Decatur Democrat, Volume 39, Number 47, Decatur, Adams County, 7 February 1896 — Page 1

The Decatur Democrat. , ■ ' te- -8 li ent , *

VOL. XXXIX.

The ground hog Haw bis shadow, yet we have pleasant weather all * I,he same. Burns & Patterson are putting in a new front to their business room on Second street. ” The jury in the Shugart-Griffin ease gave the plaintiff damages in the sum of sll6l 67. Dr. C. S. Clark was called to Van Wert to the bedside of his mother who is not expected to live. Tim Coffee is confined to the house with dropsy. His many , friends hope for his speedy recovery. Will Christen, of Rockford, 0., who has been in the .city for the past few days returned home today. Mrs/Klizabeth Bradley was called to Pittsburgh, Pa., this evening to i attend the funeral of her daughter Mrs. Flo Uptegraph. While on the way to church last Sunday Mrs. Sarah Elzey fell and broke her arm. Her age makes the case a very grave one. Mrs. Elizabeth Rademacher fell last Wednesday evening and sustained injuries that will keep her confined to the house for some time. J. Fred France, of Huntington, is .at the bedside of his mother Mrs. Martha France of our city. At this time she is still in a critical condition. A gang of Italians passed through the city Tuesday afternoon on their way from Frankfort to Fort t Wayne. They were a hard looking crowd. John Thomas, the unfortunate man who had his leg taken off by a *C. & E. train a short sime ago, was taken to his home at Bluffton last Tuesday. Hunsicker & Laugiiery have made some improvements in their business room. You should call in and see how tastely they have it decorated. ■* Joel Roe, one of the candidates for sheriff, met with an accident yesterday while out in Hartford township his horse fell and broke a leg so that he had to kill it. Don’t fail to hear Hon. J. E. Wiley’s lecture at Berne to the * teachers and friends of education. The institute lecture will be given at 11 a. m., February 15, 1896. Mrs. Al Fnstoe will open a dress’making emporium over Nachtrieb’s drug store. She will be ready to do all Kinds of work in that line and will carry a line of ready-made gowns. • • Timothy Golden, of Huntington, was in our city last Saturday. He -engaged in the insurance business in that city. The Adams county pedagogues will miss Tim from their ranks. The county board of education held a special session in the county superintendents office on Tuesday. The school enumeration and taxation question was the principal theme of discussion. * Lucy E. Studabaker has made application for divorce from her husband, David- E. Studabaker. She ’sues for SIO,OOO alimony and SSOO a year for the support and main tenance of their child. The series of meetings that have been held at the M, E. church commencing January Ist closed last Friday night. They have been a benefit to the church and it is to be to the community. Portland seems to have struck the tramp nuisance a blow that will keep the weary ones away from their town. They have an ordinance which provides for work to be done for the city and each one that t they catch in the city they put to I work and as that does not agree I with them they soon sneak away. L KBs , * * Vr

DECATUR. ADAMS COUNTY, INDIANA. ER»"',’AY, FEBRUARY 7, 1806.

The city of Fort Wayne ha* again called some of the city employees on the carpet and said to them, “Pay your debts instead of spending your money foolishly or quit your job.” Bluffton hires speikers to come and talk street improvements to their people and it locks as though they may get their council in the notion of bricking a street this summer as an experiment. " E F. Beerbower writes us from Booher, W. Va., saying he is there and engaged in the oil business where they are opening up new territory. The friends ot Emanuel in this county wish him success. Dr. J. P. D. John will deliver his great lecture, “Did man make God, or did God make man?” at the M. E. church on Saturday evening, Feb. 15. It is said to be one of the most effective replies ever made to Robert G. Ingersoll. We wil* have a state senator to elect next fall. The decisions of the supreme court seems to be so broad that it knocks out the Hon. J. J. M. LaFollette. His successor will be elected for two years or the balance of his term. The Decatur Tailoring Uo., has received the order for furnishing suits to the young men of the graduating class of ’96. They have ordered the finest, and these popular tailors are capable of turning out the work in the best of style. The court room library is headquarters for story tellers. People desiring to hear all about the olden times in this neck o’ the woods should be present between the hours of 9 and 10 o’clock. Burt Lenhart chief story teller, master of ceremonies. - -■ — . D. Meybohm and a Mr. Bablign, ot Bremen, Germany, are in the city. The former is a dealer in horses and purchased most of those exported by Fisher & Frisinger, of this city. The latter is a lumber merchant. They will probably remain some time. The Ladies’ of Geo. Woodard’s class who gave the dinner Thursday at the M. E. church, deserve great credit as they gave it for the benefit of the Sunday school. Something near $25 was realized. Those who missed the dinner missed something good. The new enumeration law is now operative, and in compliance with a recent decision of the supreme court all who claim school privileges in adjoining corporations are required to be transferred each year between the 10th of April and the first day of May. Residents in the north part of the city are taking steps to have a sidewalk built on the south side of the city park near the power house, so that school children will not have to walk so far to school. The move is a good one, and the city should build the walk at once. A great number of shade trees throughout the city are beginning to bud and preparing to don the mantle of spring- Should the pres ent weather continue. weather prophets say that fruit trees will be so far advanced that a sudden cold snap will blight all prospects for a good fruit crop. “The poor we have always with us,” seems to be fully demonstrated when we are aware that we have a man in town who lives on one meal a day. His means being short he does not want to beg and does not feel like going to the county house, so he carries water each morning to pay for a breakfast and then fasts the rest of the day. Yet he seems to be consented and does not complain about his lot in life.

Vernon McGonagle was quite seriously burned a day or t\yo ago at the power house of the electric light works. While lighting a fire under the boiler the gas suddenly ignited and burned his face and hands severely. He will be confined to the house some time on account of his injuries. Anderson’s Hying machine man is now in Washington getting his machine patented. He propels it with h small gas engine and is confident he can make it a success. His model machine carries a weight of 260 pounds and is made to move around.at his will. The air will be navigated in a short time. Last Monday morning the People’s bakery changed hands. C. C. Lichtenwaiter was succeeded by Fristoe & Suttles. These young men are too well, known for us to comment upon their ability and popularity and they will undoubtedly make a success'of their new business venture. John S. Peterson, treasurer of the Eagle M’f’g Co., of this city has informed us that their company has taken the contract to manufacture a corn planter patented by Henry Keller ot Woodburn. Should the planter prove to be a success it will be a big thing for Decatur as they will require a large force of men and boys in manufacturing the same. J. S. Wilt, guardian of Flora Evans, who was run over by a Lake Erie freight train last summer, together with the girl’s attorneys, had a photograph taken on last Sattfr- ■; day of the spot and where the accident occurred, which will be used in the trial of the case for $15,000 damages.—Portland Sun. A crowd consisting of Mesdames Patterson, Steele, Burns, Coverd&le/ Helm, Roebuck, Rex, Blackbunr-,. Blossom Nichols, Woodward, Horton and Messrs. Nichols, Woodward and Horton, reminded Mrs. Peter Decker, Saturday evening, that she had passed the 66th mile-stone in life’s journey. A pleasant time was had by those present. At the present time our city is undergoing a chill from the blast of immorality, from the mouths of those who indulge in spreading everything they hear that has the least appearance of smirching the character of someone. These vultures have no respect for anyone, so they can talk of the scandalous matter. The fire company was out Monday afternoon washing off the brick street. It is a good idea and should be done often, but the firemen should not think the water works were put in to wet by-slanders who are watching them do their work. The sooner the fire chief puts a stop to this sort of work, the sooner he will have the good will of our citizens. Tuesday afternoon occurred the death of Mrs. Matthias Miller. She had been ailing for sometime with a complication of diseases and her death was expected any moment. She peacefully passed away in the presence of her family and was prepared to answer the final summons. Funeral took place Thursday morning at nine o’clock at the St. Marys Catholic church. ; Interment n St. Joseph’s cemetery. The opening exercises of the new Elkhart, Ind., Institute Building will be held in the Institue Hall on Tuesday apd Wednesday evenings, Feb., 11th and 12th. Revs. F. E. Knopf, J.B. Coffman. J. S. Hartzler and Prof. W. E. Tower, Elkhart, will make addresses the first evening, and Superintendent D. W. Thomas. Elkhart, and Prof. W. W. McKenzie, Chicago, the second evening.

t,. The newspapers n 4 the men in general seem to b' .oxious to face the new woman t »che front. If they will let her al D she will get there soon entrngl co suit the majority of the peop! \ Good things always get around vo time and are the better for cornog in due season, so let the new wjmin have her time and she will Ip a blessing to tl'e county, but for’e the issue and you may spoil the *ew woman. The attorneys our city are talking of organizing themselves into a stock con pam for the purpose of boring for Oil. They already hold what ire considered valuable leasee near'this city and experienced oil men tlaim that the indications are good< They will no doubt succeed for i| oil does not make its appearance from natural cluses they will issie a capias ad respondendem and compel it to come to the surface. The supreme dou-t of the State of Indiana has «eH the appointment acts of 1893 95 inconstitutional. Re-appointment! can only be made every six yens and should have been made in 1891 and 1896. The election of must be held, according to the under the appointment act 0i41885. Under this act- Adams ais| Jay counties aie entitled to one Uepresentative, and Adams. Jay anm Blackford to one representative. -A With, the swelling decision of the supreme court- O£ the appointment law places tpaTentire acts of the legislature ip doubt setting i aside yie appointment places a cloud <?n all tM acts of the legislature.; The factYfiMf a number of them dts not rephsent the district from they we-elected. The qqestiorjis can an ilegally elected officer do an act and Hie act become legal. An endless amount of litiout of the deesion. ’-iD "i inquiries are being rrlde by the >oil Tnen ot Geneva for hluses in this city. They desire t< move their families to this city oi account of school facilities. Some o our enterprising capitalists should ii vest part of their capital in tenant biases. There 18 always a good demind for houses of this kind, and in this particular instance it would swell the population of our city with first-claps citizens and increase business of all kinds. Think it over. It would appear the height of folly fir any rational parent to crowd his child, of tender years, out into an uncharitable world, to shift for himself. Yet it appears that theie are those who should be “high up in reason” and well versed m the “oracles” who plan socials,” presumably for religious purposes. It is a shame that inno cense must be tempted under the guise of holiness and “good intentions" Rumors are in circulation that another change will be made on the Clover Leaf whereby Decatut will be made a permant division for both freight and passenger traffic. It is said the change made some time ago whereby our city lost the passenger division is not proving satisfactory from a financial standpoint. Decatur is without a question better suited for a division than anyXther city between Frankfortand Toledo, on account of its geographical location. One thing is certain, the improvements made in this city are permanent, and if the company had no intention of making this a division they would not have been made. Railroads do not jump haphazzard, but generally investigate before taking steps to improve. Hence we may look for the Clover Leaf division again, before long. X . . .

William Young, a barber by trade, died Sunday at the home of Mr. Scheier’s where he was being treated for dropsy by the laying on of hands by a sect which claim that the Lord through them will heal the sick, they claiming to be sanctified and have the power to cure all who will believe. While Young was made to believe in the doctrine, yet the dropsy increased until death come. Funeral was held Tuesday at nine o’clock at the house. Interment in South Salem cemetery. A number of small boys of our city have organized themselves into a gang for purposes best known to themselves. They are supplied with a secret rendezvous consisting ot a cave, and with arms and ammunition of all descriptions. They do their practicing after dark and the dogs and cats in the north end of the city have a hard time when the small boy is around. This thing should be stopped however before it goes too far. A great many people are wondering why our system ot water works is not in operation. As yet the plant has not been accepted. The test that was held about a week ago was not official and was only a trial test for the benefit of the contractors. Chief Engineer Cook of Toledo. says the contractors have not filled all the requirements of the plans and specifications, and until they are strictly complied with the plant will no*t be accepted. It will probably be a month before the final test is made. & . Meeting at the U. B. church continues with unabated inte’reU There has been forty-one convertions and fifty one accessions to the cbu’ch at this time. With the church service the interest in,the' Sabbath school increases. On last Sabbath the attendance was 175 and collection $3.00, with four new members added to the Y. E. C. U-, making this organization one of the valuable auxileries to the church. Rev. Shepherd is to be congratulated on his untiring work in the good cause. A few streets of our city need improving. This kind of weather is the best convincer that can be brought to bear on that fact but our people should be very careful about how they the work done, brick should be the material need in all future improvements, that all work may be of a lasting nature and such as will add to the sanitary condition of the city. Fourth street needs to, be improved this coming summer and it should be done with brick, that it may not need to be again improved for twenty years. Bluffton News says: “The commissioners of Blackford county have ordered the county superintendent to vacate the rooms occupied by him in the court house. They made this ruling and gave him five days to obey orders. If he fails to do so the sheriff will throw him out. The superintendent has no intention of moving, claiming that be is in every sense a county officer, and has a right to occupy rooms in the court home. The state superiptendent has instructed him to remain where he is •until removed, by force. - An attorney of Indianapolis has decided that Thomas Taggart can hold the office of Governor during the term for which he was elected, mayor' of Indianapolis. Neither can he resign to accept the office ot Governor. He puts such a construction upon "the law as would make it illegal for any person to fill any other office? than that of a judicial office if he is already filling an office that carries with it judicial power. The office of Mayor of Indianapolis is a judicial office, and he bases his opinion upon that fact.

The lowa legislature have under consideration a bill for the licenseing of a man who wants to use strong drink, the man to pay two dollars a year for the privilege of spending his money for red liquor. The bill has a penal provision for a violation of thr law. A fine of $lO for the first offense and a fcrfeitnre of the license for the second offense. 1 his reminds the people oF this state of the law we had a few years ago when the dogs of this state wore jewelry. The men of lowa could wear their license as a badge and thus be jeweled. This will be a new way to prohibit the sale of liquor. The monthly report of the director of the mint shows the total coinage during January to have been $13,033,560, classified as follows; Gold, $12,914,600; silver, $35,000; minor coin, $53,960. Last Saturday the mints at Philadelphia, San Francisco, and New Orleans begun the coinage of silver dollars at the rate of $1,500,000 per month. The Philadelphia mint will com $'300,000 a month, San Francisco $500,000 a month, and New Orleans SIOO,OOO. It is thought that the work will continue until from $18,000,000 to $20,000,000 has been coined. Simeon Barkley, a well known and prominent farmer of this county, and a brother of Levi Barkley, the well-known butcher of this city, became suddenly insane Wednesday - while in this city and was taken in charge by Sheriff Ashbaucher yesterday. For the past five or six months nends have noticed that bis mind was unbalanced. He had been a patent ditching * machine forceveral years and to the fabtthat he was notable to perfect the same is attributed his present condition. He had a mama for electricity and other sciences and this together with the above fact was the direct cause 0f unbalancing bis mind. His triends hope for his speedy recovery. We clip the following from the Bluffton News, aiid give it as a warning to afiy of our people who might accidently stop in that hamlet of mud! mud! mud? “Some of the boys on west Wabash street are indulging in a very dangerous passtime, and sooner or later some of them will be drowned. They have built a raft of logs and boards and are riding up and down tLe middle of the street. They propel the craft by means of long poles, and have lots of fun in riding from one crossing to another, but as the mud is very deep at most places some of them are apt to be drowned. The parents of the boys should see that they discontinue the practice.” While the gravel road question was being agitated a short tune ago, a prominent farmer of Union township made up bis mind that some steps should be taken to remonstrate against such improvements. ' He accordingly fixed up prepartory to coming to town to tell ,our citizens what a terrible thing travel roads were, and to enlist as many of the Decatur people on his side of the question as possible. Everything being in readiness, and his speech ready for delivery, he went to the ba.n and hitched histeam to a wagon. In starting, however, he found that one team could not pulFtaiia-and his empty through the mud, and found it necessary to hitch a second team to the wagon. He finally arrived in the city after a long and w earisome I ride in the cold and mud. After arriving m the city he either forgdt what" he came to town for, or after having carefully studied the matter over on his way tb town, concluded that gravel roads were a gobd thing after all. ,

NO. 47.