Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 13, Number 287, Decatur, Adams County, 30 November 1915 — Page 1

Volume XIII. Number 287.

THACTION LINE IS SOLO RECEIVER ORDERED TO CLOSE DEAL WITH MR. WORDEN ON HIS BID OF S7S,OOO™STOCKHOIDERS BUSY

Late this afternoon Charles Dirkson representing the old stockholders mailed a letter to each notifying them [ of the sale and telling them that a deal can still be made with the new • purchasers who are seeking to protect i the money they have invested in certi- | ficates and claims and asking them r to sign a statement that they will I agree to furnish an amount equal to H* five per cent of that already invested to buy the road for the Decatur | Southern company. If a sufficient B number favor this, a meeting will be | called soon to effect a purchase. Charles H. Worden, representing | the First National bank of Ft. Wayne, E the Old Adams County bank of DecaI tur, and Mr. Henry Paul, president of | the Old National Bank of Fort Wayne, g and interested in nearly all the tracI tion lines of northern Indiana, today | purchased the Fort Wayne & Spring- | field railway for the sum of $75,000, | and Special Judge Richard H. Hart- | ford at noon ordered Receiver French Quinn to close the deal at that figure. K When the road was offered a week I. ago Mr. Worden's high bid was $64,K'ooo. At that time several prospective K bidders asked a few days, promising Kto bid, and Judge Hartford decided Wy to take the matter under considera- ■ tion. thus allowing one week's time B under the old order of court. The 1 time was up today. None of the bid- ' Bders who caused the delay were in ev- ' ■Hence today. The only other bidders : K were Joseph. Joseph & Bros. of New I 1 York and Cincinnati, with whom were I. A. Kalver of this city. ' E Weil Bros, of Fort Wayne, A. Fein- 1 B burg of Muncie and A. Bornstein of 1 K* Indianapolis, and Price of Company, , cf Chicago, who offered $70,001.50. The receiver this morning decided ' that the bids should be sealed and he 1 refused to give out any information until he reported to the court. i There was quite a stir about the ' traction offices whore numerous con- 1 ferences were held. Besides the two parties who bid there were present ' two Chicago men, one of whom had a bid made out for $90,400, but who failed to produce his certified check in time and the other who had his cheek but who was not notified by his flnan1. cial backers as to the amount to be ' oft'ei ed. L , At 11:30 Mr. Worden filed his bid ami the receiver at once went to the court house. Other parties interested proceeded there and at five minutes to twelve the court notified the receiver to submit his bids. Just as no did | no a representative of the Josephs handed in their bid. These were opened by the attorneys for the receiver and the Worden bid being the high est. was reported. Judge J. T. Merrymar read the report for the receiver, the offer being as stated for $75,000, and accompanied by the required certified check for $5,000. Judge Hartford asked if there was ! any dejections and stated in a very positive tone of voice that unless bet-1 ter reasons were offered than a week ■ age he would order the sale closed. Immediately there was a hurried conference of the Josephs with several old stockholders of the road who were present and Attorney Shafer Peterson, representing these, addressed the court asking fora half haul’s time in which to increase their offer. The court promptly stated, however, tljat in his opinion they had been given plenty of time and he ordered the receiver to close the deal at the bid submitted by Mr. Worden. Under the order of the court the entire sum bid would not have to be paid for ninety days, but it was stated by parties interested that the deal would be closed within a day or two, the entire sum being paid in cash. This would give the new owners immediate possession. When asked this mornig as to wiiat they .would do with the road they replied that for the time being they would operate the road just as - it is until tl;ey decide as to what they / wish to do. The general opinion isl that the line will be operated in conjunction with the Fort Wayne & Northern, though no definite statement was obtainable. It is reported that hour and a half service is possible soon and that some improvements are H (Continued on Page 4)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

ON FOOR SIDES Germany Announces Expectation of Attacks on Four Sides. IN THE BALKAN ZONE And Calmly Says How She Will Meet It—Bulgars Pushing Hard. Amsterdam, Nov, 30, —(Special to Daily Democrat)-Germany espects attacks in the Balkans on all four sides. The attacks will be resisted by Bulgarians and Turks and a thin sprinkling of Teuton troops. The German emperors visit to the Austro Hungarian ruler Monday is believed to have related to plans for this defense. The Rome story that Austria seeks a separate peace and Williams visit to Vienna to oppose such a move is not taken serious. The Berlin general staff is understood to look for Balkan attacks as follows: Russians and perhaps Romainians on the north, Russian attempts at a landing on the Bulgarian black sea coast; French and British and the surviving remnants of the Serbians in the south and the Italians and Motenegrins through Albania on the west. London, Nov. 30,—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Lord Kitchener arrived in London today. He will report at once to King George and premier Asquith concerning his observations on the Gallop! peninsula and at Salonkia and his consultation at Athens, Rome and Paris. His return is accepted as disposing of the rumors that he would take personal command of the Allies campaign in the Balkans. Sophia, Nov. 30.—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The Bulgarians are pushing their conquest of Serbian Macedonia rapidly toward the Greek front the war office stated today. The southern Serbs and French is reported in a general retreat and the Brit- — (Continued on Page 4 I FOR THEPHBLIC Program to be Given Wednesday Evening at Zion Reformed Church BY THE SOCIETY Os Woman’s Missions— Fine Music, Readings and Talks. The following program will be given by the Woman’s Missionary society of the Zion Reformed church, Wednesday evening, December 1, at 7:30 o’clock at the church: Predule —Miss Lydia Kirsch. Opening Hymn, "The Missionary Light is Breaking’’—Audience. Piano Selection —Mrs. B. Schroyer. Children’s Song. Presentation of the Work of the Woman’s Missionary Society—Rev. L. W. Stulte. Selection —W. M. S. Resume of Text Books, “Child in the Midst,” “In Red Man’s Land”— Mrs. L. W. Stolte. Reading of Leaflet, “The Winnebago Indiana” —Mrs. H. Moyer. Reading, “A Missionary’s Dream” — Miss S. Jaberg. Selection, “Send the Light”—Quartet. 1 Response by Audience. i Business meeting immediately after the program.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday Evening, November 30, 1915.

GOES TO PRISON Otis Hocker Sentenced to Federal Prison With Ten Others. HE OVERDREW $70.00 Os the Postal Funds While Postmaster at Monroe Last Year. Indianapolis, Nov. 29,—When Judge A. B. Anderson in federal court late today sentenced five postal employes to the federal prison at Leavenworth, Kas., he warned all postmasters and postal employes that embezzlement of even small government funds would mean a prison sentence. The judge's action was at the arraignment of persons indicted by the last federal grand jury. Eleven persons were sentenced to prison, nineteen fined, two were sentenced and fined and two received suspended sentences. The postal employes sent to prison were John Korpal, embezzled $48.02, at South Bend; Clyde Grover, embezzled SSO at Laporte; Frank Ferguson, cashed $451,23 in checks payable out of government funds while postmaster at Shelburn; Otis Hocker overdrew postal account for S7O, while postmaster at Monroe, and Alva McKinzie embezzled $2,064.65 while postmaster at Independence. The sentences ranged from one to two years. Harold and Victor Davy, who stole $2,000 from an express office, were sentenced to two years in the penitentiary. Mrs. Harold Davy was given a suspended sentence. Ezra Leasenby, of Logansport, was fined $25 and costs for sending an obscesne letter (Continued on Page 4.) CANNOF ACCEPT Governor Ralston Declines Invitation of Mr. Ford to Join Peace Party IN El TROPEAN TRIP Wonderful Showing of the State Bank Department —Big Increase Shown. (By Willis S. Thompson) Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 30—Governor Ralston was one of the few governors selected by Henry Ford for his mission seeking peace. While expressing himself as appreciating the distinction of being included among the persons invited, the governor could not see his way clear to accept and Monday night sent this wire: Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 29, 1915. "Henry Ford, Baltimore Hotel, New York City: "I have not persuaded myself that this is the opportune time for peace advocates voluntarily to intervene between the warping nations of Europe. If, however, I felt this was the time to act, it would be impossible for me to abandon my executive duties to take up the work you have in mind. I commend you for your solicitude to end the great world tragedy in the interest of humanity; and 1 thank you for the honor that you have done me by inviting me to become one of your peace party. "SAMUEL M. RALSTON, “Governor of Indiana.” One of the most interesting reports from any department of the Indiana state government is that made by Arthur Cravens, chief clerk under Auditor of State Dale J. Crittenberger, in charge of the state banking department. This report shows the condition of 726 banking institutions under state supervision at the close of business September 30. In the list are 373 state banks, 202 private banks, 145 trust companies, five savings banks and one mortgage guarantee | company. There was a net increase 'in the number of these institutions within the year. The total deposits September 30 were $208,246,991, an increase of 10,459,502.08. Total resources, $281,955.1’23.04, an increase of $2,492,618.72. There is an increase of $360,306.83 in the surplus over 1914

I and the average surplus is 22.4 per cent. The state requires a surplus of 1 15 to 20 per cent. There wore twentyeight banks showing a reserve as large or larger than their capital. In 1 addition to the $281,955,123.04 resources in these 726 state institutions, the 258 national banks of Indiana had resources June 23, last, of $245,669,441.19 and 341 building and loan associations on January first had resources of $56,427,540.66. This makes a grand total of $584,052,112.89. Owing to a campaign of supervision and caution adopted by the state bank department some months ago a decrease in overdrafts is shown of $68,042.81. The average overdraft is $529.12 to each bank. ILL SHORT TIME Mrs. Theodore Blosser. Former Decatur Woman, Died at Hammond. ON SUNDAY EVENING Body Will be Taken to Girlhood Home at Bluffton for Burial. Decatur residents will be grieved to hear of the death of a former Decatur woman, Mrs. Theodore Blosser, 56, which occurred Sunday evening i about five o’clock at her home in Ham-1 mond. Mrs. Blosser had not been ill. long and her death was due to some sort of affection of the stomach, the' exact nature of which was a puzzle to her physicians. Mrs. Blosser was the mother of Fred Blosser of this city, and the family, until going to Hammond about ten years ago, lived on North Seventh street. The body will be brought to Bluffton, Wednesday, and the interment, will be in the Elm Grove cemetery. j Mrs. Blosser was born in Lancaster' township, Wells county, and was rear-' ed to womanhood there. She wesj married in 1879 to Theodore Blosser, a farmer and carpenter and resided with him first in Lancaster township on the Blosser farm, then in Decatur, and finally- for ten years past at Hammond. Her husband survives with j the following children; Mrs. Frederic!; j Miller. Hammond; Fred Blosser. Deca ! tur; Miss Carrie Blosser, Streater, 111. i Mrs. Roscoe Hemstacht, of Hommond, Ind.; and Charges and Helen, at home. She also leaves her mother and two brothers, W. A. High, of Bluffton, and ; Robert High, of Boyltcn, Mo. Mrs. Blosser’s death occurred just a few minutes before the arrival of her mother, Mrs. Lydia High, and her! brother, W. A. High, both of Bluffton, who had been hurriedly summoned to her bedside. The relatives who met Mrs. High and her son at the depot!' informed them that Mrs. Blosser was living but on reaching the Blosser home they found that she had passed . away. o _ - t HELD JLECTION Odd Fellows Hold Semi-An-nual Election at Regular Meeting Last Night. 1 I FIFTY ARE PRESENT ■ I t Electing List of Officers— M. J. Scherer Heads List as Noble Grand. M. J. Scherer, was elected noble grand to head the local lodge of Odd Fellows for the coming six months at the regular meeting which was held in the lodge hall commencing at seven o’clock last night. He had no opposition. For vice grand Walter Noack was selected. Ed S. Christen was chosen to succeed himself as financial secretary, as was Alpheus M. Roop for corresponding secretary and John McCrory for treasurer. Homer H. Knodle was elected trustee to serve three years, and following the selection of the elective officers the trustees opened bids for the selective position of host and L. C. Helm was selected, which was verified by the lodge.

TWILIGHT SLEEP Five Thousand Births in Mary Thompson Hospital in Chicago. A WOMAN PHYSICIAN Officiated at All—ls Friend and Co-worker of Dr. Elizabeth Burns. Chicago, 111., Nov. 30 —Five thousand births by twilight sleep is the proud boast today of officials at the Mary I Thompson hospital, which recently I celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. 1 Mary Thompson hospital is said to be ! the only institution in the northwest or west in which the twilight sleep is the official anaesthesia. Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen has officiated at all the 5,000 births. She declared birth in which the twilight j sleep process is not used are relics of the old ages. She and members of■ her staff believe nonemployment of twilight just about as bad as reverting to the oldest forms of aiding in bringing children into the world. During the fiftieth anniversary celebration Dr. Lillian Taylor demonstrated the use of twilight sleep drug in operations in which nine pairs of tonsils were removed in an hour. Anoth- j ler demonstration was that of a woj man who had borne a healthy, kick- | ing baby and had a goiter removed I i from her neck before she came out of j ' the twilight sleep. Dr. Burns and daughter of this city ' are personal friends of Dr. Behtra Van Hoosen. While living in Chicago , Dr. Burns often assisted her in her . work in twilight sleep and with many [ (Continue. 1 ;m Page 4.) IS NOW FORMED The Monroe Agricultural * Organization is Now Completely Formed. DR. RAYL THE HEAD Committees Named and j Will Commence Forming ' Programs and Study. i Dr. C. C. Rayl, local chairman of the i Monroe Agricultural association, has ’ made the selection'of his assistant 1 chairmen to aid him in furthering the * work of the association in Monroe , and vicinity and the full list is herewith given. Each member of each committee will make au effort to become expert in their special line of work and will j] from time to time present the results of their labors at the regular meetings. The committees will work together in forming the programs and will endeavor to secure men of statewide experience to address them. Even at this time promises of many J good men from the state department have been received. 1 The entertainment committee will furnish, for each meeting, short interesting features to add to the success of the meetings. The meetings will be held on the second and fourth Friday evenings of each month in the assembly room of the school house: ( President and Overseer —County s Agent A. J. Hutchins. r Local Chairman—Dr. C. C. Rayl. ( Secretary and Treasurer (To be j elected). ( Committees. | Crop Production —Preparation for, _ rotation, pasture crops, new crops— C. W. Hendricks, E. W. Busche, Elmore Cook, L. A. Thomas, William i Michaels. Stock Raising—Best kinds of stock, feeding, diseases of stock, elimination of poor stock —Dr. Petry, S. V. Johnson, Eli Hendricks, David J. Schwartz, William Mitchell. Homes—Household economy, conveniences, beautification, permanency —H. M. Crownover, J. A. Yeoman, M. S. Liechty, Robert Sprunger, Miss Cora Hocker. Highways—Roads and roadsides, trees, fences, bridges, beautification of —J. A. Hendricks, Robert Davies, Oscar Ehrsam, Ben Shirk. Education —Charles G. Pepe, Wll-

| Ham Adler, jr, Lawrence Spuhlcr, Rev. Phillips, Miss Carrie Scherer. Entertainment—C. R. Smith. W. H. Oliver. Arthur Witwer. Program — Mr. Hutchins, Fred I Busche, J. P. Davis. Publicity—John Mayer, Carl Shirk, C. C. Rayl. —_o EXPRESSMAN ARRESTED. (United Press Service) Hartford City. Ind.. Nov. 30—(Special to Daily Democrat)—Clarence Lauterette, former Pennsylvania rail- ' road express agent, was arrested at his home in Royal Center today on a charge of raping fifteen-year-old Garnett Smith of this city. Lauterette is married and has four children. His father-in-law informed the authorities. PASTOR TO SHY Rev. F. G. Rogers Withdraws Resignation at the Earnest Solicitation OF THE CHURCH Y ear Just Closing Has Been Prosperous One for Baptist Congregation. The official board of the Baptist church met last evening and closed the j business of the year, finding the past . year a most prosperous one. The church membership has doubled in i the year just closing, during which . the Rev. F. G. Rogers has served, ' and not only has the organization ' prospered in that way, but also finan- ! daily. The church is out of debt and ’ has money remaining in the treasury. During the year about $2,400 has passI ed through the hands of the treasury, ; tor church expenses, repairs and misI sions. At the earnest solicitation of the < people, the pastor, the Rev. F. G. Roes ers. who tendered his resignation reI cently, to take effect January 1, has j consented to withdraw the same, and will remain with the local church indefinitely. o — JUDAS OF THE BARBER TOOLS. “Dr,” George Thain Denies His First Love. In order to escape the ignominy of shaving his fellow prisoners in Michi gan City, “Dr.” George Thain denied to the prison authorities that he ever worked as a barber, but the deceit was discovered several days ago and the “doc” is to be fitted out with a portable barber chair and other tools and put on the prison’s roster of hair removers.—Fort Wayne News. Thain was sent up from Adams county for criminal operation, resulting in the death of an Adams county woman. TO OPEN BAZAAR Presbyterian Ladies’Annual Fair Will Open Thursday for Two Days. IN CHURCH PARLORS V arious Booths Will be Attractive—Programs Given in Evenings. The Presbyterian Ladies are ready for the opening of their annual bazaar Thursday afternoon for two days. The parlors and Sunday school rooms of the church are being transformed into attractive booths for the various departments and a regular fair will be held. In one booth, pastry will be sold, in another, homemade candies; in still another, fancy work and in another aprons. Good second hand clothing will be sold in one department, this being a new feature this year. A fish pond, at five cents a line will be attractive, to the little folks, especially. During the time of the fair, there will be refreshments of coffee and doughnuth or other small cakes, for those who wish them. A special feature will be the fine programs which will be given during the evenings. There will be no charge for the programs anj everybody is invited to come. The booths will be filled with things that will make fine Christmas presents.

Price, Two Cents.

NOW IMATMAN Chas. Peterson, Former Decatur Boy Tells of Grow th of Mining Town — ■ - IN WESTERN ARIZONA Trail Across the Mountains Has Developed Into City in a Few Months. Oatman, Ariz., Nov. 24, 1015. The Daily Democrat, Decatur, Ind.: Gentlemen:—ln looking over the columns of the Democrat and renewing old acquaintances through it, it came to my mind that your readers might want to get an insight into what a new gold mining camp was like, hence this letter. Following my policy of the past few years of going to the new and exciting places in quest of news, I took the first train for this point upon hearing of this great new gold discovery. I had been here eight months ago on an assignment for one of the Denver papers, but at that time had no idea of the great future that was to come. Had you then told the inhabitants of this place, then about 200 in number, that they had the making of the greatest gold camp of the United States, you would have been laughed to scorn. I could have at th nt time secured almost any property that I desired for practically nothing, hut I was no longer sighted than the people in the district themselves. There were at that time only two producing gold mines in the district, thes Tom Reed and the Gold Road. While tnese were "whales” of mines, they were thought to have the district covered. It remained for two miners, working tor wagies in the Tom Reed mine, to uncover the bonanza. These two men conceived the idea that the vein on the Tom Reed property dipped in a certain direction, and they immediately filed on the open property in the direction that they decided the vein followed, and named their property the United Eastern. It was only a prospect in which the local public, as a whole, had little faith. These two men sank a shaft to depth, and uncovered the greatest ore body in the camp. Today either could sell his holdings in the United Eastern for better than a million dollars. Today this tninie is a ten million dollar bananza whose fame is spreading broadcast over the country, bearing with it the news that the Oatman mining district away out here on the lip of the Colorado river, holds raining opportunities of exceptional merit. Today where a scant 200 lived a few months ago, a live city of near 3,000 now holds sway, and more are coming every day. The influx is on the increase and thus far no adequate provision has been made to house and feed the newcomers. Men by the dozen are are sleeping in their blankets in the open or in the shelter of partially erected buildings. The lodging houses are crowded to overflowing and men are sleeping on the floor between cots. "Standing room only,” and "watch your Bennie and your Beanie,” typify the conditions in the overcrowded restaurants. Automobiles overloaded with passengers come chug-chugging into camp at all hours of the day and night. Passengers are dumped off in the main street and those who do not find a place to stay, gather in the “Health Office,” once a saloon, but now in the days of Prohibition Arizona, a soft drink and (tool parlor. No festive highball or the click of the little Ivory ball, as it winds its way around the roulette wheel, greets the newcomer as in other mining camps. The booze is absolutely tabooed and gambling of any kind is frowned on. Auto trucks freighted with beds and provisions are constantly on the move. Ten and twelve-mule freight outfits, wagons loaded deep with lumber and mine machinery, clog all the trails. Elbow room—a chance to scratch your arms without poking yov fist in the other lodger's eye, or get out of bed without stepping on a fellow lodger’s sace —Is an urgent need here. For at present propinquity is sometimes a synonym of trouble. The brokers of the camp are for most part officeless and are therefore doing a strictly “curbstone” business. Most of them have no other means of doing business. The corporal's guard of the contingent fortunate (Continued on )>uge 2)