Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 17, Number 293, Decatur, Adams County, 10 December 1919 — Page 1

clume XVII. Number 293

[COALJBNERS ACCEPT WILSON’S PLAN

B.BV I. SMITH, SEAS FOR BEARS, FOUHDIN MEXICO ■NELETON, LAST LETTER AND PICTURE I TELL THE STORY OF SUFFERING GF NR OIL TANK BUILDER BOBBED ■ BY BANBITS AND STARVED.

'lWW<>ut <>f Hi'’ sileni'p of four yi'ars, which time -he could mu ex wiiy her busban.l. Harry I. iiid. <li<l not write to her and to little daughter. Bernice. to ho had been most devoted, M r .. Leona Smith. >l' North 1'.i.0-street, street, has re's-ivod inlot .tit tt lead:- them to think that it was whose skeleton, with picturepapers, were found in 0,.| dehut in Mexico, where he had H5..110 to build some oil tanks fi.i th. J. \V. Company, of Sharon. PenMr. Smith was an Adcounty boy, formerly living which is being learned now for list time in years, reads like cut of a book of adventures. It tells, between the lines, some- - of the awfulness of life in war.bed Mexico. HMM 'I ’ 1 " it also brings back like “a bevoice from the xicad" the asKiiiiw thai tie did' not wilfully <lvj«t bis wife and baby, and itopt in the depths of iiis misfortune conside-ed sparing th • feelings ■;«! his wife, in order to prevent her about his condition, as a received by his brother ami by the ill-fated man in his last moments, showed. t that she hail been d by her husband. Mrs. Smith : on ' ago, applied for and was a divorce f-om him. on the of desertion and failure to |^^Br‘ v 'de. Smith has been mi-sing since SKKlahoin:i. for Tampico. Mexico, io the oil tanks. At that time. ’JU' Smith and their baby were with and he sent them hack home to September 16, 1915. to be near relatives. Some time in i|Bd:rua'y of the following year was ; J|h< last that Mrs. Smith had heard Brno tn him, until now. when she refrom his brother. P. .1. Smith, gSf Oil City, Penna, a letter, which ■> in turn received from the foreSfcaa of the company of builders in BSiexico. who had found the skeleton rffif the body; with the letter address- , «1 to the brother; a picture of the slntte daughter. Bernice; and one of baby and her father, taken tofact that the skeleton of the man. Bjjfc' wed a gold filling in one of the prove without a doubt that it M lhe body of the long missing man letters toll the story in a nut- . Sli 11, and will prove most interesting to his many friends here. jtThe letter Mrs. Smith received the brother in Pennsylvania 'foliow's: Oil City, Penna. B December 7. 1911) ■Dear Sister and Babe: Am sending you letters received on the 3rd of lhe month from Harry; also from the foreman of Ritter Conley Company. spu can see what they say. as well rs I. Do you know of Harry having alfllled. tooth as Mr. Warren speaks Os in his letter, and if we will pay , BHsur fare, are you willing to go with (Continued on Page Eire) |1 "2 SHOPPING ?|ip DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS j SHOP EARLY Make up your list from The Daily Democrat 't Advertising Columns 1

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

DEFEAT GENEVA Local High School Basket Ballers Defeat Geneva High, Winners of the COUNTY TOURNAMENT Last Year—Marks the First Defeat of That School by the Locals in 4 Years The Line up. Decatur—39. Genova—l4. Myers F Green . Kern F Farrar I Linn-Hyland C Pyle jT.eple G... Haviland-Fitch , Baltzell-Keller . ...G Rioweil Field Goals—Decatur: Myers, 5; Kern. 5; Linn, 5: Baltzell, 1. Geneva: Farrar. 4; I*vie, 1; Green. 1. Foul Goals: Decatur, 7; Geneva, 2. * » • With the defeat of the Geneva high school at the Athletic hall last evening, the Decatur high school adds an- | other victory to its string, making 'them a record of three out of four games on their home floor. The locals had the visitors greatly outclac, ;- cd last evening, both teams being of the same size, but the Decatur high had considerable more speed than th a visitors, keeping a fair lead over their ■pponeats at all times, the final score resulting 39 to 14 with D. H. 5. holding the big end. The Geneva high school were winners of the county meet last ye::", having a strong team, and made a I good place in the district. The local aggregation feels quite spirited over their victory of last evening, they being the only team of the local school that has defeated the oil city live in four years. A good preliminary was arrang 'd last evening, it being between the high school band five and the second team, reuniting in a close victory for the second team, the final score resulting 14 to 8. Owing to the inclemency of the weather not as large a crowd as usual was present at the game, but all who were there, made it known bv rooting for the home team. Next Friday night the local five will journey to Garret, where they will clash with the Garret high scchool basket ball team. A number of root- | ers will accompany them, all in hopes of bringing home the bacon. On next Tuesday evening, they wil meet the Bluffton outfit in this city. DIVORCE IS GRANTED Special Judge C. J. Lutz to.T’.y granted Louisa Reffe a divorce from Emanual Rcffe. Uo also pave >’ p " $4500 alimony, tl’C same to be paid [thirty days from date. The defendant is to pay the costs. Nannie Pontius was granted a divorce from Homer Pontius. She is also given the custody of Mabie and Thomas Pontius, the father to have the privilege of visiting them at proper times and placev ERROR WAS MADE An error was made in the article on Sheriff Carrigan of Lapeer. Mich, yesterday. The Also Products Company was not the prosecuting witness in ' the Reou case, but a Mr. Gordon, cf Michigan.

CLOSING ORDERS i Aftecting Business Houses [ and Manufactures Will be Issued Tomorrow BY CITY OF DECATUR , The Clothing Stores Have Agreed to Open at Eight and Close at Five. Local Closing orders. complying with those sent out by the state fuel administration and the public ser- | vice commission will be issued tomorrow by Supt. M. J. Mylott of the Mun--1 icipal plant. Mr. Mylott was in consultation today with members of the city council and Mayor Yager and the schedule I of hours to be alloted to each business house and manufacturing plant was being maped out this afternoon and the public will be given notice tomorrow. The people generally have i been observing the orders, but since the receiving of the new orders from the fedwal administration, more drastic rules must be, obeyed. The clothing stores have already agreed to open their stores at eigi.t I o’clock in the morning and close at five in the evenings. I The new order that no business house be furnished with more than six hours light service, which provision does not effect .many cf the local stores, as the majority of them close at six o’clock in the evenings. i The complete schedule of the local closing order "'ill be published in tol morrow'a Daily ijcaWsites Engineers are Busy Preparing Blue Prints of City and Marking FAVORABLE SPOTS Have a Number in View— New Power Plant Would be a Model One. — Messrs. McNanghten, consulting en ' gineers, whom the city has employee to prepare lhe plans for the nev $140,000 power plant and the select ing of a favorable site for the erne tion of the building are busy at worl in the Superintendent’s office in th' city hall preparing the blue print: ‘ and making a map of the city, mark ing off a number of favorable spot I' which could be used to advantage as . site for the building. I Messrs. McNaughton, experts ii I their line of business are making ; very systematic survey of the towt and the map as prepared by then I shows the sites under consideration r Some are in the north part of the city a number in the south, some central!; ] located and a number in the wes j part. As yet no exact spot has beei , selected, the advantages of the om ever the other being taken into con sideration and viewed from ever? . angel. A number of the sites havi , been offered gratis to the city, whil< offers have been received to donati the ground on a small annual rental It is hoped that the city will not en counter any difficulties in securinp . ' she site desired. ! I The power plant to be built will bi . one of the most modern in the state I it being proposed to build it suffic t iently large enough to take care of th< I needs cf the General Electric Com t patty, which company will use wilhii . a short time almost as much powei ! as is now furnished by the preseti’ . electric plant, and take care of tht .'needs of the city’s patrons and prom i ised expanding growth. I Messrs. McNaughton will also ga Ither the data and information whicl [will be required by the State board o: t tax commissioners when the city pre -'sents its petition to issue the $l4O, f 090 worth of improvement bonds. t 1— — fl Since June, 1914. living expenses ii 'England have increased 130 per cent

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday Evening, December 10, 1919.

I CONTRACT LET FOR BUILDING — Ferguson Construction Co. j of Cleveland, to Build the New Factory OF GENERAL ELECTRIC Under Bonus Agreement J Buildings Must be Comi pleted in Sixty Days j The contract for the construction ; the big new factory building for 1- ' Hie General Electric plant in Decatur, has been let to the Ferguson Coni- tracting company of Cleveland, Ohio under a bonus agreement to complete e same within sixty days, according to . i unofficial information received today. ( ; The Ferguson company is one of l the largest in the middle west, eo.ia I nected with the Austin Construction g Company and work is to be starc-d e i j within the month, which means the j: building will be ready for occupancy | by March 1. Under the bonus agreement the contracting company must complete the work within the time or pay an agreed sum for each day over, while allowed a similar amount for each day they beat the tint?. The survey cf the grounds was completed yesterday, the plans are comII plete and the contract lot. The big model plant will cover a space 2'30 by ' 360 and will be not only a tnadern ! and fire proof steels buildine, but will he so built and equipped to make It 1 a factory that will attract much at- '' tention. Representative r< f the contracting company are expected here within a few days to arrange for lab- • or and accomodations for those ) brought here. Building a plant of this size during January and Febratry is some contract but the Fegurson - company has performed similar contracting feats many times and will no doubt make good at this one. The company is now completing a j large building for the General Hl ' trie at Fort Wayne and has erected I several for them. Another and simi- — lar building may also he erected by the company if conditions war Ant it as)is now believed. The outlook for a splendid addition to industrial Den . catur could not be brighter. ■d ' :FOUR TAKEN OFF ;;i — io Fort Wayne Decatur Tract,; tion Suspends Two Daily Cars Each Way ' BEGINNING DEC. 11th '' New Time Table Published n in Today’s Paper—Compl ving With Order n. The Fort Wayne and Decatur truely tion line will feel file effects of the 3t coal shortage tomorrow, when four of ■ n their trains will be taken off. The 10 cars that are being eliminated are two leaving Decatur, one at 10 a. m. and T i the other at 1 p. tn., and the two leav,e ing Fort Wayne at 11:30 a. tn. and I 0 2:30 p. m. Correct time table is being p published in this paper daily '■ This action is taken in compliance to the order from the fuel administrag tion to eliminate as many cars as possible. >e ' (OLD WAVE BREAKING cio Chicago, Dec. 10—(Special ito Daily Democrat) — Indican (ions that lhe cold wave covcrr ing the mid-west is breaking, jt were reported from Denver loie day. ) The mercury there reachefl zero on its way up. Points further east shivered h | in the grip of chill winds and ’ below zero temperatures. lf | White River, Ontario, reported 44 below zero, the loxvest ’ ■ temperature on ' the weather bureau record for today. Montana and N. Dakota points din[vided the honors this side tin t | Canadian line with 2«S below.

'NOTE RECEIVED Germany Receives Demand . i from Allies That She Accept Protocol of THE PEACE TREATY View Tone of Note as Consiliatory—Scapa Flow Matter Discussed (United Press Service) I Berlin, Dec. 9—(Special to Daily Democrat) —The allied notes demanding Germany immediately accept the protocal to tile peace treaty, were received this afternoon. The tone of the notes, according to German oflit ial circles, was considered conciliatory. J It was understood the entente agrees to permit postponement of delivery of German docks and marine materials, demanded as reparation for the sinkring of the interned German fleet at I Scapa Flow, until it can bo determin- , od whether their surrender would , hopelessly cripple Germany’s industries, as the Germans have contended. I | The entente, however, refused to change its stand toward German wir| . prisoners and holds to its right to in I , vade Germany if she transgress any i ■cf the rules laid down by the peace [ | conference and armistice. The notes of the Scapa Flow mat-1 ter. it was understood, require that ' Germany list the marine materials de-1 mended, nominally delivering them to i the allies, but with privilege of de-j t manding their return if the German ' government is able to prove delivery is over-btudensome when the matter !• . , N I is submitted to arbitration. p | WAS ABANDONED 'I II For Another Woman, Says ’I Mary F. Barker, in Applying for a Divorce , FROM LIONEL BARKER ; ii Says Husband Ran Around! t With Another Woman r i and Then Boasted of It By her attorney John (’. Capron, a * divorce case was filed in the Adams , circuit, court in which Mary F. Baker, seeks a divorce from Lionel G. Baker. I They were married in 1912 and lived • together until last May, when she | I says, he abandoned her and began running around to Marion, and Koko-j i mo with a certain woman of bad character. At the time he deserted I Ijer, she says he left her and her two ■ children, Clarence aged five, and I Viola, aged nine months, with no! ’ other means of support than ninety j dollars. Mrs. Baker says that Lionel boasted of his relations with the wman' and , told his wife to get a divorce that he i .. might marry her. his wife says he has contracted a certain loathsome disease. > II Mrs. Baker says that they resided a mile south ot Berne on a farm, but I since her husband had deserted her she says it has become necessary for her to go out and do housework among 3 the farmers’ home in order to support herself and her two children. CHICAGO MARKET CLOSE Chicago, Dec. 10 —(Special to Daily Democrat)—Com: Dec. $1.43'4; Jan. . $1.37%; May, $1.34%. Oats: Dec: 1 78%; May 81%. INDIANAPOLIS MARKET I Hog receipts, 11500; market 55 I higher; best heavies, [email protected]; medium mixed, [email protected]; common I choice, [email protected]; bulk sales. sl3; j cattle receipts, 1000, steady; steers, $14@18; cows and heifrs, [email protected]; sheep receipts 500, market steady; j tops, s6@7. 1 i Mrs. Bernard Voglewede and child- [_ ren returned to their home in Indian- {> apolis after visiting with her parents j Mr. and Mrs. Ed Green.

GREAT STRIKE EHOS AND MEN WILL RESUME WORK CAME TOAN AGREEMENT AH O'CLOCK -RECEIVE 14 PER CENT WAGE IN-CREASE-A COMMISSION WILL DE APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT WILSON. (United Press Service) Indianapolis, Dec. 10—(Special Io Daily Democrat l — The most lar reaching industrial struggle in America's history ended today when chiefs of the United Mine Workers of America meeting here accepted lhe proposed agreement submitted by President Wilson. Four hundred thousand bituminous coat miners who have been on strike for five weks and live days will return to work immediately union leaders said and normal production is expected soon. The men will return to work with a promise of an immediate increase of Il\ in wages. I'here will be no immediate increase in the price of coal to consumers. t'nder the agreement the president will appoint a commission of three, one a miner and one a mine operator, which will ini vestigate the entire coal industry. I'his commission will report within GO days recommending wage and coal price adjustment and what ever other changes believed necessary in the coal industry. The miner’s original demands included a six hour day . and a five day week and a 50'< increase in wages. ■ While the miners have come a long ways from procuring the i original demands they look to the commission which President Wilson will appoint to give an increase in, wages which will total l at least 31' < and shorten the working day. The appointment of the commiMinn the miners believe will I also remove from the controversy Dr. Garfield, national coal administrator.

FINISHES AIR TRIP FROM LONDON TO AUSTRALIA London, Dee. 10. — (Special to the | Daily Democrat.) —Captain Roas I Smith, British aviator, has completed the first flight from London to AUstra- 1 lia, according to a message received I ' today. He landed at Port Dorwin in the I northern territory of South Australia, ' according to the message. ‘All's well," Smith said. Smith flew a Vickers-Viiny airplane.) — MEETING THIS EVENING The mid-week meeting of the Presbyterian church will be one of special interest this evening. A study in preparation of the Christinas program [ will be made. The topic is “Phrophecies concerning Christ in the Old Tes- ! tement." These will be traced from ! Genesis throughout the Old Testament. The pastor will use the blackboard and the meeting will be more profitable if those who attend will bring their Bibles and note books. A very good meeting is anticipated and every one is urged to attend. 'The meeting will be held at 7:30 and will close a little earlier than usual on account of choir practice. FIRE SWEEPING TULSA (United Press Service) Tulsa, Okla., Dec. 10 —(Special to the Daily Democrat.)—Tulsa's business district was threatned today by fire which spread over an entire block between Third and Fourth streets on Main. The fire started at 3 A. M. and was due to a sudden increase in gas pressure which caused burners to flare up. With flames still out of control at 7:30 A. M. there was no estimate of damage. Firemen were handicapped in their battle by extreme cold. Eleven alarms were turned in dur ing the night. One lumber yard will’ a large stock was burned to ths ground, the fire department being ’in able to divert fighters from the mair , business district. Mrs. A. A. Kist returned on the 1:05 train to her home in Portland after a visit here. INDIANA WEATHER 3 Fair and continued cold tonight; Thursday fair and not so cold.

Price Two Cents

PACKING RULES New Rules Regarding the Packing of Express Went Into Effect Today v SAYS LOCAL AGENT Ben H. Elzey—A Heavy Movement of Christmas (rifts is Expected — The new express packing rules go into effect today, according to a statement made by Agent B. H. Elzey, in charge of the local express offices. Under the regulations now in force, all express shipments over 25 pounds must be forwarded in wooden containers or cartons bearing the boxmakers’ certificate as to strength and size required by the express company. No change is contemplated in the shipments under the 25-pound limit, which will still he accepted wrapped in paper. Agent Elzey advised Christmas shippers not only to send their holiday packages early, but to see that they were properly packed and accurately addressed. "We expect very heavy movement of Christmas gifts by express this year,” said Mr. Elzey today, “and this at a time when we are handling a greater amount of traffic than at any period in the history of tile railroads. It will be for Christmas shippers to , keep in mind the 25-pound limitation for paper wrapped packages. Most I holiday resents, we believe, are un- ( der that weight and are, therefore, not [affected by the new rules. J "But any shipment over 25 pounds I [ must be forwarded in special containe|ers, and we will be very glad to give b [ anyone interested full information as [to how they should prepare their r .. Christmas presents for shipment l:y p express.” .e ' * b ABOUT THE SICK n Hugo Ottelng. son of Charles Getting. is recovering nicely from the jury in which the muscle of his upe per arm was shot away from the eld bow. in the accidental firing of a shotgun. Fred Theime of Union township is very ill, having had a stroke of par- . [alysis. His condition is quite seriOlis.