Decatur Democrat, Volume 39, Number 8, Decatur, Adams County, 10 May 1895 — Page 1

The Decatur Democrat

VOL. XXXIX.

I 11. S. Porter is at Monroeville yesg terday. Ed Ellsworth was at Geneva Tuesday | on business. Samuel Simison, of Berne was in the * city Tuesday. | «jfJohn Shirey left for Philadelphia I Wednesday. Mrs Mary Gaffer is at Fort Wayne , visiting friends. i* -■ Miss lanthy Gregory was at Fort Wayne Wednesday. John Webber shipped a car load of horses Wednesday. Chas. E. Bose, of Chicago, spent Sunday in the city. Patrick K, Kinney, of Geneva, was in the city Monday. Joseph A. Hendricks, of Berne, was a visitor here Monday. Theodore Baker, of New Haven, • spent Munday in the city. This week closes the present term of the Adams circuit court. James Kelley, of Geneva, was the guest of friends hereoVSj Sunday. The Geneva schools will close this week. Decatur has near a month yet. Charley Eggof'Ft- Wayne, was here * yesterday shaking bauds with friends. II:Miller returned yesterday morning from a six mouths stay in New Mexico. Miss Millie Lenhart and Mrs. J. F Snow were with friends at Steele Monday. J. H. Walters, formerly an Adams county teacher, is circulating among i friends here Glenn Baughman of Steele, who has been visiting his grandparents returned home Tuesday. Miss Lulu Porter left Tuesday for Redwood, Minn., where she will make r her future home. Can’t the Journal spring another commissioner joke? Uncle George is . . patiently waiting. Saturday the court mills will cease to grind for the April 1895 term of the ” Adams circuit court. Miss Nina Vondran, of Geneva, who has been the guest of Miss Ninna Frank, returned home Monday. Mr. J. A. Anderson of Huntington, - is in the city for a few days, bustling for the Standard dictionary. Postmaster Wellley is the chief cook at his house now. while Mrs. Wellley is visiting friends in Fort Wayne. The Misses Lydia and Bernadette Schnelker, of New Haven, Ind., are the guests of Miss Lena Barthel 1. Mrs. Josephine Malley, and daughter, of Chicago, are the guests of Conrad Gillig and family, south of town. C. D. Kennedy, formerly a merchant in Ceylon, is a guest of his uncle Theodore Kennedy and family of this city. 3 Daniel Harmon of Ft. Wayne, was in the city yesterday. Uncle Dan is quite well known to many of our people. Rev. Gregg and John W. Vail at--3 tended the meeting of the elders of the Ft. Wayne district of the M. E.‘church. Decatur is to have a circus and the small boy is in the height of his glory—and what is the matter with the big • girl? Miss Myrtle Leeper, of Greenville, 0., who has been the guest of the Hughes brothers, returned home Wednesday. , What has become ot the base ball team that scored such a reputation last year? Has Jim Place run out of “creams?” The Missss Lida and Bernette Schnelker,of New Haven, who been the guests 1 of .Miss Lena Barthel and other friends returned home Tuesday. ’ Elijah Mann, Dick Buckmaster and ') Lon Ball left for Geneva Tuesday morning to commence work on the A G. Briggs building at that place. ( Mrs. M. J. Dawson of Lewton, Mich, is the guest of James R. Smith. She 0® her way to Camden, Ind., where sire 1 will make her future home. Mr. Fred Hosmeyer and wife of Ft Wayne were the guests of Messrs. . Chas. Dicer and Chas. Doty and families a part of last week and this. a Ulrich Dinninger returned from Fort Wayne Tuesday where he had been i ' called to see a sick brother. He left his F brother in a very critical condition. • J- I ’ ‘ '

DECATUR. ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA, FRIDAY. MAY 10, 189.5.

• DavhkL Myers of Ilustburgh, Tenn., is, in the city visiting his brothers Prof W J.. Daniel W. and Henry II and other friends. , "Mr. Harrison should not be kept in ignorance of the fact that there Is a lingering disposition to name babies after Grover Cleveland in Indiana Mr. Joshua C. Tindall and Miss Cireathy C. Miller were married by the pastor of the Baptist church at his residence Thursday evening. May 2. James Murdock, of Lafayette, the representative of the syndicate that owns the gas plant of our city was here Wednesday looking over the plant. The court matters have been light this term but we will gather them together next week and give our readers a full statement of what was done dur ing the term A. B. Morrison and family returned to their home at Marion, Ind., Tuesday after spending a few days with Mrs. Morrison's father Judge Studabaker and family. Clemens Kennedy, after a few days visit with bis uncle. Theodore Kennedy, returned to the Geneva oil fields where he is engaged as tool dresser. Mr. Carpenter, of Spencerville accompanied him. A daughter of Barney Meyers who lives three and a half miles southwest of town died Tuesday. The funeral services were held at ttieCatholic church yesterday morning She was about eight years old and died from spinal trouble. House cleaning is still the order of the day. The good housewife has all the things out of the house and then if the paper hanger or whitewasher fails to keep his word, somebody does not swear but they talk loud and fast, fret and sweat, but the work will soon be over for this time. The funeral of William Closs was held at the family residence on Marshall street at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon. Rev. Smith preached the funeral sermon The interment was in Maplewood cemetery, The deceased passed away very suddenly from a stroke of appoplexy. Tone Holthouse has commenced the work of making out the statement of the appraisment of real estate for the city. By calling at the shoe store of R J Holtbouse & Bro-, you can find him. He has just commenced, so that all whose name commences With “A or B” can have their statement, but those whose name commences with the letter nearer “Zet” can come in later. Miss Lena Barthell delightfully entertained at her home Sunday eveningin honor of her guests the Misses Lida and BernadeteSchnelker.of New Haven, and Mr. Rose, of Chicago. A peanut hunt was the feature of the evening Those present were: Misses Lida and Bernadette Schnelker, Mary Closs, Julia Fitz Gerald, Emma Jackson, Jessie McLean, Amelia Smith, Mt. and Mrs. Wil! Kuebler, Messrs. J. E Garwood, Robert Meyers, Dr. Clark, C. E. Rose, of Chicago, and Frank Barthell. The following special from Geneva to the Portland Commercial, May 4, will interest our people: .» Wallace Triplet, an employe on one of the Hershey wells, west of town, was frightfully injured about the head and shoulders, Friday, by the fall of a heavy piece of iron from the derrick. He was brought to his home in town and his wounds dressed. A tool dresser working in the same field, had an arm mangled in the ropes of the bull-wheel, yesterday, His name could not be learned. Lew Strauss, of Chicago,but now with his family in Rome, Italy, writes Neal Kadamacher saying that the city is fine. That he visited St Peter’s cnurch and it is the finest in the world. He Is well pleased with the city and says his family are well. He promises to let Mr. Radamacher hear from him frequently. The card he sent is a government postal card, and was on the way 11 days. It is beautifully decorated and is a curiosity to our people. Mr. Strauss is well and favorably knowm to a large number of our business men. The great fake for the metropolitan newspapers was sent out from this city a few days ago. The special said that the President of the United States had sent to Albert Zerkle his check for SSOO Zerkle having named his triplet children Francis, Ruth and Esther, after the members of the President’s family. The fake special aroused some of the metropolitan dailies; some telegraphed, some w’rote and some sent tfieir representatives here to see. But now they want the picture .of the reporter that sent out the special instead of the picture of the triplets of Zerkle.

Ex-Marshal Al Frilltoe was in the city yesterday, telling the boys a few good “ones” to make them laugh. He feels happy to know that he will soon be at home here. Mrs Dlllle Sprang and Mrs. Sarah Sprang, mother of Daniel Sprang, returned to their homes at Williamsport Miss Mollie Sprang remained and will spend a few days here. Robert Klein, charged with the larceny of a suit of clothes, was arraigned yesterday and plead not guilty. In default of SSOO bond be was remanded to jail until the next term of the Adams court. James Gerard left for fort Wayne yeiterday where he goes as a representative of the Christian Endeavor Society. He was accompanied by bis mother who will visit friends there for a few days. Yesterday Sophia Shamerloh, wife of Frederick Bohnke, Jr. died at her home in this city. For some time the deceased had been troubled with heart failure, and yesterday she bad another severe spell from which she never rallied. * Yesterday at J;3O o’clock p. in. at the home of the bride occurred the marriage of Mrs. Jennie Phelps to David Studabaker After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Studabaker left for Chicago where they will spend a few weeks ■ They are both well known residents of this city. The funeral of Mrs. Amelia Yeager, of Ft. Wayne was held Monday at Zion church in Kirkland township. Her death occurred in Ft. Wayne wheie she had recently moved. For a long time she was a resident of this county where the most of her children live. >he is the mother of Albert and Augustus Yeager of French township. On last Wednesday evening the case of Anna R. Andrews vs David Andrews for divorce and alimony, was tried in the Adams circuit court. On the charge of failure to provide for her 'and general cussedness) the decree was granted to her with SIOO alimony and her name changed to Anna R. Stevens. Thus the galling bonds are severed and another in which marriage is a failure, is released from a worthless husband. The Decatur Loan Association at their annual election elected the following Board of Directors: E. Fritzinger, D. G. M. Trout, Paul G. Hooper, John Schurger, Henry H. Hart, A. P. Beatty, John H. Lenhart and A, D Moffett. The Board then organized by electing John Schurger, President; Henry H. Hart, Vice-President; D. G. M. Trout, Secretary; A. P. Beatty, Treasurer; Samuel Doak, Irvin Brandyberry, C. A. Dugan, Auditing Committee; P. G. Hooper, Abstractor. Mr. and Mrs. Will Kuebler pleasant ly entertained friends Monday evening at progressive pedro .** Ladies first prize was won by Miss Ella Toubey and the bobby by Miss Julia Fitzgerald while the gents first prize was carried home by John Mougey and the bobby by Dr. Clark. An elegant lunch was served to which all did full justice. Those present were the Misses Lida and Bernadette Schnelker of New Haven, Julia Fitzgerald, Ella Touhey, Tina Smith, Emma Jackson, Jessie McLean, Amelia Smith and Lena Barthel and the Messrs. J E. Garwood. Dr. Clark, P. J. Highland, Robert Ehinger, John Mougey, Frank Barthel and J. 11. Plunkett of Ft. Wayne. Ex-Treasurer Johnllays,of Jay county wis in the “city Wednesday. He came as a defendant in a law suit which was commenced against him in the Jay circuit court. The case is a peculiar one. Some years ago he was compelled to take up 100 acres of land, in order to •ecure himself. This, to him, seemed 8 hardship, but rather than to loose all he had against the party, he took the land. This he held for some time, and he then asked the party to redeem the land, and then be attempted to force the redemption by law; again he failed. He then concluded to make the best of it he could. Ina short time the Standard Oil company came along and leased the land, put down a well which proved a fair oiler. They again tapped the novels of mother earth and again the oil came forth, this they done until the fourth well was completed and each< w?ll proved better than the first, until John’s exchepuer was replenished to the amount of over nine thousand dol Jars. Then the former owner demanded the return of the land, and when refused commenced the law suit which brought him here Wednesday. The case was dismissed for want of prosecution. Hon. John M. Smith and Emerson McGriff represented him.

1 Mr. and Mrs. John Gerard, Miss ttose Rademacher and Celia Russell were the guests of friends at Fort Wayne yesterday. The Daughters of Rebecca with a number of their friends met at the Lodge room Tuesday evening and enjoyed themselves in a social time. A splendid supper was served in which all participated. The proceed of the •Upper went toward replenishing the ■xebequer of Olive Lodge, No. 86, Daughters of Rebecca. This is one of the benevolent orders of our city, and as such is deserving of the support of onr citizens, such institutions lessen the burdens of taxation by ministering to the needy and distressed. While tbey cultivate a social feeling between the members of the society and the world at large. The sign on the public square with the words, “Keep Off the Grass. $5.00 Fine for Trespassing” has no terrors for young America. They run, jump, whoop, yell and swear and with all that tbey never stop to read the sign, but go on the grass. This is only one of the many cases of the violations of the law. Each mother well knows that it is not her son that does wrong and if someone files an affidavit against the boy. mother holds up her hands, in “holy horror” when she hears that he has been arrested and about to have to answer to the charge of an infraction of the statutes of the state of Indiana. Uur advice to you would be, learn your boy to obey the law and keep off the grass. Constable Tom Watson caused a ripple ot excitement Monday evening in Squire Wisner's court by arresting Wrlljam Cordna, a Decatur youth, for provoke. While Mr. and Mrs. Watson were out riding east of the city. Cordna, a friend and two ladies passed them in a carriage and a racq ensued, at conclusion of which Cordna made some insulting remark to Mrs. Watson. The arrest followed as soon as the par ties reached the city Cordna claimed to be innocent, but having no time to spend in standing trial pleaded guilty. His fine was $1 —Bluffton News. The young man above mentioned is not of our city. Weleainour boys to behave themselves when away from home. Wethinkitwas one of your own, but wanted a place to crawl out at. Hunt him up and give him the shaking that such a boy needs. A pleasant wedding was the one celebrated last Tuesday morning at the Cafholic church of this city, when Miss Rosa Lichtle was united in holy bonds of matrimony with Peter Brown The young people are residents of this county. Miss Rosa being the daughter of one of our well-to-do farmers, Nicholas Lichtle, whije Mr Brown is a young man who is well known for his push and energy. After the ceremony the young people repaired to the home of the bride's parents, where a pleasant time awaited them. The following gifts were presented them to help them along m their happiness: Bride’s parents, bed-room set; SM Mary’s Catho lie church choir, center table; Mr. and Mrs; Peter Colchen, water set; Mrs. Ros* McLaughlin, cake basket and fruit dish; Frank Heinman, mirror; Miss Tbersa Sezer, lace curtains; Mrs. Heniry Meyers, table cloth; Peter Heiman, water set: Misses Cora and Nancy Frank, set of towlings. and from the following friends of Cleveland, Ohio, Miss Maggie Busser, picture of Last Supper: John Lichtle. sofa; Joseph Lichtle and wife, fancy table cloth; John Lichtle; pair baby shoes; Miss Kitty Beck, doll baby, and Mr. William Martin, of Fort Wayne, table scarf. The • Democrat joins their many friends in wishing them a hapoy life. The Decatur literary club held its annujal banquet at the Burt House at 7:30 p. m. Friday the 3rd inst. {n addition to a few invited guests each member of the club had his wife with him. The exercises of the evening consisted in each member giving a three minutes synopsis of his paper read before the club during the year in order that all present might form an idea of the work done and topics discussed at the various meetings. After this program was passed through the genial proprietor of the Burt house. Mr. Dell Locke invited the guests from the parlors to the dining room where all partook of an excellent feast of five courses. After all ravenous appetites had been satisfied, speech making and toasts were given up to a late hour, everyone feeling that it was one of the best events of the year. The Decatur Literary Club is limited to a membership of fifteen and is permanently es tablisbed in our city. It is the means of doing much good especially from a social and literary standpoint. Eight’ of ite members are lawyers, two are doctors of medicine, one .a clergyman and the others are from various colleges. Why can not the young men of this city form a junior Decatur literary club? It would be ot inestimable value to them. Organize this summer boys and be prepared for thorough?active 'work next fall.

State Road In Ma>sichnsetts. To the Editor:— For the past three years the press of the United States has so thoroughly discussed the different advantages of good roads, and so universally endorsed this reform, that all classes of our citizens appreciate the necessity of, and are anxious for, the immediate adoption of such laws as will hasten the construction of State highways. Massachusetts has from the outset taken the lead in this matter, and the spirit ofher Legislature has been shown by making the Highway Commission a permanent one, and by appropriating $300,000 to be expended under the immediate supervision of the Commision. in constructing new and rebuilding old roads. Asa natural result of the proper agitation and the monster petition, which I bad rhe honor to present to Congress in 1893. the United States i recognized the necessity of a move in this direction, and under the “Agricultural Bill” made a special appropriation of SIO,OOO to meet the expenses of a careful investigation into the condition of roads througfiout the country, and for the publication of such information as would assist the people in bettering their highways The Department of Agriculture has issued anumber of bulletins, and it is gratifying to : learn that more than a score of others | are planning for the adoption of measures for the promotion of this reform Experience has shown that the course pursued by Massachusetts is the one which commends itself most strongly, both to the people at large and to their legal representatives, tha various State Legislatures, and it is natural to suppose that if all were familiar with the work here the knowledge would be utilized to bring about similiar legislation wherever the procedure is still unsettled. For this reason I would call to your attention and urge upon you the advisability of enlightening your readers on the good work we have already accomplished. Starting in June, 1892, a Temporary Commission was appointed to examine into the condition of the roads, and to draft a bill providing for the improvement of the highways of the Common wealth. The law suggested by the Commission was. with some chances, passed in June, 1893, but, before fany petitions for construction of State nfcghways were submitted to the Gedfigai Court, an act was introduced arid passed June 20. 1594, increasing the powers of the Commision, and permitting selectmen ot any town.or the Mayor and Aidermen of any city, as well as County Commissioners, to petition the highway Commission for taking roads as State highways. In place of submitting to the Legislature a separate bill for the construction of each road, it was voted that the appropriation be used by the highway Commission, without further legislation, in building State highways. The $300,000 has been pretty evenly divided among fourteen counties. Before deciding which of the many petitions should be granted an official visit was paid to each locality, and full in formation as to the value of the pro posed improvement collected. While this method has distributed the work in small sections of roads, thus increasing the expense per mile, the advantage to-the people at large will be greater, for the reason that each portion of the State highway construct is intended to be an object lesson to those living near by. County Commissioners and other officials will watch the work as it progresses,, and follow out the same lines in building county and other roads which are not intended tor State highways. This plan is to build,section by section such roads as will connect the great centers of trade, and join with through roads in other States, so that both local and interstate communication will be benefited. Under date of January, 1895, the Massachusetts Highway Commission has rendered a report which covers the work of the past year, and this publication should be consulted by those who are considering legislation. The provisions of our law will per mit contracts for the construction to be let to municipalities or to private corporations, but the former arrangement is preferred, as it is more etrectuaT in teaching the people thd rate of road building, and protects the State against cheapening the work by the importation of foreign laborers, an element wffich is apt to be objectionable. A resident engineer is appointed by the Commission, and it is his duty to bt in attendance, and keep a correct a< count of all item to be paid for by the Slate. . ’ ‘ Wherever the traffic was of sufficient proportions to warrant it the roads have been broadened. The advantage to bwne, s derive from the construction of « • ■ -» . ■' - - -

the way is, as a rule, so much greater than the injury to them by widening the road that, in a large majority of cases, the town officials have been able to procure releases without any cost. Thirty-eight sections have been contracted for, aud only eight of them are to have a width of eighteen feet of hardened surface, all others being 15 feet wide. As the primary object is to get length ot way, the Commissioners are considering the advisability of building single-track roads in the thinly-settled districts. These would not be over nine feet wide, with here and there portions of double width as convenient passing points for carriages. A mile and a half of such roads can be built for less than the cost of a mile of fifteen feet width, and the advantage in getting produce to market is not lessened, provided such construction is confined to localities where the average traffic is from six to eight vehicles an hour. There is need of legislation to regulate the care of, and responsibility for, sidewalks .on State highways. These being of purely local advantage should be under the supervision of the towns, the wheelways alone being constructed and kept in order by the State. Progress has been made in the laboratory work on the road building stones of the State. Experiments of this kind are carried on at Harvard University in the Lawrence Scientific school, whose dean. Prof. N. S. Shaler, is a member of the Highway Commission. The chief aim of these inquiries has been to determine the qualities w hich constitute fitness for road making This will be of value to the Commission in enabling them to utilize the road material near at hand, and thus lessen the cost of construction. As this phase of the work progresses maps are made showing the location of all deposits suitable for road building. A number of tow’ns have already ap- ' propriated money to build their streets in the same careful manner as those constructed by the State, and others hive purchased road machinery with the intention of extending the work ou lords other than State highways. Careful consideration has been given ti the plan of planting shade trees along the highways. With this end in view, experts have been consulted concerning the best varieties for the purpose, and the Wayside trees have been examined, so as to determine the species well adapted to the climate and soil of Massachusetts. As the estimated expense of procuring and planting these trees is not less . than one-half a million dollars, the Commission has rightly made this question secondary to road building, but in the meantime they are collecting such data as will enable them to work * with profit on the adornment of the roads after the construction is well in hand. The American and English elms have the advantage of fairly ranid growth, high above ground, and the leaves falling from them give but little obstruction to the gutters. They have the disadvantage of being subject to the attacks of insects, so that the cost of protecting them from these pests would be considerable. Maples grow well and are beautiful, t lough they often shade the road too much. It is the custom in parts of Europe to plant the roadsides with trees which yield profitable crops. In France and Germany, for example, cherry trees abound. In these countries the yield of the wayside trees belongs to the neighboring landowners, but in some cases to the community, and their product is well guarded bv law. There will be more or less experimenting on the part of the Commission before they decide upon the species to be planted. The law pro vides for the beginning of this work in the spring of 1895, anp from that time it —wtl I—be1 —be carried —uu slowly. ~so as to give us the benefit of experience. Every state should make a beginning on road improvement. In thinlysettled regions of the country, where the people do not feel able to undertake much, they can do no better than to "start the retorm bv constructing sections of single-track flroads. No community can afford to neglect the roadways. Our prosperity is too intimately connected with the facilities for communication. I have spent many thousands of dollars in inaugurating and advancing this reform, and continue to take an active part in it. though 4br a long time I have not addressed you on the subject. The interest is now general, and the leaders numerous, consequently there is a demand for road news, more es pecially for the recent advancements in the line of actual experience. Here is what we have done in the Old Bay State, Wai you not publish it, or a portion of it. for the benefit of your readers, many of whom, without doubt, are directly or indirectly connected with, or interested in. the development of the cause? • Very truly yours, Aliiekt A. Pope, , Boston, Mass., April 15. 1895,

NO. 8.