Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 21, Number 57, Decatur, Adams County, 7 March 1923 — Page 1

Volume XXI. Nn'»l* r

MANY MAHERS HOLD COUNCIL’S ATTENTION;

IMPROVEMENT OF STREETS IN CITY ORDERED Several Matters Pertaining to Street, Sewers and Sidewalks Heard Will, OIL STREETS City to Do Work; Property Owners to Pay Proportionate Cost Stroot. sewer and sidewalk matters look the attention of the eouneilmen in regular session last evening and a number of improvements were order* ,4 or legal action taken relative to them. To Brick Tenth Street The street and sewer committee reported favorable on the improving nf South Tenth street from Monroe to Adams street, recommending that the street he improved as petitioned for. with brick and a cement side walk, with the exception that the concrete gutter be eliminated. The street will be 34 feet wide. Warehouse Repaired The board of safety reported the completion of repairing of the warehouse room hack of the city hall, which was recently repaired with sheet iron by Thomas Leonard. It is used as a storage room by the city. Hoffman Sewer Ordered The final resolution ordering the construction of the Jacob R. Hoffman sewer, was passed and adopted, and Tuesday, March 20th set as the day on which bids will be received. Wants Cement Sidewalk The petition of W. A. Klepper for a cement sidewalk on the west side of Mercer Avenue from Rugg to Winchester street was filed and referred to the street and sewer committee. Dayton Avenue Opening The mailer of awarding benefits and damages to the property owners affected by the opening and extension of Dayton Avenue and Dirkes street west of Seventh street was referred to the council as a whole, they tn go over the route affected and then make a- report. Engineer liarniff filed plans and specifications for making the improvement. Plans for Minnick Sewer Engineer Harrnff’s plans and specifications for the Albert Minnick sewer in the west part of the city, petitioned for at one time under the name of the Gaffer sewer, were filed and approved. May Build Houses l.ewis Quandt who owns five acres nf ground west of Thirteenth street and north of Monroe, back of the Sether tobacco warehouse, petitioned the council for the right to drain a certain portion of this tract, equal , in three building lots, and to tap the Monroe street sewer. It was stated that Mr. Quandt, who is a resident of Allen county, was desirous of building three houses on the ground ownmi by him and that he wanted drainage for at least that much territory, bbe matter was referred to the street and sewer committee who will hivestitrate the matter. As commonly known, the Monroe street sewer is said to be over-taxed and property nwners living on West Monroe sheet may object to the granting of tll « petition. Wants Sidewalk Improved Tfie matter of repairing the side''alk on Washington street was re•Ded to the street and sewer com»i ttee. Samuel Acker appearing bo■we the council stated that the sitlejralk m>, ‘de<l repairing, due to the aet that when the pipe line was laid, ' was done to the walk. The Dumping of Ashes ha ordinance governing the dump>K and spreading of ashes in alleys brought up by Councilman Beav--8 and discussed by the other counth lUft i.i au ‘* Ahe matter referred to nr!i attorne y- The ordinance die' 1 ltS l '* e l * ura P* n ß of ashes in cinders and ashes are Continued on page three)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Civil War Veteran Expires at Ossian Joseph A. I). Taylor, uge 80 i years. Civil War veteran, died at the home of his daughter. Mrs. l.ewis | Miller in Ossian, this morniug. Mr. I Taylor lias lived near Ossian for the last fifty years, coming to that place . from Gaio. He served three years in I the Civil War. Surviving are five 1 daughters, one sister, three half-sis* . ters, and one half-brother. Funeral I services will he held front the home at 2 o’clock Friday afternoon. BRIDGES ARE ORDERED BUILT t i , Commissioners Order Lewton and Alpha Bridges i Constructed The Lewton and Alpha bridges in • Root township have been ordered ; constructed by the county comntis- > sioners and bids for their construction will be received on Tuesday, 1 April 3rd. The Lewton bridge spans ■ the St. Mary’s river, and the estimat- ■ ed cost of its construction is $30,000. • The commissioners will more th in likely accept the bids for the steel construction. The .span is 135 feet • across the river. The Alpha bridge • spans the ditch known as number , seventeen near the Alpha church and i the estimated cost of Its construction i is $5,500.00. The span is 35 feet and it will also he built of steel. Road Day Changed s The commissioners before adjourn* i ing last' ‘venTug,"changed We next I road clay to Wednesday, March 28th • when bids will he received for Ihe construction of the Philip Sauer road in Root and Pnion townships; the A. • N. Sprunger road, Monroe township; 1 the Ross Harden road, l T nion towni ship; and the Elman and Case road, I’nion township. The estimated cost ■ of* the four proposed improvements is $85,079.42 of which Hip Sprunger road is the largest. The four roads total 4.2 S miles in length. The change i In date is made so that construction on the roads can be started at once i anil previous to the time when the “holiday road bill” becomes effective. Bill Was Signed Dispatches from Indianapolis state . that Governor McCray signed the “holiday road bill” which reduced the road bonded indebtedness in the townships from four to two per cent. As an emergency clause was not attached to the bill it will not become effective until the governor issues his ■ proclamation and will therefore not stop road building this spring. After the law does become effective, road building throughout the state will he i curtailed* for several years as every township, with the exception of Washington township is bonded for road improvements in excess of the two per cent limit. The commissioners approved the publishing of the petition for the Burke road in Jefferson township. CHRISTMAS°SEAL SALE Total of 58,095 Seals Sold in County; Less Than in 1921 The final report of the sale of Christmas Seals in Decatur and Adams county last December, has been completed by W. Guy Brown, ! chairman of the sale. Several of the ! chairmen in charge of the sale la various parts of the county were late in making their report to Mr. Brown. The report shows that a total of 58,095 seals were sold in the county. This is 15,526 less than the total sold in 1921. A totilT of 23,329 seals and their equivalent in bonds were sold , in Decatur. The amounts sold in the other localities were: County schools, 20,415; Berne schools, 7,852; Geneva schools, 4,173; Monroe schools, 2.026. I * ♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦+♦♦♦♦♦ + WEATHER ♦ k ———— i Partly overcast weather tonight , and Thursday; possibly snow or rain Thursday; not much change in temperature.

WILL RECEIVE > I BIDS ON LIGHT POSTS APRIL 3 City Council to Let Contract for Erection of New Street Lights BUY THAWING DEVICE City to Have Device for Thawing Frozen Eire Hydrants Bids for furnishing the ornamental light posts, which will he erected on I both sides of Second street from t Jackson to Jefferson streets, will be received by the city council on Tuesday, April 3rd. The council has adopted the single light standard, similar to the style of post in front of tile city hall on Monroe street. Engineer Orval Harruff filed plans and 1 specifications for the new lighting system and upon motion .which was duly seconded they were approved. The eouneilmen in changing the style of post from a live light cluster, to the single light standard, believe that the new model will serve to better advantage and will give more light than the present lights which stand in front of the court house and within the block from Monroe to Madison streets on the east side of Second street. Then, too, the single light 1 posts can he puschased for less money, which will mean a saving to property owners. After the new street lighting system is installed, the property owners having the five cluster lights will he asked change the posts to conform with the single standards. Engineer Harruff’s plans call for 32 light posts, or seven to the block, in addition to the nine posts all ready erected and in use. The cost of the improvement will be divided between the city and the property owners, the city paying the cost of installation, white the |oep.-nV--owners will pay only their apportionate share for the posts. Purchase Thawing Device The board of safety reported the purchase of a Ross Thawing Device which will ho used in thawing fire hydrants when the occasion arises. (Continued on page two) BEATY BECOMES P. M. AT OSSIAN Assumes Duties Under Temporary Appointment; May he Permanent Harry W. Beaty entered upon his duties yesterday ns postmaster at Ossian, under a temporary appointment given by Congressman Albert Vestal, and the prospects of a permatnent appointment. Beaty, who four days ago refused to take the office, took a sudden change of mind and declared lie would accept, lie is said to have been influenced by the promise of a four-year appointment if he prOvesi satisfactory. His position of foreman in the General Electric works at Fort Wayne is being held open pending his final decision. Mr. Beaty would not say today who lie would appoint as assistant lit) offered the position to Mrs. Hortense Mills, a candidate who received a higher grade in the civil service examination than Beaty himself, hut she declined, having taken up residence in Fort Wayne • It appeared that Ossian would he without a postmaster as Beaty, seemingly the only eligible candidate, last week refused to accept appointment. Mr. Hunter has been forced to keep the postmastership more than a year over his appointed time, and has been anxious for relief In order to take a better position at Fort Wayne. HOW TIME PASSES By reminding you of things that happened twenty years ago we give you an idea of how rapidly time does fly. Twenty-one years ago tonight, the old city hall and calaboose located on Monroe street, was burned to the ground. The alarm sounded at 11:15 and in an hour the frame build ing was in ashes. The date is shown by the records of L. C. Helm, fire chief at that time.

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday Evening, March 7, ID2:L

' 1 BASkETBALL FINALS WILL BE BROADCASTED ' WLK, the Indianapolis broadi casting station, will give the baaket fans of the state a great treat on March 16 and 17 by broadcast ing the returns of the finals, play by play, direct from the Colliseum playing floor. The scores, play by play, band music, referee’s whistle and cheers of the crowds will { be brought to the ears of every i net fan who has access to a radio listener’s outfit. Friday afternoon anj night ' games and Saturday afternoon and ! night games will be broadcast from the Coliseum. A special wire . will carry direct to the station, ; at 2011 North Alabama street, the plays and general hum of the tournament as heard by the mem- I bers of the crowd themselves. LOCAL MEN IN LAND COMPANY Charles E. Hooeker and E. W. Johnson Members of Company in Gary Charles K. Mocker and E. W. John soil, well-known Decatur citizens, were two of the Incorporators of the Johnson 1-and Company of Gary, which was incorporated at Indianapolis last week. The following account of the incorporation was published in the Gary Post-Tribune last Saturday: Tlte Johnson bind Investment company was incorporated yesterday in Indianapolis with a capital stock of $50,000. Incorporators wore Mayor R. O. Johnson and Chester L. Johnson of Gary, Charles E. Mocker and E. \V. Johnson of Decatur. Ind., and S. v\ Johnson of Farmland and Indianapolis. The incorporators held a meeting today in the office of Johnson Bros., fa this city for the purpose of organization. The company will take over holdings of 300 acres east of Gary on the Hobart street car line and other holdings of Johnson Bros.', Mayor Johnson stated today. All the Johnson members oi ■ lit new corporation are brothers of -lie mayor and Mr. Mocker is a brother-in-law. Mr. Hocker is assistant postmaster at Decatur and S. V. Johnson is connected with the Farmers' Trust company of Indianapolis. E. \V. Johnson is an insurance man at Decatur. To Receive Bids for Furnishing City Coal At the regular meeting of the council held last evening, a motion was made authorizing City Clerk Katherine Kauffman to advertise lor the receiving of bills for furnishing coal to the city for a year. No definite amount was stated, but the city is now using about 7500 tons of coal a year in opera! tig the light and power plant. Bids will he received at the next meeting of the council. HAVE CARRIED MAIL 20 YEARS Two Rural and One City Carrier in Service Here Long Time Two men have been carrying mail on Decatur rural routes constantly, since the routes were established j more than twenty years ttgo. Those i two carriers are William Engle, of route number two, and Henry Fuhrmun, of route number four. Mel Butler, who has been a city mail carrier for the last several years, started as a rural carrier when Mr. Engle and Mr. Fuhrman started, but was transferred to the city route. He his been in the service constantly for more than twenty years also. After a rural mail carrier has been in service for fifteen consecutive years, they may retire and receive a pension of *3O per month from the government. Therefore Mr. Engle and Mr. Fuhrman are entitled to a pension any time the.y choose to retire. The law provides that as soon ns a rural carrier reaches the age of 05 years, he must retire. Tlte only Decatur rural carrier who has been foiled to reti-e on this account, is ft. B. Magley.

CASE GOES TO JURY VERDICT NOT REACHED % j Sensational Case in Circuit Court Goes to Jury at 11:30 A. M. | FOUR ALTERNATIVES' May Find Defendent Guilty of Either of Four Different Crimes — Late this afternoon the jury in the lease of the state V.'. Vinton !(a>, [Geneva youth who i:; charged with [committing rape on the p r-;m of I Edna Derickson, of Ceylon, had not returned a verdict. The ease was | given to the jury at 11:3ft o'clock ibis I morning. tinder thi> instructions given to the I jury, the defendant can he found guilty of any one of the four crimes, namely, rape, assault and battery with intent to eemm.it rape, assault and battery, and assault. The penally upon conviction in the first case is from two to twenty-one years in the penitentiary; in the second, two to fourteen years in the penitentiary: in tile third, not more than six months in jail and a fine of $1,000; and in the fourth, not more than a fine of SSO. Th(> case ended abruptly this morning when, after Prosecuting Attorney E. Burt Lenhart bad made the opening argument for the stale. Attorney b C. DeVoss for the defense made known their desire not to argue the ease. This ended the arguments, and tlte court instructed the jury. Only one witness for the defense was heard. The defendant did not 1 take the stand. Ilfs mother, Mrs. Bay. was the only witness in his behalf., Her testimony dealt mainly with ihei age of the defendant and his marriage ’ since the time the alleged act is said 1 to have lavji committed, Several spectators attended the trial again this morning, and many of them 1 lounged in the court room this after* noon, waiting on the jury s verdict. The defendant, his mother, and his wife, sat patiently in the court room waiting for the word from the jury's room which would tell the late of the accused man. EAST IS HIT BY BUZZARD Heavy Snow Fall Demoralizes Traffic and Transportation Today New York, Mar. 7 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —A blizzard of intensity that recalled the storm of 1888 swept New York and adjacent states today. Snow fall totalled five inches or more and was so dense as to obscure visibility for more than a few feet.! Street car traffic was demoralized. One hoy is dead, and many persons suffered severe injuries as a result of the slippery streets. The weather bureau predicted the storm will contimip for at least another twelve hours. Harbor traffic was almost lieu up, only ferries and tugs groping and battling their way through the blizzard. The cold wave, following spring like weather, again caused a coal shortage. City health author! i • ties issued influenza warnings. Only four thousand snow shovelcrs i answered the city's call for men to keep streets and side walks clear and this number proved totally inadequate, the snow piling up in huge drifts. , Elevated roads were tied up for over an hour in many places early today, especially where the lines run through cuts on the way to Long , Island points. Rain and sleet alternately formed impassable coatings on third rails and tracks. Boston, Mar. 7 —(Special to Daily Democrat) —One of the worst snow storms in years lashed New England last night and today, bringing a fall of more than 6 inches in twelve hours. | Philadelphia, Mar. 7 —(Special to i Daily Democrat) —A five inch blanket ■ of snow and ice covered Philadelphia today demoralizing trolley and vo- : hide traffic. Trains were running late. !

THINK MCCRAY WILL VETO SOLDIER BONUS

Baying Debt of Honor in Dishonorable Way Berlin, Mar. 7 (Special to Daily (Democrat) Anita Barber, Hungarian I dancer, has proposed to pay a debt of honor of sixty million kronen by appearing nude before a motion pic-! turn camera. She has agreed to dance three dances, umlraped, for film purposes, the (lints to become the property of a Vienna merchant,! to whom she owes the money. “Tin* Irony of it is," said Frnulelnl Barber, "that I owe hiyi the money for clothes.” TO GET PRICES ON EQUIPMENT City Council to Get Brices on Municipal Plant Improvements Thurs. Adjourning in continued session last evening, the city council will meet again Thursday afternoon at tlte city hall at 1:30 o'clock for the purpose of receiving prices relative to the purchase of the new equipment for ihe municipal light anil power plant. Two new 400 H. P. boilers, with stokers, will he purchased, giving the light and power plant an increase capacity of over 100 per cent of the preslot output. Other improvement at the plant will include the erection of a brick stack, and a small addition to the boiler room. Recently the council employed, M. 1). Gouty, of Fort Wayne, as consulting engineer to draft plans for the equipment and machinery needed and it is hoped that the new boilers will he ready to fire by September Ist in j order that the oily plant will he ready to take care of the extra load occasioned when the Holland St. Louis Sugar plant opens its fall campaign. Although the old boilers of equal horsepower have seen sixteen or eighteen years of service and as a 'consequence may give way anytime milder tlte capacity load which the plant | iias h'*en carrying for sometime, they will not he junked or removed, hut will he used as long as service can lie obtained from them, thus giving the | plant increased capacity . Tie- General | Electric* company is using power to the amount of $2,080.00 or $2,500.00 j worth every month and other local j industries, inc luding' the (Toverleal j Creamery, the Casting Plant, and the Sugar factory when it operates, are demanding and using more power every month. Earnings Pay For Machinery | Bonds or oilier certificates of in doblness will not he* issued to pay lor tin* cost of* improving the* c ity ! plant, tiie c ost of the new equipment j coming out of the* earnings of the I Plant. All hough thnr exact figures are I not vet availsld'e for last year, it i« known that Doth cloe trie light and | water departments of the city made a ; profit last year sufficient to warrant | jtltt* installation of the new machinery.! I NAVY OFFICE LEAVES I Recruiting Officer Goes to Bluffton! and Other Cities Chief Boatswain’s Mate, Herbert If. Lilly, navy recruiting officer, who has been in Decatur for the* past two days, left here last night for Bluffton, where he will remain for two days. From Bluffton Lilly will go to HuntI ington, Wabash, Peru, North Manchester, Warsaw, Columbia City, Ken dallville, La Grange, Angola and Auburn, spending two days in each city. Although Lilly did not succeed in ! actually enlisting any men here, he expeels six or seven from hero to meet him eitljer in Bluffton or Huntington. He calls attention to the fact that there is a copy of his route posted in the postoffice, and anyone who wishes to eiflist may find him easily by consulting this route chart, j Lilly says he enjoyed his brief stay ! In Decatur and will look forward to his return to this city on March 31 or April 1. o B. W. Liles, of Forest, Ohio, was a business caller in this city yester- ! day.

Price: 2 Cents.

GOVERNOR IS ADVISED NOT TO SIGN BILL Governor’s Advisors Say That the Measure Is Unconstitutional LESH MAKES REPORT McCray Expected to Follow Recommendations of Attorney-General ( fulled Press Service) Indianapolis, Mar. 7 (Special to Daily Democrat) —Governor McCray will veto the* soldier bonus hill, according to persistent rumors around the state* house today. It was known that advisors of tlu> governor consider the legislation unconstitutional. The hill carries provisions for a referendum in the* next general election and the constitution provides that any law* enacted by the legislature shall he* sufficient in it self. Attorney General Lesh is going over the* measure now preparatory to drafting an opinion as to its constitutionality. The governor will follow his recommc*ndatinns largely in whatever action he takes on the question, l.esli said the hill prohibiting the annual Memorial clay sftft mile race here was not valid and McCray ve- * toed it. The li'll carries provisions for a poll tax and property tax raising $20,000,1)00 to finance the bonus. It would give veterans of Ihe Spanish ! American and World wars slft for each month they spent in government service with a maximum of $250. Another important question on which Lesh has been asked to rend er an opinion is the Dill authorizing the formation of co-operative marke t ing associations. it is known the governor considers this and Hit* bonus the most important questions of many loft him by the seventy-third general assembly. Tito governor signed thirty-two bills yesterday. Among tiieiu was the Eiekhoff measure extending the scope of the* war time ban against teaching of German language in pub--1 lie and parochial elementary schools ' to make it include all foreign lan- ' guafes. The new law permits only the* teaching of the native tongue in all grade schools of the state. C. K. S. FIVE NOT GOING TO UMI Si. Joe Net Team Has Ended Season; Good Record Made by Team Coach "Lank” Linn, of the St. I Joseph high school basketball team, announces that the game scheduled between the locals and the St. Rose* high school five of Lima, Ohio, to he played in that city on Friday night of this week, has been cancelled, at the request of the St. Rose management. The manager of the St. Hoseteam stated that the attendance at tin* games there had been small and it was feared that the game would he a losing proposition. Since the St. Rose game has been cancelled, the season for the St. Joo hoys lias ended. The season lias been a success for the local team from many standpoints. A good percent of the games played were won by them and the players gained much experience which will be a valuable asset for next year. I.ank Linn proved his worth as a coach by tlte fine showing which he made with a bunch of boys , who had never received any previous coaching and had never played a great number of games. With the erection ot a new school building : during tlie summer, which will con* • tain a modern gyqmasium, a successful season next winter is predicted.