Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 20, Number 101, Decatur, Adams County, 28 April 1922 — Page 1

olume XX. Number 101

■central play |at gymnasium I fine success I mouthful Actors Won the I I Admiration of the Urge I Audience Present HREPEATED to-night ■ Many Amusing Incidents Occured During Progress of Play I I Handling their parts in a manner creditable to persons many years elders, the members of the cast of ‘The Time of His Life", the play glrsn by the students of the Central School in the gymnasium last night, won the entire approval and admiration of the audience which filled the gymnasium. It was remarkable how well the stu dents, who are members of the seventh and eighth grades, had their lines learned, and added expression to bring I Hout the meaning. They seemed very I imueh at ease on the stage and very ■ little prompting, if any, was needed. I The east was very well selected, ■ each member appearing to fit into the I ■ part ,le portrayed. The makeups were H extremely good and the difficult task i I of making a young boy or girl appear i Has an old person was well handled. IB Miles Baker, taking the roil of Tom and Miss Mabie Staley, as ■ Mrs. Bob Grey om’s brother, starred ■in their exceptionally heavy roles. P. ■ Wyant, taking the part of Mr. P. Wy- ■ combe, a pessimist, also drew many ■ ■ laughs from the audience. The part of i ■ Uncle Tom, the old colored servant. 1“ was played by Don Lebrun, and he handled the difficult blaceface role in a fine fashion tor a youth. Miles Baker, also played a blackface role during part of the play and was very good. The play opened with Mrs. Grey and her brother, Tom eating lunch. Mr. Grey was away from home on business. Uncle Tom the colored servant asked Mrs. Grey for permission to be off duty that evening in order that he might attend a negro dance. After Uncle Tom had left, Mrs. Grey receiv oda letter from Mr. and Mrs. Wycombe ■ saying they would be at the Grey resi I dence for dinner that evening. Mrs. Grey was greatly excited when | she remembered that she had le* I Uncle Tom and the cook ko out for the I evening. Uncle Tom had been se- ■ cured by the Greys through the I I recommendation of the Wycombes ' I and Mrs. Grey realized that they would | I expect to see Uncle Tom. Desiring to I I help his sister out of her difficulty. I Tom Volunteered to masquerade as I I Uncle Tom and serve the dinner, say | I ing he would have the time of his life. The food was ordered from the resI Uurant but this was to be kept a se- I I cret also, because Mr. Wycombe had a ' I horror of eating restaurant food. All went well until the Wycombes : I arrived and Dorothy Landon, Tom’s I sweetheart, accompanied them. When I Tom, black as Uncle Tom, entered the I room and saw his fiance, he almost I spilled the beans". Many amusing I incidents happened during the meal. Uncle Tom soon tired of the dance I returned home. When Mrs. Grey rang | I for the servant, Tom and Uncle Tom I both answered, and the sight of what I was his ghost, frightened I ~-~Y£ ont,aup < 1 on I )a K° two)

Postmaster Bosse Makes Statement To The Public

I he Postmaster and employes of the Decatur Port Office, desire your cooperation to eleminate any irregular'•fes that may occur in handling the Mails that come and go at this office, you can do this by having your packages well wrapped in good heavy paper and tied with good heavy twine. The address should always be on the lower 1 Kht side ot the package, and your return should be on the upper left B de ot the package. We very often receive packages with just the reverse, e return is on the lower right side or package and the address on the PPer left side of package. This is ron K» (you should not adress your r in this way) all packages should e addressed same as a letter, the ad-

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

REPUBLICAN CADIDATE 13 HERE Ernest Benninghofen of Anderson, Indiana, republican candidates for the republican nomination for congressman from the eighth district, was a visitor In the city yesterday. He call ed on hundreds of voters. Mr. Bennington is a printer by trade, a pub Usher and an editor having been at the business ail his life. He carries an ad in tonight's Daily Democrat and tells you what he stands for and why he is asking for the republican nom ination. HALLER TRIAL IS NEAR END Indications Were that Jury Would Get the Case This Afternoon Indications this morning were that the cause of the state vs. Charles R Haller, on trial at Bluffton, would g< to the jury sometime this afternoon Haller, the prosecuting attorney o' Huntington county, is being tried 01 a charge of criminal assault on MissBernice Allen, a young Huntlngtor girl. The defense rested its case late yes terday afternoon and the state hegui offering the testimony of character wit nesses. Mr. Shideler, county auditoi of Huntington county, and J. F. Barnet county treasurer, testified that ths general moral character of Mr. Hal ler was bad. Defense attorney Eich horn, however, tempered the test! mony somewhat, .when he brought out the fact that the witnesses and the de fendant had been on opposing sides ir a bitter political fight in the 1915 campaign. LAYS DECATUR WILL OBSERVE CLEAN-UP WEEK ‘“Decatur can and will" observe Clean-up Week. Rubbish and old tin cans are mors than unsightly. They are a menace to health.

Flies deposit their larvae in pile: of rubbish and an old tin can with t few drops of water in it, makes a firn incubator for a mosquito. Both flies and mosquitoes are carriers of disease If everyone wjll observe “Clean Up Week" starting Tuesday, May 2nd, the danger and annoyance of these pests can be very much lessened Collect the refuse and put it in a con venient place where the city trucks can get it.—CIVIC SECTION. LOCALS OPEN SEASON TODAY. The local high school base ball tean opened their season this afternooi when they clashed with the Convoj high school at Bellmont park, game being called at 3:30 o’clock. Just whr would compose the local nine was not known at noon today but it was ex pressed that every one of tlie eighteer candidates who turned out for a berth would be given a chance to make good FROG EYES VS. BITLER NINE The Frog Eye base ball team will meet the fast Bitler team, of Union township on the formers diamond Sun day afternoon. Both teams are evenly matched and a good contest is expected to take place. The Frog Eyes won their first game of the season last Sunday afternoon when they met and defeated the Blakey team by a score of 12 to 8.

dress on the lower right and return on upper left We also receive hundreds of letters and postal cards with no address or return, and these people wonder why their Mall does not reach destination. If you will address your Envelope or card first, you will eliminate this irregurality and your mail always will reach destination. Do all of your mailing early in the day, if possible, you will get better service, if you wait until evening it will be impossible to give you quick service, especially when there is a congested condition, some ot this Mail is bound to go over until the next day, (Continued on page five)

CLAIMS UNITED STATES BONDS BEING COPIED

Senator Johnson Makes A Startling Disclosure in Senate Today BEING CIRCULATED Government Bond Holders Are Said to Be Growling Alarmed (By Lawrence M. Benedict, United Press Staff Correspondent) ■Washington, April 28 —(Special to Daily Democrat) — “Startling disclosures.'’ in connection with his charges of wholesale duplication of government bonds were forecast today by Representative Royal C. Johnson, South Dakota, republican. Johnson spoke with reference to insistent rumors of the duplication and circulation of between $250,000.000 and $400,000,000 worth of government bonds. On the floor of the house ho had charged that ’’hundreds of millions of dollars worth" of such bonds had been duplicated. “Within a few weeks this matter will be the overshadowing piece of news in Washington," Johnson told the United Press. This statement was made in the face of the repeated denials of Secretary of the Treasury Mellon of reports of duplications of gigantic proportions. Johnson today reiterated to the United Press his charges of duplications and said that he liad placed the facts, as he found them, before the department of justice. Attorney General Daugherty who accompanied President Harding on the trip to Point Pleasant, 0., was due hack here today and may issue a statement in reply to Johnson, either denying or affirming that he had evidence of the alleged duplications. It was recalled that representatives of the justice department took part in the inventory recently made at the bureau of printing and engraving following the dismissal of 27 bureau chiefs. William J. Burns, head of the bureau of investigation of the department of justice today denied reports that his men were watching or had taken into custody a number of men who formerly held positions of trust with the government. Government officials are making every effort to still the stories of duplications. These stories already have had a bad effect on government bonds, one treasury department official stated. Holders of government bonds are becoming anxious for fear they are in possession of duplicates. CHILDREN'S STORY HOUR. There will be a “story hour" in the main auditorium in tlie Decatur Public Librarf tomorrow afternoon. Saturday, April 28. Mrs. W. A. Lower Miss Martha Tyner, Mrs. A. G. Moore, and Miss Zelma Stevens will be the story tellers. The “story hour" will be divided into two periods. The children of the first, .second, third, and fourth grades will come at 1:30 o’clock those of the fifth, sixth, and seventh grades will be entertained at 2:30 o’clock. The children of the city are urged to come to these story hours as the afternoon is sure to prove an enjoyable ono. CHICAGO GRAIN (United PrcMH Service). Chicago, Apr 28—(Special to Dady Democrat) — Wheat: May $1.42%: July $1.26%; Sept. $1.18%. Corn: May 61%c; July 65%c; Sept. 67%c. Oats: May 37%c; July 40%c; Sept. 41%c. —o Miss Zoe Miller of Fort Wayne will sflend the evening as the guest of Miss Fan Hite. Mrs Charles Zwick of Root township transacted business in this city today. Mrs. Fritz Keonig of Washington township was in this city today on business. •— PREACHING AT ANTIOCH Preaching services at the Antioch church next Sunday will be in charge of Warren Manges and 'William Hygena, students from the Fort Wayne Bible school. Everyone Is invited to come to these services, both morning and evening.

Decatur, Indiana, Friday Evening, April 28, 1922

+ 4 + 444444 + 44444 ❖ AMERICAN HISTORY 4 + DAY BY DAY 4 4 By T. P. Green 4 + + <• April 28 4 4 < 4 James Monroe, fifth president 4 4- of the United States, was born 4 ♦ on April 28, 1758 4 4 — 4 4 General Halleck's forces were 4 4 re organized as “the Army of tile 4 4 Tetyiossee" on April 28. 1862. < 4-4 -> General Hooker’s army crossed 4 4 the Rappahannock River on April 4 4 28,1863. 4 4 — 4 4 Sol Smith Russell. American < 4 actor, died on April 28, 1902. < 4 — 4 4 Fitzhugh Lee. General of the 4 4 Confederate army and General 4 4 of the U. S. Army died on April 4 4 28, 1905. 4 4 — 4 4' The Selective Draft Army Bill 4 4 was passed by Congress on April 4 4 28. 1917. 4 4444444444444444 LARGEST ISSDE IS AUTHORIZED Issue of $30,000,000 of Securities by N. Ind. Gas and Electric Co. < ultfd Prenn StnlT Corrcpoiideiit Indianapolis, April 28—(Special tc Daily Democrat) —An issue of ap proximately $30,000,000 worth of se curities by the Northern Indiana Gas & Electric company to reorganize its “financial structure” and improve its plant in some of the thirty-seven util ities where it operates was authoriz ed by the Public Service Commissior today. It was the largest issue of securi ties over approved by the public ser vice commission and is for the pur pose of refinancing the organization to meet new conditions. Most of the money will be used ii refunding old bonds and mortgages Part of it will be spent in paying foi improvements and extension already made in the property and part of it for contemplated extension. Provi sion was made to use $2,115,000 foi improvements from December 31 1918 to December 31, 1922. By this system of refinancing the company will get out from under a top heavy burden of securities which it has been carrying and will be fret from annual interest charges o! $526,000. Improvements and extension will bo made in the following cities ant' towns where the company operates: Hammond, $497,500; Michigan City $387,950; South Bend, $150,000; Ply(Continued on page th w-» PETITION SALE OF HOME STORE Re-Appraisement of Monroe Home Store to Begin Next Monday Re-appraisement of the remaining stock in the Monroe Home Store will be started next Monday as the result of a petition for such action filed in the circuit court yesterday by the plaintiff in the case of Cassius M. Andrews and Mary L. Andrews vs. the Honmoe Home Store. In addition to asking for a re-ap-praisement of the remaining stock the petition asked that the court issue an order for sale at private sale for cash at its fair cash value and without notice. The court appointed C. J. Voglewede and Benjamin Sprunger to reappraise the remaining stock of shoes and Eugene Runyon and Frank Barthau to reappraise the remaining stock of other merchandise. The hearing on tho petition for an order of sale was continued until the ro-ap-praisement is filed in the court. Fair tonight and Saturday, except somewhat unsettled in extreme south portions; not much change in temperature; frost probable in north and central portions tonight.

MAYOR OBJECTS TO EXPENDITURE OF CITY FUNDS Accountants Here to Audit Books of City Plant Back to 1895 REQUIRE MUCH TIME Accountants Say It Will Take Most of Summer To Complete Work On April 21 when theTublic Service 'ommlssion allowed the petition of he City of Decatur for a continuance if the present water rates as charged >y the Water Department of the Citj Electric Light and Water plant, tile order read that the rates should be •ontinued pending an audit of the >ooks. This morning accountants lledsoe and McGregor of the account ng department of the Indiana Public Service commission arrived in the 1 ity and went to the city hall and tated they were here for the purpose f checking up the books of the Water lepartment, informing Mayor Huber De Voss that they would begin their mdit with the establishing of the mulicipal plant, going hack to 1895. To his. Mayor DeVoss objected, stating hat he did not know what good the Tgures or amount of business done in ’895 or even in 1900 had anything to lo with the making of a rate for tile water department now. It was understood that the accountants stated at he city hall that they thought their work would take them al summer. It will be remembered that in 1920 ind -1921 the city of Decatur employed iccountants and engineers to check ip books preparatory to to petitioning or the present rates and these records ’lave been kept up, shoving the valua ion of the plant, the cost of operation ind the amount or revenue received iach month and an annual report made at the end bf the year. What good the 1895 figures will be n establishing a water rate is not known. It will take considerable time to go over the books for twenty .even years. Mayor DeVoss and the louncilmcn we talked with today are of the opinion that all the facts the Public Service Commission needs can be obtained from tho records and from the surveys made by the accountants last year. Mayor DeVoss will probably lie a protest with the Public Service Commission against the useless expenditure of money on the part of the city in paying the acountants to go over old records. Whatever cost is connected with the audit the city must bear. The accountants are working in the Mayor’s office in the city hall. As far as known no one thinks the present water rates are high, the aveige residence paying a minimum charge of SIO.OO per year. PETITION GRANTED G. R. & I. The Public Service Comission of Indiana has granted a petition of the Grand Rapids apd Indian Railway Company for authority to construct a rossing gate at tile point where the Decatur Traction Company's line, according to a notice received here today. LEAVES FOR MASSACHUSETTS Miss Catherine M. Christen, who was principal of the Kirkland township high school during the past season, left today for Sprinkfield, Massachusetts, where she will take up the superintending and organization of boys’ and girls’ clubs. SUIT ON NOTE FILED Judgment in the sum of $750 is demanded in a suit on a note filed in the Adams Circuit court yesterday by the Old Adams County Bank against Adams J. Gephart and Mary J. Gephart. The principal of the note was $585.90. Attorneys for the plaintiff are Merryman and Sutton. COMMUNITY MEETING The Kirkland township community meeting will be held at Kirkland Center next week, May 2to 9. The meeting will be a good one and will be attended by a large number of people.

ACCEPTS POSITION AS FIELD MAN Adrian Lenhart will leave Monday for Chicago where he lias accepted a position us field manager for the Beatrice Creamery Co., one of the largest plants of its kind in the country. Mr. Lenhart is ono of the prominent young men of this city, and is well qualified for tills position, having had six years experience us station operator and field man in the interest of the local branch of the Cloverleaf Creameries. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Joint M. Lenhart of this city. DANIEL SIMMS HERE TONIGHT Democratic Candidate For Senator to Speak in the Court Room Under the auspices of the Jefferson Club, Daniel W. Simms, of Lafayette,, one of the five candidates for the democratic nomination for United States Senator will speak in the court room tonight and the public in invited to hear him. Mr. Simms is an able lawyer, one of the big thinkers of the state and splendidly qualified for the honor lie seeks. Judge John C. Moran will preside and it is probable that short talks will be made by other leading democrats. The club lias planned to bring a number of speakers to this city during tlie year. week Samuel M. Ralston, also a candidate for tlie senate spoke here and Lite committee in charge have promises from a dozen leading political leaders of the state and nation. You are urged to attend tonights meeting and to become a member of the Jefferson club. The annual dues are but one dollar a year and efforts to build up a live and continuous organization will be made. — HOME ECONOMICS CLUB One of tho most interesting and instructive meetings of the Home Economics club was held at the home of the Mrs. Sam Fuhrman. Thrsday afternoon, between forty-five and fifty being present. The roil call was quite interesting and “April Showers" in which each lady was asked t otell something new which she had learned during April was quite instructing. The president th, n explained the meaning, that tlie club stood for in the community, the main thing bring to help take care of the problems of the home. The club is a permanent organization of the county, it being the only one in Adams county. Miss Catherine Christen, one of our members gave an interesting talk, which was enjoyed by all. She leaves today for Massachusetts. Four new members were admitted yesterday: Mrs. Helen Bennett, Mrs. John Houck, Mrs. Hen Wagner and Miss Jane Wagoner. It has been decided to send a girl to the State l air Sclnx 1 course again this year and plans will be made later. A social time was enjoyed and also fine refreshments. Mrs. Fuhrman and her assistants were fine hostesses. The guests expressed regret at seeing Miss Christen leave, but all wished her good luck in her new field. Mrs. Willis Farmer will have the May meeting. Mrs. Dan Niblick and daughter Mildred went to Fort Wayne litis afternoon where they will see David Warfield in the ’Return of Peter Grimm.”

The Annual Class Gift of High School Announced

A large purple curtain for the new high school auditorium will be the annual senior class gift this year of tlie Decatur high school. The classes of 1921 and 1922 will combine in procuring this fine gift for their Alma Mater. The graduating class last year plan ned to purchase a life size statue of a lion but after a thorough investigation it was found that tlie statue would cost more than the amount of money in the class treasury. At a recent meeting of the officers of last year's class it was voted to join with this year’s class in procuring the curtain for the stage in the new auditorium. The large curtain adopted as a gift

Price 2 Cents

SPEAKER TOLD ROTARIANS OF FIRST LIBRARY Henry B. Heller Told of the First Library in Adams County (FOUNDED IN 184 3 ——— First Library With Its 444 Volumes Was Located in Auditor’s Office The observance of Library week in Indiana this week not only brings to the minds of the public tho importance of a public library, but memor ies of the first library in Adams county and how the present Library was organized in Decatur. Last evening at the luncheon meeting of the Rotarians, Henry B. Heller, secretary of the Decatur Library board, gave a short talk on the first library in Adams county which created a desire on our part to obtain more detailed information and in a meager way try to tell the history of the Adams county public libtrary. Many people no doubt, do not know or have forgotten that Adams county Iliad a library in 1843. From the j records in the possession of Henry Heller we obtained the following facts: On September 5. 1843 the first meeting of the trustees of tlie Adams County Public Library association was held in the auditor’s office in this city, the library with its 444 volumes of good books, mostly histories, acts of tlie legislature and books of sound ( and educational reading, a few of fiction and only two magazines was being located in the auditor’s office. At this meeting John H. Nevins, George A. Dent, Samuel Patterson, ; James Patterson. James Crabbs, Ed ! G. Coxen and Samuel L. Rugg met. They were appointed by Judge W. Borden, judge of the Twelfth Judicial district and the following officers were elected: Samuel L. Rugg, the founder of Decatur, president; Ed G. ; Coxen, secretary; James Patterson, treasurer and John H. Nevins, librarian and corresponding secretary. The Adams County Library was organized under the provisions of ■ Article ten, section one of the Con , stitution of Indiana, the good and thoughtful men of that day, writing into the constitution an article to the effect that of all lands sold in a county seat, then called the seat of justice, that ten per cent of the amount be set aside for the establishing of a public library. The constitu- ' tion, as no doubt you know, was adopted on June 29. 1816 and provi- . sion pertaining to the establishing of a public library shows the fdreI sight of the splendid men who wrote the original document at Corydon, Indiana under the big oak tree. The trustees of the library adopted by-laws and among the items of interest therein, was tlie provision that , any member who neglected to attend ■me of the quarterly meetings in the I auditors office should be fined twenty- ' five cents, whi< Ii amount would be turned over to the treasurer of the iboard. The library charged for the books taken out by readers. Four weeks was the limit allowed for the use f a book and the fees were based on the ! size of the book, five cents being charged for a book not exceeding four hundred pages and ten cents for all bcoks over four hundred pages. From the minutes kept it showed that 444 volumes were in the library, and (Continued on nnge twcl

vill likely cost from $350 to S4OO. Thv ichool authorities will receive bids >n it one week from next Tuesday. A double unveiling of the gift will be held next fall when the new auditorurn is dedicated. An effort will bo nade to have all members of both lasses, as well as all other alumni of the school as far as possible, attend the unveiling and dedication. The graduating elas this year is the largest one in the history «f the local high school. There are fifty-four applicants who will be graduated providing they successfully pass the final examination to be held on May 15 and 16. There were thirty-nine members of the graduating class last year.