Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 15, Number 86, Decatur, Adams County, 11 April 1917 — Page 1

w* DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ** *

Volume XV. Number 86.

GREAT FOOD DRIVE BEGINS TODAY

NATION TO BUILD A THOUSAND VESSELS 0.1. CHRISTIE OF PURDUE APPOINTED STATE FOOD DIRECTOR BY GOVERN--00-10 CONSERVE SUPPLIES AND FORCE PLANTING.

•’<-{l’ll i ted Press Service) Washington, D. C., Apr. 11— (Special to Daily Democrat) — The great food drive of the United States was on in full blast today. Bailroad officials and all government departments were working to mobilize the foodstuffs of the country for the allies. President Wilson and the United States shipping board completed plans for the prompt construction of one thousand vessels to trans-, port supplies to entente ports. ! President Wilson was assured by Speaker Clark and Representative Kitchen that the administration army hill will be voted upon in the house probably next week. Kitchen told the president of the opposition in congress to conscription. The opposition has, as yet. not reached a definite stage where they said they could judge its seriousness. | Co-operation with the’entente governments toward safe delivery of foodstuffs and munitions was planned in detail. U hile means of putting under cultivation of thousands of acres of unused lands were being worked out, the president conferred with members of congress relating to measures for mobiliz-’ ing farm workers. Examination of a plan to ex-, empt all farmers, farm hands and others engaged in tilling the soil from conscription was authorized in a resolution introduced in the senate. Senator Sherman introduced Sa joint resolution authorizing the president io take over all ships in time of war. The army appropriation bill carrying about $278,000,000 for maintenance of the regular army passed the senate. Representative Kitchen introduced the administration bill, providing lor a bond issue of five billion dollars. He introduced the bill following a meeting of the ways and means committee at which the measure was approved unanimously. The bill will probably be passed in the house not than Friday. The bonds will bear three and one-half pei cent interest. Three billion dollars of this issue will be used to buv three and one-half per cent bonds of the allied governments. bulletin. Indianapolis, Ind., Apr. 11 (Special to Daily Democrat)— D I Christie, of Purdue university, was today appointed state food director by Governor Goodrich. The position is a new one, made necessary by the war situation. He will have charge of the mobilization of Indiana's food supply, K n,nß special attention to see* that every foot of ground available tor planting is used. The governor made his announcement at a conference of mavors of Indiana cities who were considering the food problem. • WAR To Feed the Allies. - (By Robert J. Bender, United Press - Correspondent) Washington, D. C., Apr. 11—(Spe p cial to Daily Democrat)— Feeding out allies is to be this country's part it the great war tor the present. Mobilization of foodstuffs and pro viding means by full navy co-opera

j tion for delivering them at the ports ■ of England and France is to bo the extent of America's physical effort, now. Meantime, hundreds of thousands of men will be trained for action on European fronts as soon as they are fit and as soon as the transportation facilities are available. The problem of supplying the allies with food —a gigantic one—is being .' worked out in practically every department of the government. Millions of acres of land, not now under | cultivation, are to he immediately put into use. Hundreds of ships will be built to carry foodstuffs to Europe. German and Austrian ships taken in ' American i»orts will be hastily repaired for use. I The fleets of the United States. Frame and England will co-operate in safeguarding the delivery of the precious supplies to entente ports. . Farmers, agricultural experts and farm students are being mobilized as I “soldiers of the commissary" to carry on the “bread and butter war" against the central powers. And while these supplies go forward to keep up the strength of the allied fighters in the European trenches. America is to build up and train her manhood to relieve her fellow fighters and drive home the victory. | This will probably be six months 1 hence—but it may come sooner. Would Help Some. Cincinnati, Ohio. Apr. 11 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Recruiting officers look for a big rush to the colors . today. Three pretty actresses at noon will kiss the first ten men who volunteer to enlist. I - ■ Keeping Up the Attack. London. Apr. 11—(Special to Daily Democrat I—Field Marshal Haig’s smashing blows carried him still further forward against the Germans to- ' day. Capture by British forces of the ' village and heights of Money le Preux la Bergere was announced in an early dispatch from him today. "Satisfactory progress is being made elsewhere," Haig declared. ', "Tht battle front situation is developing generally in accordance with | our plan.” Baseball Starts Today. New York. N. Y„ Apr. 11 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—The glqom ■of war in America was momentarily brushed aside today as the sixteen teams of the American and National leagues skidded into their 1917 baseball campaigns. Enough to Blow Up Loop. Chicago. 111., Apr. 11—(Special to Daily Democrat)—The arrest of four ! men here revealed a plot to blow up I 1 several of Chicago’s largest skyscrap- . lers. The men were caught attemptt ing to gain entrance into a large bank J building early in the morning. When ’ J searched by secret service operatives f plans of basement floors of several ~ sky scrapers were found in their pos- ’ session. Enough dynamite "to blow r up the loop" was t'dund at the apartments of the four suspects, according _ to a federal official. I Uruguay and Argentine. } Montevedio, Uruguay, Apr. 11— ’ (Special to Daily Democrat)—Uruguay formally announced her neutrality today, but declared her “adherence to and endorsement of the prin--3 ciples enunciated by President Wilson.’' An extra session of the Uruj. guayan congress was called. (By Charles P. Stewart. United Press Staff Correspondent) n Beunos Aires, Apr. 11- —(Special to —- a-; (Continued on Page

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday Evening, April 11, 1917.

WAS A BAD YEAR I Mabie Whitsei Didn’t Like | the Year She Lived With Her Spouse. I WANTS A DIVORCE , Says He Was Cruel. Gambled and Didn’t Provide for Her. Though they lived together but one year after their marriage in Wells county. December 24, 1913, separating on the following December 24. that year was a terrible one according to the complaint filed by Mabel Whttsel, of Hartford township, in whi<h she asks for a divorce and SI,OOO aK-l mony from William Whitsei. She says that he was cruel and inhuman in his treatment of her and backs up the statement with numerous instances. That he cursed b-r and called her vulgar and profane names without any provocation, wh iteve/; that he was lazy and indolent and didn't provide for her, and squandered what little money he did make in gambling houses in Bluffton and elsewhere, are instances named. She says he frequently went away from home remaining several days a time without telling her when and where he was going or would return. Peterson & Moran are her attorneys. THEODD FELLOWSf I Celebration of the Ninetyeighth Anniversary of Organization Will — i BE GREAT EVENT —— Rebekahs to Join in Same , —Judge Merryman to Give Opening Address. . i The ninety-eighth anniversary i,f , the organization of the Odd Fellows will be celebrated by the local order as usual in a most excellent way on the evening of Thursday, April 26th. The celebration will open with a six i o’clock picnic supper and following , this, a program will he given. Judge J. T. Merryman will give the opening address: a Rebekah' front Marion will give a reading; and local musicians of ability will also take part I n the program. Arrangements for the celebration were discussed last evening at the j regular Rebekah meeting, the plans to be brought to a head soon. On next Tuesday evening a class of six will be initiated by the Rebekah lodge. The candidates are Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Lord, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Macy, Mrs. Minnie Teeple and Mrs. J. ' S. McCrory-. i IMPORTANT MEETING TONIGHT A. E. Bodine, assistant state organ- . tizer for the Indiana fish and game ’ commission, is here and he has calli ed a meeting for tonight, to be held [ at the city building, Monroe street, at . which time hp will organize a local r association for the benefit of the - hunters and fishermen. The organi--5 zation is entirely for the local sportsmen and is recognized as a splendid work. Officers will be elected and one of the things to be done is the stocking of the St. Marys river with bass and other game fish that would provide much sport for our people. Every one interested in this movement is rei. quested to attend the meeting tonight. . At the city hall at 7:30. BAPTISMAL SERVICE s In connection with the regular prayer service this evening at 7:30 0 o’clock at the Christian church, there i will also he baptismal services.

MR. ACKER BUYS MEYERS PLANT Samuel Acker, who has been engag «.ri—s: - '«..■•: ~ >•—- .irs-.-s,-Decatur for many years and has ~ reputation for squareness and good i business, has further increased ids opportunity by purchasing the entire stock and machinery from Meyers Block and Roof company. He is tra isfering the stock and machines to his factory just north of the city and will increase his facilities as are necessary from time to time to take care of his trade. The deal was closed yesterday. — W - - ■ ■!■!■!■■ CHARITY BALL Be sure to attend the St. Vincent de Paul society's dance at the K. of C. hall this evening. The Franklin orchestra of Fort Wayne will play. If you do not dance, there will be tables I for card playnig. The party will Ivan informal short waist affair. HELD A HEARING Public Service Commissioner Edwards Here Today on Crossing Case. OFFER WAS MADE Erie Railroad Will Build Overhead at West Crossing and Fix Other. . Charles A. Edwards, member of the Indiana Public Service Commiscion was here today to confer with I the board of comnilsslons further con , renting the Bobo crossings of the Erie railroad, which has caused more or less trouble for every one connected for several years. The crossings nr? dangerous ones and the people in that section have been demanding that the tracks be built overhead. Present at the meeting today also were Attorney Gales of Galesburg, 111. for the Erie, Dore B. Erwin for the petitioners and Henry B. Heller for the county. The railroad had appealed from the order of the commissioners and the case was soon to come up in circuit court. The railroad has made an offer to compromise the matter, agreeing to build the overhead track at the west crossing and to make suitable and safe arrangements for the other crossing and this offer was agreed to today by Commissioner Edwards and Attorneys Erwin and Heller. It is expected that the controversy will soon be disposed of and the crossing troubles at Bobo settled. CLUBORGANIZED i Patrons of North Ward School Met and Organized Parent-Teacher Club ON TUESDAY EVENING O. L. Vance President —A Good Attendance —All Patrons Members. At a meeting of patrons of the north ward school district last evening a Parent-Teacher club was organized. Every patron of the north ward should consider himself a member and attend the meetings, the second assembly of which will probably be ’r. two weeks. Last night’s session was an imeresting one, as well as profitable and some very good sessions, tending to the betterment of school conditions are anticipated. The following officers were elected last evening: President, O. L Vance; ( vice president, Mrs. Chalmer Schaj fer; secretary, Mrs. Arthur Ford, I treasurer, Dr. W. E. Smith.

JSUIT IS SETTLED J -— <i Mrs. Elsie Thomas Gets I * Back Property Deeded to Her Daughter. ''dismisses HER SUIT r Aged Lady, However, Gives Daughter One House and Lot in This Citv. i* A suit for the recovery of property f.by Elsie S. Thomas, aged seventy-s’x, ' who had deeded the same to her . daughter, Mrs. Lucretia Pifer and ! husband John Pifer, has been settl'd | by the daughter deeding back the I same to her, and the case will be dismissed in the Adams cirsuit court by her attorneys, Peterson & Moran. The property includes three houses and lots in this city, two on North Second street and one near the opera house, the value being about $2,400. The mother deeded the property wlrile suffering front abroken hip, i<taining a life estate expecting to receive the rental proceeds. She '<■- pentcd the transfer afterwards, and having some difficulty with her daughter, left her home, bringing tiiis suit last August. In the settlement all the property was deeded back to the mother, who again deeded one of the houses and Lots on North Second streea to the daughter. The Pifers live in Mercer county, Ohio. twin!ls saved Government Has All Postoffice Employees to Save Jute Twine AND USE IT AGAIN This Means Great Saving in Aggregate in a Day’s Work. Have you ever visited a postofflee and noticed the clerks, at the few o'll moments when there was nothing else to do, sitting with a pile of short odds and ends of jute rope at their sides, reminding one very much of the Fates? Unlike the Fates, however, with their continual spinning, the postoffice clerks are gathering up those pieces of jute twine, tying them together and winding them into a bail. Watching them for a time, you finally conclude that they are very economically inclined. They may be economically inclined but they are saving and re-using the string under orders from postofflee headquarters, the government having the matter of economics w til under hand. Letters are sent out in packets, each tied with twine. This is s from incoming mails and is used again in the postofflees into whence it comes in {lying up their packets of letters, thus passing and re-passing from office to office. The Decatur postofflee uses at least a pound of twine a day in tying. This 1 costs from twenty to twenty-five i cents a pound. It can readily be seen that the cost of twine is no small item lin the aggregate. The' saving of twenty cents or more a day for each 1 postofflee, means quite a large sum ' in the total. — o HOME FROM HOSPITAL James H. Steele, a prominent firj mer of Saint Marys township, went to Fort Wayne yesterday afternoon, B where he got Ills daughter, Evange s line Steele, who has been in the Hone hospital there for five weeks. Miss j Steele was so far recovered from a peculiar affection that she could be taken home safely. Her rapid recovl * ery is assured by the specialists who 1. treated her. She has been ailing for I six months or more.

II SPANISH WAR "VETS” MET The members of the Spanish Amcii can war veterans' post met last night and transacted business among ' ' which was the adoption of a reso 1 Jution to attend the patriotic meet ling at the court house Friday evening l in a body. They took in four new members and had a splendid time. A 1 committee consisting of Major Fd 1 M'ller, Comrades Tanvas, Odell, K tson and Andrews was named to look after plans for observing Decoration ■> Day. MR. MANLEY (> TO BE HERE Hon. Frank P. Manley, of Indianapolis. Ind., Rotary Governor of the Eighth District will be the guest i,t the Decatur Rotary club at their rcr- ’ ular luncheon-meeting this evening, r at the Murray Hotel. Mr Manley wi:l I also address the club. TURNED ON GAS ' Aaron Weinberger, Promi1 nent Pennsylvania Horse Buyer, is Dead AT VAN WERT. OHIO ' Was Known Here — His Death Thought to Have Been Suicide. Aaron Weiflberger, aged 80 year ? a horse buyer with headquarters Allentown. Pa., was found dead on a bed in the home of John Rogers; 211 South Walnut street. Van Wert, 0., at 6 o’clock yesterday merning. The aged I man had been asphyxiated and the' gas jet in the room was turned o.i. I The gas and electric fixtures are clote together and it is not known whether he intentionally turned on the gas or did it by accident. The position i.i which the body was found, with arms folded across the chest indicates ths: he turned on the gas and lay on the bed to await death. A earload of) horses he had purchased is now on the side track here awaiting shipment. SIOO. in cash was found in Weinberg's' pocket. Mr. Weinberger made frequent visits to Van Wert and vicinity, buying horses, and he was well known lo| many. The body will be shipped to ’Allentown, Pa. The disposition oi the carload of horses will await word, from relatives of the dead man. A horse buyer, named Weinberg, of, iAlroit. Mich., has frequently attended the Decatur horse sales, but is no' j the one who died at Van Wert. O. The deceased man is not known to ha/e attended horse sales here, but is probably well known to many of the havers, and those living east of this ci'y. BONE OF NOSE BROKEN Mrs. Pansy Potter returned yesterday afternoon to her work in Fort Wayne. She came Sunday and vi is obliged to take a short vacation owing to an accident. She motored here Sunday with relatives, the Henry Sny- ! tier family from New Haven. In pass- , ing over the road the machine struck' a rut, jostling the occupants of the car in such away that Mrs. Potter’s face struck the top of the automobile. t A bone in the bridge of the nose vas s broken and her face badly bruised. GOES TO WASHINGTON 1— Mrs. A. H. Sellemeyer left today i*>r I Washington. I). C. She will be joinJed at Philadelphia by her daughter. n Esther, who goes there to take a ph? steal examination relative to het l>< coming a missionary to China tn September after her graduation from . Heidelberg college. Tiffin. Ohio, this n spring. Enroute home from Wash- ( ington.Mrs. Sellemeyer will stop at Heidelberg to visit with Esther <i p while. 6 “ G . A. R- NOTICE q All members of the G. A. R. and a'l ex-soldiers are requested to meet at. i the G. A. R- hall Friday evening at i- 7:30 to go to the court house to f'e booster meeting.

Price, Two Centd

MR. SETHER DEW .1 Nicholas Sether, Aged Sev- ' enty-nine, Died Last t. v Night at 10:15. ' WAS ILL LONG TIME . Os Ailment of Cancerous Nature —Died at Home of Nieces and Nephews. ■ 11 | Nicholas Sether. who was seventynine years old last February 18, <fi'-d hist night at 10:15 o'clock at the home I of his nephews amt nieces. Charles Sether and others at the the family home on West Monroe street. II He had been ailing since last sum- ■ mer of a disease oi a cancerous nature t causing striciure of the oesophagus. For the last four or live weeks he had been unable to take nourisninent in- ' to the stomach, owing to the closing 1 of the oesophagus. | Mr. Sether war. born in Germany, February 18, 133.', coming to this country in 1861. He resided for many years al Henry, 111., being a gardener of great ability. About four years I ago he came to this city to make sis home with his brother’s children. i He is the last one of the parent'll family. Brothers, Mathias and Pe‘er of this city are deceased, as are John and a sister who lived in Germany. He is survived by three nephews and several nieces. Funeral services will be held Saturday morning at nine o’clock from the St. Mary’s Catholic church. INTO TRAINING i Eugene Bremerkamp, Who Enlisted for U. S. Service in Fort Wayne WILL LEAVE TONIGHT Goes to Louisville, Ky.— Boys Will Pass Through This City. Eugene Bremerkamp, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Bremerkamp. who has been • ni; V-y ' ■ ' ’v :1 , 'the past year, has enlisted for U. S war service there, and with sixty or .seventy other young men from that city, will go into training at once. | The young men will pas.\ through this city tonight over the G. R. & 1. - 1 raidroad for Louisville, Ky., from ■ which place they will be sent to head- - quarters for training. Mr. Bremerkamp went to Ft. Wayne this afternoon to be with his son before his departure. The young man . is under twenty-one years of age SPANISH WAR VETS All Spanish War Veterans, whether ■ they belong to the local organization - or not. are urgently requested to !><■ ;- at the G. A. R- ball at seven-thirty :; o’clock Friday evening and from e there march in a body to the court s'house to attend the big union pit Jrlotic meeting. This meeting is very < important, and every loyal citizen should attend. A committee has hem appointed frent among the ranks of the Spanish War Veterans to decor ite - the court room for rhe meeting, <<nd other important parts will be taken by the organization. All veterans should be present Friday. HOME FROM FLORIDA Mrs. C. J. Lutz, accompanied by oer foster daughter, Miss Rowena Shoaf, I arrived in the city this morning at 8:05 over the G. R. & 1 from their winter’s stay in St. Petersburg. Florida. Mrs. Lutz spent five months in the south, and is improved in many ways since going there, although sae i is much worn by the long journey here. Mr. Lutz was with his wife i l . two months. Miss Shoaf going there ‘.thrtee months ago to take his place |with Mrs. Lutz.