr. Rademacker, Geo. Smith and Mr. Bosse dispensed “cholera balm” by the dose, and Barney Wemhoff dispensed the same nesessary fluid by the quart. Among the attorneys I remember Judge Studal baker, J. R. Bobo, C. M. France, R. S. Peterson, John Quinn, Eden Hoffman I and D. D. Heller, the latter making bird cages as a side line, and they were beauties, too.

Jesse Niblick and John Crawford kept a general store on the corner of Second and Monroe. John T. Baileyrun a blacksmith shop and on Sunday pt eached to a congregation in St. Mary's township. Holthouse & Confer, Jake Martin and J. H. Voglewede had the shoe stores and Harvey Winnes run a shoe shop and was : kept busy making new shoes and re-1 pairing old ones. R. B. Allison and , William Niblick looked after the in-’ terests of the Adams County bank,' while Rout & Eicher run the Citi-: zeu's bank where the Winnes shoe' store is now. William and David Spencer had a ( hardware, store where the Holthouse I drug store is , and Mr. Bremerkamp I and son, Henry, kept a dry goods store where the Blackburn drug store ■ is now. Dr. Dorwin, Dr. Trout and ; son. Dr. Schrock and Dr. Jaleff looked [ after the health of the people, and Dr.' Dorwin and Dr. Schrock each had a drug store. Sam Bollman also had one. I think there were but four churches at that time—Catholic,; Methodist, Presbyterian and Lutheran Father Von Swaidler was the. priest in charge of the Catholic ( church. What is now the opera house was the Methodist church and Rev. R. D. Spellman was the minister. Among the pillars of the church were Mrs David Studabaker, Father ( Reiger and wife. Father GilHg and wife, Pendleton Rice and wife, T. J. Archbold and wife and Mrs. Thomas Mickels. Rev. Jones ministered to the spiritual needs of the Presbyterr- 1 ians. but I have forgotten the name | O s the Lutheran minister. Byron ( Thompson was postmaster and the office was where the J. H. Stone building is now. Levi Barkley was ( the town butcher and sold soup bones [or meat and skull bones for soup. Charlev Burt and J. J. Miesse fed the public and the first time I ever saw ( Johnny Heller was at the Burt house where his mother had been to dinner, [ and when she went home Dick Townsend went with her to “carry- the j baby" and little did Dick think then that ’hg was carrying the future illus- ( :„ iOUS editor of the Democrat. Henry and Jonathan McLean owned a clothing store, Jonathan being in charge o f it while Henry was manager of the Farmers’ & Mechanics' Spoke and Saw mill at the south end of Eighth (Continued on Page 4)

“DECATUR CA\ AND WILL”

CLEVER STROKE Given by Miss Tiene Rade macker and C. W. Lattin in Surprising Friends. OF THIS CITY Groom Went Home to Vote I Taking Bride With Him —Married in Todelo. Toledo, 0., Sept. s—Specials—Special to the Daily Democrat—Miss “Tiene” Rademacker of Decatur was to be married in Decatur Wednesday morn- ' ing to Mr. “Bill” Lattin. but “Bill” | slipped one over on his friends and I came home to vote at the Tuesday's election and brought his bride with | him. Friends of the couple in Decatur were waiting at the church with their 1 little bag of rice and various jokes which are so pouular on wedding ocI casions. However, their friends were II ' sadly disappointed when they found they were at the wrong church, as I “Bill’ had arranged to have the stunt ‘ pulled off in Toledo at 6 a m. Wednesday morning at the St. Francis de I Sales cathedral, being conveyed to the church in a hansom touring car. ’ ’ After the ceremony the couple took ’ a little spin around the town. J Breakfast was served about 7:30 ’ i a. m. at the home of the bride's sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Ardner, 2209 Lagrange street, ( Toledo. I The breakfast consisted of twelve I ] ' courses, which was spread on a handsomely decorated table of large . i American beauties and day lilies. Mu- ' sic was furnished by one of the popular nine-piece orchestras of Toledo. The couple left on a 2:30 p. m. train for the west. Some of the stops on their trip will include Springfield, 111., Chicago, 111., Milwaukee, Wis., and South Bend, Ind. i Mr. and Mrs. Lattin will be at home to their friends after October Ist at : 2232 Warren street in Toledo. , I Mr. Lattin is a prominent telephone ' i man of Toledo, Ohio.

RETAIN REV. RIF Is What Board of Managers of Reformed Orphans’ Home Would Do. IS STRONGLY URGED In Spite of His Resignation —Has Served More Than Twelve Years. “Members of the executive board of the Reformed orphans home at their regular meetlrs came to the conclusion mat Ret. and Mrs. Ruf wil' continue in charge of the institution, notwithstanding the resignation of Rev. Ruf some time ago,” says the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette. “The executive board decided that everything that can be should be done to keep Rev. and Mrs. Ruf. The matter will not be definitely decided until September Bth, when the general board of the home holds its meeting. "Aside from discussing the probabilities of Rev. Ruf remaining as head of the Reformed orphans’ home, the executive board transacted the usual routine of business. “It was pointed out that Rev. Ruf has been identified with the local institution fob twelve and a half years, and that it would be difficult to dispense with his services, hence the effort to retain him.”

The above has much local interest because of the large number of German Reformed members in this county, and also because Matt Kirsch of this city and Rev. Kattman of Berne are members of the executive board. Rev. and Mrs. Ruf are the parents of Mrs. Rev. Hessert of this city. —— POLICE COURT NEWS. Frank Thompson of near Bobo was up on a trespass charge before ’Squire Stone and drew $lO and costs.

Decatur, Indiana. Thursday Evening, Septembr 5, 1912.

NOISY PROPOSITION — Will be Parcels Post System—Gocd for Farmers. Washington, D. C., Sept. s—Urban users of the new parcels post system 1 to be started January 1 are likely to receive noisy mail, when the delivery begins of live chickens, rabbits and other country products. Fresh eggs and country butter will also be han- j died through the parcels post. This is no dream of cheaper cost of living, but will be a reality under the new law, which is designed to put the producer into direct communication with the consumer. General farm and garden produce comes under the law. The government not only will carry these tilings, but an indemnity will be provided for their loss or damage in transit. ABOUT THE SICK I Will Dowling Cut Deep Gash in Arm Wednesday on Piece of Glass. MRS. FORBING BETTER Peter Holthouse at West Baden for Week Past to be Brought Home. Will Dowling of the Schaub-Dowling company, figured in a very painful accident late Wednesday a < noon while working, which will require him ' to take life easy for a short while, at 1 least. He tried to secure a five-gallon ’ can of paint from under the glass-cut ting table in the wareroom, upon which was a large piece of glass, unnoticed by him. In reaching for the, can his right arm was pierced to a depth of nearly two inches, just be-1 low the elbow, nipping one of the blood vessels, causing the blood to flow in a stream. The wound was! dressed, but the blood flow could not be checked until 11 o’clock Wednesday night, all during which time re-1 dressing of the arm iiad to be care | fully watched. The arm is giving him considerable pain and he will be forced to keep quiet by carrying it in a sling for some days.

Mrs. Peter Forbing, who has been at death's door for several days, was reported as slightly improved today, but so little, that the change was almost unnoticed. Her condition is carefully watched and the children have all been sent for. Mrs. George Ulmer of Muncie arrived Wednesday evening to be at her bedside. Peter Holthouse, who has been at West Baden since a week ago last Monday, is to be brought home today, but little improved over his condition at the time of his leaving. He was given treatments for the past several days, but the benefit derived from them was unavailing, and it was deemed best by the physicians at the institution that he return home. Mrs. H. L. Coverdale is quite ill with stomach trouble and other complications. Mrs. Ward Cline was called to Fort Wayne yesterday afternoon by the illness of her daughter, Mrs. Clarence Baxter, who is ill with sciatic rheumatism. -f HAVE MADE ROOM. C. S Niblick received word from the Father Director of the St. Joseph college, Rensselaer relative to the receiving of the Decatur boys this term. Some improvements are being made which will afford accommodations for between fifteen and twenty boys and the five young men from this city and others can be properly cared tor. The boys are well pleased over the fact as they believed they might be detained for some time. The Decatur boys will leave on next Monday morning for Rensselaer. o POLICE COURT NEWS Patrick Halloran of Lima was brought up on a. plain drunk charge before Squire Stone and pleading guilty drew a fine of five dollars and costs totaling $13.80 which amount he will settle by laying it out. J. D. Winteregg of Berne was a business visitor here today.

CARS OFF TRACK Two Loaded Cars of Coal Left Track on G. R. & I. When Switch Split. TRAFFIC DELAYED Wrecking Crew from Fort Wayne Called—Stretch of Track Replaced. The G. R. & I. experienced more freight trouble last evening when two loaded cars of coal w r hile being removed from a switch between Jefferson and Adams streets failed to follow and splitting a switch jumped the tracks and tore things up in great shape for some feet. The switch where the cars were being removed from was drawn out of shape for more than a foot while ties were split and pulled loose from the rail for a long stretch. The cars were left in such a condition that traffic was halted from both ways the main track being partly occupied by the angle shaped cars. The Pennsylvania wrecking crew out of Fort Wayne was sent for about 5 o'clock following the accident but on account of being out on another call was unable to reach here until late in the evening and the track was not cleared until after 2 o'clock. Section men were engaged nearly the entire night (getting the track in shape for continued services but not until after several trains were delayed. The switch had to be taken up this morning for nearly two hundred feet which had become pushed out of line and the main track also somewhat spread had to be replaced to safety The damage will be considerable, but no one was hurt.

CENSUS INCREASED. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Coffee are the rejoicing parents over the arrival of an eight-pound boy. Both mother and babe are doing well. o DISTRICT MEET Methodist Missionary Convention Will be Held in Ft. Wayne Church. SEPT, 16, 17 AND 18 Revs. Semans and Thompson and Other Adams County Ministers on Program. Rev. J. A. Beatty, district superintendent of the Fort Wayne M. E. district, kss just issued a program for the missionary evangelistic convention to be held In the Trinity church, Fort Wayne, September 16, 17 and IS. The evangelistic convention will attract many Methodists to Ft. Wayne. The thirty-seven pastors in the district are required to attend, and they will bring with them large delegations of lay members. Several Decatur and Adams county ministers are on the program. Rev. Jesse O. Hochstedler of the Bobo church will conduct Tuesday afternoon’s devotionals. Rev. R. L. Semans of this city will give an address on "A Revival of Righteousness” Wednesday morning at 9 o'clock. A little later on the program, Rev. E. A. Bunner of Huntertown, formerly of this county, will take part in the discussion. Rev. D. A. J. Brown will also discuss a subject on that morning. On Wednesday afternoon Rev. J. C. Valentine and Rev. K. R. Thompson, the latter of Decatur circuit, will participate in a discussion. Many workers of state-wide and national fame are also listed for talks. — HAS WRITTEN SONG “The Night I Proposed to You,” is the name of a song published by E. F. Gilpin of Indianapolis, a former Adams county boy, brother of Mrs. J. W. Merriman. The words were written by E. F. Gilpen and the music by Wm. y. Gilpin.

BOARD WILL MEET FRIDAY. Election Inspectors Will be Named at I a Continued Session Held Then. ,The county commissioners completed their inspection of roads and held an hour’s session Wednesday evening, adjourning over until Friday, when they will meet in continued session and complete the work of selecting inspectors for the general election to be held November sth. The report of the viewers and engineer of the Zwick macadam road, heretofore filed, was presented to the board. By unanimous vote they referred the report back to the viewers for amendment and correction, and said viewers were ordered to file a corrected report more than ten days before the October session of the board. MRS. MERRIS DEAD Pleasant Mills Lady Succumbs at Home of Daughter, Mrs. Al Fristoe IN ROCHESTER, IND. Body Will Arrive This Afternoon and Will be Taken to Her Home. Mrs. Marguerite Mefris, a well known aged lady of Pleasant Mills, died Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock at Lie home of her daughter, Mrs. AL Fristoe, at Rochester, where she had made her home for some time. Death did not come unexpect, edly, as she had been ill for a number ol Weeks, and word came io relatives here several days ago that her passing away was momentarily expected. She was the widow of S. B. Merris, a prominent resident of the county, and only recently closed her house at Pleasant Mills, going to Rochester, where her daughter, and a son, Al Merris, reside. The body will be brought here this afternoon, arrivin on the 3:29 Erie train, and will be taken at once to her home at Pleasant Mills. The funeral will be held Friday but no further details are known at present. Mrs. Merris was a lady of noble character and her home-coming will be a sad one to the many here who loved her.

"A PAIR OF COUNTRY KIDS.” “A Pair of Country Kids” is not a Si, Hi or Josh play with a farmer band of a threshing machine, but is a distinct type and a novelty and departure from the well w-orn path of the regulation farmer play. The kids are livelier than any ten Uncle Josh's you have seen and they are too bright to be w’orked by a bunco man or a lightning ro dagent; in fact they are two up-to-date rustlers for fun that will give you the best evening’s amusement you have had in years. The kids will be assisted by a first-class company of ladies and gentlemen, who in addition to the Play, will introduce ten musical numbers and specialties. The engagement is for one night only at the Bosse opera house, Thursday, September 10th. o MISSION FESTIVAL. Rev. Bauer of the Bleeke church was in the city today, and stated that the Schlemmer church near Monroeville, of which he is the pastor, an additional congregation to his regular charge at the Bleeke church, will hold its annual mission festival on next Sunday, and announced that services will be held in both the afternoon and morning. The morning service will be in German and will be in charge of the Rev. Eiderich of Hoagland while the Rev. Paul of Deshler, Ohio, will deliver the afternoon sermon in English. Everybody is invited to attend these services. POSTOFFICE MEN’S VACATION. Several of the postoffice force were oft duty today. Postmaster Lower and J. J. Helm and their wives motored to Van Wert to attend the fair. Rural Carrier Clyde Rice is moving to his farm half way between this city and Pleasant Mills, and Elmer Archer, rural carrier, is visiting in Michigan. Mrs. M. .1. Buller’s substitute for Mr. Rice and Dwight Archer for his father.

Price, Two Cents.

STRUCK 61 THE TRAIN Mrs. Wm. Graham of Monroe Struck by TrainDragged from UNDER THE ENGINE Before Body Was Run Over —Waiting to go to Portland Fair Today. Monroe. Ind., Sept. s—(Special to Daily Democrat)—There was much excitement at Monroe this morning at 7:21 o'clock, when Mrs. William Graham of this city, mother of L. A. Graham of Decatur, w’as struck by the engine of southbound passenger train on the G. R. & I. railroad. In the fall Mrs. Graham struck her head on the sharp iron of the track and cut a big gash at the, right side of her head, but beyond the shock and prostration, suffered no serious injury. A large crowd approximating 200 people were assembled at the depot awaiting the arrival of the train to carry' them to the Portland fair, Thursday being the biggest day. Mrs. Graham was late, and seeing the train pulling in and fearing that she would miss it, redoubled her efforts to get her ticket in time to go with the others. The large crowd, surging backwards and forwards, hindered her progress and in the struggle, she was shoved onto the track directly in front of the oncoming train which struck her on the shoulder. Fortunately those standing near had presence of mind left in the face of the impending tragedy to grab her away, and it was due to the efforts of Levi Johnson that she was pulled from under the engine before it passed over her body. But for the timely rescue both lower limbs would have undoubtedly been cut off, and the body badly mutilated, if i ndeed, the lady were not killed outright. The accident happened on the west side of the road, about 200 feet from the depot. Mrs. Graham was hastily given medical attention and conveyed in an automobile to her home, and it will be some time before she recovers from the terrible shock. She is receiving the congratulations of her friends for her timely rescue.

TO GRAND RAPIDS. Mrs. Ed Wisehaupt and daughter, Mrs. George Cornell, of Fort Wayne, who visited here with the John Wisehaupt family, went to Bluffton to visit with F. C. Harbaugh and w’ife until this evening, when they will go to Huntington to visit a day. From there Mrs. Wisehaupt and daughter will leave for Grand Rapids, Mich., to which city the Wisehaupts are moving. Mr. Wisehaupt has accepted a. good position there. Mr. and Mrs. Harbaugh are planning to move to that city also within a few weeks. DIVORCED COUPLE REMARRY. The Fort Wayne papers of Wednesday show the issuance of a marriage license to William H. Badders, thirtyfive, conductor, and Cora P Badders, thirty-seven. Mrs. Badders secured a divorce only a few weeks ago. and it seems that a reconciliation has been effected, resulting in their remarriage. The Badders formerly resided here, where he was engaged in the saloon business. NOW ASSISTANT. Arnold Stults. son of Wesley Stults, one of the proprietors of the Lee & Stults hardware, recently assumed a responsible position in the engineering office of the Pennsylvania company as assistant to the engineer in charge. His duties are difficult and his many friends are glad to hear of his success. CLOVER LEAF "AT HOME." The entire official family of the Clover Leaf road, with the exception of t’resident-elect Walter L Ross, who is detained at Chicago on account of illness, together with about twenty members of the clerical force, is now housed in Toledo where the general offices are to be maintained.