Decatur Democrat, Volume 39, Number 44, Decatur, Adams County, 17 January 1896 — Page 1

The Decatur Democrat.

VOL. XXXIX..

, Court begins next Monday.. Don Edwards—a nine pound boy. Call at this office and get your mittens that you lost. Schmitt «& Olmer shipped a car load of hogs to Buffalo Wednes - Joseph Shoaf -wi-ll leave next week for Illinois where he will remain until spring. R. B. Allison and wife left, Wed nesday /tor Bradetitown, Florida, to spend the winter. Mrs. C. F. Alleger entertained a f/w of het* lady friends at 12 o’clock dinner Wednesday. Z , .—.—.—, —. . , Isaac Strans, of Ft. Wayne is in the city. Mr. Strans was formerly Xn the clothing business in this 'city. Robert Boyles and wife of Mont--1 pelier, who have been visiting the latter’s parents, left for Ft. Wayne Wednesday afternoon. The ice harvest is in full blast, and the quality and quantity are as good as'most winters produce. No man need be idle at this time. While skating on the river, Tuesday afternoon, Miss Dollye Schafer sustained severe injuries about the head, caused by a fall on 1 the Miss Maud Emetine of Fostoria, Ohio, who has been visiting Miss Lena’ Barthel, left, Tnesday, for Indianapolis, accompanied by Mrs. Tim Coffee. Sheriff Ashbaucber arrested Albert Bruecbt, yesterday afternoon, on an indictment found by the grand jnry, for disturbing a meeting in Kirkland township. A blanket was stolen from a horse belonging to J. W. Place last Tuesday at the G. R. & I railroad. Such petty thievery as this will get somebody into trouble, Ex-trustee Erwin, of Union township, was in the city Saturday and , announces his name as a candidate for the democratic nomination for auditor of Adams county. Isaac Rosenthal was called by telegram, to Tipton .to the bedside of his sister, Mrs. Haas, who is not expected to live. He left for there at 1:30 today. All the available men and teams are harvesting ice on Steele’s pond east of town. The ice obtained is of good quality and pure, the artificial lake being fed by springs. Bluffton bankers are arranging t for to take a part of the government bonds, at least they will bid for a small amount from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars. A conductor on a G. R. & I. freight train was fuied $3 and sosts by Mayor Quinn last Friday for holding the West Elm street crossingl longer .than the stipulated time. Judge Studabaker and R. B. Allison attended the election of directors of the hirst National Bank at Marion, Ind., Tuesday. They are ' stockholders and directors of this bank. Miss'Lena Barthel left for New Haven Wednesday where she Will be the guest of Miss Lida Sohnelker of that place. She will remain one week before returning home. lhe glass factories throughout the State closed down, Saturday for a month. Over production is said to be the cause. About ten thousand men will be idle during that time. Mrs.. Lawrence P. Boyle, of Chicago, who has been the guest of Mrs, J. Niblick returned home Saturday. She was kndwn to our people as Allie Moore, of Huntington, farmer class mate of Mrs. Niblick’s in the Glendale school. s’.-- <. ,

DECATUR. ADAMS COUNTY. INDIANA. FRIDAY. JANUARY 17. 1896.

A litter of English Mastiff pups attracted a great deal-of attention at-the G. R. & I. depot Tuesday. The owner asked $25 apiece for them and of course did not sell . many. James Neuenscbunder, ex trustee of French township, is inthe city Saturday. He informs the democratic voters of Adams county that he wants to collect the taxes for this county. Bluffton had another small blaze yesterday morning. The Standard Oil Co.’s supply house burned and considerable oil w’as destroyed. The fire company could not effect the burning oil. We are authorized to announce the name of Peter P. Ashbaucher i as a candidate for sheriff of Adams county, subject to the decision of the democratic primary election to be held Friday, Feb., 28, 1896. Do not forget the meeting at the court house Saturday evening for the purpose of organizing a Board 1 of Trade. All business men and others interested in the welfare of 1 the city should be present and lend a helping hand to a good thing. A number of the Democratic Central committe met Saturday with I 7 a number of the candidates and changed the day of holding the primary election from Saturday, i the 29th to Friday the 28th. All 1 parties will govern themselves accordingly. Ezra Lyster celebrated his seventy-first birthday Wednesday. He is one of the old settlers of this 1 county. He came to this county with his parents when there was 1 but twq families of white people living here. Delia Bird, the sweetheart of the noted desperado, Marvin Kuhns, is now in jail at Defiance, Ohio, accusQfl of being implicated in a plot to murder and rob a wealthy farmer ■ named Charles Krotz, living near the above place. I.— - J A union service of all the churches will ’ be held at the court house Sunday, Jan., 19, at 3 p. m., when evangelist W. A. Bodell will preach on the theme “Popular Amusei ments.” Let all go and hear this 1 forcible speaker on this important subject. The citizens of Union township are circulating a petition asking the i commissioners to allow them to ■ vote on the question as to whether the township shall be taxed to build gravel roads. The good road ques- ’ tion is being discussed by our farmers. i The barbwire fence along and in front of the Evangelical parsonage on Winchester street should be re- , moved. It is dangerous. Shoufir , children or even grown persons fall against it they would be disfigured for life, and with the present frozen condition of sidewalks, falling is an esay matter. The following persons have been drawn by the Jury Commissioners to serve the petit jury during next term: Joseph Dailey, G H Laughrey," John Muter, John Dirkson, George Lugibill, Daniel Heller, Lafayette Rape, David Werling, Ferdman Berning, W H Brown, W R Dorwin, T P Harris. M. K. Seralian, the artist, well known to many of our citizens lisvlng given lessons in the art of painting in this city for a long time and now located in Chicago, has just received word a friend in Armenia that his lather was killed during the recent wholesale slaughter of Christians in that country by Turks and his' mother, brothers, and sisters driven to the mountains to starve. Mr. Seralian has the heartfelt* sympathy of all his friends in this oity in this his hour of sad bereavment. ’••• ' . k*’' ’. ’ ’ ■• ' ' *.

Our council should not improve any more of our streets with crushed stone unless they intend it for a foundation for brick or blocks. The brick costs but very little more than crushed stone and will last four times as long and is better every way, so that it is cheaper in the end. Reports have been current upon the streets, the last few days, that the body of an infant wrapped in blankets was found along the G. R. & I. railroad, near the City Mills. After a thorough investigation *e can safely say that the report is not true, and was probably started by some idle gossip monger for purposes best know’n to themselves. A man over in Jay county went to church last Sunday night and unwittingly went to sleep. He was called upon to offer prayer, and being dutifully punched by his better half, bellowed out, “Gol durn you, Betsy, kindle it yourself.”—Hartford City Republican. We have heard them tell of the gas in that district. The present city administration evidently desire to have their names immortalized, as it is currently re ported that they expect to build a new city hall before they retire, that is, of course, if they can find money enough belonging to the city. Dive in boys, while you have a chance, for nexttime things will be different, you know. John J. Adair, one of Portland’s oldest and most respected citizens, died Tuesday at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was at the good Samaritan hospital for treatment of a cancer. The deceased was about 80 years old. To the members of the bar of this county he was well known, having been connected with the clerk and sheriff’s office of Jay county for over twenty years. His remains were taken to Portland ■ — for burial. Sheriff Ashbaucher returned Saturday from Van Buren. He had in charge a young man by the name of Mosser, a Son of Sol Mosser, one of Hartford township’s most respected citizens. He was arrested on a paternity charge preferred by a Miss Klopphenstein of tbat_neighborhood. He had a hearing before mayor Quinn o and was bound over to court in the sum of S4OO and is now boarding with the sheriff. An..exchange sings the following new year song: “Sing a song of penitence a fellow full of rye, four and twenty serpents dance before his eye. When his eye was opened he shouted for his life, wasn’t he a pretty chump to go before his wife? His hat was in the parlor, underneath his chair, his boots were in the hallway, his coat was on the stair. His trousers in the kitchen, his collar on the shelf, but he hadn’t any notion where he was at himself. Prof. Roentgen r/ of Wurzburg University, Vienna, has discovered a process by which the interior of a living human body may be phtographed. This discovery will eventually become so perfect that the labors of physicians will be greatly lessened in the treatment of disease. All the diseases of the internal organs will be first treated by. the camera, and after the affected parts have been located, ttwill he an easy matter to administer medicine that will go right to the spot. Should ‘the art of photography through live flesh become so advanced, however, as to permit pictures of the human mind to be taken, then it is time to Call a halt, as such a state of things would cause untold trouble. Well laid plans would be upset, and politicians would not dare to do any thinking in public for fear of having their schemes expose, to the curious public in the shape of a photograph. 7- j ’ ~iJL \ ,<r.„ • .. *V- ■

No intoxicating liquors are to be used as a beverage on the state soU diers’ home grounds at Lafayette, nor sold there and smoking is restricted to certain quarters. Each inmate must bathe once a week at least, parlor matches cannot be used on the premises, and pensioners getting $6 per month or ovpr must purchase their own clothing. On such terms the place’ will hardly ever be more than half filled. A sciemiest makes the announcement that the odor of the skunk is a srfre cure for diptheria, and we have no doubt that the scientist is right, says the Warsaw Union. Diptheria is caused, it is said, by a living microbe, and while the microbe is unprincipled and essentially depraved, as we can prove by “eminent” local authority, there must be somewhere it will draw the line in the matter of association, so it is our belief that a skunk could knock out any microbe, provided, of course, that the skunk was feeling weli. In our notice some time ago of the marriage of Grace Walters to Emil Christen, we permitted ourselves to be imposed upon. Rev. Shepherd says he never solemnized a marriage for parties of that name and the records of the courts here fail to disclose a marriagg license to any such parties. In justice to Rev. Shepherd and to correct the wrong done our readers we make this statement. The mistatement was prepared and delivered to one of the employees of this office by Grace Walters herself. What her object could have been we leave our readers to imagine. One gallon of whiskey costs about $3, and contains on the average sixty-five lOt drinks. Now if you must drink whiskey, buy a gallon and make your wife the barkeeper. Then when you are thirsty give her ten cents, for a drink. When the whiskey is gone she will have left after paying for it, $3.50, and every gallon will yield the same profit. This she should put away in the savings bank, so that w’hen you have become a drunkard, un able to support' yourself, she may have money enough to keep you until your time conies to fill a drunkard’s grave. —Wabash Times. We do not have any people here who need try the experiment. While we signed a petition asking for five hundred dollars of the county's money to build a cottage, we are now of the opinion that the money can be better invested here at home by the county making a liberal donation and the G. A, R. people can then build a memo nai ball which will be a better investment for the old soldiers of this county while it will be improving Adams county instead Os Tippecanoe county. “Our own first then our neighbors.” A good memorial hall will improve' the county and city to the same extent that it would help other people, let the work be turned homeward instead of away from home. ° The L. E. & W. depot at Bluffton was again burglarized last Saturday evening. Ferd Boltz, the agent there, is well known to a number of our people, who sympathize with him. The amount of ready cash taken was $7.49, all the change in the cash drawer. The depot there seems to be a regular place for sneak thieves. The number of times that it has been robbed is so numerous that no one there tries to keep account. The agent says it was tramps, but the regularity of the work, and the fact that it is done in a bungling way, shows that it is done by 'some of their own people, who never sweat except when engaged in such a job. M. T. Miller, of Bluffton, was m the city’ on business, last Monday. ■ ~ . ’■ . .4. *■* —\ I ■ ■ . . ..... I

Decatur Water Work». On last Saturday the water was turned into the water pipes for the first time. The official test will be made some time this week, and our water works will soon be in good running condition. Some of the magnitude of the plant and what it consists of will probably be of interest to our many readers and thrtiugh the kindness of Mr. Hains worth, the engineer in charge of the construction, we are able to give you some facts and figures. Eleven miles of cast iron pipe, ranging from four to sixteen inches in size was used. Ninety-tw’O hydrants are set for fire protection. The pumping capacity is 3,000,000 gallons every twenty-four hours. The power house is fitted with all the j latest improved machinery and consists of three eighty-horse power boilers, two Worthington pumps, one compound duplex, one Pohle air pump and one Ingersoll-Sargent air compressor. AH connections have been made for electric lighting plant at the power house. The water is obtained from eight driven wells and is pumped at a depth of 240 feet. The receiving well has a capacity .of 200,000 gallons. The exact dimensions of the power house proper could not be obtained from the engineer, but the nature of its construction makes it almost fire proof. Seventy pounds pressure to the square inch will be carried for domestic purposes and this can be quickly increased to 125 pounds in case of tire. The water is pronounced of excellent quality and of sufficient quantity to meet all practical demands for some to come. All material in the construction of fink Decatur water plant is first class an' every respect, and our city can soon boast of having the best system for the least money in the state. Its construction has been in the hands of able and competent workmen which fully accounts for the smooth way in vfhich everything moves off. Now’ let us all be proud of our public improvement and wish it untold success. Board of Trade. The syndicate that purchased the land upon which the Clover Leaf “Y” is now located, met last Saturday night at the office of F. M. Schirmeyer to take some steps in regard to the change of division from this city to Toledo, The land w’as leased-to the railroad company with the understanding that a division w’as to be located here, and which was located in this city for a short time. A committee was appointed consisting of A. J. Smith and A. R. Bell, to consult with Clover Leaf officials and find out if possible their intentions. No definite action will be taken in the matter until the committee reports. After this question was disposed of, the matter of a Board of Trade was taken up and discussed by the many business men present. All present were favorable to such an organization tor our city. A motion to call a public meeting at the couit house next Saturday evening and appoint a committee of five to consult w ith the business men and solicit mein befship was made and carried. The -committee appointed consists of the following well known business men: C' J. Lutz, F. M. Schirmeyer, J. D. Hale', C. A. Dugan and Paid G. Hooper. Our business men should take kindly to this matter and aid and assist m every way possible to further the. success' of such an organization. Good .results will be realized and everybody will soon feel the effects of the efforts of a well organized Board of Trade. Everybody should attend this meeting and help along sa good thing. ... ; Messrs Andy and Wig Briggs, two of Geneva’s promiaent business men were m thecity Tuesday. ■

NO. 44.

f RO.WB PKMtION CLAIMS. Apparently There U Something; Hadically Wrong in the Penalon Department of the Government. I n , Government statistics just compiled shows that there are now 970,524 persons on the pension rolls. Os these 3,«26 are widows and orphans, and twenty-one surviving .soldiers of the war of 1812, 3,911 are widows, and 3,012 are survivors of the Indian wars, 7,868 are widows and 12,536 are survivors of the Mexican war. During the last year 39,186 names were added to the pension rolls and 42,J|.l were dropped. The average annual value iof each pension last year was : $133.99. Os the total amount appropriated for pensions, $561,304 was given as the fees to examining surgeons, $71,866 as salaries, to pension agents, $466,928 as clerk hire, $22,902 for rent of pension agencies, $177 tor fuel, $385 for lights and $522,818’ for contingent expenses. The amount paid m actual pensions on account of the army was $136,093,264 and the navy $3 - 650,980. Under the general law $69,906,628 was paid to dependent invalids, $17,11,504 to dependent widows, parents and children and $79,220 to army nurses. It is very apparent that there is something wrong with our pension system. From the above figures it is plain that it requires the expenditure of about as much money t& operate the pension department as it does to pay the old soldier after Be has been adjudged entitled to his small pittance. There is too red tape about the business and too many ornaments’ connected r with the department. Os course there must be business methods in the management of a concent so immense as the pension department of our national government, but a law that would give more money to the soldiers and less to the civilians would be a good thing for the country, and speak in higher terms of our national gratitude.—Wabash Daily Times. That the pension department needs to be re-arranged Jhas bven well known to all our people for a long time. If It was not for the excessive pensions granted to some men and women, the cost of running the department would exceed the money paid to the soldier. Do awav with the pension department, pay through the banks of the country, make every soldier’s honorable discharge his pension voucher and you can well provide for the veteran at one dollar per day, keep all who are sb badly itiaimedThatThey can’t help themselves and the government will have money left of such appropriations as have been made in the past. Then it would put the money out in the country where it wi’l benefit the masses of the people. Never were visitors more handsomely treated than were the twentysix Fort Wayne citizens who went down to Decatur last Saturday to institute a lodge of Pocahontas. The party left at 1:15 o’clock, was met at the depot in Decatur and escorted down to a large hall, where the Red Men and their wives of Decatur had assembled to greet them. After introductions and some preliminary.,work, the work’d instituting tbe uew lodge was taken up and carried on until 6 o clock, when a recess-for supper was taken. The visitors were then taken to the Burt house, where a magnificent spread awaited themT After supper the lodge work was resumed and completed by 11 o clock, and soon after the Fort Wayne delegation left for home. The new lodge •is named “Mafelico,” and it starts out with fifty members—Ft. Wayne Sentinel January 13. *