Decatur Democrat, Volume 46, Number 50, Decatur, Adams County, 19 February 1903 — Page 1

ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME.

VOLUME XLVI.

A new suit lias been tiled in the I circuit court entitled. The Marion Chronicle company vs the Harrod & Waggoner Shor., company. The sum of 5200 is demanded it being a suit on account. The remains of Mrs. Ki-iah Maloney who was buried twenty-two years ago. in the old city cemetery, were disinterred Tuesday and will be removed to Backesto cemetery, six and one-half miles northeast of Berne. Mrs. Maloney was the wife of Robert Maloney who was at one time marshal of this city. A party of seventeen left here last Monday over the Clover Leaf for the west, some for pleasure, others for business. In the crowd were Peter Colehin and son, S. J. Martz and ■party of nine, who go to Tulsa, Indian Territory; J. Burkhead and Mrs. C. A. Andrews, Centerville, Kansas: Laura Marker, Tishamingo, Indian Territory, John Jones and Sam Goldner. Forest. City, lowa. Another party including F. E. France. P. L. Andrews, Henry Krick, William Scherer, W. F. Smith and several others leave tonight over the same route for Okla homa City. At the regular meeting of the Red Men’s lodge Wednesday evening, arrangements were completed and the date set for the organization of a Haymakers’ order in this citv. This is a side degree to the I. 0. R. M. and the object is pleasure personified. Sixty names have already been secured for the new order or degree and its establishment is therefore certain. The date will be within the next few weeks and will be decided upon as stated Wednesday night. Lodges from Bluffton and Fort Wayne will be invited to attend and confer the work A sumptuous banquet will follow and the boys are preparing for the liest time of their lives and from the “tip” we have received we believe they will. The Red Men’s lodge here is prospering and each week are taking in new members, thus assuring them a substantial and long life. The annual meeting of the North Indiana M. E. conference will be held at Noblesville the second week in April. It will be the sixtieth session of the conference and at least 300 ministers will attend. Noblesville people are preparing to take good care of the visitors and the sessions will lie held at the local church. A souvenir program will be issued early next month. Among those who will take part in the work of the conference will be Bishop Waldron, of Cincinnati; the Rev. A. B. Leonard and the Rev. W. F. McDowell of New York; the Rev. J. M. King, of Philadelphia, the Rev. Levi Gilbert and the Rev. M. C. B. Mason of Cincinnati. There will be a lecture on one evening, w hen the conference quartette will sing. The Rev. M. S. Rees, of the New York Central conference, will hold evangelistic services at four o’clock each day. Viewers John W. Cowan and Lemuel Johnson and Surveyor McKean have filed with the auditor their report of the location of the Noah Winteregg ditch, together with the survey and cost of construction. The proC1 drain is confined within the a of French township, is twenty five and one-third stations long and the estimated cost is 5421.40. In talking upon the subject of drainage, it is a fact that Adams county is taking a long lead and at no distant dav will be the liest drained county in the state. This, together with series of macadam roads, makes us the envy of our green eyed neigh bors. It is also this vast element of improvement that has caused such a wild skirmish for farming land, and which has sent the price soaring skyward until it is nothing short of a crime to offer less than 575 to 5100 an acre for any farm location in the county. The special session of the Adams County Farmers’ Institute closed at Berne Tuesday afternoon and though zero weather has been on the meetings are said to have been the mos) interesting and enthusiastic ever held in the county. Judge Erwin delivered the principal address Monday evening and as usual pleased the audience exceedingly, and besides saying some very pleasing sentences, gave the listeners many useful hints on how to “stay at home and farm.” He argued that the man who is contented with his lot is the most happy ■•nd usually successful. Monday’s session was opened by President Kunkle of Monmouth, and M. L. Smith, W. A. Hart, C. S. Mumma. J. T. Burley. D. E. Johnson, Rev. Allebach ana others addressed the meet ing, while nearly everyone present entered into the discussion on the various subjects. Tuesday’s meetings were just as interesting asyester day’s and included addresses by J. L. Aspy, J. F. Lehman, W. A. Hart, I). B. Johnson, with music ami recitatious by Berne citizens. The meet ings were held at the Democratic club rooms and each session was well at tended, especially the one of last night. The institute has certainly had their share of bad luck this year in bumping up against the real cold “snaps.” At their meeting here in January the thermometer registered wo weather and this is just as bad

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I More than 56,000,000 is to be spent !in extending the original design of the canitol building at Washington i and in the erection of a building for the use of the house of representatives as offices. The appropriation for this work has been made in the sundry civil bill and it is expected that the senate will agree to it. The new ! structures are to be low’ buildings of granite or marble. One of the largest oil deals in the history of the Indiana field w’as made in Muncie, Saturday. The Senior Oil company sold its holdings at Parker City to the St. Louis Oil company, a corporation recently organized. The purchase price was 5250,000, and the transfer of property includes the best leases in the state. The Senior Oil company is composed of Lafayette, Hugh and Thomas McWilliams, R. W. Brown and W. A. Kunkle. They secured the leases and brought in the first well on last July. Since then six wells have been drilled in and the property has a daily production of five hundred barrels. The lease comprises twelve hundred and twentyfour acres. Twenty five years ago Pope Leo XIII took his office as Bishop of Rome, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and the event is to be celebrated next Friday by the Catholics all over the world. In this city the day will be observed by special high mass services, and n will lie a mem orable event in the chui r, h’s history. The celebration is kncwn as the Pope’s Silver Jubilee, and Pope Leo in the third to have celebrated the event during the history of the world. The pope is in excellent health in body and mind, and a recent statement from his physician which has been sent out says that the probabilities are that he will live to be a hundred years old. He is a grand old man, and the celebration of his twenty-fifth year in his high position will be sincere. A. YanCamp, proprietor of the Decatur machine factory, is arranging to go after business this year in away it was never handled in this locality before. He completed a new building, fifty by thirty feet in dimensions, and joining the old factory on the south, several weeks ago. The windows to this building are now being put in and other minor details arranged to make same inhabitable and within a few’ davs the wood working department of the factory will be removed there, thus giving the entire main portion of the building for the machine works. In each department several new employes will be necessary, and this industry promises to soon be a leading one. and the pay roll equal to any of Decatur’s now numerous factories. Mr. YanCamp is an energetic citizen and his business is on a most prosperous footing at present. May it continue to grow. A representative of The Democrat was shown through the Metallic Window Screen factory and we are free to state that the busy scene presenter! there was a most pleasant surprise. The plant is located in the Weber building on Monroe street and the large ground floor room is already crowded with the machinery, stock and necessary furniture. They are turning out about eight hundred screens each day, having on hand at present over 8900. While this may seem like a large amount it is scarcely a fourth enough to fill the orders nowon hand and they are still coming. Quite a force of workman are employed and more will be needed as the season progresses. This company is a comer and will within a few years be of untold benefit to our growing city. The Cochran Screen is the best on the market today, having all the advantages of other screens and none of there disadvantages. Its a ten time winner and the gentleman back of the institution are the kind that will make it win. C. O. Ehinger returned from Chicago Tuesday where final arrange meats were made for The Big Store P>nts Company. Machines were purchased and the power already doing duty at The Big Store will lie sufficient for the new addition which will occupy the whole third floor of their store building. It seems that the demand for this manufactured product is so great that wholesale houses are unable to supply their trade, and one Chicago firm agrees to take all the product of this factory, so it makes it the same as putting your money on a sure thing. Cut doth for 1000 pairs of pantaloons have already been consigned and received, being the initial order for the new Decatur industry. The machines purchased will arrive in a few days and it will be but short work to start the ball rolling. Those interested prediet that within a short time fifty employees will be doing the pants act on the third floor of the Big Store. They are sanguine of the success of the undertaking and well they may be, as the simple process of manufacture makes it both desirable and profitable. Among the employees girls will predominate, although a number of men will also be employed, the pressing of the garment being the work of men. Not later than the first of next month, it is expected that things will be running at full blast, and that the proposed factory will be busy up to tho cork.

DECATUR, INDIANA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1903.

Barney Kalver, known to everyone as the King of the high binders lodge, has been real mad for a day or so and isn’t entirely over it yet. The cause was a valentine containing a picture of a bath tub. brush and towel with gentle poetry hints of how to use them. Barney knows who sent the thing and today forwarded by express, collect, a little gift that will certainly surprise the recipient. An old farmer sent his son to an academy to study Latin. Not being satisfied with the course of the young hopeful, he recalled him from school and placing him by the side of a cart one day, thus addressed him: “Now, Joseph, here is a fork and there is a heap of manure and a cart, what do you call them in Latin?” “Forkibus, cartibus et manuribus,” said Joseph. “Well, now,” said the old man. “if you don’t take that forkibus and pitch that manuribus into that cartibus, I’ll break your lazy backibus.” He went to work. Tho case of the State vs Mabel Evans, for keeping an immoral house, went to the jury atjsix o’clock Monday evening. After debating the question all night a verdict was arrived at at eight o’clock Tuesday morning which read as follows: “We, the jurv, find the defendant guilty and fix her fine at forty dollars.” This, together with the costs, amounts to about 5150. Mabel says she positively will not pay the fine, which means that she will board with Sheriff Butler about six mouths unless she changes her mind, or unless she is granted a new trial, motion for which will lie made when Judge Branyan returns to pronounce judgment. The Erie railroad company will begin improvements on their depot grounds as soon as the weather moderates sufficiently to make it possible. The company proposes to build a brick platform alongside the track from Winchester to Third streets and an iron fence partly, if not entirely, around the whole grounds. Flowers will then be planted, shade trees set out, driveways built and the place converted into a veritable park. Such features do not alone add to the appearance of the city, but are important factors in establishing a pic turesque route for tourists where the monotony of a trip can lie broken by few bits of natural scenery. It is a good thing for the city as well as the railroad. The company will also erect a new steel bridge over the St. Marys river east of the city. The old bridge will lie taken down and the new one put in its place. Mayor Coffee Monday completed and forwarder! to Toledo a map of Adams county showing the best route according to that officials idea for traversing this cqunty from the northeast to the southwest. The proposed line is what is known as the Morgan road, being itstigated by a Mr. Morgan of Toledo, Ohio. The railway, if built according to present plans, will run from Van Wert to this city through Hines and the Blakey settlement; from here to Preble, thence to Peterson, Hines, Vera Cruz and Linn Grove: thence through the south part of Wells county to Marion, thus covering a great portion of country untouched by steam nr traction lines. Mr. Morgan has already sent word that his engineer will be here soon to go over the ground and ascertain the merits and possibilities of the route. However, he says be can take no active movements in the matter until the Dr. George line is either started or otherwise disposed of, and this will probably he within a few’ weeks as Dr. George claims he will have men at work through here as soon as possible. The Bank of Wren is a new institution that will hang out their sign at Wren, Ohio, some time in April. It is a branch of the Old Adams County Bank of this city, and stock will lie owned by Judge Studabaker, W. H. Niblick and R. K. Allison of this city, J. L. Moser, W. H. Stuits, William Frysinger, Oliver Harrison, O. 1. Har man, L. M. Harrison, Myers, Culley & Co., Gehres & Co., W. M. Bowen, Dr. Havis. J. W. Harmon and Jasper Dudley, all business men of Wren. The people over there are tickled out of their skin at the prospects of having a real live bank. They have pushed the project with vigor ever since such a possibility became noised around, and as a result every prospective depositor wanted a goal sized chunk of sta’k. The amount of the capital sta-k (520,(XX)), has now- been more than subsenbed, and still there are more clamoring to get in on a good thing. This will either necessitate the capitalization at a greater sum than at first intended, or the paring down of the amounts individually subscribed. It is prob able that the latter plan will lie adopted, as a too great working capital is not needed to carry on the business there, and as a mathematical proposition tho larger the capital the smaller the per cent, in dividends. Should no break occur in the plan outlined, W. H. Stuits, who is well known here, will lie the cashier and have charge of the business. R. K. Allison spent yesterday there and arrangements are now about complete. They will probably erect a building and open out for deposits some time in April.

J. W. Peterson, who has been staying with Enos Peoples, east of this city, fell last Saturday while in the act of getting out a buggy and broke two of his ribs. At the time of the accident be did not know that he was hurt, and not until Dr. J. M. Miller examined himjjthis morning and reduced the fracture did he know the extent of his injuries, which annoyed him so that he was compelled to seek medical aid. He is now recovering very rapid and will soon be as well as ever. The case of the state of Indiana vs John Weger was heard in cour Tuesday. The case is on a grand jury indictment and the charge is assault and battery upon Alonza Runyon. Both Weger and Runyon are saloonkeepers at Linn Grove and the present trial is the result of a scrap which occurred in Runyon’s place one evening last fall. The state claims that Weger with a party of friends went to Runyon’s saloon for the purpose of starting trouble, that a little dispute was begun and in the mix-up Weger struck Runvon. The testimony was slightly conflicting however and the result of the case is very mnch in doubt. It is certain that a fight ensued, that a beer glass was broken and there was much loud talk, though whose fault it was we are unable to state. Dr. J. M. Miller was surprised Sat urday evening when nearly all the brothers of iiis profession that live iu this city burst in upon him at his home. The event was planned by Mrs. Miller in honor of the Dr’s, birthday and the occasion was of such a nature as to make the victim remember his forty-second birthday as long as he lives. A delicious supper was served to the guests and the after dinner toasts and anecdotes given by the knights of medical science proved one of the best features of the evening’s fun. To compensate Mr. Miller for the complete surprise he had undergone, the da'tors presented him with a fine rocking chair. It is safe to say that no birthday will cling so long to the memory of the surprised as his forty-second, nor will his fellows iu profession forget Saturday’s happening as it was as complete anil enjoyable one as was ever produced. A well known gentleman from this county has been enjoying a visit with relatives and friends at Covington, Ohio, and while there was appoached by an owner of a large manufacturing industry, who stated that he has had Decatur in mind for some time and is desirous of locating here on account of the splendid shipping facilities. He manufactures springs, mattresses and patent furniture and employs from 100 to 300 men. He will very probably be here in a few days to ascertain the facilities and see if our citizens will offer him any encouragement. He really wants to locate here and will come if there is any way possible to arrange matters. His name is G. W. Swadner and his factory here would without doubt lie a great addition to our manufactories as he employs a number of skilled mechanics at good wages. Here is another opportunity and a little investigation will certainly do no.harm. What we need just now is several of these factories to double the population of our thriving city. Never in its history lias Decatur advanced so rapidly as during the past two months and if our business men continue to stick together as they have our prosperity and growth is assured. Come on Mr. Sandner if you want to live in the best community of hustlers on earth. Deputy Sheriff Frank Ferrell drove! to Hartford township Thursday and * performed a disagreeable duty, that! of taking a three year old boy away | from his mother. The child is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cleophas Ritt- 1 gers, of Huntington, is a pretty, bright-faced little fellow, and of course does not understand the serious trouble between his parents. Mr. Rittgers is a business man of Huntington. is the son of Rev. and Mrs. Jacob Rittgers, formerly of Linn Grove, and brother of Prof. Rittgers of the Linn Grove schools, j Mrs. Rittgers was formerly Miss Ruth Kizer, daughter of Silas Kizer, one of the best known citizens of Hartford township. They were married sev- i eral years ago and were getting along nicely until a short time ago, when I Mrs. Rittgers and her son left home and has since refused to return. The husband then brought suit for divorce and asked the court that the only child, a son. nearly three years old, named Charles Rittgers, lie placed in care of the plaintiff's parents. Rev. and Mrs. Rittgers, until such time as the merits of the case may be decided. Tho order was issued and sent hero and Deputy Ferrell was sent out for the boy. being accompanied by Rev Rittgers, to whom little Charlev was given. Mrs. Rittgers, the mother, was not at home when the officer arrived, having gone to Huntington to secure her house* hold goals. The boy's grandparents objected but were powerless of course, and the little fellow was brought here and taken to Huntington last night. Quite a court battle will result, the principle point of litigation being the [custody of the child.

Herman Aldeguss, who lives southwest of the city, is very ill with typhoid fever and his friends have almost dispaired of his recovery. Re has been sick for several weeks and was thought to be on the road to recovery, in fact was, until yesterday when he suffered a relapse and his temperature last evening was up to 106. This morning he was just alive and the latest report is that he is no better. He is quite well known here and has a brother who works forC. Radamacher in this city. He is about thirty years old and has a wife and three children. TrusteeKoldewey will supply Union township with a new school building for district number five, Union town ship. In accordance with this arrangement plans and specifications will soon be on display at the auditor’s office, and on Saturday. March 7, bids from contractors will be received and the contract given The new proposed temple of learning will be of brick, and when completed will be a handsome addition to the schools of the county. It is expected to have the building ready for occupancy at the opening of the fall term of school, this year. Mr. Waring, representing our glove and mitten factory, Tuesday close ! a contract with E. Fritzinger by which the latter agrees to erect a new brick block on Monroe street just east of the Burt House, to be used by the former as a factory for the manufacturing of their goods. The new building will be three stories high, about forty feet wide and ninety-eight feet long. The basement will lie used for the packing department and engine room and the other floors for their machinery and stock. The Waring company have leased the room for ten years. Work will begin as soon as the weather permits and Mr. Fritzinger was busy tafay purchasing brick and other necessary material for its construction. It will be a beautiful block and will add materially to the appearance of the city. The mitten company will be in operation soon in the Noah’s Ark building and will move into their new quarters by mid-summer. There will be 15,000 feet of floor space in the new building. The Euterpaen Fraternity now has fifty members, though but a few days old in this city, and the organization bids fair to become a most substantial one. Euterpaen is taken from the word euterpe, meaning music, and the object of the order is the promotion of happiness by acquiring knowledge of all subjects, not only music, but literature, art, science and general information. The Fraternity has been organized hereby Willier M. Derthick, supreme grand master, and Francis Eaton, deputy, both of Chicago, who have been at work about a week. Forty-five different characters are represented by as many different members and these are called leaders, this number being necessary to establish iu a city. The other members are known as supplementaries. The first meeting of the club will be held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Brittson, Thursday evening, at which time the special subjects will be Grieg. Burns and Millet, thus covering music, poetry and painting. At this meeting each member may invite one friend to attend. The organizers will leave soon and the work will then be entirely in the hands of the members, who will, no doubt, keep up the interest already manifested. If this is done the fraternity is sure to be the success predieted by the many staunch members. David Erwin, eight years old, son of Judge and Mrs. R. K. Erwin is alive and feeling quite well though he is by no means responsible for that fact and that he is living to- I day is due to a lucky incident and the fact that the judge has a telephone in his home. Tuesday evening David went to one of the neighbors and played until nine o’clock, returning home to find everyone in lied. Ashe I entered the door he noticed a plate of chicken under the kitchen table and thinking that bis baby sister had been feasting on this appetizing looking! dish and had carelessly left it under ! the table, he pulled it out and in a few seconds had cleaned the platter and appeased his appetite. As he started ! to his lied he stumbled and the noise | awakened his mother who called to 1 him with instructions not to touch the plate of chicken as she had dosed it with a liberal supply of rough on rats, expecting to rid the kitchen of some mice that had lieen bothering around for a few days. David’s answer that he had already eaten the lunch was sufficient to badly frighten his mother who at once ran to the telephone and called for Dr. Boyers, who instructed her to feed the boy all the sweet milk and alum in tho house. Davy juggled down about three gallons of the fluid and by the time the physician arrived he was pretty thoroughly cleansed and with a little treatment soon entirely recovered. Dr. Boyers said that a few minutes delay in treating the lad would have resulted fatally as the quantity of poison taken was enough to kill ten boys. Judge Erwin was at Huntington and knew nothing of the affair until last evening.

CIRCULATION 2800 WEEKLY

NUMBER 50

The ease of Joseph and Ella Cro ■ zier, ex parte, petitition to adopt Ear) Rausbottom as their son and heir was heard Monday afternoon, Dore B. Erwin, attorney, presenting the same. The boy’s father, Arthur E. Ransbottom appeared in open court and when the matter was explained to him he faltered and for an instant it looked as though he would refuse to relinquish his rights as father to his own boy, but he finally consented and the petition was granted. Mr. Ransbottom now lives at Lima and has no means to educate his son or provide for him as he would like to, and as the boy’s mother has been dead since he was but a few days old, it is no doubt better that he should be adopted. Mr. and Mrs. Crozier are well-to-do farmers who have no children and who will take excellent care of little Earl. Eli Crist is just rounding up his work, began some time ago of listing all the mortgages in the county. Each township is made out seperately and the list are given to the township assessors to refreshen their memories, when at work this spring. The total number in the county wdl no doubt pass the three hundred mark. The assessments of real estate is in the labors for this spring, and it is expected that these assessments will be given a new deal throughout. The excessive nrice at which farm lands have been calling will materially effect their assessments, and an in crease is expected. The first meeting of all township assessors will no doubt be held some time next month, when County Assessor Crist will call them together, with a view of instructing them and also supplying them with the books and other credentials of their office. The first day of April will see them busilly engaged in pursuing the fellow who is unlucky enough to possess anything from a natural bank to a yellow dog. Decatur is on the verge of a new manufacturing industry, which if located will be a worthy institution. Those interested are E. D. Beeler, J. E. Kern, H J. Hirsch, C. L Walters, R. A. Ehinger and C. O. Ehinger, and they expect to have the machinery running March first. The new factory will manufacture all kinds of men’s pants and will begin with a pay roll of twenty five people. It is thought that within six mouths this will be increased to perhaps fifty people, and as there is no limit to the demand for this class of manufactured goods, there will likewise be no limit to the capacity of this factory. Its location has been decided upon and those interested are readv to back the enterprise in away that can not fail to ! ultimately bring success with a big “S,” to all concerned. We might also rehash the benefits to the public such l an addition to the city’s business interests would bring, but you have ! beard all this before. It is a good thing, and we sincerely hope nothing will step in to stop the future progress of the new industry. The field of market in this line has no limit as the factories now in business ‘ fail in supplying the demands of i trade. This being true the risk of I sale is entirely obliterated, making such a factory an urgent necessity. That Decatur can have it without monev and without price, makes it look all the better. This city and H. L. Confer Monday : underwent the pleasure experienced in rubbing up against a real live mining king, Mr. A. D. Steward, a man who is worth his millions and made it by the process of mining for the real thing. With it all he is simply a man. j plain in address, but a few minutes 'conversation will tell you he is far above the average, especially along speculative lines, iu which he has had so manyyears of practical knowledge. He now owns mining properties in Idaho, California, Colorado and South Dakota. He is seldom in one place long enough to claim a residence, but when he is at home is at Boise City, Idaho. The last venture that succeeded in placing him in the million aire column was made several years ago, when he had to borrow and beg 59,000 which was made as a payment on a mining property. After a few months under his ownership he boldly refused a cool million for it, and has in fact cleaned up several times that amount. With his continual success his holdings have grown until now he has a cinch on a goal sized section of the earth. His visit here was to see Mr. H. L. Center and to him he laid down t. proposition that was flattering in the extreme. He offered to lay down the cash that would land him in Colorado and place him in charge as manager of the Windy Gap Mine, a goal paying proposition. Reclaims ;to have more business than he has time, and knowing Mr. Confer and his excellent business qualifications, he came this distance to secure him as manager at this one place The inducements offeree! are excellent and not only reflect great credit on our townsmen, but if accepted inay be the means of placing him in a position that yesrs hence will permit him to do and be what Mr Steward has done and now is to that section of the earth. As yet no decision has been made and no answer given to the fluttering offer liestowed. Mr. Steward returned to Chicago Monday afternoon.