Decatur Democrat, Volume 46, Number 42, Decatur, Adams County, 25 December 1902 — Page 1

alvthe NEWS ALL THE TIME.

VOLUME XLVI

The building of the new Presbyter an church progresses a little slowly but steadily just the same and within a short time will be under roof. Mrs. Joel Johnson and sister Mrs. Frysinger of Wren, are spending the holidays with their brother, Milligan Jackson and family of Carey, Ohio. Among the Christmas presents , which will make today a happy one at the C. A. Dugan home is a baby girl who arrived last Saturday morn ing. Henry Ehlerding of Preble township, is the proud possesor of another girl baby and everyone in the household is happy accordingly. The boys say Henry at first decdared the new arrival a boy, but must have been mistaken. The little lady made its appearance last week. Perhaps no where will Christmas be more apparent than at the county infirmary where Superintendant Graber has arranged for a gala day, the jinner being a feature worthy of wide attraction and notice. It is safe to sav that the inmates will thoroughly enjoy all the features of the day. There is a movement on foot to reorganize the One-hundred and sixtieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which, before the Spanish war was known as the Fourth Regiment, Indiana Volunteers. The question is up in all cities that formerly had companies in the regiment, and a determined effort Is making to reorganize it. “A Ruined Life” at the opera house Tuesday night was a grand show and every person in the audience was more than pleased. The plot was an exceptionally strong one and every actor a credit to his profession, the leading lady, Miss Crescy, a gem. The audience looked for each turn anxiously and the company made many friends here. When Sheriff D. N. Erwin retires from office he will at least temporarily have a desk in the law office of Dore B. Erwin, and it need be no surprise that later on he may actively enter the practice of law. He has been so closely allied to this profession for so many years, besides being so well qualified that it would not lie long until you would hear favorably from Lawyer Erwin. The big Holthouse ditch case, the longest trial ever before the Adams circuit court is at an end. the decision of Judge Erwin being the only matter now pending. The case has occupied nearly five weeks of actual trial and has certainly been thoroughly gone over. The evidence dosed Tuesday morning and immediately afterwards the argument began, each side being allowed five hours. The closing argument was made by R. S. Peterson yesterday afternoon. A grain war is on at Craigville and one of the principal participants is E. L. Carroll of this city who has owned the elevator there for some time. Recently a Bluffton dealer has tried to put him out of the busineis but has found he has a big job of it. The fight however is a bonanza for the farmers who are getting the highest price for their corn that is paid in Indiana. The prices varies from fifty-five cents up and farmers are "sid to be hauling their corn ten .miles. When J. E. Mann retires from the board of commissioners the coming yenr he will have served six years, and the record he there made should ever be one of pride to himself and friends. He is a thorough business man, a fact that was always in evi-: deuce in the transaction of the pub lie’s business. The office of commissioner is one of considerable responsibility and little pay. but this was no barrier to Mr. Mann in fulfilling the sacred obligations incumbent upon him as an official. His last meeting •vith the board will be next Monday, when they meet to finish the year s business an<l begin anew. His successor is the well known David Werling, of Preble, who has a wide circle of friends all over the entire county. Mrs. R. S. Peterson is in receipt _ of a letter from Miss Cora Moore giving a full account of the death of her father, Samuel Moore, mention of which was made some time ago. The rumor that his death was due to worry over the loss of his morey, was a mistake and the family is left in good circumstances financially. About June Ist Mr. Moore was thrown from a buggy and his side injured and he never entirely recovered from that accident though it was believed he would eventually. About the time of his death he seemed Ix'tter than for some time previous and the end came without a moments warning on the morning of November 29. He was at his home and some friends had just left the house, Mr. Moore crossed the room and sat down drawing a long breath which attracted the attention of his son who was in the room and who turned to find, his father unconscious. A physician was called and stated that the end had come with the the long breath and had been caused by appoplexey. • His position as superintendent of mines has lieen accepted by his son Frank Moore and the family will remain at Joplin.

I)>CATIIR

Miss Fanny Weldy arrived in this city from Chicago yesterday and will spend today with relatives and friends. Miss Weldy is now an employe of Marshall, Field & Co. Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Tester went to Jefferson township yesterday where they will spend today with Mr. Testers sister Mrs. Noah Amspaugh and his mother Mrs. G. W. Tester. Supt. Brandyberrv is spending his entire time among the schools of the county, the law requiring a personal visit to every district school at least once during the school year. During the past two weeks his labors have been devoted to the southern part of the county. The little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. VV illiam Pyle of Alexandria died Saturday at an Indianapolis Sanitarium, where she was being treated. The child was about six months old and had been ill during all of her short life. Mr. and Mrs. Pyle are well known in Decatur and their many friends extends their sympathy. Miss Ella Ashbaucher and Mr. Harry W. Studabaker will be united in marriage tonight at the home of the bride’s mother on north Second street. Both are well known young people of the city. The bride has for some lime been employed as a clerk at Kern, Beeler & Co.’s store and the groom holds a position at the Burdge barber shop. The first meeting of the Riverside, Oil company to be held in this city will hold the boards next Tuesday. The company is composed of Decatur, Willshire and Chatanooga capitalists, their lease holdings embrace less than 1000 acres on what is known as the devsl’s back bone. Six wells are now being drilled in the east field by that many different companies, all of which shows that ere long a good sized test of the territory will be made. Frank Albright was arrested Saturday night by Policemen Fisher and Mangold and was taken before ’Squire James H. Smith. Frank was arrested some time since on a charge of plain drunk. He was fined and then released upon promise that he would get the money and pay up at once. This he failed to do and for some time the officers have been looking for him that he might be given an opportunity to explain his queer actions. Satisfactory arrangements were made Saturday night and he was released again. Frank Jones, state superintendent of public instruction, who has been on a tour of inspection of high schools, says the recent order of the state board of education that no school shall be commissioned or continue its commission that does not employ a graduate of a responsible university, college or normal school is of great interest. It will probably result in several changes in the corps of teachers. Mr. Jones says there are sever al high schools in Indiana that do not employ a single graduate of anv university, college or normal in good standing? It will be the business of the board, should the question arise, to determine what seats of learning are reputable. The much talked of 0. D. Reynolds has had the nerve to come home and say he will yet prove himself a man worthy the confidence of his neighbors. ’ It is said he has made good the money he took with him and in last Tuesday’s Berne Witness he made the following statement: As the public in general knows of my conduct in the past few months, and all its exaggerations, I wish to say that I have come to my family, (which has needed me much in the past and as well in the future), and expect to provide and care for them as all men should. And more, I wish to ask of the Public to pardon me for my wrong doingsand to restore me back to their confidence again. As 1 have made right to those that were wronged bv me in money I urgently request forgiveness from those that I wronged in character. Yours. O. D. Reynolds. Indiana oil operators who a few weeks ago limited their ambitmns to dollar oil now talk glibly of $1.50 oil eventuallv, and that the outlook is favorable to $1.35 oil More spring. So heavy is the draft on the storage tanks that there will soon lie a greater demand than supply unless new fields with wonderful production are opened up For the first ten days of this month the stocks of high-grade crude oil have been drawn on for 58,(XM1 barn Is a day, a record never haying been equaled in the history of petrol cum. With the price of crude product going up, the value of refined oil is moving in sympathy. An advance of half a cent on refined oil is equal tian increase of 30 cents a barreon crude oil. Wit ‘ bppr abJ rer oil at its present figure $1.07 a barrel, Indiana i’nducers are not let go of their production. 1 hey art to have oil when it comes. But While holding to their oil. the buyere of : crude oil are trying to « hake ings from the pnxiucers, . . from them. Thousani s o ' . Indiana oil are being held in the ] linos bv the producers and on this fee.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1902.

Ihe ever clever C. A. Morrison I traveling passenger agent of the Chicago & Erie railroad, was looking after business in the city Tuesday among which was the renewal of newspaper contracts. Attorney Henry Colerick of Fort " ayne was in the city Tuesday afternoon and evening. He attended the meeting of the city council and it is believed when the proper time comes will take an active part in the Elm street sewer controversy. Bonds for the construction of the Decatur and Preble and West Pleasant Mills macadam roads will be offered for sale at an early date, after which time the contractors will begin their work. The road should be completed during the coming year. Sheriff-elect Butler will move his family and household effects into the jail residence next Thursday, at which time he will take possession of the sheriff s office, to which he was elected in November. He and his new deputy, Charley Braun, have alreadv been familiarizing themselves upon their official duties, and will be ready to take hold of the work at the time of their induction into office. A. B. Cline’s lumber yard at Bluffton. was totally destroyed by fire Friday evening with a loss of $15,000. There was $9,000 insurance on thel building all but SI,OOO which was in the Lumberman’s Mutual. The fire is beleived to havejbeen of incendiary origin and the people of Bluffton are greatly excited as this is but one of a dozen conflagrations which have occurred there within a few months and about each has been an air of mystery. Five new cases have been filed this week in the circuit court, the same being entitled as follows and for the causes set out: Matthias Kirsch and August Sellemeyer vs William E. Patterson et al, forclosure mechanics’ lien, demand $250. William H. Niblick vs Willis W. Hoagland et al, foreclosure, mortgage, SSOO. Cora Schlagel vs Isaac Zimmerman, bastardy, appealed from justice of peace court. The Old Adams County Bank vs Solomon Swank and Joseph W. Smith, note, demand SIOO. Decatur National Bank vs Calvin Miller and John T. Williams, note, demand S9OO. The commissioners were in session Mondav morning and received bide on the Decatur & Preble and West Pleasant Mills macadam roads. But one bid on each road was filed they being Calvin Miller, Decatur & Preble road $13,479, and E. Woods, West Pleasant Mills, $2,270. Contracts were entered into and the roads will lie under way of construction as soon as the bonds are sold. The bond of Coroner-elect C. H. Schenck was also approved, it calling in amount for five thousand dollars and was signed by Peter Soldner, Samuel Simison, F. G. Eichenberger, John Garber and Frank C. Foreman. The new coroner will assume the duties of his office and succeed Dr. C. S. Clark on the first of the coming year. A head-end collision between two freight trains on the Chicago & Erie railroad occurred at Uniondale Monday morning at three o’clock. A westbound train was standing on the main track waiting on an eastbound engine and caboose whka was to run on the switch. In some way the switch was not thrown and the engine and caboose, running at twenty miles an hour dashed into the other train. None of the trainmen were seriously injured. The engineer and fireman on the stationary engine jumped and saved themselves. The fireman of the other engine tried to jump but was caught under the wreckage. The engineer squatted in the cab and was covered with coal. The fireman was injured the worst, but will recover. The blame seems to lie with the crew of the moving engine. Traffic was delayed several hours before the wreckage could be cleared away. Business as follows has lieen transacted during a week past in the Adams circuit court. Joseph H. Brown vs Ernst W. Hammond et al, cause dismissed bv written agreement and costs paid. Curtis VV. Campbell, vs John Tague et al, dismissed at (osts of plaintiff. Fred Tague vs Hattie Tague et al, commissioners report filed, approved commissioners discharged. John T. Williams vs Calvin Miller, change of venue granted to Alien circuit court. Peter Holt house, ex-parte, evidence closed and argued yesterday. Lewis L. Sadler vs E. E. Smith, et al, rule to reply, cross complaint filed by E. E. and . George VV. Smith. Christian Brown vs Joseph Brown et al, appearance by Heller & Son and C. J. Lutz for defendant. German Building Loan Fund & Saving Association vs Wil son F. Beery et al leave asked and granted to file amended complaint and make new party defendant and said amended complaint filed. B. VV. Sholty vs Frederick Busick, judgment against defendant for $72. 77. VV. 11. Niblick et al, additional paragraphs to complaint filed. Malinda Fronfiekiuvs William Fronfield, rest railing order issued against de fendant. Decatur National Bank vs I Calvin Miller et al change of venue granted to Alleucircuit court.

Cal Ilammell came home Saturday from Allegheny, Pa., where he he has been working in the Steele mills for some time. He left here Monday for California to accept a position in the oil fields. His brother Harry who is now at Pittsburg will also go to California the first of the coming year. A rather respectable looking stranger giving his name as H. B. brown, place of residence unknown, was arrested Saturday night for indulging in too much rye. He was given free lodging in jail until Munday morning and then given his liberty with warning that he would not lie used so nicely the next time. Clinton D. 'Zimmerman, a young man of this county, was united in marriage Tuesday evening to Miss Della Frye of Wells county. The bride is the daughter of Joel Frye, trustee of Lancaster, Wells county, and is an accomplished young lady. We offer our congratulations and best wishes for their future. George Seitzman, a resident of Portland was disfranchised for twenty years Monday by Judge Smith. Sometime before the election it is said that Seitzman took money from Felix Bliss and gave a receipt for same on condition that he remain away on election. The poll book showed that he voted, and Bliss had him arrested for illegal voting. Bliss gets SIOO dollars out of the county treasury, and Seitzman must wait twenty years before voting. William Grote of near Preble is a wide awake hustler and a firm believer in the old adage that the “early bird catches the worm” as was shown by an incident which occurred last week. When the hard freeze came every one wanted his horse shod at once and for several days the blacksmith at Preble had more business than he could take care of. William was bound to get there on time and he accordingly got up before three o’clock one morning, took his team to the shop and waited. He had to sleep, eat and drink in the neighborhood for several hours but he accomplished his purpose. Oscar Melville Bartling was born in Adams county, Ind., July 19, 1879 and died at his home one and onehalf miles south of Steele, Ind., Dec. 17, 1002, aged 22 years, 4 months, 28 days. In the year 1893 he united with the Christian church of which he was a member at his death. In 1898 he was united in the holy bonds of matrimony with Miss Lee Armond. To them were born two children, Leona and Florence. Florence proceeded her father to the spirit world in March of the present year. He leaves to mourn their loss a wife, daughter, father, one sister and four brothers. Funeral services were held at the home near Steele, Friday at eleven o’clock. Services conducted by Rev. A. J. Sprague of Monroe. The forty-ninth annual session of the Indiana State Teachers’association will be held at Indianapolis the last three days of this mouth, and promises to be one of the best meetings ever held in the state. The association is divided into sections, including high school, primary, grammar school, reading, class and philological departments, and for each a suitable program has been arranged. The County Superintendents’ association meets at room 67, state house, on December 31st, at ten o’clock, and continues in session until January 2, and among those who will assist in making the program an interesting one, is Prof. Irvin Brandyberry, of this county, who will read a paper on the subject," Methodical and Business like Promptness in Official Duties of County Superintendents,” to be followed ’ with a discussion by Prof. Taylor, of Jefferson county and Prof. Gillums, of LaGrange county. “There is no need for a gas company to confine itself to a single territory and then give up and say there’s no gas,” said Mr. A. C. Gregory, of Decatur, last night. Mr. Gregory was in the city to attend the meeting of Fort Wayne commandery, Knights Templars, of which he is a member, and his visit had no connection with business, hut after the meeting he chanced to lie in a crowd of gentlemen who dropixxl into a discussion of the local gas situation. Mr. Gre gory is one of the wealthy men of Decatur and has many friends among Fort Wayne business men. He is largely interested in oil operations and has some gas interests also. He thinks the gas companies are making a mistake in confining their ojieratioiis to the particular field which has been productive in the past and in failing to extend further. “The great gas gusher struck near Decatur a week or two ago.” he said, “together with other good gas producers in eastern Indiana, show that there is still an ample supply of gas if the companies will go after and get it. Just across the state line, in Ohio, in the elevated ridge known as ‘the Devil’s Backbone,’ there is every indication of plenty of gas there and is talk of companics going after it." Mr. Gregory is a firm believer in the continuance iofan abundance of gas and thinks iif proper efforts are employed there will be no exhaustion of the supply. Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette.

Today is Christmas, the greatest festival of the year. About this day is an atmosphere of joy and mystery, the pleasant excitement of preparing gifts, the pleasure of family reunions. But remember everyone is not so fortunate as you and you will be happier if you make the day pleasant for them. Be as generous, as light hearted, as happy as you can. There will be a meeting of the members of the Great Northern Indiana Fair association held at Berne, Indi, Tuesday, December 30, 1902, at which time an outline of the work for the coming year will be mapped out. The association is not in the least discouraged by their bad luck of last year and intend to make the fair next fall bigger and better than ever. State Statistician Johnson has been doing some figuring on the corn crop of 1902. The corn acreage was slightly less, but the yield an acre was almost doubled and the total ot bushels raised in Indiana was 75 per cent greater in 1902 than in 1901. The average number of bushels raised to the acre in 1902 was 42.145. Tipton county carried off the banner with an average yield of 54.80 to the acre. The county had 45,531 acres. Joseph Keiss who will move on the A. A. Butler farm in Root township next week is a lucky man and he knows it. He subscribed for the Indianapolis Sentinel last summer and entered a guess on the total vote for the Secretary of State to be decided by the recent election. Mr. Kiess came within 234 of guessing the exact number and will receive as a prize one of the fine jersey cows valued at $750. The Sentinel gave away 100 of these cows, all of them being from the Lone Tree herd, and the finest lot of cattle ever brought to Indiana. Mr. Kiess has been living near Magley for some years. Gay & Zwick have purchased of the Cunningham company of Chicago one of the finest funeral cars ever sent to Indiana. It is a massive car weighing nearly 2,0(X) pounds, is beautifully carved, with pure siiver side lamps, each nearly three feet in length. The wagon is rubber tired and is fitted with every modern improvement. The seat upholstering is beautiful and in fact the car is the finest thing of the kind we ever saw. The wagon cost $2,000 cash, this fact proving to a certain extent the fact that it is no common hearse. Gay & Zwick have certainly shown a progressive spirit by such an investment and have proved that they believe in keeping up-to-date in all things. They have also recently purchased a casket wagon of the latest patern. The year of 1903 will bump in on a Thursday and go out, of course, on the same day of the week, as is always the case except in leap years, there being just fifty-two weeks and one day in every ordinary year. Leap years, by the way. have been few and far between of late years, but if nothing goes wrong with the motions of the solAr system we will have one in 1904. In 1903 there will be four eclipses, two each of the sun and moon, but none of them will amount to much from a spectacular point of view in this region. The only one of the four visible here at all will be a partial eclipse of the moon on April 12th. There will be a total eclipse of the sun, always a scientifically interesting event, on September 20th, but it will be visible only in the far south ern hemisphere, including the south ern part of Australia. Easter Sunday will occur on April 12th, which is a little later than the average date of that great religious festival. Decora tion day and Fourth of July, which always come just five weeks apart, will this year come on Saturday. The superintendent of rural mail delivery has issued the following requests of patrons who live along the routes: The department looks to the patrons of the tural free delivery service to use their utmost personal endeavors, and also to exert their influence with the road supervisors, or with those officials who are responsible for the condition of the highways, to the end that the roads traveled by rural carriers may be always kept open and in such passable shape that the service can be regularly and punctually performed. Should the regularity of the service be needlessly destroyed as the result of inattention and lack of care bestowed on the highways, the permanent withdrawal of the delivery will very likely result. Rural letter carriers are required to serve their routes regularly nt all sea sons of the year and in every kind of weather when it can be dene without seriously imperiling their lives or endangering their conveyances or the U. S. mail which is in their custody. Patrons should clear away the snow drifts, so that carriers can drive up to and reach boxes from their vehicles without dismounting. It is not part of the carrier’s duty to break out the roads after severe snow storms. Rural carriers are expected to energetically try to servo their routes even though’ the conditions may lx* extremely adverse, and anv undue lack lof zeal on their jiart should lx* promptly brought to The attention of this office for such action as the merits of the case require.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

NUMBER 42

There being no election of directors at the stockholders meeting of the Decatur, Oil & Gas company held last Saturday, it compelled the old board to elect new officers in order to conform to all the requirements of the law governing incorporations instituted under the law of the state. The old officers were re elected entire. In the last few days the company has acquired 200 acres of additional leases which join up to the big Koos gasser owned by the Riverside Oil N Gas company. In all probability new wells will’ be drilled in this territory in the hope of adding to their supply of natural gas fortheir Willshire and Wren plants. State Superintendent Jones has sent out a letter announcing that teachers’ examinations for professional license will be held next year on the last Saturday of February at nine places throughout the state, Lafayette, Valparaiso and Fort Wayne being the northern Indiana place. Applicants for state license may take examinations at any of the places named the last Saturday in April, and diploma examinations may be taken the third Saturday in each of the months of March, April and May. The questions in reading will be based on the following subjects: March, The Building of the Ship; April, The First Snow Fall, or the Charge of the Light Brigade; May, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Fairmount glass works has, it is claimed, made a discovery that insures plenty of gas and practically solves the fuel problem and insures that the supply will be adequate for several years for manufacturing pur poses. Just now the gas pressure is low and it was while trying to increase this that it was found that by forcing air in the well by artificial means, the combustible power of the gas is increased many times, and that when this mixture reaches the furnace it burns equal to, if not better, than the gas as it comes from the well, giving much more heat to the cubic foot used. It is said that this process of mixing air with gas in the well acts very much on the same principle that a mixer does on a common stove and also gives a pressure that was heretofore unknown in the use of gas as fuel. Jacob Wahli, junior, a young man whose home is at Berne, was brought here Saturday morning and landed in jail, from where he will soon be taken to an Ohio asylum, if admis sion, which has been asked for can be obtained. He is a raving maniac, and the cause is said to be his awful appetite for drink. For the last few years Wahli has been at Collinsville, Ohio, and has drank heavily, not eating enough to keep up his constitution, and as a result his mind weakened. He was induced by the trustee of the county to come to Berne and gave but little trouble until he reached there, but while on his way to a doctor’s office Friday afternoon he suddenly became frantic and it was with great trouble that he was finally subdued and brought here by the Berne marshal. An insanity board met Saturday and Wahli was declared insane and recommended to the Richmond hospital, but was refused there as he was a citizen of Ohio, and will be taken to Hamilton, Ohio, the county seat of his present residence, and an application to an Ohio asylum made. A continued session of the city council was held Tuesday evening, with Mayor Coffee in the presiding chair and all members present. The meeting was called for the purjx s' ot taking up the matter of the Elm street sewer which has been causing some trouble for a year past. The report of the committee composed of J. H. Lenhart, J. W. Teeple and Jacob Yager on the final estimate made by the city civil engineer was filed, to gether with engineer’s report hereto fore delivered. The city clerk was then ordered to give the following no tice to the property owners affected by the Elm street sewer: “Notice is hereby given to citizens of Decatur whose property will be assessed for the construction ot the Elm street sewer, that the city engineer has filed in the office of the’ clerk and reported to the council of said city his final es tiinate of the total cost of said sewer. Wherefore the common council re ferred said final estimate ta a committee appointed by said council, ami gave notice by two weeks’ publication of the meeting of said committee, which said committee have imw filed in the office of the clerk of said city a written report of their doings while acting under such appointment, and said engineer’s report and report of committees Ixfing now returned to the council on the 23rd day of December, 1902, and said common council having said engineer's report and the committee’s report, hereby fixes Jan nary 13, 1903, at seven o’clock p. tn. as the time when they will hear any and all objections to such report, and will therefore continue from time to time until a final hearing has been had thereunder and final decision made in relation thereto.” The Ixind I of Fred Huffman in the sum of $5,000 I for the building of the new addition to the water works plant was filed and | approved.